Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Psychological Processing Checklist: Relationship To The Cognitive Assessment System, Shelly L. Lucas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to test the validity of the Psychological Processing Checklist (PPC) against the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS). The participants of this study consisted of 30 first grade students, 11 girls and 19 boys whose ages ranged from 6 years 6 months to 7 years 11 months and their teachers from Monroe Township, New Jersey. Each child was evaluated with the Psychological Processing Checklist by their teacher and the Cognitive Assessment System by the researcher. The full scale raw scores, the full scale percentile ranks and the subscales of the two tests were then compared using …

Predicting Drinking And Driving, Peter John Arsenault

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to discover the relationship between personality traits and how they can be used to predict an individual's tendency to drink and drive. Specifically, does an individual's locus of control and self-esteem influence their tendency to drink and drive. Past research has suggested that an individual with low self-esteem and an external locus of control has a greater tendency to drink and drive. 125 participants completed a questionnaire, which measured their self-esteem, locus of control and drinking and driving behavior. A cross tabulation correlation was used to find evidence of a relationship between the …

The Relationship Between Personality Type And Choice Of College Major, Melissa Pollock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality type and choice of college major. Twenty-six students in Psychology and thirty students in Engineering majors were used in this study to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in personality types with regard to major. The subjects were administered the Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II to determine their personality type and the Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that no relationship was found between personality type and major or type and sex. However, there was a significant relationship found between sex …

The Interrater Reliability Of The Psychological Processing Checklist, John A. Nonnemacher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare thirty students' profiles under the Psychological Processing Checklist, a tool that attempts to locate the observable, measurable behaviors evident in a student's classroom performance that might be indicative of an emergent processing deficiency. Two individual instructors rated the same students, all chosen from two fifth grade classrooms in a Southern New Jersey public school, and the results were compared using correlation data. Significant correlations between the two profiles generated for each student, as measured by the Checklist, lent support for the Checklist as a reliable tool. It was hypothesized that the PPC …

Middle School Advisories: An Evaluation Of Effectiveness In Creating Greater Affiliation And Self-Concept, Kimberly A. Quigley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a first year middle school advisory program in the areas of school affiliation and early adolescent self-concept. A total of 300 sixth grade students participated in the study, with 100 students from each of three different middle schools in a New Jersey suburban district. The sample consisted of 140 females and 160 males. A combination of different scales was used to create the test packet that was distributed to the participants in order to examine the hypotheses regarding school affiliation and self-concept. Three scales were utilized to measure school …

Study On The Prevalence Of Gastrointestinal Symptoms In Young Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Jennifer Gelsinger

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to gather information on the prevalence of the occurrence of gastrointestinal problems in a selected group of young children with pervasive developmental disorder. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the eating, sleeping, and toileting habits of the selected group of children with PDD; and identify how these habits may or may not relate to the behavior exhibited by the children.

The sample for the study consisted of 50 children with pervasive developmental disorder, ages 2.5 to 12 years of age. All of the children had a post-diagnosis of PDD for …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Academic Performance And Parental Age, Jamie Melamed

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the relationship between academic performance and parental age. Parental age has previously been shown to be a strong predictor of academic performance. This study consisted of a survey of 45 undergraduate students at Rowan University to determine the degree to which their parents' ages, both mothers' and fathers', correlated with academic performance as measured by high school class rank, SAT score, and GPA at Rowan. All participants were children of intact families, and the sample consisted of 25 females and 20 males. Both mother's age and father's age were found to correlate strongly with the …

The Relationship Between Eye Color And Behavioral Inhibition In Preschoolers, Dana P. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to study the rate of behavioral inhibition in preschoolers as related to eye color. One study was conducted on 50 preschool age children randomly selected from a learning center. Subjects were not chosen for specific behavioral characteristics, though an emphasis was put on acquiring an even number of blue-eyed children versus brown or green-eyed children. Twenty-two blue-eyed children and 28 brown-eyed and green-eyed children participated. Classroom teachers filled out the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation, Preschool Edition, based on observable characteristics demonstrated by each child. It is a Likert-scale rating form that compiles summary …

An Interrater Reliability Study Of The Psychological Processing Checklist, Sophia Lusinski

Theses and Dissertations

This research was undertaken to conduct an interrater reliability study of the Psychological Processing Checklist, which proposes to assess in children deficits in cognitive processes.

