This study dealt with the perception of dissonance by male, female, freshman and senior music majors. A test was devised which would show that there is a significant difference in dissonance perception between freshman versus senior and male versus female music majors, utilizing specific excerpts from the musical repertoire. Test item analysis was also employed to determine if a significant difference occurs in each excerpt. It was found that certain excerpts show a significant difference while the means of the combined groups do not. This phenomenon was because of relative uncertainty in response between dissonant ("four") and extremely dissonant ("five") excerpts. The conclusions of the study based upon the hypotheses were the following: 1. Four years in a university environment makes a significant difference in a music major's perception of dissonant sounds in music. 2. The sex of the music major causes no significant difference in the perception of dissonance. Male responses were consistent with female responses within the same class.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the purposes, plans, activities, and programs of the National Education Association that focused upon instruction. To carry out this purpose, guideline questions were developed. Answers to the questions were sought through leads obtained from a study of the volumes of Addresses and Proceedings for the years since the first NTA meeting in 1857 through the 1976 NEA Convention and editions of the NEA Handbook from the first in 1945 through the 1976 edition. Findings were presented in a six-chapter historical-descriptive narrative. Although interest in instruction is not an exclusive concern held only by professional associations, the findings of this study do suggest that instruction has been a fortunate focus for the NEA in two respects. First, the times of NEA's more obvious emphasis on instruction have been relatively free of criticism of Association activity. Secondly, emphasis on instruction has emerged as a thread to unify the National Education Association with diverse organizations and with classic human institutions--the home, the church, the school, and governmental agencies--throughout the world.