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- Creator:
- Connally, Cynthia Ellen
- Description:
- An instruction manual was evaluated to determine the effects of tab type, heading placement and practice on time to locate information, number of errors and perceived ease of use. Forty-eight computer programmers from UNISYS Corporation, ranging in age from 21 to 50, participated in the study. Subjects in each of three tab groups -extended tabs, bleeded tabs, or no tabs -- searched for headings that were centered, left-justified, partially in the margin or fully in the margin. Search time results indicated that subjects located information more quickly with extended tabs than with bleeded tabs or no tabs, particularly for the first manual that they used. They also perceived the chapters to be easier to find with extended tabs. Bleeded tabs were associated with the longest search times for the first manual. Within each manual, a practice effect was found such that search times were longest for the first of three trial blocks. Error results indicated that users missed headings less often with margin and partial-margin headings and perceived them to be easiest to find, easiest to distinguish from the text and most aesthetically pleasing. However, for the no-tab group, the partial-margin headings were perceived as easier to find and more aesthetically pleasing than the margin headings. These results are discussed and recommendations are made regarding the use of extended tabs, as well as margin and partial-margin headings.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Ryzner, Mary Elizabeth
- Description:
- The dietary intakes of 54 pregnant women, aged 20-37 years, who were attending prenatal classes in the Santa Barbara, California, area, were compared to the 1980 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for nutritional adequacy by use of a nutrition questionnaire and three-day food intake record. Also, an attempt was made to identify any differences regarding nutritional intake versus age, family income, occupation, schooling, number of other children, stage of pregnancy, eating habits, and nutrition information received. Calories, protein, folic acid, vitamin B6, iron, and zinc were selected for evaluation since the maternal diet is often deficient in one or more of these nutrients. The number of subjects who consumed less than two-thirds of the RDA was greater than 20 percent for folic acid, vitamin B6, iron, and zinc. Mean intakes for protein and calcium exceeded the RDA. There were significant differences in the mean intakes of these nutrients, except for protein, compared with the RDA No significant differences were found in the consumption of calories and the six nutrients in relation to income, occupation, stage of pregnancy, appetite, and sources of nutrition information received. Women in the 30-39 year age group had significantly higher folic acid and iron intakes than the women in the 20-29 year group. Those with some college or technical training had significantly higher zinc intakes than those with high school, college or post-graduate training. When three meals were consumed daily, intakes of calories, protein, and folic acid were significantly higher than when one meal was skipped.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Family and Consumer Sciences
- Creator:
- Roa, Barry Rice
- Description:
- In this study, 33 male university students participated in an eight-week program designed to help define the importance muscular overload in the final phases of the range of motion and the effect it has on vertical jump performance. The experimental device used was the DP Jump Stretch by Diversified Products. It is comprised of large elastic bands that attach to a support base. Due to the nature of the elastic compound, resistance for overload exercise is dispensed in an ever-increasing amount as the bands become stretched. Subjects were placed in one of four separate groups, each with a specific exercise protocol: (1) isokinetic knee strengthening at a low pace; (2) isokinetic knee strengthening at a quick pace; (3) vertical jumping; and (4) control. Data was collected on two test devices used in a pre and posttest: (1) the Cybex II isokinetic dyn6mometer which measured strength at 15, 30 and the strongest degree in the range of motion; and (2) Vertec jump device which measured vertical jump and reach height. After ANCOVA data reduction, results indicated that no significant differences existed between all groups.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Kinesiology
- Creator:
- Mummaw, Deborah Ann Denofsky
- Description:
- Eight pilots and eight non-pilots were rotated in a Barany chair at 30 revolutions per minute and 45 revolutions per minute for 60 and 120 seconds. The subjects were required to track a target on a computer screen after the rotation to determine the amount of time for their vision to clear. The dependent variable was the amount of time to attempt to hit the target the first time or the mean time for each of the first five attempts. There were no significant differences between conditions, however, there were some weak interactions between groups and conditions (p<.10). The literature suggests there would be no difference due to the rotational speed. The lack of significant differences can also be attributed to experimental error, and lack of sensitivity of the tracking task. Pilots tended to have faster speeds, indicating they may have habituated to the stimulus because of their flying. Further research with differing age groups and differing experience levels is indicated.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Campbell, John Laurence
- Description:
- In recent years, a number of studies have examined failure detection performance as a function of the subject's participatory mode (manual vs. automatic mode). The generalizeability of these studies has been limited by both the simplicity of the tasks and the fact that, in general, only failure detection has been examined. The present experiment used a yoked-control experimental design to compare the manual and automatic modes in a full task simulation. The 24 subjects who participated in the study interacted with the system as either a manual controller or as an automatic monitor. Dependent measures were obtained both before and after a system emergency and included total time to complete the task, the number and length of feedback requests, the speed and accuracy of responses to system state questions, and a number of task performance measures. The results indicated superior performance by the manual controllers for a number of the dependent measures. In general, the manual controllers performed the task more efficiently. Although the low fidelity and the simplicity of the task reduced the number of significant variables, the yoked-control experimental design and full-task simulation employed in this study should significantly aid future research.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Heller, Linda Fay
- Description:
- A pre-post test study design to evaluate the effectiveness of visual impress techniques in improving long term retention of spelling words. The study utilizes forty-eight subjects enrolled in two resource and two special day classes at an area high school. The ethnic composition of the subjects indicates white; southeast Asian; hispanic and black students. The subjects were divided into four groups: a control group which received no formal instruction, a group which received conventional spelling instruction, one group which received visualization seatwork activities and one group which received visualization activities and board work. Instruction was provided by two Special Education teachers and a Special Education Aide who held a General Secondary credential. All groups except the control group received the same instructional materials each week. Comparison of groups was achieved by comparing percentage of change amoung the three lowest scoring subjects in each group. Students in the control group recorded a percentage of improvement score of 8.2%. The group receiving conventional instruction achieved a percentage of change score of 13%. Percentage of improvement among the two groups receiving visualization instruction was 65.5% and 24%. The most dramatic improvement was achieved by the group which received visualization activities plus board work activities. Results of the study suggest that visualization techniques are effective instructional techniques with learning disabled students.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Special Education
- Creator:
- Suarez, Israel
- Description:
- Leadership is a necessary component for public sector organizations during times of organizational crisis. There has been a history of mistrust between government and the people because of a lack of emergency preparedness and mismanagement during crisis situations. This research study proposes recommendations for a comparison study between two neighboring cities, the City of Pasadena and the City of South Pasadena regarding emergency preparedness and perception of emergency preparedness from line staff and managers of both organizations.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Public Administration
- Creator:
- Prevatte, Susan J.
