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Comparing The Clinical Approaches Of Christian Social Workers And Secular Social Workers, Kristin Larsen

Dissertations

This mixed methods research study explores the current interface of religion and social work in clinical practice. A total of 91 National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter members and 120 North American Association of Christians in Social Work members responded to clinical vignettes via an online survey. Subsequently, a small group of Christian social workers and a small group of Secular social workers convened for focus group discussion. This study found that the approaches of Christian social workers and secular social workers were not fundamentally different; however, there was some evidence of significant differences between the groups and their …

Unius Regulae Ac Unius Patriae: A Standardizing Process In Anglo-Saxon England, Daniel Matteuzzi O'Gorman

Dissertations

My dissertation investigates the value of `standards' and `standardization' as tools for historians to interpret social and political dynamics in the Middle Ages. To date, medieval scholarship has utilized these concepts in a relatively unsophisticated manner; standardization has been taken to simply mean the imposition of uniformity. My dissertation uses the work of contemporary engineers and sociologists to problematize this understanding of standardization. I argue that the term, properly employed, signifies a process of consensus, of horizontal rather than hierarchical relationships and of ongoing revision. Further, I contend that standardization is a means and not an end, and that those …

An Action Research Project Aimed At Enhancing The Executive Skills Of A Departmentalized Seventh Grades Class, Jacqueline M. Gilson

Doctoral Research Project

No abstract provided.

Appraisal Of A Benchmarking Plan Using An Action Research Approach With English Learner Program Teachers And Analysis Of Predictive Validity Of Spanish Curriculum Based Measures, Sandra Santillan

Doctoral Research Project

No abstract provided.

A Research Project Focused On Involving Parents With Behavior Program At Home, Susan M. Tucker

Doctoral Research Project

No abstract provided.

Social Maintenance Of Oppressive Structures, Stephen Gabourel

Master's Theses

This study intends to explore the ways in which religiously based parenting may serve as a vehicle for shaping personal attitudes about sexuality. As a result of their belief systems, increasingly religious parents are likely to adopt different parenting strategies than non-religious parents.

When a combination of authoritarian values and a particular adherence to conservative theology characterizes parenting, this may be responsible for the construction of distinct mindsets in young individuals. Parents that score high in fundamentalism and authoritarianism could exhibit a greater chance of raising children with beliefs similar to their own.

Through use of quantitative measures, this study …

The Impact Of Mood On Adjustment From Self-Generated Anchors, Cara Elizabeth Ray

Master's Theses

Although they are typically thought to be separate, emotion and reason are closely linked. Affective feelings are thought to determine which cognitive processing styles are in place at a given time. Happy moods were previously thought to lead to fast, automatic, unconscious, global, and superficial processing styles, whereas sad moods lead to slow, deliberative, conscious, local, and analytic processing styles. More recent research shows that this link is relatively flexible, so that moods may signal the value of currently accessible processing styles, or any accessible thoughts. These findings have important implications for susceptibility to cognitive biases, such as certain types …

Contributors To Infant Sleep: Factors Influencing Sleep Consolidation In Five- To Seven-Month Olds, Amber Leigh Evenson

Dissertations

Sleep is a universal construct that receives much attention in media and science, at least partially due to its importance as an essential component in development, health, and wellbeing. While undeniably vital, infant sleep is often variable and relatedly perplexing to parents. Around five-to-seven months of age, infants enter a time of quantifiable developmental change, impacting relational, cognitive, motoric, communicative and sleep behaviors. Because adequate sleep is considered one of the most indispensable precursors for developmental gains, factors that impact the progression of sleep are of interest. The current study utilized Ecological Theory to examine what variables impact sleep consolidation, …

Herbert Spencer And His American Audience, Joel F. Yoder

Dissertations

The philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) is little remembered today, but in the late nineteenth century he was a world-renowned figure and widely read. Spencer was popular in his native England, but even more highly regarded in America. Modern scholars generally understand this popularity as stemming from Spencer’s social Darwinism—that is, his belief that natural selection does and should operate on humans to improve mankind. On the other hand, many of those who have studied Spencer’s work claim that he was not a social Darwinist at all. It is my contention that Spencer was a social Darwinist, but that other aspects …

