<p>The issue of "failure" in the writing of Samuel Beckett is one critics have turned to again and again. Taking up this issue, as introduced by Beckett in "Three Dialogues," this study argues through a reading of Beckett's fiction of the 'forties and 'fifties that the "failure" of Beckett and his narrators is of a highly specific sort and must be understood in the context of the sociopolitical structure depicted in the fiction. This political structure, which is characterized here as "paternalistic," is much the same as that in which Beckett wrote and in which we read his fiction. Beckett's world as depicted in his fiction, this study maintains, is repressively and violently paternalistic, demanding the conformity and submission of human subjects and leaving no room for difference. To "fail" within this context, as Beckett's narrators do, is to fail to conform to the demands of paternalistic society, and to fail knowingly and deliberately is to form a critique of this society.</p> <p>In this study, then, Beckett's fiction is read as social critique. His humour is seen as having specific targets and serious implications. Like the parodies and</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

The effects of interpersonal distance, room size and a Room Size x Interpersonal Distance interaction on verbal and nonverbal affiliative behaviors during an interview were examined. A 2 x 3 factorial design with 2 room sizes and 3 interpersonal distances was used. There were no room size nor Room Size x Interpersonal Distance interaction effects noted, whereas interpersonal distance had a significant effect. Subjects engaged in less affiliative behaviors at closer interpersonal distances than they did at greater interpersonal distances. The results were interpreted through a combination of Argyle and Dean's (1965) equilibrium theory and Hall's (1961) zone system theory. A discussion of practical implications and improvements in the experimental design was included. / Ph. D.

Cluster analysis refers to a type of statistical method designed to identify homogeneous groups within complex, multivariate data sets. In this study two newly developed genetic cluster analysis algorithms, GENCLUS and GENCLUS+, were validated by comparing their performance against that of three popular clustering techniques (Ward's method, K-means w/ random seeds, K-means w/Ward's centroids) and in an elaborate Monte Carlo study. Additionally, the ability of GENCLUS+ to determine the correct number of clusters was compared against that of three conventional procedures (Calinski and Harabasz, C-index, trace W). GENCLUS and GENCLUS+ achieved Rand recovery values slightly inferior to those of conventional methods. However, GENCLUS+ appeared to perform better than conventional methods in an empirical analysis, and genetic method solutions appear to possess high internal cohesion and external isolation. The mixed results are interpreted as an indication of a discrepancy between cluster theory and conventional data generation techniques. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of choice and environmental control on perceived control. A paired associate choice task was presented to all subjects and they were allowed to choose the response terms to be learned. When each of the response words was chosen aloud, the screen on which the words were printed went blank in the 100% implicit control and 100% explicit control groups. In the latter group, the subjects were informed a priori that the words would be removed from the screen, while in the no-control group, the screen did not go blank when the subjects responded. In the 50% implicit control and 50% explicit control groups, the screen went blank upon responding on a random half of the decision trials. Half of the subjects received an uncontrollable continuous white noise (90 dB) throughout the decision trials, while no noise was presented to the remainder. Upon completion of the choice task, subjects were presented with a dice game, which measured the generalized effects of perceived control. The relationships between environmental control and perceived control were different in the explicit control and implicit control conditions. In the presence of noise, environmental control produced an increment in the perception of control. Finally, consistent environmental control produces greater perceived control than does random control. The motivation model and applications of environmental control were discussed. / Ph. D.

The present study explored the interaction of reconstructive and reproductive memory processes in children’s recall for stories. Specifically, kindergartners, second-graders, and fourth-graders were compared on accuracy measures of both recall structure and content as a function of the form of the presented story and the recall instructions provided. Forty-six kindergartners, 45 second-graders, and 48 fourth-graders listened to four two-episode stories. In two of the stories, the episodes were presented separately (standard story form); in the remaining two stories, propositions from the first and second episodes alternated (interleaved story form). Following a distractor task, children were asked to retell the story either, 1) exactly as they heard it, 2) making a “good” story out of it, or 3) without specific instructions. Multiple measures of structural and content recall accuracy were obtained. The general findings contradict those of Mandler and DeForest (1979) in suggesting that older children adopt a non-schematic (reproductive) recall strategy with regard to story structure. Further, the results for the content accuracy measures show that second- and fourth-graders remember fewer presented words verbatim and produce more theme-relevant elaborations, substitutions, and inferences than younger children. Clearly both story structure and content must be considered in evaluating developmental trends in reconstructive and reproductive recall. / M.S.

The impact of attire on assessments of job applicants was investigated by creating three dress conditions for two male and two female rates. A formal, intermediate, and casual condition were portrayed for each of the four stimuli. Stimuli were rated on six dimensions relevant to performance as a retail department store manager in a between-subjects design. Results indicate that the role of attire in estimates of performance depends on the sex of the rater and the sex of the ratee. Dissimilar ratings were obtained from males and females who assessed individuals in a particular dress condition. These results indicated that the hypothesized main effects for dress and rater sex were overly simplistic. The implication of this finding for future research is discussed. Findings also suggested the importance of including a reasonable range and portrayal of attire in studies of this type. The inclusion of an intermediate apparel condition showed that raters prefer this attire over formal wear under certain rating conditions. The importance of this finding for future attire research designs is discussed. / M.S.

