Psychology Commons^™

Collective Autonomy Restriction: A Theoretical Model And Empirical Investigations, Adrian Rivera-Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations

Collective autonomy refers to a group’s freedom to define and practice their own cultural and social identity without interference from other groups. According to the “threat and defense” hypothesis of collective autonomy restriction, group members are motivated to defend their collective autonomy from outside restriction. However, the psychological processes that influence advantaged vs. disadvantaged group members perceptions of collective autonomy, as well as the specific strategies they use to protect collective autonomy, have yet to be articulated. This dissertation presents three manuscripts that examine the social conditions and psychological processes that shape advantaged and disadvantaged group members’ perceptions of collective …

For The Love Of Teaching: Pre-Service Teachers’ Experience Of Moral Education, Anne Marie Foley Ruiz

Doctoral Dissertations

Moral aspects of teaching arise each and every day, yet we lack information about how prepared teachers feel about this critical aspect of teaching. This multi-case study explores perceptions of five pre-service teachers in an elementary teacher education program in Western Massachusetts. A series of interviews explore their histories prior to the program and their experiences in the program as related to the pre-service teachers’ orientations to the moral work of teaching. Research questions address the awareness and self-efficacy of student teachers in implementing the moral aspects of teaching. Using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006), this study explores beliefs …

Increasing Teacher-Student Relationships And Classroom Engagement: The Effects Of Modifying Existing Tier Two Intervention On Adolescent Students And Their Teachers, Julia Doherty

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a Tier II behavior intervention, Check-in/Check-out (CiCo), on student engagement, and if a modification to the intervention that includes teacher use of microaffirmations improves the teacher-student relationship (T-SR) and thus, increases student engagement in class. It utilized multiple baseline design, and the study sample consisted of three fifth grade students from an urban school district in Southeastern Virginia. All three students were paired with one of their teachers to serve as the mentor for the intervention. Student engagement was measured directly using the Behavioral Observation System for Students (BOSS; …

Implementing The Color Wheel System To Improve Individual Student Behavior And Reduce Repeated Teacher Directions, Jade Bennett

Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers have demonstrated the Color Wheel System (CWS) to be a resource-efficient and effective classroom management system within various contexts; however, there is limited research examining the impact of the CWS on teacher behavior (i.e., reducing repeated teacher directions) and individual student in-seat behavior. Using a withdrawal (ABAB) design, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the CWS in decreasing repeated teacher directions and increasing student in-seat behavior. Momentary time sampling was used to record individual student in-seat behavior. Frequency recording over a 20-min time interval was used to record repeated teacher directions and frequencies were …

An Electronic Validation Of The Test Of Memory Malingering (Tomm), Bonnie M. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Within the context of a counterbalanced design, 46 students from a large state university in the southeast were administered the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) and the electronic version of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM-E). The TOMM was developed by Dr. Tom Tombaugh in 1996 and was originally designed to be administered in a paper and pencil format. The objective of this study was to establish equivalence between the computer-administered TOMM-E and the traditional paper-based TOMM. Each assessment consists of two trials and simple random assignment was used to determine which assessment format was administered to participants first. Time …

An Evaluation Of Writing Self-Efficacy And Writing Apprehension Self-Report Instruments, Jada Kennice White

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the Writing Self-Efficacy Scale (WSES) and the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test (WAT) as measures of writing self-efficacy and apprehension for middle school students. The purpose of this study was to expand on previous research regarding the reliability and validity of both the WSES and WAT to account for changes in student profiles as well as writing expectations throughout the years. The goal of this study was to evaluate current reliability and validity of the WSES and WAT to determine whether they remain appropriate measures for writing self-efficacy and apprehension. Data were collected from were examined for 65 …

Evaluation Of A Remote Implementation Of The Well-Being Promotion Program With Middle School Students During Covid-19, Emily C. Barry

