COHORT 1 ~ 1995-1996

Birth Order and Jungian Personality Types of College Students

Molly C. Benoit, Psychology
David X. Swenson, Ph.D., Management Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

This pilot study examines a possible relationship between birth order and Jungian personality types. It was hypothesized that oldest-born tend toward introversion and judging; youngest-born tend toward extraversion and perceiving. The participants were 73 midwest liberal arts college students. They completed a birth order survey and a short-form adaptation of the Myers-Briggs personality inventory. These data were grouped and analyzed with an ANOVA and multiple comparisons test. No significant differences were found between oldest and youngest born and Jungian types. Discussion of the implications of this finding are presented regarding possible cohort effects and the influence of age-family context of birth order.

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The Drake Sisters: A Study of Love and Power in a Pioneer Family

Katharine S. Bogen, Humanities
Sr. Mary Richard Boo, Professor Emeritus
St. Scholastica Monastery

ABSTRACT

This study traces the psychosocial development of three of the six sisters belonging to a family of Kansas pioneers. Beginning with their childhood years in the late 1800s and ending in 1940 after the death of the middle sister, I examine the historical, interpersonal, and intrafamilial events that shaped their lives both individually and collectively. The thesis of this research is that birth order, significant events in the family's life, and the historical setting during the sisters' formative years profoundly impacted the development of their sister bonds. These "sister bonds" in turn were influential determinants in the decisions they made throughout their adult lives.

The foundation for this research is a wealth of personal correspondence, legal and historical documents, and photographs that had been kept by the youngest of the Drake sisters. Other primary source material include legal documents, real estate records, and oral histories. Primary source material is augmented by secondary sources: books and journal articles covering topics such as economics, social, and agricultural conditions of the time period, theories pertaining to the importance of sister bonds in the women's lives, and the role of birth order in personal development gave me new insights into the meaning of these original documents.

Not only does this study shed light upon the relationship of birth order and sister bonds to individual development, but it demonstrates that these factors were as vital to a woman's sense of identity at the turn of the century as they are today.

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Neuropsychological Measures of Adaptive Problem-Solving
and Everyday Functioning in Older Adults

Emily A. Bois, Psychology
Darryl Dietrich, Ph.D., Psychology Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

Neuropsychology is the study of brain-behavior relationships. Neuropsychologists diagnose and describe brain-related dysfunction as well as provide prescriptive statements about everyday functioning. Providing prescriptive statements about everyday functioning has become of central concern in recent years, particularly in the assessment of older adults. Numerous studies have shown that older adults show a significant decline in adaptive problem-solving abilities. A relationship between these adaptive abilities and everyday functioning has not been fully established, however. One purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a correlation between neuropsychological measures of adaptive problem-solving and measures of everyday functioning. A second purpose is to compare scores for the measures in the study with previous established norms. Participants consisted of 23 community-dwelling older adults. They were given the Booklet Category Test (BCT) and the Trail-Making Test (TMT), both measures of adaptive problem-solving ability. Bradburn's Affect Balance Scale, Sunderland's Everyday Memory Questionnaire, and PGC Instrumental Activities of Daily Living questions were administered to tap into a wide range of functioning aspects. Scores for the BCT and the TMT were similar to previously established norms for older adults. Several correlations were found between the BCT and the TMT and the measures of functioning. A multiple regression analysis also was done and the TMT Part A was found to have predictive power for the IADL questionnaire. These findings support the validity of the BCT and the TMT as measures of everyday functioning and have important implications for the assessment of everyday functioning in older adults.

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The Search For Truth in Fiction of the First World War

Jessica Engstrom, English
Lee Webster, Ph.D., Languages & Literature Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

This research paper explores the domain of World War One prose written by English-speaking veterans who fought on the Western Front. It attempts to define the difference between autobiography and novel, and explain how fiction can convey a greater understanding of the war experience to the reader than non-fiction. The prose authors examined when discussing this issue are Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, Frederic Manning and R.H. Mottram. It concludes that fiction authors are allowed the 'freedom of lies' in their attempts to recreate the wartime experience, and their protagonists are more universalized than the first-person protagonists of autobiography, thus the reading experience is more meaningful and more real.