Recent research on attempts to motivate large-scale safety belt use has documented a number of shortcoming, including limited long-term evaluation data, excessive costs, short-lived intervention effects, and program delivery by outside agencies rather than indigenous personnel. The present study attempted to overcome these disadvantages. Specifically, the "Buckle-up for Bucks" safety belt promotion campaign conducted at a community hospital incorporated the following: a) indigenous hospital staff as program sponsors, delivery agents, and co-coordinators; b) a year-long program evaluation; and c) a combination incentive and commitment-based intervention program. Directed and coordinated through the Office of Community Relations, the hospital-based intervention included awareness sessions, randomly determined five-dollar a week cash incentives, and a commitment-based pledge card strategy. To be eligible to win the incentives, the staff members met the following contingencies: a) wore a safety belt; b) signed a pledge card; c) displayed the signed pledge card on their dashboard; and d) pledged for a duration that ensured eligibility. The evaluation data were collected for four phases: baseline, intervention, withdrawal, and a long-term, follow-up. For the overall sample, usage increased from a baseline mean of 15.6% to 34.7% during the intervention, decreased to 25.6 at withdrawal, and increased to a long-term follow-up mean of 28.6%. For the Pledge card signers and the Non-singers, usage increased from baseline means of 29.4% and 11.8% to intervention usage rates of 75.1% and 17.7%, respectively, demonstrating that the intervention had a differential effect on the signers and non-signers. Withdrawal and Follow-up usage rates were 56.0% and 44.9% for the Pledge group, and 17.2% and 22.1% for the Non-pledge group. A chi-square test for white noise indicated the data were autocorrelated. A time-series analysis was conducted to remove the serial dependency. Statistical significance of the intervention was examined from the time-series perspective and traditional analysis of variance procedures. Differences between approaches are addressed and theoretical explanations for the intervention effects are considered. Finally, suggestions for future research are offered. / M.S.

Increasing rates of adolescent homicide, suicide, and AIDS have forced researchers to relinquish comforting beliefs about youth and vitality, and to accept the reality of adolescent death. Previous studies of bereavement have given precedence to parental and fraternal relations, and peers of deceased adolescents have gone largely unnoticed. What literature exists in the area of peer bereavement suggests that the process of mourning a peer closely parallels the process of mourning a sibling. The present study set forth to study empirically the cognitive, behavioral, and affective responses of adolescents to the death of a peer, and to determine possible mediators of bereavement reactions. Fifty undergraduates who had recently lost a peer (bereaved) and 52 controls (nonbereaved) were compared on a series of objective measures. Beliefs about the meaningfulness of the world, self-worth, and morality emerged as important variables in distinguishing between bereaved and nonbereaved samples. Further, satisfaction with an available social support network, and locus of control appeared as significant variables, accounting for differences in grief responses of the bereaved. Results are discussed within a developmental framework. / Master of Science

Research has found absence of premarital sexual experience positively correlated with marital adjustment (Davis , 1929; Terman, 1938; Reevy, 1959; Shope and Broderick, 1967). Others raised doubt of this conclusion (Locke, 1951; Burgess and Wallin, 1953; Kinsey et. al, 1953; Ard, 1974).Bell and Balter (1973) found 81% of married women under 26 had premarital intercourse. Since a majority engage in this, it is appropriate to consider premarital intercourse relationship variables to identify marital correlates.In Love, Strong Affection, and Little Affection premarital intercourse relationships were examined. Questions were explored concerning premarital independent variables: number of relationships, length of relationships, number of live-in partners, relationship exclusivity, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and gender. Dependent variables were: relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and fidelity, in marriage.This questionnaire study consisted of the Marital Satisfaction Scale (Roach et. al, 1981) and other original items.Subjects were 286 volunteers from Long Island MacArthur airport, 209 of which reported premarital intercourse relationships and 77 who did not, all under age 41, in first marriages.Pearson correlation and t-test were used. The hypothesis was confirmed for only In Love premarital relationships with marital satisfaction and marital sexual satisfaction being positively related to premarital sexual satisfaction.Groups with and without premarital intercourse were not significantly different on marital satisfaction or marital sexual satisfaction. For subjects having premarital intercourse relationships higher marital satisfaction was related to higher number of live-in partners and higher relationship and sexual satisfaction for In Love type. Also for only this type, higher marital sexual satisfaction was related to higher premarital sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction.Having no or few premarital intercourse partners was associated with higher likelihood of fidelity. Other premarital factors associated with higher fidelity were longer In love relationships and higher number of In Love live-in relationships. Lower relationship satisfaction with premarital Strong Affection type also led to higher fidelity. Women were found to have higher likelihood of fidelity.Summarizing, In Love premarital intercourse relationships seem to relate positively to marriage. More independent variables were related to fidelity than the other dependent variables.

Saltz (1970) has hypothesized that the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS) is an index to the types of situations that constitute stress for individuals scoring at the extremes of the scale. Specifically, the behavior of individuals scoring as low-anxious on the MAS is disrupted by pain-induced stress but not necessarily by failure-induced stress, while the behavior of individuals scoring as high-anxious on the MAS is disrupted by failure-induced stress but not necessarily by pain-induced stress. This hypothesis is in contradiction to the traditional drive theory interpretation of the MAS, which considers the MAS to be a measure of drive level. The present study attempted to empirically test these rival views of the measurement characteristics of the MAS in a verbal learning situation. Results of the experiment provided support for Saltz's hypothesis, with both low-anxious shocked subjects (Ss) and high-anxious failure Ss making significantly more errors than all other groups on paired-associates in which the correct response was dominant. No significant differences in performance were found on paired-associates in which the incorrect response was dominant, and there were no significant differences in the levels of shock that pain-stress Ss agreed to take. Scores on the A-State Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) reflected performance differences for high-anxious groups but not for low-anxious groups. Possible reasons for failure to find each of these differences are discussed. / M.S.