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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / Vita. Published also as Columbia University contributions to philosophy and psychology, vol. XVIII, no. 1.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / Vita. Published also as Columbia University contributions to philosophy and psychology, vol. XVIII, no. 1.

published_or_final_version / Literary Studies / Master / Master of Arts

INTRODUCTION The Problem Cognitive controls are important for the understanding of perceptual, motivational, and other personality processes is a set of variables which have been variously termed cognitive controls(55, 70, 105), cognitive system-principles (43, 102), cognitive attitudes (39, 55, 100), cognitive styles (28, 59), perceptual attitudes (53, 56, 61), Anschauungen (53), coping modes (60), and regulatory structures or delay mechanisms (55), Cognitive controls are stable patterns or styles of response characteristic of an individual in a wide variety of situations but differing considerably from one individual to another. They have been described as preferred ways of solving tasks requiring adaptation, and they serve as regulating structures which ‘Modulate, facilitate, inhibit, counteract or otherwise qualify the discharge of need-tension in behavior” (55). Cognitive controls have been defined as “sets or dispositions of the organism--a sort of prevailing structure- -which determine the pattern or style of an individual's response to situations” (70). Whereas needs, drives, and other motivational forces serve to energize or “push” behavior, these control aspects of personality act to channelize, direct, and regulate behavior. These control processes have been emphasized and have had extensive experimental investigation by G. S. Klein (15, 16, 28, 37, 39, 43, 44, 53-37, 59, 61, 100, 102, 103, 105), K. S. Lazarus (69, 70, 71), H. A, Witkin (125, 126), and their respective associates and students, particularly In the field of perception. A number of control dimensions have been isolated and found to account for a significant amount of the individual differences in perceptual and motivational studies. Among these dimensions are “tolerance vs. resistance to the unstable” and “physiognomic vs, literal” (53, 54, 60, 61), “categorizing behavior” (28), “focusing** (lOO), “interference proneness** (55, 70), "verbalness” (70), and the one used in the present experiment, “leveling vs. sharpening** (37, 39, 43, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60, 90, 102, 103). Leveling and Sharpening. Leveling and Sharpening cognitive controls were operationally defined by Klein and his co-workers in terms of a dimension of perceptual accuracy. The defining task (The Schematizing Test) requires the subject to judge the size of squares presented visually, the sizes increasing gradually as the task continues. In their early studies the Klein group analyzed the subjects' responses to this task for stable patterns, and identified at least two major modes or styles of response: progressive underestimation leading to inaccurate judgment, and appropriate shifting resulting in consistently high accuracy of judgment. The individuals at the lower end of the accuracy distribution were called Levelers, and those at the upper end were called Sharpeners (53). Subsequent experimentation led to a more precise characterization of these cognitive controls, Klein found that Levelers had greater difficulty in separating figure from ground in three situations, including the Gottschaldt figures test (53). Holzrean (39), working with Klein (43) demonstrated that assimilation effects in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic time-error were greater for Levelers than for Sharpeners, Using a Gestalt neurophysiological model to explain their findings, Holzman and Klein suggested that differences between Levelers and Sharpeners may be due to characteristic differences in the brain field: Levelers have weaker boundaries between traces in the brain field, and there is a tendency for greater exchange of energy between traces. Noting Koffka's (62) explanation of retroactive inhibition as being due to the interference with each other of similar traces, Holzman predicted that if trace boundaries are weaker in Levelers, this group should show greater retroactive inhibition than Sharpeners (39). Sharpeners should more easily maintain the discrete differences between stimuli, resulting in more accurate discrimination and less interference. The purpose of the present experiment was to demonstrate the generality of Leveling and Sharpening in a new situation, and to assess the influence of these controls on the expression of some type of motivational or drive behavior. Since a great deal of work had been done recently with manifest anxiety. Interpreted as drive (108, 116), this variable was selected for study in conjunction with the Leveling-Sharpening cognitive controls. / This thesis was digitized as part of a project begun in 2014 to increase the number of Duke psychology theses available online. The digitization project was spearheaded by Ciara Healy.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a cognitive self instruction-based career and life planning group intervention on the perception of locus of control. The null hypotheses pertained to the differences in perception of locus of control between treatment and control groups as measured by the Nowicki-Stricklard Locus of Control Scale for Children.Career and life planning is a concept that was designed to help people recognize themselves as active change agents in their own lives. Perception of locus of control has been shown to be influential in determining proactive as well as reactive behaviors. For example, people perceiving an internal rather than an external locus of control are more likely to actively engage in information gathering and use newly acquired information to aid in decision-making. Cognitive self-instruction has been used effectively with various groups to change behaviors. The emphasis of this intervention mode was on developing self-control through the awareness of alternative and more constructive self-talk.The subjects were pre-delinquent high school adolescents from a midwest residential treatment center. Eighty subjects were randomly selected by computer from a population of 131. Through computer randomization, half of the subjects were assigned to a treatment group and half to a control group. The treatment and control groups' experiences all occurred at the residential treatment center.The treatment group sessions were forty-five minutes long and were conducted every third day. A total of six sessions were held. The treatment material and approach emphasized role playing as a technique to examine self-talk that led to negative outcomes and explore alternative selftalk to achieve more satisfying results. The control group maintained their normal daily routine while the treatment group was dismissed to attend the group sessions.Immediately following the last treatment group session and again four weeks later all subjects were administered the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. The instruments were scored and the differences between the average raw scores of the scale were subjected to two univariate analyses of variances, with differences considered significant at the .05 level.The computed F values for the treatment group effects relevant to the post and delayed post-test(F = .16, p < .6897 and F = .04, p < .8373, respectively) were not significant. Therefore, the null hypothesis-- there will be no significant difference between the treatment and control group subjects' mean scores on the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children immediately following and four weeks after treatment--was not rejected.Analysis of the data indicated that there was no significant difference in perception of locus of control between the treatment and control groups as measured by the locus of control scale. Therefore, it is concluded that using this six forty-five-minute group intervention mode, the cognitive self-instruction and career and life planning experience did not produce a significant change in perception of locus of control as measured by the aforementioned instrument scale.Comments by the subjects indicated that many positive relationships between the group leaders and the adolescents were established. Five of the six group leaders were completely inexperienced in working with pre-delinquent adolescents. Although they demonstrated the ability to relate well to the subjects, they did experience difficulty and some failure in keeping the group experience closely related to the specific treatment material. More intense training of group leaders regarding the use of the treatment material with this specific population could have been helpful.

