Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Portion Size Of Fruit Juice On Fruit Juice Consumption And Overall Energy Intake During A Snack In Preschoolers, Erin Margaret Norton

Masters Theses

Background: The relationship between 100% fruit juice intake and adiposity in children may be a consequence of lack of complete compensation to energy consumed from beverages. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of beverage type and beverage size on beverage and overall snack intake in preschool-aged children. Methods: Using a 2x2x2 design (between-subjects factor of order and within-subjects factors of beverage type [100% fruit juice vs. water] and beverage size [6 oz. vs. 12 oz.]), 26 children (3.9 + 0.6 years of age, 50% female, 73% white, and 88.5% non-Hispanic or Latino) completed 20-minute snack sessions on four consecutive Wednesday …

Investigating The Influence Of Interpretation On Children's National Park Stewardship Behaviors Using The Elaboration Likelihood Model, Susan Vezeau

All Dissertations

Interpretation efforts are commonly used in park and protected area management to communicate information about a place to visitors, and in some cases, are also intended to persuade visitors to engage in stewardship behaviors. The National Park Service (NPS) Junior Rangers (JR) programs are intended to develop a sense of stewardship within participating children; however, few studies have explored the effectiveness of these programs. In addition, despite considerable research investigating interpretation and its influence, further exploration of the factors that influence stewardship behaviors in participants of interpretation are needed. The purpose of this Dissertation research was to: 1) develop scales …

What Do Children Know Before Spelling Phonologically? Prephonological Spellers’ Knowledge Of Writing, Lan Zhang

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most theories of literacy development have focused on children’s knowledge of the phonological aspect of writing. Relatively few studies have investigated children’s writing-related knowledge before they acquire alphabetic knowledge. The constructivist theory provides insights into what and how children know about other aspects of writing such as its graphic properties and symbolic function. The present study examined different aspects of the constructivist perspective. Preschool children with a mean age of 4 years and 4 months completed a spelling task and a recognition task. Participants who had not grasped conventional phoneme-grapheme correspondences in English were of primary interest. Consistent with the …

Differences In Narcissistic Presentation In Abused And Non-Abused Children And Adolescents, Mallory Laine Malkin

Dissertations

The present study examined whether children and adolescents who have been victims of sexual or physical abuse report higher levels of narcissistic tendencies than children and adolescents who have not been victims of abuse. Inaddition to narcissism, internalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, and risky behaviors were evaluated, as such issues have been associated with both maltreatment (Baer & Maschi, 2003) and narcissism (Barry & Malkin, 2010; Bushman & Baumeister, 1998). One-hundred fifty- six (156) children and adolescents (100 females, 56 males) ranging in age from 8 to 17 (M = 12.90, SD = 2.66) were recruited as participants. The vast majority …

Limitation, Subversion, And Agency: Gendered Spaces In The Works Of Margaret Mahy, Cynthia Voigt, And Dia Na Wynne Jones, Elizabeth Ann Pearce

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that adolescent literature featuring female protagonists often illustrates complicated relationships between gender and space. My contention is that because of their gender, these protagonists are uniquely constrained to the home, which creates a literary pattern that has serious ideological implications. While I argue that the dominant discourse of these novels implies that girls should adhere to specific cultural norms, some of these works, however, provide room for subversion and agency, including new ways of looking at patriarchal constructions. To demonstrate these issues at work, I use the novels of three female authors from three different …

School-Age Children's Perception Of Stress In The Hospital: A Draw And Tell Story, Susan Wechter

Nursing ETDs

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of stress for hospitalized school-age child, seven to nine years of age, through a child-centered draw and tell technique. Over 3 million children are hospitalized every year (NACHRI, 2012). Hospitalization of children is reserved for increasingly complex care. Since the 1960s, it has been well known that hospitalization can be a traumatic experience for children (King & Ziegler, 1981; Thompson, 1986; Vernon, Foley, Simpowicz, & Schulman, 1965; Visintainer & Wolfer, 1975). This experience elicits feelings of fear, uncertainty, pain and discomfort that can affect a child's healing, behavior and health …

Using The R-Pas' Aggressive Content Score For The Evaluation Of Aggressive Behaviors In Children, Rebecca Dehass

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) was developed in 2011 as analternative to the previous Comprehensive System. The goal was to improve the psychometrics,and particularly the validity, of this assessment method. The norms for children werequestionable in the Comprehensive system (e.g., outdated, low numbers of subjects) and validitystudies for children were sparse. One of the indicators included in the R-PAS system, theaggressive content indicator (AgC), is intended to reflect aggressive behavior, but few studieshave examined the validity of this indicator. This study examined the validity of AgC in asample of 32 children and adolescents receiving services at a residential treatment …

