The effects of timeout and timeout + reinforcement on the inappropriate behavior, running and aggression, of 800 elementary school children during school dismissal were compared in Experiment I. A multi-element within reversal design was used. Timeout was a dual contingency. Children who ran were sent back to walk while aggressive children sat on a timeout bench. Reinforcement for good behavior was a "seal of approval." Timeout was effective in reducing inappropriate behavior by about 50%. The addition of reinforcement produced little additional behavior reduction. / The contingencies and behavioral definitions remained the same in Experiment II. Data on running were collected in addition to data on all inappropriate behavior. Aides recorded the number of children sent back to walk and the names of those sent to timeout. A reversal design demonstrated the effectiveness of timeout in reducing all inappropriate behavior and running. A 50% decrease was noted in both behaviors. Correlations between the number of offenses and the number of children consequated were high. The directions of future research on the implementation of large scale programs are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, Section: A, page: 0708. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

The present study evaluated the effects of a self-monitoring procedure with and without the use of supervisor feedback to increase staff on-schedule and on-task behavior. The self-monitoring procedure involved the use of activity cards that staff filled out and carried with them to assist in determining the activities they were responsible for at any given time throughout the shift. There were increases in both on-schedule and on-task behavior with the self-monitoring procedure. Supervisor feedback was subsequently added to the procedure after several weeks because specific staff members did not consistently maintain their high levels of performance. Generalization data indicated that staff were implementing the procedure during evening hours without specific programming. The advantages of using a self-monitoring procedure for improving staff performance in residential settings are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-07, Section: A, page: 2516. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

Although the popularity of computer assisted career guidance (CACG) systems has increased among practitioners, researchers have yet to fully identify its proper use. This study examined the effect of a cognitive structuring intervention that was designed to prepare subjects for their interaction with the DISCOVER CACG system. / The study included 3 groups of 30 subjects who voluntarily sought career guidance services at a university career resource center. A card sort instrument designed to examine subjects' cognitive mapping of the world of work's occupations and an instructional videotape that presented Holland's (1985) schema for representing the world of work were developed for the study. Subjects received one of the following treatments before they used the DISCOVER CACG system: videotape and card sort, card sort only, or neither treatment (control group). Pretest and posttest instruments were the Occupational Alternatives Question (Slaney, 1978), the Vocational Identity scale of the My Vocational Situation (Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980) and the Occupational Grouping Task, the card sort task developed for the study. / Analysis of Variance, Kruskall Wallis, and Chi-square results showed that subjects who had displayed evidence of successfully assimilating the Holland schema did not differ significantly from subjects who were not exposed to the cognitive structuring intervention on measures of occupational certainty, occupational crystallization, vocational identity, occupational representation system differentiation, nor occupational representation system stability. However, in 2 of 3 analyses, F-tests of variances associated with pretest and posttest measures by Group indicated that the cognitive structuring intervention had the effect of significantly congealing subjects' cognitive mapping of the world of work's occupations. The results are discussed from the perspectives of information processing and CACG practice. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-10, Section: A, page: 2977. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Both handwriting rate (copying a grade-level reading passage) and copying rate (copying a familiar, easy reading passage) accounted for a significant amount of variance in predicting Iowa Test of Basic Skills subtests, report card grade point averages and assignment completion scores for 527 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students from the Indianapolis Public School System. Five-minute graphic samples were more predictive than one-minute samples. The five-minute handwriting task was the best overall predictor. Female students wrote significantly faster than males, and their rates were less predictive than the male students'. Age, IQ, visual-motor speed and motor speed all were significant predictors of handwriting/copying speed; however, visual-motor speed was consistently the best predictor. Handwriting means were compared with previously published norms. Implication of results and usefulness of handwriting rate tests are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-11, Section: A, page: 3290. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between the Early Recollections content of clinically depressed and nondepressed adolescents. / Two hundred and sixty high school students participated in the initial stage of the study. Students were asked to write their three Earliest Recollections (ERs) on the Self-Written Early Recollections form developed by Evans (1981). After the Early Recollections were completed, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered. The criteria for inclusion into the two research groups was: (1) Nondepressed--the BDI score was 9 or less; or (2) Clinically Depressed--the BDI score was 15 or above. The 30 subjects with the highest scores on the BDI (15 or above) and the subjects with the 30 lowest BDI scores (9 or less) were included in the study. / Three judges rated the subjects' ER's for the presence or absence of masochistic themes using Beck's (1961) Masochistic Scoring Inventory. Results on the dependent measure (Masochistic Early Recollections) were analyzed with a t-test. Subsequent to the demonstration of differences between these two groups, a comparison was made between the themes of the Masochistic Early Recollections detected in the two groups. A two dimensional chi-square was used to evaluate the relationship between the frequency of occurrence of the 12 masochistic themes and the group membership. / In summary, the Early Recollections of the depressed group versus the nondepressed group significantly differed (P < .05), with the high depressed group showing smallest cases of more occurrence of masochistic themes in their Early Recollections. The greatest difference between the two groups was reported in the area of "loss" in childhood. The implications of these results, along with suggestions for further research, were discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4342. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

