Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Galvanic Skin Response As A Function Of Evaluative Message Content, Mode Of Transmission, And Personality Traits, Richard W. Robinson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A New Method For Studying Variables Controlling Television Viewing, Diana Reda

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Cathartic Effects Of Aggressive Responses Directed Toward An Inanimate Object, Timothy William Creston

All Master's Theses

This study was intended to test the catharsis of aggression hypothesis which in part holds that aggressive responses directed towards an inanimate object will have a tension reducing effect and result in a lowering of residual hostility.

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Student Grades And Parental Attitude Towards The Teacher, Jerry C. Fritts

All Master's Theses

Realizing that the parents play an important role in the total educational process, the primary purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between student grades and parental attitude toward the teacher. It is contended that there is a relationship manifesting itself in the form of a positive correlation and it behooves those in education to do something to cultivate an atmosphere more conducive to educational success. Developing a mutual respect and willingness for cooperation between home and the teacher would serve to greatly enhance a child's educational experience. Another purpose of this study is to …

Duration Of State-Dependent Learning Induced By Ncfs-Ecs, Larry Wayne Morris

All Master's Theses

This paper investigated the course of the state-dependent function induced by NCFS-ECS at 24 hr. time intervals, beginning at 24 or 48 hrs. after NCFS-ECS treatment and terminating at 120 hrs. Results of both experiments indicate a state-dependent effect lasting up to 72 hrs., was absent at the 96 hr. retention test but, apparently returned by the 120 hr. retention test. Recommendations included investigation of fixed time intervals after the 120 hr. retention test.

The Relationship Of Dogmatism And Internal-External Control To Psychological Reactance, Edward J. Schau

All Master's Theses

One hundred ninety-two Introductory Psychology students volunteered for credit to complete the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and the Rotter I/E Scale. The students were also asked to fill out a questionnaire, obstensibly from the administration, asking them to rate the favorability of the first five periods of the day on a scale of 1-100. Two weeks later 94 of the above students, serving as controls, were asked to fill out the identical questionnaire again. They were told that the previous ones had been lost. The 98 remaining students, serving as experimental subjects, received additional information. E said that he had heard …

Retroactive Inhibition Versus Proactive Inhibition As A Function Of Variable Time Interval Among Elementary School Children, Tom L. Warren

All Master's Theses

As a study of phenomena which affect learning, the inquiry into retroactive and proactive inhibition and their varying functions should be of vital interest to both psychology and education, particularly to those educators and learning theorists who work with elementary school children. Also, it is hoped that this study will provide more reliable and statistically significant data on the question of whether retroactive inhibition is greater than proactive inhibition of retention. And, in addition, if there is a difference between retroactive and proactive inhibition when the retention test is immediate or follows soon after original learning, will this difference disappear …

The Degree And Time-Course Of Stress In The Patient Undergoing Cardiac Surgery, Hulda Esther Serra, Patricia Jo Yvonne Tygret

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An important nursing objective is to assist patients through stressful experiences. It has been assumed that cardiac surgery constitutes such a stress situation. For this reason, twenty-two patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Loma Linda University Hospital studied for the purpose of exploring the degree and time-course of were psychological stress.

The methodology consisted of administration of psychological tests before and after surgery; determination of urine catecholamines (UCA) before, during and after surgery; administration of a coping assessment tool before surgery, and a recall interview on the fifth day after surgery. The Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL)-Today form, and the …

The Effectiveness Of Environmental Control In Modifying Problem Behaviors In Mother-Child Interaction, Thomas Whalen Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses

An experiment was designed to test the effectiveness of using standard laboratory environments in producing a broad class of problem behaviors which defined Mother-Child (M-C) interaction difficulties. The effects of four environments, free-time (X), child's game and rules (B), mother's game and rules (C), and clean-up (Z), on the frequency of eight criteria behaviors were tested on 12 M-C pairs over three days of baseline data collection. It was predicted that the frequency of problem behaviors would decrease as a function of environment (X) and increase as a function of environments (B), (C), and (Z). A two factor …

Behavioral Changes Due To Overpopulation In Mice, James Robert Hammock

Dissertations and Theses

Previous research has found that if a population were allowed to exceed a comfortable density level, then many catastrophic events occurred such as increased mortality among the young, cannibalism, homosexuality, and lack of maternal functions. The most influential researcher in this area is Calhoun (1962), after whose experimental design a pilot study was fashioned to replicate his results. The results of this pilot study inspired a more detailed research project of which this thesis is an account.

Forty-eight albino mice of the Swiss Webster strain were divided into three groups of sixteen each. Each group consisted of ten females and …

A Comparison Of The Perceptual And Motor Abilities Of Learning Disabled And Normal Students At Ages Eleven And Twelve, Rachel Adams Thompson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

Haptic Perception Of The Mueller-Lyer Illusion By The Blind, James G. Patterson

Student Work

This study measured the extent to which the following four groups of Ss experienced the Mueller-L yer illusion: a group of ten congenital blind, ten Ss blinded in adulthood, ten sighted blindfolded Ss presented the illusion haptically, and ten sighted Ss presented the illusion visually. All of the groups experienced the illusion to a significant extent. The extent of illusion in the sighted haptic group was significantly less than that in each of the other groups, p < . 025 in each case. None of the other pairs of means w ere significantly different. Thus the results show that the blind do experience the Mueller-Lyer illusion similarly to the sighted, but the extent of illusion is much less for the sighted blindfolded. A positional memory hypothesis was presented to account for these results. It proposes that the blind have learned to remember the haptic location of objects in their environment but that the sighted have not developed this skill to the same degree.

