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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Perceptions Of Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Gains Following A Therapeutically Applied Tabletop Role Play Game Group, Tyler Giatroudakis Aug 2023

Perceptions Of Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Gains Following A Therapeutically Applied Tabletop Role Play Game Group, Tyler Giatroudakis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are group-based games which involve character creation and collaborative storytelling in an imagined setting, allowing participants to engage in problem-solving, creativity, and social interaction. While TTRPGs have recently been gaining traction, few have assessed the tandem of benefits that participants may gain simultaneously. This study examined the range of benefits for youth involved in therapeutically applied role-playing games (TARPGs), a novel intervention combining therapeutic concepts with TTRPGs. Participants were recruited from a nonprofit organization offering TARPG skill groups. A Qualtrics survey was used to assess participants' perceived gains from involvement. It was hypothesized that youth and …


Streamlining The Performance/Talkback Model Using Media And Alternative Action (Maact): An Intervention, Daniel Brown May 2022

Streamlining The Performance/Talkback Model Using Media And Alternative Action (Maact): An Intervention, Daniel Brown

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone project ventures to develop a drama therapy method that may increase empathy, social skills, and communication skills in populations with substance use disorders. Particular attention has been paid to the efficacy of performance/talkback methods in increasing these factors. An attempt has been made to streamline the performance/talkback method for greater accessibility to such methods in clinical spaces. The literature shows a particular need in populations with substance use disorders for social skills, communication skills, and empathy training. There have been published drama therapy studies that aim to intervene in these areas, though few with this particular population. This …


Utah Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Social Skills And Behaviors: A Developmental Perspective, Karrah Beth Sampson Jul 2017

Utah Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Social Skills And Behaviors: A Developmental Perspective, Karrah Beth Sampson

Theses and Dissertations

Students' appropriate social skills and behaviors are essential for classroom success at any level but are of special importance at an elementary school level when the foundations of these skill sets are developing (Lane, Givner, & Pierson, 2004). An initial study investigated which social skills Utah elementary school teachers identified as being most important, and which behaviors are most problematic during the elementary school years. Elementary school teachers (Kindergarten through sixth grade) were randomly selected from Utah's school districts. In total, 295 of 1,144 teachers (26% return rate) participated (Weed, 2015). As a follow-up, this current study utilized data from …


The Effects Of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams In Three Art Classrooms, Melanie April Nelson Dec 2016

The Effects Of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams In Three Art Classrooms, Melanie April Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Challenging and disruptive student behavior is a major concern for all teachers, including those who teach art. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research and resources available for art teachers to manage student behavior. School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a framework that has been shown to improve student behavior. Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that utilizes SWPBS principles including group contingency, social skills instruction, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement and has been shown to be effective in general education classrooms. This is the first study of CW-FIT in elementary art classrooms and examined the effects of …


Exploring Barriers To The Generalization Of Social Skills Interventions For Children Diagnosed With Asd: A Qualitative Analysis Of ‘Youth Engagement Through Intervention’, Zachary Shindorf Jan 2016

Exploring Barriers To The Generalization Of Social Skills Interventions For Children Diagnosed With Asd: A Qualitative Analysis Of ‘Youth Engagement Through Intervention’, Zachary Shindorf

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty with social skills and maintaining friendships. In turn, many social skills interventions have been developed to aid in the treatment of children diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD, however, have difficulty generalizing the skills learned in social skills interventions to more natural settings like the home and school. This study, therefore, explored the barriers to the generalization of a social skills intervention, Youth Engagement Through Intervention (YETI) for children with ASD. Barriers to the generalization of YETI were explored through the qualitative examination of parents’ acceptability of the …


The Effects Of Classwide Function-Related Intervention Teams On Preschool Behavior, Krystine Alycia Jolstead Apr 2015

The Effects Of Classwide Function-Related Intervention Teams On Preschool Behavior, Krystine Alycia Jolstead

Theses and Dissertations

Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. In recent years, positive behavior support (PBS) has been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific program for implementing PBS principles in classroom settings. CW-FIT is a group contingency that utilizes social skills training, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement to improve student behavior. Students are taught specific social skills and then work in teams to earn a group reward based on the use of these skills. CW-FIT has been shown to be effective in elementary classrooms but has not yet been …


Utah Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Problematic Behaviors And Critical Social Skills, Kimberly Weed Apr 2015

Utah Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Problematic Behaviors And Critical Social Skills, Kimberly Weed

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are faced with the dual task of teaching academic skills and managing students’ problematic behaviors. Randomly selected kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers (N=295 of 1,144; 26% return rate) in rural, urban, and suburban Utah were asked to identify students’ five most problematic behaviors, as well as students’ five most desired social skills which supported social-emotional wellbeing and academic achievement. Teachers’ responses were summarized and information will be used to enhance universal Tier 1 social skills interventions, part of school-wide positive behavior support in Utah’s elementary schools. The top five problematic behaviors identified by participating teachers included (a) defiant and refuses …


Student Perceptions Of Book In A Bag As An Integrated Social Skills Instruction Program, Hans Ryckaert Gaul Apr 2015

Student Perceptions Of Book In A Bag As An Integrated Social Skills Instruction Program, Hans Ryckaert Gaul