Young Children's Enjoyment Of Physical Activity, Samantha Renae Hudson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Young children are currently understudied in the area of physical activity enjoyment. Since young children lack the cognitive skills which motivate many adults to participate in physical activity, they have a unique need for specialized intervention programs. The present study explores how enjoyment of physical activity in young children is related to their actual levels of physical activity. Modified versions of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) were used to discover if such a relationship exists in kindergarten students from a multi-ethnic, suburban elementary school. While no significant correlation was found …

A Grounded Theory Of Suicidality In Children Ten And Younger, Katherine Angela Heimsch

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Once every two days in the United States, a child aged 5 to 14 years old dies by suicide (World Health Organization, 2010). When viewed on a spectrum that includes suicidal ideation, verbalizations, behaviors, and attempts, the problem of youth suicidality is actually far greater than the numbers of completed suicides suggest (Cheng, Tao, Riley, Kann, Ye, Tian...Hu, 2009). This study examined suicidality in children ages 10 and younger, and included the characteristics of suicidal children, factors that influence childhood suicidality, and treatment implications. The researcher conducted 12 semi-structured qualitative interviews with experienced treatment providers and performed a content analysis …

Kids Alive! Support For Children Of Parents With Cancer: An Exemplar Program For Children Of Parents With Cancer, Shane Spears

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Cancer in a parent or caregiver is an event that affects the whole family. The roles and responsibilities of the diagnosed parent, as well as those of each family member, are affected at the time of diagnosis and throughout the progression of the illness. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 585,720 cancer deaths in 2014. This staggering statistic means there are a number of cancer diagnoses that will directly affect thousands of parents and their children. Past research suggests this upheaval in the system is particularly stressful on children …

Association Of Antioxidant Intake And Body Mass Index In Pre-To-Early Adolescent Children, Elizabeth K. Imboden

Nutrition Theses

ABSTRACT

ASSOCIATION OF ANTIOXIDANT INTAKE AND BODY MASS INDEX IN

PRE-TO-EARLY ADOLESCENT CHILDREN

by

E. Kelly Imboden

Background: The prevalence of overweight (Body Mass Index [BMI]85-<95^th percentile) and obesity (BMI>95^thpercentile) for individuals aged 2-19 years in the United States in 2009-2010 was estimated to be 31.8%. Excessive body fat increases the risk for chronic conditions such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Studies have established an association between obesity and oxidative stress and inflammation in children and adolescents. Antioxidants have been shown to have protective effects against inflammation and oxidative stress. However, the effect of …

Aggression In Popular Children's Picture Books: A Content Analysis, Karen Dupree Leach

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to assess children's exposure to aggression through popular children's picture books. Little research has been performed regarding aggression in such books. By analyzing 301 picture books, this study found that the average picture book contained 1.36 aggressive acts, and that aggressive acts were more likely to be included in picture books meant for older children. Verbal aggression was the most widely used type of aggression in children's picture books. There was no significant relationship between the type of character (human or nonhuman) and whether the character acted aggressively. Male characters were more likely to …

The Relationship Between Fruit And Vegetable Intake Of Adolescents Before Sleeve Gastrectomy And Success With Weight Loss Six Months Post-Surgery, Abby L. Johnson

Nutrition Theses

Importance: Childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity have more than tripled over the past two decades. Bariatric surgery is becoming more common for adolescents. Currently, there are few studies that describe outcomes after bariatric surgery in adolescents and no studies that describe nutritional behaviors that predict sustained weight loss in this population post-surgery.

Objective: To describe pre-surgery dietary intake in adolescents who underwent a sleeve gastrectomy between 2011 and 2013 at an outpatient pediatric weight loss clinic. This study specifically aims to determine whether there is a correlation between fruit and vegetable intake before surgery and weight loss post-surgery in …

Speech Adaptation To Electropalatography In Children's Productions Of /S/ And /ʃ/, Marissa Celaya

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has investigated adults' ability to adapt their speech when a electropalatographic (EPG) pseudopalate is placed in the oral cavity; however, less is known about how younger speakers who are continuing to develop their motor speech abilities might adapt their speech to the presence of the device. This study examined the effect of an EPG pseudopalate on elementary school-aged children's ability to produce the fricatives /s/ and /ƒ/. Audio recordings of six children were collected at eight time intervals including before placement of the pseudopalate, at 30-minute increments for two hours with the pseudopalate in place, immediately following removal …

Reducing Anxiety And Increasing Social Skills In Children With Asperger's Through Drama And Role-Playing Games, Rachel Magin

