The purpose of this study was to explore some of the possibilities of a promising new culture-free, individual performance test of intelligence. This test, the Bhatia Patterns Test, was originally designed for a test battery that was used on Indian school children. The problem of this study was to determine if the Patterns Test had any value in a North American setting. One hundred and sixty-five pupils were tested with the Bhatia Patterns Test and the Porteus Maze Test. In addition, the I.Q. scores of the California Short Form Test of Mental Maturity, the scores of the Stanford Achievement Intermediate Battery (Form K) and the grade scores of the pupils were collected. More specifically, this study wished to ascertain whether there were any differences between sexes with the Patterns Test, whether the Patterns Test and the Maze Test correlated significantly, whether the Patterns Test was related to a standardized group achievement measure, and whether the Patterns Test was related to the pupils’ grade scores. One hundred and sixty-five school pupils were chosen at random from grades four, five and six from five Vancouver elementary schools. The subjects were given the Patterns Test and the Maze Test in a counterbalanced design to determine whether either of the tests had an effect upon each other. The counterbalanced design was analyzed by a two by two latin square. In addition, all the scores were correlated with each other to determine what relationships existed between the various measures. It was concluded that there were no sex differences among the scores of the subjects. The Bhatia Patterns Test and the Porteus Maze Test did not correlate significantly. The Patterns Test correlated higher with a standardized achievement test than did a group measure of intelligence. The Patterns Test did not correlate significantly with the pupils’ grade scores. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to investigate certain psychometric procedures, and to ascertain their value in relation to the problems of selection and prediction for clerical and mechanical trades in the service. The tests selected were the Otis S-A (which were also marked for twenty minute performance as well as the standard thirty), the Wonderlic Personnel R Test, the SRA Primary Mental Abilities Test, the Detroit Mechanical Aptitude Test and the Detroit Clerical Aptitude Test. Included in the study were the marks obtained on a service-administered Classification Test - the Navy "G". The samples that were used were New Entry Trainees in the Canadian Navy who were about to take courses either as Writers (clerical trade) or Stokers (mechanical trade). The criterion used to evaluate the tests was the course marks obtained by the Stokers and Writers on their final examination. The tests were analyzed individually for types of distribution and amount of dispersion or variability. All the tests and subtests were correlated with the criterion to obtain validity coefficients. Similarly all the tests and subtests were correlated with the Otis, and intercorrelations were worked out for all the intelligence and classification tests. Multiple correlations of prediction were also calculated. The tests of the Primary Mental Abilities Test were intercorrelated for independence of "factors". The validity correlations found were low but were considered to have practical significance. The lowness of the correlations was probably due to the restrictions placed on the sample by the effects of enlistment qualifications. It was found that the twelve minute intelligence test, the Wonderlic, was apparently as good a measure of prediction as the thirty minute Otis. In the Primary Mental Abilities Test, the Number Test, proved to be the best measure of prediction of any test or subtest for Stokers, and with the Reasoning Test was predictive of success in the Stokers' course. It also was the only test of the PMA which showed any possibilities for prediction with the Writers. The Detroit Clerical Aptitude Test proved to be the best measure of all for predicting success with Writers. As for Stokers, the Mechanical Aptitude Test, while not as good as the Clerical Aptitude for Writers, appeared to be useful if used in conjunction with an intelligence test. In fact, multiple correlations were worked out with the criterion and the Otis thirty minute, the Number test of the PMA and either the Detroit Mechanical or Clerical Aptitude Test, depending on whether the multiple was for Stokers or Writers. The coefficients ware .41 and .47 for Stokers and Writers respectively. Certain of the tests and subtests were found to be unsatisfactory on the basis that they did not distribute their scores in accordance with the normal curve and, in some instances, proved to be too difficult for the group. The Navy "G" Test was found to be unsatisfactory for the purposes of prediction, and the Space Test of the PMA was too difficult. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The major purpose of this study was to attempt to determine word recognition and comprehension criteria for the frustrational level of reading by means of the galvanic skin response (GSR), in order to substantiate the conventional criteria used by authorities in the field. The sample consisted of 60 children in grades two and three, for whom parental consent for inclusion in the study had been obtained. Scores from a standardized reading achievement test were used to stratify all second and third grade children on reading achievement level (below, average, and above average). Ten children for each grade and reading achievement level were then randomly selected (N=60). Subjects were required to read the words on the Wide Range Achievement Test-Level 1 (1965) while being monitored on the GSR in order to obtain an index of each child's high arousal level. This level was then to have been used to indicate the frustrational level of reading as the child read the passages of the Diagnostic Reading Scales (1972), that was treated as an informal reading inventory. At this level, word recognition and comprehension accuracy scores were to have been obtained, and these compared to the existing criteria. However, during the reading of the Diagnostic Reading Scales passages no subject attained the arousal level obtained on the Wide Range Achievement Test, and therefore frustrational level of reading had to be determined from the criteria stated in Johnson and Kress (1965). As a result, alternate hypotheses were postulated. GSR arousal levels were obtained for the instructional and pre- frustrational levels of reading, for both the oral reading and comprehension sections of the test, and these statistically compared. At the frustrational level of reading, comparisons were made between the oral reading and comprehension sections of the test, the three reading achievement groups, and for the boys and the girls. Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance for a repeated measures design. It was found that there was no significant difference between the oral reading of the passage and the comprehension section at both the instructional and frustrational levels of reading. The three reading achievement levels did not differ significantly in arousal at the frustrational level of reading. Implications of the results were discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