A sample of 30 Hispanic students, male and female, ages ranging from 6 to 10, enrolled in a Bilingual Program in a district of a city in Southern New Jersey was randomly selected to participate.

Two different teachers rated each individual: one bilingual and/or ESL, the other a mainstream regular classroom teacher. Both used the Psychological Processing Checklist to rate each student.

The Relationship Between Personality And Alcohol Abuse Among College Students, Amanda L. Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse is a widespread problem on college campuses. It can lead to social, academic and physical consequences. Motivating factors for alcohol abuse include stress reduction, social acceptance and personality. The purpose of the present study was to determine a link between alcohol abuse and personality. The study has 53 female participants ranging in age from 18 to 26. It was hypothesized that females classified as binge drinkers would score significantly higher or lower on certain personality facets compared to females classified as non-binge drinkers. The IPILP-NEO and an alcohol use questionnaire were used to assess each participant's ranking on …

Predictor Of Gender Role Attitudes: Family Composition Or Subject's Gender, Viviann F. Olmedo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate what would be the greater predictor of gender role attitudes: family composition (dual vs. single parent households) or the subject's gender on a population consisting of sixty-three college students ranging in age from nineteen through fifty-six.

Subjects were given a packet that contained four questionnaires related to: family composition/general information, parental responsibilities, subject's responsibilities and BEM inventory. All sixty-three subjects completed this survey to the best of their abilities.

The relationship between family composition (dual vs. single parent households), the subject's gender and their gender role attitudes (BEM scores) went unsupported.

Gambling Addiction And Personality Type, Michael Athanasios Gatis

Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-six students from a state university in New Jersey were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) form M in order to examine the relationship between gambling addiction and personality types. A chi-square test was performed at a 95 percent significance in order to determine if statistically significant relationships existed among the following: the relationship between personality types of gamblers within the group, the relationship between the personality types of non-gamblers within the group, and finally the relationship between the personality types of gamblers and non-gamblers between groups. No statistically significant relationships were found; …

The Effects Of Journal Writing On Self-Concept In Group Therapy, Kimberly A. Moffitt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of journal writing on children's self-concept in group therapy. It was hypothesized that students using journal writing would receive higher scores on a self-concept measurement than students who did not participate in journal writing.

The sample included 29 students from a school-based mental health program in kindergarten through eighth grade. Subjects completed a pre and post test using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Subjects in the experimental group participated in four weeks of journal writing between the pre and post tests while subjects in the control group did not. Test …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Academic Achievement And The Role Of Gender, Smriti Goyal

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between Locus of Control and academic achievement, and discussed the possibility of gender differences. Past research indicated a positive correlational relationship between internal scores and high academic achievement. Overall, the research regarding gender found males to be more internal than females. In this study, the 77 subjects were 10th grade American History students, placed in three different class levels, according to academic achievement the prior year. The Rotter's Internal-External scale was administered to all the subjects during History class. These scores were then separately correlated with academic class level and gender. The statistical analysis found …

A Study Examining The Importance Of Early Intervention On Premature Development, Suzanne F. Appleby

Theses and Dissertations

Every year, thousands of babies are born prematurely or at low birth weight. As a result, many of these children are confronted with health and developmental issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of early intervention on premature development. It was hypothesized that premature children, who were initially denied early intervention services, would eventually be in need of services at a later time, and these children would be in need more than full-term children. The present study consisted of a sample of fifty-four children: twenty-seven pre-term and twenty-seven full-term. The subjects were collected from the Child …

A Comparison Of Burnout Rates Between Inpatient And Outpatient Social Workers Who Serve Mentally Ill Adults, Heather N. Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain differences in burnout rates of social workers serving mentally ill adults who are employed in one of two different types of service, inpatient and outpatient. Burnout rates were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey. This 22-item survey contains three subscales measuring: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment.

Data was collected from 19 inpatient and 28 outpatient social workers from four different agencies in southern New Jersey. One large state psychiatric institution was used to derive the inpatient social worker group and three private non-profit agencies were …

A Comparison Of Academic Growth In Emotionally Disturbed Students In Private Vs. Public School Settings, Thomas J. Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to measure the academic growth, in the areas of reading and math ability, between students who are classified emotionally disturbed and placed by the school district in private, out of district schools with similarly classified students who remain in district programs. Other indicators of academic success, such as attendance and frequency of suspension were also compared, statistically, between the two groups. Yet other factors, such as grade retention, counseling and student investment were compared loosely. Sixty high school students, (thirty from each setting) comprise the two groups. Previous academic testing from the 1997/98 school year was …

Inclusion At The High School Level: A Case Study, Vicki L. Isler

Theses and Dissertations

This case study was conducted in order to assess the differences in occurrence of maladaptive behavior displayed by an 18 year old student with developmental disabilities placed in two different school settings. One setting, a special needs school, concentrated on vocational and daily living skills. The other setting, a public high school, provided her with four non-academic classes and the opportunity to socialize with her peers without disabilities. She was provided with a 1:1 teacher's aide in both settings.

Data sheets were completed in both settings for a three month period. These data sheets contained information on the frequency and …

Comparisons Between Add/Adhd Diagnosed And Non-Diagnosed Boys, Pre-Kindergarten Through Grade Eight, Daniel Del Vecchio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CTRS-R: S). The CTRS-R: S is an instrument used for the assessment of attention-deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and related behavioral problems in children and adolescents. The study included 225 boys in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight. The subjects were divided into two groups. Group one consisted of 165 boys who were not diagnosed with ADD/ADHD; Group two consisted of 61 boys who had been previously diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. A second analysis regrouped the sample by grade-groups that were consistent …

Teaching For The Enhancement Of Self-Esteem Of Adolescents With Learning Disabilities, Kathy Carney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if participation in structured, self-concept enhancing classroom activities would improve the self-esteem level of adolescents with learning disabilities. Forty-eight high school students identified with learning disabilities participated in this study. One-half of the students served as the control group and worked with the same teacher. The other 24 students were in the experimental group and were instructed by a different teacher who conducted lessons aimed at improving students' level of self-esteem over a period of 15 weeks. Self-esteem scores were obtained by administering the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to all participants during the …

Cost Effectiveness And Programmatic Differences In Early Intervention Services Delivered In Natural Environments, Jacque L. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Federal re-authorization of IDEA stresses the importance of serving disabled infants and toddlers in natural environments. For most infants, this is their home or daycare setting. Thirteen state funded early intervention programs in Southern New Jersey collected daily logs of direct and indirect services provided to over 1,000 children on a daily basis. Logs were summarized for two one-month periods. Results were tabulated for each program to indicate the percentage of staff time spent in direct activity with the family; the percentage of missed appointments; and time spent in traveling.

Comparison Of Students Eligible For Special Education Services Who Are Involved In Extra-Curricular Activities And Those Not Involved, Lisa M. Owen

Theses and Dissertations

The difference in academic achievement of students eligible for special education services who are involved in extra-curricular activities and those not involved was studied. Academic achievement referred to the report card grades and semester grade point averages of the students. Extra-curricular activities included those associated with the high school. The purpose of the study was to identify the differences in academic achievement between these two groups of students.

