The psychometric properties of the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS; Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) were investigated in two studies with independent samples of undergraduates at Western Kentucky University. In the first study (N = 379), the internal consistency and factor structure of the NCS were examined, and the NCS was compared to the Achievement subscale of the Personality Research Form (Jackson, 1974) and the State-Trait Curiosity subscale of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (Speilberger, 1979). Also, the possibility of differences in “need for cognition” attributable to socio-economic status (i.e. the educational attainment of the subjects’ parents) were examined. The second study (N = 72) compared the NCS to the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R; Dunn & Dunn, 1981) and, in addition, investigated the possibility that the NCS could explain variance in American College Test (ACT) scores other than that explained by the PPVT-R alone. The findings indicated that the NCS is a reliable instrument in terms of internal consistency. In factor analyses, one primary and one lesser factor emerged. The first factor was interpreted as representing the enjoyment of thinking, which is consistent with the first factor described in previous factor analytic investigations (i.e. Cacioppo & Petty, 1982; Cacioppo, Petty, Kao, 1984). The weaker factor appeared to represent the “amount” of cognitive activity sought by the individual high in NCog. This factor corresponded to one described by Tanaka, Panter, and Winbourne (1988). The NCS correlated positively and moderately with the Achievement and Curiosity subscales. The analyses of SES differences in NCS scores indicate that there is a main effect for SES; the participants whose parents had fewer years of formal education had higher scores on the NCS. In the second study, the NCS correlated moderately and positively with the PPVT-R; however, the NCS did not account for variance in ACT scores which was significant and unique to that accounted for by PPVT-R scores.

Previous research in death anxiety has suggested that marital roles, and especially the male’s role as the family provider, influence the sex differences in death attitudes (Diggory & Rothman, 1961; Tolor & Murphy, 1967). The present study attempted to directly investigate the effect of marital roles by comparing the sex differences in death anxiety scores (as measured by the Templer Death Anxiety Scale) of married persons, with and without children, and single persons. In addition, 20 demographic covariates were investigated to observe their possible effect on death anxiety. The results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that marital status was not significantly related to death anxiety. However, single males were found to have significantly higher death anxiety than single females. Additional multiple regressions revealed that 18% of the variance in death anxiety scores was accounted for by the five covariates of whether a family member or friend had died in the last year, education, race, age and religious preference. These further analyses indicated that higher death anxiety can be expected if the subject had not experienced a recent death of a family member or friend. Persons with less education, as well as black and younger persons, also have higher death anxiety. Finally, persons who have a religious preference have higher death anxiety than persons who do not have a religious preference.

The effect of prenatal administration of amphetamine upon the offspring’s cognitive-intellectual functioning at adult levels was investigated. Three groups of Max hooded rats were used, each composed of seven females and twelve males. One group was subjected to prenatal injections of amphetamine, one group received injections of saline, and the final group received no treatment. After the subjects reached adulthood they were presented with a series of complex mazes, and the dependent variable was the number of errors committed during the series. The data were analyzed by an analysis of variance of a 3 x 2 factorial design. The results indicated that there was a sex-specific response to the amphetamine and saline injections. These treatments significantly improved the performance of the males when compared to the no treatment males, but had no effect on the females. The amphetamine and saline injection produced the same effect as amphetamine on all subjects. Based on these results, an attempt was made to explain the mode of action of amphetamine and stress on the developing fetus.

