<p>In this thesis I deal with the issue of relativism that threatens Toulmin’s field- dependency thesis (i.e. the claim that the standards of argument appraisal depend on the argument field in which the argument occurs). After offering partial interpretation of the concept of “argument fields” and elucidating the concept of field-dependence, I argue that Toulmin’s field-dependency thesis does result in an unacceptably strong relativism.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

A portraiture study was conducted with four children enrolled in various grades of a rural Virginia elementary school. . Purposeful sampling was used as a selection tool, and all students were participants of the Title I program, unsuccessfully discontinued from the Reading Recovery program, and were tested as field dependent, a cognitive characteristic, using the Children's Embedded Figures Test created by Witkin, et al (1971). These participants were observed within a classroom setting, a small group setting, and in a one-on-one setting. Interviews offered the opportunity to investigate the students' feelings and attitudes towards using the overlays. Field notes, unaided observations, participant observations were gathered, and interviews were conducted with the students, as well as with the reading specialist, the teachers, and the administrator of the school. Further data was gained from historical records from the school and evaluative tools used within the classroom, on a periodic basis. Outcomes of this study focus on the process of using colored overlays with these participants, their self-efficacy their feelings about using the tool, how the faculty perceives this tool, and additional implications with regards to field dependence and colored overlays within the classroom. / Ph. D.

This study examined the effects of different imagery strategies and the cognitive style field dependence on the learning of different levels of instructional objectives. One hundred thirteen (113) college students from six (6) intact college classes participated. All students were given the Group Embedded Figures Test to determine their level of field dependence-independence. One of three treatments, mental images recreated from a previously presented visual, self-generated imagery from an audio presentation; and a control group, which received no instructions to use imagery, was randomly assigned to each intact group. The content of the lesson consisted of the Dwyer (1967) Experimental Instructional Materials. The dependent measures were five criterion tests designed by Dwyer (1967) to measure different levels of instructional objectives. Data was analyzed using a series of two-way Analysis of Variance procedures with type of imagery and cognitive style as independent variables and the five criterion tests as dependent variables. The results of this study indicate that there was no difference in the amount of learning when imagery was used as a rehearsal strategy for four of the five dependent measures; however, on the fifth test, the Identification Test, the use of self-generated imagery was less effective as a rehearsal strategy than either the recreated imagery strategy or the control group strategy. On four of the five dependent measures those students who were identified as field-independent demonstrated the anticipated higher level of learning when compared to the field-dependent students. However, on the fifth test, the Identification Test, field-dependent students performed as well as field-independent students. Imagery and cognitive style did not interact. / Ed. D.

Many people assume that editorial cartoons are easily understood by the bulk of the population. For this reason, editorial cartoons are often used as teaching materials in the classroom. Recent research, however, raises doubts as to the effectiveness of this practice. Investigations by Bedient (1971) and DeSousa & Medhurst (1982) determined that the majority of students (grade 5 through college) could not interpret editorial cartoons. These investigators went on to suggest that a logical next step would be to determine if editorial cartoon literacy can be taught. The cognitive style of the participants was examined to determine if the different teaching strategies were differentially effective vis-a-vis field dependence and field independence. Two presentations (treatments) were designed to model methods of reading editorial cartoons. The Whole Cartoon Analysis presented 25 editorial cartoons along with a 100-200 word interpretation of each cartoon. The Parse Analysis Treatment was accomplished in three steps rather than the one for the Whole method. In step one, the whole cartoon is presented with a short gloss of the meaning. In step two all of the cartoon is visually suppressed except for one visual meaning element. This element of the cartoon is discussed and then the next element of the cartoon is added, and so on until the entire cartoon is back on the screen at which point the overall meaning is discussed. The dependent variable of the investigation was the two-part Editorial Cartoon Interpretation Task. Part A asked each participant to enumerate the symbols in the cartoon and define them as to meaning. Part B asked the participant to write a short thematic interpretation of the cartoon. A two-way Analysis of Variance on the data revealed no significant differences in either the main effects or the interaction. / Ed. D.