Doctoral Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic and pivot to emergency remote teaching changed the way in which many students access school-based mental health interventions. Furthermore, the effects of the pandemic heightened distress and decreased life satisfaction amongst many youth, increasing the need for schools to provide targeted mental health supports (Lazarus et al, 2021; Magson et al., 2021). Empirically supported Tier 2 mental health interventions exist (i.e., the Well-Being Promotion Program; Suldo, 2016), but little is known about how these interventions can be adapted and feasibly implemented in remote school contexts. This retrospective case study evaluated the implementation of a remote version of …

Development And Validation Of The Scale Of Emotional Functioning: Educators (Sef:Ed), Lezli Suzanne Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

Data collected from 97 educators provide preliminary support for the psychometric integrity of an experimental self-report instrument designed to operationalize emotional intelligence (EI) specific to educators, the Scale of Emotional Functioning: Educators, or SEF:ED. Data analyses relied in part on results from an exploratory factor analysis, which revealed an acceptable three-factor solution and item-scale correlations. Reliability estimates (i.e., split-half reliability correlations) obtained for the SEF:ED subscales of Emotional Awareness, Emotional Management, and Interpersonal Relations subscales are .86, .80, and .71, respectively. Correlation coefficients (i.e., Pearson r) between the SEF:ED composite and the Profile of Emotional Competence composite (PEC; Brasseur …

The Effects Of An Interdependent Group Contingency On Student Writing, Madeline B. Auge

Doctoral Dissertations

National data indicate that many students in the United States are not proficient in writing at grade-level expectations (Persky et al., 2003). However, there is not enough research, resources, or support for school personnel to improve student writing (Graham & Harris, 2003). Previous writing intervention studies involving performance feedback methods have shown positive impacts on student writing fluency, but it may be too time consuming for teachers to use in the classroom (Truckenmiller et al., 2014). Teachers need feasible, evidence-based writing interventions that are easy to implement in their classrooms and that motivate students to improve their writing skills.

The …

Brief Sheets: Examining An Intervention That Increases Academic Reinforcement, Kyle Edward Ryan

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is designed to extend research on the Brief Sheets intervention. The Brief Sheets intervention involves taking a full-page assignment that is given to students to complete independently and breaking up this assignment into multiple, smaller assignments that still contain the same total number of problems cumulatively. An experiment was designed to see if students would complete more total problems when they were given Brief Sheets compared to a control assignment containing the same total number of problems, if the percentage of accurate responding would be higher for the Brief Sheets assignment, and if students would rate the Brief …

Exploring The Relationship Between School Organizational Health, Advice Seeking Networks, And Student Behavior, Abbey M. Nachman

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between organizational health and advice seeking behavior of school staff around students exhibiting social, emotional, or behavioral concerns. School staff are front line responders to mental/behavioral health issues and it would benefit schools to better understand the organizational factors that influence advice seeking behavior and the affect that school climate amongst teachers has on student behavior. This study investigated the climates and communication patterns of two urban elementary schools. Social network analysis was used to visualize and analyze both schools’ respective networks. School staff completed the Organizational Health Inventory as …

Using Consultation With Performance Feedback To Align Classroom Management Strategies With A Social Emotional Learning Curriculum In Early Childhood, Jessica Kemp

Doctoral Dissertations

Traditionally, school-based preventative frameworks have been implemented in isolation with little consideration of alignment and integration of practices throughout the school day. The present study aims to address this gap by increasing school psychologists’ preventative involvement with consultation in early childhood school settings. Using an integrated approach through a multiple baseline design, four Head Start teachers were trained in classroom management practices, to increase opportunities throughout the day for teaching, prompting, and reinforcing key skills taught through the Second Step social emotional learning curriculum. Findings suggest that a brief professional development session (1-hour) followed by weekly performance feedback (15 minutes) …

Incorporating Physical Activity In Mental Health Intervention Service Delivery: School Psychologists’ Perspectives, Scott Greenspan

