Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Nominations And The Identification Of Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Concerns In Adolescence, Stephanie Deverich Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) directly influence learning, relationships, mood, and overall scholastic experiences. Research provides evidence that early intervention and prevention efforts can address the needs of students with EBD (Allen-DeBoer, Malmgren, & Glass, 2006; Cook, et al. 2008; Lien-Thorne & Kamps, 2005; Regan, Mastropieri, & Scruggs, 2005; Rivera, Al-Otiba, & Koorland, 2006), but in order to identify these at-risk youth, a screening system is needed to broadly consider Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Concerns (SEBC).This dissertation evaluated the alignment of a teacher nomination process (Teacher Nomination Form (TNF)) and a normative screener of EBD risk (BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional …

Bereavement In Emerging Adulthood: The Influence Of Religion And Type Of Loss, Elizabeth Collison

Theses and Dissertations

Bereavement is an important area of research as it may result in grief reactions that lead to serious psychological and health consequences (Stroebe, Schut, & Stroebe, 2007). Positive outcomes, such as personal growth or spiritual well-being, may also transpire post-loss (Hogan & Schmidt, 2002; Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982). Though research on bereavement has grown, few studies have focused on the at-risk group of emerging adults (Hardison, Neimeyer, & Lichstein, 2005; Arnett, 2000). The current study aims to add to the bereavement in emerging adulthood literature through analyzing descriptive data and assessing the impact of type of loss (i.e., nonviolent vs. …

Native American Students' Experiences Of Cultural Differences In College: Influence And Impact, Leslie Elizabeth Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The culture of most colleges and universities is very different for Native American students with close ties to their traditional communities. "Traditional," in a Native American sense, means multiple interconnections of emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual identity that combine to define expectations for the Native American way. This traditional cultural perspective is often in conflict with college cultures where typically only the academic or social aspects of identity are addressed. Research on college students of several ethnicities has found that the experience of post-secondary education can change individuals' attitudes, values, and behaviors. However, none of these studies focused on the …

The Relationship Among Maternal Parenting Stress, Coping, And Depressive Symptoms Across Time, Karen Foren Lake

Theses and Dissertations

This study was a secondary analysis in which the relationship among maternal parenting stress, coping, and depressive symptoms over time in 161 low-income mothers who participated in an Early Head Start Pathways Project were examined. Measurements were assessed longitudinally over a 12 year period of time. Direct and indirect relationships were proposed between maternal mastery, pre-existing depressive symptoms, relationship with significant other, child behavior, child temperament, maternal parenting stress, coping, and later depressive symptoms. Results from path analyses showed that when assessed earlier in the childbearing years, mastery, depressive symptoms, relationship with significant other, child temperament, child behavior, and maternal …

Behavior Analytic Goal Setting And Tracking At A Therapeutic Summer Camp: An Approach For Children With Autism Spectrum And Other Disorders, Whitney Victoria Boeder

Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by abnormal or impaired development with deficits in social interaction, communication, and a restricted repertoire of interests and activities. There are a number of treatment options available, such as individual or group therapies. Therapeutic summer camps provide a unique service to individuals with ASDs, as well as an opportunity to create, set, and track behavior analytic goals over the summer. Research has demonstrated that summer camps are a promising therapy environment. Research on goal setting and tracking has shown promising results for progress toward behavioral goals. There is limited research on …

Experiences Associated With Non-Suicidal Self Injury: An Internet Survey, Shana Anne Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI) is characterized as self-harm without suicidal intent. NSSI typically encompasses behaviors such as "cutting" or "burning" one's self. Recent research has found NSSI to be increasingly prevalent in young adults, particularly those of college age, and that NSSI is associated with significant negative health consequences. Current conceptualization of NSSI includes four distinct functions described as The Four Factor Model of NSSI (Nock and Prinstein, 2004). The present study surveys UWM students to assess for NSSI and to follow-up with additional questions relating to the Four Factor Model. More specifically, the study aims to investigate the two …

Rapid Knowledge Assessment (Rka): Assessing Students Content Knowledge Through Rapid, In Class Assessment Of Expertise, Erin Margaret O'Connell

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how students go about problem solving in chemistry lends many possible advantages for interventions in teaching strategies for the college classroom. The work presented here is the development of an in-classroom, real-time, formative instrument to assess student expertise in chemistry with the purpose of developing classroom interventions. The development of appropriate interventions requires the understanding of how students go about starting to solve tasks presented to them, what their mental effort (load on working memory) is, and whether or not their performance was accurate. To measure this, the Rapid Knowledge Assessment (RKA) instrument uses clickers (handheld electronic instruments for …

State Anxiety And High-Risk Developmental Influences On Laboratory-Provoked Aggression, Samantha L. Chase

Theses and Dissertations

Recent literature has identified a subtype of anxious people who appear to be at risk for aggression as opposed to inhibited and withdrawn as might otherwise be predicted among anxious individuals. While physical aggression is not typically associated with anxiousness, the current study examined the effect of both state and trait anxiety and other development factors on laboratory-provoked aggression in males.