Children’s human figure drawings (HFDs) have frequently been used as a projective technique to indicate emotional problems. Despite the popularity of this technique, research has shown contradictory findings on its validity as a measure of emotional adjustment. As a reason for the inconsistent findings, researchers have suggested that the artistic quality of HFDs may interfere with successful interpretation of adjustment from the drawings. However, the issue of the possible influence of artistic quality has not been adequately researched. The major purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between psychologists’ judgments of artistic quality and judgments of emotional adjustment from children’s HFDs. Children diagnosed as emotionally disturbed and normal children were randomly selected to produce HFDs. These children were matched according to age, sex and IQ. Twelve psychologists were randomly selected to rate the drawings for emotional judgment and artistic quality without knowledge of the children’s adjustment status. They psychologists were allowed to employ methods of interpretation they use in their practice. In addition, each psychologist was asked to list or describe the methods/criteria used in rating each drawing. Each psychologist was also asked to re-rate a random sample of the HFDs after one month in order to determine intrarater reliability. Comparisons were made between (a) the artistic quality and emotional adjustment ratings, (b) the methods/criteria used in both ratings, and (c) the level of identification of actual adjustment from each set of ratings. The interrater agreement and intrarater stability of the ratings were also determined. A positive, but nonsignificant, correlation was found between the artistic quality and emotional adjustment ratings, indicating that the two ratings may be measuring different dimensions of children’s HFDs. The psychologists’ perceptions of artistic quality of the HFDs evidently did not influence their ratings of emotional adjustment to a significant degree. An analysis of the criteria used in classifying drawings indicated that the same types of criteria were frequently cited for both types of ratings. Since the ratings were not highly correlated, the criteria were presumably interpreted differently in the two types of ratings. A relatively high degree of interrater agreement was found for the artistic quality ratings and emotional adjustment ratings. The intrarater stability for both types of ratings was also relatively high. However, the emotional adjustment ratings were not significantly related to the actual emotional adjustment status of the children making the drawings. These findings indicated that the methods used by the psychologists in interpreting the HFDs for emotional adjustment were of questionable validity. The artistic quality ratings were also not significantly related to the children’s actual adjustment, indicating that emotionally disturbed children’s HFDs were not necessarily perceived as having low artistic quality. The results did not support the contention that artistic quality of HFDs is a confounding influence on HFD interpretation for emotional adjustment. The findings from this study also contribute to the body of research suggesting that children’s HFDs are not valid for indicating level of emotional adjustment.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between perceptual style as measured by the Children’s Embedded Figures Test (CEFT) and personality as measured by the Children’s Personality Questionnaire (CPQ). The sample included 69 fifth grade students of which 30 were male and 39 were female. All subjects were preadolescent children, of average intelligence, from lower class and lower-middle class socioeconomic homes. Multiple regression analyses were utilized for the total sample and for each sex using the CEFT as the dependent variable and the 14 CPQ scales as independent variables. It was judged more meaningful to interpret only the regressions for each sex avoiding the misinterpretations involved in the total sample results. The multiple regression for females accounted for 37% of the CEFT variance. CPQ Scales B, G and Q3 contributed most of the total variance. Field independent females, therefore, tended to be more intelligent; more excitable and less emotionally stable; and showed less self-sentiment than field dependent females. The multiple regression for males accounted for 58% of the CEFT variance and revealed a different pattern than for females. The CPQ Scales O, F, Q3, D and C accounted for most of the variances in predicting CEFT. This meant that field independent males tended to be more self-controlled; be more talkative and cheerful; have more self-sentiment and be more self-reliant; possess greater awareness of cultural demands and ethical standards; and generally be more emotionally stable than their field dependent counterparts. Implications for further research included partitioning for sex, when perceptual style research is involved; investigating and clarifying the relationship of perceptual style and intelligence: delineating the sex differences in perceptual style related to personality variables; and exploration of sex differences noted in this study across developmental curves.

The theme of the conflict of old and new, tradition and modernity, east and west in contemporary India has been a major concern of many Indo-Anglican novelists of the post-independence era. This study focuses on the reactions of various authors to this theme, as expressed by their treatment of it in the novels. Four particular aspects of the theme which are explored in the novels, the fate of the family, economic upheaval, a questioning of religion, and the impact of the conflict on the individual person are discussed. Three reactions to the tension facing contemporary India are expressed by the novelists. First, a significant number of the authors reflect the attitude that all which is good in life is encompassed within the tradition. A second reaction which is developed in several novels is an acknowledgement that there is something to be gained from the interaction of the seemingly opposing forces. The third reaction is a sense of impotence, and is expressed with two different emphases. For certain authors the impotence suggests a helpless individual caught between the destructive force of change. But the seeming helplessness of the individual is also portrayed as a wise relaxation to the forces of life which will themselves resolve the conflicts. In the first chapter, the challenges to the family expressed in the novels are explored with an emphasis on the potential disintegration. The treat of the idea of romantic love, the role of the joint family and, finally, Nayantara Sahgal’s unique view. The changing economic attitude are explored in Chapter 2. Sudhin Ghose’s romantic approach is shown in contrast to the works of realistists such as Kamala Markandaya and Bhabani Bhattacharya, who treat the difficulties of the individuals trapped in the changes and a society looking for a solution. In chapter 3 the conflict expressed in several novels between the traditional religious view of life and the emerging secular view of life is explored. The reaction of tree novelists to the idea of Hinduism as a religion which rejects the concerns of this world, and focuses rather on spiritual concerns, are also discussed. Finally, the last chapter deals with an often repeated theme, the crisis of personal identity created by the meeting of cultures.

The Useful Field of View (UFOV) is the entire area in which information can be gathered without moving the head or eyes. It is generally found that the size of the UFOV shrinks with age. Additionally, research has shown that simple practice on the UFOV task can increase the size of the UFOV. However, simple practice may not be the most effective strategy for increasing the UFOV. The present study examined whether training directed toward a specific basis of UFOV loss (slower speed of processing) is more effective than simple practice at increasing field size. Individuals received one or three types of training. Individuals who received variable duration training first performed the UFOV task at a pre-determined duration. Every time the individual obtained a field size of 30 degrees or greater across 2 consecutive blocks of trials, the duration of the visual display was decreased 25 milliseconds. Individuals who received force-drop training also initially performed the UFOV task at a pre-determined duration. On the third day of training, the duration of the visual display was decreased 25 milliseconds regardless of the individual’s performance. On the fifth day of training, the duration of the visual display was again decreased 25 milliseconds regardless of the individual’s performance. Individuals receiving constant training simply practiced the task at the pre-determined duration across all days of training. Consistent with past research, training improved peripheral localization performance. Further, improvement in peripheral localization performance was greatest in the distractor condition among individuals receiving variable duration training. Variable duration training may be a more effective strategy for increasing the UFOV due to its challenging nature. Specifically, since the duration of the visual display is directly linked to the individual’s own performance, motivation and interest in the training task may be maintained for a longer period of time. Further, the heightened motivation and interest may facilitate a greater degree of learning in the training setting which in turn influences the amount of training that will be retained and utilized in real-world settings.

