Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Food Plight, Pauliina Siniauer, Rahimon Nasa, Lizeth Beltran, Jeremy Ibarra

Capstones

At Public School 398 in East Flatbush, elementary school children on March 20 were offered a lunch of beef patties, zucchini and pears.

A city health inspector found conditions were not appetizing: in the cafeteria and kitchen, the inspector spotted live roaches and close to 600 fresh mice droppings, ample evidence of rodent infestation – all conditions primed to cause illness.

http://foodplight.nycitynewsservice.com/home/

Better Health Through Horticulture: Using Horticulture To Influence Behavior And Reduce Stress, Rachel Ochylski

All NMU Master's Theses

Horticultural intervention in the form of gardening workshops connect participants to nature while they nurture another living organism. Horticultural intervention provides opportunities to socialize and engage in a meaningful activity, which have been recognized as helpful in the treatment of common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety. There is a lack of experimental studies based on quantitative data that focus on the effects of horticulture on holistic human health. The author evaluated the effects of a horticultural intervention on two separate groups, older adults and college students. The behavioral effects of engaging in gardening activities were evaluated using …

The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Stress Among College Students, Elizabeth Marie Vonderheyde

Theses and Dissertations

College students who have high levels of stress have reported difficulties with functioning on a daily basis, whether it be high anxiety due to classes or an increase in unhealthy habits like smoking or overeating. Studies have shown that those who practice mindfulness every day learn how to live with accepting the stresses in their lives (Siegel & Allison, 2016). This study explored the relationship between mindfulness and stress in college students from a medium size public university in the northeast. Two self-report measures were used to collect data though an online survey. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential …

Cal State San Bernardino Social Work Students' Attitudes Toward Domestic Minor Sex-Trafficked (Dmst) Youth, Crystal Lorraine Marinelli, Andrea Sara Hunt

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) affects hundreds of thousands of youth every year. In the past, DMST youth were often viewed by law enforcement and the criminal justice system as "offenders" and were usually arrested for solicitation even though they were minors. While new laws have begun to identify youth as victims, it has not yet been ensured that social workers have adopted this perspective. This quantitative study's purpose was to examine Cal State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) Bachelor of Social Work (BASW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students' attitudes toward DMST youth. Participants completed an online questionnaire using …

Student Censorship In The Social Work Classrooms, Lisa Kozlowski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Through the evolution of the field of social work, a divide in its ideologies has emerged and certain political and ideological groups such as the religious and conservatives have become underrepresented. As a result, over the years the liberal philosophies have emerged as the dominant group. This has led to a decrease in diversity within the field. Recognition of biases in the field of social work is difficult. Through a qualitative analysis method, this study was meant to explore if social work students feel they are free to share openly in the classroom, and if they are accepting of all …

Social Work Students Ability To Identify Signs Of Autism In Children, Heather Nicole Hopkins

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of students in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program to correctly identify signs of autism in children by completing a survey. This research project was conducted in collaboration with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and the MSW program by using MSW students as participants. The study used a survey designed with items that measured the knowledge of participants. The results of this study may be beneficial to the Director of Social Work, future MSW students, and professors to examine how well the current MSW program is preparing students …

Mobilization And Repression In The Occupy Movement, Eric Turner

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation project focuses on dynamics of mobilization and repression in the Occupy movement. This movement emerged in late 2011 in the United States and sought to protest the growing economic inequality and the growing influence of corporations in politics. This project focuses on Occupy chapters which emerged in 74 out of the 100 largest cities in the United States. The first empirical chapter of this project focuses on dynamics which affect differences in protest size, measured in terms of protest turnouts relative to population. This chapter first demonstrates the importance of large student populations and greater numbers of universities …

Effects Of A Classroom Intervention On Academic Engagement Of Elementary School Students With Anxiety, Lychelle Leatham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the impact of anxiety reduction on academic engagement for elementary students experiencing high levels of anxiety. For participating students, the anxiety appeared to be impacting academic performance in the school setting. Student participants received modified cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) including exposure tasks with adult support in the school setting. Both anxiety and academic engagement was monitored by participating students and their teachers. Results show that this intervention has promising outcomes and provides initial support that anxiety reduction increases academic engagement for anxious elementary students