Participants (N = 56) were randomly assigned to anxiety induction and control groups. An attempts was made to induce anxiety using a videotapes speech procedure. Several self-report measures were completed to gather developmental information such as history of aggressiveness, …

Nobody’S Perfect: A Qualitative Examination Of African American Caregivers And Their Adolescent Daughters’ Perceptions Of Adolescent Girls’ Body Image, Michell Pope

Theses and Dissertations

The increasingly high rates of body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls are alarming. Research suggests that cultural norms emphasizing thinness and unrealistic standards of beauty may be contributing to this growing problem. This is concerning given the link between negative body image and a host of unhealthy behaviors in girls. Although historically African American adolescent girls have exhibited higher levels of body satisfaction than their counterparts, there is growing evidence to suggest that this may be changing because of the body-related messages they receive from their parents, peers and the media. The present study examines these messages from both maternal caregivers’ …

Ecological Momentary Assessment And Time-Varying Factors Associated With Eating And Physical Activity, Amy Jeffers

Theses and Dissertations

The obesity epidemic is a significant problem in the United States. It is well established that lifestyle factors, such as unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, are key contributors. These causes are generally voluntary activities and it is important to examine health decision-making with respect to these behaviors. The current study examined time-varying factors of stress and mood and their relationship with healthy eating and physical activity in a sample of undergrads (N = 26). Ecological momentary assessment via one's cell phone was used to collect multiple measurements over six days. Positive mood was found to follow physical activity episodes for …

Effects Of Imagery Training On Language In Expressive Writing, Therese Verkerke Cash

Theses and Dissertations

Research examining language in written and oral trauma narratives indicates that exposure and cognitive processing are important processes responsible for therapeutic change. Bio-informational theory, which defines emotions as the activation of response, stimulus, and meaning units in memory, provides a meaningful structure for evaluating language in traumatic and neutral essays. This study examined the effects of imagery training procedures designed to prime activation of response or stimulus units on word usage. The effect of writing instructions on activation of meaning units was also investigated. Unscreened undergraduates (n=246) were randomly assigned in a 2 writing condition (traumatic or neutral) x 3 …

Cardiovascular Reactivity In Friendships: Length Of Relationship And Frequency Of Contact As Potential Moderators, Benjamin D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Social support has been linked to positive health outcomes. Specifically, having available support from a friend may act as a buffer to the negative effects of stress on cardiovascular reactivity. Relationship quality is an important moderator of this effect. The purpose of this study was to examine how cardiovascular reactivity is affected by relationship quality within friendships and whether the length of relationship and frequency of contact may moderate the effect. 134 healthy male and female adults (and their same-sex friend) were recruited to participate. Results revealed no significant difference between subjects interacting with supportive friends compared to interacting with …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Adolescent Students With Disabilities Regarding "Flextime" In A Response To Intervention Model, Julie G. Daye

Theses and Dissertations

Attitudes of Adolescent Students with Disabilities Regarding "Flextime" in a Response to Intervention Model Julie Daye Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, BYU Educational Specialist in School Psychology One of the stumbling blocks to implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) in a secondary school is finding time for students to receive second level instruction. Evidence of effective implementation of RTI in elementary schools is more prevalent than in secondary schools. There is limited information on how to restructure school time and other resources in order to successfully implement RTI in secondary schools. Evidence is also limited regarding the impact of …

Inspiration: Examining Its Emotional Correlates And Relationship To Internalized Values, David Jennings Ii

Theses and Dissertations

The study of inspiration as a psychological construct has received little empirical attention to date. In the present dissertation, I review the empirical literature on inspiration and present a theoretical model and definition of inspiration. In two studies, I tested a Value-Congruent Model of Inspiration and my proposed definition. In Study 1 (N = 134), I explored inspiration’s emotional correlates and tested whether individuals experience greater inspiration if the inspirational content is concordant with individual meaning and values. As predicted, state inspiration was positively related to state levels of admiration, awe, and elevation, and value-congruent stimuli significantly predicted self-reported experiences …

Relationships Among Acculturation, Self-Positivity Bias, Stigma, And Condom Use In A Sample Of Urban College Students, Molly Neff