Honors Theses

Children with Asperger’s syndrome have higher than typical levels of anxiety; moreover, their level of anxiety is related to their degree of social skills deficits. In non-clinical populations, role-playing and drama techniques have been used successfully to lower anxiety and increase social skills. We held seven sessions of role-playing and theater exercises, conducted in small groups, focused on specific social skills (getting to know people/introducing self, working together/trust/listening, reading emotions/nonverbal cues, self-control/assertiveness, managing stress and anxiety, detecting emotions through the voice, understanding others’ perspectives/cooperation). We examined whether participation in these sessions would lower anxiety and increase social skills in children …

Toys Don't Have A Gender: Gender Play And Aggression In A Small Co-Operative Play Based Preschool, Bryn Peterson

Honors Theses

In this thesis I explore the relationship between gender and free-play in a small, cooperative preschool in Niskayuna, New York. While psychologists and sociologists have studied gender in young children, I found that children had been largely overlooked in the field of anthropology. While some anthropologists have historically believed that children do not fully understand their culture and cannot be reliable informants, I believe that there is much we can learn by understanding children's games - which often reflect our culture. Through observing children's free play I was able to analyze gender conforming/nonconforming play, aggression, and the themes of the …

Anxiety In The Classroom Setting: Early Detection Of Signs And Symptoms, Lisa A. Rauch

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

The Surgeon General (2000) estimates that up to 13% of children experience symptoms of anxiety. Since virtually all children attend school, and this environment challenges children in various modalities that are likely to produce anxiety, schools are an excellent environment to detect early signs and symptoms of anxiety. When available, school nurses are well positioned to provide primary and secondary prevention to students identified with signs and symptoms of anxiety.

The aim of this project is to identify if increasing teacher’s knowledge results in and increased ability to recognize early signs and symptoms of anxiety, and report concerns more rapidly, …

Electrodermal Activity As An Indicator Of Sensory Processing In Typically Developing Children And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Barbara Schupak

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability of the Sensory Challenge Protocol (SCP), a laboratory procedural tool that has been used to discriminate differences in sensory processing between typically developing (TD) children and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Method: Electrodermal activity (EDA) during rest and in response to

sensation was measured using skin conductance. Skin conductance

measures were used to calculate ICC (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient)

reliability in 14 children with ASD and 18 TD children.

Results: ICC reliability during rest phase (tonic) for both groups was good to moderate (.65 - .73). ICC reliability during …

Effects Of Frequency On Single Leg Hopping In Typically Developing Preadolescents, Matthew Beerse

Kinesiology Theses

Hopping is considered a mass-spring model movement in which the leg supports the center of mass. There is a preferred hopping frequency and hopping outside of that frequency is more difficult and requires more energy. Leg stiffness has been shown to be an important factor when hopping at different frequencies in young adult populations. The purpose of this study was to observe how a still-developing preadolescent population would modify leg stiffness while hopping at different frequencies and if they have similar motor control strategies compared to young adults. The subjects hopped on their dominant leg to the beat of a …

Language Development Of Bilingual Russian/English Speaking Children Living In The United States: A Review Of The Literature, Jeanette D. Grosman

Honors Theses

The number of bilingual speakers in the United States is increasing. Children in particular provide unique contributions and challenges to the English-speaking communities in which they live. Various aspects of the young bilingual population have been studied, including an emphasis on the communicative abilities and trends of such children. However, there is a paucity of research regarding communication of bilingual Russian/English-speaking children. The purpose of this project is to review the existing literature on the language development of bilingual Russian/English-speaking children as compared to that of monolingual English-speaking children to establish grounds for further research about this increasing population. The …

Parent-Child Behavioral Interactions During Pediatric Immunizations In A Latino Sample, Ifigenia Mougianis

Psychology Theses

Pediatric procedural distress has been linked to a number of short- and long-term negative outcomes for the patient. A body of literature has found that one of the strongest predictors of children's medical distress or coping is parents' behavior. The majority of this research has been conducted on predominately Caucasian samples. The purpose of this study was to explore the types and frequencies of parent and child behavior, as well as the associations between parent behavior and child distress and coping in a sample of Spanish-speaking Latino parent-child dyads. The findings suggest that there may be differences in Latino parent …

Interventions To Reduce Anxiety For Gifted Children And Adolescents, Amy H. Gaesser

Doctoral Dissertations

Interventions to Reduce Anxiety for Gifted Children and Adolescents

Amy H. Gaesser, PhD

University of Connecticut, 2014

This study examined the anxiety levels of gifted students, as well as the effectiveness of two interventions: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Using the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale-2 (RCMAS-2), Phase I of this study examined anxiety levels in gifted youth (n = 153) participating in private and public gifted education programs, grades 6-12, in two Northeastern states. ANOVA analyses indicated that gender (F [1, 149] = 13.52, p< .001, h₂= .08) and school setting (F …

