Psychology Commons^™

The Effect Of Spatial Or Verbal Strategy Practice On Hand Involvement, Michela Anita Larocca

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of the research on spatial problem solving indicates that spatial problems can be solved using verbal or spatial strategies. Research on block designs further indicate that increased solving speed is correlated with increased left-handed use in right-handers. However, the effect of strategy teaching on hand involvement has not been explored. The present study selected 38 right-hand dominant college students low in spatial ability (Total Standard Score ≤ 95) using the matrices Analogies Test (Naglieri, 1985). Subjects were randomly assigned to a spatial, verbal, or no (control) strategy condition. After completing the pretest consisting of seven block designs based …

Training Program Evaluation For A Prototype Command, Control & Communication System: Soldier Requirements, Performance & Feedback, Natalie Dancho

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An Army training program was evaluated in order to present recommendations for program refinement. The training program, developed as part of two larger Army combat development (CD) studies (DuBois & Smith, 1989a, 1989b), represents an attempt to define program design requirements for training tank commanders to use the Intervehicular Information System (IVIS). IVIS is a computer-based command, control, and communications system proposed for future M1A1 tank upgrades. Twenty-four Army tank commanders (TCs) participated in the research effort. TCs were of various rank and age. Training and testing were conducted over a 4 day period. Training lasted 1-1/2 days followed by …

The Effects Of Age & Practice On The Speed Of Processing In The Functional Field Of View, Francis Frey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous studies have indicated that the useful or functional field of view is a dynamic visual measure. Specifically, it has been shown to constrict as a function of increasing ago, decreasing target duration, decreased conspicuity, and to expand as a function of practice. Two possible explanations for the age-related decline were examined: (1) older observers have a deficit in selective attention which prevents them from ignoring irrelevant information, thereby making a target lees conspicuous, and (2) the time required to process a given visual area increases with age. The purpose of this study was to determine which of these explanations …

The Sex Stereotype Of A Job As A Moderator Of Sex Bias In Performance Evaluations, Sandra B. Crooks

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In accordance with the stereotype-fit model of discrimination (Dipboye, 1985), the results of past research indicate that the extent to which jobs are sex stereotyped dictates whether or not a main effect for rate sex is present in performance evaluations. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between the sex stereotype of the job and the presence of sex bias in evaluation. Two hundred and five undergraduate psychology students viewed one of eight videotapes of a confederate job applicant performing a work sample task and evaluated the observed performance. A 2 x 2 x 2 between …

The Effects Of Adding Verbalizations On The Draw-A-Person, Phyllis Helen Millspaugh

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sixty-two male and femal 9-, 10- and 11-year olds were administered the Naglieri Draw-A-Person (DAP) and the Vocabulary and Block Design subtests fro mthe Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). The study was conducted to determine the effects of verbalizations during the DAP on correlations with an estimated Full Scale IQ Score obtained from the two WISC-R subtests. Results of the study indicate that although there was an increase in the correlations between the Verbal DAP group and the estimated Full Scale IQ Score, compared to the standard DAP and the Full Scale IQ, it was not significant. The difference …

Attributions Of Responsibility Among Caregivers Of The Frail Elderly: Predicting Formal Service Use, Richard Troyer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of the research on family caregivers of the frail elderly indicates that although caregivers often experience high levels of burden, they make only minimal use of available professional, or formal, services. A theoretical model of helping and coping proposed by Brickman, Rabinowitz, Karuza, Coates, Cohn, and Kidder (1982) suggests that attributions of responsibility for causing and for solving problems define four distinct attributional styles, each determining how people will respond to outside help. The current study of 40 family caregivers attempted to validate an attribution instrument based on the Brickman et al. (1982) model, and to determine whether …

A Study Of Training, Feedback, & Goal Setting For Improving Quality In An Organizational Setting, C. Richard Moore Iii

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study investigated the effects of training, knowledge of results (KR), and goal setting on improving product quality in a field setting. Both practical and theoretical issues were addressed through the experimental design. A practical concern was the improvement of product quality in an organization. The theoretical issue was the increased understanding and utility of goal setting and knowledge of results for motivating workers' quality behavior.

