Education Commons^™

Popularity And Internalizing Symptoms: The Possible Mediational Role Of Friendship Quality, Jocelyn Camargo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is an important developmental period where friendships become important for social emotional adjustment. Given the importance of friendships in adolescence, the current study explored the relation between popularity and internalizing problems and whether friendship qualities mediated this relation. The present study aimed to answer the following research question: What is the mediating role of friendship qualities in the relationship between perceived popularity and internalizing symptoms? Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Development – Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were analyzed. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicate that adolescents who rated …

The Mediating Effect Of Parental Involvement On Peer Influence And Belongingness On Adolescent Educational Aspirations, Thavy Van Garst

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement has been found to be a significant influence in determining whether adolescents are more likely to succeed academically (Georgiou & Tourva, 2007). Amongst other influences, parental involvement has been shown to impact the ability to resist negative peer influence. Additionally, having a sense of belongingness influences the probability that an adolescent will aspire to achieve higher educational aspirations (Bouchard & Berg, 2017). However, researchers have yet to examine the combination of the importance of belongingness and the impact of positive peer influence on adolescents' educational aspirations. The present study aimed to investigate whether parental involvement had a significant …

Investigating The Lived Experiences Of Community College Students Who Have Practiced Meditation, Robert S. Withrow-Clark

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the lived experiences of community college students who have engaged in meditation practice during their time as community college students. Utilizing semi-structured interviews and a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological approach, the researcher investigated the phenomenon of meditation practice among community college meditators, while attempting to better understand the shared meaning respondents ascribed to the phenomenon, in this case meditation practice. Data was collected from eight respondents, generating four overarching themes, and several subthemes. All respondents who participated in the study reported perceived psychological benefits that they attributed to their meditation practice. Psychological stress was the motivating factor, a …

Workplace Dynamics: Exploring Views, Impressions, And Preferences Of Colleagues With Diverse Backgrounds And Attributes, Emily Harris Broadhurst

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The general purpose of this study is to better understand stigmatized views of mental health conditions in the current social climate. In order to assess changes in current stigma levels, valid measurement tools are needed to make more accurate assessments. Many existing tools used to assess stigma levels present validity issues due to reporting bias, specifically social desirability bias. Researchers suggest that purposefully omitting diagnostic labeling helps to eliminate biased answers. In order to measure stigmatizing beliefs while minimizing the threat of social desirability, this study utilized an experimental design that compared mental health conditions with medical conditions. The Adjusted …

The Effects Of Attachment And Alliances Within The Family On Student/Teacher Relationships And Disruptive Behavior, Monika J. Mabe

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the effect that attachment status and negative alliances within the family has on disruptive behavior ratings and on the closeness or conflict a child feels with their teacher and the teacher’s subsequent ratings of the severity of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the impact attachment status, alliances within the family, and disruptive behavior had on the closeness or conflict a teacher felt with their student and the subsequent ratings of the child’s oppositional behavior.

Negative alliance in the family was not a strong predictor of a child’s disruptive behavior or Oppositional …

The Relationship Between The Cefi, As A Measure For Executive Function, And The Basc-3, As A Measure Of Externalizing Behavior, On School Problems For Children Receiving Special Education Services, David Looney

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between executive function and externalizing behaviors within a student population that was assessed for special education services. Executive function was measured by using the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI). Externalizing behaviors and school problems was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3). Four separate structural equation models were produced and analyzed to examine this relationship. The results from this study indicate that there is a significant direct effect from executive function on externalizing behaviors and school problems, such that higher scores in executive function yielded lower externalizing behavior and school problems …

Effects Of Eye Tracking During Infancy On Social Ambiguity And Emotional Distress, Gabriela Hernandez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between early eye tracking and later non-suicidal self-injury, and whether this relationship was negatively impacted by distress and impulsivity, and conversely alleviated by emotional regulation and problem solving abilities. Briggs-Gowan et al. (2001) found that young children with recurrent and comorbid externalizing and internalizing problems have the most impairment; they exhibit greater difficulty with emotional stability, and require greater utilization of mental health services. Little research has focused on the relationship between eye tracking in early infancy and suicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behavior in early childhood. Multiple regression analysis was used …

Social And Emotional Effects Of A School Lottery On Gifted Adolescents: A Retrospective, Adrianne Michelle Go-Miller