Theses and Dissertations

Positive behavioral support and social emotional learning (SEL) are important ingredients in fostering student success and mitigating the incidence of aggressive and harmful behaviors. Although schools provide the ideal environment in which to implement these interventions, there are obstacles to doing so. These obstacles include the amount of time and resources an intervention takes, as well as the social validity of the intervention. To determine social validity, those who implement interventions must consider stakeholder groups’ perceptions and buy in towards the intervention. Because students are typically the primary target population, their perceptions of proposed interventions are particularly important. Each month …


Parent Perceptions Of Their Involvement In And The Effectiveness Of An Integrated Social Skills Program, Karen Burton Feb 2015

Parent Perceptions Of Their Involvement In And The Effectiveness Of An Integrated Social Skills Program, Karen Burton

Theses and Dissertations

Social and emotional learning is an important element in educating the whole child. When social skills are taught and reinforced in a school-wide model, which incorporates positive behavior support, both students and faculty experience a better learning environment. The Book in a Bag intervention invites parent volunteers to teach social skills in the classroom. Supplementing this school-wide intervention, parents also receive a monthly newsletter informing them of the identified social skill and recommending associated children's picture books, which further reinforce the skill. The purpose of this study was to determine parent perceptions on the effectiveness of the Book in a …


Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of And Use Of Behavior-Specific Written Praise Notes For Children Identified With Office Discipline Referrals, Danielle C. Agle Jul 2014

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of And Use Of Behavior-Specific Written Praise Notes For Children Identified With Office Discipline Referrals, Danielle C. Agle

Theses and Dissertations

Student behavior problems in school and classroom settings are of great concern to parents, teachers, and school administrators. These behaviors range from talking out and noncompliance to more serious behaviors such as violence and vandalism. Effectively managing student behavior problems lays the foundation for creating a safe school environment and is a critical concern for all teachers. A school wide positive behavior intervention and support system (PBIS) is an effective and proactive way to prevent misbehavior. All teachers and staff teach and reinforce a specified set of positive behaviors. These positive behaviors are expected of each student. This study analyzed …


Increasing Positive Social Interaction Among Kindergarten Students, Scott M. Trinh Oct 2012

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 …


Social Skill Generalization With "Book In A Bag": Integrating Social Skills Into The Literacy Curriculum At A School-Wide Level, Buddy Dennis Alger Jun 2012

Social Skill Generalization With "Book In A Bag": Integrating Social Skills Into The Literacy Curriculum At A School-Wide Level, Buddy Dennis Alger

Theses and Dissertations

Social skill instruction is needed in both targeted and universal contexts. This research utilized a universal social skill intervention, Book in a Bag (BIB), to increase the use of a specific social skill by all students within an elementary school, including students identified as at-risk for behavior problems. BIB was designed to integrate social skills into the curriculum by way of children's literature, specifically a read-aloud book using a direct instruction strategy. The results indicate that BIB had a positive effect on students' behavior in the classroom both for students identified and those not identified as being at-risk for behavior …


Facilitating The Generalization Of Social Skills With Bibliotherapy And Positive Peer Reporting, Angelina C. Krieger Dec 2009

Facilitating The Generalization Of Social Skills With Bibliotherapy And Positive Peer Reporting, Angelina C. Krieger

Theses and Dissertations

Social competence is needed for interaction among peers, teachers, and families in order for children to be successful in school. Children enter school with various levels of social competence. Social skills training is an effective method for building social skills; however, many programs fail to generalize these skills across settings and time. This study investigated the effects of a social skills training intervention for first and second grade students with emotional and behavioral problems. The intervention blended direct instruction, role-plays, and children's literature, with peers supporting both the acquisition and generalization of the social skills through positive peer reporting (PPR) …


The Relationship Between Family Composition And Social Behavior For Students With Mild Disabilities In Schools, Amanda Clark Jul 2007

The Relationship Between Family Composition And Social Behavior For Students With Mild Disabilities In Schools, Amanda Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research identifies significant differences in children's problem behavior across various family structures, particularly noting more challenging behaviors in children from single parent families. Utilizing a pre-existing data set of Behavioral Objective Sequence (BOS) scores, this study investigated teacher ratings of social behavioral skills in students with mild disabilities, focusing on differences between groups of students from a variety of family compositions. Results indicated no significant difference in social behavioral skills among children from different family groups, taking into account the student's age. The covariate of age was significant on each of six BOS subscales, suggesting that children develop and …


Teacher Perceptions Of The Social Validity Of The Peaceable Schools Model, Rachelle Marie Pieper Jul 2007

Teacher Perceptions Of The Social Validity Of The Peaceable Schools Model, Rachelle Marie Pieper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the social validity of the Peaceable Schools model, which includes positive behavior support and social skills training. Data were collected through subjective evaluation using an open-ended survey given to teachers at two secondary schools. Results show that teachers perceived evidence of social validity in the areas of social significance, comprehensiveness, relevance, treatment integrity, and social acceptability. While weaknesses were also expressed in the areas of social acceptability, feasibility, and practicality, teachers perceived overall improvement in students' social skills and saw more strengths than weaknesses. Outcomes suggest that the Peaceable Schools model has …