Doctoral Dissertations

Epidemiological data posits that youth in the United States (US) experience significant mental health concerns. Approximately 10% of youth meet criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses (Danielson, Bitsko, Ghandour, Holbrook, & Blumberg, 2018) and approximately 7% of youth have a behavioral conduct problem or anxiety (Ghandour et al., 2018). Literature continues to suggest that physical activity is a viable modality in supporting the mental health of youth (e.g., Ahn & Fedewa, 2011; Annesi, 2005; Biddle et al., 2018). While it is recommended that youth achieve one hour of physical activity daily (Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee [PAGC], 2018), …

The Development And Initial Validation Of The Suicide Prevention Attitudes Rating Scale, Erik Reinbergs

Doctoral Dissertations

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for the 10-24 age range (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Despite national attention, youth suicide rates have increased by 50% since 1999 (CDC WISQARS, 2018). To better target and evaluate school-based suicide prevention efforts, this study undertakes the development and initial validation of the Suicide Prevention Attitudes Rating Scale (SPARS) in a sample of California school principals. After a thorough literature review and initial item development, experts in the suicide prevention field reviewed and provided feedback on the initial items and construct definition. A cognitive interview protocol with school principals …

What's In A Label? Unpacking The Meaning Of Achievement Labels From Tests, Francis O'Donnell

Doctoral Dissertations

As a result of federal accountability policies, achievement level labels from statewide assessments are ascribed to public school students 17 times between grades 3 and 12. Depending on students’ performance and state of residence, they may be labeled inadequate or in need of support, below proficient or approaching expectations, level 3 or on track—to name a few examples. These labels are delivered through individual reports for students and parents as well as group reports for teachers. In spite of their widespread use, research on how achievement level labels are interpreted is minimal. The aim of this …

Increasing The Effectiveness Of A Social Emotional Learning Program Through Cultural Adaptation For African American Students’ Internalizing Symptoms, Courteney Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

Cultural adaptation is a mechanism used to increase the congruency of evidence-based interventions when delivered to a specific ethnic-cultural group. While initially conceptualized in response to the lack of support of evidence-based treatments with ethnic minorities, research identifying unique risk and protective factors for minority groups, as well as poor participant engagement and a lower utilization of mental health services as compared to Caucasian youth, provide additional support for the cultural adaptation of interventions. This study compared the results of a school-based social emotional curriculum culturally adapted for African American youth to a non-adapted intervention. The study analyzed participants’ overall …

Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Self-Efficacy Scores: Relations To Teacher Expectations And Office Discipline Referrals, Maria Reina Santiago-Rosario

Doctoral Dissertations

Nationwide out-of-school suspension and expulsion rates show historically underserved groups of students leading discipline disproportionality reports (i.e., 1.1 million African-American, 660,000 in special education, 600,000 Latino, and 210,000 ELL students; U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2018). While Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) effects on racial discipline disproportionality have been promising, they have been insufficient (McIntosh, Girvan, Horner, & Smolkowski, 2014; Vincent & Tobin, 2011), and empirical work studying the interrelation between classroom management, culture, behavior, and teacher decision-making is needed for a cohesive and theoretically sound approach to addressing the racial discipline gap (Gregory …

Examining Mediation And Moderation Effects Of Academic Motivation On The Relationship Between Disciplinary Events And Academic Performance In Secondary School, Cynthia Shuttleton

Doctoral Dissertations

Academic motivation is a key factor in students’ academic and behavioral success in school. Previous research has demonstrated strong relationships between disciplinary events and academic performance, as well as between academic performance and academic motivation. However, there is limited understanding of the relationship between academic motivation and disciplinary events, or how academic motivation, academic performance, and disciplinary events are related. The purpose of this study was to examine student self-ratings of their academic motivation in grades 9-12 in a public high school, and to investigate the associations and interactive relationships between these three variables. Participants (N=78) completed the …