The specimens studied during this investigation were taken incidentally during a general faunal survey of certain peculiar streams flowing from underground channels. On casual examination it was evident that they belonged to the cave fish group but were not the well known almost colorless blind variety. After checking the descriptions in various vertebrate manuals it appeared that they were probably a new species. There are three groups of cave fishes, the non-blind, the semi-blind and the blind. Chologaster, or the Rice Field Minnows of South Carolina, are members of the non-blind group. Forbesichthys of southern Illinois and Kentucky is an example of the semi-blind group, and Typhlichthys, the true blind cave fish, found in the caves of Kentucky and Tennessee, is an example of the blind group. It appeared probably that they belonged in the intermediate group, and a check of the literature disclosed the fact that no intensive studies had been made on the group to which these forms appeared to belong, and very little is known concerning their food and general habits. It was therefore thought worthwhile to make a comprehensive study of these fishes. One hundred or more specimens were collected, some being immediately preserved while others were placed in an aquarium and kept alive for the study of behavior and general environmental relations. This investigation was then attempted for the purpose of determining more definitely some important facts concerning this species, such as the type of food that makes up the diet of the fish, to establish a few facts concerning the general habits, including behavior and general environmental relations, and to further clarify the matter of the description.

Although Wendell Berry’s first book, a novel, appeared in 1960, he did not gain significant national attention until the publication of his nonfiction manifesto, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture, in 1977. Since its publication, Berry has moved increasingly toward the prose of persuasion as he continues to sharpen his argument in support of a practical, continuous harmony between the human economy and Nature. His canon as a whole – the poems, essays, and novels – is an ongoing and thorough exploration of man’s use of and relationship to the land. Arguing that the health of a culture is linked to the health of its land, Berry focuses on agriculture, particularly the growing conflict between traditional farming (which espouses a harmonious cyclic vision) and modern agribusiness (which espouses a discordant linear vision). As a traditional farmer wedded to the land, Berry derives his ideas and images largely from his practical experiences and form his devotion to careful and responsible land stewardship. He also, in his nonfiction, turns to several agricultural (as well as a few literary) writers of the past and present to lend support to his arguments. Berry’s strong sense of Nature’s cycle is the basis for his imagery of departures and returns. As a crucial part of the cycle, death is prerequisite to life, and Berry shows the importance of understanding “that the land we live on and the lives we live are the gifts of death” (Home Economics 62). The power of Nature’s cycle is at once destructive and restorative; Berry teaches that by allying our human economy more with natural cyclic processes rather than with man-made linear – and ultimately destructive – ones, we and future generations can live with hope and assurance through the possibility of renewal. Traditional farming has taught Berry the concepts which inform his poems and essays (as well as his novels and short stories, which merit a separate study beyond the scope of this paper.) For example, he has learned, and continues to learn, the importance of understanding and acknowledging the primal, and ruling, character of a “place”; of looking to Nature for guidance, instruction, and justice; and of allying farming practices to Nature’s “Wheel” of birth, growth, maturity, death, and decay. This cycle and related motifs unify and connect his central themes, particularly death as a means of renewal. In Berry’s view, one of the cruxes in the agricultural crisis is that, whereas traditional farming seeks a natural balance between growth and decay, industrial farming, because of its pull toward mass production, stresses growth only (a linear inclination), which wears out the land and leads inevitably to infertility. Tracing our modern crisis to our past and to our present character and culture, Berry shows the ramifications of our abuse of Nature’s “gifts.”

There has been in the past, and likely will continue to be, an obvious lack of printed material dealing with the discipline of basketball. The wide spectrum of everything that is to be taught, as well as how it is to be introduced (in the writer’s opinion) has been neglected. Rather than focusing on one phase or a limited number of areas of interest, this work attempts to serve as a comprehensive basketball coaching manual for a beginning mentor. It should also serve well for one who wishes to reevaluate or revise his coaching philosophy. Careful thought has been given to the analysis of those fundamentals and techniques which are to be taught to ensure their compatibility. A brief history helps to introduce the work. Special attention has been given to the significant events which influenced change in the way the game is played. Rules changes, better athletes and wider fan appeal have contributed to altering coaching methods. An example might be that in the late 1930’s, when the jump ball was eliminated after each field goal, a brief resting period was also eliminated.