Educational Psychology Commons^™

Bullying And Self-Esteem, Julie Boyle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between the amount of bullying a victim endures and levels of self-esteem of those victims. The sample was made up of of 124 students, 68 male and 56 female, attending a large middle school in a middle-class neighborhood in Southern New Jersey. All of the students were seventh (n= 52) and eighth (n= 72) graders enrolled in a Life Skills class in which issues regarding bullying were discussed. The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire was used to assess bullying activity at the school and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to …

A Research Study Of School Uniforms On Academic Achievement, Attendance, And Behavior Referrals In Third, Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Grade Students, Jennifer Gonnella

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of school uniforms on academic achievement, attendance, and behavioral referrals in third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in School Uniform Elementary School, a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school located in a small, rural community in Southern New Jersey. Academic achievement was recorded for fifth and sixth grade students using the National Percentile Rank on the Terra Novas (n=63). Attendance was recorded for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students by counting the number of days absent (n = 117). The number of written discipline referrals were recorded for students in third, …

Relationship Of Family Involvement And Functioning Among Mentally Ill Adults, Sharon A. Sabatino

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of the present study were to find a relationship between family/caregiver involvement in treatment of mentally ill adults that they care for and clients' overall Axis IV and V assessments. Support and education groups were held at Family Service in New Jersey over a six-month period. The population (n=12) came from the Hattie Tallie program at Family Service. These clients and their family members/social supports and caregivers attended meetings for six months to gain education and to support each other in dealing with clients' treatment. Global Assessment of Functioning scores (Axis V) and Severity of stressors (Axis IV) …

What Motivates College Students To Volunteer? Using The Volunteer Functions Inventory., Jennifer Giorgio

Theses and Dissertations

This study intended to look at what motivates college students to participate in volunteer work. The Volunteer Functions Inventory was used to have students rate their beliefs about what would influence them to volunteer. A sample of 184 subjects (67 male & 115 female, two participants did not disclose their gender) were obtained from Rowan University's student body and each were given the Volunteer Functions Inventory. One hypothesis was tested using an Analysis of Variance. Results found that the value motivation was the dominant motivation to volunteer among students who volunteer and non-volunteers. It was determined that the volunteer variable …

A Study To Identify Factors Associated With Readmission To A Psychiatric Hospital In Adults Attending A Partial Care Program, Tammy M. Pedrick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the factors which lead chronic mentally ill adults to be rehospitalized when compared to other chronic mentally ill adults, attending the same partial care program, who have not been rehospitalized. The sample included 108 subjects attending a particular partial care program. The subjects ranged between the ages of 20-80+. Each of the subjects has met the criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis.

The researcher reviewed each of the subject's charts to determine if he/she has been readmitted to a psychiatric hospital while attending the partial care program. The subjects were then grouped accordingly …

Aftermath Of 9-11: Stress Levels During January 2002 From Manhattan To California, Terryl Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

In September of 2001, the world entered a period of recovery from the terrorist attacks on our nation which will engender decades of struggle to study, analyze and express the effects of that day by almost every conceivable field of human endeavor. The purpose of this study was to describe levels of stress throughout the nation during the first two weeks of January 2002. It was hypothesized that those people who were in closest geographic proximity to the disasters would have the highest levels of stress. The present study consisted of 96 respondents. 22 of those were within a 20-mile …

Multiculturalism And The Media: Using Racially Motivated Films To Increase Attitudes About Race, Nacovin J. Norman

Theses and Dissertations

The attempt to answer the question, "Do racially motivated movies (media) affect young adolescents' attitude on multiculturalism?" was capable of yielding significant results. The study required sampling a population of seventh and eighth graders. The participants demonstrated variability in regards to ethnicity, age, social class, and level of cognitive functioning. Using the paired sample t, ANOVA and various non-parametrical tests, the answer to the question seems to correspond with the research. Therefore, using media can have a significant and an immediate effect, on not only multiculturalism, but human behavior as well.

