Educational Psychology Commons^™

Does Phonological Processing, A Specific Subtype Of Dyslexia, Impact Performance On Intelligence Tests?, Lara Z. Lisnyj

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a specific subtype of dyslexia, namely phonological processing, on performance and the results of ability on IQ testing. Twenty-two records from a learning center in southern New Jersey were used for data in this study. The sample consisted of 12 male and 10 female children's charts. These children were tested at the learning center in 2005. The age range of the sample is six to eleven years-old. There is no identification of any kind in this study. The information used from the charts included: full scale IQ scores from …

The Relationship Between Social Engagement And Academic Engagement In A Group Of 3rd, 5th, And 7th Grade Students, Christine Marie Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate if there is a relationship between the social engagement and academic engagement of 3^rd, 5^th, and 7^th grade students. The secondary purpose of this study is to examine whether a student's grade level contributes to the strength of this relationship. Sixty-one (31 males and 30 females) 3^rd, 5^th, and 7^th grade students, between the ages of 8 and 13, participated in this study. They were recruited from both elementary and middle schools in a suburban New Jersey school district. Each student …

Early Intervention And Applied Behavior Analysis: A Case Study, Kathleen I. Westcott

Theses and Dissertations

This is a case study that examines the effectiveness of early intervention and applied behavior analysis. The subject was a two year old male diagnosed with Autism. The subject received applied behavior analysis in his home for a period of two months at a rate of four hours per week. The goal of this study was determine whether or not early intervention and applied behavior analysis increase the cognitive and behavioral functioning of the subject. The effectiveness was measured by the subject's ability to complete three goals set by the family and the early intervention program at Rowan University. The …

Context Dependent Memory For Relaxing Conditions, Kimberly Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Although there are many studies on Context Dependent Memory (CDM), few studies have investigated CDM and relaxing environments. A recent British study by Cassaday, Bloomfield, and Hayward (2002) examined context dependent memory, relaxing conditions, and college student performance. The current study is a replication of the Cassaday, Bloomfield, and Hayward (2002) study. Participants in this experiment were 28 college students from a state university. The current study was a 2 x 2 between-subjects design with two independent variables: learning context and testing context. For all learning conditions participants completed a free recall task and a problem-solving task called the Tower …

The Relationship Between Parenting Style And Academic Success Among College Students, Sarah E. Pisacano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parenting style and academic success as measured by grade point average in college students. Data was obtained by administering a demographic survey and the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) by John Buri to forty-one undergraduate participants at Rowan University. The PAQ was used to score levels of permissive, authoritarian and authoritative parenting. A correlational analysis was utilized and the results from which supported previous research of the benefits of authoritative parenting. High scores on authoritative parenting had a significant positive relationship with grade point averages. Separate correlations used to determine …

Homosexual Prejudice: Comparing Self-Report To Perceived Interaction, Megan C. Kleefeld

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the level of homosexual prejudice that existed in the sample population and to determine if there were differences in the way that high versus low prejudice individuals reacted to a situation in which they believed they would be working with an individual who was a homosexual. A questionnaire completed by 254 college students (69 male, 185 female) was used to determine their level of prejudice. At a later time, 53 students (25 males, 28 females) participated in a second phase where they believed that they would be interacting with a partner who …

Applying The Social Norms Approach At Rowan University And Its Effectiveness On Correcting Misperceptions And Changing Drinking Behaviors: A Seven Year Trend, Dawn Mcginty

Theses and Dissertations

The social norms approach, being noted for its effectiveness in reducing misperceptions and changing drinking behaviors, has been implemented in college campuses across the United States. This approach was implemented at Rowan University, a public institution located in southern New Jersey, in 1999. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the social norms campaign at Rowan University in correcting misperceptions and reducing actual drinking norms on campus. The Core Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms was the survey used to measure the perceived and actual use of alcohol and other …

Do We Really See The World In Black And White?, Christine Deriso

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not there is a double standard of punishment between Black and White Americans and to evaluate the social perceptions of Black Americans in our society. Seventy-two teachers were given surveys concerning an eleven-year-old boy with aggression. On half of the surveys, the boy's name was Tommy and on the other half of the surveys, the boy's name was Tyrone to allude to differences in race. The teachers were asked to determine the punishment for the boy's latest outburst and to answer questions concerning how they perceived the story. This allowed …

Communication Responses To Positive Or Neutral Facial Expressions Between The Genders, Kimberly R. Hollingsworth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether or not college students would respond with any communication to a stimulus of nonverbal communication of either eye contact alone or paired with smiling to the same or opposite gender. The characteristics of this study may have implications on how successful nonverbal communication can be.

