Differences in self-control between a group of typical and a group of boys clinically diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) between 5 to 6 years of age were assessed using a procedure in which subjects could select larger, more delayed reinforcers versus smaller, more immediate reinforcers exchangeable for toys. During two of the six phases of self-control assessments carried out over two days, subjects had access to additionally programmed activities (music and toys). Along with choice data, several collateral measures were collected including different classes of activity (e.g., actometer, out of seat), latency to respond, ratings of enjoyment, verbal and nonverbal time estimations of delay, and contingency descriptions of the self-control task. ADHD subjects chose the delayed, larger reinforcer significantly less frequently over time than did typical subjects, while typical subjects chose increasingly to self-control over phases. The opportunity to engage in the additionally programmed activities did not alter self-control responding and both groups used the music and toys equally often. Latencies did not differ significantly between the two groups, but were significantly different between phases, with longer latency times during Phase B when the additional sources of reinforcement were available. ADHD subjects became more active over time, although this effect was mitigated during the B Phases. The group members did not differ in their ability to estimate the delays, or in their ratings of task enjoyment, and they could describe the contingencies accurately. The results demonstrated that the choice task proved to serve as an objective way to measure self-control differences between ADHD and other children.

The unfavorable impact of didactic teaching methods upon students' learning and attitudes toward education and the lack of research on teaching methods at the post-secondary level are the major problems addressed by this study. It was the author's intent that specific teaching alternatives be tested and analyzed as to their effectiveness in terms of both quantitative and qualitative outcomes. The study assessed student educational values and learning preferences and experimented with the creation of a classroom learning environment conducive to more meaningful learning experiences. Subjects consisted of two intact Introduction to Psychology sections with an approximate enrollment of 35 students per section. One group was arbitrarily selected as the experimental group, while the other constituted the control or contrast group. Treatment consisted of providing limited academic freedom within the confines of a traditional and conservative institution. In contrast to the control group which was taught in the traditional didactic manner, the experimental group had a series of alternate optional learning activities from which to choose or add their own. If they decided to do the alternate activities, their exams were counted as single value. In the control group exams counted double; this was also the case for experimental group section students who decided to earn their grade in the traditional manner or by exams only. Both groups were administered a Checklist of Educational Views as a pre and post dependent variable measure. Student course satisfaction was also measured. In order to appreciate the kind of climate which was to be facilitated by the instructor in the experimental section, senior psychology students observed and recorded classroom behaviors on a daily basis. Results of the statistical analyses indicated that there was no significant change in views toward education as measured by the checklist. Qualitative data, however, demonstrated a clear preference (in both groups) for permissive classroom environments. Experimental group students were quite pleased with having experienced the permissive environment and those who did alternate learning activities seemed to have had a more meaningful learning experience.

This study documents perceptions by seventeen students from special education self-contained classrooms in an urban junior high school who participated in some regular classes. Massachusetts and federal laws mandate placement in the least restrictive setting for all students in the expectation that "mainstreamed" students will feel better about themselves and gain more academically. Yet evidence suggests that few students are mainstreamed and that the benefits to students are not self-evident in most schools. The evidence presented in this dissertation came from two loosely structured interviews with seventeen students who were selected because they seemed to have had a reasonably successful experience in regular classroom placements in a school with a strong commitment to mainstreaming. As teenagers who were in a self-contained setting primarily because of behavioral issues, they could handle academic work and were at an age when peer relationships are crucial. Because the researcher had already established positive relationships with the students, the interviews reflected apparently honest responses--including both positive and negative judgments. The study also explored attitudes of 10 teachers in the school toward mainstreaming. The interviews showed the debilitating effects of isolated classroom placement as stated by special education students in self-contained classrooms for behavioral reasons. Sixteen of the respondents who participated in the study preferred mainstreaming in regular education classes over remaining in one classroom the entire day. The student who dissented experienced difficulty in changing classes and adjusting to different teachers. Feelings of embarrassment, worthlessness and in general, low self-esteem were experienced by the students. Being mainstreamed in regular education classes enabled them to feel "normal" and part of the school environment. Their transportation to school on special buses with mentally handicapped students reinforced feelings of being classed as "mentally retarded." Mainstreaming, irrespective of teacher attitudes and academic problems, was preferred over special education classrooms. The mixed responses of these students indicates that the goals of mainstreaming are worth pursuing but staff need more preparation if P.L. 94-142 is to meet its full promise.

