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Administrative Behavior of Women Athletic Directors in Successful and in Unsuccessful Intercollegiate Athletic Programs in the United States
No full textvii, 219 leaves. Advisor: Richard LampshireThe problem. The specific problem of this study was to compare administrative behavior of women athletic directors in successful and in unsuccessful intercollegiate athletic programs in the United States. It was hypothesized that the results of the study would reveal no differences in the administrative behavior of women athletic directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs.
Procedure. The 79 women athletic directors in universities of over 15,000 students were invited by mail to participate in this study. Of these, 62, returned the “Preliminary Data Sheet” (PDS), indicating their willingness to participate. The PDS was designed to obtain background information to be used in the comparison of the successful and unsuccessful programs and the athletic directors in these programs. A questionnaire entitled “Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Directors Survey” was sent to the 62 directors, of whom 30 were identified as representative of successful programs and 32 as representative of unsuccessful programs. Identification was based on the scope of the programs the win-loss records. Three test measures were included in the questionnaire: a Leadership Opinion Questionnaire (LOQ), designed to measure a leader’s orientation around structure and consideration; a Responsibility, Authority, and Delegation Scale (RAD), designed to measure perceived responsibility, authority, and delegation; and a Work Analysis Form (WAF), designed to measure time spent in various administrative tasks. Three approaches were used in analyzing the data; comparison of majority responses of directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs to individual items; application of the chi square test to measure differences between responses of directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs; and the comparison of mean scores of directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs on the two areas covered by the LOQ and the tree areas covered by the RAD.
Findings. The findings of this study supported the hypothesis that there were no differences in the administrative behavior of women athletic directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs. Results from the PDS revealed many similarities in directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs. However, a pronounced difference appeared in that sixty-seven percent of those in the successful group had completed work at the doctoral level, as opposed to thirty-one percent of those in the unsuccessful group. The mean scores of the directors in successful programs were slightly greater than those of the directors in the unsuccessful program in both dimensions on the LOQ. Both groups scored considerably higher on the consideration dimension than on the structure dimension. Only two of the forty items in the LOQ elicited responses that revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups. The mean scores of the directors in successful programs were considerably higher than the mean scores of directors in unsuccessful programs in all three areas measured by the RAD. Of the twelve responses on the RAD, two elicited statistically significant differences in the two groups. In the portion of the WAF relating to time spent in contact with persons, a statistically significant difference was found on two of the items. No statistically significant differences were found on the items relating to time spent in major responsibilities. In the area relating to time spent in individual effort, a statistically significant difference was found on one item.
Conclusions. More similarities than differences were found to exist in the administrative behavior of women athletic directors representative of successful and unsuccessful programs. It appears at this point in time therefore that factors in addition to the administrative behavior of the athletic director would account for the success or lack of success in a women’s athletic program at the university level
Walt Whitman, Kosmos : A Study of the Persona of "Song of Myself"
Get PDF99 leaves. Advisor: Amberys WhittleAlthough the persona of "Song of Myself" has been
the subject of a great deal of critical scholarship, there is general disagreement among the critics regarding the "I" of Whitman's poem. Four major strands of critical thought regarding the persona are evident in the literary criticism, and I have categorized these critical perspectives as follows: (1) the persona as hero, (2) the persona as dualistic self, (3) the persona
as protean self, and (4) the persona as kosmos.
Each critical strand of thought is examined in
light of the text of "Song of Myself" in order to determine its logic, appropriateness, and defensibility. The argument is advanced that the idea of the persona of "Song of Myself" as a kosmos is the most appropriate critical conceptualization because of its comprehensiveness
and cohesiveness. The use of the persona of "Song
of Myself" as a metaphor for the cosmos provides unity in the poem and is its central metaphor
The Effect of Token Reinforcement on Standardized I.Q. Test Scores as a Function of Initial I.Q. Level
Get PDF24 leaves. Advisor: Margaret E. LloydThe probLem. Standardized I.Q. test scores are frequently used as a source of information for making decisions about academic placement (Kolstoe, 1967). Recent research
has indicated that individuals differ in motivational level and thus test scores may be reflecting differences in motivation as well as differences in cognitive ability and
informational achievements. The present study was concerned with determining whether maximizing motivational level through the use of a token reinforcement program would improve the I.Q. scores of all children or only those
children with low I.Q. scores, as previous research has indicated (Clingman & Fowler, 1976).
Procedure. All children were tested on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) according to standardized instructions. On the basis of the test
scores they were placed in either a high I.Q. or a low I.Q. group. Children in each group were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control condition. Four weeks later, all the children were given a reinforcer effectiveness
test. Then the children in the control condition
were retested according to standardized instructions. Subjects in the experimental condition were given a token after each correct response. Tokens were exchangable for a
variety of activity and tangible items.