Omnis Determinatio Est Negatio: A Genealogy And Defense Of The Hegelian Conception Of Negation, Russell Newstadt

Dissertations

This dissertation explores a line of philosophical thought that accords negation a fundamental role in the determination of concepts and the kinds, universals and particulars to which concepts provide access. Though it takes the largely historical route of philosophical genealogy, focusing on Plato, Boethius and Hegel, the dissertation is also intended as a defense of the philosophical significance of negation itself, and of a principle Hegel famously attributes to Spinoza, omnis determinatio est negatio. I argue that in explaining negation as difference (to heteron) Plato reveals its originary function as the characteristic operation of cognition, and that this discursive role …

The Effects Of A Multi-Layer Accountability System On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Classroom Goal Orientations And Its Impact On Student Performance, Christine Poindexter-Harris

Dissertations

The Effects of a Multi-layer Accountability System on Teacher Self-efficacy and Classroom Goal Orientations and its Impact on Student Performance

There are multiple factors that affect student academic achievement, including student, parent, and teacher factors. The present research studies the relationships among teacher self-efficacy, classroom goal orientations and structures, and student performance. Previous studies have shown a strong correlation between teacher self-efficacy and classroom goal orientation. Although much research has been done on both issues, very little research has taken into account the role of organizational education structure and its impact on how teachers may or may not change to …

Shifting Professional Culture In Catholic Schools: A Case Study, Mariagnes Menden

Dissertations

This action research study explores the implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at three Catholic schools in a large Midwestern Archdiocese and the impact on the schools' professional cultures. The three-article dissertation structure is used to reflect separately on the stages of problem identification, designing the solution, and implementing and evaluating the solution. The purpose of this project is to capture an insider's view of beginning the PLC journey.

Researchers first conducted problem-based consultations with principals and teacher leaders at the three schools in an effort to understand and define common barriers that prevented teacher collaboration and ownership of school …

Creating A Culture Of Belonging: The Significance Of Student Belonging And The Ethical Frameworks That Influence High School Leaders As They Sustain And Enhance Cultures Of Belonging, Patrick James Sassen

Dissertations

Given the increased focus on high-stakes testing and district accountability measures evident in the world of public education today, it is understandable that school leaders would be influenced by the pressures associated with public expectations and dwindling fiscal resources. This study explored what public high school leaders do to evaluate and change programming in their schools through the lens of the Ethics of Care, Profession, Critique, and Justice. Following a sequential explanatory mixed method design, participant selection was conducted using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) as the means for establishing schools that, according to the HSSSE, had …

Self-Perceived Stress Of Undergraduate Students Before And After Participation In A Breathing Meditation Intervention: A Mixed Methods Study, Cindy Oneida Sloan

Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined the effects of an eight-week breathing meditation intervention on the self-perceived stress of undergraduate students. Previous research suggests meditation is an effective strategy to alleviate stress and stress-related symptomatology (Baer, 2003; Conley, Travers, & Bryant, 2013; Shapiro, Brown & Astin, 2011). Forty-one undergraduate student volunteers participated in the study and were randomized into either an intervention group or control group. The intervention group met once per week for eight weeks and participated in a nine minute guided breathing meditation. At the conclusion of eight weeks participants, when compared with the control group, reported significantly lower …

Migratory Loss And Depression Among Adult Immigrants Of Chinese Descent, Christine Chih-Ting Chang

Dissertations

The immigration process does not only include the life after relocating to a new environment and settling down in the host society but also includes separation from the life before their departure and the negotiation between redeeming and closing their losses. This study was the first attempt to investigate migratory loss among adult immigrants of Chinese descent. The study developed the Migratory Loss Scale and examined the moderation effect of acculturation as well as the moderation effect of the presence of immigration-related meaning on the relationship between migratory loss and depression. The study also examined the mediation effect of the …

Bystander Confronting Of Anti-Black Racism: Effects Of Belonging Affirmation And Confrontation Training, Rayne Bozeman

Master's Theses

Confronting has the potential to reduce prejudice, especially when implemented by a non-target group member. Not knowing how to respond and fearing social rejection have been identified as barriers to confronting in previous studies. The current study tests whether providing training to confront prejudice and affirming the need to belong helps individuals overcome these barriers. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three training conditions: prejudice confrontation training (PCT), rude comment training (RCT), or no training control group (NT). Participants were also randomly assigned to one of two belonging conditions: belonging affirmation or control. Participants were then asked to imagine …