Long-Term Hospitalization And The Impact On Emotional Well-Being Of A Child, Ashley Chung

Sociology

The question I attempt to answer with my research is: How does long-term hospitalization impact the emotional well-being of a child? I am measuring the impact on development and emotional state that hospitalization has on an individual that is still in the process of determining their self-identity, while also identifying the consequences of childhood illness. A necessary emphasis is placed on the vulnerability created by long-term hospitalization and the separation from home; a focus on the feelings of isolation and loss of security created by loved ones is essential in understanding the role that family plays in the hospitalization of …

Using The Home Visit Rating Scale Hovrs - A+ To Compare Tele-Intervention And In-Person Intervention In Children With Hearing Loss, Katie Ann Weller

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Early parent-child interactions are a critical part of typical speech and language development. These interactions can be negatively affected if the child is diagnosed with a hearing loss. Therefore, a primary goal of early intervention services, especially if the family has a child with hearing loss, is to support parent-child communication development. However, access to an early interventionist with specialized experience with children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing (DHH) may not always be an option due to increase demand for services or the location of the family. Recently, there has been growing support from professional organizations for the use of tele-intervention (TI) …

Picture Books And Literacy Development For Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Lichelle Slater

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In the past decade, research has focused on children’s literature and how it can facilitate literacy development (LaCour, McDonald, Tissington, Thomason, 2013; Lee, 2010). Although current research has identified the importance of age-appropriate literacy development for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), few studies have explored the character representations depicted in current picture books, and their cultural and individual impact on children who are DHH. To gain a better understanding of the availability of books in which deafness or hearing loss is addressed, or books in which children who are DHH are featured characters, a search of …

The Mainstream Kindergarten Teacher's Perspective Of Pragmatic Skills Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing Aligned With Common Core Standards, Marianne Ingram Huish

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Pragmatics, or social/emotional skills are learned early in life by most typically developing children (DeLuzio, Girolametto, 2011). According to the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA), social/emotional skills involve three major communication strategies. These include 1) using language for different purposes such as greeting, informing, requesting, 2) changing language depending on the relationship with the listener, and 3) following conversational and storytelling rules such as taking turns in conversation, staying on topic, using non-verbal signals, and maintaining appropriate body position and eye contact (ASHA, 2013). Social/emotional skills among children entering into the mainstream kindergarten setting, according to early childhood core state standards, …

The Use Of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma To Improve Social Functioning, Danielle Hernandez

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Children who have experienced trauma are often affected socially, relationally and personally. Some children will require therapeutic interventions to improve these symptoms and functioning, while others will recover with no therapeutic intervention at all. One evidence based intervention to treat trauma in children is Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), however current research on TFCBT primarily focuses on how it improves PTSD symptoms, not necessarily its effect on improving a child’s social or relational functioning. Therefore, the present study focuses on the clinician’s perspective of how the use of TFCBT improves social functioning. The findings indicate that the use of …

Deployment Issues For Women Veterans And Their Children, Alea J. Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Deployment creates unique experiences and issues for women veterans and their children. Although each family has their own understanding of deployment, examining common issues throughout families may inform future practice with military families. For this research the deployment issues that are present for women veterans and their children were examined. A secondary data analysis analyzed eight participants (n=8) and their children who had discussions regarding non-deployment and deployment issues in addition to completing problem solving tasks. This study found that deployment issues for these families were sadness about the deployed parent being gone, talking about deployment, communicating during deployment, missing …

Animal-Assisted Therapy And Its Effects On Children In Schools, Jordan N. Putz

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Animal-assisted therapy could be used in schools as a supportive intervention provided by school social workers. The purpose of this project was to explore how animal-assisted therapy in schools, specifically using dogs, could be a complimentary and supportive form of intervention provided by social workers in a school setting. Using a qualitative design, five school social workers and three therapy dog handlers were interviewed regarding their perceptions on using therapy dogs in schools and how the therapy dogs may impact students. The data was analyzed using the content analysis method in which themes were developed from participant responses, integrating the …

Families With Severe Medical Conditions In Children: Effects And Interventions, Morgan Wilson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Parents and primary caregivers are the most important providers of support and care for their children. Families with children with chronic or life-threatening medical conditions face many challenges that the average family does not. The purpose of this research project was to discover what the effects of having a child with a chronic or severe illness are on the family system. This was done by finding out what has been the most helpful to the family and each of its members during the time since the child has been diagnosed and by finding out what has been challenging to the …