Digital Commons Network^™

Factors That Influence The College Attendance Decisions Of Appalachian Students, Erica Chenoweth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study sought to examine the factors that influence the decisions of Appalachian high school students regarding college attendance. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory of human development (1986) as a theoretical basis, direct and indirect influences of environmental factors upon the academic aspirations of Appalachian youth were examined using survey methodology. Results indicated that predictors of college attendance for Appalachian students are not significantly different from those of students elsewhere. Variables reflective of individual academic preparation were most salient in predicting college aspirations for both males and females. Other important predictors included parent education, parent occupation, and socioeconomic status. …

Community Factors That Correlate With Middle-Adolescent Antisocial Behavior, Olga Kamenchuk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many adolescents nowadays display antisocial behavior. A large number of theories explaining origin of antisocial behavior have been developed in the last several centuries. The current study utilizes the "ecological" theoretical framework that allows the researcher to consider multiple ecological systems in which individuals operate and to focus on the community factors influencing antisocial behavior.

The researcher used part of the Prevention Needs Assessment survey to identify which community risk and protective factors correlate with middle-adolescent antisocial behavior. Analysis included intercluster, cluster-item correlations, and partial correlations. Results indicated correlations between antisocial behavior and a number of community risk factors, and …

On-Campus And Off-Campus Students' Ratings Of Instruction And Courses, Noriko Saeki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The associations of student ratings of instruction and courses (SRIC) with noninstructional variables (e.g., class size, expected grade) were examined in three instructional delivery groups--on-campus, off-campus face-to-face, and distance education courses. Factor analysis of SRIC from a 20-item form yielded two highly correlated factors, which differed somewhat across the groups ("Course " and "Instruction"; "Course/Instruction" and "Interaction Opportunities /Instructor Availability"; "Course/Instruction" and "Interaction Opportunities/Helpfulness"). The only educationally significant (r² > .05) zero-order correlations were between SRIC total scores and expected grade, and were positive in all three groups (r² = .07, .08, .06). In multiple regression analyses, …

How Utah Parents Of Utah School Children Judge School Effectiveness, Philip L. Rodgers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is a perceived crisis concerning public education in the United States. This has led to an increase in the use of standardized tests for the purpose of measuring school effectiveness. However, the use of standardized tests for this purpose is problematic. Among these problems is the concern that standardized tests may not measure what parents believe are the most important attributes of an effective school. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of empirical evidence regarding parent beliefs in this area.

The purpose of this research was to answer the following four questions.

1. What do parents of school-aged …

The Effects Of A School-Wide Peer-Administered Praise Intervention On Student Problem Behavior, Meredith L. Brent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the effects of a peer-administered positive behavioral support intervention on a school-wide problem behavior. Utilizing the differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors method (DRl), peer monitors praised incidences of walking in order to decrease incidences of running in the hallway. A multiple baseline design across two hallway settings was used to evaluate the effect of peer monitors administering verbal praise and praise notes to students who demonstrated the desired behavior, walking. A lottery drawing in which recipients of praise notes received small prizes was conducted at the end of each week during the treatment phase. Results indicated that …

Sampling Considerations In Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Needs Assessments, Ryan K. Loo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reduces the number of healthy immune cells in the human body. When the immune cells drop below a certain level, the person is diagnosed as having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which increases the likelihood of opportunistic infections. As a result, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) have an elevated need for medical and support services. HIV/AIDS needs assessments identify unmet needs, and the results are used in the allocation of resources. Failure to accurately identify needs due to nonrepresentative samples may result in PLWH/A failing to receive needed services. Random sampling is rarely used, but convenience …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring Checklists And Performance Feedback On Study Skills Of College Students With Disabilities, Sherrie Mecham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study utilized a multiple baseline design across two study skills to examine the impact of a self-monitoring checklist and performance feedback on the implementation of study skills for seven college students with disabilities. The accuracy with which students performed study skills was calculated as a percentage based on the number of correct study skill steps completed during a college course divided by the total number of treatment steps. The results show that three of the seven students markedly increased the accurate use of the notetaking and study guide skills immediately when provided with a self-monitoring checklist and performance feedback, …

Outcomes And Presurgical Correlates Of Lumbar Interbody Cage Fusion, Rick Lacaille

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rates of lumbar fusion surgery have been increasing with an estimated 192,000 procedures performed annually. However, satisfactory outcomes of lumbar fusion vary considerably and often emphasize technical success, such as arthrodesis, rather than Ill functional and quality of life outcomes. Interbody cage fusion was recently developed and touted as a superior alternative to existing lumbar fusion procedures. There is, however, a paucity of research to support these claims, particularly with regards to functional and quality of life outcomes. Moreover, predictive correlates of outcomes for interbody cage fusion have not been given adequate attention in the literature. The aims of this …

Differential Diagnosis Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Depression: Potential Bias And Misdiagnosis, Hollie K. Berglof

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated whether psychologists are attempting to distinguish between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression in youth. Findings indicate that, overall, clinicians are conducting comprehensive evaluations and considering ADHD and depression as likely diagnoses. Clinicians were more likely to use self-report depression measures if the client was female or adolescent than if the child was male or school age; however, they were equally likely to incorporate ADHD-related measures with males and females, and 8 year olds and 15 year olds. Clinicians were more likely to consider adolescents than school-age children and females than males to have a mood …

Responding To Crises In The Public Schools: A Survey Of School Psychologists' Experiences And Perceptions, Austin Douglas Adamson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A survey was created and mailed to 500 school psychologists randomly selected from the National Association of School Psychologists' membership lists. The final sample consisted of 228 school psychologists working at least half-time in a school setting. The survey's purpose was to gather information from school psychologists on their perspectives on crisis training and on crises experienced by public schools, as well as what schools have for crisis plans/teams, and what they do for crisis response.

Nearly all of the participants (98.2%) reported that they had some type of crisis intervention training. The majority of respondents indicated that their schools …

Test Of A Psychosocial Strain Model Of Delinquency For Mexican American Youth, Jose De Jesus Rodriguez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to compare rates of delinquency between Mexican American and European American adolescents, and (2) to test the application of a model of delinquency designed to be especially relevant to Mexican American adolescents. The study is one of the first attempts to advance knowledge about delinquency among Mexican American adolescents through the development and test of a comprehensive model of delinquency. The model constructed as part of this study—labeled the psychosocial strain model—was unique in that it integrated variables from different theoretical perspectives and its construction was guided by knowledge of cultural and …

Predicting Social And Psychological Adjustment From The Importance And Restrictiveness Of Religion In Late Adolescence, Lisa Diane Lucas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In working with Renee Galliher, I had the opportunity to administer a questionnaire to 118 college students. This questionnaire included the Personal and Relationships Profile (Strauss & Mouradian, 1999), as well as questions assessing religious attitudes and activities. From these questionnaires, a data set was compiled and I presented this research at the recent conference of the Society for Research on Child Development.

Media Consumption And Male Body Image, Catherine A. Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of our proposed research is to examine the relationship between media consumption and self-appraised body image in male college students. That is, does a correlation exist between the amount and type of media consumed (magazines in particular) and how males perceive their own body. Our hypothesis postulates that since magazines often portray unrealistic and "ideal" physiques, men that purchase and read body-oriented magazines will be have a more negative body image than those who do not.