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Korean- And English-Speaking Children Use Cross-Situational Information To Learn Novel Predicate Terms, Jane B. Childers, Jae H. Paik

Psychology Faculty Research

This paper examines children’s attention to cross-situational information during word learning. Korean-speaking children in Korea and English speaking children in the US were taught four nonce words that referred to novel actions. For each word, children saw four related events: half were shown events that were very similar (Close comparisons), half were shown events that were not as similar (Far comparisons). The prediction was that children would compare events to each other and thus be influenced by the events shown. In addition, children in these language groups could be influenced differently as their verb systems differ. Although some differences were …

Leadership As Role And Relationship In Social Dynamics: An Exploratory Study Seeking A Leadership Archetype, Brian W. Bridgeforth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research on leadership as archetype considered archetype as metaphor and not as it is understood in other literatures as a collectively accepted and defined role within and across cultures. Archetypical theories are posited as useful because they help us understand universal aspects of human behavior; however, empirical research demonstrating archetypical thinking and behavior remains rare. Accordingly, this phenomenological study investigated whether a leadership archetype exists as a shared cognitive template and if so, what characteristics define it. The theoretical framework used to examine the phenomenon of leadership combined leadership theory, philosophy of the mind, Jungian psychology, social constructionist theory, …

Using Language To Navigate The Infant Mind, Laura Wagner, Laura Lakusta

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

How do infants represent objects, actions, and relations in events? In this review, we discuss an approach to studying this question that begins with linguistic theory—specifically, semantic structures in language. On the basis of recent research exploring infant cognition and prominent linguistic analyses, we examine whether infants representations of motion events are articulated in terms of the components proposed by Talmy (1985; e.g., path, manner) and whether infants’ event representations are defined in terms of broad semantic roles (agent, patient, source, goal) as proposed by Jackendoff (1990) and Dowty (1991). We show how recent findings in infant cognition are consistent …

An Examination Of The Association Between Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Teacher Interactions, Home-School Dissonance, And School Attachment, Ruby Jewel Stevens

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether middle school students’ perceptions of teacher interactions and home-school dissonance are predictors of school attachment. The study sought to determine if there were differences in students’ perceptions of teacher interactions and home-school dissonance based on ethnicity, gender and/or grade level. This investigation is one of the first to explore the association between these variables.

Data for this investigation was obtained from a larger study where surveys were administered to over 800 racially diverse students in grades 6 through 8 in Language Arts classrooms in two public middle schools with diverse student …

Attention And Memory In Young And Middle-Aged Adults, Emily Sorensen

Honors Program Theses

Within the field of communication sciences and disorders, studies concerning performance on cognitive tests tend to focus on the differences between young and old-age groups. The geriatric population has significantly increased over the years and will continue to rise in the coming decades. This rise in the number of older adults has resulted in research that is directed towards investigating the decline in cognitive ability in the aging population.

Powerful And Powerless Speech Styles In Employment Mock Interviews, Amanda M. Wilson

Honors Program Theses

This thesis examines powerful and powerless speech styles in employment mock interviews. A powerless speech style is defined as the use of linguistic features that have negative effects on how the speaker is perceived. Features analyzed in this study include intensifiers, hedges, and hesitations. A powerful speech style is defined as the absence of powerless linguistic features within speech. Twenty-eight examples of employment mock interviews conducted in the office of Career Services at the University of Northern Iowa were recorded for analysis in this thesis. Four common questions within the interviews were selected and the responses were transcribed and analyzed, …

Relationship Between Theory Of Mind Performance In A Nonverbal Task And Functioning Level Of Children With Autism, Michael J. Grenda

Masters Theses

Individuals with autism often show deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), their ability to understand the perceptions of others. The relationship between functioning level and ToM abilities in children with autism has not been adequately explored. This study utilized a nonverbal task of ToM adapted from previous research (Colle, Baron-Cohen, & Hill, 2007) which allowed examination of lower functioning or nonverbal individuals. Participants included nine individuals with autism spectrum disorders and nine normally developing individuals. Functioning level was estimated using a brief autism rating scale. When controlling for nonverbal abilities and age, no significant differences in ToM abilities were found …

Palpable Pedagogy: Expressive Arts, Leadership, And Change In Social Justice Teacher Education (An Ethnographic/Auto-Ethnographic Study Of The Classroom Culture Of An Arts-Based Teacher Education Course), Lucy Elizabeth Barbera

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Palpable Pedagogy: Expressive Arts, Leadership, and Change in Social Justice TeacherEducation is an arts-informed ethnographic study of the pedagogy and culture engendered when the expressive arts are employed in social justice teacher education. Palpable Pedagogy is a qualitative study that examines the power of the expressive arts to identify, explore, and address issues of inequity in the context of a social justice teacher education course that I taught over three consecutive years. The literature in the field outlines the essential components for effective social justice teacher education (identity, reflection, and dialogue) and neatly explores them. However, with the exception of …

