Psychology Commons^™

The Relationship Among Subtest Scores On The Structure Of Intellect-Learning Abilities Test, Teacher Assigned Grades & Standardized Measures Of Achievement For A Population Of Gifted Students, Randy Rhoad

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship, among gifted students, between scores obtained on the Structure of Intellect-Learning Abilities (SOI-LA) test and two measures of achievement: teacher assigned grades and scores obtained on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). This study was based on the assertion that academic abilities should be linked to specific cognitive abilities measured by the SOI-LA subtests. Significant, positive relationships between academic abilities and SOI-LA subtest scores would imply that curricula based on the Structure of Intellect theory, in areas identified as deficient by the SOI-LA tests, may increase achievement among the …

The Effects Of Time-Compression On Recall Utilizing A Videotape Presentation, William Edmiston Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Three population samples of college students were found to be similar on two stratifying variables, general intelligence and knowledge of conditioning principles, before viewing a time-compressed or non-compressed videotape presentation. The amount of unprompted information recalled did not differ significantly between the time-compressed and non-compressed treatment conditions. Additionally, neither treatment condition differed significantly on a multiple-choice posttest, although both groups did differ significantly from a control group that did not view the videotape. No significant difference was found between the time-compressed and non-compressed groups on their ratings of Quality of Narrator, Interest Level of Topic, and Overall Quality of Videotape …

The Development And Construct Validation Of The Children’S Academic Motivation Inventory, Kevin Hughes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide construct validation evidence for the Children’s Academic Motivation Inventory (CAMI). The CAMI, the junior Index of Motivation Scale (JIM Scale), and the Children’s Social Desirability Scale (CSDS) were administered to 534 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. Additionally, teacher assigned math grades; total math and total reading scores from the Kentucky Essential skills test (KEST); and the Cognitive Skills Index (CSI) from the Test of Cognitive Skills were obtained for each participant. Principal-components factor analysis with varimax rotation performed on the CAMI items produced essentially one factor, entitled academic achievement motivation. …

Development Of The Parent - Child Situation Scale: A Measure Of Parental Attributions Toward Handicapped Children's Behavior, Lonnie Sears

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Parent - Child Situation Scale (PCSS) was developed to measure parental attributions toward handicapped children's behavior. The PCSS was administered to mothers of handicapped children. The final version of the scale possessed good reliability. Coefficient alphas for the PCSS were .74 for the internal - external attribution subscale, .70 for the stable - unstable subscale, and .72 for the global - specific subscale. Factor analysis of the PCSS revealed three factors corresponding to the three attribution types. The internal - external subscale's validity was supported. The other two subscales, however, appeared to have only moderate validity. Responses of college …

A Study Of Cognitive Variables Associated With Achievement Among A Gifted Population, Sharon R. Coty-Kieta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between specific cognitive variables and classroom achievement among a gifted population. The participants included 389 students in grades five eight enrolled in the Gifted and Talented Education program in a Southcentral Kentucky School district. An experimenter-developed teacher rating scale was used to document classroom achievement, the criterion variable. The predictor variables were (a) locus of control, as measured by the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale; (b) the ability to clearly express thoughts and the elaboration, fluency, flexibility, originally, and organization of those thoughts, as measured by the Prose Quantification System; (c) …

The Effects Of Individual-Team Training Versus Group-Team Training On Group Task Performance, David Rivkin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizations utilize groups frequently and extensively for problem solving and decision making. Research results indicate that training in group decision making improves the performance of groups on a variety of decision -making tasks (Erffmeyer & Lane, 1984; Hall & Williams, 1970; Nemiroff, Passmore, & Ford, 1976). Despite the heavy reliance of organizations on teams and the benefits of training in group decision making, there is a scarcity of research investigating the proper instructional mode (i.e., individual versus team) for group decision-making training (Denson, 1981; Goldstein, 1986). The results of studies investigating this problem have been inconclusive (Goldstein, 1986). Support has …

A New Measure Of Mature Religiosity, James A. Croxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study, a new measure of mature religiosity was created. One hundred and fifty students were administered an 80 item scale based upon a consensus meaning of mature religiosity. The results of this administration were factor analyzed. Seven First Order Factors and two Second Order Factors emerged which could be adequately assessed by 50 of the 80 item. The revised 50 item scale was administered to 130 students. During the same administration, the students also responded to measures of personal maturity (Dogmatism Scale, Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, Social Desirability Scale) and other measures of mature religiosity (Intrinsic-Extrinsic Religious …

A Comparison Of Oral & Written Verbal Expressions Of Creative Thinking Using The Prose Quantification System, Renee Lane

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare oral and written expressions of creative thinking which took the form of prose, e.g. stories. The Prose Quantification System (PQS) was the instrument of comparison. The PQS is an instrument developed to predict teachers' ratings of the creative quality of written prose. The study investigated the following: (a) interjudge agreement and intrajudge stability for oral and written stories, (b) Teacher Ratings of Story Creativity (TRSC) of oral and written stories, (c) alternate mode (i.e., oral vs. written) equivalence and (d) criterion validity of the PQS.