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Childbirth Practices in Eastern Germany

Janice I. Erickson, Nursing
Mary Tanner, M.A., Nursing Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to learn about the current practices concerned with childbearing in eastern Germany. Cultural attitudes were emphasized, and the study design utilized was a ethnography. Primary sources were sought in Germany for data collection, including complete access to comprehensive prenatal care and insurance coverage for all mothers. As required by German law, midwives are present for every birth, and they comprise the entire nursing staff of the labor and delivery unit. They also do prenatal teaching and conduct postpartum home visits. Drugs are seldom used for pain control during labor. In addition, breast feeding, a cultural expectation, is highly encouraged. The average length of the hospital stay is 5 days for an uncomplicated vaginal birth and ten days for an uncomplicated cesarean section birth. This stay allows time for on-going postpartal assessment, teaching, and prompt detection of complications following childbirth. Financial support from the government is given to the parent or guardian of each child. The reduced maternal-infant mortality rate reflects the successful methods utilized by Germany to maintain the health of this population.

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Maud Gonne: Voice of the Irish

Kimberly Fuhrman, History
Sr. Mary Richard Boo, Professor Emeritus
St. Scholastica Monastery

ABSTRACT

Ireland as a nation underwent a major political and cultural change in the early twentieth century. From living under British rule to an uprising costing many Irish lives to a civil war, a treaty, a divided nation, and finally peace, Ireland would never be the same. Maud Gonne, an Irish nationalist, lived through these momentous changes. She chose to dedicate her life to freeing Ireland and helping its people. Maud Gonne, born to an upper-class English family, decided at an early age to become "Ireland's Joan of Arc." She made numerous contributions to the Irish nationalist cause. Her most significant contributions were in four particular areas: first, she worked in a political capacity to try to create an Ireland free from British rule; second, Maud did a variety of work directly with the masses, such as helping evicted tenants fight for their homes; third, she helped the women of Ireland organize themselves to take their place in a political scene that was almost exclusively made up of men; and fourth, Maud Gonne made visible to the world beyond England and Ireland this age-old struggle, asking people to question whether Great Britain had the right to rule Ireland. Maud's character remains unique among her nationalist peers. Few of her peers worked toward the one goal of freeing Ireland without dividing their attentions or compromising their ideals. Maud's lifework centered on freeing Ireland and bettering the lives of the Irish masses.

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Notes on Topological Surface Classification
as it Relates to Non-Orientable Surfaces

Andrea Gapinski, Mathematics
Guanshen Ren, Ph.D., Mathematics Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

The research exercises same common topological characteristics: Euler number, chromatic number, rank, boundary components and orientation, and how these apply to the Mobius band, Klein bottle, and variations. Further research might entail uncovering patterns found among these solids, and analyzing possible relationships between the chromatic number and the degree to which a complete graph can be drawn on the surface.

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Factors Influencing Placement of Individuals
With Alzheimer's Disease in Long Term Care Centers

Barbara A. Graham, Psychology
Angela Rosenberg, Ph. D., Psychology Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

A majority of persons with Alzheimer's Disease are cared for at home by a family member. Caregivers tend to reserve the decision to place their loved one in a long-term care center until some situation forces the action. Few studies have been done on factors leading up to placement decisions. This research attempted to identify common factors which influenced caregivers' decisions to place their loved ones in long-term care centers. Thirty-three former caregivers, twenty-three females and ten males ranging in age from twenty-seven to eighty-seven years old, participated in the research by completing two surveys. Three hypotheses were examined. The first hypothesis stated that the majority of placements would be in response to a crisis situation. Although a majority of caregivers placed their loved one in response to a crisis, the number who placed because of crisis was not statistically significant from those who placed for reasons other than a crisis situation. The second hypothesis predicted that there would be a moderate positive correlation between the caregiver's attitude toward the provision of long-term care and the length of time they provided care. The results in this study however, did not support this hypothesis. The third hypothesis stated that precipitating factors of placement would be a combination of issues involving both the caregiver and care recipient. It was predicted that care recipient factors such as incontinence and behavior problems would be the most decisive issues. The most decisive placement factors in this study included the loved one's behavior problems, the caregiver's inability to meet their loved one's care needs, the loved one could no longer complete ADL's, the caregiver's own needs went unmet, and their loved one became depressed. Further results of this study indicated that the two most difficult caregiving tasks were providing reassurance/emotional support and monitoring their love ones whereabouts. This study contributes to the limited number of studies which have attempted to examine the elusive nature of long-term care decisions.

