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A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Forward and Backward Chaining Procedures with Retarded Children
Get PDF25 leaves. Advisor: W. Scott WoodThe problem. Very little experimental evidence is available to indicate the conditions under which backward chaining procedures are most effective. This study compared the effectiveness of backward and forward chaining procedures with retarded children on a telephone dialing task.
Procedure. Four retarded children were taught to dial telephone numbers using forward and backward chaining procedures. The number of errors made by subjects as a function of the chaining condition was compared.
Findings. Two subjects performed better under the forward chaining conditions, one subject performed better under the forward chaining condition and another subject did not show a change in performanoe as a function of the chaining conditions.
Conclusions. The results were inconsistent with previous studies which indicated that forward chaining was more effective than backward chaining for all subjects studied.
Recommendations. Further research should be conducted to investigate the generality of the findings across subjects and tasks
Reinstatement in an Appetitively Motivated Paradigm
Get PDF36 leaves. Advisor: James M. WhitehouseThe problem. To demonstrate reinstatement in an appetitively motivated paradigm within the limitations of Campbell and Jaynes' 1966 definition of that phenomenon, and to introduce a qualitatively distinct reinstatement treatment.
Procedure. Eighty-five 21-28 day old rats were randomly assigned to one of either three experimental or three control conditions. Subjects in the three experimental conditions were pretrained and trained to a criterion performance on a light-dark discrimination task in a Y-maze. At 7, 14, and 21 days thereafter they received reinstatements consisting of either two reinforced trials in the Y-maze (group I) or one reinforced and one non-reinforced trial in a specially prepared straight alley (group II) which presented the critical stimulus elements of original training in an altered context. Group III subjects served as retention controls and did not receive the reinstatements. Subjects in groups IV, V, and VI received the same treatments as those in groups I, II, and III (respectively) with the exception that they were not initially pretrained or trained in the Y-maze. Twenty-eight days after the initial session subjects in groups I, II, and III were retrained to criterion in the Y-maze while subjects in groups IV, V, and VI were pretrained then trained to criterion in the maze.
Findings. Simple main effects analyses within a splitplot factorial design established that the two reinstatement conditions produced significant retention of the discrimination with group I subjects showing slightly, although not significantly, better retention than group II subjects. Retention controls showed no retention of the discrimination. Analysis of groups IV, V, and VI showed no effect of the reinstatements per se on naive animals.
Conclusions. It was concluded that reinstatement could be demonstrated in an appetitive paradigm, and that it may occur regardless of whether the organism can be returned to the original learning environment.
Recommendations. Further study investigating stimulus parameters of reinstatement were suggested
The Combination of Wood and Metal in Contemporary Jewelry and Related Objects
No full text31 leaves. Advisor: Condon KuhlThe problem. To investigate and create several wood and metal pieces, and show that these combinations are a personal statement of the artist.
Procedure. The procedural set-up for this project was to (1) Investigate the following metals--sterling silver, brass, steel, and woods--basswood, rosewood, walnut, and zebrawood. (2) Show aesthetic affiliation between the materials. (3) Create various jewelry, and related objects--belt buckle, match box, humidor, necklace, chess set and chess board, and (4) Evaluate aesthetically and technically.
Findings. In my findings I discovered the following qualities of metal and wood. Of the metals I used, I found silver to be the easiest to form and shape. Both brass and steel are very durable and show good strength, but brass showed signs of cracking during forging.
Each of the woods used were enjoyable with which to work. Basswood is a very soft wood and thus it was the easiest to work using hand tools. Walnut and zebrawood are also very workable as they do not split readily. For strength in the woods, walnut and rosewood would head that list. I feel both the metals and the woods have their own qualities of color variations, which I kept in mind throughout the projects.
One of my main concerns in working with each project was to find a way to fasten the metal and wood together. I found that for my purposes the bezel and supporting pins were the most satisfactory
An Analysis of Certain Remote Sensing Techniques for Counting Large Numbers of Geese
Get PDF27 leaves. Advisor: Dr. P. J. KingsburyThe problem. The objective of the study was to
develop a technique of estimating large numbers of geese accurately and to provide a permanent reproducible record of the estimate. The technique to be developed was to utilize equipment easily available to field personnel.