PQS story-starters (unfinished opening lines to a …

The Effects Of Frequency & Source Of Feedback On Performance Under Goal-Setting Conditions, David Campshure

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Feedback and goal setting are both necessary for either to have an effect on performance (Erez, 1977). In the present study two attributes of feedback, frequency and source, were manipulated under goal-setting conditions to examine their effects on performance. It is generally assumed that performance can be enhanced by providing individuals with frequent feedback and by providing them with feedback that originates from a source close to themselves--that is, feedback from the task itself or self-administered feedback. A third variable of interest, subjects' perceived control over the task, was assessed via questionnaires.

Subjects worked on a problem-solving task. Each subject …

A Study Of The Interrater Agreement Of Therapists Using The Basic I.D. Profile As An Assessment Tool, Jimmy Mann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In using the BASIC I.D. profile as an assessment tool, seven modalities of the client are assessed: Behaviors, Affect, Sensations, Imagery, Cognitions, Interpersonal relationships, and Drugs (physiological condition). The purpose of this s•udy was to assess the interrater agreement of the BASIC I.D. profile when used as an assessment approach in psychotherapy. The raters were 15 graduate students in clinical and school psychology at Western Kentucky University. Six actors served as subjects who simulated clients coming to a psychotherapist for his/her initial interview. Two experienced interviewers portrayed therapists conducting the initial interview with the subject. The interviews were videotaped and, …

Effect Of Internal Consistency On The Cpi Social Dominance Scale On The Predictability Of Dominance Behaviors, Jerry Guttman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to show that the degree of consistency that people demonstrate on personality measures is positively related to the degree to which behaviors representing the personality domains can be predicted. Thirty five female consistent personality scale respondents and Thirty eight female inconsistent scale respondents participated in small group discussions. The results showed that for all females, scale scores on the California Psychological Inventory subscaJe of dominance were predictive of three measures of dominance behaviors in the discussion group. Consistent personality scale respondents had no measures that were significantly correlated with the dominance scale score, whereas …

Weighted Application Blanks: An Empirical Approach For The Selection Of Delivery Personnel Psychology, Barton Lee Dahmer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a biographically weighted application blank for use in selecting delivery personnel. The England (1971) procedure for weighting biographical information was utilized. The criterion was a ratio of planned work time to actual work time. It was hypothesized that (a) significant derivation and cross-validities would be obtained, and (b) significant practical benefits in terms of correct placement of workers in the high and low criterion groups would result. The first hypothesis was partially supported in that a significant derivation validity was obtained (r = -.56, P < .05). However, the cross-validity (r = -.12) was not significant. Thus, the second hypothesis was not supported. A discussion of the results and recommendations for the implementation of the weighted application blank are provided.

Assessing Critical Thinking Processes In The Gifted: Predicting Gre Analytical Performance From Watson-Glaser Results, Susie Garrott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the constructs measured by the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the Graduate Record Examination Analytical Scale in "gifted" adolescents 15 to 17 years of age. There were three hypotheses addressed in this study: 1) "gifted" adolescents would be able to think critically as measured by college level norms when measured by the Watson-Glaser and the GRE-Analytical; 2) significant differences would exist between different levels of gifted populations; and 3) a factor or group of factors of the Watson-Glaser subscales would significantly predict performance on the GRE-Analytical Scale.

The Watson-Glaser …

Children's Anxiety Management Program (C.A.M.P.): A Year Long Study Of A Preventive Stress & Anxiety Program For Children, Karen Witty

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Children's Anxiety Management Program (C.A.M.P.) was designed as a preventive program to be carried out over an academic year with fifth and sixth grade children. The program was designed to help teach the children different methods of coping with stress and anxiety. It was written in a curriculum format allowing for integration into a daily classroom routine. Eighty-seven children were pretested and posttested with the Children's School Questionnaire (CSQ) which measured these factors: School Anxiety, Defensiveness, and Self-Disparagement. The CSQ along with student and teacher kept logbooks aided in the final evaluation of C.A.M.P.. The statistical evaluation of the …

Anisms Underlying Improvement Of Peripheral Visual Processing In Older Adults, David Ball

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The aim of this project was to examine the effects of perceptual learning, or practice, on the vision of older adults. Previous findings had indicated that older adults have restricted functional visual fields, but that practice in detecting peripheral targets can substantially improve their performance. Two possible explanations for poorer performance in the older age groups were examined: 1) slowed speed of central perceptual processing and 2) attentional deficit problems. Six observers in each of three age groups were tested and trained in performing a peripheral localization task while performing a concurrent central task. A progressive loss in the functional …