M.Com. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The aim of this study is to identify perceptions and attitudes of uniformed military personnel towards organizational transformation. This would enable the researcher to determine the impact on employees’ level of functioning. Transformation as a concept is currently of great significance in South Africa specifically in the military setting. It involves changes to the philosophy and mission of the military unit. Organizational transformation in the military unit appears to be an intense process that may have a significant impact on the social functioning of the employees in the particular setting. The orientation to the study in Chapter 1 gives an overview of the Military history prior and just after the first South African democratic elections. The goal and objectives, the role of the Social Worker, motivation and limitations towards the execution of the study are further discussed. The definition of important concepts used in the study is outlined in this chapter. The literature review in Chapter 2 theoretically examines the concepts central to the military transformation processes. It has been identified that organizational change is mainly barred by individual resistance factors as well as organizational intervention factors. Change strategies contributing towards positive organizational transformation forms part of Chapter 2. Chapter 3 describes the research methodology followed in this in study. The qualitative and quantitative data collection methods which also involve the designing of the questionnaire utilised as a selected instrument for data gathering and statistical analysis is discussed. A full description of the study sample will also be offered in this third chapter. An integrated research methodology of both qualitative and quantitative approach will be followed in this study. A suitable interview schedule (Questionnaire) will be developed out of the focus group conducted as a pilot study for data collection purposes. The study will be descriptive in nature. Chapter 4 describes and evaluates the data collected from respondents. Results and interpretations are provided. The conclusion is reached that certain sectors, specifically staffed members and personnel who were previously employed by the SADF and are were expected to transform and integrate new members from outside forces. Afrikaans and English members are also more negative about transformation than African language groups. From these results it appears that transformation has benefitted the new “incoming” personnel who are significantly more optimistic about integration and transformation than the old permanent force members. Chapter 5 outlines conclusions indicating practical and theoretical implications of this study. Recommendations regarding possible strategies to improve the management of the transformation process are made in this chapter. / Dr. W. Roestenburg

No description available.

No description available.

This investigation is concerned with the development and application of a test to detect certain habits of the scientific attitude among high school science students. Preliminary investigation relative to the problem centered around the two following procedures: (1) An attempt to determine and define the scientific attitude and its relation to scientific method. (2) A consideration of the results of previous studies related to the above problem.

No description available.

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability among children. Children diagnosed with bilateral cerebral palsy (BCP) have limited mobility and hand use due to a neurological insult in utero or during the first year of life, resulting in hypertonicity or uncontrolled movements which impede upon optimal performance and participation in daily life. Although occupational therapists evaluate and provide interventions throughout a child’s development, only two validated assessment tools exist for children with BCP: Melbourne Assessment 2 and Both Hands Assessment, and ABILHAND-Kids questionnaire. The purpose of this study was to (a) develop an observational tool to evaluate upper extremity functioning in children with BCP during everyday tasks, and (b) determine the tool’s content validity, preliminary inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency. The Hand-object Observation Tool (HOOT) was developed, standardized, and evaluated for content validity via expert review and feedback regarding relevance for children with BCP. Following pilot administration to three children and content validation by expert clinicians (n = 8), the HOOT was administered to six children diagnosed with BCP, GMFCS III, IV, and V. Three licensed occupational therapists and the primary investigator observed and scored video-recordings of the administration. Cohen’s kappa was used to determine inter-rater reliability among three pairs of clinician raters and the gold standard. Internal consistency of items was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The content of the HOOT is consistent with expert opinions and the Content Validity Index results met criteria for retaining items. This study further suggests that HOOT scores are reliable indicators of upper extremity functioning in children with BCP. Rater agreement between occupational therapy raters and the gold standard was almost perfect when scoring hand-object interaction (touch, grasp, transport, manipulate, place, and release). Rater agreement was substantial to almost perfect for hand use and poor to almost perfect for maintenance of posture during tasks. Further research is required to (a) gather additional data from trained clinicians administering the HOOT in community-based settings to more than 30 children with BCP, and (b) analyze scores and performance to determine internal consistency of HOOT items and complete tool refinement and dissemination.