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The Effects of Gender Role Trait Information and Sexual Orientation
Outcome Information on Judgments of Homosexuality

Jeff Grebinoski, Psychology
Debra Schroeder, Ph.D., Psychology Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

Gender role stereotypes and outcome information were manipulated to assess peoples' judgments of sexual orientation and use of the hindsight bias. Fifty college students read brief descriptions of two males, one with male-valued traits and one with female-valued traits, and learned in one group that the males were heterosexual and in another group that the males were homosexual. A third group received no sexual orientation information. Participants rated whether they could have predicted that the males were homosexual and were also given the short-form Homosexism Scale (Hansen, 1982). The male with female-valued traits was more likely to be seen as gay. Also, the type of sexual orientation outcome information did influence participants' ratings, although the differences were not as predicted using hindsight bias research. However, no interaction effect between gender role and outcome information was found. Reasons for the findings are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

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International Technology Transfer To Developing Nations:
Problems And Considerations

Colleen Howell, International Business
Lee Webster, Ph.D., Languages and Literature Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

Now more than ever, corporations are expanding globally, transferring technology to markets abroad. Technology has been argued to increase the competitiveness of nations and achieve socio-economic growth. This article discusses the considerations necessary for a successful technology transfer from an industrial country to a developing one. Further, it examines the problems and possible solutions involved in international technology transfer and incorporates the needs of the corporation as well as the needs of the developing country.

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HIV/AIDS Education in High School
and Its Effects on Sexual Behavior in Young Adults

Holly Johnson, Social Work Major
Joanne C. Neher, Ph.D., LISW, Department of Social Work
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

June, 1995, the number of Americans who died of AIDS was greater than 6 times the number of American soldiers who died in combat in Vietnam. AIDS is the largest, deadliest new infection to occur in the world this century, and there is no cure, only prevention. The fastest growing segment of the population of the United States to be infected with HIV is females aged 13-19.

This pilot project was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between HIV/AIDS education in high school and the sexual behavior of young adults. Surveys were distributed at three midwestern college and university campuses to undergraduate students aged 18-26. Of the 86 respondents, 50% were 21-23 years old, 31% were male and 65% were female. Eighty-four percent of the respondents reported being sexually active with 60% reporting beginning their sexual activity in high school. These statistics support the argument that HIV/AIDS prevention education at the high school level is needed. A total of 75% of the respondents received HIV/AIDS prevention education in high school. Of those, 50% believed their high school did not provide enough information on HIV/AIDS prevention.

The behavior practices affecting transmission of HIV/AIDS were also addressed in the survey. Thirty-one percent of the respondents who are active sexually reported "always" using protection, while 23% reported using protection "sometimes." A future study, examining the high school education and sexual behavior of young adults on college and university campuses in other cities would be useful to see if the results are similar to those in this pilot project.