Theses and Dissertations

Despite an increase in interventions targeted at lowering the rate of HIV/AIDS among college students, the rate of HIV/AIDS infections has not decreased. The purpose of this study was to identify factors (i.e., HIV-sexual knowledge, self-positivity bias, peer norms, acculturation, perceived risk of HIV, HIV-related stigma, and condom use) that may affect condom use among college students who live in an area where the prevalence of HIV is relatively high. The current study utilized a sexually active sample (N=397) of diverse college students (predominantly African American and White) in an urban setting to examine the relationships. Path analysis was used …

Personality And Interpersonal Predictors Among Ministers: Preference For Pastoral Counseling Tasks, Jessica Young Brown

Theses and Dissertations

A review of vocational assessment in ministry populations revealed that since the 1950s, ministers have been assessed using psychological and vocational assessments in an effort to ascertain goodness of fit for ministry tasks. However, ministers consistently produce profile reports that are significantly different from the population as a whole. In addition, while there has been much research on the general ministerial vocation, there has been little research on particular ministerial roles and the predictors for ministers who will excel in those tasks. The literature on ministers is outdated and has not taken into consideration the peculiar characteristics of the ministry …

Care For The Socially Disadvantaged: The Role Of Race And Gender On The Physician-Patient Relationship And Patient Outcomes In A Safety Net Primary Care Clinic., Daniel Baughn

Theses and Dissertations

Compared to the general population, socially disadvantaged patients have higher rates of chronic illness and require more complex medical care. They also endorse higher levels of psychological distress and tend to engage in behavioral risk factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking. These issues are particularly concerning given that this population tends to adhere less to medical recommendations, has limited access to health resources, and receives poorer treatment from providers. In an effort to address this disparity, The Affordable Care Act will expand health care access to an additional 23 million uninsured and 17 million underinsured Americans. However, …

Increasing Positive Social Interaction Among Kindergarten Students, Scott M. Trinh

Theses and Dissertations

The current literature lacks empirically-supported preventative approaches for kindergarten students who are socially withdrawn and behind in the development of social skills. Furthermore, parents are underutilized in interventions during this critical period of social development. In response to this need, a classroom-based intervention consisting of (a) social skills training, (b) self-evaluation and reinforcement, (c) home notes and parent involvement, and (d) adult mediation was implemented to increase the positive social engagement of three kindergarten students. The effects of this intervention were evaluated on the playground during recess using partial interval recording of target students’ positive or negative engagement with at …

Stakeholder Views On Children’S Mental Health Services, Adriana Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Identification of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) has been an important development; however recently, some shortcomings of the approach have been highlighted. These complexities have led to a surge in transportability research in mental health services science with goals of identifying needed strategies to encourage the adoption of innovations. The mental health system ecological (MHSE) model is an approach necessary to assist with closing this gap effectively as it integrates mental health contexts: client-level, provider-level, intervention-specific, service delivery, organizational, and service system characteristics. The aim of this study is to use the MHSE model to examine perspectives of mental health stakeholders on …

Supporting Children's Grief After A Death: A Guide For School Psychologists, Catherine Alexandra Bergeson

Theses and Dissertations

The death of a loved one is a significant stressor for children. Most children are exposed to grief at an early age. Without necessary support and guidance, children are much more susceptible to negative emotional, cognitive, and developmental effects. Expressive therapies such as bibliotherapy are supposed to provide a safe and healthy outlet for children's grief. However, school psychologists have limited pre-service training and readily available resources to effectively address children's death-related grief. This study included a survey of school psychologists from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Crisis Management Group. Of the 431 potential members, 22% (N=95) responded …

The Impact Of Professional Development On The Delivery Of Written Praise And Office Disciplinary Referrals, Shalon Stephanie Wilmott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of professional development on teachers' delivery of written praise notes and the number of office disciplinary referrals (ODRs). The professional development consisted of training teachers on the effective use of behavior specific written praise, as well as on how to analyze and respond to praise-note and office disciplinary referral data. It was hypothesized that this process could help support and increase teachers' delivery of behavior-specific written praise notes and would subsequently decrease in the rate of office discipline referrals (ODRs). As baseline data, this study used the participating school's existing …

The Impact Of Ambiguous Versus Blatant Race Related Stress On Ego Depletion In African American Adults, Benita Belvet

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the current study was to examine variations in the impact of ambiguous versus blatant race related stressors on ego depletion in a sample of African American adults. Blatant race related stress was compared with ambiguous race related stress in regards to the relative impact on the constructs of ego depletion and perseverative cognition. Perseverative cognition was also examined as a potential mediating variable in the relationship between race related stress and ego depletion. Additionally, attributional ambiguity was hypothesized to moderate the effect of race related stress on perseverative cognition. The study implemented an experimental design, and assessed …

