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Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-118).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-92). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

The behaviour of a group of nursery school children with respect to a novel object in a familiar playground was recorded on videotape and film. Recording sessions of half an hour's duration took place on 5 consecutive days. The behaviour was analysed according to receptor-contact patterns, and recurring patterns of behaviour derived from McGrew's (1972) list of social behaviour patterns. Evidence is discussed to support the hypothesis that group exploratory behaviour contained elements of wariness and competition as well as a general trend from specific to diversive exploration (Berlyne 1960). Sex differences in exploratory behaviour are discussed as well as the proposition that boys are generally more suited to an active exploratory role whereas girls tend to perform a communicative role. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1977.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Göteborg. / Added t.p. with abstract and errata slip (3 p.) inserted. "(Section 1.3 in cooperation with Peter de Chateau, M.D.)." Includes bibliographical references (p. 212-217).

The concept of flow was examined in relation to the play behavior of preschool children. Thirty-five preschoolers were encouraged to play a beanbag toss game on three separate occasions called Phases I-III. In Phase I, children were allowed to match their skills to the challenges of the task in a choice condition. In Phase II, one group of 12 children again played the game under the choice condition. Two other groups of 11 and 12 children were required to play the game under conditions in which the challenges of the task were assumed to be either greater than or less than their levels of skill. In Phase III, all children again played the game under the choice condition. Five measures of the characteristics of flow, including number of attempts, percentage of successes, ratio of evaluation-seeking behaviors to number of attempts, ratio of off-task behaviors to number of attempts, and ratio of time spent off task to time spent on task were obtained for all phases. A repeated measures MANOVA with three groups and three phases was used to examine the data. A significantly greater number of evaluation-seeking behaviors per attempt were found at Phase I than at Phases II and III, regardless of condition. A significant phase x group interaction for the variable percentage of successes was also found. Post hoc analyses indicated that children in the assigned easy group had a significantly higher success rate at Phase II than at Phases I and III, while the assigned difficult group had a significantly lower rate. The percentages of successes between the three groups were significantly different at Phase II only. The single exposure to an assigned level of challenge may have been insufficient to produce the predicted effects on the characteristics of the flow experience. Subjective comments of the children obtained in Phase II indicated there were some differences in the levels of enjoyment of the task between the three groups. These subjective perceptions offer a possible explanation for the lack of differences on the measures of flow. The subjective comments indicate that throwing the beanbag at the target was enjoyable to the children regardless of their ability to hit the target; therefore the level of challenge may not have been critical. Several suggestions for future testing of the flow model are offered. / Ph. D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 18, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Laura E. Berk (chair), Paul T. Shallaert, Jayne E. Bucy, Matthew S. Hesson-McInnis, Mark E. Swerdlik. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-126) and abstract. Also available in print.

In this study an ecosystemic and social constructionist approach is used to understand the meanings and perceptions held by working mothers in relation to their experiences with the childcare and organisation settings. These meanings are described in terms of the influence of wider social discourses, personal epistemological assumptions, tacit knowledge, past experiences and current contexts. The working mothers, together with the researcher, form a linguistic system in which meanings about motherhood, employer-support and childcare arrangements are co-constructed and shared. The relationships between the working mothers and the researcher are not only observed within a linguistic context, but also within the ecosystemic view of mutual reciprocity, self-referentiality and double description. A qualitative and naturalistic research methodology is followed to describe the emergent design and the grounded theory. Based on the qualitative paradigm, the conclusions drawn at the end of the study are idiographic and reflective. / Psychology / M.A.(Clinical Psychology)