Sel In Higher Education, Colleen S. Conley

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Backlash On Self-Sexualization And Cognitive Depletion, Mallory Helen Elizabeth Nurse Grembowski

Master's Theses

A woman who acts agentically in the workplace is more likely to be disliked and viewed as less competent than a woman who acts caring and communal. The negative consequences for acting outside of a cultural stereotype are called backlash. Cultural gender stereotypes for western society depict women as warm and communal while men are agentic and independent. Women in the workplace act outside of the cultural stereotype, and thus face backlash from their peers. This study examines the extent to which women utilize self-sexualization as a recovery strategy to cope with the fear of backlash, and ultimately how these …

Though My Gross Blood Be Stain'd: Bleeding Bodies And Power Dynamics In Shakespeare's The Tragedy Of Coriolanus And The Rape Of Lucrece, Lindsey Katherine Dee Wedow

Master's Theses

Early modern literature is replete with references to blood. These references appear in the contexts of class and gender distinction, medical information, religious significance, and more. Upon looking into the Galenic model of medicine utilized in early modern England, it becomes clear that blood, while one of the four humors of the body, held a place of special significance amongst the rest. Thus in reading the works of Shakespeare we are able to see how he often handles blood as a substance that holds special qualities and as such plays an important role in human lives. This paper examines two …

Instructional Leadership And Deliberate Practice: A Framework For Improving Student Achievement, Matthew Henry Banach

Dissertations

This study examined whether the theory of deliberate practice could be applied and expanded to the field of education to explain how school leaders successfully work with teachers to improve student achievement in schools with a high percentage of student identified as minority and low income. For the purpose of this study, deliberate practice is defined as practice that is "(a) at an appropriate level, (b) provides informative feedback, (c) provides for opportunities for repetition, and (d) allows for correction of errors" (Sternberg, Grigorenko, & Ferrari, 2002, p. 71).

The researcher completed a qualitative case study of two public elementary …

Shifting Professional Culture In Catholic Schools: A Case Study, Sandria Morten

Dissertations

This action research study explores the implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at three Catholic schools in a large Midwestern Archdiocese and the impact on the schools' professional cultures. The three-article dissertation structure is used to reflect separately on the stages of problem identification, designing the solution, and implementing and evaluating the solution. The purpose of this project is to capture an insider's view of beginning the PLC journey.

Researchers first conducted problem-based consultations with principals and teacher leaders at the three schools in an effort to understand and define common barriers that prevented teacher collaboration and ownership of school …

A Comparison Of Extra-Curricular Codes Of Conduct At Two Suburban Illinois High School Districts (1986-2011), Ted Robbins

Dissertations

This study investigates two Illinois High School districts from the years 1986-2011 and their extra-curricular Codes of Conduct. It begins by reviewing the evolution and background history of extra-curricular Codes of Conduct in Illinois High Schools. The specific development, evolution, implementation, and changes to the Codes of Conduct in two Illinois high school districts are then examined.

The research questions of this study focus on four topics; what was the evolution of the Codes of Conduct at the two Illinois high School districts, who were the advocates and leaders for changes to the consequences of a Code of Conduct violation, …

A Historical Analysis Of The Pioneers And Advocates Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (1980-2013): Examining The Evolution Of The Diagnosis And The Influences That Have Shaped What The Diagnosis Is Today, Cynthia Marie Sikora

Dissertations

During the 1980's, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was categorized as a developmental disorder separate from other developmental disorders, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III (DSM-III). There were various pioneers and advocates who have helped the evolution of the ASD diagnosis from the time period of 1980-2013. Based on this evolution, schools, institutions and society as a whole, needed additional information and professional preparation in order to educate and create awareness regarding the treatment and education of individuals with ASD.

The central research questions are: During the time period from 1980-2013, who were the pioneers and advocates …

Shifting Professional Culture In Catholic Schools: A Case Study, Debra Sullivan

Dissertations

This action research study explores the implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at three Catholic schools in a large Midwestern Archdiocese and the impact on the schools' professional cultures. The three-article dissertation structure is used to reflect separately on the stages of problem identification, designing the solution, and implementing and evaluating the solution. The purpose of this project is to capture an insider's view of beginning the PLC journey.