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Children's and Adolescents' Perception
of the Pain Intensity Associated with Three Descriptors

Christopher J. LaFleur, Nursing
Sr. Beverly Raway, Ph.D., Nursing Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

This study examined children's and adolescents' perceptions of the descriptors "hurt", "ache", and "pain" to determine if there were any differences related to age and developmental level. Subjects (N = 198) between 8 and 19 years old from a private elementary school, a private high school, and a college outreach program for high school students rated the levels of intensity associated with each of the descriptors on a 10 cm. word-graphic rating scale (WGS) and matched each of the descriptors to one of three pictures depicting painful experiences. Subjects were divided into 3 age groups; 8 - 11, 12 - 14, and 15 - 19 years-old. Repeated measures ANOVA of the WGS scores revealed that subjects associated different levels of intensity with each of the descriptors, p < .001. The subjects demonstrated similar patterns of ranking the intensity of the descriptors with "pain" highest, "hurt" middle, and "ache" lowest intensity. Pairwise post hoc Scheffe's tests for significant differences in mean scores for each of the descriptors between the age groups indicated there were no differences for either "pain" or "hurt" but that the 8 - 11 year-olds scored "ache" higher than the 12 - 14 or 15 - 19 year-olds, p < .05. No differences related to gender or version of data collection form were revealed. Confirmation of the pattern of intensity levels associated with the descriptors was obtained for the 15-19 year-olds through chi-square analysis of the relative rank orders of each of the descriptors within each of the age groups, p < .001. Analysis of the other two age groups revealed significance for ranking "pain" highest and "ache" lowest, p < .001, but did not confirm a medium rank for "hurt". A similar pattern of intensities associated with these descriptors was reported for an adult sample (Gaston-Johansson, Albert, Fagan, & Zimmerman, 1990). Chi-square analysis of the drawing-descriptor matching data revealed no significant preferences for associating either "hurt" or "pain" with drawings of an injection or a bike accident. Subjects overwhelmingly selected "ache" for a drawing of a girl with a bandaged jaw, p < .0001. These findings indicate that children and adolescents are socialized into common understandings of the words "pain", "hurt", and "ache" and that experiences with painful situations may influence this process.

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Myasthenia Gravis:
Characterization of Autoimmune Antibodies Using Phage Display Technology

Jennifer Larson, Biochemistry
Haiyan Kong, Graduate Student, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Kathryn McLane, Ph.D., Chemistry Department
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Paul Stein, Ph.D., Chemistry Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

This research on Myasthenia Gravis (MG), on autoimmune disease involving the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), used B cells isolated from two myasthenic patients (RNA expressing the genes for the IgG heavy and light chain was purified). A cDNA library was developed from this mRNA product was isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis and restriction enzymes were used for digestion of the product and of a phagemid vector containing immunoglobulin light chains. This was annealed and ligated to the phagemid vector. The recombinant phagemid was transformed by electroporation into competent E. coli cells. Filamentous phage displaying the recombinant antibody-fusion proteins were isolated. Panning was used to select phage with specific anti-AchR antibody binding sites. Phage that bound to the antigen were selected nd their DNA isolated. DNA sequencing was used to characterize the IgG heavy and light chains.

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Assessing Needs of Adolescents and Families in a Rural Community

Alison Pollard, Social Work
Angela Rosenberg, Ph.D., Psychology Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

There is increasing public concern with the manner in which social changes affect the character of family life and the family's role in society. A common perception is that many of today's children have suffered from the deterioration of the family. There is a concern that too many children are being left home alone while parents are working, that families are not spending enough time together, and that parents are not providing enough discipline nor communicating sound values to their children.

The purpose of this study is to derive information and perceptions about communication in families, time spent together, concerns, values, behaviors, and childrearing practices from both adolescents and parents. Such information can serve as a guide to decisions about the development of potential school programs in the rural town in the upper Midwest where I conducted the study. To ascertain the needs of adolescents and families in this rural area, I developed a survey based on similar examples found in professional literature. The questions included multiple choice attitude questions and open ended questions which address the areas of: satisfaction with family, perception of rules, communication, shared time and activities, and other issues/concerns. A sample of 131 students were surveyed in their classes in the junior and senior high schools for phase I of the study. For phase II, I surveyed the parents/guardians of the adolescents from phase I to better understand how parents/guardians view themselves, their families, and their lives. Twenty-eight parent/guardian surveys were returned. I summarized the responses to the surveys, then compared the perceptions of the adolescents to those of the parent/guardian groups. A summary of the information will be shared with the school personnel in the study town so that it might have an impact on program and policy planning within the school.

