Education Commons^™

Analysis Of Test Anxiety In Human Anatomy And Physiology I Students At The University Of Mississippi, Anne Piazza

Honors Theses

Student anxiety, specifically test anxiety, is common hindrance to student performance in various courses including Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Mississippi. Through a sequence of three surveys we collected demographic information, anxiety data related to the course, and test anxiety in general We researched factors that could potentially influence student anxiety such as at what point in the semester the student is evaluated, when students feel the most stressed, outcomes on previous evaluations, and perceived outcomes of the course. We also examined what effect the anxiety has on the student such as lowered performance, lowered test scores, …

What About The ‘R’ In Riot? : A Comprehensive Examination Of School Psychologists’ Record Review Processes, Hannah Luken

Thinking Matters Symposium

This poster aimed to describe part of a doctoral dissertation research study that comprehensively investigated school psychologists’ record review practices. Record reviews are a crucial part of the psychoeducational evaluation process (i.e., RIOT method), and there is relatively little previous research literature on this topic. This poster describes the following results: when record reviews are conducted, the amount of time is spent on each part of the RIOT method for initial and reevaluations, and record review approaches. The survey was distributed to school psychologists across the United States via school psychology state associations and Facebook. Results were analyzed via measures …

Anxiety & Icebreakers, Sara Jurkiewicz

Honors Projects

Icebreakers are a common activity conducted at colleges and universities at various times during a student’s career. They may be performed at orientations, class meetings, in student organizations, and even in jobs. Anxiety can arise from participants in icebreakers for various reasons and as anxiety is a health concern, it is important to consider the impact icebreakers can have on students. Anxiety is related to shyness and sociability of a person as these traits can impact how a person participates in life.

Black Women Students In The Ivory Tower: A Case Study Of The College Of The Holy Cross, Meah S. Austin

Psychology Department Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Intergroup Dialogue: Affecting Real Change, Lauryn Hulett

Honors Projects

Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) is a course adapted from The University of Michigan. In this Honors Project, a systematic literature review is done from eleven sources in hopes to theorize best practices and areas of improvement amongst applications of Intergroup Dialogue.

A Comparison Of Models In Video Modeling To Teach Vocal Skills, Caroline Phan

Thesis Projects

Video modeling is a strategy used to teach learners new skills by viewing a video of a model engaging in a target behavior and then having the learner imitate the behavior (Cooper et al., 2019). Much research has been conducted on the effectiveness of video modeling when compared to in vivo modeling, but there are still various limitations to consider, including its effectiveness as a solo intervention, who are the most impactful models to include, and the effectiveness of the intervention for certain populations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of video modeling as a solo …

Pandemic Issues: Faculty Value Alignment And Burnout, Eu Gene Chin, Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Burnout among faculty members impacts physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning and has negative socioeconomic consequences downstream. Prior to the pandemic, faculty members were already reporting high levels of burnout, which is characterized by depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a lack of personal accomplishment. Previous research reported that value incongruence functions as one of the strongest predictors of depersonalization (and subsequently) turnover intention. This study provides a snapshot of the value alignment and burnout of faculty at a regional public university in the months following the pandemic-induced pivot to remote learning. Results from our survey of faculty members (N = 58) suggest …

Supporting Students After Concussion: What College Faculty Need To Know, Susan C. Davies

Thomas C. Hunt Building a Research Community Day

Returning to university life following concussion can be challenging for students. Our Brain Health Collaboratory, in conjunction with the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training, developed set of online resources to inform college faculty members about brain injuries. The module includes information about concussion effects, academic and environmental accommodations, and the role of college faculty in providing support. This session will share our research that led to development of the module, as well as our plan to evaluate its efficacy.

Making Mental Health Information Accessible To Latinxs Through The Use Of Internet Forums, April Martinez

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

This study was conducted to explore the use of Internet memes as a way to address mental health stigma within the Latinx community. The study measured participants’ mental health prejudice both before and after exposure to a series of memes over a two-week span. The control group was shown memes that did not relate to mental health and the experimental group was shown mental health memes. The results were analyzed both quantitatively, for significant between group differences in posttest prejudice, and qualitatively for emerging themes in the participants’ comments on the memes. Results showed no significant decrease of stigma between …

Perceiving The Complex Path: Encouraging And Supporting Academic Exploration For College Students, Claudia M. Lang