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Gifted adolescents who experienced a randomized lottery process to continue attending their school are the focus of this study. For more than 10 years, sixth-grade students at a Northern California school for gifted students have participated in a lottery process to continue attending their school for seventh and eighth grades. This study describes the reflections of nine lottery participants, and the social and emotional effects that a school lottery has on adolescents. The student perspectives were gained through in-person interviews and participants’ written impressions. Stress and anxiety were commonly endured by all participants. The study explores other effects such as …

Suicide Postvention Plans: Are Schools Prepared To Adjust To The New Normal, Wendi Aghily

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This project involves the review of suicide postvention plans across school districts in California. The goal is to identify which elements are meet the recommendation, address the recommendations or do not include the recommendations for best practices in suicide postvention. This has been done by analyzing the plans across five components: preparation, identification and support for immediate needs, triage, identification and support for long term needs and a return to a new normal. Consideration was given to the format in which the plans were developed: websites, school safety plans, emergency operations plans, crisis response plans and suicide response plans. Through …

Comprehension Of Extended Narrative Text: The Role Of Spontaneous Mental Imagery While Reading Or Listening, Marilyn Anne Winzenz

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the cognitive processes involved in language comprehension, this research examined the role of naturally occurring mental imagery in facilitating college students' understanding of lengthy narrative prose. During hour-long individual interviews, 40 undergraduates read silently or listened to a 1700 word short story. Subjects were asked to free recall as much as they could of the story and to answer higher level comprehension questions which involved verbal reasoning strategies such as inference and drawing conclusions regarding character development and motivation, theme, plot, and personal relevance. Subjects were also asked to describe the mental images they experienced, if any, and …

Meta-Analysis Of Studies Investigating The Effects Of Father Absence On Children's Cognitive Development, Stephanie Ann Salzman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was the integration of the father-absence research to determine the effects of father absence on children's cognitive development as assessed by standardized intelligence, aptitude, and achievement tests and school grades. The study used the quantitative integrative review methodology of meta-analysis through which the findings from individual studies were integrated and relations between the study findings and characteristics were explored. The meta-analytic approach involved transforming the findings of individual studies to a common metric (i.e., effect size), describing and coding the characteristics of the studies, and then using the analysis of variance and multiple regression …

The Preschool Language-Cognitive Skills Assessment For Curriculum Entry Test: Predictive Validity In Relation To Academic School Achievement Of Early Grade Level Boys And Girls, Judy Basta-Brislain

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Preschool Language-Cognitive Skills Assessment for Curriculum Entry Test (PLACE) in predicting academic school achievement in the early school grades; 1, 2, 3, and 4. Procedure. The primary relationship which was important to this study was the relationship between scores attained on the Preschool Language-Cognitive Skills Assessment for Curriculum Entry Test and subsequent academic achievement in the early school grades; 1, 2, 3, and 4. This relationship was investigated through a comparison of scores attained on the Preschool Language-Cognitive Skills Assessment for Curriculum Entry Test and subsequent academic …

The Relationship Between Bilingualism And Non-Verbal Creative Behavior Among Limited-English Proficient And Spanish-English Proficient Hispanic Girls Of Primary School Age (Cognitive Flexibility, Mexican), Pablo Andres Alvarez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated and compared the non-verbal creative behavior of Spanish-English Proficient (SEP) and Limited-English Proficient (LEP) girls as measured by the figural form of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT); and examined the relationships of non-verbal creative thinking and selected home environment variables, as measured by the Index of Home Educational Environment (IEE). A sample of 31 LEP and 30 SEP students was selected from a total population of 140 girls. The selection of the sample was done in two stages. Girls who did not score within one standard deviation of the mean for each age group on …

The Relationship Of Location To The Effectiveness Of Marriage Enrichment Retreats And Workshops, Lavon W. Rupel

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The Problem. The proliferation of marriage enrichment programs in the past two decades has generated much public interest. Little controlled research, however, has been done to guide sponsoring community agencies and churches in program effectiveness. It has been assumed that a retreat location, removed from daily routines and stresses, enhances the learning and growth opportunities for a couple who wish to focus on their relationship. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of one marriage enrichment program and to investigate the importance of location as a factor in the effectiveness of marriage enrichment weekends. In addition, the …

The Prediction Of University Residence Counselor Effectiveness Utilizing The Criterion Referenced Leaderless Group Interview, Rotter Internal/External Locus Of Control Scale And The California Psychological Inventory, Richard Edward Harkness