Findings. Children in the experimental conditions
improved their I.Q. scores significantly over children in the control condition. No interaction was found between condition and I.Q. level. That is, the high experimental group improved over the high control group as much as the low experimental group improved over the low control group.
Conclusions. A token reinforcement program applied
contingently for correct responding increased I.Q. scores of preschool children, regardless of initial I.Q. level.
Recommendations. Findings of this study suggest
that some children may have motivational deficits and that by maximizing their motivation with a token reinforcement program, their scores may more truly reflect thelr cognitive ability and informational achievements
Phenotypic Suppression of "Escherichia coli" K88ac antigen by selective media and termperature variations
No full text50 leaves. Advisor: Dean HogansonThe K88ac antigen, thought to he a pilus on
"Escherichia coli", has been determined to be one of the virulence factors in neonatal porcine colibacillosis. Using five different "E. coli" strains, the suppression of this antigen was studied on Tergitol-7(T7) and Nutrient
Agar (Nut) at 18°C and 35°C. Monospecific K88ac antisera, the guinea pig red blood cell mannose resistant agglutination test, and isolated porcine gut cell adherence test were used to demonstrate the presence or absence of K88ac activity. When tested after various incubation times, the phenotypic suppression was different among strains. When tested for gut cell adherence, the expression of K88ac antigen, did not affect the results, whereas Fx antigen, a new antigen found on certain "E. coli" strains, was directly related to the gut cell adherence reaction. The use of transmission electron microscopy failed to
demonstrate any visible morphological changes consistant with the suppression of the K88ac antigen activity. The lack of morphological changes, the relationship of Fx antigen and its effect upon adherence, leads one to speculate
that the K88ac may not be a true pilus and that more than one factor is involved in gut cell adherence by these organisms
A Study to Determine the Growth in Moral Development of Students Participating in Dexfield High School's 1979-80 Fall Peer Helper Program
Get PDF51 leaves. Advisor: Richard LampshireThe purpose of this study was to determine whether
or not Dexfield students participating in the peer helper course of instruction experienced moral development growth as measured by Rest's Defining Issues Test. Students in the peer helper class were matched to a control group from Dexfield High School according to: age, grade in school, IQ, cumulative grade point average, and sex. The peer
helper class and the control group were administered the Defining Issues Test (all six stories) during the first ten school days in the fall of 1979 and again within ten school days of the completion of the one semester course of study. A t-test of P scores obtained from the Defining Issues Test showed that the peer class did not experience greater growth in moral development (at the .05 level of significance) than the control group
More Hills to Climb
Get PDF163 leaves Advisor: Ruth DotyThe dissertation is a collection of seven original short stories, each portraying a central character who struggles to climb a symbolic "hill" towards a new pleateau of self-awareness or maturity. The stories are realistic, peopled with individuals cast in familiar
(and frequently complementary) roles: parent and child, husband and wife, student and teacher. Although the form and narrative techniques used in this dissertation are largely conventional, the stories explore variations of those techniques: both "A Question of Charity" and "Resort" use a third-person limited point of view, although "Resort" has a larger scope, with occasional flashbacks and more interlocking tensions between its characters than "Charity." "Visiting Hours," written from an effaced narrative viewpoint, is more heavily dependent on dialogue and objective descriptive detail than the other stories. The remaining four works are told in the first person, but with variant approaches: "More Hills to Climb" is narrated by an adolescent girl whose unreliable point of view permits an ironic comment on friendship and jealousy. "Viewpoints" is the only story told in the present tense; narrated by a young woman, it is divided into four sequential but fragmented scenes, a mosaic held together by a cornmon thematic concern with the ambiguities of motherhood. "Miss Newley" is told entirely in flashback, a memory piece. "Penelope Revisited" inverts Molly Bloom's soliloquy to probe the stream-of-consciousness reactions of a woman to her husband's infidelity.
In each story, narrative viewpoint and structure derive from character and situation. Although the stories are complete in themselves, they are intended to complement one another both thematically and structurall
The Use of Algal Assays to Evaluate Algal Biomass in Regulated Streams
Get PDF68 leaves. Advisor: Wayne B. MerkleyThe problem. This study was undertaken to evaluate
the algalgrowth potential of the Des Moines River as it passes through Saylorville and Red Rock Reservoirs.
Procedure. The test organism, "Selenastrum
capricornutum" Printz, was grown in an algal assay which used various additions of nutrient spikes to waters collected above and below each reservoir. Seasonal river samples were collected from December 1978 to October 1979. Growth response
was measured gravimetrically.
