AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF A COMPARISON OF EXPRESSED ACCEPTANCE OF SELF AND OTHERS BETWEEN 4-H MEMBERS INVOLVED IN TWO TYPES OF PROJECT EVALUATION Thesis for the Degree of M. S. MICHIGAN STATE min/Elisa"?|r Thelma Howard 1966 """"’9-‘ s. hldflx‘,‘ 12v “'1: r‘. THEg‘S A.“"‘jgd.§1 ‘3‘“? 4w; w University ABSTRACT AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF A COMPARISON OF EXPRESSED ACCEPTANCE OF SELF AND OTHERS BETWEEN 4 -H MEMBERS INVOLVED IN TWO TYPES OF PROJECT EVALUATION by Thelma Howard This was an exploratory study comparing the acceptance of self and others of 4-H members involved in a competitive and a non-competitive method of project evaluation. 4-H Club work is concerned with providing the kind of posi- tive learning experiences which will enable its members to be contributing members of a rapidly changing society. This study was deve10ped around Combs and Snygg's (1959) definition of a "contributing member of society" as one who accepts self and others. Two methods of project evaluation, Individual Member Evalu- ation and Competitive Evaluation, were explored to determine the contribution they make toward providing members with positive learning experiences which would lead to their development of an acceptance of self and others. The procedures of Individual Member Evaluation were per- ceived as offering members an opportunity to develop an acceptance of self and others. Competitive Evaluation was perceived as pre- senting a threat to some members, and a challenge to others. The degree of success felt by members in 4-H work was discussed as an Thelma Howard influential factor in the determination of threat or challenge being experienced. The 4-H agents of four selected Michigan counties submitted lists of 4-H members meeting specific criteria, one of which was involvement in either Individual Member Evaluation or Competitive Evaluation. Due to the small numbers of members meeting the criteria, random selection was necessary only in the case of mem- bers involved in Individual Member Evaluation in one county. By means of a questionnaire administered by the author (16 respondents were contacted by their leader), data was collected from 103 4-H members, 44 of whom perceived themselves as being involved in Individual Member Evaluation, 59 as being involved in Competitive Evaluation. The median test was employed to test the hypotheses. TWO hypotheses predicted that members in Competitive Evalu- ation who perceived themselves as "unsuccessful" in 4-H work would tend to express a lower acceptance of self than (1) members in- volved in Individual Member Evaluation, and (2) members involved in Competitive Evaluation who perceived themselves as "successful" in.4-H.work. No 4-H member in this study perceived himself as "unsuccessful"; therefore, both of these hypotheses were not test- able. It was hypothesized that members involved in Competitive Evaluation who perceived themselves as "successful" would not differ in expressed acceptance of self from the members involved in Individual Member Evaluation. This hypothesis was not supported. However, a significant difference was found; members in Competitive Thelma Howard Evaluation tended to express a higher acceptance of self than mem- bers in Individual Member Evaluation. The hypothesis predicting that members in Individual Member Evaluation would tend to express a higher acceptance of others than members in Competitive Evaluation was not supported. Members in Competitive Evaluation expressed a significantly higher acceptance of others than members in Individual Member Evaluation. It is to be noted that this was an exploratory study with generalizability limited to the four counties involved in the study. AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF A COMPARISON OF EXPRESSED ACCEPTANCE OF SELF AND OTHERS BETWEEN 4 -H MEMBERS INVOLVED IN TWO TYPES OF PROJECT EVALUATION BY Thelma Howard A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Institute for Extension Personnel Development 1966 _“.I.l-/,') T 37...! {r7 L, 7.— ;v- {9? ‘7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is indebted to many people for their guidance, support and encouragement in completing this study. To Dr. Mason E. Miller, my academic and thesis advisor, for his continuous assistance and encouragement from the conception of the study to its completion. To Dr. Delwyn A. Dyer, committee member, for his guidance and support, and for providing transportation for data collection. To Dr. Eugene 0. Peisner, and Dr. Sheldon G. Lowry, com- mittee members for their constructive appraisal of the study. To James P. Bebermeyer, former Graduate Assistant in the Institute, and Hugh M. Culbertson, Graduate Assistant in the Institute, for advice and guidance in the statistical analysis. To the Michigan State 4-H Staff for their advice and assistance on the 4-H aspects of the study. To County 4-H agents, Mrs. Carolyn Bay, Fred Bernhardt, Robert Haile, Jerry Malosh, and Lowell Rothert for their coopera- tion and assistance. To Douglas Miller and the Edwin Hauser children for assist- ing with the testing of the questionnaire. To Louis and Cecile Albert for assisting with data coding and transportation. To Mrs. Florence Smith for typing the final manuscripts, and for all her assistance during the writing of the study. 11 To the 4-H Staff, University of Saskatchewan for making arrangements to enable me to complete the study. To the University of Saskatchewan for financial assistance and for providing an educational leave of absence. To my friends for providing much needed support and en- couragement throughout my master's program. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTIONOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 44H Club Organization........................ Methods of 4~H Project Evaluation............ Competitive Evaluation.................. Individual Member Evaluation............ Need for The Study........................... Assumptions.................................. Limitatims.‘0.00.00.00.00.00.0.0.0....00.... LIERANRE REVEWOOO..0..0.0000000000000000000000. Acceptance Of selfOOOOO0.00000000000000000000 Acceptance Of othersoOOOOOOOOO0.0.0....COC0.0 Relationship Between Acceptance of self and otherSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO000...... Competitive Evaluation Related to Asand A0...OCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00......O Individual Member Evaluation Related to“ md AOCOOOCOOCOCOOO'OOOOOOO0.0.0... 0 Summary of the Hypotheses.................... mmODOImYO'O...O...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... Area Of IStUdYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00...... Selection of Subjects........................ Development of Instruments................... iv Page ll 13 14 15 15 19 22 26 29 37 38 38 43 43 Chapter Page Measurement of Acceptance of Self and Acceptance of 0thers........... 44 Development of the Berger Scales........ 46 Reliability and Validity of the Berger Scales.................. 47 Adaptation of the Berger Scales......... 48 Method of Scoring....................... 48 Measurement of the 4-H Member's Perceived Success in 4"H Work. 0 o o o o o o o o e 49 Indicator of Evaluation Methods Used in Midhigan........................ 50 445 Member's Form....................... 51 4-H Agent's Form........................ 51 Project leader's Form................... 51 Demographic Data............................. 52 Data Collection Procedure.................... 52 Administration of the Questionnaire..... 53 Collection of the Data.................. 54 Administration of the Indicator of Evaluation Methods used in Michigan. 56 Project Leader's Form.............. 56 4-H Agent's Form................... 57 Treatment of Data............................ 57 IV RESULTS........................................... 58 Description of the Sample.................... 58 Testing the Hypotheses....................... 60 Chapter V DIwUSSIONOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 4‘H Members in CE and Their Perception of Success in 4-H Club Work............. 44H Members in IME and Their Perception Of success in 4-H Club workooooooooooooo Method of Project Evaluation and Expressed ASOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO000...... Method of Project Evaluation and Expressed AOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.0....O. Sex as a.Variable in Expressed AS and AO..... Perception of Methods Used................... Other Factors Affecting Results.............. VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS........................... Interpretation of the Results................ Implications for Further Research............ Implications for 4eH Programs................ Professional Staff Training............. 4-H leader Training Programs............ Use of Evaluation Methods in Local C1ubs........................ REFERENCED BIBLImRAPIIYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. APPENDIX A: Devices for Determination of Population.................... APPENDIX B: Data Collection Instruments and Other Devices................ vi Page 63 63 64 64 67 69 72 74 78 82 84 85 86 86 87 89 95 100 Table 8a. 8b. 8c. 8d. 10. LIST OF TABUES Selected 4dH Club program characteristics of the sample countieSoo00000000000000.0000... Questionnaire items corresponding to the various descriptive statements of the definitions OfAS and AOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Disposition of sample names drawn for the study in each of the four counties......... Disposition of 4~H project leaders involved in the study in each of the four counties..... Description of the sample on several demographic attributes..................... Distribution of A0 scores for 44H members involved in IME and CE methods............. Distribution of AS scores for 44H members involved in IME and CE methods............. Distribution of AD scores for male 4+3 members involved in IME and CE methods............. Distribution of A0 scores for female 4-H members involved in DE and CE methods............. Distribution of AS scores for male 4~H members involved in IME and CE methods............. Distribution of AS scores for female 4dH members involved in IME and CE methods............. Degree of agreement on methods of evaluation used between 4€H members, project leaders, and 4a agentSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Comparison of median scores of total sample with sample contacted by leaders........... vii Page 41 47 55 56 59 61 61 70 70 71 71 73 75 Figure LIST OF FIGURES Location of counties involved in this stUdYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00.000000000000000 viii Page 42 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A free society requires independent, thinking peOple of wisdom and perspective; it requires unthreatened citizens, peOple who are challenged, but not threatened. A complex, interdependent society like ours requires people who are flex- ible, not rigid; who can perceive broadly rather than narrowly; who are not so bound to the neces- sity of self defense as to have little time or energy to devote to the problems of their fellow human beings. (13:189) This is the challenge that is presented to today's society - to provide the kind of socializing experiences for its youth that will enable them.to develop into independent, flexible, broadly perceiving adults who can relate productively to themselves and others. In a society there are many agencies that contribute to the socialization of the child. Probably the most influential of these is the family. "The child learns values, sentiments, and status expectations through experiences with each member of the family." (21:49) But socialized behavior is also learned through inter- action with people outside the home. The close relationships of a child and his family ‘may be affected by the many educational, religious, and community organizations giving help and advice on such relations to both parents and youth. 0r- ganizations which facilitate face-to-face relation- ships for children and youth outside the family also help them to develop their own views of them- selves and to discover ways of relating themselves to others. Public and private school classes and clubs, and youth groups of many other types help to esgablish common values. Around such a core of values, organizations hope to foster an appreci- ation of other individuals in terms of their unique characteristics and merits, and a ready acceptance of the cultural variations found in any group. (23:160) Of these socializing agencies outside the home, the school is recog- nized as having the most significant effect on the child's adapta- tion to society. "Like the family, the school is a recognized institution representing adult authority of the society...Unlike the family, the school is formalized with established rules." (21:56) The school instructs the child in the traditional norms and values; these assist the child in learning how to function in society. The child learns how to accept and work under adult authority; he learns what is expected of him by adults. The formalized institution of the school teaches the child many important aspects of society, but because of the limitations of working within a relatively set curriculum, the school is un- able to socialize the "whole child". Informal, voluntary organi- zations also contribute to the child's socialization process. One of these organizations Elkin has identified as the third influential agency in the socialization process - the peer group. "The peer group has certain distinctive functions in socializing the child, some of which cannot be fulfilled easily, if at all, by such en- during and fixed structures as the family and school." (21:63) Through peer group associations the child can become more independent of authority figures, identification with models can occur, his social horizons can be broadened, he can experiment with new roles and statuses, and he can begin to experience self-imposed authority. (21:63-66) -adolescence is the period of life in which the peer group has its greatest importance. Agemates provide crucial support for the adolescent during his transition from childhood dependence to adult independence. Clear access to peer standards is, therefore, crucial. Though organized groups are not the only means of contact with peer standards, they do represent one available and important channel by which an adolescent can know and derive support from agemates. (2:159) Through experience in these organized peer groups youth learn how to relate to youth and adults who are not formal authority figures. They learn peer group leadership and "followership". These are essentials for a productive life in our society. Our society offers a multiplicity of national youth organi- zations whose major goals are "to help youth grow into active, sound, responsible citizens." (23:209) YOuth organizations such as Scouting, Campfire Girls, YMCA, YWCA and 4-H Clubs share this common goal and offer youth the opportunity to enter into peer group relationships. While the national organizations do share a common general goal they do differ in the method of seeking that goal. The scope of membership varies, with youth groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Campfire Girls limiting membership on the basis of sex. One of the largest youth organizations in the United States, 4-H Club work,1 is organized to encompass a wide membership, with age (nine to nineteen years of age) being the only limiting factor. Membership in the 4-H Clubs is voluntary, interdenominational, interracial, and coeducational. First conceived as a rural youth organization, 4-H has expanded to include urban membership. Tyler states that this organization has educational characteristics which make it highly effective and a necessary and valuable supplement to the education available to youth in schools. (54:12) He sees 4-H offering the following positive values: 1. 4-H Club work is connected with the members' interests. 2. 4-H Club work ties together concrete ob- servations and practices. 3. Most of the activities carried out in.4-H furnish intrinsic satisfaction. 4. It provides opportunity for youth to develop mature behavior and values. 5. It gives the opportunity for a freer career exploration than is normally possible within the home and school. 6. Rural youth have opportunities to experience the world beyond their immediate community. l The 1964 4-H membership was reported as 2,190,721 by the Federal Extension Service, USDA. In Michigan, 78,679 youth were 4-H members in 1964. 7. It emphasizes inquiry rather than memorization of facts. 8. It offers a wider range of voluntary choices for activities than is possible in school. (54:14-16) 4-H Club Organization For readers unfamiliar with the United States 4-H program, an outline of the structure of the 4-H program and the role 4-H plays in the socialization of the member is included. The 4-H Club movement is an extension activity con- ducted cooperatively by the U. S. Department of Agri- culture, the State Colleges of Agriculture, and the local people who function through their own neighbor- hood units. The main purpose of club work is the development of boys and girls through self-help programs and the improvement of farm, home, and neighborhood practices in such a way that both rural and urban youth are brought into touch with the best in each environment and helped to make of themselves efficient, public spirited, and useful citizens. (34:2) Most counties in United States have the services of a staff member of the Cooperative Extension program who provides local leaders and members with program and project assistance. The local 4-H Club unit obtains its leadership from local voluntary lay leaders. Flexibility is built into the program to allow each local club to adapt itself to its community environment and to give each member the opportunity to select a project that is of interest to him. The "project" is a practical work experience incorporating the philosophy of "learning to do by doing.' A member selects a project in.which he has an interest (such as raising a beef calf, money management, freezing foods). As the member works on his project and completes it, he learns subject matter and skills re- lated to his project under the guidance of his project leader. Through his project work a member develops a certain degree of skill in his project. Besides developing a certain amount of skill in his project, the experience a member has in the 4-H Club movement makes a con- tribution to his socialization. In our society the teenage youth is often left to fluctuate between adulthood and childhood. He is expected to be independent and at the same time to be dependent. 4-H Clubs present an opportunity for youth to accept responsibility and to carry out adult roles while receiving the support of peers and the guidance of adults. Adults in the 4-H movement act as advisors, sharing their knowledge with the members and guiding members in project work and personal development. Members can relate to and identify with adults in this type of informal set- ting. Community appreciation and responsibility is also encour- aged in 4-H Clubs. The clubs are community-conscious and often ,carry out Special community projects such as playground beautifi- cation, gate sign making, or painting public buildings. Meaning- ful family relationships have an opportunity to develop and deepen. Parents often become involved in.4—H.work as leaders and/or as participants in 4-H family events. 4-H work is often a uniting factor in the lives of the parents, the nine year old and the older teenage youth in the family. Experience in a 4-H Club assists the member in developing his sense of responsibility to his community and in helping him to relate productively to adults and youth. 4-H Club work provides the member with the opportunity to broaden his knowledge in areas of his interest through the study of a project. In the beginning of the 4-H.movement, emphasis was placed on the project. Economic productivity was the goal. The program's objectives have since broadened to lay stress on the development of the individual member. The project is considered to be the means to the end, the end being the development of adequate citizens capable of contributing to today's rapidly changing society. Although the main emphasis is on the individual, the project is still the central core around which new learning experiences are developed. The project evaluation.which occurs at the culmination of all projects is also considered to be part of the total learning experience. The methods of project evaluation being used in 4-H have caused some questions to be raised. Do these methods contri- bute to an effective learning experience? Effective learning is more likely to take place when the following conditions are met: 1. Motivation - there must be a desire to learn. 2. Learner must recognize that present behavior is inadequate. Guidance in assessing his be- havior as he enters the learning situation will help meet this condition. 3. Need for guidance in seeking new behaviors. 4. Opportunities must exist to practice new be- haviors. 5. Satisfaction must be attained as a result of the new behaviors. 6. Standards must be set that are attainable. Learner must set goals he wishes to reach at the end of his learning experience that are within his capabilities. 