Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Temporal Discrimination Training Of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury Using Computer-Based Operant Procedures, Robert Edward Obrecht

Masters Theses

Computer-based interresponse time (IRT) and matching-to-sample (MTS) procedures were employed in two experiments to assess and effect changes in temporal discriminations made by adults with a history of traumatic brain injury. The results of Experiment One support the interpretation that maintaining correct IRT > t performance was a function of stimulus conditions that included signalled IRTs, values of t less than 3-seconds, a contract agreement to maintain performance, and other contingencies not explicitly part of the design. The results of Experiment Two, that minimal response latencies on MTS tasks are mediated equally well by an experimenter's verbal prompting as well as …

An Experimental Examination Of Trampling Effects On The Lateral Movement Of Surface Artifacts, Richard Wayne Stoops Jr.

Masters Theses

An often cited but little understood archaeological disturbance process is the effect of a site's occupants walking across the surface. Human foot traffic will move and alter archaeological materials, artifacts, in characteristic ways. How surface items will respond to trampling is dependent on a variety of factors. These factors will determine the extent and dimensions available for movement. By controlling for some of the relevant variables, the effects of other variables can be examined.

In this thesis, experiments are described that identify each of the variables that influence or may possibly influence how surface artifacts respond to foot traffic. The …

Porotic Hyperostosis And Artificial Cranial Deformation In Dallas Society, Stephen Patrick Langdon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate, test, and amplify Lewis and Kneberg's (1946) observation that the severity of porotic hyperostosis at Hiwassee Island is related to the degree of cranial deformation. Statistical tests indicate a moderate, although non-significant, correlation between the two conditions. It is believed that this correlation may be explained by the differential treatment of infants, rather than a direct causality.

A sample of 364 crania from four Dallas Phase sites are examined. Age, sex, and status distributions of porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, and cranial deformation are examined in a biocultural framework that emphasizes the interaction …

Religious Belief, Salience, And Social Action: Are They Related?, Timothy R. Tuinstra

Masters Theses

With the increasing size and social/political activity of theologically orthodox religious groups within the United States, research dealing with the relationship between orthodoxy and social action is necessary in better understanding the phenomena. Past research has been inadequate in that it has largely focused either on the clergy or, when using the laity, has only measured attitudes toward social action rather than participation in social action. This study measured social action participation among lay members drawn from three Grand Rapids area United Methodist Churches. A third variable, salience of religious belief, was also examined, which past research indicated could be …

Interpersonal Skills In The Employment Interview: Intended Meaning, Sharron Mccarthy Meisenhelder

Masters Theses

Recently employers have been including references to communication skills in their advertising for employment opportunities. This research examined what people in business and industry mean when they use the phrase "interpersonal skills." A questionnaire was developed and administered to 60 people associated with personnel practices in business and industry. Content analysis of questionnaire responses found the subjects to identify the interpersonally skilled employee to be "effective," to be "sensitive" and to have a "positive attitude."

Secular Trends In Stature In An Historic Sioux Population, Joseph M. Prince

Masters Theses

This study attempts to explore the possibility of the occurrence of secular trends in height in an historic population of Sioux American Indians, and presents the results from an analysis on anthropometric data from two primary sources. One data set was collected in the late 19th century under the direction of Franz Boas. A later early 20th century set was collected by Dr. James R. Walker. A cross sectional design is used to examine an unusually long span of Sioux history; ca. 1820-1880 for the adult (individuals over 20 yrs.) analysis, and ca. 1892-1907 for the children (aged 6 to …

A Trace Element Analysis Of The Gordon Town Site (40dv6): An Investigation Of Intra-Individual Variation And Dietary Inference, Susan Mary Thurston Myster

Masters Theses

The results of trace element analyses of archaeological human bone have been used to investigate questions pertaining to the dietary practices and subsistence behavior of various prehistoric populations. As a technique still in the experimental stage, however, a number of methodological difficulties have been identified. This thesis examined two aspects of trace element analyses of human bone. First examined was a methodological problem that has received increased attention since the initiation of this study: the documentation, measurement and control of intraindividual variability of trace element concentrations. Secondly, the validity of dietary inference from trace element concentrations were addressed using the …

