Meanings Ascribed to Four Graft Activities before and after Extensive Learning

Abstract

The purpose of thisstudy wasto compare themeaning; ascribedby occupational therapy students to four croft activities before and after extensive learning. Thirty-fIVe first-year undergraduate students completed Osgood's Semantic Differential questionnaire before and afterfour workshops in puppetry, woodworking, weaving, and ceramics. The data analysis revealed significant differences before and after learning, especially for puppetry. Significant differences also were found across activities, mainly between weaving and each of theother crofts. Results of on exploratory factor analysis showed evaluation to be themainfoetor, but inconsistentfactorial structure wasfound in relation to Osgood's other two factors of power and action. This finding should be investigatedjurtlterbecause activities maydifferfrom concepts usually studied in the behavioral sciences with this instrument. This study contributes to the data accumulated in occupational therapy to document inherent characteristics of activities and meaning; ascribed to them.