There were 193 subjects from a suburban high school in Southern New Jersey. The sample was from varying ethnic and economic backgrounds. They were eligible for special services under 8 different classifications, …

Gender Role Stereotyping In Occupational Choices, Paul Michael Rodrigo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see if students' occupational career choices were gender role stereotyped. The subjects making up this study were from a middle/upper class suburban area located in southern New Jersey. 192 subjects in fifth grade, 201 subjects in eighth grade, and 280 subjects in twelfth grade participated in this study. The percentage of males and females for each grade was close to a 50% split. This study was conducted using a survey, which asked the subjects what their choice for a career was at that time. Choices were compared to a listing of careers from …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Locus Of Control, Behavior And Academic Achievement In 5th Grade Students, Dawn Zuber

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to investigate the relationship between locus of control, academic achievement and behavior in 5th grade students. It was hypothesized that locus of control would be more internalized with high academic achievement and less behavior problems. A total of 40 subjects participated. Data was collected using the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, the Devereux Behavior Scale-School Form and the Metropolitan Achievement Test. Using this data, a relationship was measured using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r). The results demonstrated significant correlations between all of the variables. The results were interpreted to mean that 5th grade students with an …

Establishing Validity In The Social Sexual Awareness Scale For Adults With Developmental Disability, Pauline N. Stuempfle

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to establish data supporting convergent and concurrent validity of the Social Sexual Awareness Scale by correlating SSAS score with current status regarding competency to make the decision to engage in high risk sexual behavior as agreed by the IDT. The premise is that capacity to consent to high risk sexual behavior can be measured in a way that would enhance the decision making process of the court without detracting from its authority.

Archival data relating to IQ, adaptive functioning level, guardianship status, absence or presence of a secondary psychiatric diagnosis and previous IDT decisions as to …

Personality Traits And Addiction Relapse Rates: Is There A Connection?, Lori Sadwin O'Leary

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what differences, if any, there were in personality trait levels of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness between addicts/ alcoholics who relapsed and those who remained abstinent. It was hypothesized that high levels of Neuroticism combined with low levels of Conscientiousness would be associated with relapsing addicts and low levels of Neuroticism combined with high levels of Conscientiousness would be associated with abstaining addicts. Fifty-one subjects participated in this study and their personality traits were measured with the NEO-FFI, a self-reporting personality questionnaire. Relapse and abstinence were observed over a three-month period. A one-way ANOVA …

Identified Students With Anger Management Difficulties And Their Locus Of Control, David Andrew Davenport Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider whether students who had been identified as having anger management difficulties have a significantly higher degree of External Locus of Control when compared to a random sample of their classmates. The participants included 45 students (18 males and 27 females) from a High School in the Northeast Region of the United States, between the ages of 14 to 19 years old.

The Nowicki-Strickland Internal External Locus of Control Scale for Children was used to assess the Locus of Control orientation in the subjects. The scores from the subject group were then compared …

Gender Differences In Mathematics Anxiety And Achievement: Grades 4-8, Juliet H. Mcginley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in mathematics anxiety as it is related to mathematics achievement. It was expected that there would not be a gender difference in mathematics achievement, but that there would be a gender difference in math anxiety. Specifically, it was expected that females would have a higher math anxiety than males, and that this difference would magnify in the higher grades. The participants were 250 students in grades 4-8 from a Catholic elementary school in a middle-class suburb in Southern New Jersey. Prior to their mathematics midterm examination, the participants completed the …

The Relationship Between The Congruence Of Vocational Interests And College Major And Self-Concept, Amina C. Husain

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there is a relationship between the congruence (agreement) of an individual's vocational interests and academic major and the level of self-concept. This study reports on the level of self-concept and the degree of congruence between the selection of an academic major and their personality type or profile using the Self Directed Search (Holland, 1994). The level of self-concept was determined by using the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965). The congruence score was obtained by utilizing was the Zener-Schnuelle Congruence Index (Robbins, Harvey, & Kandefer 1978). Sixty college freshmen and …

A Correlational Study Of Social Skills, Problem Behaviors And Academic Competence Among First Grade Students, Colleen Van Zelst

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social skills functioning, problem behaviors and academic competence among elementary school children. Thirty-seven first grade students were subjects in the study. The Social Skills Rating System was used to measure each subject's social skills functioning, problem behaviors and academic competence. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was calculated to determine if there was a correlation between the variables. The results of the study indicated a significant positive correlation between social skills functioning and academic competence. A significant negative correlation was found between social skills functioning and problem behaviors and also …