7. There must be a way to tell whether one has reached the goals set forth. (54:13-14) The entry behavior - the attitudes, skills, and knowledge the learner possesses at the beginning of the learning experience - needs to be brought to the level of awareness of both learner and teacher if effective learning is to occur. Discussion and ex- ploration of the learner's entry behavior by the learner and teacher will help the learner set realistic and meaningful ter- minal behavior goals. Terminal behavior goals are those ends which the learner hopes to reach via the learning experience and those which the teachers hopes the learner will reach. Motivation to learn will be higher if the learning experience, in the eyes of the learner, has a meaningful purpose and arouses his interest. If the project is an important part of 4-H, then the role of project evaluation in the youth's learning is important to look at. Do the methods of project evaluation used in the Michigan 4-H program offer its members effective learning experiences than competitive evaluation? This study seeks to ex- plore some behavioral outcomes as a result of member involvement in these two methods. First, we want to examine the two methods in more detail. Methods of 4-H Project Evaluation Competitive Evaluation (CE) The procedure of CE is as follows: the member's entry be- havior is assessed by the project leader on the basis of member's skills as perceived by the leader. Member's needs are not sought out and inadequacies in behavior not explored. Terminal behavior goals are set up by the leader and are the same for all members in the same project. The reaching of terminal behavior goals is as- sessed through a process of competition - a member competes against other members and/or a standard set by someone outside the local club structure. Individual Member Evaluation (IME) This is a process through which a 4-H member's progress toward his terminal behavior goals is evaluated. The steps in this process are: a leader assists a member with the assessment of the member's entry behavior. The member's needs and inade- quacies are explored. With the help of the leader, the member develops terminal behavior goals to meet these needs. Evaluation occurs when the leader and member assess the degree to which the needs have been met. 10 In an actual club setting, IME procedure would be somewhat as follows: at the beginning of the project year, the leader and member work together to explore areas about which the member would like to learn (for older members this selection may be guided by future plans, or as in most cases by a Special interest in a sub- ject). They also explore areas that the member feels he needs to improve upon in his personal development; for example, this may be learning how to relate to younger members, or how to relate to boys/girls. With this information as background, the member and leader set down Specific goals for the year. The leader outlines Specific teaching goals that will help the member reach his ter- minal behavior goals. The member's progress is discussed periodi- cally during the year. At the end of the project year, the member and leader will review the goals established at the beginning and will determine how successful the member has been in reaching them. In both CE and IME methods, the general project area is selected by the members on the basis of their interests. IME dif- fers from CE in the following aSpects: in IME the project content is developed after the leader and member have explored the member's needs. In CE the project content is the same for all members taking the same project regardless of their individual needs. The goals in CE are those developed by the leader and/or the project outline. In IME the member sets his own goals with the help of the leader. Evaluation is project-centered in CE; the project is judged against those of other members and/or a set standard. The actual growth of the member is not evaluated. Members in IME may also become 11 involved in project competition but only after the member and leader have assessed the member's growth toward the goals he set at the beginning of the year. Need for the Study Concern has been expressed by national and state 4-H workers in regard to the use of CE in the 4-H program. In a review of literature by Dildine, the value of competition against others is questioned. (18:13-14) Others have also questioned the extent to which such a competitive situation contributes to a member's personal development. At a recent White House Conference on Children and Youth several groups discussed the effect of competition on children... Many of these agents and specialists [E-H agents and family life Specialists from all parts of the United StateSZIexpressed concern about the effect of competition. They recommended that more re- search be done to find out what competition does to boys and girls. (24:35) The National 4-H Evaluation Development Committee expressed concern about the effect of competition on members and recommended that further research be carried out. (33) The experiences this writer has had in evaluating 4-H projects have raised questions in her mind as to whether project competition is in accord with the main objective of 4-H Club work - the development of the individual mem- ber. The Michigan 4-H State Staff, also concerned about the amount of positive experiences offered by competition, has advocated the 12 IME method. This method takes the growth of the individual into consideration and acknowledges the fact that each member is dif- ferent, with different needs to be met through the 4-H program. Dildine, concerned about competition and its relationship to the personal development of 4-H members, suggests that a close look be taken at experiences that foster a positive inner orientation to- ward both self and others. (18:11) A person possessing this posi- tive inner orientation is referred to by Combs and Snygg as an "adequate personality". (13:248) Dildine indicates that this is the type of person that is most effective in our society, and suggests that IME is the method of "competition" that offers mem- bers more opportunities to develop into adequate personalities than does CE. (18:24) If IME does offer members experiences that lead to the de- velopment of more adequate personalities than would be found in a CE program, what indications are there that members have developed more "adequate personalities"? Combs and Snygg define the "ade- quate personality" as one who perceives himself in essentially positive ways and is capable of accepting self and others. They submit that such a person is better able to function in our society. (13:248) Jersild emphasizes that "the most important psychological facts in a child's life are his relationships with others and his relationship to himself." (27:126) It would then appear that one indication that a program is developing members WhO‘Will make an effective contribution to our society is that the members of that program will express an acceptance of self and others. Members in l3 IME should then express a higher acceptance of self (AS) and a higher acceptance of others (A0) than members in CE. It is recognized that in comparison.with the influence of the home, school and the other peer groups to which a child may also belong, membership in a 4-H Club is a small contributor to the child's total socialization process. However, since a 4-H Club does offer a member a variety of new experiences, it would seem that 4-H membership would have some influence on the social- ization of the child. One 4-H experience, that of CE, has been questioned regarding its value in the positive personal develop- ment of all 4-H members. IME is advocated as a more desirable experience for members of a society that desires its youth to develop into independent, flexible adults able to accept them- selves and others. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine if members in individual member evaluation do differ from members in competitive evaluation in the degree of acceptance of self and acceptance of others. Assumptions 1. Expressed AS and expressed AO give one indication of the adequacy of a personality. 2. Expressed AS and A0 are closely related to the actual AS and A0. 3. Experience in a 4-H Club will have some effect on a child's perception of self and others. 14 4-H leaders claiming to be using IME have followed the pro- cedures outlined for IME. 4-H leaders claiming to be using CE have followed the pro- cedures outlined for CE. 4-H members have the ability to indicate the degree of success they have felt in the 4-H program. 4-H members have the ability to recognize the type of project evaluation that has had the most effect on their lives. Limitations The experience of the author in theoretical development and in research experience. The stage of development of IME in Michigan counties. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW The purpose of this chapter is to discuss (a) acceptance of self and acceptance of others and their relationship to personal development, (b) the relationship of acceptance of self to accept- ance of others, and (c) competitive evaluation and individual mem- ber evaluation and their relationship to the development of ac- ceptance of self and others. Appropriate hypotheses are developed and are summarized at the end of the chapter. Acceptance of Self According to Jersild, "When we Speak of the 'self' we mean, among other things, a system of ideas, attitudes, appraisals, and commitments pertaining to one's own person." (27:123) Each person develops a concept of his self from his own inferences about his own behavior and the behavior of others toward him. It is the individual's own perception of his behavior that makes up his self picture; it matters not how others perceive him, except when this affects the individual's perception of his self. A boy may feel very inadequate as an athlete. Others may perceive him as being skillful in athletics; this may not change the boy's perception of himself as an athlete. When the boy does succeed he may search for reasons to explain his success, e.g., it was luck - the other 15 l6 fellow didn't really try. Jersild has indicated that an important factor in a person's life is how well he accepts his self picture. (27:126) "Self acceptance...is the degree to which an individual, having considered his personal characteristics, is able and willing to live with them." (38:419) This does not mean that the self- accepting individual, necessarily has superior personal character- istics. It does mean that he accepts the fact that he has good and bad points, that he has characteristics which he can make improve- ments on, ones which he doesn't need to improve, and ones he should improve but cannot. He may realize that he acts selfishly at times. He accepts this as part of his self; he regrets it and doesn't like this part of his self, but it doesn't cause him to condemn and be- rate himself. A self-accepting person neither overvalues nor under- values self. Research indicates that a self-accepting individual displays qualities associated with an adequate personality - one that can function responsibly and productively in our society. As a result of observations made on subjects during a re- search project, Sheerer developed definitions of a self-accepting person. (46) These definitions were abridged and slightly adapted by Berger to read as follows: The self-accepting person: 1. Relies primarily upon internalized values and standards rather than on external pressure as a guide for his behavior. 2. Has faith in his capacity to c0pe with life. l7 3. Assumes responsibility for and accepts the consequences of his own behavior. 4. Accepts praise or criticism from others objectively. 5. Does not attempt to deny or distort any feelings, motives, limitations, abilities or favorable qualities which he sees in himself, but rather accepts all without self-condemnation. 6. Considers himself a person of worth on an equal plane with other persons. 7. Does not expect others to reject him whether he gives them any reason to reject him or not. 8. Does not regard himself as totally differ- ent from others, "queer", or generally ab- normal in his reactions. 9. Is not shy or self-conscious. (3:778-779) Bills has found that - Striking relationships have been shown to exist between self perceptions and behavior...Prelim- inary findings indicate that people who are high in acceptance of self compared to those who are low in acceptance of self have a higher group status, are more responsible, are more efficient intellectually, are more dominant, participate more in social events, have fewer psychosomatic complaints, have less anxiety, have fewer con— tacts with student-affairs counselors, have a higher general psychological adjustment, are better prepared for college work, make higher scores on achievement tests and are more pro- ficient in English mechanics. (5:18) Bills points out that a person low in self-acceptance will not rely on his own experience to the extent that he Should in solving prob- lems, and that this hinders the contribution he might otherwise make in problem-solving situations. (6:175) In studies by 18 Pilisuk (40), Suinn and Hill (53), and Bruce (9) self-accepting indi- viduals indicated less anxiety than individuals who were low in self- acceptance. Bruce also found in his study that self-accepting indi- viduals indicated less insecurity. (9) Roth noted that poor self attitudes resulted in a lack of self confidence which adversely affected general adjustment to environment. (42) Combs identified the truly adequate person as one that had an identification with others and an Openness to experience and acceptance. (12) Research conducted by Block and Thomas indicated that maladjustment was associated with an extremely high and a very low acceptance of self. (8) Self-accepting individuals are better able to face failure and criticism in a productive manner than individuals who are low in self—acceptance. (1:120) A person that accepts himself is not constantly trying to defend himself against the possibility of negative learnings about himself. This leaves him more open to a greater variety of experiences. He is not so resistant to change; change is perceived more as a challenge than as a threat. This openness to experience "gives the adequate personality a tremen- dous advantage in dealing with life, for behavior based on more and better evidence will almost certainly be more effective, efficient and satisfying in the long run." (13:244) Self-acceptance is an important factor in the development of an adequate personality. Research has indicated that the ac- cepting individual possesses qualities desired in our society. Self-accepting individuals can function in our society more re- Sponsibly and more productively than individuals who are low in l9 self-acceptance. Combs and Snygg suggest that the self-accepting individual may well be our most important agent of social change. (13:243) Since 4-H Clubs have as their objective, the development of youth to be effective members of today's rapidly changing society, 4-H must be concerned with the extent to which its programs are offering members the opportunity to develop and increase their self-acceptance. Acceptance of Others An integral part of an individual's self concept is the inference he makes about himself as a result of the behavior of others toward him. The degree to which a person accepts others' behavior toward him influences that person's ability to function productively in society. Combs and Snygg cite "acceptance of others" as one of the criteria for an adequate personality. (13:248) "Others" in this context refers to the people with whom an individual interacts; this includes specific as well as gener- alized others. Accepting people "accept people for what they are: human beings with interesting quirks and characteristics, to be compre- hended without fear, hatred, or distortion." (13:256) While the accepting person may not support all the actions and beliefs of others, he will not pass judgment on others when they differ from him. Research by Sheerer indicates that the person who accepts 20 others is more likely to display traits that make up an adequate, and therefore an effective, member of today's society. (46) Using Sheerer's research as a base, Berger developed the following defi- nitions of a person'who accepts others: 1. Does not reject, hate, or pass judgment against other persons when their behavior or standards seem to him to be contradictory to his own. 2. Does not attempt to dominate others. 3. Does not attempt to assume responsibility for others. 4. Does not deny the worth of others or their equality as persons with him. This does not imply equality in regard to Specific achieve- ments. He feels neither above nor below the people he meets. 5. Shows a desire to serve others. 6. Takes an active interest in others and shows a desire to create mutually satisfactory relations with them. 7. In attempting to advance his own welfare, he is careful not to infringe on the rights of others. (3:779) Accepting people show a compassion for others. Because of this compassion they are more able to communicate with others with depth and feeling than individuals with a low acceptance of others. A greater responsibility toward helping others is developed through acceptance of others. (13:250-261) .Acceptance of others was identi- fied by Krech, Crutchfield, and Ballachey as one of the primary traits influencing interpersonal relations. They stated that persons scoring high on acceptance of others, as well as social- 21 ibility, friendliness, and sympathy tended "to become easily in- volved with other persons, to identify with them, and usually, to be Skilled in managing human relations." (29:107) Research found that individuals that were accepting of others were the preferred choice for leadership roles. (5:21) Bills states: Recent research has shown that a... [Self accept- ing and accepting of otheré] person is a democratic individual, who has high regard for the dignity, worth and integrity of people, including himself and faith in the efficacy of group action. (5:21) A person who is unable to accept others limits his possibilities of experiencing relationships that could broaden and enrich his life. Bills states, "If a person believes that other people are unimportant, he cannot use their eXperience in solving problems." (6:175-176) In a society as interdependent as ours, concern for others-- an understanding of and an acceptance of others--is essential if an individual is to make an effective contribution. In today's society a great deal of work is carried out in group situations-~in com- mittees, in workshops, in group discussions. It is a rate indi- vidual who can function successfully in this society without having to work with and relate to others in work and, in some cases, in leisure time pursuits. People are now having to adapt to an in- creasingly mobile society. This increase in mobility means that an individual must be able to accept and relate to a wider variety of pe0ple than in former times. Montagu recognized the need for 22 people to be concerned with the increased inter-relatedness of society; he emphasized the need to teach better human relations and suggested that it be taught as early as nursery school. (30:95) Dildine stresses the importance of fostering both acceptance of self and acceptance of others in 4-H programs that are concerned with the personal development of the members. (18:11) Relationship Between Acceptance of Self and Others If a program offers experiences through which an individual can increase his self-acceptance, will this mean that the individual's acceptance of others will also increase? Strang reports that the evidence that AS is closely correlated with A0 is somewhat conflict- ing. (50:111) Rogers observed during therapy that once an individual ex- periences acceptance of self, he becomes capable of accepting others. (41:544) This observation was supported by Fey (22), Sheerer (46), Stock (49), Phillips (39) and Berger (4). Omwake found: ...evidence that in the normal population, as well as those undergoing therapy, attitudes toward the self appear to be reflected in atti- tudes toward other people; the lower the opinion of the self, the lower the opinion of others. Only when the self is regarded with a fairly high degree of acceptance is it possible to relate effectively to others. (37:445) Jersild states that because a person can accept himself, he can also accept and relate to others. (26:46) 23 A positive correlation between AS and A0 was found to exist in all of the above studies. A common factor in these studies was the use of a population that was of college age and older. Because this study is concerned with 4-H members, whose average age is approximately fourteen years, studies involving younger subjects were reviewed. Suinn reports on research using sixth grade children that found a negative correlation between AS and A0. (52) While Berger (4) and Phillips (39) each found a posi- tive correlation in their studies, an analysis of their data on the basis of younger students as compared with older students indi- cated that the younger showed a much lower correlation between A8 and A0 than the older students. As a result of a study using high school seniors and college students, Bills found that people could be roughly categorized into three groups: (1) those who accept others but not themselves, (2) those who accept themselves but not others, (3) those who accept both themselves and others. He re- ports on specific behaviors found to be associated with each group. (5:16-24) 1) Those Who Accepted Others But Not Self: The members of this group considered themselves to be inadequate. Failure was perceived by them as part of their self-picture; therefore they had the expectation to fail and when they did, they blamed themselves rather than anyone else or the circumstances. They had an exaggerated need to question their decisions, actions, and needs. 