Two existing departments (n=60 employees) of an aluminum window manufacturing plant were studied with the use of a multiple-baseline, within-subjects design across four experimental phases: a) baseline, b) training only, c) visual presentation …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Coates, Alan. Management's Attitude Toward Collective Bargaining
• Frew, Becky. The Effects of Personality Type and Social Support on Instances of Job Stress
• Green, Laura. Earth Sheltered Housing
• Gregory, Vicky. Fraud and Abuse by Medical Providers in Medicare and Medicaid
• Hignite, Susan. Japanese Students in Kentucky Classrooms
• Hodum, Martha. The Mathematically Gifted Child
• Jones, Rodney. Superman to Censorship: America's Romance with the Comic Book
• Marrs, Shawn. Romanticism and Unromanticism in Sir Gawain and the …

Development Of A Weighted Application Blank For The Carryout Clerk Classification In A Large Retail Organization, Linda Gabbard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Weighted Application Blank to predict turnover for use as a selection tool for a large retail organization. Utilizing the England (1971) procedure, it was hypothesized that significant derivation and cross-validities would be obtained. The hypothesis was partially supported: the derivation validity coefficient was significant (r = .28, p < .01) and the resulting cross-validity coefficient was net significant (r = 19, p < .05). The results and recommendations for implementation of the WAB are discussed.

The Effect Of Sex, Gender Identity, & Sex Of Story Characters On The Assessment Of Moral Development, Cathy Frey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study investigated the three areas associated with sex bias in Kohlberg's theory of moral development --sex, gender identification, and sex of story characters. The Defining Issues Test (DIT: Rest,1986a), a measure of moral development derived from Kohlberg's theory, was used in its original form and two revised forms (Male and Female versions) to determine the effects of sex and sex of story characters on the assessment of moral development. The Bem Sex -Role Inventory (Bem, 1981) was used to classify subjects as either sex -typed or androgynous to determine whether sex -role identification affects the assessment moral development. …

Spatial Vision: Age And Practice, James Pasley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous studies have shown that practice can improve adults’ ability to discriminate between two similar high frequency spatial patterns. Adults trained on this task also demonstrated significant improvement on a standard acuity test which is dependent on high frequency information. The aim of this study was to extend the range of training patterns to low (1.7 c/deg) and middle (4.0 c/deg.) spatial frequencies, and to determine if practice in a similar spatial frequency discrimination task would transfer to other spatial tasks dependent on low frequency information. Fourteen subjects in three age groups (young, middle and old) were tested before and …

The Effect Of Social Context & Group Decision Making Formats On An Evaluative Task, Joyce Bowers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of the literature on decision making indicated a lack of research attention given to the effects of the dynamics of the social context surrounding participation on decision outcomes. The present study examined the relationship between social context and group decision making formats, and its implications for the effective implementation of group participation in decision making The effectiveness of three decision -making formats, the nominal technique, the interacting technique, and the consensus technique, were compared under conditions of cooperation and competition on the three decision effectiveness dimensions of quality, acceptance, and synergy.

Two-hundred and forty-eight undergraduate students, working in …

Sex Role Orientation And Self-Esteem Of Female Varsity Athletes, Recreational Athletes And Nonathletes, Jo Ann Utley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between athletic participation, sex role orientation and self-esteem has received little attention from researchers and the relationship of these variables among females has not received as much attention as it has among males. It has been theorized that participation in sports, particularly team sports, may effect an increase in self-esteem due to increased positive body image and tend to “masculinize” women and/or attract females who possess or value more masculine traits and behaviors.

To address these issues, a comparison of sex role orientation and level of self-esteem was made with female varsity athletes, recreational athletes and nonathletes at …

Effect Of Parent Training On Parents' Level Of Depression & Sense Of Competence As Measured By The Psi, G. Lamar Roth

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how parent training reduced the level of depression and increased the level of sense of competence experienced by parents who perceive their child to have at least one behavior problem. Twenty-five mothers participated in 3 training groups. Two of the groups served as experimental groups and the third group served as a control group. The materials presented to the experimental group were a combination of behavioral and humanistic/Adlerian approaches to parenting (Clark, 1985). The participants were administered the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (Abidin, 1986) before and after treatment. The data for the …

Misattribution Of Interpersonal Attraction: A Case Of Mistaken Chemistry Or Cognition, William John Bowman Ii