This study investigates the effect of Witkin's cognitive-style variable on training success in two different orientations to counseling. Field-dependent individuals exhibit more social orientation, social compliance, and emotional warmth than field-independent individuals. Conversely, field-independent individuals exhibit more internal directedness, achievement orientation, emotional distance, and analytical task orientation than field-dependent individuals. Traits associated with field dependence appeared more complementary to an interpersonal-skills counseling approach, while traits associated with field independence appeared more complementary to behavior-modification techniques. Thus it was hypothesized that field-dependent individuals would be significantly more successful and satisfied with interpersonal skills training than would field-independent individuals, and that field-independent individuals would be more successful and satisfied with behavior modification training.

一、研究目的本研究旨在探討場地獨立性、內外控信念與生活適應之關係 ，並比較性別 ( 男、女 ) ，地區 ( 山地、平地 ) 國中學生的差異情形 ，歸納本研究的結果，做成結論，並提出建議，作為實施生活教育之參考 。二、研究方法本研究主要採調查研究法，透過文獻探討、問卷調查與統 計分析等步驟歸納結論， 所使用的統計方法包含， 多變項變異數分析、 變異數分析、ｔ考驗與 Scheffe' 法事後比較。三、研究工具「藏圖測驗 」、「兒童內外控傾向量表」及「少年人格測驗」作為測量工具。四、研 究結果 (一)場地獨立性方面 1.男、女國中生在場地獨立性上無顯著差異 。 2.山地、平地國中生在場地獨立性上有顯著差異；且平地國中生比山 地國中生更傾向場地獨立。 (二)內外控信念方面 1.男、女國中生在內外 控信念上有顯著差異；且女國中生比男國中生更傾向內控。 2.山地、平 地國中生在內外控信念上有顯著差異；且平地國中生比山地國中生更傾向 內控。 (三)生活適應方面 1.男、女國中生在生活適應(個人適應、社會 適應)有顯著差異；且女國中生在生活適應( 個人適應、社會適應)比男國 中生適應較佳。 2.山地、平地國中生在生活適應(個人適應、社會適應) 有顯著差異；且平地國中生在生活適應( 個人適應、社會適應)比山地國 中生適應較佳。 (四)場地獨立性、內外控信念及生活適應的關係 1.國中 生的場地獨立性與內外控信念，在生活適應( 個人適應、社會適應 )無交 互作用。 2.場地獨立性與內外控信念無顯著相關。 3.場地獨立性與生活 適應(個人適應、社會適應)無顯著相關。 4.內外控信念與生活適應(個人 適應、社會適應)有顯著的正相關；即愈內控的人在生活適應( 個人適應 、社會適應)愈佳。 (五)「知覺--期待型式」與生活適應的關係不同「知 覺 -- 期待型式」國中生在生活適應 ( 個人適應、 社會適應) 顯著差異 ；其中以「場地獨立 -- 內控」適應最為佳，其次為「場地依賴-- 內控 」， 再次為「場地依賴 -- 外控」，最後為「場地獨立 -- 外控」。和 諧組與不和諧組在生活適應 ( 個人適應、社會適應 ) 無顯著差異。五、 建議 (一)山地方面--提供優秀人才及適當的教育資源 (二)內外控信念與 場地獨立方面--採適性輔導 (三)教育方式--多鼓勵、多關懷、提供適當 自主 (四)本研究的限制及對未來的建議 1.就樣本而言--擴大取樣範圍 2.就研究變項而言--可再加入其他自變項 3.就研究工具而言--編擬適當 工具