This study investigated the effect of stress reactions on health indices of women in general and on female employees in particular. Subjects were 203 female white collar employees from two state agencies in Northern Florida. White collar female employees were selected because this population is a rapidly growing one and little is known about the relationship between life stressors and the mental and physical health of this group. / The independent variables being assessed in this study were positive and negative environmental and personal life stress as measured by a combination of ontological (Life Events Survey) events and contiguous (Daily Hassles and Uplifts) events. The dependent variables under investigation were mental and physical health. Multiple correlation analyses were conducted to ascertain the relationships of stress on seven specific health-related indices. / All of the primary hypotheses put forth in this study with the exception of the relationship between positive contiguous events and health were supported by the data. Negative contiguous stressors (Hassles) captured the greatest amount of variance of all the predictor variables included in the regression equation when used to predict the occurrence of physical symptoms, depression, and self confidence. Hassles was the best predictor of both physical and emotional health. Only negative job stress only predicted physical symptoms. Only negative personal stress predicted depression. Emotional health, viewed as stability of mood, appeared to be dependent upon having a balance of positive and negative stressors. Positive job stress was a better predictor of depression (the more the positive job stress the less likely the occurrence of depression) than were either negative personal stress or uplifts. / Several supplementary analyses were conducted and yielded note-worthy findings. The results of the study are discussed and considered with regard to their implication for counseling and future research. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4327. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

Apparent absence of training studies to enhance both literal and inferential comprehension at the high school level prompted formulation of a strategy (technique) for identifying major and minor events, cause-effect relationships, and inferences. In the present study, tenth grade students, who received a four-hour training in the strategy using history readings (Guided Practice group), obtained higher averages on total, literal, and inferential comprehension than did subjects who studied the training materials without the strategy (Non-Guided Practice group) or subjects who studied only definitions of basic terms (Definition group). However, only the differences between Guided Practice and Definition groups on total and inferential comprehension were reliable. Questionnaire data and scores on practice exercises suggested difficulty of exercises and insufficient practice as likely explanations for the minimal differential effects of the three treatments. Comparison of present results with past findings helped to identify strengths and weaknesses of research in the area. Implications of the study for research included adapting exercises to learners' ability, providing extended metememory instruction and practice, using appropriate comparison groups, and making detailed data analysis. Also suggested for classroom instruction are emphases on identifying organization of textbook materials and on drawing inferences from brief readings. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-08, Section: A, page: 2969. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The effect of the mnemonic-keyword method on recalling verbal information has been an area of research interest for the past decade and a half. One narrative (qualitative) review attempted to generalize the effects of the keyword method. The reviewers claimed conflicting results, however, and the narrative review did not provide a clear, quantitative means of reliably accounting for these conflicting results. The present study used a meta-analytic procedure to provide a common metric (effect size) to estimate the overall experimental effect from an aggregate of 32 keyword-method studies (51 experiments). / This meta-analysis showed that the keyword method has a moderately high, positive effect on the recall of verbal information, in general. In a typical experiment, the mnemonic-keyword method increased the recall of verbal information an average of .64 of a standard deviation. / The 51 effect sizes were not homogeneous, and the .64 mean represents the best estimate of the overall population effect size. Study characteristics were correlated with effect sizes to identify systematic relationships. The resulting point biserial correlations led to two conclusions: first, researchers conducting meta-analyses in the future should aggregate data from all publication sources, including unpublished reports and dissertations. Otherwise, a representative portion of the population-data base might be excluded. And second, learners tend to benefit more from the keyword method when both the keyword and image are provided than when only the keyword is provided or when neither the keyword nor image are provided. / The .64 effect-size estimate from this meta-analysis can be used by researchers for planning sample sizes for future keyword-method research. The education and training community can use the .64 effect-size estimate in deciding whether to include the mnemonic-keyword method as a learning strategy in the curriculum. And if the decision is to use the mnemonic-keyword method, the keyword method will be of most benefit, in general, if both the keyword and image are provided to students using the keyword method to learn and recall verbal information. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-02, Section: A, page: 0347. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