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Prior research endorsed two theories of misattribution of interpersonal attraction. Both the two-component theory and the excitation transfer theory demonstrate misattribution and, in combination, enhance the probability of misattribution. However, which theory provides the primary source of misattribution has not been distinguished. The present study asked 60 undergraduate males to rate their interpersonal attraction toward a female in a video recording engaging in self disclosure. A manipulation of different levels of environmental saliency and physiological arousal was used to determine which condition or combination of conditions is most likely to elicit misattribution of interpersonal attraction. An analysis of variance followed …

Effects Of Gender & Body Size On Ratings Of Physically Demanding Task Performance, Carolyn Hill

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gender and body size on ratings of physical performance and effort. Participants (N=250) viewed the videotaped performance of one of four actors (large man, small man, large woman, and small woman) lifting, moving, and stacking 25 pound bags of feed. However, instead of containing feed, the bags contained a light weight (three pound) packing material. Participants rated the actor's performance either immediately or one week after viewing the videotape. Although the actual performances were identical, a 2 (Gender) x 2 (Body Size) x 2 (Time of Rating) ANOVA revealed …

Using Risk Factors To Predict Drug Use In A College Population, Gregory Leopold

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for the model that the greater number of risk factors experienced by an individual, the greater the drug use. A series of questionnaires including a parental nurturance scale, the PRIDE College Drug Use Prevalence Questionnaire, a delinquency scale, the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale, a modification of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, and the Johns Hopkins Symptom Checklist were administered to 235 college students. The series of questionnaires measured ten risk factors used in the study that included high perceived distance from parents, early tobacco use, low religiosity, low academic motivation, sensation …

The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Abbreviated: A Validity Study, Beverly Moore

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of a 25-item abbreviated version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (Richardson & Suinn, 1972). Convergent and discriminant properties of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale -Abbreviated (Alexander, Cobb, & Martray, 1986), as well as its sensitivity to individual differences were examined.

Convergent validity was examined by studying the correlation between the two math anxiety scales, the MARS -A and the Fennema-Sherman Math Anxiety scale (FSMA). Discriminant validity was examined by studying the correlations between: (a) the MARS-A and a test anxiety scale (TAI), and (b) between the MARS -A and …

Factors Affecting Tolerance Of Abuse In Abused & Non-Abused Women, Karen Wright

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of theory and research on spouse abuse identified sex-role socialization and past experiences with abuse as possible factors contributing to women's tolerance of abusive relationships. The current study of 151 college women attempted to identify factors predictive of tolerance of abuse which could identify women at risk of becoming abused. It was hypothesized that significantly more abused than non-abused women would be classified as feminine on the Bern Sex Role Inventory (Bern, 1974) and that previous experiences with abuse would be related to greater tolerance of abuse as measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS); (Straus, 1979). Neither …

Eliminating Sex Bias Through Rater Cognitive Processes Training, Carter Ard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The success of Rater Cognitive Processes Training as a strategy for eliminating sex bias in ratings of performance in a physically demanding job was investigated in the present study. One hundred undergraduate students from a mid -sized regional university served as subjects. The independent variables were type of training and sex of the ratee. resulting in a two by two factorial design. The dependent variable was the performance ratings assigned by the subjects. Subjects in the experimental condition were trained to recognize the important dimensions of performance for the lob of feed handler and received one Practice/feedback session. Subjects in …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Bachert, Sara. Rational Portrayal of the Irrationational in The Pit and the Pendulum
• Bell, Suzanne. Early Secret Involvement of the United States Military in Cambodia
• Brock, Beth. The Informal Caregiving System: The Frail Elderlys' Avenue of Choice
• Daniel, Janice. Child Sexual Abuse
• Johnson, Linda. International Telecommunications Trade with Japan
• Jones, LaMont. Ernie Pyle: Journalist Without Peer
• Kesserling, Marcia. Attitudes Toward the Need for Computer Literacy
• Lewis, Gloria. John Donne's Attitude Toward Love
• Majdi, …

The Effect Of The Type A Coronary Behavior Pattern On Intergroup Conflict Reduction, Ian Beckford

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of an individual difference variable (the Type A/B coronary prone behavior pattern) on intergroup conflict reduction. Undergraduates were first characterized as Type A/B based on a pretest. They then participated in a study that consisted of the presentation of two conflict-inducing tasks to each of two groups homogeneous with respect to the A/B dimension. There were three conditions in the study: sessions in which the groups were composed exclusively of "A"'s or "B"'s, and sessions which consisted of "A"'s and "B's. The two groups competed with one another on …

The Application Of Program Evaluation Techniques To Improve Services For Emotionally Disturbed Children And Youth In Kentucky: Discussion Of A Statewide Needs Analysis Model And A Framework For Program Development, Vicki Phillips

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

No abstract provided.

