Edward A. Mabry

Comparing Student Satisfaction with Distance Education to Traditional Classrooms in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis.

Meta-analysis provides a method of quantitatively summarizing and comparing empirical literature to reduce Type I and Type II error. The meta-analysis described here indicates a slight student preference for a traditional educational format over a distance education format (average r = .031, after the deletion of outliers), and little difference in satisfaction levels. A comparison of distance education methods that include direct interactive links with those that do not include interactive links demonstrates no difference in satisfaction levels. However, student satisfaction levels diminish as additional information is added to the available channel of instruction (e.g., written to audio to video). The findings support those of researchers arguing that distance education does not diminish the level of student satisfaction when compared to traditional face-to-face methods of instruction.

The Effects of Gender Composition and Task Structure on Small Group Interaction

It was hypothesized that gender composition variations and task structure would significantly interact to affect communicative behavior in small groups. Groups of college-aged men and women were composed to vary in the number of men and women serving as group members. Each group was assigned to complete two tasks: One task was a highly structured ranking assignment; the other task was a human relations case study with relatively low outcome structure. Results of Interaction Process Analysis data obtained during group discussion supported the hypothesized interaction onlyfor dominance acts of giving suggestions. Small groups composed solely of men were significantly higher in this category under structured task conditions, whereas groups composed predominantly of men were significantly lower in dominance acts under unstructured task conditions. Two subsidiary hypotheses concerning the separate effects of composition and task variables were partially supported. Results are discussed in regard to make situational adaptation tendencies and the influence of task variables on group communication behaviors.

Impact of Juror Attitudes about the Death Penalty on Juror Evaluations of Guilt and Punishment: A Meta-Analysis

This literature review summarizes the existing research examining how the attitude a potential juror has toward the death penalty impacts on the probability of favoring conviction. The summary of 14 investigations indicates that a favorable attitude toward the death penalty is associated with an increased willingness to convict (average r = .174). Using the binomial effect size display, this favorable attitude towards the death penalty translates into a 44% increase in the probability of a juror favoring conviction.

Small Group Interaction and Outcome Correlates for Structured and Unstructured Tasks

This study reports tests of the input-process-output model of small group systems. Regression statistics analyzed associations between interaction process variables and measuresofgroup task products under two task conditions: an unstructured outcome case study problem and a structured outcome rank-order decision task Results for the unstructured task showed positive relationships between specific process (independent) and output (dependent) variables: Agreeing and Optimism; Gives Opinion and Issue Involvement; Disagrees and Originality; Asks for Information and Length (of written product). Nonsignificant results for the Structured task indicated that ranking-task products were positively associated with messages of positive regard for others and requests for opinion and negatively related to personally disconfirmatory messages sent to others. Findings are discussed in terms of the general models conceptual adequacy and methodological limitations associated with small group inquiry.

Testing Contrasting Interaction Models for Discriminating between Consensual and Dissentient Decision-Making Groups

This study tested three models of group interaction for their ability to discriminate between groups that reach consensus and those that do not. Fifteen mock juries (seven hung and eight conviction) constituted the sample. Model 1, a “functional action model,” successfully discriminated between consensus and hung juries based on the relative number of simple disagreements. Model 2, an “interact pattern model,” successfully discriminated between consensus and hung juries based on the sequential redundancy of interaction patterns that perpetuate or resolve ambiguity, that digress from the work at hand, and that clarify or resolve conflict. Model 3, Fisher’s four phases of development, failed to discriminate between consensus and hung juries.

Dimensions of Profanity

The purpose of the study was to investigate the dimensions of profane language use by 283 college students. Responses to a questionnaire on personal use of “sexual vernacular” were submitted to factor analysis. Results of the factor analysis yielded five dimensions of profane language based upon predispositions to use such words. The five dimensions were labeled: Abrasive, Technical, Abrasive-Expletive, Latent, and Euphemistic. Results are discussed in terms of past and future research needs.

Attitude and personality correlates of hallucinogenic drug use.

Personality, attitude, and hallucinogenic drug use data were obtained from 298 male and female adult members of labor unions. Multiple regression and canonical correlation analyses of drug use, personality, and attitude data revealed that: the use of hallucinogens was significantly related to needs for novel or unconventional experiences and negative attitudes toward conventionally defined social values, and marijuana use scores were more strongly associated with the set of predictor variables than were other drugs reported.

A multivariate investigation of profane language

The purpose of the study was to investigate the dimensions of profane language use in a college student sample. Two hundred and eighty‐three responses to a questionnaire on personal use of “sexual vernacular” were submitted to factor analysis. Results of the factor analysis yielded five dimensions of profane language based upon predispositions to use such words.

Personality and attitude correlates of psychosedative drug use

Personality, attitude and psychosedative drug use data were obtained from 298 adult male and female members of labor unions. Instruments for assessing personality and attitude were the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scales (ZSS), Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (C-MSDS), the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (TMAS), and the Self-System Perception Questionnaire (SSPQ). Drug use information was obtained by administering the Wisconsin Substance Use Inventory (WSUI). Multiple regression and canonical correlation analyses were consistent in identifying a sub-set of the predictor battery associated with use of psychosedatives. Psychosedative use was found to be significantly predictable by the level of anxiety, a tendency toward rejection of puritanical attitudes, and a desire for non-traditional forms of self-expression and social experiences.

An instrument for assessing content themes in group interaction

A method of classifying group interaction content themes wasdeveloped which operationalized an analytic paradigm taken from Talcott Parsons. Results of data analysis for two independent observers showed the method to be reliable. Additional analyses showed that groups studied exhibited a well defined distributional thematic structure but less articulated sequential thematic structure.