A Study Of Possible Pre-Cognitive Advantages Of Bilingualism, Marisela Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Past research has suggested that second language acquisition has a beneficial effect on the development of inhibitory control processes in children and adults. This has been referred to as the "bilingual advantage" and is most commonly quantified using the Simon task. Whether the bilingual advantage extends to precognitive mechanisms has not yet been examined. The goals of this study were to examine the bilingual advantage in university students; and to examine whether the bilingual advantage extends to the precognitive filtering mechanism of sensorimotor gating. It was predicted that, as compared to monolinguals, bilingual university students would have greater inhibitory control, …

Reanalysis Of Some Effects Of The Mutual Exclusivity Constraint And Their Operation In Bilingual Children, Marina Kalashnikova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the operation of the Mutual Exclusivity constraint in two groups of three-year-old children: monolingual Spanish speakers and bilingual Spanish-English speakers. Previous research has yielded controversial findings regarding the differences in the intra-lingual level operation of the constraint in monolingual and bilingual children. This investigation sheds light on the conflicting outcomes of previous studies by proposing that non-linguistic cognitive and processing abilities may account for the effects attributed to the constraint and that there may be observable differences in monolingual and bilingual children in the development of some--but not all--of these abilities. Although, this study yielded no significant …

Getting To Know You: The Effects Of Familiarity And Time On Social Perception, Clarissa Arms Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A new direction in social perception research is developed. The present research explored the impact of familiarity and time on social perception processes based on cognitive neuroscience models, social categorization models, and memory consolidation constructs. Familiarity was manipulated within an exposure task and time was manipulated by testing participants both 2-6 hr and 48 hr after the exposure task. Experiment 1 investigated the influence of familiarity and time on the argument of the automaticity of social categorization and associated stereotypes by testing the argument with two separate tasks. Experiment 1a tested the influence of familiarity and time on associated stereotypes …

Does Type Of Stimulus Influence Task-Irrelevant Evaluative Categorization Processes?, Guadalupe Corral

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The effect of stimulus type on task-irrelevant evaluative categorization was examined in two separate studies by using the P3 component from event-related brain potentials. The first study presented idiosyncratic stimuli consisting of individuals that were rated by participants as either positive or negative within sequences of pictorial and verbal stimuli. The second study presented sequences of novel and familiar stimuli consisting of previously normed unattractive and neutral individuals. It was hypothesized that pictures would elicit task-irrelevant evaluative categorization processes and so would novel stimuli (relative to words and familiar stimuli, respectively). Task-irrelevance was examined by assessing P3 peak amplitude to …

Children's Use Of The Shape Bias In The Presence Of Different Instructions, Object Types, And Emotion Cues, Vanessa Raschke

Master's Theses

This study explored the prevalence of the shape bias in children when faced with multiple perceptual cues. Three-to six-year-olds were shown three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional representations of these objects, half of which had emotional faces depicted on them. Of interest was whether attention to emotion would alter children's bias towards the shape of the object and how dimensionality and instruction type would affect the children's choices. The older children were equally likely to use emotion matches as shape matches, but this was not the case for the younger children, who were almost exclusively focused on shape. The non-lexical instructions induced …

Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies With English Language Learners : An Empirical Dissertation, Shirley R. Mackley

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Literacy Strategies (K-PALS) program is a supplemental, collaborative intervention designed to complement the current curriculum within schools (Mathes, Clancy-Menchetti, & Torgesen, 2001). The K-PALS program has been cited as a "best practice" by the National Reading Panel (National Reading Panel, 2000). This study utilized a supplemental cooperative learning intervention with 48 Kindergarten students and answered the following questions: (1) Did students make gains in basic reading skills?; (2) Did the K-PALS ESL students make more gains than the Control group ESL students?; (3) Did the K-PALS non-ESL students make more gains than the Control group non-ESL students?; …

Adolescents With Aspergers Syndrome And Self-Perceived Social Competence, Shawn M. Mullen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study explored the self- perceived social competence of adolescents with Aspergers Syndrome (AS). The study's participants were 14 adolescents (11 male, 3 female) between the ages of 10 and 17 years old who were diagnosed with AS. The participants were questioned, using a scripted set of seven questions involving their own perceptions of their interactions with their peers; the study also involved what adults (parents and teachers) think of their ability to get along with peers. The answers to these questions were analyzed qualitatively, and six common themes that the participants found important to them or to their peers' …