Depression In Caregivers Of Alzheimer’S Patients: Concurrent Validity Of Two Depression Scales, Joyce Sutton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Forty-five male and female family caregivers of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized Alzheimer’s Disease patients were assessed for depression, using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Internal consistency and concurrent validity for the BDI and GDS were acceptable, based on item-total correlation, coefficient alphas, and a Pearson’s Product-moment correlation. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was carried out to determine which variables predict depression in Alzheimer’s caregivers. Using the traditional cut-off score of 11 for each scale, it was found that 42% were depressed on the BDI, while 58% were depressed on the GDS; these rates were not significantly …

The Relationship Between Creativity In Prose & Standardized Academic Achievement, Coy Callicott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of the relationship between creativity, as measured by the Prose Quantification System (PQS), and standardized academic achievement as measured by the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). The Prose Quantification System is a measurement of the creative quality of written prose.

PQS story-starters were administered to 89 fifth-grade students enrolled in six classes in two schools in south central Kentucky. Each student received two story-starters about the same content (box or paper), but in a different context (usual vs. unusual setting) and was instructed to complete the stories. A total …

Aging And Spatio-Temporal Vision: Effects Of Blur On Localization Task Performance, David Griggs

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The aim of this project was to examine age-related declines in the processing of spatial frequency information. Some current theories of spatial vision state that humans process high spatial frequency information separately or differently from low spatial frequency information. There is also evidence that normal aging may affect the processing of some spatial frequencies more than others. Specifically, it has been proposed that older adults have deficits in their ability to process low spatial frequency information, and that older adults process visual information more slowly in general than young adults. Eight observers in each of three age groups were tested …

The Development Of A Knowledge Test For Armor Trainees, Jerry Seibert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A study was conducted to develop a written tank knowledge test for United States Army armor trainees. Such a test may be employed as a tool for training program evaluation and as a criterion measure for assessing trainees. The Tank Knowledge Test (TKT) was developed from items written by subject matter experts familiar with the armor training program. After pilot testing, a revised version of the TKT had an internal consistency reliability of .79. Item difficulty levels ranged from .16 to .92 with a mean of .57. A factor analysis performed to examine the possibility of deriving subscales from four …

Depression In College Students: Construct Validity Of The Student Experience Inventory, Angela Kramp

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research suggests that the population of undergraduate college students may be especially prone to depression. While the prevalence of depression within the general population ranges from 3 to 9 percent (Boyd & Weissman, 1981), it has been shown that between 15 and 46 percent of undergraduate college students suffer the symptoms of mild to severe depression (Beck & Young, 1978; Oliver & Burkham, 1979). Although depression is prevalent among college students, there are no known instruments yielding indices of depression specific to the college population. In fact, depression measures frequently employed in college settings seldom recognize the unique features of …

Better Differentiation Of Kohlberg's Stage 6 Using A Modified Form Of Rest's Defining Issues Test, David Gendron

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present research attempted to modify Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT) in order to better differentiate stage 6 moral reasoners from stage 5 reasoners. A review of the literature showed that the DIT seems to be both reliable and valid, yet it is unable to clearly differentiate between the stages of principled moral reasoning. After three pilot tests, newly developed stage 6 items were added to the DIT. The revised DIT was then administered to people believed to be stage 6 reasoners. Of the 30 respondents, three made the stage 6 cutoff. No stage 6 items were shown to clearly …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Baum, Carole. A Glance at Phenomenology and Its Approach to Literary Criticism, 1987
• Coble, Terrell. Personality Determinants: Research Results and Implications for Intervention, 1987
• Crase, Kim. Recent Developments in Products Liability, 1987
• Flora, Joan. Simms's Frontier Characters, 1987
• Ford, Doug, David Gray and Nick Nauman. Right-to-Work Laws, 1987
• Gray, Michael. Through Pontormo's Eyes, 1987
• Jackson, Jewel. Is Creativity Teachable? 1987
• Logsdon, Doug. James I as King Lear, 1987
• Schneringer, Joseph. Weather Stations in …