An Examination Of The Properties, Uses And Interpretations Of First Grade Reading Screening Tools In One School District, Amadee Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations

Early identification of children who are likely to struggle to achieve reading proficiency is essential to providing them timely access to effective interventions. Thus, universal screening is a critical feature of preventative service delivery models that identify students at risk and provide early support for reading difficulties. As schools choose assessment tools for this purpose, three aspects of universal screening tools are especially important to consider: appropriateness for the intended use, technical adequacy, and usability. Using these standards for assessment review, this study investigated two screening tools commonly used to identify first-graders at risk for reading failure: the Aimsweb Tests …

The Effect Of Familiarity On Learning With Video Clips Containing Seductive Details, Jonah Lee Ruddy

Doctoral Dissertations

Seductive information included in educational lessons can arouse students’ emotional and situational interest. However, research on seductive details across instructional modalities shows both helpful and harmful effects on learning. The seductive details effect describes the negative influence of interesting, but irrelevant, information on achieving learning goals. Results from studies of videos with relevant and seductive details in multimedia lessons are inconclusive. Prior knowledge of target information has been shown to moderate the seductive details effect. In this study, the moderating effect of prior exposure to, or familiarity with, seductive, rather than target, information was explored using a multifactorial design. The …

The Relative Effectiveness Of Group Contingencies On Academic Performance, Engagement, And Disruptive Behaviors, Caroline Marie Jaquett

Doctoral Dissertations

Group contingencies are often used in the classroom to decrease disruptive behavior and improve both academic performance and on-task behavior. However, research is mixed regarding the most appropriate target for intervention: academic performance, on-task behavior, or disruptive behavior. The current study was designed to extend research on group contingency target behaviors by evaluating and comparing two interdependent group contingencies: an academic performance contingency and an on-task behavior contingency. Dependent variables included percent correct, percent on-task, and disruptive behavior. The participants were seven, eighth-grade students with Emotional Behavior Disorder. Data were collected in the social studies classroom. An adapted alternating treatments …

An Investigation Of Gender Bias In A Career Assessment For A Stem Field, Shelby Morgan Reyes

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined whether career counselors differ in their recommendations for a STEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, mathematics) career (specifically, computer scientist) based on the gender of the client. In a randomized two group experimental design with a qualitative component, a fictitious student bio was created in order to understand the possible conceptualization differences seen between career counselors in regards to gender bias in the STEM fields. The primary research questions looked at whether participants were less likely to recommend the female student, compared to the male, to a STEM related career and to pursue graduate school. A secondary research …

High School Students' Perceptions Of School Climate In Relation To Discipline History And Discipline Approach, Kayla R. Gordon

Doctoral Dissertations

High school is a unique period of time within students' educational careers where there are an increasing number of variables that can facilitate or impede their academic, social-emotional, and behavioral success. Previous research has demonstrated strong effects of school climate, or the quality of school life and experiences within the school building, on factors including students' academic performance, motivation to learn, and attendance. In addition, school climate has been negatively correlated with drop out rates as well as other short and long term negative outcomes for students. The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of school climate …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Mindfulness-Based Social Emotional Learning Program On Kindergarteners’ Risk For Social, Academic, And Emotional Problems, Molly Alvin

Doctoral Dissertations

This intervention study explored the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based social emotional learning program, Calmer Choice, on kindergarten students’ risk for social, academic, and emotional problems. The study used a quasi-experimental design with two measures collected as pretests and posttests for students in an intervention group and students in a wait-list control group. Kindergarten teachers completed the Social Academic Emotional Behavior Rating Scale (SAEBRS; Kilgus & von der Embse, 2014) and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment-mini (DESSA-mini; Naglieri, LeBuffe & Shapiro, 2014) for each student at these two time points. The intervention, Calmer Choice, consisted of 16 lessons taught twice a …

