▼ This study is a reappraisal of the NIOSH equation based on the workers' assessment. The study was conducted to fully explore whether a worker-based methodology can be used in the evaluation of stressfulness of lifting task activities. Two hundred and seventeen male workers in different workplaces with varied levels of manual lifting experience from the Hong Kong area participated in the study. A structured interview following a set of standardized questionnaires was administered to each worker to determine the effects of lifting task parameters on effort based on their knowledge and experiences. The results of the study showed that: the main effects of lifting task parameters on physical effort were highly significant. On average, effort significantly increased with an increase in the level of weight of load, horizontal distance, twisting angle, vertical travel distance and height at origin of lift. Among all lifting task variables, the weight of load emerged as the important variable influencing effort. The vertical height at origin of lift was the least important variable. The finds of this study were not in total agreement with the maximum reduction in the multipliers of the NIOSH Lifting Equation. Furthermore, this study suggests that: 1) the multiplicative model adopted in the NIOSH lifting equation should be reexamined and alternate methods of aggregation should be explored; 2) the relative importance of horizontal distance, twisting angle, vertical travel distance, and vertical height at origin of lift warrants further research; and 3) non-physical factors should be included in the NIOSH lifting equation. Advisors/Committee Members: Conyne, Dr. Robert K.

▼ The purpose of this study was to improve homework completion rates and academic grades of high school students classified as learning disabled. Three simultaneous experiments using two-student multiple baseline designs were conducted. Students, referred by a special education teacher, were taught to set weekly homework goals, and to calculate, and graph the percentage of homework completed for one class in which the student was not completing homework. A second class was monitored by the investigator to determine generalization. Class grades are also reported as a social validity measure. The study's results are inconclusive as to the effectiveness of the intervention. Inappropriate referrals resulted in a ceiling effect for three students while the remaining students failed to show consistent improvement in rates of homework completion. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed. Advisors/Committee Members: Lentz, Jr., Dr. Francis E.