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Personality Type and Preferred Teaching Methods of College Faculty

Janelle Pulczinski, English
David Swenson, Ph.D., Management Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine whether certain teaching methods were preferred by certain personality types of college faculty. The participants of the study were faculty members of a small liberal arts college in Northern Minnesota. Results showed that certain personality types had preferences for specific teaching methods. The preferences were more related to the combination of personality dimensions rather than single dimensions. Some restrictions, such as a small number of participants and a tendency for the participants to terach in accordance with students' preferences rather than their own, may have affected the results. The results of the pilot study are encouraging, and support further study with a larger sample to explore refinements in preferred teaching methods. Other implications of research possibilities are discussed.

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Depression and Locus of Control in Native Americans Living On and Off a Reservation

Barbara Smith, Psychology
Debra Schroeder, Ph.D., Psychology Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between depression and locus of control in Native Americans living on and off a reservation. A demographic questionnaire, the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory were distributed to 81 Native Americans 18 years of age or older at two clinics for Native Americans located on and off a reservation in Minnesota. Three main questions were examined: (1) Are depression and locus of control related in the Native American population? ( 2) Are depression and locus of control differentially related for those living on versus off the reservation? and (3) Do Native Americans living on or off the reservation have a higher rate of depression and a more external locus of control? Statistical tests also were done to determine if demographic variables were related to depression and locus of control. Depression and locus of control were found to be related (Question One) in the Native American population, but not differentially related depending on if they lived on or off the reservation (Question Two). Those living on and off the reservation were not found to differ in rates of depression and locus of control orientation (Question Three). Significant statistical results were obtained for only one of the secondary questions: age was found to be associated with locus of control; the younger a person was the more the external locus of cohort they had.

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Sexuality Among Women:
The Relationship Between Attitudes and Education

Angela J. Stevens, Family and Consumer Science
Darryl Dietrich, Ph.D., Psychology Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy among adolescents is occurring at an alarming rate. Many programs are being developed to reduce the number of pregnancies. One major aspect missing from many programs is the importance of the individual's sexuality, self-esteem, and the opportunity to discuss topics which may be of concern. The definition of sexuality must be broadened to include the whole person, thoughts, feelings, and actions, not simply genitalia and behavior. In order to measure the importance of sexuality and self-esteem, and to allow for an opportunity to discuss sensitive topics, I selected ten women, (ages 18 to 24), administered a pretest, provided five hours of education, followed by a post test. Although the results show that a correlation exists between sexuality and self-esteem, and "facts" increased from pre to post test, other hypothesized correlations and pre to post changes were not found. Nevertheless, I conclude that it is important to have an open educational forum where young women can discuss their sexuality and attain accurate knowledge of facts surrounding sex if self-esteem is to be increased, and if adolescent pregnancy is to be reduced.

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A Feminist Reading of the Martha and Mary Stories:
Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-44, 12:1-8

Rebecca S. Thelen, Religious Studies
Steve Ostovich, Ph.D., Religious Studies Department
The College of St. Scholastica

ABSTRACT

This research project deals with New Testament studies and specifically the stories involving two female disciples, Martha and Mary, found in the Gospels of Luke (10:38-42) and John (11:1-44). This research explores the differences between the accounts using a feminist biblical hermeneutic. First, this hermeneutic begins with the experience of women and the effort to gain liberation from the oppressive and patriarchal systems at work on social and ecclesiastic lebels; it approaches scripture with the understanding that it is the product of a patriarchal culture and has been interpreted from a patriarchal male-centered framework. This makes it possible to expose those texts that are oppressive and to deny their claim to be the Word of God. Second, there is much to be discovered regarding the liberating aspects of the scripture which have been down played or denied in order to keep women from becoming full equal partners within their Church. This feminist approach sheds light on these texts in a new and more inclusive way engaging all members of the Church in biblical exegesis for a new sense of wholeness within the community of Christ.

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