One-hundred-sixty students, 8 groups within, were randomly stimulated by either a female or male with either a positive or neutral facial expression and their natural responses were recorded. The responses were coded on a Likert scale and analyzed with a 3 way ANOVA.

The data presented …

Does Birth Order Affect Intelligence?, Carolyn M. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to determine whether birth order has an effect on intelligence. Seventy-four undergraduate students from Rowan University participated in my study. During class-time, I handed out a questionnaire with questions pertaining to the student's birth order within their family and SAT scores. The SAT scores served as a measure of intelligence. The SAT scores were broken into seven different ranges, between 800 - 1400 & above. The birth order variable was broken down into four levels; firstborn, middle child, youngest and only child. The different levels of birth order and SAT scores were compared …

The Effects Of Subliminal Weapons Effect On Aggressive Behavior In College Level Students, Gary A. Roskoski

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the difference in displayed aggression in subjects randomly assigned to either a subliminal weapons effect condition or to a controlled condition. 30 students from a small public University in New Jersey signed up for the study to receive credit for their introductory psychology course. The subjects were then randomly assigned to one of the two conditions; the subliminal weapons effect conditioned consisted of a poster of "Scarface" holding a gun pointed toward the subject on the blackboard (the poster had a sign asking that it not be removed by a professor). The controlled condition had no stimuli …

An Exploration Of The Impact Of Working Individually Versus Working Collectively On Stress And Performance, Shari L. Satow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of working alone versus working with others on stress and performance. Gender was also looked at as a variable affecting stress and performance as well. The Block by Block design, a building game consisting of seven different shaped blocks, was used in order to assess the ninety-five participants (23 male & 72 female) recruited from a medium sized university in southern New Jersey. Subjects were assigned to work either alone or with others in recreating specific images using the blocks, and were then asked to report their performance and …

Impact Of The Lack Of Sleep On Academic Performance In College Students, Tammy L. Hampton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the effects that sleep has on a college student's academic performance, measured by the student's self-reported grade point average (GPA), and to examine whether there is a difference between graduate students' and undergraduate students' results. 136 students at Rowan University in southern New Jersey, 61 graduate students and 75 undergraduate students, were asked to complete a short survey on their sleep habits, demographic information, self-reported GPA, and average number of hours of sleep per night that they received. An independent Two-Way ANOVA was then performed to analyze the information indicating the following …

Visual Motor Coordination And Reading: A Correlational Analysis Part Ii, Marita C. Marcionese

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between reading rate and visual-motor coordination. This study was a replication of the researcher's prior study. The population of interest was the only differing aspect. This study used 32 high school 9^th and 10^th grade students from an all boys college prep school. Reading rate was measured by two tests: the Nelson-Denny Reading Test and a 40-letter test. The game Perfection and a bead stringing task were the measures used to determine visual-motor coordination. Aggregated scores combined the z-scores to create a total score for …

Occupational Stress In Child Protection Social Workers, Kristina M. Narcum

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine if social workers in a child protection agency report greater levels of stress than individuals working in other professions. Paper-and-pencil versions of the Pressure Management Indicator (PMI) questionnaire were distributed to all participants as a measure of occupational stress. Participants' responses were analyzed using an independent samples t-test to examine whether there was a statistically significant difference between the responses of the two groups. There were significant findings in nine out of twenty-four subscales of the PMI. The results from these areas show that the social workers feel more insecure about …

The Effects Of School Uniforms On Self Esteem, Jennifer Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether school uniforms have an effect on self esteem. The hypothesis was that school uniforms would increase self esteem. There were 87 total participants in this study; 41 students had uniforms and 46 did not. The Rosenberg Self Esteem scale was used to measure self esteem. The questionnaire was given to teachers to administer to the children in their classroom. An independent samples t test was performed to analyze the data. Results were not significant showing that school uniforms did not have an effect on self esteem.