Mindfulness Program For Student Athletes, Daniel J. Savory

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

Student athletes face challenging situations during their time at college which can cause their experience to be a negative one if they are not fully supported. This can be due to several factors; most athletes face an immense amount of pressure to succeed in the classroom as well as in their sport. Also, many athletes are moving away from home for the first time and this can be a daunting feeling. They are expected to manage all of these challenges, and if mishandled, it can lead to an overwhelming amount of negative stress resulting in an unsuccessful time as a …

Contextualization: An Experimental Model For Efl Writing Instruction In China, Guimin Tang

Dissertations and Theses

Chinese students learning English as a foreign language seem to get good marks in tests, but are poor or limited in their ability to write in English. This dilemma of China's EFL writing instruction seems to be related to the decontextualized EFL writing practices. This study aims to examine how Chinese EFL college students respond to changes in their writing instruction that pays attention to the context of EFL teaching and learning. In this study, context refers to three levels: linguistic context, situational context and cultural context.

Using the mixed methods approach, I conducted the study by engaging 60 second-year …

English Proficiency Associated With The High School Grades Of Lep Students In Abilene Isd, Donald A. Dolton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, immigration into the U.S. has increased because of growing economic problems around the world. Economic globalization and technological developments (internet access and the ability to move massive amounts of information and people in a short amount of time) have influenced the number of those seeking asylum. Accordingly, the U.S. school system continues to see an increase in students who are culturally diverse with greater educational deficiencies and limited English proficiency (LEP). In Texas there has been a 90% increase in the number of immigrants from 1990 to 2010 (National CE). This means that currently immigrants make up …

Executive Functions And Word Reading Fluency: A Brief Intervention With Economically Disadvantaged Secondary Students, Vanessa Kim

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study evaluated the use of a brief intervention that was designed to assist economically disadvantaged secondary students increase their capacity for attention to orthography and increase their ability to shift between rapid sight word recognition and decoding of unknown words in order to improve their word reading accuracy and fluency. The participants (N = 14) were eighth and ninth grade students enrolled in an urban public high school and receiving special education services. The study used analysis of variance for repeated measures and paired measures t-tests to analyze pre- and post-test data. The results indicated significant findings (p < 0.5) in the students’ improvements in their sight word reading fluency and their ability to inhibit impulses and shift cognitive sets with accuracy and speed following the 8-week reading intervention. The findings suggest that exposure to repeated word fluency drills that target attention to orthography and shifting from sight word recognition to decoding may have influenced the students’ self-monitoring skills and offer further support regarding the hypothesized role of executive functions in the act of reading.

Availability For Learning:Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation On Student Cognitive Abilities, Alexander Harne

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role And Implications Of Executive Functions On Learning And Performing Math In High School Algebra I Students, Heather Lynn Rickmers Tacovsky

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Current research is largely lacking in the areas of math, math learning deficits, and math-specific interventions. Even less available is research and interventions specific to high school learners. Some research addresses these areas with a specific focus on executive functions and how they may relate to student learning and performance. The present study sought to determine the relationship between three specific executive functions, Shift, Inhibit, and Working Memory, on learning and performance in math. Other executive functions, as measured by BRIEF rating scales and including Planning and Organization, Initiate, and Monitor, were also reviewed. Results of the present study found …

Trends In The Match Of Early Intervention To Student Need: A Grounded Theory Study In Student Support Within One Florida School District, Amanda K. Ellzey

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The educational research literature confirms that students identified with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities are the most at-risk for school failure, grade retention, and dropout of all student groups. Legislation passed by federal and state entities seeks to support these and all students with recommendations for emotional, behavioral, and academic tiers of intensified supports; yet with dwindling funding and resources, these well-intentioned mandates often go unmet. Using archived records of 16 students in one Florida school district that were eventually placed into Self-Contained Emotional/Behavioral Disability classrooms, this dissertation examined existing trends in the match of intervention to student need, patterns in …

Stigmatizing Beliefs And Attitudes Held By Students Toward Borderline Personality Disorder: Recovery Knowledge As A Moderator, Danyelle Salpietro

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether recovery knowledge in psychology doctoral students reduced stigma toward individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants of this study consisted of 287 psychology doctoral students who differed in theoretical orientation, program type, clinical experience, and program year. More specifically, this study examined differences between different levels of recovery knowledge (low, medium, high) and different diagnoses (major depressive disorder [MDD], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], BPD) on expressed stigma. Each student completed the Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI), read a vignette describing either BPD, depression, or anxiety, completed the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) based on …

