Stroh, Thomas F.

The Ohio Association of Life Underwriters received criticism
of the study manual it sells to prepare prospective agents to pass
the state insurance examination. It undertook a study to learn the
extent of this criticism and to determine the need and market for
either a new study manual or an oral training course.
Questionnaires were sent to both purchasers and users. They
were designed to measure the perceived adequacy of the manual and to
determine characteristics respondees felt highly desirable in a
superior manual.
Both purchasers and users evidenced dissatisfaction extensive
enough to indicate a need and a market for a new manual, but no need
for an oral training course. A substantial market for a programmed
learning manual was found to exist at a price of $10.
Substantial dissatisfaction with the present examination was
uncovered leading to a recommendation for future study of the
adequacy of the examination itself.

This thesis was prepared as a study of the real estate agent's own
professional image compared to his actual behavior in the state of
Oregon. Methods employed in substantiating this concept and its
corollaries include: questionnaire, interviews, and scholarly research.
The thesis is divided into two objectives, testing three hypotheses.
The categories for measurement include breakdown in the agent's knowledge
of technical aspects of conducting real estate transactions and a
breakdown in performance due to a lack of follow-up on details to
conclude a real estate transaction. After extensive analysis employing
the projective technique, it was found that remedial programs should be
instituted in both areas.