Teacher Directed Collaboration: Effects On Referrals To Special Education, Lindsey Harbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this experimental study were to (a) determine if teacher directed collaboration significantly reduced the number of students who were referred for special education placement and (b) if using a pre-referral process, such as consultation, increased the accuracy of teachers identifying children with a qualifying disability. One school that used teacher directed collaboration was compared to two schools that were not in a suburban Maryland community. Data was reviewed from each school on the number of children who were referred, assessed, and qualified for special educational services. Significant results were found using a Pearson Chi-Square (p<.01) for the amount of referrals made at each school, with the school using teacher directed collaboration having a fewer amount. The results of this study support the use of teacher directed collaboration. Further research should include a larger sample size and comparisons to referral rates prior to the introduction of teacher directed collaboration.

A Study Investigating Parental Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Of Children With Autism, Kristy Kratz

Theses and Dissertations

This study intended to look at the relationship of obsessive compulsiveness between parents of autistic children and parents of non-autistic children. A screening instrument in the form of a questionnaire was used to screen for traits and characteristics of obsessive compulsive disorder. A sample of 60 adults was used: 34 parents with children with autism and 26 parents of non-autistic children. The sample was further broken down into mothers and fathers of autistic and non-autistic children. Three hypotheses were tested using statistics such as Chi-Square measures. Results indicated that there was no relationship between parents of autistic children and non-autistic …

An Evaluation Of A Character Education Program On Students With Developmental Disabilities, Andrew Disque

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a character education program on students with developmental disabilities. Both the experimental (n=20) and the control (n=14) groups were administered a pre-test during the same week. Following this, a six-week character education program was implemented with the experimental group. A post-test was then administered to both groups. Two hypotheses were generated; primarily, character education would improve post-test scores in the experimental group compared to pre-test scores from within that group and post-test scores from the control group. Secondarily, behavioral data would display a decrease in maladaptive behaviors for the …

The Effects Of Confidence And Intention To Learn On Performance In Reading Comprehension Tests, Anthony John Rosamilia

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to better our understanding of human memory acquisition and recall by investigating what role, if any, confidence plays in tasks of academic performance and attempting to provide construct validity to the concept of intent to learn and its related principles of deep processing, attention to meaning, and elaborative rehearsal. 147 participants, whose confidence was manipulated prior to testing, were placed in one of four groups: High Confidence, Low Confidence, Control, and Spelling (no intent to learn). All participants were asked to read a short story adapted from the WIAT (the Spelling group asked only to …

The Effect Of A Mentoring Program On The Self-Esteem Of First Year, Learning Disabled College Students, Nathanael I. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a mentoring program on the self-esteem of first year, learning disabled, college students. A self-esteem assessment was administered prior to the start of the mentoring process. After the students participated in the program for a semester and a half the same self-esteem assessment was given again to determine the change, if any. Also during this time the self-esteem assessment was given to a group of non-learning disabled students in the same manner. The participants attended Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. The participants varied in socioeconomic, race and major …

The Effects Of An Integrated Whole Language And Phonics-Based Instructional Spelling Program On Student Spelling Ability And Self-Concept, Kimberly B. Biberman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to create an integrated phonics and whole language approach to teaching spelling to regular education and resource students. The sample included thirty-nine fourth grade students, which were split into an experimental and a control group. Students in the experimental group completed a spelling pretest and ten weeks of instruction implemented by the researchers. The students in the control group also completed a pretest and completed spelling instruction as followed by the required fourth grade curriculum.