Reading Development In At-Risk Kindergarten Students: A Tier 2 Response-To-Intervention Rti Program Using Research-Based Principles In Early Literacy, Kathleen T. Pickard

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Early identification of struggling readers and direct instruction for these readers are effective in the prevention and treatment of reading problems (Torgesen, 2002). The practice of "wait-tofail" is being challenged by the responsiveness to intervention (RTI) models, which promote early identification of at-risk students, progress monitoring, and implementation of researched-based tiered interventions. The prereading skills that have been identified as being necessary for future reading achievement include phonological awareness, letter identification, the alphabetic principle, orthography, and rapid automatized naming. The purpose of this CUl1'ent study is to examine the effectiveness of a Tier 2 intervention program that targets these essential …

A Meta-Analytical Study Of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Symptomology And Comorbidity, April Walter

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

A meta-analysis approach was employed to research the symptomatology andcomorbidity of pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). This approach was chosen due to the wide range of previously published research results and the limited size of the populations investigated. Database searches of peer-reviewed empirical research identified 861 journal articles published on the topic of pediatric bipolar disorder over the last 49 years. Fifty-four articles, with a total subject pool of 10,318, met specific inclusion criteria, which included being a quantitative study using standardized mean difference, correlation coefficient, or odds-ratio statistics. Fifteen separate meta-analyses were used to determine specificity regarding: differences reported in …

An Analysis Of The Current United States And State Of Washington's Mental Health Policies Serving Children And Families, Maile M. Bay

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Due to continued fragmentation and gaps in mental health services and the increase in the prevalence of mental health problems for children, youth, and their families, these populations remain underserved. In 2003, the federal New Freedom Commission (Commission) responded by publishing policies to address these concerns. As directed in 2005, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded planning incentive grants to states to transform their delivery of care.

The study reviewed the federal policy, specifically the recommendations of the Commission’s Subcommittee on Children and Families, and Washington State’s policy and implementation actions of its five-year SAMHSA incentive …

Reading Comprehension In Adolescent First And Second Language Learners: A Comparison Of Simple And Multi-Component Models, Adrian Dominic Kenneth Pasquarella

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The underlying components of reading comprehension were examined and compared in adolescents who spoke English as their first (L1) or second (L2) language. One-hundred and nine adolescents (55 L1 and 54 L2) completed measures of reading comprehension, decoding, vocabulary knowledge, working memory, comprehension strategy use, motivation and print exposure in English. Overall English L1 students outperformed English L2 students on measure of reading and language, with English L2 students performing below grade level on measures of comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. Examining models of reading comprehension between groups revealed that vocabulary knowledge is the best predictor of reading comprehension for both …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Short-Duration Reading Intervention On Grade One Phonological Awareness And Word Reading, Carrie Seward

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the influence of a summer intervention for children showing early signs of reading delay. The project evaluated two intervention components: a two week camp for children and two training workshops for parents. Data were collected for five groups of participants. Three groups participated in one or more intervention components: parent workshops only group, child camp only group, and both parent workshops and child camp group. All children who participated in the interventions were identified by teachers as having difficulty in phonological awareness and word reading skills at the end of senior kindergarten. …

Effects Of Three Early Literacy Interventions In The Preschool Classroom: Comparing Phonological Awareness Training, Dialogic Reading, And A Combination Condition In Small Groups, Jennifer Koenig Longwell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Phonological awareness, oral language, alphabet knowledge, and print awareness are the building blocks for emergent literacy. These skills can be divided into embedded and explicit domains of early literacy interventions. Dialogic reading, a well-researched embedded method of reading intervention, incorporates oral language and print awareness through adult-child storybook reading. Phonological awareness interventions utilize explicit skills such as phonemic instruction and letter knowledge to increase early literacy. The current study examined three early literacy interventions, dialogic reading, phonological awareness, and a combination condition, in comparison with each other and a control condition. Thirty-seven preschool children were randomly assigned to a condition …

Reasons For Migration And Cultural Distance In South African Women's Migratory Adjustment Experiences: A Phenomenological Account, Ida Steyn

Theses : Honours

Researchers have identified migration to a new country as a stressful life event that is associated with loss of family, friends and community, and adjustment difficulties in the new country (Markovizky & Samid, 2008). In addition, involuntary migration and adaption to a new cultural environment is known to be a factor of psychological distress. Much is unknown about the adjustment of involuntary migrants during the critical period of reestablishment in the new environment. Moreover, less is known about transition processes between similar cultural contexts. It might be that transition is not as well supported when there is cultural similarity between …

The Relationship Between Working Memory Capacity And Movement Memory Of Dancers, Katrina Louise Muller-Townsend