Procedure. The red, blue, green, and infra-red
electromagnetic wave lengths were examined for use in the technique. The band providing the maximum contrast between the geese and the natural background was analyzed to determine
the accuracy and reproducibility of estimated goose numbers.
Findings. The blue color band should be used when
aerial photography is used to count geese. Count estimates obtained with the Digacol Model 4010 density analyzer (Iowa Geological Survey Remote Sensing Lab.) did not have the accuracy desired. When the photo negatives were changed to
positives and enlarged, the accuracy improved to acceptable limits.
Conclusions. The techniques developed included:
using a blue pass filter (Kodak 47 B), verticle aerial photography, photographing resting on a uniform background (preferably water) at an altitude where the geese are not disturbed but can be photographed easily, and finding that
easily available equipment can be used to estimate large numbers of geese. Finding the limitations of the density analyzing equipment available lead to the acknowledgement that machinery does exist that can use the photographs to count geese.
Recommendations. A method for photographing geese
has been developed however estimating goose numbers by density analyzing is dependent upon the availability and sophistication of the equipment. For reproducible accurate count
estimates, photographs and negatives should be submitted to the EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The Effects of Feedback on the Performance of Paraprofessional Behavior Modifiers and Their Retarded-Trainees
No full text50 leaves. Advisor: W. Scott Wood, Ph.D.The problem. To determine whether the behavior modification skills of hospital attendants are improvable by program respecifications, delayed graphic feedback, or by immediate verbal feedback. To also determine if these improved skills would result in the desired behavior change
in the retarded trainees.
Procedure. The behavior modification performance of two trainers and the performance of their retarded trainees were measured and recorded throughout the two studies. After initial observation, the experimenter rewrote the program
specifications for both studies, in order to improve their quality. Further improvement in the performance of the trainers and trainees was attempted by use of conventional feedback techniques in a multiple baseline design.
Findings. The results show that more detailed and
specific program specifications were successful in: 1) improving the trainers' ability to acquire the trainees attention precurrent to the cue, 2} increasing the appropriate use of verbal cues by the trainers, and 3) decreasing the rate of self stimulatory and disruptive behavior exhibited by the trainees. In Study II, when prompting specifications were increased in complexity, overprompting and a decrease in correct scheduling of prompts resulted. Delayed graphic feedback was effective in improving the prompting, reinforcing, and timing skills of the trainers. However, the ability of the trainer in Study II to accurately time the durations of
the inter-related overcorrection procedures, was only improved by immediate verbal feedback. Improvements were maintained in all post feedback conditions.
Conclusions. It was concluded that some shaping skills were easily improvable by program specifications, while other shaping skills required various types of feedback to improve.
Moreover, these improved skills resulted in the desired behavior change of the trainees.
Recommendations. It is recommended that to effectively improve trainee performance, program specification and feedback should be used, as needed, to improve the trainer's performance
The Identification and Comparison of the Flavonoids in the Flowers of Campanula Rapunculoides L. and Campanula Americana L.
Get PDF28 leaves. Advisor: Dr. S. Lane WilsonThe problem. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the flavonoids found in the flowers of Campanula rapunculoides L. and C. americana L.
Procedure. Flavonoids were extracted in 1% HCl-methanol solution and concentrated on a rotary vacuum evaporator. Filter paper chromatography was used to separate and purify the pigments. Both crude and purified
pigments were hydrolyzed and tests run to gain information about the aglycones and attached sugars. A spectrophotometer was used to record the absorption spectra of purified pigments.
Findings. Two anthocyanins which appear to be
glycosides of delphinidin and another flavonoid which may be a 7,8-dihydroxyflavanone were found in both C. rapunculoides and C. americana. Vitexin and luteolin were found in C. americana but not in C. rapunculoides. C. rapunculoides
contains an unidentified, blue florescing flavonoid not found in C. americana.