Dual Diagnosed Clients And Rate Of Relapse, Michele Fredericks

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to gather information on dual diagnosed clients' level of social support in the environment and to assess the degree to which this has an impact on the rate of relapse or rehospitalization. The sample for the study consisted of 46 clients with an Axis I diagnosis of schizophrenia or a chronic mood disorder according to the DSM IV criteria along with poly substance abuse. The age of the clients ranged from 19- 59 with a mean of 38.8. All clients used in the study were enrolled in a nonprofit intensive case management program (ICMS) …

The Effect Of Different Modes Of Communication For The Deaf Student On Verbal Achievement, Maureen A. Dugan

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation compared hearing-impaired populations that have been educated with and primarily communicated with either the use of Sign Language, Cued Speech, or the Oral Method. The purpose of the study is to give an overall picture of how each method impacts the hearing-impaired learner.

The sample of this study was hearing impaired males and females over the age of 18 who have taken either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). All had a significant hearing loss labeled as profound and none were considered mild losses.

A sixteen-question survey was given to the participants consisting …

Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Megan E. Ireland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the type of attitude towards inclusion that exists among regular classroom teachers, special education teachers, and specialist teachers in a middle school setting. Seventy-one subjects – forty-nine regular classroom teachers, ten special education teachers, and twelve specialist teachers – from a suburban New Jersey community were studied. Participants were given the Survey of Attitudes Toward the Inclusion of Students with Special Needs, a twenty item Likert-type scale. Data was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and the Games-Howell post hoc test. Findings suggest that regular and specialist teachers believed that inclusion results in …

The Effects Of Breakfast On The School-Aged Child, Alicea J. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between eating a nutritious breakfast and academic performance. The sample consisted of 20 Second Grade Students, 12 males and 8 females, attending an elementary school in an urban school district. The subjects ranged in age from 7 to 9. Five males and two females were of Hispanic descent. Seven males and six females were of African American descent. The participants were given the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement to determine if the children were on grade level. A daily log was kept of what each child ate for breakfast and …

Patterns Of Extracurricular Participation In High School, Adrienne Mcdermott

Theses and Dissertations

Participation in extracurricular activities is associated with higher educational aspirations and expectations, higher levels of academic achievement, higher levels of self-esteem and a lower likelihood of dropping out of high school. There is extensive research documenting the value of extracurricular activities.

The primary purpose of this study was to write a descriptive analysis of the patterns of participation in high school extracurricular activities among the various ethnic groups. The secondary purpose of this study was to examine patterns among each ethnic group and each extracurricular activity. The patterns of participation were examined in 10 High Schools. Participants of each activity …

Gender Role Differences In Relation To Family Of Origin, Laura M. Moran

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family of origin and an individual's gender role characteristics. Eighty undergraduate students enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses at Rowan University participated in the study. Participants were asked to fill out the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and a demographic questionnaire in order to determine if differences in gender roles exist between students growing up in single parent families, those growing up in intact two-parent families, and those growing up in blended families. Data was analyzed by use of a two-way between ANOVA to determine if a significant difference exists …

The Relationship Of Biological Parent Or Relative Involvement And Academic Success Among Special Education Students, James Murtaugh

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between biological parent and relative involvement in special education students' lives and academic success. Also investigated was the relationship between biological parent and relative involvement in special education students' lives and the amount of time spent out of the classroom for behavioral reasons. Other variables include age at separation, type of placement, classification, number of siblings, or if the child's home school district was urban or non-urban. Each city of the urban districts examined was also analyzed. Statistical tests were performed to establish correlation between these variables and GPA scores. …

A Study Of Self-Esteem In Middle Children, Louise Henshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether middle children who are the only male or only female child in the family have higher self-esteem than those middle children who are the same gender as one or more of their siblings. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was administered to a total of fifty middle children, who ranged in age from ten through fourteen years old. These children were students in grades five through eight at a small, urban middle school in southern New Jersey. There were thirty-six students who had one or more siblings of the same gender as the …

The Effects Of Viewing Television Violence On School Children, Jennifer M. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of viewing television violence on children. It was hypothesized that children who watch more than 3 to 4 hours of television daily, and who are exposed to inherently violent television programming in which physical and/or verbal confrontations and actions are commonplace, will be more likely than other peers to have received disciplinary referrals.