A Test Of The "Contiguity" And "Generalized Imitation" Theories Of Social Modeling Processes, Gerald R. Adams

Student Work

Imitative behavior was studied using 36 kindergarten children who were either reinforced or not reinforced for imitative behavior prior to observing a male model exhibit aggressive behaviors. The children were tested for imitative aggressive behaviors in an 8-minute freeplay situation using a five category rating scale. The results revealed that the reinforced group emitted significantly more physical, verbal, and nonimitative aggression than the nonreinforced group. A second test examined the retention of the model's aggressive behavior under an incentive condition. The incentive condition diminished the initial differences found in the first test, revealing a nonsignificant difference between the reinforced and …

The Assessment Of Attitudes Toward Psychology As An Effective Variable In Psychological Research, Joseph Galloway

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research investigated the reliability and validity of the Psychological Research Survey (PRS). Naive introductory psychology students who had not previously participated in psychological experimentation served as Ss for the reliability assessment. Split-half and test-retest coefficients indicated high reliability. Construct validity was estimated with the use of developmental and situational tests. The PRS was expected to discriminate a more positive attitude toward psychology and psychological research as students progressed from introductory to more advanced courses in psychology. A simple analysis of variance of Ss' PRS scores failed to indicate a significant re-ult. A situation was designed whereby Ss behavior indicated …

The Effects Of Marihuana Extract Distillate On Eating Behavior Of Rats, Terrie Wetle

Dissertations and Theses

Since hunger drive is often used as a motivating factor in animal learning experimentation, it was decided to determine the effects of marihuana extract distillate on the eating behavior of rats. Carlini and Kramer (1965) found marihuana extract injections to have a faciliatory effect upon maze performance. They suggested that facilitation could have resulted from and increase in hunger drive. However, if the dosage level is high, this effect may last for a short time and be followed by a disinterest in food. Scheckel et al. (1968) report that some monkeys, at very high dosage levels of tetrahydrocannabinol starved to …

"Transcendental Meditation: A Vision Of Possibilities", Walter Koch

Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers

No abstract provided.

Post-Discrimination Gradients: The Averaging Hypothesis, Michael Glenn Grisham

Psychology ETDs

The averaging hypothesis states that intermediate rates in generalization tests represent a composite of two interresponse time (IRT) topographies established during prior acquisition. A short-IRT topography, characteristic of S^D responding, and a long-IRT topography, characteristic of S^Δ responding, occur in different proportions as a function of generalization test stimulus value. Demonstrations of averaging have had limited generality due to departures from the typical discrimination training and test procedures. The present experiment investigated averaging in a context distinguished from typical discrimination training and test procedures only by the use of separate manipulanda for the collection of S^D and …

The Effect Of Labeling Disfluencies As 'Stuttering' And Contingent And Yoked "Wrong" On The Disfluencies Of Normal Speakers, Dennis Ray Staines

Dissertations and Theses

A labeling variable suggested by Wendell Johnson's "diagnosogenic" theory of the onset of stuttering was included in this study of the disfluencies of normal speaking college students in order to explore further the hypothetical relationship between normal disfluency and the onset of stuttering. A total of 60 Ss were randomly assigned to the following groups, each containing 10 Ss: I. Labeling Chastisement plus Contingent "wrong;" II. Labeling Chastisement plus Yoked (non-contingent) "wrong;" III. Labeling Chastisement - No "wrong;" IV. No Labeling Chastisement Contingent "wrong;" V. No Labeling Chastisement - Yoked "wrong;" VI. No Labeling Chastisement - No "wrong" …

Changing Attitudes By Means Of Classical Conditioning, Larry R. Smeltzer

Student Work

As knowledge of attitude change processes has grown, a wide variety of theoretical analyses have been developed to integrate portions of this knowledge and to guide further research. Many theorists argue that attitude change and formation in the "real world" are produced by the fundamental mechanisms of classical conditioning (Kiesler, Collins, and Miller, 1969) but little research has been done to support such a theory.

The Application Of Porter And Lawler's Attitude-Performance Model To A Population Of Disadvantaged Trainees, Richard Dorr Scott

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a modified version of Porter and Lawler's attitude-performance model with a population of disadvantaged trainees. Seven hypotheses were derived from the following formulation: If a trainee sees high performance as leading to the attainment of one or more personal rewards in the training situation, he will tend to exert high effort in the program. The trainee will have correspondingly high performance in this situation providing he has the relevant ability and appropriate role perceptions.