24 Their motivation came from a desire to please others; they were the conformists - always looking to others for approval. Others were perceived as being more adequate than they, and this they accepted. In reality this may or may not be true. Dildine identifies this group as the ones that will retreat from new and uncertain experiences where the possibility of experiencing failure exists. (18:18) Since these peOple al- ready realize the worth of others, they need to be helped to develop a more positive and realistic self-picture. Bills suggests that a close relationship with an accepting indi- vidual would help in this development. (5:43) 2) Those Who Accepted Self But Not Others: Members of this group were generally found to have com- petence and ability, and to perceive themselves as possessing these qualities, but their main concern was using it for their self enhancement. If they failed at a task, others were perceived as the cause of the failure. These people assume their superiority, and have developed an inaccurate view of themselves and others - overvaluing themselves and undervaluing others. This group was the last group of the three to be selected as leadership choices, and were identi- fied by principals as the least successful teachers. These self centered individuals tend to perceive others as exist- ing to fulfill their needs, and tend to "use" others for their satisfaction without heeding the needs that other 25 people may have. They have little desire to work in group situations, preferring to work on their own and receive the individual recognition they feel is their due. Bills suggests that this group may be difficult to change as they see themselves as adequate and see no reason to change. They need to be able to appreciate others and to have a more realistic view of themselves to be able to function in society as useful citizens. This group of people may benefit more from experiences with a group of accepting people rather than with one accepting individual. (5 :43) 3) Those Who Accepted Themselves And Others: This group was found to be the most realistic of the three. They neither blamed themselves nor others for failure, but were able to look objectively at all possible reasons. They expressed a high degree of acceptance of self and others. They had a desire to work with others, but were also content to work on their own. They were self-motivated. Satis- faction came from realization of work well done; they did not always need the approval of others. These were the people who were selected as the preferred leadership choices and as the most successful teachers. (5:43) Bills does not mention the possibility of a fourth re- lationship that would appear to exist theoretically, if not in actual life - rejection of self with a rejection of 26 others. These may be the people that Combs and Snygg refer to as "extremely inadequate personalities." (13:294) Competitive Evaluation Related to AS and A0 Children differ in their reaction to competition. This has been acknowledged by the White House Conference on Children and Youth which recommended: That adults avoid exploiting youth by pressuring them into highly competitive activities for which their minds and bodies are not adapted; that they recognize children and youth as individuals, rather than as projects in leisure time pursuits, and allow each one to mature at his own rate. (15:350) Frasier states: We know that sensitive children and the child who is less able are more likely to be harmed in a highly competitive climate...that this child is more likely to withdraw from competition. (24:36) Davidson emphasizes that if one is concerned with education for a vocation, competition may have a place in the educational system, but if one is concerned with education for living, which surely 4-H workers are, competition is not a positive learning experience for all. (17:165) Competition puts men on guard. It strains relation- ships with your colleagues - the very people with whom you should feel most comfortable...Competition between persons sets false standards, for soon the symbol of victory...becomes the substance of victory. (17:165) 27 Dildine discussed the reaction to competition made by the three types of people found in Bills' research. Dildine stated that the young people who accepted self but not others were at- tracted to competition because they are competent and quite self- centered. They saw the award as the main goal. Young people who accepted others but not self felt that competition was either un- rewarding, distasteful, or threatening to the point where they resisted it or avoided it. The group who accepted both self and others felt competent but were positively oriented to other people. They enjoyed competition but prized association with others and a challenge more than the winning of the award. (18:17-20) If these three groups also exist within the 4-H membership, then competition would not encourage all members to develop in both acceptance of self and others. Members who already have a high de- gree of AS and A0 will not be harmed by this type of competition. Members who accept others but not themselves will only find compe- tition more distasteful and may be the dropouts in the program. However, if the group that accepts self but not others finds posi- tive reinforcement through competitive activities will not this encourage self-acceptance? (It is realized that competitive ac- tivities will not encourage this group to accept others). Success has been found to be related to self-acceptance. The experience of success tended to increase the average ratings of those traits and attitudes that favor better personal-social adjustments. (32:37) Having experienced success in 4-H competition, a member is less 28 likely to perceive competition as either a threat or as an insur- mountable threat. If he does feel some threat, the successful member is likely to find the situation exciting and challenging. He would have had positive eXperiences in the past that would give him the confidence to deal with threat. Members who have had only negative experiences with compe- tition are more likely to perceive competition as an insurmountable threat and to feel inadequate to deal with it. (13:178-180) To compensate for this inadequacy, 4-H members may leave the club, or may try very hard to be liked, or may conform to the group pattern which may include going through the motions of competition, or the members may act very belligerently toward other members and leaders. (48:23) Combs and Snygg state that if the activity is appropriate to the abilities, maturation level, and goals of the student then the opportunity for success and self enhancement exists. (13:379) Members who are successful in the competitive evaluation program are fortunate enough to have reached the level of maturity and ability for which the standards are set. For those members who are late maturers and have less project ability, the experience in a competitive program may serve only to reinforce any negative feel- ings they have about themselves and competition. Therefore members who have experienced success in a compe- titive 4-H program will more likely have developed a higher self- acceptance than members who have been unsuccessful. 29 Hypothesis 1 4-H members in CE who perceive themselves as successful in 4-H will tend to express a higher AS than members in CE who per- ceive themselves as being unsuccessful in 4-H. Individual Member Evaluation Related to AS and A0 If competitive evaluation does not benefit all youth in the development of acceptance of others and benefits only the success- I ful in development of acceptance of self, should competition then be excluded from the 4-H program? Coleman identifies the problem as not that of ”competition" but of the structure of the competition when he states: Such erosion of interpersonal ties stems not from competition but from the interpersonal structure of scholastic competition...if the win or loss depends upon subjective judgment of a "judge", then there can be manuevering for position, claims of unfairness, attempts to gain favor of the judge, conformity to the judge's...wishes rather than an all out attaCk on the problem, and numerous other degrading activities...the degrading activities so familiar in the classroom...are absent in other competitions where the race itself decides the winner. (11:319) Seagoe found that interpersonal relations under compe- tition against others was negative and states that children prefer another type of "competition” - that against their own records. (44:115-121) Work executed under these conditions was found to be as good as that done in competition against others. 30 It has been definitely proven that 9 to 12 year olds would rather measure their success by their own yardstick...They aren't as concerned about doing better than JOhnny did. (24:37) Vincent quotes the following from Storch, Stanton, and Koerth's "Psychology in Education": Self competition, in which one works to improve his own record, is more advantageous than com- peting to surpass the record of someone else. The significance of competing with others as a means of motivating learning or of wholesome development is questionable. (57:167-168) Kreitlow, Pierce and Middleton recognize that in 4-H Club work there is - the possibility of developing a program that will give each individual a feeling of his own worth and in addition provide for a personal achieve- ment which is not publicly compared to the achieve- ment of those against whom he can never h0pe to compete. (30:73) Dildine concurs that it is feasible to develop a program in 4-H that considers individual develoPment, and that it needs to be done in the area of project evaluation. (18:27) He suggests that IME is the type of evaluation that is conducive to the develOpment of the members. Dildine cautions that this method may not have too much effect on the members who are accepting of themselves but not of others. (18:24) Despite this, he still emphasizes that "the conclusion is inescapable that this kind of 'competitive' situation.[IME) is the most effective for all groups of young people and should be our guide in working with them." (18:24) 31 Besides offering members the benefits of self competition, IME supports the following recommendation submitted at the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth: That a pupil's progress be evaluated on terms of his own potential rather than of a common external standard impossible for some and too easily attainable for others. (15:332) The process of IME contains three features which encourage the de- velopment of AS and A0. These features are not a formal part of the structure of CE. 1. Members have an opportunity to establish a warm relationship with their project leader. 2. Members assess their own entry behavior. 3. Members set their own terminal behavior goals. 1) Relationship With Leader: The relationship between teacher and pupil has been found to be important in establishing acceptance. (1:124) In IME the leader-member relationship is one key to the success of this pro- cedure developing and increasing AS and A0. "The learning of adequate perceptions of self and other people is more easily ac- complished in warm interaction with people." (5:43) If the leader has followed the procedures of IME, the structure of IME would place leaders in a closer relationship than is likely to develop in a CE program. The leader in his discussions with the member about the member's entry behavior and his desired terminal be- havior will gain an understanding of the member's needs; this 32 understanding will help insure that the terminal behavior goals the member sets will be directed toward the fulfillment of these needs. A member's self regard and acceptance of others will increase when he perceives the leader as being interested in his plans, concerned with his specific needs, and as accepting him as he is. "Apparently one learns to accept himself and others as a function of having ex- perienced acceptance." (12:59) Members need this atmOSphere of support and encouragement if they are to grow and seek new experi- ences. If the young person is to take risks to venture into the unknown, to try things not previously experienced- he must live in an environment of support. This requires the kind of support that will enable him to feel accepted even in failure. (10:235) The close relationship that is inherent in the structure of IME will give the support and encouragement needed by those who are not ac- cepting of themselves, and help them to perceive themselves as worthwhile and therefore worthy of acceptance. 2) Assessment of Own Entry Behavior: In IME a leader assists the member in taking inventory of the member's present skills, knowledge and attitudes. This procedure should help insure that the member will become cognizant of his needs and abilities and be able to develop terminal behavior goals that have a specific meaning for him. "In helping people to grow and change, the only really effective method is to start where they are and to accept reality as it seems to them." (5:52-53) 33 In a warm accepting atmosphere, self-revelation will be encouraged rather than self-defense. Self-revelation widens the capacity for acceptance. (1:125) Threat to self must appear at a minimum so that personal feelings, attitudes, ideas, doubts, wonders, and concerns may be openly brought to light and examined. (1:125) This requirement would be especially important for the members who accept others but reject themselves. Members who accept self and not others would also benefit from this experience. Bills points out that these members need to be engaged in this type of "soul searching" before they'll realize the need for a change in them- selves. (5:43) 3) Setting Own Terminal Behavior Goals: Whereas the competitive 4-H program offers each member a standard project outline for the area of his interest, IME recog- nizes individual differences and provides for them.by'having each member set his own goals based on his own specific needs and abil- ities. Development of acceptance is encouraged by promoting the feeling that differences in individuals are good and desirable. (1:125) Leaders in DE can develop this feeling by permitting and helping members set their own goals and by developing a program to help each member meet his goals. Drews states that in order for a child to develop into an independent adult a child needs to learn to make choices, set his own directions, to follow‘his own interests, to work at his own 34 level and in his own way. (19:21) Setting goals for one's own learning experience provides a sense of involvement and belong- ingness to the program. "Without a feeling of being part of what is going on, there can be no personal involvement, no learning to accept or to be accepted by others." (1:125) It is accepted by educators that "Education must start where the child is and permit him.to determine his own direction and pace." (5:52) The psychologists, Combs and Snygg, also advocate the setting of one's own learning goals and cite this as one of the criteria necessary to experience success and self enhancement. They found success and self enhancement were more likely to be experienced if - l. The achievements are evaluated by standards appropriate to the age and experience of the pupil. 2. The activity is chosen and planned by the pupils themselves. 3. The contributions of different members of the same class are so different in type that no comparison is possible. 4. The activity is appropriate to the abilities, maturation level and goals of the student. (13:379) "It sometimes happens that people set goals for themselves which are far above their capacities." (13:112) However, with the guidance of a leader who knows and understands the member, this problem.can be evaded in IME. By setting his own goals, a member will have greater opportunity to experience success. Success will increase self re- gard and the ability to accept others and self. (18:14-15) In 35 situations that are perceived as threatening, peOple become forced into unreal perceptions (high acceptance of self with a low accep- tance of others, or a very low acceptance of self with a high accep- tance of others). (18:13) Threat is reduced when members set their own goals. People feel threatened...when they are confronted with situations they do not feel capable of deal- ing with. People feel challenged on the other hand when they are confronted with situations lying with- in their capabilities. (13:363) Bills cautions, "The line between threat and Challenge is narrow and a safer approach is for children to be self-motivating and to set their own challenges." (5:10) It is possible that mem- bers involved in DE may be very critical of their progress toward their terminal behavior goals and as a result may perceive them- selves as being unsuccessful in 4-H work. By working closely with their leader and exploring the reasons for their failure to reach their goals, two situations may occur. The members may not perceive this failure to reach their goals as a threat to themselves or to their relationships with others. The leader can point out the pro- gress that the members have made and though it may not be as far as the goals they set, they will be able to see that they made some progress. Being "unsuccessful" may then not be a threat but be a challenge to them. The other possibility is that the members may have adopted the philosophy that success is to be measured by whether they have made improvements, not by how much improvement they have made. They may not see themselves as "unsuccessful" in 36 the 4-H program. Setting one's own terminal behavior goals will mean that each member will be able to function at his own level of maturity and ability. He will have opportunity to experience success in the 4€H program. Members who perceive themselves as low in ability and less worthy than others will be able to experience success and will obtain self confidence. Members who see others as less worthy than they, may grow in appreciation of the worth of others when they see these members achieving success and growing in warmth and confidence. Under the guidance of a leader the members who reject others can be made aware of their selfcenteredness and be helped to expand their goals beyond self concern to include others. The literature leads one to assume that the process of IME, where a warm relationship with a leader develops, members assess their own entry behavior, and members set their own terminal be- havior goals, should develop a greater acceptance of others in IME members than would occur in members involved in CE. Hypothesis 3;; 4~H members in IME will tend to express a higher A0 than will members in CE. The successful members in CE may receive sufficient self en- hancement due to their experiences of success in 44H competitions to have developed the same degree of AS as all the members in IME. All members in IME, regardless of their perceptions of their success in the 4€H program, should tend to express approximately the same degree of AS. 37 Hypothesis III 4-H members in IME will not differ significantly in expressed AS from members in CE who perceive themselves as being successful in 4-H. Hypothes is IV 4-H members in 111?. will tend to express a higher AS than will members in CE who perceive themselves as being unsuccessful in 4-H. Summary of The Hypotheses 4-H members in CE who perceive themselves as successful in 4-H will tend to express a higher AS than members in CE who perceive themselves as being unsuccessful in 4-H. 4-H members in DE will tend to express a higher A0 than will members in CE. 4-H members in IME will not differ significantly in expressed AS from members in CE who perceive themselves as being suc- K cessful in 4-H. 4-H members in DE will tend to express a higher AS than will members in CE who perceive themselves as being unsuccessful. CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY Area of Study County 4-H agents (County Agricultural agents in counties that were not staffed by a 4-H agent) for all Michigan field offices, were contacted and requested to indicate the following: a) 4-H projects currently carried in that county. b) Method of project evaluation used with each project. Three methods that were perceived as being used in Michigan were described. Agents were requested to indicate the method used for each project carried in their county. The methods were described as follows: Method I - the member with his leader evaluates general progress through total project (considered to be IME). Method 11 - project judged, judge discusses general project progress with each member (considered to be an in- between stage leading toward IME). Method III - project judged, judge doesn't discuss project with member; if he does, only as to how member can improve project (considered to be CE). c) Length of time each evaluation method has been used in 38 39 the county. d) Number of members enrolled in