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

This thesis offers an overview of how college students can be supported in the process of academic exploration. Rather than labeling students as simply declared or undeclared, degrees of decidedness are viewed as a spectrum. Within that continuum, certain sub-types of students are identified in order to uncover the causes behind specific issues commonly faced in the college student population. Select academic advising methodologies are reviewed, chosen for their pertinence to the activity of encouraging exploratory behavior in the academic realm. Theories discussed come from two varying perspectives: those based on philosophical foundations, and those based on social science foundations. …

Bridging The Research-Practice Gap: Development Of A Theoretically Grounded Workshop For Graduate Students Aimed At Challenging Microaggressions In Science And Engineering, Amy C. Moors, Lindsay Mayott, Benjamin Hadden

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Efforts to promote diversity and inclusion often lack a theoretical basis, which can unintentionally exacerbate issues. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation results of a theoretically grounded workshop aimed at reducing microaggressions and promoting ally engagement among graduate students in science and engineering. In Study 1, using a Delphi method, eight science and engineering faculty members with backgrounds in diversity efforts provided feedback on workshop development. In Study 2, 107 graduate and advanced undergraduate students engaged in the 90-minute interactive workshop. Results indicate that attendees found the workshop valuable, developed new skills for ally engagement, and planned …

Bullying: How Feelings Of Fatalism May Influence Youth Choices To Offend, Tammy Shartzer

Theses

School age bullying continues to be a source of intense research as it is commonly linked to increased levels of delinquency in adolescents. In an effort to understand the process through which bullying victimization is linked to increased levels of delinquency, researchers continue to explore environmental and psychological components. This study used both OLS regression and negative binomial regression to examine the relationship between traditional and cyberbullying victimization and delinquency to assesses if fatalism mediates or moderates this relationship. An individual with fatalism often feels they are stuck within a revolving cycle of bad happenings and are powerless to change …

Mental Toughness And Athletic Performance: A Meta-Analysis, Dax Mitchell Crum

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

This investigation employed meta-analysis techniques to examine the relationship between mental toughness and athletic performance. A total of 76 studies were systematically analyzed with 470 correlation coefficients (r_xy) calculated to determine the mean effect. Fifty-five subject and study variables (age, gender, sport, psychometric instrument, and theoretical definition, etc.) were coded for each correlation to assess changes in the magnitude according to these key characteristics noted within the literature. Overall, the total average correlation produced a small effect size of r_xy =.218. However, the effect size varied significantly depending on the definition, measurement, quality of the investigation, …

Student Intentions To Engage Instructors In Mental Health-Related Conversations: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Allie White, Hannah Ball, Sara Labelle

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Considering that college students experience mental health issues and college counseling centers are overwhelmed, this study identifies instructors as a potential mental health resource for students. This study utilizes the theory of planned behavior to investigate the relationship between students’ attitudes, injunctive and descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control, and their intentions to engage their instructors in mental health conversations.

Participants

Participants were 311 undergraduate students at a small, private university in Southern California.

Methods

Participants were recruited through a Communication subject pool and completed an online survey about engaging instructors in these conversations.

Results

Results of a regression analysis …

Improvising: A Grounded Theory Investigation Of Psychology Students' Level Of Anxiety, Coping, Communicative Skills, Imagination, And Spontaneity, Olga Temezhnikova

The Qualitative Report

The aim of this study was to gain insight into the phenomenon of improvisation, how it is manifested in communication, and to conceptualize the process of improvisation in general. I aimed to construct a model for use in teaching and further analysis of training programs that target and develop improvisation skills in communication. The ability to communicate is part and parcel of psychologists’ work. I develop and supervise interactive classes and training programs to promote improvisation and communication skills, using the grounded theory of improvisation in communication under conditions of high uncertainty. The improvisation sessions were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. …

Using Cliftonstrengthstm For Professional Development: Recommendations For Practice, Nancy A. Watkins, Cynthia Gautreau, Daryl V. Watkins

Publications

This article explores how a culture of strengths-based leadership can positively impact professional development for school site administrators. The strengths of school district administrators were measured through the administration of CliftonStrengths™ assessment. Themes that emerged were determined through the assessment and qualitative analysis of responses. A sample of convenience 50 principals and assistant principals from a public school district in Southern California participated in this research. The findings revealed that the common talent themes among school site administrators were relationship building, executing, influencer, and learner. This study supports future practices to enable human resources personnel to design targeted professional development …

Maternal Depression Moderated By Family Resources When Children Have Developmental Disabilities., Timothy B. Smith, Terisa P. Gabrielsen