Salt Ii: A Study, Daniel G. Rathbun

Masters Theses

The issue addressed in this thesis is whether the SALT II treaty, signed in 1979, should have been ratified by the United States Senate following its submission in the spring of that year. The author began by exploring the background of the arms control agreements of the late 1960s and early/mid 1970s, then explored that SALT II treaty itself in some detail. Research data were drawn from a number of sources during the compilation of this paper. The conclusion drawn in this thesis is that the SALT II treaty, in its submitted form, should not have been ratified. While the …

Attitudes Of College Students Toward Affirmative Action Policies For Women And Minorities, John Porter Lee

Masters Theses

This study used two contrasting theoretical perspectives in an assessment of college students' attitudes toward affirmative action policies for women and minorities. One perspective was Wellman's (1977) Interest Theory of Discrimination and the other one was based on the Minority Identity Development Model constructed by Atkinson, Morten and Sue ( 198 9) . Survey methods were utilized to gather data from 479 undergraduate students enrolled in a midwestern university. Following the development model, it was argued that white female students and black students (both males and females) would have favorable attitudes toward affirmative action policies because of their minority status. …

'Pleonexia': A Modern Pathology Of Self, George R. Ingham

Masters Theses

This study is an examination of the compulsion to shop or acquire commodities seen as a culturally and historically distinctive pathology of the modern self. The Greek term 'pleonexia' ('acquisitiveness') is borrowed as a covenient and more accurately descriptive term than the common 'shopaholic'. Pleonexia is seen as a complex, habitual, impulsive behavior which attempts to maintain order and continuity in the sense of self. Pleonexia represents a failure in self­cohesion, an attempt to counter feelings of emptiness created by the fragmentation and objectification of desire in our commodity culture. Such internal functions as regulation of feelings, self-esteem, as well …

Influences, Parental Selection Factors, And Parents’ Feelings On Preschool Children’S Clothing, Linda D. Simpson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Evolution/Creation Debate: A Rhetorical Analysis, James V. Miteff

Masters Theses

During the course of human history, many social issues have come and gone. One argument that caught the writer's eye is the argument about how man came to exist.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze an evolution/creation debate that took place at Columbus College, Georgia, on May 6, 1981. Evolutionary theory was supported by Dr. Schwinner, a paleontologist from Columbus College. His partner was Dr. Frazier, a professor of geology at Columbus College. Creation theory was supported by Dr. Henry Morris, President of the Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, and Dr. Slusher, an astronomer …

Communication And Aging: Perceptions Of Family And Friend Interaction On Self Reported Life Satisfaction Among Selected Residents Of Three Nursing Homes, Patricia J. Fetzner

Masters Theses

The study of communication and aging provides great potential for enriching the lives of the elderly. Of course this should be of great interest to each of us as we are all inevitably aging. One rapidly growing area in communication research deals with how communication affects the life satisfaction of the elderly. Of particular interest is the attitudinal effect of family and friend interaction.

Early research dealing with the elderly focused on two theories: 1. Activity theory, which is the idea that social activity is essential to an older person's sense of well being and; 2. Disengagement theory, which suggests …

Illinois Vocational Student Service Network Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy Development, Martin L. Barrett

Masters Theses

The dual purposes of this field study were to ascertain the legislative, court, and administrative rule requirements for equal employment opportunity and affirmative action for the newly created Illinois Vocational Student Services Network and to develop equal employment opportunity and affirmative action policies for the network. The findings of this field study are applicable to Educational Service Regions in the State of Illinois and projects, entities, or programs that utilize Educational Service Regions as fiscal agents. With minor modifications, the affirmative action policy could be utilized by school districts and other public agencies.

The study is divided into five major …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Entry Time In The Military And Academic Performance In Air Force Resident Training, Ronald Denius

Masters Theses

Purpose of the Study

Do young Air Force recruits who enter the military during the winter months truly perform at a lower level than their counterparts who enlist in the summer, fall, or spring?