each project from October 1964 to August 1965. e) The approximate number of thirteen-year-old members en- rolled in each project from October 1964 to August 1965. Twenty counties out of 83 replied. Several met the follow- ing criteria: a) County indicated that both IME and CE were being cur- rently used. It was hoped that by selecting counties in which both methods were being used, an analysis within the county would be possible. b) IME and CE indicated as being used for at least three years. It was felt that three years would be a minimum of time to expect a program to produce any effect in a county. Three years was also the time perceived by the Michigan.4-H State Staff as the probable maximum time IME had been in use in counties encouraging this method of evaluation. c) The agent's estimate of thirteen-year-old members en- rolled in IME and CE numbered at least thirty-five in each method. This number would produce a large enough N for county analysis, and provide a large enough N for total sample analysis. d) County was easily accessible in terms of distance to he travelled from East Lansing to gather data. From the counties that met these criteria, members of the Michigan 4-H State Staff selected Hillsdale, Lapeer, Mecosta and 40 Midland as the four they felt would have developed IME to a suf- ficient degree to have produced some impact on the 4-H members. These counties were contacted and agreed to cooperate in the study. The geographical location of the four counties is shown in Figure 1. Each of these counties encompasses only one urban area, whose population, with the exception of Midland, does not exceed 10,000. Hillsdale County is located along the southern border of Michigan. Seventy-eight per cent of its population is classified as rural.3 A total of 832 youngsters, guided by 160 adult leaders, participated in the 1964 4-H program. Lapeer County is no doubt influenced by the urban develop- ment of Flint in neighboring Genesee County, as well as the smaller city of Lapeer within the county. However, the majority of the population in Lapeer County are rural dwellers. Eight hundred fifty-nine members and 187 leaders were enrolled in 4-H Club work in 1964. Mecosta County had a 1964 enrollment of 1035 members and 135 leaders. Approximately half of the county's population is urban;half of the youth enrolled in 4-H are also urban. A large industrial development located in the city of Midland in Midland County accounts for over fifty per cent of 3All the proceeding references to "rural" includes both rural farm and rural non-farm populations. The definitions of rural and urban are taken from the Bureau of Census. (55) 41 Midland County's population being located in an urban area. How- ever, the 1964 4-H enrollment of 958 members and 193 leaders comes mostly from the rural areas. Each of the four counties has been operating with the same 4-H agent for a minimum of five years. Although Midland and Lapeer had a change in 4-H agents during the time of data collection, this would not have affected the evaluation methods used in these two counties, since the change occurred following project evaluations for the 1964-1965 project year. Selected 4-H characteristics of the four counties are sum- marized in Table No. 1. Table 1. Selected 4-H Club Program Characteristics of the Sample Commie?r Selected Counties Hillsdale Lapeer Mecosta Midland Total number of 4-H members 832 859 1034 958 Total number of 4-H adult leaders 160 231 135 193 Ratio of members per leader 5.2 3.7 7.6 4.9 4-H Club agent's tenure in county in years 5 10 9 7 a Based on information supplied by county agents from their annual statistical reports to the Michigan 4-H office. 42 W - Count ies involved in th in study 0-1219 Figure 1. Location of Counties Involved in the Study. 43 Selection of Subjects The 4-H agents from Hillsdale, Mecosta, Lapeer and Midland were requested to prepare a list of 4-H members who met the follow- ing criteria: a) Have been involved in CB or in IME for at least three years. Agents were requested to identify members as CE or IME. b) Have been a 4-H member for at least three years. c) Be born between June 1, 1951 and October 31, 1952. The total population of CE and IME subjects meeting the above criteria was used as the sample in all counties with the ex- ception of the Lapeer County IME sample. Because the IME popula- tion of Lapeer, as perceived by the 4-H agent, exceeded the desired sample number of thirty-five, selection of a sample was made using a table of random numbers. Development of Instruments The instruments needed to obtain data for this study were: (1) a measure of acceptance of self and others, (2) a measure of perceived success in 4-H Club work, and (3) an indicator of the types of evaluation programs used in Michigan. Questions elic- ting demographic data were developed. 44 Measurement of Acceptance of Self (AS) and Acceptance of Others (A0) Berger (3), Bills (5), and Phillips (30) develOped question- naires that elicited responses measuring AS and A0. These re- searchers worked with populations that were of senior high school age and older. Jersild found that a very large proportion of children describe or appraise themselves in terms of attitudes to- ward themselves and others. (27:123) Thirteen- and fourteen-year- old 4-H members should, then, be able to express an AS and A0 through the means of a questionnaire adapted to their level of understanding. The three questionnaires of Berger, Bills, and Phillips were surveyed with consideration being given to their adaptability to the thirteen- to fourteen-year-old level of understanding. The Bills' instrument was not selected because it was felt that the instructions were too detailed and the instrument too long for the intended age group. The Berger instrument was selected over Phillips' because detailed information on Berger's scoring pro- cedures, development of the questionnaire, and results of validity and reliability tests were more readily available. The Berger instrument consists of sixty-four statements; each respondent is asked to consider to what degree each statement describes himself, and is given a five-point scale with which to reSpond. Space one on the scale was identified as the response "Not at all true of myself", space five as "True of myself", and 45 the intervening spaces represented intermediate degrees to which the statement was true for the individual. Since Berger's scales are of the Likert-type, they do have the limitations of summated rating scales. Strong and Feder point out that: The process of summation tends to obliterate the uniqueness of individual items and may obscure important clues to certain isolated perceptions. The assumption is made that all the items in- cluded hold equal importance in the calculation of the final score. (51:173) Kerlinger also identifies a problem of the Likert-type scales - that of reSponse set variance. (28:484) Despite these limitations, Kerlinger suggests that "the summated rating scale seems to be the most useful in behavioral research." (28:487) People's attitudes are rarely all "black and white"; a summated scale allows for in- tensity of a response. People can merely agree or strongly agree. Greater variance in reSponses is obtained in a summated rating scale. (28:484) It would appear for the purpose of the type of analysis desired in this study - that of a comparison of the number of scores above and below the median - that this type of scale would produce the information needed for the analysis. (20:146) There- fore the problem pointed out by Strong and Feder of the oblitera- tion of possible unique individual items would not interfere with the intended analysis. The problem of response set was considered by Berger. He helped to minimize response set by constructing his statements so 46 that in some instances a negative response to a negatively worded statement indicated high acceptance, and in other instances it indicated low acceptance. The positively worded statements were constructed in the same manner. If the respondent disagreed that the following statement described him, "I don't approve of doing favors for other people ---", he would receive a score indicating high A0. However, if the respondent disagreed that the following statement described him "I don't question my worth as a person ---", he would receive a score that indicated low AS. Development of the Berger Scales In order to construct a questionnaire containing statements eliciting AS and A0, Berger used his nine descriptive statements regarding a self-accepting person (refer to pages 16 and 17) and his seven statements regarding a person.who accepts others, (refer to page 20) as a basis to develop four questionnaire items for each descriptive statement. It was decided that four items would be required for each element [descriptive statement]. This would be desirable in order to have the number of items usually required to give satisfactory reliability. Also, it permitted the matching of two halves of the scale for the purpose of obtaining matched-half reliability. (4:779) Table 2 indicates which of the questionnaire items are associated with which descriptive statement. 47 Table 2. Questionnaire Items CorrSSponding to the Various Descriptive Statements of the Definitions of AS and A0. Descriptive Statement Questionnaire Questionnaire Number Item for AS Item for A0 1 l4, 18, 45, 62 3, 21, 50, 55 2 9, 20, 38, 42 22, 25, 49, 56 3 l, 16, 53, 64 26, 30, 44, 60 4 6, 7, 48, 58 29, 32, 43, 47 5 11, 12, 35, 41 5, 10, 33, 57 6 2, 15, 34, 59 4, 27, 36, 39 7 8, 31, 37, 4O 19, 23, 46, 54 8 13, 28, 51, 61 9 17, 24, 52, 63 Reliability and Validity of the Berger Scales Berger carried out tests of reliability and validity on his scales. "The scales were found to have a satisfactory matched- half reliability and considerable evidence was found in favor of the scales' validity." (4:781) Reliability: AS - .894; A0 - .776 to .886 Validity : AS - .897; A0 - .727 (4:779-780) Berger cautions that his scale measures expressed AS and A0, which may not be the real AS and A0. (4:781) Based on the validity tests carried out by Berger, the assumption has been made for this study 48 that the expressed AS and A0 obtained by the Berger instrument are close to the actual AS and A0. Adaptation of the Berger Scales Because the youngest subjects tested by Berger were seventeen years of age, a check was made on the comprehensibility of the statements by thirteen and fourteen-year-olds. A twelve-year-old boy at the seventh grade level selected those statements he felt needed further clarification, or needed specific words to be adapted to fit the vocabulary of that age group. On the basis of this selection, adaptations to some statements were made. In most cases, the substitution of one word or phrase clari- fied the meaning of the statement. For example, in the statement - "I can become so absorbed in the work I'm doing that it doesn't bother me not to have any intimate friends," "intimate" was changed to "close". A check was made by two people to determine if the original meaning was retained in the adapted statements. The adapted State- ments in their original and adapted form are listed in Appendix B. The comprehensibility of the adapted statements were further checked by having three children, ages eleven (sixth grade), twelve (seventh grade), and fourteen (eighth grade) fill out the question- naire. Method of Scoring The scores for any one item ranged from one to five. If a reSponse "True of myself" (Space five) indicated a high acceptance 49 of self, then that response received a score of five. The reSponse "Mostly true of myself", (space four) received four for that item, with three, two and one representing lesser degrees of AS and A0. When the response "True of myself" indicated a low AS or A0, that reSponse received a score of one, with spaces four, three, two and one receiving progressively higher scores (Space one would receive a score of five). An individual's score on the AS scale was his total score for all items on that scale; the score on the A0 scale was his total score for all the items on that scale. (See Appendix B for scoring key.) Measurement of the 4-H Member's Perceived Success in 4-H Work On the premise that the number of aWards and other material indicators of success in 4-H work do not necessarily determine how successful the member actually feels he is in 4-H work, a five- point scale was developed to measure perceived success. The respond- ent was asked to indicate how successful he felt he has been in 4-H work, despite what others - parents and leaders - may have told him or indicated to him. The scale indicated varying degrees of success, ranging from "Among the most successful" to "Among the least suc- cessful”, "Above average", and "Average" were considered to per- ceive themselves as "successful". Respondents that checked "Below average" and "Among the least successful" were considered to per- ceive themselves as "unsuccessful". 50 Indicator of Evaluation Methods Used in Michigan It was recognized that a "pure” form of IME would be dif- ficult to locate in the Michigan 4-H program, since most clubs develop variations of IME using some of the traditional methods along with it. Three variations of IME and two of CE were identi- fied as existing in the Michigan 4-H program. These were outlined, following consultation.with members of the 4-H State Staff, Dr. Mason Miller and a former 4-H Club agent. Method I, stating that members, with the help of their leader, set their own goals and evaluated their own progress toward these goals, was classified as IME. The first steps of Methods 11 and III, also classified as IME, were identical to Method 1. The second step of Method II involved member participation in an additional evaluation by an outside person, after the members had talked to their own leader. Method III involved the members in one of two types of CE follow- ing their experience in the IME process. Methods IV and V, classified as CE, stated that the members' interests were not necessarily explored. Project content was the same for all members, and the project was evaluated by placing the projects in competition against each other. In Method IV, the judge did discuss project progress and problems with each member. In Method V, the judge only made general comments to the entire group, not to each member individually. Three adaptations of the indicator of methods used were 51 developed: 1) for use with the members, 2) for the project leaders of the members involved in this study, and 3) for the four 4-H agents involved in this study. 4-H Member's Form If members had had experience in only one method, they were asked to indicate that method. It was quite probable that some of the respondents would have been involved in both a CB and an IME method in the same year if they took more than one project. Instruc- tions were provided that stated if a member was in two methods to indicate the one that he felt had the most influence on his life. All members who checked Methods I, II, or III were placed in the IME sample. All members that checked Methods IV or V were placed in the CE sample. 4-H Agent's Form The four county agents that were involved in this study were given a form for each project leader in their county who had mem- bers in either the CE or IME sample. They were requested to check the method of evaluation that they perceived these leaders as using. 4-H Project Leader's Form Project leaders of the members involved in this study were requested to indicate the method of evaluation they had most re- cently been using and the length of time they had used it. If it was under a three-year period, they were asked to indicate what method they had used previously. Length of time method was used 52 was important, since one of the criteria for the sample was that the members be involved in one type of evaluation for a minimum of three years. Because some of the county 4-H agents had expressed doubt as to the accuracy of their perceptions regarding the methods the leaders were using, and the length of time they had used the method, the leaders' form was cross checked with that of the agent. These forms also enabled the cross checking of the perceptions of the three groups - the members, the leaders, and the agents, to see if they concurred on the methods being used. Demggraphic Data Questions were developed to obtain the following demographic data: name, club name, age, number of years in 4-H Club work, father's occupation, acreage of farm where applicable, record of projects taken and a list of project leaders for the 1964-1965 project year. Data Collection Procedure The procedure of data collection followed was to have the author personally administer the member's questionnaire at spe- cially called meetings. Due to the large variety of projects carried by the subjects and the time of year (before and during fall club planning meetings) the author was unable to have her meetings coincide with any scheduled county meetings. 53 Time and transportation problems necessitated a change in procedure following six data collection trips. Leaders were then contacted by mail and requested to administer the questionnaire to their members who were in the sample. Administration of the Questionnaire Because the Midland agent was transferred during the time of data collection, the author sent out postcards, under the name of Dr. M. Miller, requesting members of that county sample to attend a Special meeting. Leaders were also notified of this meeting. In the other three counties, the agents notified the leaders and mem- bers and made arrangements for the meetings where the author ad- ministered the questionnaire. The subjects were given verbal instructions. An attempt was made to set the subjects at ease so they would not feel that the questionnaire was a test. A self-introductory statement was made. Subjects were informed that the author was a student at Michigan State University and a Canadian, unfamiliar with the Michigan 4-H program. The verbal instructions given to the subjects appear in Appendix B. The subjects that participated in the study were cooperative and appeared to be interested in helping with the study. They were cautioned not to talk to one another about the statements, but could check.with one another on their leaders' addresses. The author found it necessary to closely supervise some members, since they tended to talk to one another - not necessarily about the question- naire. 54 Collection Data As a result of two trips to Mecosta County data from twenty subjects was obtained. This was 83 per cent of the total Mecosta sample. Two trips were also made to Hillsdale County. The first was to Speak to leaders attending a project workshop and to ad- minister the questionnaire to any subjects that attended the work- shop. Data from two respondents was obtained. Five additional subjects were contacted at a special meeting called for this pur- pose. Fifteen per cent of the Hillsdale total sample was obtained by personal contact. One trip was made to Midland County to collect data. During the morning of the day the special meeting was called, the author phoned leaders to remind them of the meeting and to obtain a com- mitment to help with the study. All but one leader was contacted, and all those contacted were agreeable to cooperate. Sixty-two per cent of the Midland sample was obtained at the meeting. Lapeer County was also contacted once - at a Special meeting called by the 4-H agent. The agent felt that a higher percentage of members would come if he mentioned that the author would be prepared to give the members a talk on 4-H in Canada. The meeting was attended by 29 per cent of the Lapeer sample. Forty-four per cent of the total sample and 84 per cent of the final sample was obtained via personal contact by the author. Due to lack of time and transportation difficulties, it was decided to attempt to contact the remaining 56 per cent of the total sample by mail. 55 The leaders were contacted by letter and asked if they would administer the questionnaire to their members. Leaders were sent a page of instructions, the questionnaires, and a page of instructions to give to the members. (See Appendix B) Sixteen questionnaires were obtained in this manner. Eight were returned as a result of the initial request, and eight returned following a reminder letter sent three weeks following the first request. Three weeks later phone calls were made to seven leaders selected randomly from a list of leaders with several members in the sample. Despite the leaders' assurance that the questionnaires would be sent in, none was received in time for the analysis. Table 3 summarizes the number of subjects contacted by the author and the number contacted by the leader. Table 3. DiSposition of Sample Names Drawn for the Study in Each of the Four Counties HillSdale Lapeer Mecosta Midland Total Total sample selected 47 56 24 70 197 Respondents 9 20 23 a 51 a 103 a participating (7): (16): (20)b (44’s (87)b in study (2) ( 4) ( 3) ( 7) (16) Refusals 0 0 l 3 4 No reply 38 36 O 16 90 a Contacted by the author personally. bContacted by the leader. 