An Observational Analysis Of The Interactions Between Institutionalized Mentally Retarded Clients & Direct Care Staff, Lisa Ellis-Lake

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactions between direct care staff and the mentally retarded (MR) clients that they served in an institutional setting. It was hypothesized that (a) most of the staff-client interactions, regardless of quality (i.e., positive or negative) and/or level of intellectual functioning, would be instructional rather than conversational or no response interactions; (b) there would be an insufficient amount (i.e., duration and frequency) of conversational interaction, regardless of quality, across intellectual functioning levels; and (c) there would be a greater number of negative no response interactions (i.e., ignoring an appropriate client verbalization) than …

School Psychologists' Reports: Special Educators' Preferences, Claudia Downey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Special educators were surveyed in order to determine which of two distinct styles of school psychologists' reports, (psychological vs. psychoeducational) was perceived to be most useful. The sample population consisted of 39 special educators employed by the Bowling Green (Ky.) Independent School District and the Warren County (Ky.) Board of Education. Teachers' rankings of the ten report sections (five per style of report) were compared by an analysis of variance. Results of the 2 (report style: psychological vs. psychoeducational) by 5 (report sections: referral vs. background and observations vs. tests/procedures vs. diagnosis or conclusions vs. recommendations) ANOVA revealed no significant …

Using A Weighted Application To Predict Success Of Big Brother/Big Sister Volunteers, Douglas Kuhn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the predictive potential of the information gathered on the Big Brother/Big Sister volunteer application blank for the prediction of successful (matched 12 or more months) and unsuccessful (matched six months or less) volunteers. Two alternate application blank weighting procedures (England's 1971 weighting scheme and multiple regression analysis) were used and the results of these procedures were compared. It was hypothesized that both procedures would correlate significantly with a tenure criterion. This hypothesis was supported, although the England (1971) procedure failed to cross-validate. Additionally, it was hypothesized that the multiple regression procedure would …

A Comparison Of Illusory Halo Levels Between Conventionally-Developed And Factor Analytically-Developed Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales, Robert Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare halo levels between a set of behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) developed by conventional methodology with a set of BARS developed by factor analytic means. The conventionally-developed BARS were developed at the University of California-Berkeley by Department of Psychology faculty members in conjunction with undergraduate psychology students. The factor analytically-derived BARS were developed during the course of the research reported here. In Phase 1 of the present study, undergraduate psychology students rated their instructors on a 1-7 Likert scale using the individual anchors which comprised the conventional BARS. A factor analysis of …

Behavior Of Retarded Clients As A Function Of Access To Leisure Activities Oriented Toward Task Completion, David R. Keltner

Home Economics and Family Living Theses

This thesis represents an investigation of the effects of increased access to task completion activities on the behavior of institutionalized retarded clients. The hypothesis was that increased access to task completion leisure activities (non-competitive free time activities requiring the subject to attend to a constructive task during at least five free time periods over the course of the study) would result in reduced frequency of unacceptable social behaviors in a group of institutionalized retarded clients. A hobby kit designed according to the experimental definition of leisure activity was made available to each subject in the experimental group. Target behaviors (social …

A Comparison Between Children's Anxiety Management Program & Developing Understanding Of Self & Others: Effects On Children's School Anxiety, Self-Disparagement & Defensiveness, Bengt Ronnerman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Children experience unavoidable stress and anxiety. Excessive stress, or distress, and anxiety may negatively effect children's emotional, mental, and physical functioning. Examples of distress reactions in children include fears, aggression, frustration, low self-esteem, apathy, low academic achievement, poor peer relationships, fatigue, and developmental delays. Prolonged reactions to distress in children could cause severe emotional, mental, and physical problems when children reach adulthood. It is important that children learn effective strategies to cope with distress and anxiety. There is a dearth of research data regarding children and coping skills training for dealing with stress and anxiety. Therefore, the Children's Anxiety Management …

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.

• Whicker, Garth. Agriculture and the Development of Malaysia
• McGaha. Rape, Passion, Lechery, Usury, Incest, Murder and other Matters in The Ravenger's Tragedy
• Harrison, Robert. It was a Day of Very General Awakening . . : Reformation and Revival in Russellville, Kentucky
• King, Betty. An Affirmative Decision for James's Isabel Archer
• Sutton, Joyce. Sex Bias in Performance of Women
• Logsdon, Doug. Poe's Women
• Yoder, Nate. Emily Dickinson and Her Puritan Heritage
• Davis, Aleen. Jay …

The Effect Of Pre- & Post-Training Administration Of Naloxone Upon Acquisition Learning & Memory Retention During An Active Avoidance Response, Debra Yovichin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Thirty-two male and female Balb-C mice were randomly divided into four groups of eight subjects each. The mice were injected with saline or naloxone either before or after the initial training of an active avoidance response. Forty trials were administered during the training and the retesting phases with the number of avoidance responses being recorded.