Conclusions. It was shown that C. rapunculoides and C. americana share three flavonoids while there are two in C. americana and one in C. rapunculoides which are not shared.
Recommendations. Further work is needed to isolate
and identify the sugar attachments on the flavonoids. Other species of Campanula need to be examined to show their relationship to C. americana and C. rapunculoides
An Inquiry Into the Professional Activities of the Iowa Community College President
No full text249 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Robert L. WhittThe role of the Community College President can be identified from his activities. The manner in which these roles and responsibilities are handled vary with the setting and the individual performing the activity. This study was made to explore the activities
that comprise the role of the Iowa Community College President.
The problem. The problems investigated in this study were:
1) How much time does the president spend in performance of
certain activities during the school year? 2) How much time do the presidents feel should be spent in each of these activities?
3) What activities do presidents feel are most important to their roles? 4) How do presidents perceive their role in each of the
activities?
Procedure. A questionnaire identifying sixteen activities of the president was designed and administered to fourteen community
college presidents in Iowa. This questionnaire asked for percent of
time spent in each activity, percent of time that would be desirable to spend in each activity, the rank in order of importance of each activity, and personal data on training and experience. A taped interview with each of the presidents to discuss perceptions and
performance of each of the sixteen activities identified in the study was made.
Findings. Findings included:
1) A majority of the presidents had community college experience
prior to assuming the presidency, but had prior administrative
experience in the public school system. 2) Board-President relationship is a most important task and occupies a considerable amount of the presidents' time.
3) The presidents are highly involved in community affairs.
4) The presidents recognize the importance of institutional
planning and are aware that they are not spending a desirable amoumt of time in this activity.
5) There is a moderate positive relationship between time spent and time desirable, indicating that there is a tendency to
spend more time on functions where more time is desirable for their performance. 6) There is a moderate positive relationship between the perceived importance of various roles and the time desired for performance. 7) Activities that are viewed as more important are usually
performed primarily by the president and activities that are ranked of lesser importance are shared or delegated.
Conclusions. Conclusions were:
1) Although there are many similarities in the actual and the
perceived role of the presidents of the Iowa area community colleges, there are also significant differences. The similarities can be viewed as the result of the initial state structure and the differences
can be viewed as a result of individual differences in the persons and the settings.
2) The roles as determined by the presidents as being more
important are not necessarily the roles that occupy the larger amounts of the presidents' time.
3) The most important presidential role, as perceived by the president, is the development and maintenance of a good president-board relationship.
Recommendations for Further Study.
l) Several of the individual roles included in this study
encompass areas of such breadth that an investigation of a singular role would be quite significant. 2) If a more broad role-function research would be desired, desired, an approach similar to the delphi technique would appear to be desirable.
3) The personal and professional characteristics of the occupants of the presidential chair in given area, or of the total
United States, would provide important data. 4) A study using roles similar to those used in this investigation, but encompassing a larger geographic area, would be quite useful in determining to what extent the individual and the setting
contribute to the overall presidential role function.
5) A study encompassing the managerial skills, with explicit
attention to leadership and decision-making, has never been done relative to the community college presidency, to the knowledge of the investigator. Within such a topic area, innumerable opportunities
exist for research involving these managerial skills in a broad sense, or with segments of these characteristics involving very specific application
Cue-response Separation and Element Proximity in the Feature Discrimination Paradigm
Get PDF75 leaves. Advisor: William D. KlipecThe problem. To investigate the function of the proximity of elements in a feature discrimination paradigm on the feature-positive effect, remote responding and stimulus identification.
Procedure. Sixty preschoolers between the ages of three and five years were trained to discriminate between two simultaneously presented displays containing either four common features, or three common and one distinctive feature. One-third of the subjects were reinforced for touching any feature on the display with the distinctive feature (FP-l group), one-third for touching a common feature on the distinctive feature display (FP-2 group), and one-third for touching any feature on the common feature display (FN group). Half of each group of subjects were trained with the features compacted in the centers of the displays and half with the features distributed in the outer corners of the displays.