56 Administration of Indicator of Evaluation Methods used in Michigan 4-H Project Leader's Form Project leaders, whose names appeared on the 4-H members' questionnaires, were requested by mail to fill out this form. Twenty-one per cent of the leaders replied. Two reminder letters were sent. As a result of the first reminder, 46 per cent of the leaders contacted returned the forms. Twenty-three per cent of the leaders receiving the second reminder letter replied. A total reSponse of 67 per cent was received. Table 4 summarizes the re- sponses received from the project leaders. Table 4. Disposition of 4-H Project Leaders involved in the study of each of the four counties. Hillsdale Lapeer Mecosta Midland Total Total number of 4-H Project Leaders 19 35 28 51 133 Responded to first letter 6 7 5 10 28 Reaponded to second letter 4 l4 9 21 48 Responded to third letter 2 1 4 6 l3 Total number of leaders reSponding 12 22 18 37 89 57 4-H Agent's Form The four 4-H Club agents were mailed one form for each project leader in their county whose name appeared on a member's question- naire. One hundred per cent of these forms were returned promptly. Treatment of Data The median test was the statistical test used for the analy- sis of the data. (47:111-116) Chi-square was used at a significance level of .05, 2-tailed test. CHAPTER IV RESULTS Description of The Sample The IME and CE samples were found to be homogeneous in terms of ratio of boys to girls, age of subjects, number of years Spent in 4-H'work, number of general project areas taken, and father's occupation. Table 5 presents a summary of the demographic charac- teristics of the IME and CE groups. The IME sample numbered 44; 32 were females, 12 were males. The CE sample of 59 had a similar ratio of males to females -— 15 boys and 44 girls. There was no significant difference in the pro- portion of boys to girls in the two groups.3 By design, subjects in both CE and IME samples were either thirteen or fourteen years old. Age differences were not signifi- cant. The number of years' experience in 4-H Club work ranged from 3 to 6 years for both groups. Again, differences between the CE and IME groups were not significant.5 Although the number of general project areas taken by the 3X2 = .045, d.f. = l, p<.05, 2-tailed test. 4 x2 = 1.128, d.f.= 1, p<.05, 2-tailed test. 5X2 = 1.097, d.f.= 2, p (105, 2-tailed test. 58 59 IME group only ranged from one to five, while the CE group had taken one to eight, the difference was not significant at the .05 level. Table 5. Description of sample on several demographic attributes. Total Personal characteristics IME CE sample is; Female 72.73% 74.58% 73.79% Male 27.27 25.42 26.21 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% N=44 N=59 N=103 Ass 13 years 61.36% 50.85% 55.34% 14 years 38.64 49.15 44.66 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% N=44 N=59 N=103 Father's Occupation Farmer 16.67% 18.97% 18.00% White collar - no farm 11.90 10.34 11.00 White collar and farms 00.00 3.00 3.00 Blue collar and farms 26.19 24.14 25.00 Blue collar - no farm 45.24 41.38 43.00 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% N=42 Ne58 N=100 Number of Years in 4-H 3 years 22.73% 25.42% 24.27% 4 years 56.82 47.46 51.46 5-6 years 20.45 27.12 24.27 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% N=44 N=59 N=103 Number of General 4-H Project Areas Taken - l 25 .00% 25 .42% 25 . 24% 2 34.09 25.42 29.13 3 22.73 13.56 17.48 4 13.64 20.34 17.48 5 4.54 3.39 3.88 6 0 5.09 2.91 7 O 5.09 2.91 8 0 1.69 .97 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% N=44 N=59 N=103 6 x2 = 7.819, d.f. = 7, p (205, 2-tailed test. 60 Because of three no responses to the questionnaire item -- father's occupation -- this variable was analyzed using 100 subjects. The fathers' occupation of 43 per cent of the sample was classified as blue collar. An additional 25 per cent were engaged in both blue collar work and farming. Farming accounted for 18 per cent of the fathers' occupations. The remaining 13 per cent were involved in white collar work or a combination of white collar work and farming. 7 No significant difference was found between the two groups. Testing the Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: 4-H members in CE who perceive themselves as successful in 4-H will tend to express a higher AS than members in CB who per- ceive themselves as being unsuccessful in 4-H. This hypothesis was not testable. No subject rated himself as "unsuccessful" on the scale of perceived success in 4-H Club work. Hypothesis 2: 4-H members in IME will tend to express a higher AO than will members in CE. This hypothesis was not supported. However, a significant difference was found, but not in the direction predicted. 4-H mem- bers in CE tended to express a significantly higher AO than members in IME. Table 6 shows the relationship between A0 and member involve- ment in CE and IME methods. 7 x2 = 2.423, d.f. = 4, p(..05, 2-tailed test. 61 Table 6. Distribution of AO scores for 4-H members involved in IME and CE methods. -- Method of Project Evaluation IME 9E Total Number of scores above the median 16 36 52 Number of scores below the median 28 23 51 Total 44 59 103 X2 = 6.128, p ).05 (.02, 2-tailed test, significant. Hypothesis 3: 4-H members in IME will not differ significantly in expressed AS from members in CE who perceive them- selves as being successful. This hypothesis was not supported. A significant difference was recorded. Members in CE tended to express a higher AS than the members in IME. Table 7 indicates the relationship which was found to exist in this sample. Table 7. Distribution of AS scores for 4-H members involved in IME and CE methods. Method of Project Evaluation IME CE, Total Number of scores above the median 16 36 52 Number of scores below the median 28 23 51 Total 44 59 103 2 - X = 6.128, p ') .05 (.02, 2-tailed test, significant. 62 Hypothesis 4: 4-H members in IME will tend to express a higher AS than will members in CE who perceive them- selves as being unsuccessful. This hypothesis was not testable. Subjects did not rate themselves as ”unsuccessful" on the scale of perceived success in 4-H Club work. 0f the four hypotheses under study, two were not testable be- cause subjects did not rate themselves in the expected manner. Two hypotheses were not supported, but significant differences were found to exist; in one case no difference was predicted, and in the other case a different direction was predicted. CHAPTER V DISCUSSION In this chapter the following variables are discussed in re- lation to the results: 1) 4-H members in CB and IME and their per- ception of success in 4-H Club work, 2) Project evaluation methods and expressed AS and A0, 3) Sex as a variable in expressed AS and A0, and 4) mebers', leaders' and 4-H agents' perceptions of evalu- ation methods used. Weaknesses in the study are pointed out and discussed at the conclusion of this chapter. 4-H Members in CE and Their Perception of Success in 4-H Club Work Contrary to the expectation of the author, no subject who considered himself to be in CE perceived himself as "unsuccessful". This result raises the question: are the members who perceive them- selves as "unsuccessful" the ones who drop out of the 4-H program? The 9- to ll-year old age group make up the largest percentage of the 4-H membership. At the age of twelve members begin leaving the program. This would suggest that members at this age are influenced by certain factors that lead them away from 4-H; some of these fac- tors may be within the 4-H program. A contributor to the "dropout" rate may be the competitiveness of the CE method. Do those mem- bers who feel that they are not successful in 4-H work leave the club? Members of the State 4-H Staff had predicted that "unsuccess- ful" members would no longer be in 4-H Club work at the ages of 63 64 thirteen and fourteen. There may be a tendency for respondents to resist committing themselves on paper that they feel "below average” or ”among the least successful". However, reSponses were made by some subjects indicating a low AS. Therefore, it would seem that those reSpond- ents would not hesitate to rate themselves as "unsuccessful" if they perceived themselves in this way. 4-H Members in IME and Their Perception of Success in 4-H Club Work Subjects in the IME sample did not perceive themselves as ”unsuccessful". This possibility was expected and discussed pre- viously. If IME is not sufficiently developed, there is a possibility that members in IME may perceive themselves as "unsuccessful". The absence of such perceptions in the sample may be due to these members leaving the 4-H program after one to three years of experience. These results raise the question -- unanswered by this re- search: do "dropouts" from a program that uses CE differ in their perception of success from the "dropouts" of a program that uses IME? A study of this question should result in some understanding regarding the absence of ”unsuccessful" 4-H members in the sample used in this study. Method of Project Evaluation and Expressed AS It was expected that there would be no significant difference between the expressed AS of the IME and the "successful" CE members. A significant difference was found: members who perceived themselves 65 as "successful" in CB tended to express a higher AS than members in IME. A possible explanation of this result may lie within the de- velopment of the IME method. It will be recalled that one of the limitations of this study was the degree to which IME has been de- velOped in the four counties involved in this study. Undoubtedly leaders have had difficulty in adapting to and in implementing a new system of evaluation. One of the major factors contributing to the difficulty may well be the amount of training leaders have received in IME pro- cedures. When one considers the complexity of the field of human relations, and the depth of human relations ability that the train- ers would require, it seems logical to assume that the leaders have not received adequate training to enable them to implement IME as it is meant to be. For most leaders, IME would also have been a new concept introduced into a program that had used CE since the beginning of club work. In order to accept and implement change, people must have not only the skills but also the perception of a need to change. (13:313) Leaders may have perceived the introduction of IME as re- sulting, not from their concerns, but from higher "authority” -- such as the State 4-H Office, or the 4-H agent, or the general club leader. An additional factor may be due to the members' home and/or school environment. If either of these socializing agencies is com- petitively oriented, even a well trained leader would probably have 66 difficulty in successfully implementing IME. The introduction of IME may then be struggling against inadequate training, and/or leaders' lack of perception of the need to change, and/or socializing eXperi- ences of the members' environment. Considering these factors and the fact that there was only 58 per cent agreement between members and leaders regarding the method of evaluation used (see Table 9), it would seem logical to assume that IME has Eg£_been sufficiently developed within the clubs to have produced a significant effect on the members. Accepting this assumption, it is reasonable to expect to find members in IME ex- pressing a lower AS than members in CE. Members with a low AS would tend to see CE as a threat. If they have a choice, they would probably join a non-competitive IME method club. IME would not have developed to the stage where it could assist these members with a low AS to increase their AS. If CE is the only method used in the area, they may join the club, only to find it too threatening, and drop out of the program. Members with a high AS would not likely be threatened by a CB program and would be more likely to remain in the club. Since only "successful" members were found in the CE sample, it seems safe to assume that most have found positive reinforcement within the CE program. Why would not more members with a high AS be found in clubs that use IME? Do they not find this program challenging enough? If clubs using IME are going through an unstable period in their club organization, it may be discouraging to these members who may 67 be desirous of the challenge of competition. Parents may also be exerting an influence and may be urging their children to compete. Method of Project Evaluation and Expressed A0 mebers in IME were predicted to express a higher A0 than members in CE. The outcome of this study was reverse to that ex- pected: 4-H members in CE tended to express a higher A0 than members in IME. One of the possible explanations for this result is that the CE method has incorporated one of the procedures of IME -- that of the establishment of a warm relationship between the leader and mem- ber. Members who have remained in a CE method for three to six years may have developed this relationship with their leaders. Could this member-leader relationship account for the difference in expressed AO found between the two groups? It would seem likely that the chances are just as great that third to sixth year members of the IME method, whether or not IME has been adequately developed, would also have developed this relationship. Therefore, it seems dubious that this type of relationship could account for the difference. In this study a positive correlation of 7.3188 was found be- tween AS and A0. This fact may provide an explanation why members in CE tend to score higher on A0 than members in IME. 8D.F. = 101, p .05, 2-tailed test. The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient was used for this analysis. (47:202-213) Because of a large number of ties, it was necessary to correct the sum of squares, taking the ties into account. (47:206-210) 68 Members in CE expressed a higher AS; if A0 is positively correlated to AS then members in CE should also express a higher AO than members in IME, which they did. This correlation is contrary to the tendency noted by Berger, Phillips, and Bills in their re- search using young subjects. It is to be noted that their "young" subjects were seventeen years of age. Is it possible that youth in the early years of adolescence have a positive correlation be- tween AS and A0, which then changes as they go through adolescence, to a less positive correlation? One conclusion that can be logically drawn from the results of the study is that 4-H members who tend to score low on AS and A0 tend to be found in clubs that use IME; members who tend to score high on A3 and A0 tend to be found in clubs that use CE. Does this mean that youth with low AS and A0 in an area where only CE is of- fered would tend not to join 4-H Clubs, or tend to be the early "dropouts" from the program? As previously pointed out, a study involving the "dropouts" from clubs using CE and IME methods would contribute to the under- standing of the results of this study. It would also be interest- ing to explore the AS and A0 of the youth who do not join 4-H Clubs in areas where clubs are available. The possibility of CE developing an increased AS and A0 should be explored. Even though the literature reviewed for this study appears to refute this possibility, if the instruments and methods used were valid and accurate, the results could indicate that CE increases AS and A0. The home and/or school environment may 69 provide an answer. It could be possible that children become in- volved in experiences that lead them to perceive competition as a natural and accepted way of life - to the extent that their accept- ance of self is not threatened, nor is their acceptance of others prevented. Another explanation of CE increasing AS and A0 which the author feels is more compatable with her experience in working with youth, is that 4-H offers a variety of experiences other than pro- ject evaluation. Members may obtain sufficient positive reinforce- ment from these activities to compensate for any threat received from competitive evaluation of the project. The CE leaders would be accustomed to this method and would be able to devote time to other activities, while the IME leaders may be concerned with de- veloping IME and have less time to spend on the other activities. Sex as a Variable in Expressed AS and A0 Berger stated that girls tended to score higher than boys on the Berger scales. (3:781) An analysis of the results when sex is held constant indicates that female subjects tended to have a higher median in A0 than do boys. This was also found to be true in AS. (see Tables 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) 70 Table 8a. Distribution of A0 scores for male 4-H members involved in IME and CE methods. Method of Project Evaluation IME CE Total Number of scores above the median 6 8 14 Number of scores below the median 6 7 13 Total 12 15 27 X2 = .046, p ».05, 2-tai1ed test, Significant. 71 Table 8c. Distribution of AS scores for male 4-H members involved in IME and CE methods. Method of Project Evaluation IME Q§_ Total Number of scores above the median 7 7 14 Number of scores below the median 5 8 13 Total 12 15 27 2 _ x = .046, p (.05, 2-tailed test, not significant. Table 8d. Distribution of AS scores for female 4-H members involved in IME and CE methods. Method of Project Evaluation IME CE Total Number of Scores above the median 9 29 38 Number of scores below the median 23 15 38 Total 32 44 76 X2 = 9.12, p ) .05, 2-tailed test, Significant. 72 While no significant difference was found for boys in either AS or A0, the girls did display a significant difference on both. Of course, the N of the male subjects was small, which may have in- fluenced the outcome. It is possible only to speculate as to the reasons for this outcome. Boys may be involved in socializing ex- periences that give them more experience in competitive activities than girls. More stress does seem to be placed on competitive Sports for boys than girls. Would this type of involvement lessen the threat of competition in 4-H for boys with a low AS, or the need for a challenge for those high in AS? Perception of Methods Used Table 9 illustrates the inconsistency of the leaders', mem- bers', and agents' perceptions of the method of evaluation used. Project leaders were asked to indicate the method they per- ceived themselves as currently using and the length of time method was used. Only the leaders with one to two years' tenure indicated that they had used the current method less than three years. The four 4-H agents were requested to check the method that they perceived the project leaders to be using. 4-H members were also instructed to mark the method in which they felt they had been involved. Only 58 per cent of the members perceived themselves as being involved in the same method as their leader perceived him/ herself teaching. These results would suggest that the methods of evaluation are not definitely defined in the minds of the members 73 Table 9. Degree of agreement on methods of evaluation used between 4-H members, project leaders, and 4-H agents. Hillsdale Lapeer Mecosta Midland Total a Member responses compared with leader response Agreed on method used 6 20 15 59 100 (58%) Disagreed on method used 7 17 12 36 72 (42%) Leader responses compared with agent perception Agreed on method used 9 16 10 30 65 (74%) Disagreed on method used 3 6 7 7 23 (26%) Member responses compared with agentpperception Agreed on method used 7 25 18 77 127 (53%) Disagreed on method used 12 33 24 45 114 (47%) a Because several members had more than one project leader listed, member reSponses are greater than the actual number of members in the sample. Member reSponses were larger than for the leader-member comparison because 100 per cent of the agents reSponded compared with 67 per cent of the project leaders. 