Two studies are presented which test the applicability of Ericksonian hypnosis to an academic environment. The treatment consisted of 4 one hour group sessions fashioned on Lankton and Lankton's (1983) embedded metaphor formulation of Milton Erickson's approach to hypnotherapy. Subjects in the first study were 57 undergraduate students in a challenging remedial algebra course. When treatment subjects were compared to a group of randomly selected no-treatment control participants, and using a model which controlled for cognitive developmental level (TOLT), the treatment was associated with a difference of 14.5 points on a 100 point final exam with the treatment group scoring higher (F = 6.77, p $<$.01, one tail). Other analyses which used a different covariate (midterm exam) and which used a different control group (self-selected volunteers) did not reach statistical significance. The models using the TOLT appeared to be most sensitive to the effect of the treatment. Students in the second study were 85 undergraduates in an introductory statistics course. Controlling for performance on prior exams, the treatment was not associated with a difference between groups on performance on a final exam. Some evidence for an interaction was found, suggesting that the treatment benefitted the least able students in the class. Results suggested that the treatment might have affected these students in the areas of self-assessment of resources and "feeling good" about class. These latter findings are considered especially tentative because of a low n. Methodological shortcomings discussed include the lack of a control group which received a similar treatment, e.g. relaxation training, lack of control for an expectancy effect on self-efficacy/affect variables, and a low ceiling on the dependent variable in the second of the studies.

This study reports on the hypotheses that the cognitive function of creativity follows perceptual function and that increasing conscious awareness of perceptual functions yields increases in creativity. A series of sequenced learning activities resulting from the development of a teaching/learning model based on natural operation of perceptual functions balancing tolerance of ambiguity and need for boundaries compared teaching with specific skill instruction and teaching without specific skill instruction. Subjects' creativity was measured using a paradoxical design game that focused on three abilities: representation, adding items to a design, and integration of items within a design. Pre- and post-test changes for kindergarten-age children revealed increases in creativity for teaching with specific skill instruction to increase conscious awareness of natural perceptual function.

The present study investigated the influence of cognitive training providing information about learning disabilities on two measures of achievement-related behaviors: the self-concept and comprehension of learning disabilities for five adjudicated learning-disabled adolescent delinquents. The subjects were four male African Americans and one Spanish American male ages thirteen through sixteen, who were incarcerated in a Department of Youth Services secure facility in Western Massachusetts. The study used a single-subject A B A design, and training was provided individually to subjects over the course of ten daily sessions. The training was based upon a text (Student Response booklet) developed by the experimenter. The subjects' task persistence was measured using daily observation in mathematics classes. Subject productivity was measured using a daily tally of the number of math problems attempted. Measures of the subjects' self-concept were obtained using a pre/posttest measure of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory; measures of knowledge of learning disabilities were obtained using Pre/posttest measures of the Kernan Learning Disabilities Inventory. Results revealed treatment effects for all subjects on measures of knowledge of learning disabilities. Four subjects showed treatment effects on School and Academic subscale measures of self-concept. One subject showed a significant treatment effect on measures of subject productivity. No significant treatment effect was obtained for measures of task persistence.

The purpose of this study was to implement the van Hiele model of geometry in the seventh grade of a public school and determine if the levels of knowing, determined by the van Hieles, could be identified in a classroom setting. The study investigated the observed subjects' entry levels of geometric knowing, whether those entry levels were consistent with those identified by Pierre and Dina van Hiele and in the Brooklyn College Study, whether journal entries could be used to identify the van Hiele levels of thinking within the context of a classroom setting, and the five phases that van Hiele believes are necessary for progression from one level of thought to another. Seventy-eight subjects, from three ability level groups, participated in the 15 sessions of the study. Each session included time for the individual student to record initial responses to questions and to explain relationships and share responses. This study was designed to determine if a classroom investigator could follow the steps outlined by The Project at Brooklyn College, and identify the van Hiele levels of thinking using the Module descriptors. The students in this study kept their own records which were read and interpreted by the investigator. A second reader validated the findings. It was found that it is possible to correlate the van Hiele levels of thinking in the classroom setting with findings of The Project at Brooklyn College. Sixty-eight percent of the subjects in Class A remained at Level 0, identifying shapes by appearance, while 32% of the subjects made progress toward Level 1 where properties were included. For Class B, 10% remained at Level 0, 70% made progress toward Level 1 and 20% had some movement toward Level 2, where informal arguments were presented. Class C had 6% in Level 0, 73% in Level 1 and 21% showing movement toward Level 2. Finally, as suggested by the van Hieles, one must continually pass through the five phases of learning to move from one level to the next. This was affirmed in the clinical setting in the Brooklyn College Study and reaffirmed in this classroom study.

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