Researchers first conducted problem-based consultations with principals and teacher leaders at the three schools in an effort to understand and define common barriers that prevented teacher collaboration and ownership of school …

Investigating The Role Of Cognitive Biases As A Risk Factor For Depression, Daniel Aaron Dickson

Dissertations

Consistent with the combined cognitive bias hypothesis (Hirsch, Clark, & Mathews, 2006), cognitive biases in attention, memory, and interpretation have been posited as an underlying vulnerability to the maintenance and recurrence of depressive episodes. While research supports the presence of these biases during current depressive episodes, there is limited evidence that these biases persist following the remission of depression symptoms. However, there is some initial data that suggest that these biases persist in remitted depressed individuals, indicating that these biases may serve as a vulnerability factor for subsequent depressive episodes. In addition, there is little research that has evaluated these …

The Influence Of Racial And Crime Stereotypes On Jurors' Representations Of Trial Evidence And Verdict Decisions, Katharina Kluwe

Dissertations

Past research has shown that jurors tend to make more severe culpability judgments when defendants are charged with crimes that are associated with their racial group (e.g., Jones & Kaplan, 2013). Although the Story Model (e.g., Pennington & Hastie, 1988) has received much empirical support and currently is the most prominent model in the juror decision making literature, it has not been applied to cases where racially stereotypical crimes might bias verdict decisions. The present research investigated whether the narrative believability of the stories that are suggested at trial, especially story coherence, would explain the effect of race-crime congruence on …

Uncertainty Before And After Faith: The Dynamics Of Belief In Theology And Literature, Brent Little

Dissertations

Although there has been much interdisciplinary scholarship surrounding the influence of various novelists' Catholic beliefs upon their work, there has been relatively little discussion about the nature of faith that emerges in their novels. For instance, is faith portrayed primarily as assent to conceptual statements of belief?

This dissertation will argue that faith, as portrayed by various Catholic novelists, is fundamentally a person's imaginative orientation to trust and hope in the presence of God's grace in creation and human life. I will approach this issue through the category of uncertainty, specifically uncertainty's relationship to faith, as this relationship emerges in …

Sexual Assault And Academic Achievement: Creating More Ideal College Campuses For Sexual Assault Survivors By Taking Into Account Intersectionality And Multiracial Feminism, Kelly Pinter

Dissertations

In this dissertation, the reader will learn about 28 sexual assault survivors' perceptions about educational and criminal justice responses to them after a sexual assault and how these sexual assault survivors perceived how race and ethnicity, income, and gender affect cases differently. Additionally, I explore sexual assault policies that survivors think are working, and those they feel need improvement. I also assess in depth recommendations concerning what education administrators, staff, and advocates can do to assist sexual assault survivors.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge In Early Mathematics: What Teachers Know And How It Associates With Teaching And Learning, Yinna Zhang

Dissertations

The study was designed to examine the profile of early childhood teachers' content-specific knowledge, also referred to as pedagogical content knowledge, in early mathematics (PCK-EM) and investigate how PCK-EM relates to the quality of their mathematics teaching quality and students' mathematical learning outcomes. A total of 182 teachers working with high need students from Pre-K through Grade 3 in an urban public school system participated in the study and analyzed a video of mathematics teaching through an online survey. The results painted a bleak picture regarding the profile of early childhood teachers' PCK-EM: as a whole, teachers' survey responses lacked …

Being And Becoming: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Racial And Ethnic Socialization Processes Of Fifteen Haitian Immigrants Living In The United States, Lud Abigail Duchatelier-Jeudy

Dissertations

This study examined and described the racial and ethnic socialization processes of 15 Haitian immigrant mothers, eight of whom were born and raised in Haiti and migrated to the United States after the age of 21 (Group A) and seven of whom were born and raised in the United States or born in Haiti and migrated on or before the age of the five and raised of the United States (Group B). The two groups of Haitian immigrant mothers were recruited from cities throughout the Northeast region of the United States.

Using Harkness and Super’s Developmental Niche as a theoretical …