74 and leaders. There was closer agreement between the leader and agent than the leader and member. If the agents' perceptions are based on ob- served behavior, one would eXpect to find the opposite; members should have a clearer perception than the agents of the methods the leaders are using. However, the agent may get his perception of the method used from talking to the leader, not from observed behavior. If this is the case, one would then eXpect a closer agreement be— tween agent and leader than member and leader. The agents' perception of the members involved in CE and IME was used by the author to locate the sample for the study. Fifty- three per cent of the members agreed with the agents' perceptions. This would suggest that the IME sample being approximately equal in number to the CE sample occurred merely by chance. Selecting the sample in this manner may have affected its representativeness for the total IME and CE populations. A more accurate procedure may have been to contact all members of the desired age group, ad- minister the "indicator of evaluation methods", then select a ran- dom sample from the two groups. Other Factors Affectinijesults A consideration of factors that may have exerted an in- fluence on the results seems to be in order. Data from 15.5 per cent of the sample were collected by the leaders. The leaders could have introduced bias into the members' responses by their attitude toward administering the questionnaire, 75 their attitude toward the questionnaire itself, by making comments to the members, or by suggesting possible answers to the members. An examination of the responses obtained from this portion of the sample does indicate a variation from the responses obtained from the total sample. The median of the AS scores was 1.5 points lower than the total sample median. The median of the A0 scores was 5.5 points higher than the total sample median. If leaders did in- fluence the members' responses, it was not in a consistent manner toward higher or lower scores. An explanation of the median for the A0 scores being higher and the AS median being lower than the total sample may lie within the type of member who tends to respond to a leader's request to attend a meeting. Members who express a low AS and a high AO may tend to seek leader approval by obeying their requests. Those who express a high AS may not be motivated to attend by the need for leader approval. - It is possible, but not conclusive, that having the leaders administer the questionnaire to a portion of the sample influenced the responses. Table 10 depicts the comparison of the median scores . Table 10. Comparison of median scores of total sample with sample contacted by leaders. Median of Median of A0 scores AS scores Total sample 104.0 134.0 Sample contacted by leaders 109.5 132.5 76 The possibility of the method of sample selection resulting in a non-representative sample was previously discussed. The questionnaire has caused the author some concern. Were the statements in the Berger scales too personal to ask members to place their names on the questionnaire? One leader who administered the questionnaire to her members stated that they were too personal and blocked out the names on the questionnaire. Names were requested only as a means of checking who the non-respondents were for further contact. This point was not stressed in the administration of the questionnaire. If members did feel that the statements were too personal, placing their names on the questionnaires may have in- fluenced their responses. In determining the comprehensibility of the Berger scales the reactions of four children were used; this may not have been an accurate test. These young people may have been hesitant to express a lack of knowledge of words in more than a few statements. An ob- jective measure, such as the Flesch Readability Formula, should have also been employed. The question of whether respondents would rate themselves as "unsuccessful" was previously discussed. One weakness of the ques- tionnaire was that the "perception of success” scale was not pre- tested with known successful and unsuccessful members to check the scale's validity. Another weakness in the questionnaire was the 'indicator of project method used". By marking the evaluation method in.which 77 the members saw themselves involved, the members placed themselves in either the IME or CE category. The author questions whether the members correctly interpreted the methods listed. Lack of a pre- test with known IME and CE members leaves this question unanswered. The author should have sought out, perhaps by interviews, members that were definitely in an IME and a CE group, and administered the "indicator" to determine its validity. Requesting members to attend a special meeting may have re- sulted in only the successful members attending. Those who felt unsure of themselves in 4-H or school work may have made up a large percentage of the members not reSponding. It is not known if the non-respondents were representative of the total sample. Since this was an exploratory study, with time and travel limitations, interviews were not sought with any of the 4-H members who did not respond. The low response from Hillsdale County may be accounted for by the fact that several members of the sample were enrolled in summer projects, and were not active participants in the fall pro- gram. This made it difficult for the leaders to contact them. CHAPTER VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS This study was designed to explore certain behavioral out- comes of 4-H member involvement in Individual Member Evaluation and Competitive Evaluation -- two types of project evaluation methods used in Michigan. The main objective in.4-H Club work is concerned with the development of the individual member so that he can become a capable citizen in today's rapidly changing society. The development of the member is achieved by offering positive learning experiences centered around 4-H activities and the core of 4-H -- project work. Project evaluation, which occurs at the culmination of all project work, is questioned as a positive contributor to members' learning experiences. This study is developed around Combs and Snygg's definition of a contributing member of society as one who accepts self and accepts others. Two types of project evaluation are explored to determine their effect on the development of members' acceptance of self and others. The procedures of IME, a non-competitive type of evaluation, support an atmosphere for the development of increased AS and A0. CE, the competitive method, appears to present a threat to some mem- bers and a challenge to others. The degree of success felt by mem- bers in 4-H work was discussed as an influential factor in the 78 79 determination of threat or challenge. The hypotheses tested in this study were related to acceptance of self, acceptance of others, and perceived success in 4-H work. It was hypothesized that IME members would tend to express a higher A0 than members; that IME members would tend to express a higher AS than "unsuccessful" CE members; that ”successful" CE members would tend to express a higher AS than ”unsuccessful" CE members; and that IME members would not differ from "successful” CE members in AS. The sample was obtained from four Michigan counties. The 4-H agents were requested to submit a list of all 4-H members who met Specific criteria, one of which was involvement in CE or IME. In three of these counties the total population of members meeting the criteria was used as the sample. In the fourth county all the mem- bers meeting the criteria were used as the CE sample, while random selection was necessary from the IME population, because of numbers greater than the desired sample size. The possible N was 197; be- cause 94 subjects did not reSpond to the questionnaire, analysis was carried out on an N of 103. The four counties were not randomly selected from the 83 counties in.Michigan; therefore, this study is of an exploratory nature. The results are generalizable only for the four counties involved in this study, but may indicate trends for any of the 79 counties in Michigan that are using both CE and IME. Data collection was in the form of a questionnaire which sought out the following information: demographic characteristics, project leaders' names, degree of perceived success in 4-H work, 80 method of evaluation involved in, expressed AS, and expressed A0. The administration of the questionnaire was handled by the author at specially called meetings. Forty-four per cent of the total sample was contacted in this manner. Due to travel and time limi- tations, an attempt was made to contact the remaining subjects through their leaders. Leaders were requested by mail to admini- ster the questionnaire to their members. Only 8 per cent of the total sample responded to this method of data collection. The selection of subjects was based on the agents' percep- tion of evaluation methods used therefore, it was of interest to compare the agents' perception of methods used with that of the leaders' and members'. It was felt that a comparison of the leaders' perceptions with the members' would give some indication of the de- gree to which each evaluation method was clearly perceived in a club. Each project leader listed by a member was contacted by mail and asked to indicate the method of evaluation used. The 4-H agents were also requested to indicate the method they perceived these leaders as using. The results were compared with the members' replies obtained from the questionnaires. The median test was employed to test the hypotheses of this study. The findings were as follows: 1. 4-H members involved in GE tend to express a higher AS and A0 than members in IME.9 2. A positive correlation exists between A8 and A0.9 9 Results were statistically significant at the .05 level. 81 The expressed AS and A0 of boys in CE does not differ significantly from the expressed AS and A0 of boys in IME.9 The expressed AS and A0 of girls in CE tends to be higher than the expressed AS and A0 of girls in IME.9 Girls tend to score higher on expressed AS and A0 than boys. No member involved in this study perceived himself as "unsuccessful" in 4-H work. 4dH members have a low degree of agreement with their project leaders (58 per cent) and the 4€H agent (53 per cent) on the methods of evaluation in which they are involved. Project leaders and 4-H agents have a 74 per cent agreement of methods used in evaluation. The weaknesses of this study should be reviewed before con- clusions are drawn from the results. Weaknesses perceived by the author were: 1. Not establishing the validity of the "scale of per- ceived success", and the "indicator of evaluation methods". 44H agents determining the IME and CE populations (the agents, themselves, expressed doubt regarding the accuracy of their perceptions). The possibility that the AS and A0 scales were too personal to request identification on each members' 82 questionnaire. This may have influenced the responses. 4. The possibility that the AS and A0 scales were above the reading level of some of the respondents. 5. The use of "special meetings" to collect data. This may have influenced some members to stay home, and en- couraged others to attend, resulting in a non-represen- tative sample of the four counties. 6. Using different types of peOple to collect data. (The author -- unknown to the respondents, and the leader-- in intimate and continued contact with respondents). Replies may have been influenced, as well as the type of member that would attend each type of meeting. Interpretation of the Results If one assumes that all parts of the questionnaire were valid and that the weaknesses of the study exerted a negligible influence on the results, the following conclusion might be drawn: 44H members involved in CE tend to express a higher AS and A0 than mem- bers involved in IME. Lack of knowledge of members' entry behavior when joining 4-H Club work prohibits concluding that involvement in IME and CE results in any behavioral change. It is felt that a possible explanation of the results may lie within one of the limitations of this Study -- the stage of de- velOpment of IME in Michigan counties. The low degree of agreement between leaders and members on the methods used would suggest that 83 IME procedures are not being effectively carried out. If this is the case, involvement of members in IME would not result in a be- havioral change. The results would then indicate that members with a tendency to express a low AS remain in clubs that use IME. The possibility of these members perceiving IME as non-threatening was explored. Members with a tendency to express a high AS would be less likely to perceive competition as a threat; therefore, would be more likely to be found in a CB club. The results support this prOposition. The finding of a positive correlation between AS and A0 suggests one explanation of finding members with a high A0 in CE, and members with a low A0 in IME. The possible involvement of boys in more competitive activi- ties outside of 4-H than girls was speculated as one reason for the difference in results between boys and girls. Boys in IME and CE expressed the same degree of AS and A0, while girls in CE expressed a higher AS and A0 than girls in IME. If IME is not sufficiently develOped to help members increase their AS and A0, then one could reason that "unsuccessful" members would not be found in either IME or CE clubs. These members could be the early "drOpouts" having no reinforcement of success to encourage them to remain in club work. The results of this study are discussed with the realiza- tion that this is an exploratory study. More research on this topic needs to be carried out before definite implications can be made, and before generalizations can be made for the total IME and CE populations. 84 Implications for Further Research This exploratory study raises several questions that further research may answer. Is the develOpment of a 4dH member's acceptance of self and acceptance of others influenced by the method of project evaluation in which he is involved? A longitudianal study would assist in gaining some understanding regarding this question. Extraneous variables - such as home environment, school evaluation methods, involvement in competitive events outside 4€H Club work, length of time IME has been used in its complete form, and the type of rela- tionship between the leaders and members - would need to be explored. A study of the "drapouts" from clubs that use IME and CE would be of benefit. Some of the pertinent questions might be: Do "drOpouts" from a CE program differ from "drOpouts" from an IME program in: acceptance of self and others? : degree of perceived success in 4-H work? length of 4€H Club tenure? : relationship established between leader and member? What about the youth who do not join 44H Clubs -- do they differ in AS and A0 from the "dropouts" of IME and CE? Do they differ from the members that remain in 4-H Clubs? Is there a positive correlation between the expressed AS and A0 of project leaders and members? Do members tend to remain in a club longer if a positive correlation exists? Does the expressed AS and A0 of youth fluctuate as they move 85 through adolescence? Does it make a difference if the youth who are 4dH members have had experience in IME or CE? A longitudinal study would be required to explore these questions. As this is an exploratory study, replication is needed to strengthen results. However, the author feels that before replica- tion is considered the instruments used in this study and the method of sample selection should be improved. The validity of the "scale of perceived success" and the "indicator of evaluation methods" should be established. The readability of the scales measuring AS and A0 should be checked using an objective measure. A random sample selection from the total IME and CE population and a sample of a larger N than used in this study would enable generalizations to be made for the results. The age group covered in this study was of the 13- and 14- year-olds. It would be of interest to replicate the study using subjects 9- to 12-years of age and 15 years old and over. Implications for 44H Programs Although an exploratory study is limited in the degree that it can be generalized, the results of this study do suggest some trends that have implications for the 4-H program. Of course, further research is needed before the implications can be more than ideas to discuss, to experiment with, and to explore. The results of this study, and the review of literature sug- gest that action could be taken at three levels: professional staff 86 training, leader training programs, and the use of evaluation methods at the local club level. Professional Staff Training The educational background of most 44H staff members has been mainly in the areas of Home Economics and Agriculture, which co- incided with the emphasis on the project. The objectives of 4-H have broadened to stress the development of the individual, using the project as a means to this end. Project areas have also broad- ened, and now in many cases, extend beyond Home Economics and Agri- cultural fields. Therefore, it would appear that staff training should receive emphasis in such areas of social science as psychol- ogy, social psychology, and sociology, and in such areas of educa- tion as educational psychology and teaching methods. Specialists in areas related to specific projects could supply the knowledge and skills needed for project assistance, leaving the 4~H agents to be the coordinators of leader training and member development. 4€H Leader Training Programs A change of attitude and/or procedure is often difficult to achieve, especially of the need for change is not perceived. Leaders in 44H may not be aware of the possible negative effects of competition, or they may be aware of it, but not perceive this as a problem in their club. If it is a problem, having leaders objectively explore reasons for "dropouts" may encourage a change of procedure. Involvement in an "Evaluation Workshop" may also 87 assist. Such a workshop could possibly deal with some of the fol- lowing topics: 1. Evaluation: objectives. : methods of evaluation -- CE -- IME -- combinations of IME and CE. 2. (a) Classification of youth according to perceptions of self and others. Youth who express -- low AS and low A0 -- low AS and high A0 -- high AS and low A0 -- high AS and high A0 (b) Boys' AS and AD as compared with girls' AS and A0. (c) How to recognize these members if present in a club. 3. (a) Evaluation methods and their possible effect on each of the above four groups. (b) How to use evaluation effectively with each of the four groups. Use of Evaluation Methods in Local Clubs Leaders can make more effective use of project evaluation as a learning experience in their clubs by: l. Explaining evaluation to the members at the beginning of the club year. This should include the objectives of evaluation, the types of evaluation, and the advan- tages and disadvantages of each type. 2. Offering members a free choice of the project evalua- tion method used from the local club level, up to and 88 including the state level. If it is possible to find tools to enable the local leaders to recognize the four types of members, leaders could explore group- ing members on the basis of their AS and A0 for project teaching. Those members who accept others but do not accept themselves tend to develop more in an one-to-one relationship, which suggests more individual attention in project teaching. Those members who accept themselves but reject others need interaction with an accepting group; therefore, they could be placed in group work with members who accept self and others. Those who accept self and others will likely find a challenge in either group or individual work, so should be offered the opportunity to make a choice. 10. 11. 12. REFERENCED BIBLIOGRAPHY "Acceptance and The Accurate View of Self", Perceiving, Behaving, Becoming: A New Focus, Assoc. for Sup. and Curr. Dev. Yrbk., 1962, 118-140. Adolescent Girls, A Nationwide Study of Girls Made for the Girl Scouts of United States, New York: National Equipment Service, Girls Scouts of U.S.A., March, 1956. Berger, E. M. "Relationships Among Acceptance of Self, Acceptance of Others, and M.M.P.I. Scores," J. of Counsel. Psych., Vol. 2, No. 4, 1955, 279-284. "The Relationship Between Expressed Acceptance of Self and the Expressed Acceptance of Others," J. of Ab. and Soc. Psych., Vol. 47, 1952, 778-782. Bills, R. E. About People and Teaching, Kentucky: University of Lexington, Bulletin of Bureau of School Service, Vol. 28, No. 2, 1955. ________"Intelligent Behavior in 4-H," J. of Coop. Ext., Vol. 2, No. 3, Fall, 1964, 173-181. Bledsoe, J. C. "Self-Concepts of Children and Their Intel- ligence, Achievement, Interests, and Anxiety," J. of Indiv. Psych., Vol. 20, No. 1, 1964, 55-58. Block, J. and Thomas, H. "Is Satisfaction With Self a Measure of Adjustment?," J. of Ab. and Soc. Psych., Vol. 51, NO. 2, 1955, 254-259. Bruce, P. "Relationship of Self-Acceptance to Other Vari- ables With Sixth Grade Children Oriented in Self-Understand- ing," J. of Ed. Psych., Vol. 49, Oct., 1958, 229-233. Carter, G. L. "A Conception of 4-H," J. of Coop. Ext., Vol. 1, No. 4, Winter, 1963, 229-238. Coleman, J. The Adolescent Society, New York: Free Press of Glencoe, 1961. Combs, A. W. "A Perceptual View of the Adequate Personality," Perceiving, Behaving, Becoming; A New Focus, Assoc. For Sup. and Curr. Dev. Yrbk., 1962, 50-62. 89 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 90 and Snygg, D. Individual Behavior, New York: Harper and Row, 1959. and Soper, D. W. "The Self, Its Derivative Terms, and Research," J. of Indiv. Psych., Vol. 13, 1957, 134-135. Conference Proceedings, Golden Anniversary White House Conference on Children and Youth, Washington, D.C.: Golden Anniversary White House Conference on Children and Youth, Inc., 1960. Crowne, D. D. and Stephens, M. W. "Self-Acceptance and Self- Evaluative Behavior", Psych. Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 2, March, 1961, 104-121. - Davidson, H. A. "Competition, The Cradle of Anxiety," Education, Vol. 76, No. 3, Nov., 1955, 162-166. Dildine, Glenn C. "Effects of Competition on Individual Motivation and Personality Development," Washington, D.C.: National 4-H Foundation. (mimeographed) Drews, E. M. "Freedom to Grow," Nat. Ed. Assoc. J., Vol. 49, N00 6, 1960, 20-220 Edwards, Allen L. Statistical Methods for the Behavioral Sciences, New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1962. Elkin, F. The Child and Society: The Process of Social- ization, New York: Random House, 1960. Fey, W. F. "Correlates of Certain Subjective Attitudes Toward Self and Others," J. of Clin. Psych., Vol. 13, No. 1, 1957, 44-49. Focus on Children and Youth, A Report of the Council of National Organizations on Children and Youth for the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth, Washington, D.C.: Golden Anniversary White House Conference on Children and Youth, Inc., 1960. Frasier, R. "Boys and Girls and Competition," Selected Readings and References in 4-H Club Work, Madison, Wisconsin, National Agricultural Extension Center for Advanced Study, 1961, 35-38. Gordon, I. J. Children's Views of Themselves, Washington, D.C.: Association for Childhood Education International, Bulletin 104, 1959. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 91 Jersild, A. In Search of Self, New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1955. "Self-Understanding in Childhood and Adolescence," Amer. Psych., Vol. 6, No. 4, April, 1951, 122-126. Kerlinger, F. N. Foundations of Behavioral Research, New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., 1964. Krech, D., Crutchfield, R. S., and Ballachey, E. L. Individual in Society, New York: MCGraw-Hill Book Co. Ltd., 1962. Kreitlow, B. W., Pierce, L., and Middleton, C. "Who Joins 4-H C1ubs?," Selected Readings and References in 4-H Club Work, Madison, Wisconsin: National Agricultural Extension Center for Advanced Study, 1961, 70-73. LaFon, F. E. "Behavior on the Rorschach Test and Measurement of Self Acceptance," Psych. Mono., Vol. 68, No. 10, Whole No. 381, 1954. Lantz, B. "Some Dynamic Aspects of Success and Failure," Psych. Mono., Vol. 59, No. 1, Whole No. 271, 1945. Lyle, M. F. National 44H Evaluation Development Committee. A Tentative Report. (Mimeographed) Martin, T. T. The 44H Club Leader's Handbook, New York: Harper and Bros., 1956. Montagu, A, Education and Human Relations, New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1958. On BeinggHuman, New York: Henry Schuman, Inc., 1951. Omwake, K. "Relationship Between Self and Others," J. of Consult. Psych., Vol. 18, No. 6, Dec., 1954, 443-446. Pannes, E. D. "The Relationship Between Self Acceptance and Dogmatism in Junior-Senior High School Students," J. of Ed. Soc., Vol. 36, No. 9, May, 1963, 419-426. Phillips, E. L. "Attitudes Toward Self and Others; A Brief Questionnaire Report," J. of Consult. Psych., Vol. 15, No. l, 1951, 79-81. Pilisuk, M. "Anxiety, Self-Acceptance and Open-mindedness," J. of Clin. Psych., Vol. 19, No. 4, 1963, 387-391. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 92 Rogers, C. R. Client-Centered Therapy, Boston: Houghton- Mifflin, 1951. Roth, R. M. "Role of Self-Concept in Achievement," J. of Exp. Ed., Vol. 27, June, 1959, 265-281. Schubel, J. E., and Meach, H. B. "4-H Clothing Evaluation - Focus on the Individual," Ext. Service Rev., Vol. 35, No. 7, July, 1964, ll8-ll9. Seagoe, M. V. A Teacher's Guide to the LearninggProcess, Dubuque, Iowa: W. C. Brown Co., 1961. Shaftel, F. "Children's Feelings," Childhood Ed., Vol. 33, No. 8, April, 1957, 358-364. ' Sheerer, E. "An Analysis of the Relationship Between Accep- tance of and Respect for Others in Ten Counseling Cases," J. of Consult. Psych., Vol. 13, No. 3, 1949, 169-175. Siegel, Sidney Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1956. Soper, D. "Guiding Your Students Toward a Realistic Appraisal of Worth," Nat. Ed. Assoc. J., Vol. 49, No. 6, 1960, 22-23. Stock, D. "An Investigation into the Interrelations Between Self-Concept and Feelings Directed Toward Other Persons and Groups," J. of Consult. Psych., Vol. 13, No. 3, 1949, 176-180. Strang, Ruth The Adolescent Views Himself, New York:McGraw- Hill, 1957. Strong, D. J. and Feder, D. C. "Measurement of Self-Concept;A Critique of the Literature," J. of Counsel Psych., Vol. 8, No. 2, 1961, 170-178. Suinn, R. M. "The Relationship Between Self-Acceptance and Acceptance of Others: A Learning Theory Analysis," J. of Ab. and Soc. Ppych., Vol. 63, No. 1, 1961, 37-42. and Hill, H. "Influence of Anxiety on the Relationship Between Self-Acceptance and Acceptance of Others," J. of Cons. Psych., Vol. 28, No. 2, 1964, 116-119. Tyler, R. W. "The Educational Potential of 44H," Selected Readings and References in 4-H Club Work, Madison, Wisconsin: National Agricultural Extension Center for Advanced Study, 1961, 12-16. 93 55. U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. U. S. Census of Population: 1960. General Population Characteristics - Michigan, Final Report (PC (1) - 243, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Printing Office, 1961. 56. U. S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Washington, D.C.; U. S. Printing Office, Bulletin 1375, 1963-64. 57. Vincent, N. M. "Another Look at Competition in the Classroom," Ed. Forum, Vol. 26, March, 1962, 289-292. Appendix A Devices for Determination of Population 94 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Institute for Extension Personnel Development and U. S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating Agriculture Hall July 29, 1965 Dear 4-H Agent: We're interested in looking at the kinds of evaluation being used among our 4-H members to see what effect, if any, we can find when one method or another is used. I would appreciate your help in identifying what methods of evaluation are being used and with whom. We want to locate a group of youngsters who have been under the various evaluation systems long enough so that there might be a possibility of some differences showing up. You would help us very much if you would take time to fill out the attached form and return it to me. I would hope that you would find the results of the over-all study of value and help to you. The three methods of 4-H project evaluation currently being used in Michigan (as near as we know) are described in the attached chart. Please list all the projects that members have taken in your county from October 1964 to present. Indicate the project evaluation method that has been used for each project during this period of time by placing an X in the appropriate column. If evaluation methods vary within one project area, list the specific project units by name or number and identify the evaluation method used for each unit. Concerning the column "LENGTH OF TIME" - if the evaluation method has been used over 5 years - mark in the approximate time; if under 5 years - be as exact as possible. Thank you for your help. If you have questions, please let me know. Sincerely, Mason E. Miller, Director Institute for Extension Personnel Development MEM:fas Attached 95 COUNTY Project Title (Give Specific unit if necessary) LETUODS OF PROJECT EVALUATION l.Membcr with his leader cvaluatcs general progress through total project 2.Projcct judged, judge discusses general project progress with each member 3.Project judged, judge doesn't discuss with member-~or if he does, only as to how member can improve project Length of time this evaluation method has been used with this project Number of members enrolled in this project from October 1964 to present time Approximate number of 13 year olds enrolled in this project from October 1964 to present time . ---vg— _. é COUNTY Project Title (Give Specific unit if necessary) lETUODS OF PROJECT EVALUATION l.Member with his leader evaluates general progress through total project 2.Project judged, judge discusses general project progress with each member 3.Project judged, judge doesn't discuss with member-~or if he does, only as to how member can improve project Length of time this evaluation method has been used with this project Number of members enrolled in this project from October 1964 to present time Approximate number of 13 year olds enrolled in this project from October 1964 to present time . ---vg— _. é COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Tnstitute for Extension Personnel Development and U.S. Department of Agriculture CooPerating Agriculture Hall September 8, 1965 Dear I am a graduate student at Michigan State University in the Institute for Extension Personnel Deve10pment. I am interested in learning more about the impact of 44H Club work on the membership. As a result I have chosen the area of 4-H project evaluation as my thesis tapic. You may recall receiving a request from Dr. Mason Miller asking for information regarding the methods of project evaluation presently being used in your county. With the assistance of Dr. D. Dyer and ‘Miss AJ‘Vasold, four counties were identified as ones that would most likely have both types of project evaluation, that is, indi- vidual member evaluation and competitive evaluation. Your county was one of the four selected to be involved in the study. I realize that with the present reorganization this request comes at an inconvenient time, but I hope that you will be able to give me your cooperation and assistance in carrying out this research in your county. I would hOpe that the results of the study would be of benefit to your county; if you wish to have the results I will be glad to send you a copy. Involvement in this study would mean the following: 1. I would ask that you identify (a) Clubs that have been using Competitive Evaluation for at least 3 years. (b) Clubs that have been using Individual Member Evaluation for at least 3 years. There is a check on this in the member's questionnaire I'll be using, so if you are unsure of the procedure being used in some clubs, just give me your best estimate. It may be easier for you to identify individual leaders within clubs as using these methods rather than an entire club, if this is so, this is fine. Refer to the enclosed definitions to see what I have classified as Competitive Evaluation (CE) and Individual Member Evaluation (IME). 97 ° Page 2 2. From the above list of clubs (leaders) send me a list of all the members in those clubs (or under those leaders) that meet both the following criteria: (a) Members be in 44H at least 3 years. (b) Members be 13 years of age - also include those members that have been 13 during the past project year and have just turned 14. (Born approximetely between June 1, 1951 and October 31, 1952). This list of members that I receive should include the member's name, address, name of club, and type of evaluation (CE or IME) that he (she) is involved in. From this list of members I'll be selecting my sample for the study. I will then come to your county to administer the questionnaire to the sample. I'll need your help and advice in determining the uwst expedient way for me to administer the questionnaire in your county. I'd like to have you react to one question about the evaluation methods used by the project leaders of the members that are in my sample. I would greatly appreciate receiving your c00peration in this study. I feel that it may obtain some worthwhile results that will help make 44H an even more effective program. I shall be looking forward to hearing from you. If the above instructions need clarification, please feel free to contact me at the Institute for Extension Personnel Development. Yours sincerely, Thelma Howard Attached 98 99 Competitive Evaluation (CE) The member may or may not be given the Opportunity to discuss his project skills with his leader. He joins the project unit that seems to best fit his abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project year a judge evaluates the member's project by comparing it to those of his fellow 44Hers and/or a set standard. The judge dis- cusses with the member personally how the member feels about the progress he has made in the project and about any problems he has had, or the judge doesn't discuss project work with each individual member but will make general comments to the exhibitors telling Why he placed the projects the way he did. Individual Member Evaluation (IME) The leader helps the member decide what goals the member would like to reach - what he'd like to learn and what personal improve- ments he would like to make. The leader then helps the member to select the project(s) and project content that will best help the member reach the goals he set out for himself. At the end of the project year, evaluation is in the form of the member and leader discussing how much progress the member made in achieving his goals. Following this procedure the member may then become involved in a competitive evaluation of his project or may have his progress in the project and in personal development discussed with an outsider (e.g. another club leader, a project specialist). Appendix B Data Collection Instruments and . Other Devices 100 101 Adaptation of the Berger Scales Phrases and words added or altered are underlined. Questionnaire Number 3. Changed to: Changed to: Changed to: Changed to: 34. Changed to: Statement I can be comfortable with all varieties of peOple - from the highest to the lowest. I can be comfortable in most anything I do with all varieties of peOple - from the highest to the lowest. I can become so absorbed in the work I'm doing that it doesn't bother me not to have any intimate friends. I can become so absorbed in the work I'm doing that it doesn't bother me not to have any close friends. I don't approve of spending time and energy doing things for other people. I believe in looking to my family and myself more and letting others shift £g£_themselves. I don't approve of spending time and energy doing things for other peeple. I believe in looking to my family and myself more and letting others look after themselves. I realize that I'm not living very effectively but I just don't believe I've got it in me to use my energies in better ways. I realize that I'm not living very effectively but I just don't believe I have it in me to change my way of life. I feel that I'm a person of worth, on an equal plane with others. I feel that I'm a person of worth, no better and no worse than other peOple. Questionnaire Number 38. Changed 39. Changed 41. Changed 43. Changed 48. Changed 54. Changed 102 Statement I sort of only half-believe in myself. I sort of only half-believe in myself - in my ability to do things, in my worth as a_person. I seldom worry about other peOple. I'm really pretty self-centered. I seldom worry about other people. I really only think of myself. I think I have certain abilities and other people say so too, but I wonder if I'm not giving them an importance way beyond what they deserve. I think I have certain abilities and other peOple say so too, but I wonder if I'm not giving my. abilities an importance way beyond what they deserve. I believe that some people should get credit for their accomplishments, but I very seldom come - across work that deserves praise. I believe that some people should get credit for the work they've done but I very seldom come across work that deserves praise. I do not worry or condemn myself if other people pass judgement against me. I do not worry or harshly criticize myself if other peOple pass judgement against me. If people are weak and inefficient I'm inclined to take advantage of them. I believe you must be strong to achieve your goals. If people are weak and waste time I'm inclined to take advantage of them. I believe you must be strong to achieve your goals. 103 Scoring Key for Berger Scales The numerical scores given to the responses on the five-point Berger scales range from one to five. The following statements, numbers 2, 3, ll, 20, 29, 33, 34, 37, 42, 44, 48, 50 and 59, re- ceived a numerical score identical to the response circled. (e.g. if response No. 1 - "Not at all true of myself" was circled, that statement received a numerical score of one.) The remaining statements, numbers 1, 4 to 10, 12 to 19, 21 to 28, 30 to 32, 35, 36, 38 to 41, 43, 45 to 47, 49, 51 to 58, and 60 to 64, received a numerical score that was the reverse of the response circled. (e.g. if response No. l - "Not at all true of myself" - was circled, that statement received a score of five. Response No. 5 - "True of myself" - would receive a score of one.) 104 Verbal Instructions Given to Subjects I am interested in learning how 44H programs can be made even better for 44H members. Some people have gone to club leaders and agents to find out what the members are learning in the program. While these peeple probably do have a good idea of what you do learn, I feel that since the program was developed for young peeple like yourselves, that I could get the most help from you. Here is a questionnaire I'd like you to help me with. First of all, I need some general information about your 44H background. This is asked for on the first two pages. The other pages are a list of statements that describes how one person feels about many things. I would like to get your reaction to these statements. You may feel that one statement will describe how you feel once in a while, another may describe how you feel exactly, while another may describe how you never feel. This is natural as people differ in the way they think, act and feel. This is also why your friend can't answer for you - he can't tell exactly how ygg feel about something. As you read each statement - ask yourself - Does this describe me? Look at the scale of five possible responses at the top of each page (members shown on an actual questionnaire) and select the one you feel describes you best. At the end of each statement you'll find numbers that match the responses at the top of the page. (members shown the numbers on the questionnaire). Circle the number that matches the response you decided describes you best. Here is an example (Card One is held up. The following is printed on it: I ENJOY COMPETING AGAINST OTHER 44H MEMBERS 1 2 3 4 5) Suppose the statement was - "I enjoy competing against other 44H members". Now ask yourself which of these five responses best describes how you feel that statement describes you. (Card Two held up with the following printed on it - ) 1 2 3 4 5 NOt at Slightly AbOut Mostly True of All True True of Halfway True MYSBIf 0f Myself Myself True of of Myself Myself If you do not enjoy competing then this statement does not describe you at all - No. l - "Not at all true of myself" would be your best answer. You would circle No. l on Card One like this - (circle placed around the No. 1 following the statement printed on 105 Page 2 Card One) If you really do enjoy competing against other 4-H members - circle No. 5 "True of myself". If you enjoy competing against 4-H members only once in a while, then this statement would be "Slightly true of myself” - No. 2. If you enjoy competing most of the time, but once in a while you'd rather not - No. 4 would be your best answer. If you can take or leave competition, sometimes you like to compete and sometimes you don't, No. 3 would be your best answer. There is no right or wrong answer. The BEST answer is the one you feel is true of yourself - the answer that best describes you. Remember! You are the only one that really knows how you feel about these things, so you can't possibly have a wrong answer if you are honest with yourself. Read each statement, circle the number you want, then go on to the next statement. Don't go back and reread any statements - just make one check when you've completed the form to see that you have responded to all statements and have filled in the first two pages. When you come to the section requesting the names of your project leaders, if your leader is a married woman, please give her first name and her husband's initials. There is no time limit - some of you will finish faster than others. When you have completed the form, bring it to me, and I'll help you check it to see that all questions have been answered and all statements checked. Before you begin, are there any questions? If you have any while you are filling this out, raise your hand and I'll come and help you. (Questionnaires were handed out). 106 l 4-H Project Evaluation Study (Miss) Name (Mr. ) Date of birth Father's occupation If farming, give size of farm acres Club Name No. years in 44H (Count 1965 as a full year) List all the projects you've taken since joining 4-H. Tell when you took each project- whether you were a lst year member,2nd year, or 3rd year member. Name of Project Year taken EXAMPIE*Handicrafts lst and 3rd List the project leaders you've had this past project year (1964-1965) Name Address All through your 44H work your parents, your leaders, and your friends have probably told you how they felt you were doing in 44H. What is really important is how you feel. On the scale below mark down your own private thoughts on how you feel you've done in your 44H work. How successful do you feel you've been in 44H Club work? Check gEg_blank. Among the most successful Above average I Average Below average Among the least successful |_ 107 Page 2 Here are five methods of project evaluation. Read all five carefully, then check the one that you feel best describes the method that you've been involved in most. If you've had experience with more than one method - this is likely if you take more than one project- take time to think carefully and see if you feel that one method has more meaning to you and has had greater influence on your life than the other. If so, check that one. METHOD I Your leader helps you decide what goals you would like to reach ~what you would like to learn and what personal improvements you'd like to make. Your leader then helps you select the project(s) and project content diat will best help you reach the goals you set out for yourslef. At the end of the project year, evaluation is in the form of you and your leader discussing how much progress you made in achieving your goals. METHOD II Same as Method I with the addition of the following: Following the discussion with your leader at the end of the project year, you meet with an outsider (may be a dairy specialist, food specialist, etc.) to discuss the progress you feel you've made in project work and personal improvement. METHOD III Same as Method I with the addition of the following: Following the discussion with your leader at the end of the project year, you become involved in one of these two types of competition: a) your project work is entered into competition with the work of fellow 44Hers. b) your project work is judged against a standard set by a judge and/or experts in that project area. METHOD IV You may or may not be given the Opportunity to discuss your project skills with your leader. You join the project unit that seems to fit your abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project year a judge evaluates your project by comparing it to those of your fellow 4-Hers and/or a set standard. The judge discusses with you personally how you feel about the progress you've made in the project and about any problems you've had. METHOD V You may or may not be given the opportunity to discuss your project skills with your leader. You join the project unit that seems to fit your abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project year a judge evaluates your project by comparing it to those of your fellow 44Hers and/or a set standard. The judge doesn't discuss project work with each individual member but makes general comments to the exhibitors telling why he placed the projects the way he did. 108 Page 3 l 2 3 4 5 Not at all Slightly true About halfway Mostly true True of true of of myself true of myself of myself myself myself REMEMBER, THE BEST ANSWER IS THE ONE WHICH APPLIES TO YOU. 1. I'd like it if I could find someone who 1 2 3 4 5 would tell me how to solve my personal problems. 