Findings. Addition of trace metals in combination
with iron and manganese most frequently increased algal growth at all sampling stations, followed by the addition of trace metals in combination with phosphorus and nitrogen. Actual algal yield correlated with predicted algal yields using phosphorus and nitrogen content of the waters at all stations during most sampling periods. Using N:P ratios, phosphorus is most often the limiting factor in the river. Above- and below reservoir differences in algal productivity were not distinct. Samples taken from the station below
Saylorville Reservoir responded more frequently to nutrient additions than did samples taken from the corresponding above-reservoir station. Differences above and below Red Rock Reservoir (below the City of Des Moines) were less distinct.
Conclusions. Nutrient spike additions to Des Moines River water dId not consistently increase algal yield, although actual yield correlated with predicted algal yield. Above- and below-reservoir differences were not distinct. Nutrient additions more frequently increased algal yield at
the stations above the City of Des Moines than below it.
Recommendations. Further study should include a year-round survey using more sampling sites and frequent collections to determine the algal growth potential and serve as a basis for predicting future trends. Use of individual nutrient spikes, rather than combinations of nutrients, would be useful. Adding a few sampling sites along the
Raccoon River would be helpful to determine where algal growth potential changes occur in the downst ream river. Use of EDTA to chelate heavy metals prior to assay could be recommended
Public School Superintendents' Perceptions about Tasks Inherent in Their Position
No full text131 leaves. Advisor: Charles D. RowleyThe problem. The study's purpose was to examine
perceptions of some Iowa public school superintendents toward thirty-two tasks critical to administering a school system and to determine the importance of each task and the expertise needed for task completion as well as how school
size and experience influenced superintendents perceptions.
Procedure. Twenty-five percent of the superintendents in Iowa, or 112, were chosen for the study. A questionnaire was sent to each superintendent to obtain his perceptions of
the importance of each of thirty-two tasks as
well as the expertise required to complete each task. After the data were returned, number of years of experience of each participant was identified and participants were divided into four categories of experience. A two-factor analysis of variance was used to test each of four null hypotheses. Where differences did occur amonq
groups, a least significant difference t-test was used to determine the significance of the differences among means. Two tables were developed for each task. One table included task importance and the other task expertise. Where significance did occur among groups, t-values were calculated.
Findings. The analysis indicated the number of
years of experience of superintendents influenced their perceptions of importance of these tasks: managing the school plant, copinq with job pressure, and motivating employee performance.
Size of the school district influenced perceptions
of superintendents toward the importance of these tasks: negotiations, school district reorqanization, supervision of lunch programs, activity programs and adult education, student rights (activism and due process), and administering federal programs. Expertise required to complete a task as perceived by superintendents was influenced by years of experience with these tasks: legal aspects of education and student
riqhts. Superintendents' perceptions of expertise required to complete a task was influenced by school district size within these tasks: supervision of lunch programs, activity
programs and adult education, legislation, personnel supervision, federal programs, knowledge of social and educational change processes and issues and trends. When ranking the tasks there was a pattern of similarity among the highest
and lowest rankings of both task importance and task expertise.
Conclusions. While some differences existed between certain dimensions of the tasks rated, the results of the study did not conclusively support the research hypotheses. These conclusions can be drawn: (l) Differences in experience had no major effect on the superintendent's beliefs concerning
the importance of specific administrative tasks; (2) Dlfferences in size of school districts administered by superintendents had no major effect on their beliefs relative to the importance of specific administrative tasks, (3) Differences
in years of experience had no major effect on their beliefs as to the expertise required to complete specific administrative tasks; (4) Differences in size of school districts
administered to by superintendents had no major
effect on their beliefs as to the expertise required to complete specific administrative tasks; (5) Rankinq of the tasks indicated superintendents see people and finance tasks as
more important than the application of research related tasks.
Recommendations. Agencies and institutions
responsible for conducting inservice and training programs for educational leaders should examine their own programs to determine the extent to which they emphasize those tasks deemed most important and require the most expertise by
practicing school superintendents; (2) Aqencies and institutions responsible for conducting inservice and training programs for educational leaders should not consider school size as a factor in developing training programs, (3) Because of the questions raised in the rankinq of tasks, further research needs to be conducted to assist training institutions in understanding why the rankings occurred as they did
Living With Men : A Novel
No full text222 leaves. Advisor: Hilary MastersThis is a work of fiction based uopn autobiographical materials. George Santayana said, "To embroider upon experience is not to bear false witness to oneself."
It is a first person narrative with the general theme of family llfe, the protagonist represents the rewards and limitations of living with a man and raising young men. Her counterpart, now dead, devoted herself to it career rather than family life. Flashbacks to their common experience in deciphering coded messages during wartime serves as a literary device leading to the 'deciphering' of the dead woman's character.
The style is episodic and informal, relying heavily on dialogue. The introspective insights might place it in the tradition of Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway."
As a book reviewer for the past decade, I have had
access to a good deal of Feminist literature. While not specifically in that genre, my book does address the questions raised by such contemporary authors as Midge Dector and Doris Lessing