Social-Emotional Development Assessment: Scale Development For Kindergarten Through Second Grade Youth Universal Screening, James F.M. Brenchley

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the research literature with regard to available screening tools that allow young children to self-identify needs related to their social-emotional development. A review of current evidence-based social-emotional tools led to the identification of seven domains most frequently utilized: self-regulation, emotional regulation, social skills, self-concept, school connectedness, social responsibility, and optimism/positivity. To accomplish this endeavor, two studies were conducted to develop a screening measure that demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, but also minimized cost related to time for implementation. The first study was a review of 105 pilot scale items …

Predicting Academic Performance On High-Stakes Tests: Development Of The Brief Behavior, Academic, And Social Screener (B-Bass), Trisha Danielle Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to develop the Brief Behavior, Academic, and Social Screener (B-BASS), an experimental measure for identifying students at risk for academic underachievement and for predicting performance on high-stakes tests, data were obtained from elementary teachers for 198 third- through fifth-grade rural elementary students in the Southeastern United States. Teachers provided ratings on items within the following global domains: cognitive ability, social/emotional traits, socioeconomic and family characteristics, and executive functions using a brief, practical, contextually appropriate format, one sensitive to local norms. Results reveal strong test-retest correlations (r indices > .95) and moderate to high inter-correlations among the items. Based …

Comparing Group Contingencies: An Investigation Of The Role Of Group Size In A First-Grade Classroom, Katelyn Crabtree Scott

Doctoral Dissertations

Group-oriented contingencies are often used in the classroom as a means to enhance academic performance. Randomization of contingency components and group size have important implications for the effectiveness of these contingencies. The current study was designed to extend research on group contingencies by evaluating and comparing a randomly-selected small group dependent contingency with a large group interdependent contingency in a first-grade classroom. In this classroom, students sit at tables consisting of four students. Percentage correctly completed on daily independent math assignments represented the dependent variable. Class-wide averages, small group averages (i.e., tables), and individual student data was collected. Researchers also …

Targeting Difficult Multiplication Problems: Increasing Multiplication Fact Fluency Through A Learning Trials Intervention, Kelly Mccullough Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

The acquisition of basic math facts is a necessity for elementary school students as it fosters skill development as math concepts increase in difficulty. Specifically, by the end of the fifth grade, students are expected to have mastered all basic one-digit by one-digit multiplication problems. Many students, however, do not become fluent with multiplication facts, particularly the most difficult basic facts (i.e., digits 6-9). The current study was designed to determine if a computer-based learning trials program could enhance automaticity with difficult multiplication facts. Further, we investigated whether the computer program targeting difficult facts could enhance fluency across all basic …

The Impact Of Rewards On The Effectiveness Of Performance Feedback In Improving Writing Production In Elementary School Students, Leslie Allison Hart

Doctoral Dissertations

Approximately a quarter of students in classrooms across the United States meet minimum grade-level expectations in writing in national assessments (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). The purpose of the present study is to elaborate on the role performance feedback can play in increasing student writing production through novel additions to established methodology. Specifically, an alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the impact of two iterations of a performance feedback intervention. The first evaluated how performance feedback (with two representations of total words written and a velocity indicator) impacts student writing production across production-dependent and production-independent variables. The second …

Examining The Effectiveness Of A Sentence Construction Intervention Combined With Self-Regulation Instruction Using A Regression Discontinuity Design, William Furey

Doctoral Dissertations

The Language and Writing strands of the Common Core State Standards place a heavy emphasis on sentence-level conventions including syntax/grammar and mechanics. Interventions targeting these foundational skills are necessary to support struggling writers as poorly developed sentence construction skills inhibit more complex writing tasks. This study examined the effects of a supplemental intervention on the writing skills of fourth grade students identified as struggling writers. The intervention used explicit instruction and the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) framework to teach students a sentence construction strategy along with self-regulation procedures. A regression discontinuity design was used to test whether students included in …