This study examined the effect a structured note taking technique had upon student achievement and note taking skill. The students' loci of control was determined to examine if this variable had an effect upon the students' achievement after they had received one of three treatment conditions. The three treatment conditions were: no instruction in note taking; instruction and practice from a videotape presentation in the Cornell method of note taking; and the same instruction and practice plus an application component.The sample was one hundred sixty-six students who were enrolled in Reading Improvement winter quarter 1981-1982 at Ball State University. The students were identified as "high risk".The classes were treated as intact groups. A pretest, Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes by Brown and Holtzman, was used to ascertain that initial differences in study habits did not exist. This test also served as a posttest measure. The Internal-External Locus of Control Scale by Rotter was administered to determine the locus of control of each student.Three 3X2X2 univariate analyses of variance were performed on the three dependent measures of Work Habits, Study Habits, and Study Orientation. Due to initial sex and locus of control differences, means were found for each of the following groups: male internals, male externals, female internals, and female externals. Multivariate and univariate statistical procedures were used in analyzing the data. Upon the completion of the study, the students responded to a student evaluation form which was analyzed by Chi-Square statistical procedures.The following conclusions resulted from this study:1. The treatment did not significantly affect the achievement of the students' note taking skill2. Female internals obtained the highest mean scores, and male externals had the lowest mean scores on both the pretest and posttest3. The responses on the student evaluation form were very favorable toward the Cornell methodThe Cornell method did not significantly affect the note taking skill of the students; however, the students reported a favorable impression of the technique. This reinforces the notion that high risk students are receptive to a very structured approach of instruction.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago. / "Published as monograph supplement no. 37 of the Psychological review, 1908." Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-148).