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Methods of selecting and evaluating residence hall counselors were explored in this study. The Criterion Referenced Leaderless Group Interview (CRLGI) was defined as a selection technique and evaluated for its utility as a predictor of Residence Counselor effectiveness. In addition, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) ad Rotter Internal/External Locus of Control Scale (LOC) were used as predictors of Residence Counselor effectiveness. The Harkness Assessment of Residence Counselors (HARC) was designed and subjected to psychometric reliability and validity studies. The HARC served as the criterion measure of Residence Counselor effectiveness. Seventy-two residence hall counselors at the University of the Pacific served …

The Effects Of Classroom And Counseling Intervention On The Moral Development Of Junior High School Students, Paul Romualino Madarang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between various forms of intervention and gender on the moral development of junior high school students. The three types of intervention identified and studied were: (a) a classroom values education program, (b) crisis counseling, and (c) a combination classroom-counseling intervention. The cognitive-developmental approach of Lawrence Kohlberg served as the theoretical base for this study. In order to determine the effects of the two variables on the moral reasoning of children, 195 junior high school students were divided into three treatment groups and one control group. Students were pretested using the Defining Issues Test (DIT). Treatment …

Creative Thinking In Male And Female Vietnamese, Filipino, And Anglo-American College Undergraduate Students, As Measured By The Torrance Tests Of Creativity, Peter Chu-Quang-Minh

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the degree of creative thinking of Vietnamese, Filipino, and Anglo-American college undergraduate students as measured by the Torrance tests of Thinking Creatively with Pictures (TCWP), form A, and Thinking Creatively with Words (TCWW), form A; (b) the degree of creative thinking between males and females in the three groups of students tested; and (c) the differences, if any, between the TCWP scores and the TCWW scores of the Vietnamese, Filipino, and Anglo-American college undergraduate students tested. Procedure. A sample of 15 males and 15 females in each ethnic group was …

Parent Effectiveness Training: Its Impact Upon The Self-Perception And Behavior Of The Children Of Participants, Mark Allen Fulmer

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Problem: There is a need to evaluate the training programs available to parents to determine the effect of these programs upon the children of participants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Parent Effectiveness Training upon the elementary school age children of participants in the areas of self-perceived Locus of Control and behavior. Procedure. Experimental and control groups were established with students from four central California elementary schools to obtain data on the problem under investigation. The groups were formed from children of parents who agreed to participate in the study. A Nonrandomized Control-Group Pretest-Posttest Design …

The Effects Of Leadership Training On Inter-Personal And Intra-Personal Development, James Mitchell Perry

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to assess the impact of leadership training on inter-personal and intra-personal development of middle management in the banking and financial sector. The population under study was chosen from the bank and savings and loan industry in greater California. Sixty-six middle management personnel constituted the sample under study, with 51 branch managers of one financial holding company making up the experimental group and 15 branch managers of another association making up the control group. Both groups were asked to participate in the study and there was no random assignment. The instruments used to assess the effects of …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Economic Education And Formal Reasoning In Ninth Grade Students, Beverly Redden Phillips

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of instructional materials of the economic education project at the University of the Pacific and movement into formal operations. Also examined was the percentage of ninth grade students who have achieved formal operations. Procedure. Data were collected in four secondary schools in Northern California which were involved in field-testing case studies from Our Economy: How It Works. Eight social studies classes of ninth grade students (n = 186) receiving instruction in economics were the experimental group while eight social studies classes within the same schools (n …

Reaction To Social Pressure From Adults Versus Peers Among Mexican, Mexican-American, And Anglo-American Rural Children, Ana Maria C. Donini

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to investigate whether there was a significant difference in the adherence to conventional morality and the reaction to social pressure from adults versus peers among Mexican, Mexican-American, and Anglo-American children. The instrument used was the Moral Dilemmas Test (MDT) developed by Bronfenbrenner, Devereux, Suci, and Rodgers, which measures the reported readiness of children to engage in morally disapproved behavior and their reaction to social pressure exerted by adults and peers. The subjects were asked to respond to a series of conflict situations under three experimental conditions of confidentiality, scrutiny by parents, and scrutiny by …

The Relationship Between Perceived Locus Of Control And Achievement Among Filipino-American Students In The Elementary Grades., Estela Guevara Pinga

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to verify research information concerning perceived locus of control (PLC) on a population sample composed of 154 Filipino-American students in Stockton Unified School District. Perceived locus of control is a personality construct derived from Julian Rotter's social learning theory. Rotter posits that the probability of the occurrence of a particular behavior is determined, not only by the importance of the goal to the individual, but also by his expectancy that this goal will be achieved as a consequence of the behavior. PLC refers to an individual's perception of the causal relationship between his …

The Accuracy Of Interpersonal Perception Of Junior High Age Adolescents And Their Fathers Of Mothers' Personality As Measured By The Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis., Wayne Howard Hill

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to determine whether junior high school age adolescents and. their fathers could accurately predict mothers' personality traits on the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (T-JTA) inventory. The relative accuracy of prediction was also determined for gender and average versus superior intellectual ability of junior high school students.