2. I don't question my worth as a person, 1 2 3 4 5 even if I think others do. 3. I can be comfortable in most anything 1 2 3 4 5 I do with all kinds of people -- from the highest to the lowest. 4. I can become so absorbed in the work 1 2 3 4 5 I'm doing that it does not bother me not to have any very close friends. 5. I don't approve of spending time and l 2 3 4 5 energy in doing things for other people. I believe in looking to my family and myself more and letting others look after themselves. 6. When peOple say nice things about me, 1 2 3 4 5 I find it difficult to believe they really mean it. I think maybe they're kidding or just aren't being sincere. 7. If there is any criticism or anyone says 1 2 3 4 5 anything about me, I just can't take it. 8. I don't say much at social affairs be- 1 2 3 4 5 cause I'm afraid that people will criticize me or laugh if I say the wrong thing. 9. I realize that I'm not living very l 2 3 4 5 effectively but I just don't believe I have it in me to change my way of life. 10. I don't approve of doing favors for l 2 3 4 5 people. If you're too agreeable they'll take advantage of you. 11. I look on most of the feelings and l 2 3 4 5 impulses I have toward people as being quite natural and acceptable. 109 l 2 3 4 5 Not at all Slightly true About halfway Mostly true True of true of of myself true of myself of myself myself myself 12. Something inside me just won't let me 1 2 3 4 5 be satisfied wdth any job I've done- if it turns out well, I get a very smug feeling that this is beneath me, I shouldn't be satisfied with this, this isn't a fair test. 13. I feel different from other people. I'd l 2 3 4 5 like to have the feeling of security that comes from knowing I'm not too different from others. 14. I'm afraid for people that I like to 1 2 3 4 5 find out what I'm really like, for fear they'd be disappointed in me. 15. I am frequently bothered by the feeling 1 2 3 4 5 that most people are better than I am. 16. Because of other people, I haven't been 1 2 3 4 5 able to achieve as much as I should have. 17. I am quite shy and uncomfortable in 1 2 3 4 5 social situations like parties and visitors coming to my home. 18. In order to get along and be liked, I l 2 3 4 5 tend to be what people expect me to be rather than anything else. 19. I usually ignore the feelings of others 1 2 3 4 5 when I'm doing something I feel is important. 20. I seem to be able to find the strength 1 2 3 4 5 within myself to handle things. I'm on a pretty solid foundation and it makes me pretty sure of myself. 21. There's no sense in trying to meet 1 2 3 4 5 peOple halfway. When peOple have values I don't like, I just don't care to have much to do with them. 22. The person you marry may not be perfect, 1 2 3 4 5 but I believe in trying to get him (or her) to change to ways that are desirable. 23. I see no objection to stepping on other 1 2 3 4 5 people's toes a little if it'll help me get what I want in life. 110 l 2 3 4 5 Not at all Slightly true About halfway Mostly true True of true of of myself true of myself of myself myself myself 24. I feel uncomfortable when I'm with 1 2 3 4 5 people who have a superior position to mine in business or school. 25. I try to get people to do what I want 1 2 3 4 5 them to do, in one way or another. 26. I often tell people what they should do 1 2 3 4 5 when they're having trouble in making a decision. 27. I enjoy myself most when I'm alone, 1 2 3 4 5 away from other people. 28. I think I'm neurotic or something. 1 2 3 4 5 29. I feel neither above nor below the l 2 3 4 5 pe0ple I meet. 30. Sometimes people misunderstand me when 1 2 3 4 5 I try to keep them from making mistakes that could have an important effect on their lives. 31. Very often I don't try to be friendly 1 2 3 4 5 with people because I think they won't like me. 32. There are very few times when I 1 2 3 4 5 compliment people for their talents or jobs they've done. 33. I enjoy doing little favors for pe0ple l 2 3 4 5 even if I don't know them well. 34. I feel that I'm a person of worth, no 1 2 3 4 5 better and no worse than other people. 35. I can't avoid feeling guilty about the l 2 3 4 5 way I feel toward certain people in my life. 36. I prefer to be alone rather than have 1 2 3 4 5 close friendships with any of the peOple around me. 37. I'm not afraid of meeting new peeple. l 2 3 4 5 I feel that I'm a worthwhile person and there's no reason why they should dislike me. 38. I sort of only half-believe in myself- 1 2 3 4 5 in my ability to do things, in my worth as a person. Not at all Slightly true About halfway Mostly true true of of myself true of myself of myself 111 l 2 3 myself 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. I seldom worry about other pe0ple. I really only think of myself. I'm very sensitive. People say things and I have a tendency to think they're criticizing me or insulting me in some way and later when I think of it, they may not have meant anything like that at all. I think I have certain abilities and other people say so too, but I wonder if I'm not giving my abilities an importance way beyond what they deserve. I feel confident that I can do some- thing about the problems that may arise in the future. I believe that peOple should get credit for the work they've done, but I seldom come across work that deserves a compliment. When someone asks for advice about some personal problem, I'm most likely to say, "It's up to you to decide," rather than tell him what he should do. I guess I put on a show to impress people. I know I'm not the person I pretend to be. I feel that for the most part one has to fight his way through life. That means that people who stand in the way will be hurt. I can't help feeling superior (or inferior) to most of the peOple I know. I don't worry or harshly criticize myself if other people make critical comments about things I do. I don't hesitate to urge people to live by the same high set of values which I have for myself. I can be friendly with peOple who do things which I consider wrong. 4 5 True of myself 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 112 1 2 3 4 5 Not at all Slightly true About halfway Mostly true True of true of of myself true of myself of myself myself myself 51. I don't feel very normal, but I l 2 3 4 5 want to feel normal 52. When I'm in a group I usually don't say 1 2 3 4 5 much for fear of saying the wrong thing. 53. I have a tendency to sidestep my 1 2 3 4 5 problems. 54. If people are weak and waste time I'm 1 2 3 4 5 inclined to take advantage of them. I believe you must be strong to achieve your goals. 55. I'm easily irritated by people who 1 2 3 4 5 argue with me. 56. When I'm dealing with younger persons, 1 2 3 4 5 I expect them to do what I tell them. 57. I don't see much point to doing things 1 2 3 4 5 for others unless they can do you some good later on. 58. Even when people do think well of me, I 1 2 3 4 5 feel sort of guilty because I know I must be fooling them-that if I were really to be myself, they wouldn't think well of me. 59. I feel that I'm on the same level as l 2 3 4 5 other people and that helps to establish good relations with them. 60. If someone I know is having difficulty in 1 2 3 4 5 working things out for himself, I like to tell him what to do. 61. I feel that people are apt to react 1 2 3 4 5 differently to me than they would normally react to other people. 62. I live too much by other people's l 2 3 4 5 standards. 63. When I have to address a group, I get 1 2 3 4 5 self-conscious and have difficulty saying things well. 64. If I didn't always have such hard luck, 1 2 3 4 5 I'd accomplish much more than I have. PLEASE CHECK TO SEE THAT YOU RESPONDED TO ALL STATEMENTS 113 C OOPE RATIVE EXTENS ION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Institute for Extension Personnel Development And U.S. Department of Agriculture COOperating Agriculture Hall October 18, 1965 Dear 4-H Leader: Some of your 4-H membersliave been involved in a 44H study I'm conducting in your county. This study is part of the requirement for my master's degree in the Institute for Extension Personnel Development at Michigan State University. I appreciate any assistance that you may have given me in helping with the transportation arrangements of the members that were in- volved in the study. As the 4eH program I work with is somewhat different from that of Michigan (I come from Saskatdhewan, Canada), I need your assistance in determining the type of project evaluation you use in your club. With the help of the State 4-H Staff I have listed five types of evaluation that are found in Michhgan. Would you read duese over and keeping in mind the instructions at the top of the page, check the one method that comes closest to the one you use. It would help me to complete my study in the near future if you could send this to me by return mail. In case the addressed envelope is misplaced, my address is: Miss Thelma Howard, c/o Institute for Extension Personnel Development, Agricultural Hall, Room 410, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48823 Your help in this study is greatly appreciated. Your 4~H agent will be receiving a copy of the results of this study if you are inter- ested in the outcome. Sincerely, Thelma Howard 114 4-H Project Evaluation Study (4-H Project Leader) Here are five methods of project evaluation. Read all five carefully, then mark a >( by the one that you have most recently been using. Write in how many years you've used this method. If you've used it more than threggyears mark no other method. If you've used it less than three years make an §_by the method you used before. METHOD I Number of years used You, as a leader,help the member decide what goals the member would like to reach - what he'd like to learn and what personal improvements he'd like to make. You then help the member select the project(s) and project content that will best help the member reach the goals he set out for himself. At the end of the project year, evaluation is in the form of you and the member discussing how much progress the member made in achieving his goals. METHOD II Number of years used Same as Method I with the addition of the following: Following the discussion the member has with you at the end of the project year, the member meets with an outsider (may be a dairy specialist, food specialist, etc.) to discuss the progress the member has made in project work and personal improvement. METHOD III Number of years used Same as Method I with the addition of the following: Following the discussion the member has with you at the end of the project year, the member becomes involved in one of the two following types of com- petition: a) the member's project work is entered into competition with the work of his fellow 4+Hers. b) the member's project work is judged against a standard set by a judge and/or experts in that project area. METHOD IV Number of years used There may or may not be opportunity for the member to discuss his project skills with you. The member joins the project unit that seems to best fit his abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project, a judge evaluates the member's project by comparing it to those of his fellow 4-Hers and/or a set standard. The judge discusses with each member personally how the member feels about the progress he has made in the project and about any problems he has had. METHOD V Number of years used There may or may not be opportunity for the member to discuss his project skills with you. The member joins the project unit that seems to best fit his abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project year, a judge evaluates the mem- ber's project by comparing it to those of his fellow 4-Hers and/or a set standard. The judge doesn't discuss project work with each individual member but makes general comments to the exhibitors telling why he placed the projects the way he did. Name County 115 44H Project Evaluation Study (4%H Club Agent) Here are five methods of project evaluation. Keeping in mind the club leader, , read all five methods carefully, then check the ggg_that you feel best describes the method this leader has most re- cently been using as you see it. METHOD I The leader helps the member decide what goals the member would like to reach - what he'd like to learn and what personal improvements he'd like to make. The leader then helps the member to select the project(s) and project content that will best help the member reach the goals he set out for himself. At the end of the project year, evaluation is in the form of the member and leader discussing how much progress the member made in achieving his goals. METHOD II Same as Method I with the addition of the following: Following the discussion with the leader at the end of the project year, the member meets with an outsider (may be a dairy specialist, food specialist, etc.) to discuss the pregress the member has made in his project work and personal improvement. METHOD III Same as Method I with the addition of the following: Following the discussion with the leader at the end of the project year, the member becomes involved in one of these two types of competition: a) the member's project work is entered into competition with the work of his fellow 4%Hers. b) the member's project work is judged against a standard set by a judge and/or experts in that project area. METHOD IV The member may or may not be given the opportunity to discuss his project skills with his leader. He joins the project unit that seems to best fit his abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project year a judge evaluates the member's project by comparing it to those of his fellow 4-Hers and/or a set standard. The judge discusses with the member personally how the member feels about the progress he has made in dme project and about any problems he has had. METHOD V The member may or may not be given the opportunity to discuss his project skills with his leader. He joins the project unit that seems to best fit his abilities. Project content is the same for all members taking the same project. At the end of the project year a judge evaluates the member's project by comparing it to those of his fellow 4-Hers and/or a set standard. The judge doesn't discuss project work with each indi- vidual member but will make general comments to the exhibitors telling why he placed the projects the way he did. County 116 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Institute for Extension Personnel Development And U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating Agriculture Hall October 29, 1965 A few problems have arisen in getting 44H members together to take part in a 4-H study I am carrying out in Michigan. I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some assistance. In anticipation of this help, I am sending you questionnaires that I'd like the enclosed list of members to fill out. Would you administer this questionnaire to these members at a club meeting or whenever you find it most convenient? If it is at all possible I would like to receive these before the 15th of November as I may have to return to Canada by that date. However, if this date is not convenient for you or the members, please send them whenever they are completed. There is a sheet of instructions for you and one for each member. If you have any questions I can be contacted at 355-8293. Thank you for your c00peration. Sincerely, Miss Thelma Howard, Graduate Student, Institute for Extension Personnel Development 117 TO 4-H LEADERS ADMINISTERING 44H PROJECT STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE: Explain to the members that you have been requested to assist a graduate student of MSU in collecting data for a study that she is carrying out in the area of 44H project evaluation and other general information. Ask the members to read their page of instructions carefully. When the members have filled in their questionnaire, check each one before the member leaves to see that it has been completely filled in. Here are some points to check: 1. Correct year of birth given. 2. Addresses of all project leaders listed - perhaps you should check to see if the addresses are correct. 3. Check to see that each statement on pages 3, 4, 5, and 6 has a response circled. 118 INSTRUCTIONS FOR 4-H PROJECT STUDY 44H members: This is 32£_a test. It is the kind of questionnaire you've always hOped to see in school. Once you've listed your project leaders names - you can't give a wrong answer. The answer that you feel is right for you is the right answer. BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE QUESTIONNAIRE READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING. ON PAGE ONE - under project leaders' names, give full name - if you have a married woman as your project leader, please give her husband's initials or name if you know them. TURN TO PAGE THREE These are a list of statements made by one person telling how he feels about many things. Some of these statements may also describe how you feel, some won't, and same may describe how you feel once in a while. This is natural as we all think, act and feel differently. Read each statement and ask yourself - Does this describe me? At the top of each page there are five possible responses each numbered to match the numbers at the end of each statement. Select the response that you feel best describes how that statement describes you. Circle the number that corresponds to the answer you selected. EXAMPIE l. I enjoy competing against other 4-H members. (:) 2 3 4 5 Let's say that you really dislike competing - then this statement does not describe you. Your best answer would be No. 1. "Not at all true of myself." You would circle No. 1 as has been done in the example. or - Let's say that you just dislike competing once in a while but most of the time you do enjoy it. This statement would then be "Mestly true of myself", you would circle No. 4. Once you have answered all statements - go back over them ONLY to check that you have circled a response for each one. PLEASE TURN TO THE FIRST PAGE AND BEGIN THE QUESTIONNAIRE. Thank you for helping me with this study. 119 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Institute for Extension Personnel Deve10pment And U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating Agriculture Hall December 14, 1965 Dear (44H Leader) In order to complete my study on 4-H project evaluation in Michigan I will need to receive the questionnaires from all the members from your club that were selected to participate in this study. I realize that 44H leaders lead a very busy life and you probably haven't had the time to administer the questionnaire before now. I would really appreciate it if you could have the members that haven't filled the questionnaire out do so before the next week is over. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Thelma Howard 120 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Institute for Extension Personnel Deve10pment And U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating Agriculture Hall December 14, 1965 Dear (4-H Leader) You may recall receiving a letter requesting information regarding the kind of project evaluation that you are using in your club. In order to complete my study, I will need to receive this information. I am sending you another c0py of the form as I know how easy it is to misplace something like this. If you would fill this out and send it by return mail, it would help me to complete my study in MiChigan. Thank you for your cooperation. Yours sincerely, Thelma Howard 121 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Michigan State University - East Lansing - Michigan 48823 Institute for Extension Personnel Deve10pment And U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating Agriculture Hall January 12, 1966 Dear (4+H Leader), In order to complete my 44H study in Michigan I will need to receive the mimeographed form entitled "46H Project Evaluation Study" from you. Due to job and visa requirements I have limited time in which to complete my study before I return to Canada; therefore, I would greatly appreciate it if you could return the form within the next week . If you have sent it in in the meantime please disregard this letter. Thank you for your cooperation in this study. Sincerely, Thelma Howard “‘“Illi‘ljllfijljlfillflfgrjllflfljflfijm’l“