Design of the Study

Time frames: This was divided into quarters (three month segments) which used service entry dates close to summer, fall, winter, and spring seasons. Quarter segments were:

1. June, July, and August

2. September, October, and November

3. December, January, and February

4. March, April, and May

It was expected that the summer segment would capture the graduate from high school who immediately …

Social Status And The Play Interactions Of Students Labelled Learning Disabled And Their Peers, Tammy S. Bryant

Masters Theses

The relationship between social status and play interactions of students labelled learning disabled and their peers is an area which has received much attention. However, most of the research has focused on students in resource settings. The current study focused on students labelled learning disabled in self-contained settings. The study involved administering the Play With Rating Scale to 41 second and third graders in regular classrooms and to 11 same-aged peers who were learning disabled in self-contained settings. The results were divided into popular/average and unpopular status groups. Thirty-three children were observed at play utilizing an observation tool developed by …

Developing Self-Esteem: A Search For The Missing Element, Douglas Mack

Masters Theses

Educators have long known the impact a child’s self-esteem, or self-concept, has upon his or her ability to perform in the classroom. This paper explores the variables involved in developing self-concept both in theory and the research. The roles of teacher feedback, student failure and success, and difficulty of task are examined and their impact upon student self-esteem assessed. Learning theories such as constructivism and the use of teams in the classroom are also presented and discussed. Self-esteem does not come about simply as a result of prior success. It develops 1) as a child experiences success at tasks he …

Female Representation Among State Legislative Elite: The Illinois General Assembly 1922-1986, Juliana J. Helmke

Masters Theses

This study of female representation in the Illinois General Assembly examines 33 general assemblies, beginning with the 53rd General Assembly – election year, 1922 – at which time the first woman was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. Trend lines are used to describe changes in female representation over the 64-year period. The effect of changes in the electoral system and the institutional structure are examined. Social and demographic characteristics of women legislators in Illinois are discussed. This data is then compared to data on legislators elected to the 83rd General Assembly.

Over the 64-year period covered in this …

Opening Lines In Classroom And Social Settings: A Study Of The Initiator's First Conversational Sequence, Julie E. Hutcheson

Masters Theses

This study examined various types of opening lines that college students use with strangers in classrooms and social settings. An opening line was defined as the initial turn of the conversational sequence. The responses received by the students, through an open-ended survey, were analyzed and categorized using content analysis. The results revealed many similarities among the two settings in eight pre-established categories and three new categories except for in one of the newest categories. The social setting in one of the newest categories received more sarcastic conversational sequences than the classroom. This study provides examples pertaining to many opening lines …

The United States And German Reunification: The Stalin Note Of 1952, Klaus P. Grillmaier

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the American and West German reaction to the Soviet note of March 10, 1952. In this so-called Stalin Note the Soviet dictator proposed the reunification of Germany on terms of neutrality and acceptance of the Oder and Neisse rivers as the German-Polish border. By launching his proposal Stalin sought to prevent the integration of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) into the Western alliance system.

The paper starts out sketching the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers after World War II. It also analyzes the impact the Cold War had on Europe. …

The Trials Of Len Small, William R. Harshbarger

Masters Theses

Len Small, governor of Illinois from 1921 to 1929, was a politician associated with the Lorimer-Lundin-Thompson political machine which influenced Illinois politics from 1897 until the late 1920s. During that era, Small held offices in the county and in the state Senate. He served one appointed term as United States subtreasurer, two terms as state treasurer, and two terms as governor. Small ran six times for governor: 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936. He came to the governorship in 1920 following a bitter feud between his patron, William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson and Frank O. Lowden. As a result, …

Gay Masquerade: Male Homosexuals In American Cities, 1910 To 1940, Steven L. Lewis

Masters Theses

Prior to 1900, American scientists struggled to formulate a sexual norm. Their categorization of sexuality ironically led to the creation of a label (homosexual) by which individuals created and expressed a sexual identity at variance with the newly created norm.

By 1910, the climate of moral reform (Progressivism) led to the discovery (and documentation) of a homosexual subculture in larger American cities. With Chicago and New York City as examples, the author documents the growth of this sexual underground in the period between 1910 and 1940. Using primary sources such as diaries, letters, autobiographies and novels, the world of the …

Patterns Of Refuse Disposal In New Orleans During The Middle To Late 19th Century, James M. Wojtala

Masters Theses

Patterns relating to refuse disposal practices during the middle to late 19th century in New Orleans are revealed through the analysis of artifacts from the Robin Street Nuisance Wharf site 16 OR 116. Various analyses allow chronological, economic, and behavioral patterns to be discerned. Intrasite patterns are compared on an intersite basis in an attempt to interpret refuse disposal behavior on a citywide basis. Historic documents are used to supplement archeological data and aid in the delineation of chronology and the economic and social makeup of those groups contributing to the archeological record. Observations are used as a basis for …