The Impact Of Parent Effectiveness Training On Parent Attitudes And Children's Behavior., Alice Gates Lewis

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to assess the impact of Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) on a rural-suburban population, The population under study was chosen from the unincorporated towns of Oakley and Knightsen, California, located 70 miles northeast of San Francisco, in the San Joaquin Valley . Sixty parents were chosen randomly from the parent rosters of Oakley and Knightsen Elementary Schools. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups, two being experimental and one control.

The instruments used to assess the training were the Parent Attitude Survey Scale (PASS); the Dogmatism Scale (D-Scale); the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Integration And Reintegration Of Educationally Handicapped Pupils As Related To Selected Organizational Variables Existing Within Schools, Edward Lee Noble

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM The major problem under investigation was to determine the significance of organizational factors in schools on the ease of accomplishing the Educationally Handicapped program goals of integration and reintegration as prescribed by the State of California.

PURPOSE The study's major purpose was to determine what effect, if any, do the organizational environments of schools have on program goals of integration and reintegration for the Educationally Handicapped? A secondary purpose o£ this study was to determine what effect, if any, do the selections of procedures used by teachers to return Educationally Handicapped pupils to the regular classroom have on the …

The Effects Of Personological Aptitudes And Method Of Instruction On Cognitive And Affective Learning Of Interpersonal Relationship Skills, James Joseph Lynn

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The present study is an aptitude treatment interaction study dealinq with the effects of three personological student aptitudes in conjunction with different instructional methods on the affective and cognitive learning of interpersonal relationship skills. A total of 210 subjects wire randomly selected from three Regional Occupational Programs (ROPs) located in three geographically distinct California high schools . Subjects were administered one of three experimental treatments varying in methods of instruction combined with a film, Relationships With Other People, or an unrelated control film treatment. Experimental groups were: 1) film treatment alone, 2) film treatment with associated print based material, …

The Relationship Of Self-Concept And And Academic Achievement Of Educationally Handicapped Pupils, Violet Dolores Quimby

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Weaknesses in theory of self and in research design and measurement have been noted in previous self-concept studies. This current investigation was designed to study certain relationships between self-concept and academic achievement while incorporating the improvements suggested by previous researchers to overcome the weaknesses.

Training Elementary School Children To Self-Determine Standards : Effects On Performance And Generalization, Esther Anne Cohen

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The effects of instructions, non-contingent reinforcement, and contingent reinforcement on the level of self-determined standards for both experimental and generalization items were assessed using a reversal design. In addition the effects of the level of self-determined standards on performance in spelling was examined. The results indicated that contingent reinforcement for raising standards was an effective means of training the 30 subjects in this study to set high standards of performance for both experimental and generalization items. High standards did not, however, result in high levels of performance. When reinforcement was contingent upon subjects raising their standards and then scoring at …

A Comparison Of Two Approaches To Training For Mothers Of Kindergarten Children Evaluated As Deficient In Readiness Skills., Edythe Klassen Eymann

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: It was the purpose of this study to compare the academic gains of kindergarten children showing six to eighteen months' deficiency in readiness skills as measured by the ABC Inventory in September, 1973. This comparison was based on parent education experiences and a structured mother-child games technique durinq the early months of the subjects' kindergarten school year.

The Effects Of Teacher In-Service Training In Values Clarification On Attitudes Of Elementary School Students Toward Themselves, School, And The Teacher, Michael Nathan Coy

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of implementing a teacher in-service training program in values clarification on the attitudes students develop toward themselves, school, and the teacher.

PROCEDURE: Two kindergarten through sixth grade elementary schools served as the experimental and control groups for the study. Ten classes of third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students participated in the experimental group and eight third through sixth grade classes of students served in the control group. The teachers in the experimental school received sixteen days of in-service training in values clarification between August 31, 1973 and …