Faculty Publications

Children with developmental disabilities require extensive parental involvement in intervention, but parents with depression may be less able to intervene effectively. We examined prevalence of depression symptoms and predictors among 131 mothers of children with disabilities enrolled in early childhood special education. Participants completed several self-report measures of depression and child and family functioning. Children were directly evaluated using the Battelle Developmental Inventory. One year later, 68 mothers repeated self-report measures. Participants (30%) reported elevated depression symptoms across time. Depression scores were correlated with parental stress and family resources. An interaction between higher maternal depression and higher child functioning with …

Relationship Between Gender And Symptom Severity For Youth Who Have Been Sexually Abused, Zoe Erickson

Honors Theses

Childhood sexual abuse is a recurring problem which negatively affects thousands of children and adolescents every year. This is a traumatic event which can cause distress for individuals post sexual abuse well into adulthood. Because of this, it is important for practitioners to understand what symptoms could be present post abuse, as well as factors that may impact the presence and severity of these symptoms. Using data from the Project SAFE group treatment program including 126 adolescents aged 12-19, this study aims to further examine how factors such as gender of the individual will affect their symptoms post sexual abuse. …

Sex Differences In Lateral Hypothalamic Extracellular Glucose Concentrations During Cumulative Dosing Of Methamphetamine In Rats, Joshua A. Jolton

Honors Theses

The present study experimentally investigated sex differences in lateral hypothalamic glucose concentrations following cumulative dosing of methamphetamine. Male (n=17) and female (n=11) rats were surgically implanted with enzyme-based glucose biosensors in the lateral hypothalamus. Rats then received a saline injection followed by four methamphetamine doses (0.025 mg/kg, 0.05 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg, and 0.2 mg/kg) spaced 55 minutes apart. We found that while there was a general decrease in glucose baseline throughout the study for both sexes, the magnitude of the decrease was significantly greater in females compared to males. On a rapid timescale, fixed sex effects existed at the lower …

Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Adulthood: The Often Overlooked Subdivision Of Individuals In The Autism Community, Kayla L. Piacquadio

Honors Student Research

Awareness surrounding the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder and Asperger syndrome has become much more widespread in recent times. Children are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum more than ever. However, the key here is the word “children.” We focus on the behavior, development, and well-being of our children for good reason.

While the oversaturated focus on children is entirely justified, this focus overshadows a minority within the autism community that deserves the same attention and recognition. This minority group consists of the adults who have gone years without a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or Asperger …

Reflections On Professional Development: An Autoethnographic Study In Theories Of Practice, Sara Elizabeth Jennings

Dissertations

This autoethnographic project extends the work of Argyris and Schön (1974); Houchens (2008); Houchens and Keedy (2009); Houchens, Hurt, Stobaugh, & Keedy (2012); and Houchens, Stewart, and Jennings (2017) by replicating an experiment in reflective practice using a self-coaching protocol as a means for mapping one’s own theories of practice. Relying on selfreflexivity to study professional learning in a culture of school reform, the author used Argyris and Schon’s (1974) theories of practice as a conceptual framework by adapting a self-coaching protocol (Houchens, 2008; Houchens et al., 2012; Houchens et al., 2017) and pairing it with selfobservations of video-recorded instructional …

The Role Of Motivation In Employee Disposition And Choosing To Act Among Manufacturing Employees: A Grounded Theory Of Discretionary Effort, Shawn Michael Andrews

Dissertations

Managers are often tasked to accomplish more with the resources at their disposal. Doing more with less is especially associated with the manufacturing industry providing a rich and relevant backdrop for study. Understanding discretionary effort as a resource, how it manifests, and when and how manufacturing employees choose to do more than is required is key to achieving results in an increasingly competitive and evolving industry. This constructive grounded research study investigated how 25 non-salaried manufacturing employees conceptualized how and why they chose to engage in activities that were considered above and beyond job role expectations. Extant literature was considered …

Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Consumer Behavior And Attitudes Towards A Brand’S Image, Abbey Haymond

Honors Theses

This research seeks to understand more about the effects of socioeconomic background on consumer behavior and its impact on the perception of brand images. Data from people of different SES were compared to understand how they view advertisements intended for different audiences and their corresponding effects. It was conducted by sending out a confidential, voluntary survey to a convenience sample targeting 100 consumers. Consumers were asked to rate statements, on a scale of one to five, for each of the research questions to assess specific aspects of their consumer attitudes and behaviors. The high SES group has a higher average …