To test these hypotheses data were obtained from 97 disadvantaged trainees and their eight supervisors at a manpower …

The Selection Of Bank Management Trainees: A Validation Study, James G. Overton

Master's Theses

Twelve studies of psychometric prediction using cognitive ability tests with upper level managerial samples are summarized. Of these, only two yield essentially positive results. Meyer (1956) found·a correlation of .27 between Wonderlic scores and overall ratings of 142 supervisors. However, since the raters were free to examine predictor-scores while making their ratings, there is strong evidence that the criterion was contaminated. In an unpublished study, Laurent (1962) correlated ratings of managers with Miller Analogies Test and non-verbal abiliti test scores. With over 200 persons in each sample, he found correlations ranging from .18 to .29, all significant. The majority of …

The Effects Of A Behavior Modification Program On The Self Concepts Of Children In Special Education, Barbara M. Scott

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether using a behavior modification approach to teaching children will help to raise a child's self concept.

A Survey Of The Integration Of Exceptional Children In Regular Classrooms, Catherine A. Greene

All Master's Theses

Educational practice in the past has been to segregate exceptional children by placing them in self-contained special education classrooms. Recently, however, this method has been questioned by leading special educators. Proponents of segregation of exceptional children admit to inadequacies in the present situation, but they argue that such inadequacies can be remedied and do not justify placing exceptional children in regular classrooms. Proponents of integration maintain that exceptional children live in a heterogeneous world and as adults will live and work in a heterogeneous world; therefore, these children should have a school setting that is like the world in which …

The Effects Of Visual Feedback And Level Of Aggression On The Application Of Noxious Stimuli, Gary W. Rawson

Student Work

Sixty-four male undergraduate students who were enrolled in an introductory psychology course were used as subjects to determine the effect which visual feedback and level of aggression have on the application of a noxious stimulus to another human being. Equal numbers of high and low aggressive Ss, based on Edwards Personal Preference Schedule scores, were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups, defined by type of visual feedback. The Ss were permitted to select the intensity and duration of hypothetical electric shock which they could apply to a male confederate as punishment for supposedly incorrect responses in a learning …

Effects Of Prior Experience Of One Group Member On The Performance Of The Wheel Network, Mark Hinterthuer

Student Work

The present study investigated the effects of prior experience of one group member on the performance of the wheel network. Groups participating in the experiment included four experimental groups and a control group. The four experimental groups included combinations of centrally or peripherally trained Ss transferred to a central or peripheral position in naive wheel networks. Dependent variables were measured in four categories: time, number of messages, number of errors, and individual ratings on a post-communication questionnaire. The position occupied by the experienced Ss during training had no apparent effect on their transfer group,s performance. The network position of the …

Effects Of Volition And Justification On The Arousal Of Dissonance During Performance Of A Dull Task, George Roger Schoenhals

All Master's Theses

The present study seeks to add a modest degree of clarification to the present condition of dissonance theory. More specifically, its main purpose is to help define certain conditions for the arousal of cognitive dissonance.

A Pilot Study For The Development Of A Children's Norm On Hooper's Visual Organization Test (Vot) And An Examination Of Clough's Perceptual Organization Test (Pot), Polly Paul

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology in the Graduate School of Morehead State University by Polly Paul on May 30, 1971.

An Attempt To Find Predictor Variables Which Will Discriminate Between Those Patients Who Seek Aftercare Treatment And Those Who Do Not Seek Aftercare Treatment Upon Discharge From A Psychiatric Ward, Nena V. Johnstone, William D. Lynch, Philip M. Baldwin, John C. Kemp

Dissertations and Theses

This is an exploratory follow-up study of the clientele of the Psychiatric Crisis Unit, a short-term, crisis-oriented inpatient psychiatric ward. The main objective of the research was to test the following null hypothesis: there are no significant differences between those individuals who attempt to gain aftercare treatment as opposed to those individuals who do not following discharge from the Crisis Unit.

A sample of fifty-one voluntary patients who consented to participate in the study was used in testing this hypothesis. Each subject completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (M.M.P.I.) and a sociological questionnaire while in the Crisis Unit, and a …

Effects Of Three Training Techniques On The Swimming Abilities Of Trainable And Educable Mentally Retarded Children, Richard Abramson

Senior Scholar Papers

The acquisition and incorporation of physical skills are a necessary and desirable part of our everyday life. Requisite to our contact with children, students, patients, and adults in the teaching of physical skills is the ability to communicate effectively. Verbal instruction may often be very effective in teaching physical skills, but there is some significant evidence to indicate that children and slow learners do not always have the necessary verbal skil1s. Much of human behavior, including concept learning, has often been represented by a single unit S-R theory. For Kendler and Vineberg (1954), this single unit S-R theory is inappropriate …

Anxiety Level Of Graduate Students In Social Work, Sophia Kouidou-Giles, George Albert Mckee

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to determine (1) the trend of anxiety level of social work students, term by term, over the academic year; (2) the cyclical trend of anxiety level of social work students within each term and (3) the effects of age and sex on level of anxiety among social work students.

Anxiety was measured with the IPAT - 8 Parallel Form Anxiety Battery. This test was administered to twenty randomly selected first year students in the School of Social Work during the 1969-1970 academic year at Portland State University. Data was collected from six test administrations which …