- Description:
- A group of currently non-depressed college students (as assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) who are vulnerable to depression, were given the Topic Appropriateness Scale (TA) and the BDI on two separate occasions to elicit both their willingness to discuss personal problems and their depression level. The results showed that there was no linear relationship between level of depression and willingness to discuss negative topics. Explanations for this lack of direct association were explored. In support of previous findings, subjects who were vulnerable (high on the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, DAS) rated negative topics as appropriate for discussion. In addition, the results supported the contention that vulnerable individuals may become depressed over time. This information may imply that cognitive therapy may be effective in treating depression. Depression is described in the DSM III (1980) as a dysphoric mood or loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all usual activities and pastimes. The dysphoric mood is characterized by symptoms such as: depressed, sad, blue, hopeless, low, down in the dumps, and irritable. The disturbance is prominent, relatively persistent and associated with other symptoms including appetite disturbance, weight change, sleep disturbance, psychomotor agitation or retardation, energy decrease, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating or thinking, and thoughts of death, suicide, or suicidal attempts. Depression has been studied from several perspectives. The most influential and enduring theory of depression was developed by Freud (1917). His psychoanalytic view of depression emphasizes unconscious conflict associated with object or ego loss. Freud saw the potential for depression in childhood experience. He theorized that during the oral period the child's needs may be insufficiently or oversufficiently gratified. The person would remain "stuck" at this developmental stage and dependent on the instinctual gratification particular to it. Fixation at the oral stage results in a tendency to be excessively dependent on other people for the maintenance of self-esteem. Freud (1917) hypothesized that after the loss of a loved one through death, or in an ideal sense symbolically lost as an object of love, the mourner incorporates or introjects this lost person and identifies with him or her. Freud asserted we unconsciously have negative feelings against those we love, and that the mourner now becomes the object of his own hate and anger. The mourner also resents being deserted and feels guilt for real or imagined sins against the lost person. The mourner works through these feelings by recalling memories of the lost one and separating himself from the one who has died and loosening the bonds that introjection has imposed. According to Freudian theory, overly dependent individuals are unable to work through their grief and it develops into an ongoing process of self-abuse, self-blame and depression. Overly dependent individuals do not loosen their emotional bonds with the lost loved one and continue to blame themselves for faults and shortcomings perceived in the loved one who has been introjected. This anger turned inward is the basis for the psychodynamic view of depression. (See more in text)
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Osborne, Carole J.
- Description:
- The intention of this study was to explore the effects the death of a father in early childhood or adolescence may have on a woman's levels of trust, intimacy and her self-esteem as it pertains to adult relationships with men. An extensive literature review was conducted exploring specific theories which focus on psychological and personality development. In addition, previously documented empirical research denoting characteristics and behaviors of father-absent females and father-present females was compared and contrasted, as well as a detailed study of the significance (or lack thereof) of the mourning process as it relates to the father-absent daughter. And, finally, a quantitative analysis was completed. The intention of this statistical analysis was to confirm or disprove major findings of the literature and previous research Fifty-six women participated in this study. Thirty of these women lived in a father-present home and were considered the control group. Twenty-six of these women matured in a father-absent (father deceased) home and were considered the experimental group. They were requested to answer a questionnaire containing three separate tests designed to evaluate their capabilities of trust, intimacy and their levels of self-esteem. The collective results of these candidates' questionnaire results were cross-referenced and correlated with the Coopersmithlnventory and the Liphe Firo Scale assessing self-esteem and childhood perceptions. The following hypotheses were formulated and tested to determine a statistical significance between the control and experimental groups. 1. Father-absent women will score significantly lower in the ability to trust adult males in emotional relationships. 2. Father-absent women will score significantly lower in the ability to maintain emotional intimacy with adult males. 3. Father-absent women will have lower self-esteem than father-present women. The hypotheses were not statistically validated. Though the analysis demonstrated no significant difference between the two groups, there were selective results which encourage further exploration.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Educational Psychology and Counseling