The study took place within an urban middle school serving children grades 6 through 8. A sample of 52 students was randomly selected, consisting of some students who had and some who had not received disciplinary referrals. …

Parental Involvement And Its Effects On Student Academic Achievement, Kevin G. Pinkett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of parental involvement on student academic achievement. Parental involvement using forty-nine fifth graders and twenty-five sixth graders from an inner city public school in Wilmington, Delaware was measured by monitoring agenda book signatures and parent-teacher conference attendance. Reading test scores of students with high parental involvement were compared to students with low parental involvement using a comparison of test score means and Pearson correlations. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between the reading test scores of students who had high parental involvement and the students who had low …

The Effects Of Sleep Patterns On Academic Performance Among School-Age Children, Evelyn M. Rosa

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects that sleep patterns have on a student's academic performance. The study intended to determine if sleep disruptions affect a student's capacity to learn at school by comparing a group of students with disrupted sleep patterns to a comparison group. The sample size was n-46, with 28 female students and 18 male students. The participants involved were from an inner city middle school and were of Caucasian, African American, Asian, and Hispanic descent. The students' sleep patterns were monitored over a course of several months through self-report method. The students were …

The Effects Of Naltrexone On Severe Self-Injurious Behavior In Inpatient Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Kimberly L. Simmerman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the probability that Naltrexone can reduce self-injurious behavior, specifically the frequency, as measured by total number of incidents, and severity, measured by total number of self-inflicted injuries. Naltrexone is a pure opiate antagonist, which internally alters the reinforcement contingencies that maintain self-injurious behavior. One of the factors that contribute to the maintenance of self-injurious behavior is the endorphins that are naturally released when the body experiences pain. These endorphins can cause a pleasant, euphoric feeling, which internally reinforces self-inflicted painful experiences.

Available records were reviewed for 7 male inpatient adults with developmental …

Test Anxiety And Age: As We Grow Older Do We Become More Test Anxious?, Sharon Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this investigation were to (a) establish the test anxiety level of students in the second grade, fourth grade, and sixth grade (n=92); and (b) determine the difference in the levels of test anxiety between the three grade levels. Students demonstrated surprising results on the test anxiety measure (TASC). The average score for the second grade was the highest and the average score for the sixth grade was the lowest. A multiple comparisons analysis revealed a significant difference in test anxiety levels between the second and sixth grade. However, the difference was not an increase in test anxiety, …

The Relationship Between Foreign Language Ability And Achievement In Other School Subjects, Samantha J. Chabotar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the ability to learn a foreign language and abilities in other school subjects at the high school level. The sample included 134 tenth grade students recruited through their English classes. Foreign language ability was measured by an Artificial Language test. Students completed a one-page questionnaire about their experience and exposure to foreign languages. Then they were given a set of new vocabulary and grammar rules. They were asked to translate phrases and complete fill-in-the-blank questions, utilizing the new grammar rules. These test scores were then correlated with various sub-sections …

Going The Distance With Distance Learning: An Analysis Of Motivational Factors That Influence E-Learning Course Completion Rates, Kevin A. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

This research asked the following question: is there a correlation between types of organizational culture and factors influencing knowledge transfer? It hypothesized that organizations scoring high on the cultural factors of openness to change/innovation, and task-oriented organizational growth would be fertile to knowledge transfer. Second, it hypothesized that organizations scoring high on the factors of bureaucratic and competition/confrontation would be infertile to knowledge transfer. The research looked at Air Force squadrons, surveying a representative sample of the 1,495 active-duty squadrons included in the study with a 62-item, 5-point Likert-type instrument. Overall, 51 squadrons were surveyed, and 22 produced usable results. …

Comparison Of The Multiple Intelligence Domains, Specific Skills, And Intellectual Styles Of Freshmen And Seniors At A Metropolitan University In The South, Stephen Richard Marvin

Theses and Dissertations

With focus upon Gardner's (1983, 1993) Theory of Multiple Intelligences, the purpose of this study was to develop, through the exploration of empirical data, an understanding of freshman and senior intelligence at a metropolitan university in the South, and determine if a statistically significant difference existed between freshman intelligence and senior intelligence with regard to the students' multiple intelligence domains, specific skills and intellectual styles, and within each subject's respective gender, ethnicity, and age group. Through the use of the Multiple Intelligence Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS), this study identified the multiple intelligence domains, specific skills and intellectual styles of a …