Differences In Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults In Different Living Situations, Jennifer Roake

Theses and Dissertations

Differences in life satisfaction among young adults in different living situations were evaluated. The aims of this study were to use the Satisfaction with Life Scale to examine the differences in life satisfaction. Levels of depression as well as purpose in life were also evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Purpose in Life Scale. A total of 91 participants responses were included in the study, with 58 participants reporting living independently and 33 participants reporting living with parents. Independent t-tests found that individuals living at home report lower levels of life satisfaction compared to participants …

Evaluation Of An Early Intervention Program Using Eligibility Criteria, Emily Kurlansik

Theses and Dissertations

Early Intervention programs are state and federally funded programs that are available in virtually every state that provide support to children birth to three who have developmental delays. Eligibility into the program varies by state and determining eligibility for a child is a complex task that has tremendous implications on both the program and its children. A program evaluation was conducted on a branch of an early intervention program located in New Jersey to determine whether service providers were correctly identifying children who were eligible for services. Results indicated that four of out the 112 children in the program were …

The Role Of School Psychologists Regarding The Implementation Of The Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act, John Kowalcyk

Theses and Dissertations

Current school psychologists in New Jersey were contacted in order to determine the attitudes, roles, and approaches of different school psychologists in relation to the new HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) legislation for all New Jersey Public Schools. This study gauged school psychologists' level of involvement in implementing the new legislation and their overall roles with regard to maintaining a safe and positive school climate. The survey, which was sent via email to school psychologists across the state, asked questions about their perceived roles in schools, the time they spent on various obligations during the workday, their involvement with the …

Racial And Socioeconomic Differences In Special Education Students Returning To General Education, Katie Aspinwall

Theses and Dissertations

Education's history has been shadowed by disparities in the quality of education delivered universally. Particularly highlighted are the disparities between the cases of socioeconomic status and racial background. Special education has been identified for decades as containing an overrepresentation of minorities classified. This study has analyzed retrospective data from the New Jersey Department of Special Education public website to examine if this pattern of overrepresentation of minorities continues to be represented in the population that returns to general education. The current study also analyzed the District Factor Grouping to investigate the implications of the school district's socioeconomic status in relation …

Practices Of Professionals Providing Services To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Testing The Theory Of Planned Behavior In Predicting Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions And Family-Centered Care, Lillian Christon

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are chronic and pervasive developmental disorders; children with ASDs require more multidisciplinary services than children with other developmental, behavioral, and emotional disorders (Kogan et al., 2008). Little research has been done on the practices and perspectives of the professionals providing services to children with ASDs. Evidence-based practice (combining use of evidence-based interventions [EBIs], family-centered care [FCC] respecting patient/family values, and clinical expertise) leads to the best outcomes for children with ASDs (APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006). The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which psychological constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, …

Health And Religious Commitment Among College Students: The Effects Of Health Behavior, Mental Health, And Social Support, Monica Yvette Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Empirical findings supporting the connection between religion and spirituality and health have been consistently found in the literature, whereas the factors explaining this relationship have lacked clarity. The present study sought to explore this relationship and establish health behavior, mental health, and social support as mediating factors to the proposed association between religious commitment and physical health. Physical health was measured by a number of indicators: body mass index, self-reported medical conditions, prescription drug use, over-the-counter medication usage, and problem use of drugs and alcohol. A sample of 150 college students from a university in Central Virginia participated in this …

Suicide Prevention / Postvention: A Student, Parent, Teacher, And Other Educational Professionals Perspective, Heather Leech

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to: (1) determine the extent to which local schools are providing suicide prevention programs; (2) determine the effectiveness of suicide presentation programs; (3) examine the attitudes of teachers, parents, students, and other educational professionals regarding suicide prevention programs and; (4) determine the need for suicide prevention programs in a southern, New Jersey special services school district. A survey was distributed to 20 people in each of the following categories: teacher, parent, student, and other educational professionals. The four categories mentioned above were analyzed in the surveys. The results indicated that the participants feel that …

No-Suicide Contracts With Suicidal Youth: Utah Mental Health Professionals' Perceptions And Current Practice, Andrea L. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 10--24. In 2001 the U.S. Surgeon General laid out a national strategic plan to more effectively address suicide prevention (United States Public Health Service, 2001). In 2008, Gene Cash, then president of The National Association of School Psychologists, made a "call to action" to prevent suicide. Although suicide prevention has been repeatedly identified as a priority in mental health care, the vast majority of interventions with suicidal youth are not evidence based due to a lack of research utilizing controlled studies (Daniel & Goldston, 2009). Unfortunately …