Stress, Coping, And Academic Self-Efficacy In First-Generation College Students, Samantha Fitz-Gerald

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative research was conducted with first-generation college students who were enrolled in one of two university settings in northeastern Pennsylvania. The purpose of the study was to explore the unique stressors and coping mechanisms first-generation college students experience and how these impact their academic self-efficacy beliefs. A total of 10 participants were interviewed for the study using a demographic questionnaire, self-report stress scale, and semi-structured interview. Grounded theory of analysis provided the theoretical framework for the study, allowing the researcher to code the data to discover four emerging themes. The themes found included (a) the first-generation college students’ motivation …

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury And The Effect On Academic And Psychosocial Functioning In School Aged Children: A Pilot Study, Mary Ellen Henigan

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The academic and psychosocial functioning of 20 post-TBI high school students were investigated in this pilot study. Participants included 12 males and 8 females ranging in age from 14 to 18 years. The students demonstrated a higher number of discipline referral post-TBI (d = 0.82) with a large effect size. Correlational analysis revealed a relationship between pre- and post-TBI, rate of attendance, and GPA. Thirty percent of student participants identified a level of significant elevation on the BASC-3 or BYI-II, most commonly social stress, depression, and sense of inadequacy. One hundred percent identified a change to their academic functioning, social …

"They Don't Say It Up Front" : Immigrant-Origin High School Students' Experiences Of Disrespect And Racial Microaggressions By Teachers : A Project Based Upon A Group Research Investigation, Leah A. Gold

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study used counter-storytelling methodology from Critical Race Theory to explore 15 racial and ethnic minority immigrant-origin high school students’ experiences of racial microaggressions by teachers. Previous research focuses on overt racism with youth or microaggressions with adults, but has not addressed subtle racism experienced by high school students. The findings suggest immigrant-origin experience teacher disrespect as racial microaggressions, including those that are related to immigrant identity. Though not conclusive, the results indicate that experiences of racial microaggressions and responses may differ for immigrant-origin youth with different generation status. Teachers’ racial sensitivity and school climate were demonstrated to be …

Combatting The Core Of Sexual Assault: Training Youth To Become Transformational Leaders In Sexual Assault Perpetration Prevention, Sage Marissa Warner

Senior Projects Spring 2017

Sexual assaulters develop from a culture of learned norms, misunderstanding of consent, and inefficacy in bystander intervention. The most significant sexual assault prevention programs teach individuals to dissociate from this culture, by changing their perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors. However, the lack of long-term effects in these programs depicts a vital loophole in their design. In order to change the culture that breeds sexual assaulters, a program cannot focus solely on individuals’ growth, but must ensure a movement of change in the culture itself. Transformational Leadership (Bass, 1985), a style of leadership in which leaders inspire their followers to become leaders, …

Full-Day Kindergarten Program: Fostering Academic And Behavioral Gains For At Risk Students, Sarah Stefanakis

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The following study investigated the effectiveness of a full-day kindergarten program as an intervention to foster academic and behavioral gains in students presenting with poor school readiness skills when entering kindergarten. Sixteen public school kindergarten students selected for a pilot full-day kindergarten program participated in the study. The sample included students from low-socioeconomic status families with poor academic skills, students from higher socioeconomic status families with poor academic skills, and students receiving special education services. Dependent-samples t-tests revealed significant growth between the beginning and the end of the school year in phonological processing, print recognition, and early writing skills. Measures …

Teacher Evaluation Designs In An External Accountability Environment, Cynthia Ellen Gallagher

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Self-Compassion And Its Relation To Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Justin M. Wiseman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

There have been relatively few studies that have empirically explored the relationship between self-compassion and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Previous studies have found that engagement in self-injurious behaviors is closely related to being self-critical (Glassman, Weierich, Hooley, Deliberto, & Nock, 2007; Hooley, Ho, Slater, & Lockshin, 2010).Therefore, it has been suggested that higher levels of self-compassion may be associated with less engagement in NSSI. The current study explored the relationship between self-reported self-compassion and past self-reported occurrences of NSSI. This study used Neff's (2003a) 12 item Self-Compassion Scale- Short Form (SCS-SF) to measure one's level of self-compassion and a Client Information/Demographics …