Archaeology And The Public: A Survey Of People's Knowledge Of The Archaeology Profession, Heidi Stoneman

Masters Theses

Archaeologists have an obligation to communicate the significance of data and research results to a fascinated but often uninformed public. How much the public understands about the field of archaeology is important to the profession. Through the media, people learn about the discovery of spectacular artifact treasures. This information often fosters the practice of treasure hunting, the looting and destruction of important archaeological sites. Via treasure hunting, along with land alteration and traffic in the sale of antiquities, the field of archaeology loses vast amounts of valuable information.

An interview questionnaire was given to 232 people with varying levels of …

An Analysis Of The Lithic Material From The Late Woodland Component Of The Draper Park Site (20sc40) In Port Huron, Michigan, Fran Seager

Masters Theses

This research examines the lithic assemblage of the Draper Park site, which consists of over seventeen thousand specimens including detrital material, implying on-site manufacturing techniques. Artifact attributes are analyzed and correlated within the context of the site and compared with known Late Woodland fishing sites. The intensive use of the site and strategic location suggest that it was a fishing station located at the headwaters of the St. Clair River. The site was seasonally occupied from A.D. 600 through A.D. 1300.

Productivity And Affective Responses To Work Tasks And Leisure Activities In Type A And Type B Individuals, Susan Jean Paske

Masters Theses

The Type A Personality Index, a measure of whether an individual tends to be a Type A or a Type B personality, was given to 30 male and 30 female college students who then participated in a planting activity, presented as either a work task or a leisure activity. Productivity was measured by number of pottings, and affective responses to the activity in the areas of evaluation, power, and action were determined by Osgood's 12-scale short form semantic differential (OSD). No significant correlations were found between personality type and productivity or OSD scores in either the work or leisure conditions. …

Infant/Weanling Mortality In Tennessee's Prehistory: A Comparative Approach, Rick R. Richardson

Masters Theses

Although there is general agreement among many researchers concerning the decline in health and nutrition which accompanied the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture, few studies have directly addressed the differences in infant\weanling mortality between these two distinct cultural adaptational strategies. This research focuses on infant mortality as an indicator of general health and nutritional status. Results from the present study, which utilizes more than 1,200 skeletal samples from eight sites, indicate a significant difference in infant mortality between prehistoric hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists in Tennessee.

Demographic comparisons were made between six Archaic sites and two Mississippian sites using the …

Social Validation Of A Creativity Measure, Elizabeth Kay Bennett

Masters Theses

A series of three rating forms, based on the Developmental-Ecological Model of Creative Potential in Young Children (Moran, Sawyers & Tegano, 1987), and a checklist were designed to assist preschool teachers in identifying creative children. The rating forms and checklist were completed, one per day for four consecutive days, by 15 teachers who were unaware that they were rating creative behaviors. The Multidimensional Stimulus Fluency Measure (MSFM), measure of young children's creative potential, and an IQ test were individually administered to the 40 children involved. Correlations were computed to assess the relationships of IQ and creativity, as measured by the …

Recidivism After Youth Imprisonment In Relationship To Criminal Career: A Twenty Year Follow Up Study, Helmut F. Janssen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of early biographical factors on the future development of the juveniles and focusses on recidivism and factors influencing the development of a criminal "career." It includes a twenty year follow-up period, studying 500 juveniles released from two juvenile prisons of West Germany in 1961.

From a data set originally created in 1966, which included 290 variables, 29 variables, including individual and social characteristics as well as variables dealing with prior experiences with sanctioning, were ultimately used for this study. In addition, some new variables were created from the variables of …

An Analysis Of Four Empathy Variables As Predictors Of Marital Satisfaction, Teck Seong Chee

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine if empathy was predictive of marital satisfaction, and which, if any, of the four empathy variables from Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index (1980), would serve as predictors of marital satisfaction. Correlation and regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationships of fantasy, empathic concern, perspective taking and personal distress with marital satisfaction. Variables of secondary interest included those of sex. birth order, length of marriage and age married. Both Individuals and couples were used as units of analysis.

Empathic concern and perspective taking were found to be predictors of marital satisfaction. No significant …