Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of Psychological Variables Influencing Perceptions Of The Self Among A Sample Of Female Exercise Initiates, Lisa Cooke

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The general purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relationship among and within cognitive variables associated with exercise initiation and maintenance in a sample of female exercise initiates.

Manuscript 1 was structured to explore the changes to exercise identity among a population of female exercise initiates (N = 78) grouped into an imagery or control condition. Previous research has found that a strong exercise identity is associated with more frequent exercise (Strachan et al., 2009) and increases over time as a person continues to exercise (Cardinal & Cardinal, 1997). Participants were assessed multiple times (weeks 0, 5, 9, …

Resident Assistants' Self- Efficacy For Participation In Counseling Activities, Miranda Johnson Parries

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Based on the changes in mental health needs on college campuses, this study examines Resident Assistants' self-efficacy to participate in counseling activities with the residents whom they are assigned to assist. The literature review discusses recent efforts introduced by residence life departments to respond to the increase in mental health and behavioral issues that college students are now facing, the barriers that prevent Resident Assistants, who function as paraprofessionals within their on-campus communities, from taking action, and recommended training components and parameters. The increase of serious mental health issues calls for the reimagining of the training provided to Resident Assistants …

Clinician Interest In Working In Substance Abuse Treatment: The Role Of Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancies, And Stigma, Genevieve Anne Covert

Theses and Dissertations

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) was used to examine clinician career interest for working in substance abuse treatment. The study examined the impact that self-efficacy and outcome expectancies have while exploring stigma as a moderating variable. Participants (N = 153) with experience providing mental health treatment completed the study. A series of self-report surveys were administered electronically. A series of Likert scales were used to assess career interests, self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and stigma. A service-load measure and demographics survey were also completed. Correlation analyses and regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy significantly predicted career interest in substance abuse counseling. These analyses …

Exploring The Use Of Non-Cognitive Factors In Predicting College Academic Outcomes, Ashley D. Cooper

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study evaluated the incremental utility of a blended model of cognitive and non-cognitive variables versus a cognitive-only set of variables to predict academic success among new college students. Traditional cognitive predictors include high school grade point average and ACT scores. The non-cognitive factors of interest were grit, goal orientation, and academic self-efficacy. It was hypothesized that the blended model would demonstrate stronger predictive validity than cognitive predictors alone, grit would be associated with goal orientations and academic self-efficacy, and that academic self-efficacy would mediate the relationship between other non-cognitive predictors and academic success outcomes. The results from archival …

The Effects Of A Career-Planning Course On Community College Students' Career Self-Efficacy And Career Indecisiveness, Jefferey Samuel Lip

Wayne State University Dissertations

The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a career-planning course for college students who were undecided on a major or want to change or confirm their major at community college. The career-planning course was designed to assist students in becoming more aware of themselves and career options. From this study, the career-planning course assisted students in improving their career decision-making self-efficacy. A reduction in career decision-making difficulties for students was seen in this study. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group research design was used for this study. To determine if the experimental and control group were …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of The Louisiana Gear Up Program In Promoting Self-Efficacy, Improving Academic Achievement And Increasing Teachers' Aspirations For Their Students, Candi Hill

Doctoral Dissertations

Students are likely to avoid academic pursuits if they lack academic self-efficacy (Bandura, 2000). Furthermore, past poor academic performance contributes to the development of low academic self-efficacy. Students who participate in extracurricular activities, like LA GEAR UP, demonstrate better academic achievement and less risk-taking behaviors than non-participating students (Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003). Research supports the notion that LA GEAR UP is an effective way to improve students' academic performance and to reduce the number of disciplinary referrals students receive (Beer, 2009). Additionally, within the academic literature research has demonstrated that teachers' attributions about students are based upon their perceptions …

Inspiring Change: Exercise Self-Efficacy, Dispositional Optimism, And Perceived Stress In College Seniors, Joshua M. Garrin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prohealth competencies, positive outcome expectancies, and adaptive stress appraisals have profound implications for the real-world transition of college seniors—a population for which engagement in physical activity reflects a preeminent concern. Prior studies on exercise self-efficacy (ESE), dispositional optimism (DO), perceived stress (PS), and physical activity have yielded inconclusive evidence of the emergent psychosocial challenges encountered during the final year of the college experience. Using a triadic framework of self-efficacy, attribution, and cognitive appraisal theories, this crosssectional, quantitative study was conducted using a web survey to examine (a) the impact of physical activity level on ESE, DO, and PS; (b) the …

The Mediating Effect Of Self-Awareness In The Relations Of Self-Compassion And Training Variables To Therapist Self-Efficacy, I-Ching Grace Hung

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Therapist self-awareness is widely regarded by educators and clinicians as an essential factor that allows psychotherapists to treat clients effectively (Ridley, Mollen, & Kelly, 2011b). Accordingly, a central goal of therapist training is to increase self-awareness, which is believed to lead to important training outcomes, such as stronger trainee self-efficacy in clinical abilities (e.g., Barnes, 2004; Daniel, Roysircar, Abeles, & Boyd, 2004). Despite this common belief, there is a scarcity of theory and research on the role of self-awareness in affecting therapist training outcomes (Pieterse, Lee, Ritmeester, & Collins, 2013). Using a Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training (SCMCT; Larson, …

Testing Counselor Trainees' Self-Efficacy For Identifying Behavioral Indicators Of The Working Alliance In Family Therapy : Can Self-Efficacy Be Induced Through Feedback?, William H. Spears

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The present study investigated the influence of self-efficacy (SE) on performance in a counseling-related task. Specifically, four experimental self-efficacy (SE) groups were compared in their performance using the SOFTA-o (Friedlander, Escudero, & Heatherington, 2006) to identify clients' alliance-related behaviors in a videotaped vignette of a simulated family therapy session. Following a baseline trial with a similar vignette (Trial 1), 112 counselor trainees were randomly assigned to receive no feedback (Control) or bogus comparison feedback indicating that their Trial 1 performance was superior (High SE), similar (Mildly Negative/average SE), or poor (Low SE) relative to peers. Correspondingly, the experiment tested three …

Factors Influencing U.S Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards

by

Salma Theus

MS, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2008

BA, La Sierra University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

September 2014

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness …