Educational Psychology Commons^™

Increasing Sensitivity Toward Handicapped Children Through Inclusion, Christine Nicole Brookbank

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe the benefits for non-handicapped students in an inclusive setting. The hypothesis suggested that regular education students would be more sensitive and aware of handicapped individuals when they are read stories about handicapped individuals and participate in a sensitivity program than regular education students who do not receive this form of intervention. The Acceptance Scale for Kindergarten-Revised (ASK-R) helped to assess fifty-eight second graders' perceptions of handicapped individuals. The difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of Classroom B (experimental group given sensitivity program and read stories regarding individual differences; has included child) …

Prevalence And Psychological Correlates Of Eating Disorders Among College Women, Lisa M. Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disordered behaviors of fasting, binge-eating, and vomiting and purging have increased in prevalence and are approaching epidemic proportions. It is estimated that 1 in 100 females age 12 to 18 are anorexic, while as many as 1 in 4 college-age women are thought to be bulimic or engage in other forms of disturbed eating. Research indicates that those who are eating disordered are more dissatisfied with their bodies, have lower self-esteem, and have a greater tendency to endorse sociocultural mores regarding thinness and attractiveness. The present study investigated a) the prevalence of eating disorders among college women, and b) …

Social Engagement: Depressogenic Factors In The Elderly, Joell P. Worster

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether those elderly nursing home residents who maintained social engagement would be less depressed then those elderly nursing home residents who did not maintain social engagement. The study consist of 21 residents who resided in a nursing home. All subjects were given the Geriatric Depression Scale and asked to respond to the 30 question by yes or no. A Mann Whitney Test was performed on the depression scores from the results of the Geriatric Depression Scale. The results were significant with the prediction of the study. Those elderly residents in the nursing …

A Study Of The Formal Operational Thought Ability Of College Students, Justin J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to measure the formal operational thought capacity of the college student and unveil any gender differences regarding this ability. Formal operational thought is important to the success of every student because it implies the ability of humans to reason scientifically and analytically and to think abstractly.

34 male and 40 female college students were selected from an on-campus apartment facility to be part of the study. The sample ranged in age from 17 to 21 and represented class standings from the freshman to senior level. The subjects included 45 Caucasians, 9 Hispanics, 17 African-Americans, and 3 …

A Descriptive Analysis Comparing The Academic Success Of Student Athletes And Non-Student Athletes, Daniel P. Crowe

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to measure and compare the academic success of student athletes and non-student athletes. The suggested hypothesis was that student athletes would perform better academically because of factors relating to accomplished goal setting and discipline. This study implies that student athletes are more prepared for academic success because of their goal oriented behaviors.

206 students participated in the experiment. There were 141 athletes and 65 non athletes. Those who were described as an athlete were a participating member of a varsity sport. The students were all members of a local Catholic high school. With the permission of …

A Study Analyzing The Ability Of The Yellow Brick Road Screening Test To Predict Future Academic Achievement, Nancy Lazzaro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of the Yellow Brick Road kindergarten screening instrument to predict future academic achievement using CAT scores as indicators of student performance. There were 31 subjects used in this study. Subjects were selected randomly from the respective elementary school population. The study followed a longitudinal design. Yellow Brick Road scores were obtained, in addition to CAT scores in grades 2, 4, and 6. All scores were recorded anonymously with the permission of the respective school Board of Education.

The data was analyzed using a paired sample T test. Based on the …

A Study Examining The "I Like Me" Program And Its Effects On Self Esteem, Julie Ridgway

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the "I Like Me" Program and determine if the implementation and use of the "I Like Me" Program, in addition to the standard curriculum, in a second grade classroom will significantly increase the students' levels of self esteem as compared to students who are only exposed to the standard health and social studies curricula.

Two samples of students were pretested using the Piers-Harris Children's Self- Concept Scale. The "I Like Me" Program was implemented into one of the two classrooms (Sample B) over a 20 week period of time. The program consisted …

A Study Of Self-Concept As It Relates To Academic Achievement And Gender In Third Grade Students, Grace S. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a positive relationship exists between self-concept, academic achievement, and gender. The subject sample consisted of fifty-two students from a suburban public school district in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven females and twenty-five males participated in the study. The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was used to evaluate self-perception. Academic achievement was evaluated with the use of math and reading grades from the students' report cards. The correlation coefficient results indicated that a significant relationship between self-concept and both reading (.291) and math (.307) achievement exists. Frequency polygons were used to display the distribution …

The Effects Of Elementary Peer Mediation Program On Disciplinary Action In The Schools, Elizabeth Anne Haws