Findings. A clear feature-positive effect occurred only when the elements were distributed. Compacting the elements resulted in fewer errors but did not eliminate a significant difference between the FP-2 and FN group. Generalization tests given during extinction indicated that subjects responded on the basis of features, pattern, or both independent of the condition to which they were assigned.
Conclusions. Responses to features were influenced by reinforcement probability but responses did not have to be directed to a feature for it to affect responding. The hypothesis that cue-response separation contributes to feature-negative difficulty was not supported.
Recommendations. Future research in this area should attempt to clarify the parameters of the effect, remote responding strategies, and factors that affect responding
Effects of Marek's Disease Herpesvirus and Turkey Herpesvirus Upon Immunity to Eimeria Acervulina in Young Chickens
Get PDF42 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Rodney A. RogersThe problem. Concurrent infections with Marek's
disease (MD) and coccidiosis in chicken flocks have perplexed investigators for years. Infection with MD herpesvirus has been shown to inhibit immunity of chicks to three
species of Eimeria. Herpesvirus from turkeys (HVT) is used commercially as a vaccine against MD. This investigation studied the response to primary and secondary exposures to
E. acervulina oocysts in young chicks infected with either MDHV or HVT.
Procedure. Groups of chickens were inoculated with either MDHV or HVT. These chicks received a primary immunizing series of inoculations with E. acervulina oocysts. Individual chick weights were recorded during this period.
The chicks were subsequently challenged with a massive dose of E. acervulina oocysts. Following challenge chicks were monitored for weight gain or loss and for the number of
oocysts passed in the feces. Five to seven days following challenge all chicks were killed and autopsied to evaluate for E. acervulina and MD lesions. Data from these chicks were compared to data from control chicks which received oocysts but no virus.
Findings. Weight gains, oocyst recovery data, and autopsy observations for experimental and control chicks are equivalent.
Conclusions. Neither MDHV nor HVT had any effect upon the immune response of young chicks to E. acervulina. Vaccination of chicks with HVT did not jeopardize development
of resistance to E. acervulina.
Recommendations. Further studies with other strains of MDHV or with other species of Eimeria would be helpful in better understanding the relationship of MD and coccidiosis
The Effect of a Class-based Point System on Correspondence Between Planned and Actual Study Time for College Freshmen
No full text19, [2] leaves. Advisor: Margaret LloydThe problem. To assess the effectiveness of a
laboratory based point system on the production and maintenance of both yes-no correspondence (number of days students planned to attend and attended a study Enrichment Laboratory) and continuous correspondence (number of 15
minute units students planned to attend and attended a study Enrichment Laboratory).
Procedure. Eighteen freshmen. were required to earn 18,000 points to pass Study Enrichment Laboratory. Students indicated the times they planned to attend a monitored study laboratory on a daily planning sheet. The number of days and amount of time students attended the laboratory
were recorded four evenings each week for 11 weeks. Points were given free during baseline conditions and were available at other times for yes-no and continuous planned attendance at the Enrichment Laboratory and for yes-no and
continuous correspondence between planned attendance and attendance at the Enrichment Laboratory.
Findings. When points were contingent on correspondence, students who planned to attend and attended the study laboratory infrequently during baseline showed increased correspondence between number of days planned and attended
(yes-no correspondence) but not between amount of time planned and attended (continuous correspondence). Yes-no correspondence was not maintained when the point contingency was removed. Students who planned to attend and attended the study laboratory frequently during baseline showed increased correspondence between both days planned and attended (yes-no correspondence) and amount of time planned and
attended (continuous correspondence). Only yes-no correspondence was maintained when the contingency was removed.
Conclusions. Some students trained in correspondence procedures were able to maintain yes-no correspondence even after the reinforcement contingency was withdrawn. However,
yes-no correspondence may not be beneficial to a student if the amount of time studied remains low.
Recommendations. Methods of training continuous
correspondence should be investigated further. Eventually it may be possible to provide correspondence training for students which would allow them to later maintain high levels of studying without explicit monitoring and reinforcement