Recognizing Threatening And Aberrant Behavior: An Applied Study To Develop Online Training For The Support Staff At John Doe High School, James Daniel Christian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of adequately providing guidance to support staff in the recognition of threatening or aberrant behavior that may represent a threat to the community, self, or others at John Doe High School located in southeast Virginia and to design practices to train all students, faculty, and staff to address the problem. A multimethod design was used consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach was semi-structured interviews with members of the school-based threat assessment team. The second approach was conducting a focus group with support staff. The third …

How Social Media’S Rhetoric Shapes The Social Identity Of Online Groups: Forming, Confirming And Reinforcing And The Algorithmic Role, Crystal Rose

Student Research Submissions

The world has become integrated with technology at a rapid rate. The rhetoric of online platforms, due to technology integration, allows people to connect, converse, and meet others who have common character traits. Eyman (2015) defines rhetoric as an action that intends to persuade and form meaning. These platforms are referred to as "social media," which are online networks made by people who use rhetoric to form, confirm, and reinforce the connections of platform users with common character traits: Hobbies, thoughts, race, gender, or religion. These common character traits make up one's social identity. This study details the findings of …

Differences Between First-Generation And Continuing-Generation College Students In Psychological Need Fulfillment, Academic Engagement, And Retention, Cole A. Holt

All NMU Master's Theses

First-generation college students (FGCS) often struggle to find academic success unlike continuing-generation college students (CGCS) who often obtain higher GPA by the end of the semester. Using self-determination theory (SDT) as a lens, differences between FGCS and CGCS both at the beginning and end of the semester were investigated. Measures included psychological need fulfillment (autonomy, competence, relatedness), academic self-regulation (relative autonomy index), stress, academic engagement (learning involvement), academic performance (GPA), and retention. Between groups t-tests were used to assess differences in FGCS and CGCS, whereas multiple regression analyses were conducted to test relationships among the measured variables. FGCS reported …

An Examination Of Mentoring As An Intervention For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Candace Michele Bone

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite evidence demonstrating that mentoring may be an effective intervention for neurotypical students, there is limited literature investigating the impact of mentoring on outcomes for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using a comprehensive review of the available literature, the present specialist project provides a summary of available mentoring literature which implemented mentoring programs with students on the autism spectrum. After eliminating irrelevant literature from an initial search, a small sample of relevant articles were reviewed (N = 8). These studies demonstrated that ASD mentoring programs are often limited in scope to higher functioning young adults. Additionally, the reviewed articles …

Burnout In Virginia's Community College Adjuncts With Relation To Gender, Age, And Number Of Jobs Held, Justin Barrett Stowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Burnout is a psychological condition that affects individuals in high stress careers. Higher education faculty are prone to burnout, with studies showing women experienced burnout at different ages than their male counterparts. Few studies have been conducted to test if age and gender could predict a high level of burnout amongst adjunct faculty in community colleges. In addition, community college adjunct faculty are known to work more than one job to meet economic needs, and the research demonstrates such a condition creates anxiety, but little discussion is present on whether the variables of age, gender, and additional jobs held may …

The Relationship Between The Amount Of Training Time And Perceived Training Effectiveness To Teacher Perceptions About The Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports Framework, Victoria Leigh Harr Morley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With a rise of behavioral concerns in the classroom, education systems have turned to positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) to reinforce positive behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study was to examine the relationship between the fidelity of PBIS implementation, teacher perceived effectiveness of the programs, and time spent implementing the program. The theoretical framework for this study came from the applied behavior analysis theory. The researcher used a quantitative predictive correlational design to examine the relationship between the fidelity of implementation of PBIS programs, teacher perception of effectiveness of the PBIS framework, and time spent implementing …

Exploring The Impact Of An Online Leadership Course On Japanese Undergraduates' Conceptions Of Leadership, Ryosuke Watanabe

Dissertations

Today’s complex problems transcend borders and require a collective and adaptive learning response. Literature suggests that, because the traditional hierarchical or positional style of leadership cannot effectively address problems we face today, leadership should take a more collaborative and systemic form. Rost (1991) characterized this new approach as the postindustrial paradigm of leadership. Unfortunately, changing the existing conception of leadership is not easy. Furthermore, assessing people’s leadership perceptions is challenging because leadership is often a tacit and latent construct. Because formal leadership education is still in its infancy in Japan, little is known about the impact of leadership education in …