Theses : Honours

Working memory capacity span tasks are suggested to predict complex cognitive behaviour across varied domains (Conway et al., 2005). However, it has been criticised that expert skills are highly situational and domain specific (Marteniuk, 1974). The current research aimed to investigate whether general memory span was related to movement span, and furthermore, whether this can predict dance learning. It was expected that memory for movement would be positively correlated with measures of working memory, due to the specific components of working memory, such as the capacity of the phonological loop. Furthermore, it was expected on the basis of previous research …

Gender Differences In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Comorbid Psychopathology, Julie Hess

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract Children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) frequently exhibit symptoms that are not associated with the core features of ASD. These symptoms may meet criteria for an additional diagnosis; however, accurate assessment of comorbid psychiatric conditions in ASD has been hindered by a lack of measures designed for this specific purpose. The newly constructed assessment measure, Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbid for Children (ASD-CC) has been developed specifically for examining comorbid psychiatric disorders in ASD. Therefore, this study set out to assess differences in the endorsement rates of psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD compared to …

Comorbid Psychopathology In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Intellectual Disabilities, Santino Vincent Lovullo

LSU Master's Theses

While there has been an abundance of research investigating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in children, very little emphasis has been placed on ASD in adults, especially in regards to comorbid psychopathology. This is of great concern considering that ASD often co-occurs with intellectual disability (ID), and that both may serve as risk factors for additional psychopathology. While instruments exist that measure comorbid psychopathology in adults with ID, these scales are not targeted to the unique expression of comorbidity in adults with ID and ASD. The Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity for Adults (ASD-CA) was devised for this reason. This paper begins with …

Stability And Accuracy Of Long-Term Memory For Musical Pitch, Alyce Hay

Theses : Honours

Existing research gives an inconsistent picture of the nature of the cognitive processes underlying memory for musical information. A study was conducted to investigate the stability and accuracy of long-term memory for pitch amongst individuals who have not had musical training. The independent variable which was manipulated in this study was the pitch of each excerpt from a well-known pop song. Participants heard one long sequence of excerpts, each of which had been raised or lowered in pitch by one semitone, or been left unaltered. After hearing each excerpt, participants were asked to detect whether it was different from the …

Methodological Note: On Using Personal Digital Assistants (Pdas) For Survey Administration In The Study Of Youth Development, Mona M. Abo-Zena, Amy Eva Alberts Warren, Sonia S. Isaac, Dan Du, Erin Phelps, Richard M. Lerner, Robert W. Roeser

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Applied developmental scientists face the challenge of identifying research methods that enable the efficient collection of data from youth of diverse social backgrounds (e.g., ethnic. racial, religious, economic) and varying levels cognitive-linguistic and attentional skills. In addition, because access to youth during school time is often limited by educators’ desire to preserve instructional time, finding methodologies to collect data from youth that are highly efficient, and also those that are feasible in less structured settings, are needed. This article outlines some of the benefits and limitations of using a voice enhanced survey delivered on a personal digital assistants (PDA) as …

The Well-Being And Identities Of 14- To 26-Year-Old Intercountry Adoptees And Their Non-Adopted Migrant Peers In Western Australia, Geertruda Rosenwald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Intercountry adoption is a globally politicised institution that triggers strong discourses about whether transplantation to a markedly different country and culture, often into families with racially different parents, negatively affects the children ' s well-being and identity. Although empirical intercountry adoption research has increased elsewhere, Australian-based research has lagged behind. This thesis presents a body of evidence about the well-being and identity of over half the population of 14- to 26-year-old intercountry adoptees in Western Australia, how their well-being changed from 1994 to 2004, how they compare with non-adopted migrant peers and the influence of risk and threat factors. In …

Value Conflicts In Psychotherapy: Psychology Graduates' Perspectives, Shannon Vincent Wilde

Theses and Dissertations

Although psychotherapy has been viewed historically as value-neutral, developments over the last half-century have led to the generally accepted position that values are inescapable in therapy. However, many questions remain as to how values should be managed in psychotherapy in order to protect client autonomy. These issues are of particular concern to training programs, which bear the responsibility of instructing new psychologists in ethical values management and of helping trainees manage personal values when those values are in conflict with those of their clients or with the values of the field in general. One aspect that has not previously been …

Individuals And Populations: How Biology's Theory And Data Have Interfered With The Integration Of Development And Evolution, David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Research programs in quantitative behavior genetics and evolutionary psychology have contributed to the widespread belief that some psychological characteristics can be “inherited” via genetic mechanisms. In fact, molecular and developmental biologists have concluded that while genetic factors contribute to the development of all of our traits, non-genetic factors always do too, and in ways that make them no less important than genetic factors. This insight demands a reworking of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, a theory that defined evolution as a process involving changes in the frequencies of genes in populations, and that envisioned no role for experiential factors now known …