Showing papers by "Denison University published in 1989"

Sex role messages in television commercials: An update

Abstract: Traditionally, television commercials have served to reinforce conventional sex role stereotypes The purpose of this study is to determine if there have been any changes in the portrayal of sex roles of television commercials in the past ten years Specifically, this research is, in part, a replication of the O'Donnell and O'Donnell (1978) study and also an extension of their study Additionally, this study examines what occupation the visible product representatives are placed in, which sex is shown to represent the product, and which sex is shown in more professional roles Results of this study find that conventional sex role stereotypes persist in television commercials in 1988

Winners and Losers of The Iranian Revolution: A Study in Income Distribution

Abstract: The income inequality gap in prerevolutionary Iran was no doubt a contributing factor to the mass mobilization of Iranians in the 1979 Revolution. The Resolution of the Ashura March (December 11, 1978) demanded the establishment of “social justice, the right of workers and peasants to the full benefit from the product of their labor” and an end to “any form of discrimination, exploitation, profiteering and economic domination which may result in the accumulation of great wealth, on the one hand, and deprivation and poverty on the other.”

Anxiety reduction in children receiving medical care: developmental considerations.

Abstract: The present investigation examined the importance of considering age-related conceptual abilities when designing preparation interventions for hospitalization and medical procedures. Forty-eight children, ages 3-5 years and 7-10 years, viewed videotaped information about an upcoming medical procedure. The children were assigned to one of three treatment conditions: control, developmentally appropriate information, developmentally advanced information. Results suggest that information which is designed to match the age-related conceptual abilities of the recipient more effectively reduces anxiety and increases cooperation. Implications for future research evaluating efficacy of preparation strategies are noted.

The Effects of Lag Value on the Operant Control of Response Variability Under Free-Operant and Discrete-Response Procedures

Abstract: The effects of different reinforcement requirements on the operant control of response variability under free-operant and discrete-response procedures were investigated. Six pigeons were required to emit a sequence of four responses on two keys that differed from the previous 2, 4, or 6 sequences (lag value) to obtain reinforcement. Pigeons were exposed to each lag value under a free-operant procedure in which the key lights remained illuminated throughout each trial, and a discrete-response procedure in which a brief time-out (key lights off) followed each response. Consistent with previous findings, the discrete-response procedure produced substantially greater variability than the free-operant procedure. Additionally, as lag value increased, response variability also increased. It was concluded that both type of procedure (free-operant vs. discrete-response) and lag value contribute to the operant control of response variability.

Ecobehavioral characteristics of a pediatric burn injury unit.

Abstract: Behavioral observations were conducted on 40 children admitted consecutively to an inpatient pediatric burn care unit (PBCU) over a 6-month period. Children's responses to the PBCU environment as well as adult responses to patients were assessed. Data indicated that children most frequently (a) were oriented and alert, (b) emitted vocalizations or verbalizations, (c) were environmentally engaged, (d) and demonstrated positive or neutral affective responding. Adult-child interactions occurred during the majority of observations. Age was found to be significantly related to the type of distress response exhibited. Positive responses indicative of patient well-being were found to be associated with environmental engagement and the presence of other patients. In general, little evidence emerged to support the notion of a PBCU response pattern which resembles that observed in pediatric intensive care units (i.e., ICU syndrome). The use of observational methods for studying the behavioral adaptation of children in medical settings and the implications of the data for the design of interventions on PBCUs are discussed.

Fluxes of undissociated acids to terrestrial ecosystems by atmospheric deposition

Abstract: Undissociated acids in the troposphere are transferred to terrestrial ecosystems as wet deposition in rain and cloud/fog water and as particulate and gaseous dry deposition during interstorm intervals. Wet deposition can be measured directly, and the sum of dry deposition and canopy release of undissociated acids can be estimated from net canopy wash-off into throughfall (TF). Samples of rain, cloud and fog water, and TF were collected from April 1986 through March 1987 at low-elevation (230 m) and high-elevation (1730 m) coniferous forests in Tennessee, USA. The samples were titrated for total acidity by Gran's method, and undissociated acidity was calculated as total acid (Gran) minus free acidity (pH measurement). During that 12-month period, the undissociated acid fluxes in wet deposition at these sites were both 34 mmol m -2 , comparable to the free acid fluxes in wet deposition. Fog water fluxes at the lower site were negligible, but at the high-elevation site cloud water was potentially responsible for considerable deposition of undissociated acids to the forest canopy. Dry deposition plus canopy fluxes of undissociated acids were greater at the higher site. Dry deposition plus canopy fluxes averaged 54 mmol m -2 y -1 (range 36–77) at the low-elevation site and 82 mmol m -2 y -1 (range 77–86) at the high-elevation site. Undissociated acidity in TF consists of biological metabolites and cuticular decomposition products and dry-deposited compounds washed from plant surfaces. Formic and acetic acid concentrations in TF do not exceed those found in rain, therefore dry depositions of those acids cannot account for the undissociated acidity of TF. The relative importance of wet and dry deposition of undissociated acid to terrestrial ecosystems would be further clarified by identifying the weak acids in TF. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.1989.tb00301.x

“What Do You Do When You Love Everyone on Every Side of the War?”: Teaching the Complexities of American Indian Literature

Abstract: Recently, I taught Leslie Marmon Silko's novel, Ceremony, in a night introductory novel course to a mostly adult class at a Minnesota community college with some rather surprising results. In my onequarter course, I attempted to introduce students to a variety of American novels by using a combination of well-known and relatively unknown voices and by incorporating novels written by women and minority writers. Accordingly, we read and discussed Kate Chopin's The Awakening, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and finished with Silko's Ceremony. Throughout the course we discussed issues of who got published, when, and why; audience response; how books came to be considered "literature" and by whom; techniques of the novel; portrayal of and perspectives on gender, race, class, and realism. We also talked about their responses and difficulties with the readings, and by the end of the quarter, I asked them to think about which author of those we read they would pick as having made the greatest contribution to "literature" and why. I was surprised that about eighty percent of the forty-member class picked Hurston. From listening to their comments I have some speculations as to why this is so and why we need to assign and teach American Indian writers as important American literary voices. First, racism notwithstanding, I believe students chose Hurston because of the masterful way that she captured the all-black Eatonville commuity in which she grew up, replicating beautifully the speech patterns, storytelling, and daily interactions of the small-town members. In addition, Hurston creates one of the first strong women characters and the story is upbeat; the main character does not commit suicide or turn into someone the reader dislikes. Also, since Hurston writes mostly about the Black community, students are not confronted with their racism. Many are also familiar with small-town culture. But all this aside, I also believe that students have, even in an area such as Minnesota where Blacks are