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Full-Text Articles in Education

Motivational Effects Of Non-Contingent Reinforcement In Children, Alexandra S. Leaskas Jan 2016

Motivational Effects Of Non-Contingent Reinforcement In Children, Alexandra S. Leaskas

Departmental Honors Projects

Non-contingent reinforcement is random and non-informative feedback. Berglas and Jones (1978) first reported that non-contingent reinforcement leads to self-handicapping in adult males. Self-handicapping can be described as a premeditated adaptive behavior that protects against negative attributions to the self after failure. The purpose of this study is to explore whether or not the same effect will be found in children of both sexes. Participants (children in first and second grade) received contingent (informative) or non-contingent (non-informative) reinforcement while playing the children’s game “I Never Forget a Face.” Children were given the opportunity to self-handicap immediately after reinforcement. After the opportunity …


“The Autism Adventures Of Watson & Holmes”: Puppet Theatre To Improve Elementary Students’ Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah N. Simon Jan 2015

“The Autism Adventures Of Watson & Holmes”: Puppet Theatre To Improve Elementary Students’ Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah N. Simon

Departmental Honors Projects

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a growing concern in schools across the nation. More students with high functioning autism are being mainstreamed, and students on and off the spectrum are being exposed to a wider variety of behaviors and new opportunities for friendship in school. Many students who fall on the autism spectrum suffer from the stigmatizing attitudes of their peers, and this stigmatization often stems from a lack of early education about mental health. Puppetry has been proven to captivate young audiences while teaching important messages in an entertaining and relatable way. The purpose of this …


The Effects Of Familial Relationships And Sibling Sex Composition On Behavioral Adjustment In Middle Childhood, Elyse I. Pierce Jan 2015

The Effects Of Familial Relationships And Sibling Sex Composition On Behavioral Adjustment In Middle Childhood, Elyse I. Pierce

Departmental Honors Projects

Differences in familial relationship qualities have been linked to children's adjustment during middle childhood (Bank, Burraston, & Snyder, 2004). Children with familial relationships characterized by positivity typically have fewer behavior problems than children with more negative familial relationships. However, less is known about how the parent-child and sibling relationships influence children's adjustment concurrently. In the present study, parent-child and sibling interactions were rated on positivity and negativity. Parental ratings of children's adjustment and relationship qualities were also examined. The presence of negativity in the parent-child and sibling relationships predicted poorer adjustment. Sibling negativity predicted additional variance above and beyond parental …