An exploratory study concerning the relationship between Holland's Self-Directed Search differentiation scale and indices on the MMPI was conducted for the purpose of ascertaining if the measures were examining the same construct, degree of psychological adjustment. The independent variable was operationalized in two ways, level of differentiation as calculated with an Iachan Index, and degree of differentiation derived from averaging the six SDS summary profile scores. Two indices of the dependent variable, psychological adjustment, were gleaned from the MMPI, the ego-strength score and the average elevation of eight clinical scales. The population of interest was individuals with varying degrees of psychological adjustment who had career development concerns. Fifty-one subjects were recruited from an inpatient psychiatric facility for high functioning clients and a Career Planning class at FSU. Two multiple regression analyses, regressing each dependent variable separately on to the independent variables, revealed a nonsignificant R-squared of .01. The results indicated that (a) the SDS differentiation scale was not related to psychological adjustment as operationalized in the present study, and (b) that degree and level of differentiation on the SDS can not be used to predict degree of psychological adjustment. This finding challenges Holland's theoretical contention that individual's who are undifferentiated on the SDS may be in need of personal counseling. Another finding of importance was the successful use of the SDS with inpatient psychiatric clients who appeared to gain self-understanding through their interaction with the guidance device. The manuscript concludes with suggestions for further research when investigating the relationship between vocational interests and personality adjustment. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4330. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The current exploratory study employed 20 expert subjects possessing knowledge of both career development and Holland's typology (Holland, 1985) to examine the relationship of egograms in transactional analysis (Dusay, 1977) to occupations, Holland codes, and occupational preference. / One purpose of the research was to investigate egograms generated for 18 conceptually different occupations by having subjects complete the Adjective Check List: Transactional Analysis Scales (Gough & Heilbrun, 1983) for each occupation. Another was to explore egograms of the primary Holland types via the Adjective Check List. / Results indicated that all occupations as well as primary Holland types were represented by distinct egograms whose tested level of significance on a nonparametric ANOVA for related measures, the Friedman test, obtained at (LESSTHEQ).05 in every case. A test of multiple comparisons between ego states at an experimentwise error rate of .05 was usually significant in at least 1/2 of the 10 possible pairwise comparisons per egogram for a majority of occupations or Holland types in the study. / Also investigated was the relationship of congruence between egograms of self and occupations (index of agreement) with regard to occupational preference ranking of the 18 occupations used in the study. Here, results correlating the index of agreement with occupational preference yielded inconsistent results. While the mean obtained correlation was not significant at the .05 level, 6 of the 20 individual coefficients were and represented negative as well as positive values. / Finally, a simple mathematical model for generating egograms from three letter Holland codes was examined. This was tested through attempts to predict egograms generated for the 18 occupations used in the study from a weighted combination of egograms based on their three letter Holland codes. A binomial probability calculation for the results obtained was significant at (LESSTHEQ).05 level. The average median difference between actual and predicted ranks for all ego states was less than 3/4 of a rank for occupations in the study. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4330. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.