The study proposed here is addressed to two of the most important problems facing teenagers and the adults who care about them today--alcohol and marijuana use. While previous studies have provided some answers about these problems, much remains to be acquired and learned. The study will gather the usual basic demographic and other data on teenage drinking and drug use; but, it will do more by testing a control theory model of substance use by adolescents. The significance of this study is that it will go beyond the description of amount and related variations to answer questions about differences existing between those who use these substances and those who do not. Major differences in the attachments of the individuals to conventional others, commitments to conventional institutions and goals, involvements in conventional activities, and beliefs in conventional society and goals between users and non-users will be compared and statistically tested. In this way we hope to provide empirically valid findings which should have relevance to existing or future drug and alcohol education or prevention programs. / The study will proceed as a secondary analysis of self-report questionnaires administered to male and female students in junior and senior high schools in a single school district. The questionnaires were administered in the classrooms during school hours by members of the research staff. Therefore, teachers were not asked to perform any duties in the administration of the questionnaire. A total population of seventh through tenth grade students and a random sample of eleventh and twelfth grade students were administered the questionnaire. The questionnaire involved only one class period. Protection of confidentiality and rights of students was provided. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-04, Section: A, page: 1315. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The purpose of this study was to examine four analytical methods and to illustrate by example any which seem to hold the potential for extracting additional knowledge from institutional research studies by means of their synthesis through meta-analysis; the measurement of the importance of their findings, through content analysis; the study of the relationships among their characteristics and findings, through multiple correspondence analysis; or the prioritization of research topics through the analytical hierarchy process. / A demonstration of the analytic hierarchy process was conducted within the context of a single institution in order to answer questions related to the worth of this process, its difficulty, and the time it requires. Results were compared for different questionnaire-types, for different process-judges, and for a "direct" process. The "forward" and the "clustering" approaches to simplify the prioritization were examined. / The demonstration of the analytic hierarchy process showed that the process was not so difficult to apply, and that the required time could be reduced. Other conclusions were that experienced faculty members are preferred for giving opinions on faculty workload issues, and that the prioritization changes according to area of knowledge. Moreover, the superiority of the computer-questionnaire over the paper-questionnaire was not conclusive. / The worth of this application should be assessed on the basis of the intrinsic nature of institutional research studies which generally cannot be generalized, and the two major difficulties reported by this research: the findings are (a) descriptive, and (b) highly diverse. These reasons precluded the integration of research findings by meta-analysis and also made useless the measure of the emphasis of research findings by content analysis. Meanwhile, the analytic hierarchy process overcame both difficulties and led to prioritizing the research topics. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-11, Section: A, page: 3460. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

Despite the vast range of commentaries and research on the current health care crisis, little research attention has been focused specifically on physicians' attitudes, orientations, and reactions to innovations and/or change in the traditional methods of delivering medical care. In response to this hiatus in research, the present study examines the reactions of physicians' to the hypothetical development of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in the community. An exploratory causal model is developed and analysis based upon a cross-sectional survey data set. The results indicate that one of the most important mediating variables in a causal chain leading to factors which account for physicians' reactions is the extent of agreement with basic structural problems (performance gaps) in the existing system. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-07, Section: A, page: 3293. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The study tested empirically the relationship of role expectations, goals, values and communication to organizational socialization at the entry stage. Entry congruencies of superior-subordinate expectations, goals, and values, plus subordinate satisfaction with organizational communication, were hypothesized as significant measures of "goodness of fit" of individuals and organizations. / Subjects, numbering 36, were new faculty of a state-supported, mid-sized university in northeastern United States. During their entry socialization stage (operationalized as the first semester of the new employment), subjects responded to five, time-spaced instruments. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the data. / Results of the study supported the hypotheses. Organizational communication proved to be the strongest single predictor of satisfactory socialization, accounting for more than 30% of the variance. Entry congruency of expectations and goals accounted for approximately 20%; so the three variables combined accounted for more than 50% of the variance in the entry socialization model. Value congruency, however, showed no significant relationship to entry socialization. / Theoretical implications of the study relate to development of a theory of organizational socialization. Spatiotemporal studies of both the pre-entry stage and metamorphosis stage of organizational socialization are recommended for use with the entry model developed in this study. Also suggested is extension of the role set of the newcomer to include peers as well as superiors. / Practical implications of the study concern improved hiring and orientation practices. / Mismatching of individuals and organizations is costly in time, money and morale. This study concluded that congruency of expectations and goals and satisfaction with organizational communication are reliable predictors of "goodness of fit" of the person to the job, and the job to the person. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-08, Section: A, page: 3783. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 38-09, Section: A, page: 5754. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1977.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 38-08, Section: A, page: 5086. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1977.

This study provides a comprehensive and critical account of Herbert Blumer's methodology. Beginning with a reflexive look at its own program for reading, the study proposes to regard Blumer in light of the systematic character of his arguments, including especially their tenability. The ensuing account, then, attempts to depict the patterns of intelligibility which underlie Blumer's positions, to criticize the positions where needed, and to suggest corrective revisions where appropriate. / The characterization of Blumer's methodology begins with its general framework: Blumer regards methodology as a self-reflective exercise in which the principles underlying scientific inquiry are developed and criticized. This view clashes with all versions of "methodology" which delimit its scope to technical considerations; indeed, Blumer castigates such a truncated focus. / As regards the substantive results of his methodological thinking, Blumer's work presents a decidedly variegated visage. This is admittedly less so in ontological concerns--where Blumer adherred rather consistently to universalist realism--than in epistemological matters, where the diversity of Blumer's thinking requires the introduction of a developmental schema. Accordingly, the study proposes a three-stage sequence: Beginning in his first paper with a pragmatist-inspired position, Blumer shifted to a positivist stance centered upon the attempt to provide experiential definitions of concepts. Eventually Blumer simply deployed his positivist empiricism without making any effort to account for it theoretically--he replaced methodology with method. / But there is another facet of Blumer's work which, inconsistent with the reductive empiricism, is more suggestive for current methodological thinking. That facet concerns the semantic unity of theory and method. In such areas as public opinion research and "variable analysis," Blumer provides some insightful criticism of current practices. In expounding and defending this aspect of Blumer's work, the study advances suggestions for revamping his empiricism to bring it into line with what in his thinking is worth preserving. Toward that end the discussions turns upon such issues as the theory-ladenness of observation, theory-testing, the sociality of knowledge, and the valuational facet of scientific inquiry. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2835. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

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