The results indicate that there was no significant difference between giving the treatment before versus after training. No significant difference was also observed between the saline versus naloxone groups, while a significant difference was found between training versus retesting. Possible explanations for both the nonsignificant …

The Relationship Among Parent Knowledge Of Special Education, Assertiveness, And Participation In Planning Their Handicapped Child’S Educational Program, Lynne Faxon Croxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study addressed the relationship among parent assertiveness, parent knowledge of special education and the handicapping condition of their child, and parent participation in the annual meeting of the School-Based Admissions and Release Committee (SBARC). Fifty-one (51) parents of learning disabled and mentally handicapped children in a suburban area of Kentucky participated in the study. The effects of the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child had received special education on parent assertiveness, knowledge, and participation were also analyzed. Parents were given the Special Education Knowledge Survey, and …

The Role Of Depression In College Student Attrition, Jeffrey Feix

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study investigated the relationship between clinical depression and college GPA, which has been shown to be directly related to college student attrition. Scores on the Depression scale of the MMPI (MMPI-D) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were collected from 33 students on academic probation (AP) and 36 students in good standing (GS). All scores were standardized and the mean of the standardized scores on both inventories was computed for each subject. The AP and GS group means were compared using the t-test on the raw scores of both inventories as well as the means of the standardized scores. …

The Relationship Between Rating Strategy And Accuracy Of Performance Rating, Richard Carter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Given the recent theoretical emphasis on the process of performance rating (e.g., Landy & Farr, 1980), a test of the suggestion that better raters may use different rating processes than poorer raters was implemented. Specifically, this study was designed to determine if more accurate raters use a systematically different rating strategy than less accurate raters. Accuracy, the proximity of a rating to the ratee’s true score, was operationalized by differential accuracy (Cronbach, 1955), while rating strategies were determined through a policy capturing method (e.g., Zedeck & Kafry, 1977).

Seventh-three subjects rated a series of videotapes, developed by Borman (e.g. Borman, …

Guilford’S Structure Of Intellect Theory: An Evaluation Of The Three Dimensional Model And The Implications For Its Use In The Education Of The Gifted Child, Judith Parr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There is much current interest in the field of education concerning the academically gifted student’s needs. Guilford’s Structure of Intellect model (Guilford, 1956) holds particular promise for positively influencing the development of cognitive skills among academically gifted students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using a program of instruction based upon Guilford’s Structure of Intellect (SI) model (Meeker, 1969) with children identified as academically gifted. Subjects consisted of 68 fourth-grade students who resided in two counties of northwestern Kentucky and who were identified as being academically gifted. The treatment group consisted of 34 academically gifted …

The Effect Of Relaxation Procedures On Test Anxiety & Test Performance, Mary Thompson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine if relaxation procedures, consisting of meditation and cognitive self-statements, were effective in improving test performance and in reducing test anxiety and (b) to investigate the relationship between test anxiety and test performance. Thirty-six students in an undergraduate psychology class were administered a self-report anxiety inventory, the Test Anxiety Scale-Revised (TASC-R). The students were then matched according to test anxiety level and randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group received 20 minutes of relaxation treatments immediately prior to the third, fourth, and fifth course content exams. …

Predicting Actual Physical Performance With Mental Image Accuracy, Rodney Young

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to tap into and index the motor program that is believed to control human movement, and to use that index in the prediction of future performance on the same task. A total of 75 right-handed undergraduates were tested on the rotor pursuit operating at 45 revolutions-per-minute, subjects were asked to imagine themselves tracking the target with the stylus in their left hand. During the imagery trial or trials, depending on group assignment, the subjects verbalized the word "top" each time their image made one complete revolution. Each subject received an initial 20 sec of …

The Relationship Between Psychologists’ Judgments Of Artistic Quality And Judgments Of Emotional Adjustment From Children’S Human Figure Drawings, Karen Collier

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Children’s human figure drawings (HFDs) have frequently been used as a projective technique to indicate emotional problems. Despite the popularity of this technique, research has shown contradictory findings on its validity as a measure of emotional adjustment. As a reason for the inconsistent findings, researchers have suggested that the artistic quality of HFDs may interfere with successful interpretation of adjustment from the drawings. However, the issue of the possible influence of artistic quality has not been adequately researched.

The major purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between psychologists’ judgments of artistic quality and judgments of …