The purpose of the present study is to identify 10th grade students&rsquo / use of proof schemes in geometry questions and to investigate the differences in the use of proof schemes with respect to their cognitive style and gender. The sample of the study was 224 tenth grade students from four secondary schools. Of those, 126 participants were female and 98 participants were males. Data was collected at the end of the academic year 2005-2006 through uses of two data collection instruments: Geometry Proof Test (GPT) and Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT). GPT, included eleven open-ended questions on triangle concept, was developed by researcher to investigate students&rsquo / use of proof schemes. The proof schemes reported by Harel and Sowder (1998) were used as a framework while categorizing the students&rsquo / responses. GEFT developed by Witkin, Oltman, Raskin and Karp (1971) was used to determine cognitive styles of the students as field dependent (FD), field independent (FI) and field mix (FM). To analyze data, descriptive analyses, repeated measure ANOVA with three proof schemes use scores as the dependent variables and a 2 (gender) x 3 (cognitive styles: FD, FM, FI) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with three proof schemes use scores as the dependent variables was employed. The results revealed that students used externally based proof schemes and empirical proof schemes significantly more than analytical proof schemes. Furthermore, females used empirical proof schemes significantly more than the males. Moreover, field dependent students used externally based proof schemes in GPT significantly more than field independent students. Also, field independent students use analytical proof schemes significantly more than field dependent mix students. There was no significant interaction between gender and cognitive style in the use of proof schemes. The significant differences in students&rsquo / use of proof schemes with respect to their gender and FDI cognitive style connote that gender and FDI cognitive styles are important individual differences and should be taken into consideration as instructional variables, while teaching and engaging in proof in geometry and in mathematics.

Students come to science class with intuitive theories and ideas how the natural world works. These theories may conflict with accepted scientific concepts and can make subsequent learning in science very difficult. Since people differ in cognitive functioning, the nature of the remedial approach to these alternative conceptions is very important. In this study, high-school students used computer simulations or hands-on experimentation as a remedial approach to their alternative conceptions. It explored the effects of the remediation in the context of the learning style of field-dependence-independence. Also, the use of the instrument (the embedded figures test) for defining field-dependence-independence was explored as a diagnostic tool for determining students who possess alternative conceptions. An Analysis of Covariance was used to determine the main effects and interactions between the treatments (mode of remediation) and field-dependence-independence. The results of this study indicated that computer simulations and hands-on experimentation were both effective means for the remediation of the alternative conceptions of force and gravity. Also, the hands-on experimentation was shown to be more effective than the computer simulations. However, the study failed to show any evidence of the differential effects of field-dependence-independence on remediation of the alternative conceptions. There was also no indication of interactions between the independent variables. Although a relationship was shown to exist between the test for alternative conceptions and the instrument for determining field-dependence-independence, due to the low correlation and the expense of administration, the Group Embedded Figures Test was not recommended for the diagnosis of alternative conceptions in high school students. / Ph. D.

This dissertation is a theoretical treatment of the electric field dependence of optical properties such as Quantum Confined Stark (QCS) shifts, Photoluminescence Quenching (PLQ), and Excitonic Mixing in quantum well heterostructures. The reduced spatial dimensionality in heterostructures greatly enhances these optical properties, more than in three dimensional semiconductors. Charge presence in the quantum well from doping causes the potential to bend and deviate from the ideal square well potential. A potential bending that varies as the square of distance measured from the heterostructure interfaces is derived self-consistently. This potential is used to solve the time-independent Schrodinger equation for bound state energies and wave functions within the framework of the Wentzel, Kramers, and Brillouin (WKB) approximation. The theoretical results obtained from the WKB approximation are limited to wide gap semiconductors with large split off bands such as gallium arsenide-gallium aluminum arsenide and indium gallium arsenide—indium phosphide. Quantum wells with finite confinement heights give rise to an energy dependent WKB phase. External electric and magnetic fields are incorporated into the theory for two different geometries. For electric fields applied perpendicular to the heterostructure multilayers, QCS shifts and PLQ are found to be in excellent agreement with the WKB calculations. Orthogonality between electrons and holes gives rise to interband mixing in the presence of an external electric field. On the contrary, intraband mixing between light and heavy holes is not sufficiently accounted for in the WKB approximation.

Theoretical part include problems of emotional regulation, self - regulation, coping strategies in early adolescence and characterization children with disorders of behaviour and concrete manifestations of problems and disorders behaviour. Experimental part is intent on finding regulation characterizations personality of children in early adolescence and their connections with coping strategies of children. And also finding rate using three categories of coping strategies by children with or without disorders of behaviour.