After the study was completed, both groups completed a spelling posttest as well as a self-concept scale in relation …

Second Language Acquisition: A Study Of A Constructivist Approach To Teaching Versus A Varied Approach, And Its Effectiveness In A First-Year Spanish Class At The Secondary Level, Christina Di Mento Ferus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a Constructivist approach to teaching, or a varied approach is most effective in teaching a first-year Spanish class at the secondary level. The sample for this study consisted of 40 high school students enrolled in a Spanish I course. All students were given a pretest at the beginning of the second marking period. The test was developed by the researcher, and covered all the concepts that were to be taught throughout that marking period. One class was instructed using a Constructivist approach to teaching, while the other class received a varied …

Reinforcements As An Intervention In Children With Bipolar Disorder, Rachel Agin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test social and token reinforcements as an intervention to help eliminate behavior problems that are common in children with Bipolar Disorder. The subject was a six-year-old Caucasian boy diagnosed as bipolar. The experiment was performed during eight non-consecutive group therapy sessions. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in behavior from the baseline measures as compared to post-reinforcement measures. The hypothesis was proven wrong however, because results show the baseline and post-reinforcement measures were almost identical. It was concluded that although the results were not significant, the data shows there …

Children Of Divorce Versus Children Of Intact Families And Their Adjustment To College, Kimberly Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Children of divorce and children of intact families grow up in very different worlds. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects that being a child of divorce has on later adjustment in college. A sample of 95 undergraduate students were administered the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. Of the 95 students, 18 reported being from divorced families, two reported parental death, and 75 reported their parents still being married. Results indicated that the age a child experiences their parents divorce can have a significant impact on their later attachment to college and social adjustment to college. More …

An Investigation Of Rowan University Students' Attitudes Toward Homosexuality, Annmarie Panarello

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to investigate undergraduate student attitudes toward homosexuality. Between group differences were explored in terms of (a) gender, (b) religious affiliation, and (c) year of study. One hundred and twenty nine Rowan University undergraduate students participated by answering a homophobia scale questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. A three-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in mean scores between men and women, affirming that women scored lower on the homophobia scale than men. No other between group differences were found to be statistically significant. Implications for future research are discussed.

Using Applied Behavior Analysis To Increase Compliance With A Child With Autism, Rachael Simon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to take an in depth look at ways to modify the specific behavior compliance of a child diagnosed with autism. The subject studied was a two year eleven month year old female who had a diagnosis of severe to moderate autism. Over a five week period, applied behavior analysis, a behavior technique used for individuals with autism, was implemented into her educational programming. Data was collected over this five week period and a one way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) was completed in order to see if her compliance rate had increased after using …

Teacher Job Satisfaction And Teacher Burnout As A Product Of Years Of Experience In Teaching, Kristin A. Camilli

Theses and Dissertations

As job satisfaction in adulthood has become an important source of personal fulfillment, research in this area has increased in recent years. Teacher job satisfaction and burnout are among the most important factors contributing to the problem of teacher retention. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether years of teaching experience is a predictive factor of job satisfaction and burnout. The study included 60 participants ranging in teaching experience from 1 year to 44 years. It was hypothesized that teachers who have been in the profession for 1-2 or 3-10 years will be less satisfied and will …

The Relationship Between Living Situation And Diagnosed Disability In Maltreated Children, Jaime Fleigel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between type of placement and diagnosed disability in maltreated children. Forty maltreated children from New Jersey's child protective service agency were used in this study to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in diagnosed disability in maltreated children with regard to living situation. A review of records was conducted to determine whether the subject had a diagnosed disability and an independent samples t-test was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that there was a relationship between placement type and whether there was a diagnosed disability.

Personality And The Effective Teaching Disposition: An Exploratory Study, Laura G. Norton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the possible role personality dispositions plays in the effectiveness of an educator. Fifteen special education teachers deemed as particularly "effective" by administrators and fifteen special education students enrolled in introductory level special education classes participated in this study. Indicated in previous studies as important to self-reflective processes, the personality traits of Emotional Stability, Original Thinking and Vigor were analyzed by the Gordon Personal-Profile Inventory, completed by both groups. Special education teachers only completed a General Information Questionnaire to provide background and job satisfaction information. Independent t-tests were used to determine differences between …