The Soul Of Scholarship: The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And Religious Orientation Of College -Bound High School Seniors, Karmen Petersen Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has suggested a relationship between religiousness and various aspects of physical and mental health; however, an examination of the relationship between religious orientation and academic achievement appears to be an under-explored area of empirical research. The present study investigated the relationship of academic achievement and religious orientation of college-bound high school seniors. The Intrinsic and Extrinsic subscales of Allport's (Allport & Ross, 1967) Religious Orientation Scale and the Quest subscale of Batson's (Batson & Ventis, 1982) Religious Life Inventory were interspersed into a 32-item Likert-style questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered in both large group and small group format …

A Study To Determine The Impact Of The Picture Exchange Communication System On Challenging Behaviors In Adults With Autism, Stephanie M. Belsanti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if an increase in communication skills, over an 80 week period, in adults with autism would decrease challenging behaviors. The sample in this study consisted of 3 adult males diagnosed with autism and no verbal communication skills. The participants were between the ages of 24 and 27 and attended a data treatment center, which was used as the training environment in the current study.

The Picture Exchange Communication System was the primary treatment for three adults who have no verbal language and are diagnosed with autism. Treatment sessions were conducted throughout the …

Effects Of Institutionalization On Romanian Adoptees, Diane Castano

Theses and Dissertations

The overall health and well-being of Romanian adoptees has deteriorated significantly as a result of the deficient living conditions of Romanian orphanages. Several of the effects of institutionalized children include; developmental delays in speech, gross and fine motor areas, and emotional and behavioral impediments. Moreover, these children may develop mental and/or physical disabilities and an overabundance of health problems. This study reports findings from a survey completed by 38 American families with adopted children from Romania. The results of this study reflect; parents perceptions of their child's health at the time of adoption and current health status, the child's behavioral …

Examining The Effects Of A Self-Esteem Program On African American Girls, Andrea Alston-Brundage

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-concept of African American girls, ages 10-15 and to implement the Zola Circle program in an attempt to enhance their self-esteem.

Two groups of girls attended the Zola Circle workshops. Both groups attended the workshops for five weeks. The girls were given the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory Test before attending the workshop and at the conclusion of the workshop. A follow-up test was given to group one five weeks after the completion of the workshop.

The Analysis of Variance test (ANOVA) was computed to assess pretest differences between the two groups participating. …

The Affective Effects Of A Newly Created Advisory Program On Middle School Students, Jacqueline Seidman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a newly created advisory program on a population of middle school students at a Suburban middle school. Three different instruments were used to assess the subjective affective responses of thirty middle school students ages ranging from 11 to 13. These instruments were a student Quarterly Self-Report Scale, administered twice, an Advisory Assessment scale, and a formal interview.

The results reflected no difference between male and female students regarding their attitudes toward the advisory process. There was also no statistical difference between student evaluation of the advisory process over time. …

The Effects Of Institutionalization On Romanian Children When Adopted Into Families In The United States, Dawn M. Roy

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to research the dynamic factors involved in the assessment of children placed in adoptive homes in the United States who were taken from large institutional orphanages in Romania. This paper will discuss various aspects of problems that were encountered by children who lack the stimulation, stability and love that are crucial during the early years of development. It also endeavors to provide interventions that will enable these children to progress along more developmentally appropriate guidelines.

This project utilized a single subject design. The analysis was descriptive in nature. It measured the improvement of mean utterance length. The …

What's On Page One? How Minorities Are Depicted In The National Print Press, Susan Guthrie Chang Saridakis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose was to identify how positively minority groups and non minority groups are depicted in the American print media. Fifty-two editions each of USA Today and The Wall Street Journal published during 2000 were rated for how positively and negatively minority and non-minority groups were portrayed. Two raters completed a questionnaire, identifying 1,144 newspaper stories and providing 1,626 ratings of minority and/or non-minority groups. Descriptive data and correlational results were calculated. No relationship between socioeconomic status of readership and positive presentation of group or minority/non-minority group membership and positive presentation of group were found. However, it was found that …