Theses and Dissertations

Peer mediation programs offer students options. Students can choose mediation instead of name-calling, yelling, or letting conflicts grow until they explode into violence. Little is known about the effectiveness or manner of implementing these programs. This study examines 62 black male students in grades 4, 5, and 6 from a Burlington County, New Jersey, suburban, public K-6 elementary school. Some data suggest disciplinary action is decreased with a cadre approach to peer mediation established in the school. More attention should be paid to evaluating peer mediation and conflict resolution programs. Under peer mediation programs, students in conflict and peer mediators …

The Effects Of School-Based Mentoring On At-Risk Youth, Barbara Dobzanski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of school-based mentoring on at-risk youth. The study was conducted on a group of clients from a Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. The clients were individuals who are at risk of academic and social failure or difficulty. The experimental group consisted of 21 students who were receiving mentoring services on a weekly basis. The control group consisted of 18 students who remained on a waiting list to be mentored. The variables examined were self-concept, behavioral and developmental issues, and academic performance. The extent, if any, to which mentoring benefits an individual …

Can A Specific Personality Type Predict Positive Rape Attitudes?, Elisha Wilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Despite increased societal awareness, negative reactions are still common experiences for women disclosing incidents of sexual assault to social network members. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to try to identify one personality type that may be compassionate and empathetic to the victim of a rape. The participants of the study were eighty-two Freshmen, from a Northeastern College. The population contained approximately half males and half females, ages ranging from eighteen to forty-five, with a wide variety of racial backgrounds. The Understanding Scale from the PRF was used to test the participants' levels of compassion, and the Rape Attitudes …

Attitudes Toward Inclusion: A Survey Of General And Special Educators, Debra M. Shinn

Theses and Dissertations

Whether or not the attitudes toward inclusion differ between regular educators and special educators was investigated. From the current literature reviewed, it was hypothesized that special educators would have a more favorable attitude toward inclusion than regular educators. Forty-nine regular educators and sixty-three special educators responded to a questionnaire. The results of an independent groups t test did confirm a statistically significant difference between the two groups. However, the significant difference revealed that, overall, regular educators had a more favorable attitude toward inclusion than special educators.

Over half of the regular educators believed that the challenge of a regular class …

The Effects Of Parental Values On The Prosocial Behaviors Of Preschoolers In A Private Vs. District-Funded Preschool, Janet Baratta

Theses and Dissertations

Earlier studies have shown that parental modeling and communication of values are significant factors in promoting prosocial behavior in young children. The current study was conducted to determine whether a relationship existed between preschoolers' prosocial behaviors and the importance their parents attributed to such behaviors. The prosocial behaviors of twenty preschoolers from a private preschool were compared to the behaviors of twenty preschoolers from a public, district-funded preschool. The preschool teachers from both schools rated the prosocial behaviors of the children based on how often they observed each child engaging in various behaviors. The parents rated how valuable they believed …

Factors That Influence Academic Achievement, Leah Georgene Shaffer

Theses and Dissertations

Does environment affect academic achievement? The dispute over environmental influences has been the topic of numerous debates. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between academic achievement and the following environmental factors: family structure, ethnic background, socioeconomic circumstances and family size. The 1,500 participants of this study were collected from a large, extremely diverse elementary school population. From this general population, 134 students were selected for the control group based on participation in the Basic Skills Program. Data was collected using teacher surveys and parent contact information. State and federal guidelines were used when identifying children for Basic Skills …

The Predictability Of The Sat, Melissa Mickiewicz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to look at the correlation of overall freshman grade point average and SAT scores to overall junior grade point average and SAT scores. Research has shown that SAT scores have a high correlation with freshman grade point average, but there are conflicting results to the correlations of grade point average beyond the freshman year. Data was collected from two graduating classes from a private religious university. SAT scores, overall freshman grade point average and overall junior grade point average were obtained from the university for 148 students. The data was analyzed using the Pearson's …

Comparison Of Academic Success Between Students Who Live In Single Parent Households And Students Who Live In Two-Parent Households, Susan A. Ficco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of thus study was to compare the impact household composition has on the academic achievement of elementary school students. The sample contained 83 third and fourth grade students from a small Southern New Jersey school district, 22 from single parent households, and 61 from two parent households. The grade point averages for reading, language and mathematics were recorded for two consecutive marking periods and the measuring device used was a paired sample t-test. The results of the study show a high correlation between household composition and academic achievement. The grade point averages of the students in two parent …

Analysis Of Factors That Contribute To Residence Life Staff Burnout, Antoinette Mascio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to provide an integrative study of the various factors that may interact to produce burnout among Residence Life staff members. This study examines psychosocial, physiological, and environmental conditions that are thought to contribute to burnout among Residence Life staff members.

The participants of this study were 71 student staff members who are employed by the Office of Residents Life, at a co-educational, nonsectarian, state supported college in a rural area of southern New Jersey. The participants consisted of both male and female, graduate and undergraduate students, who range in age from 18 to 33 …

Differences In Reading Achievement Between Title I Students And Students Not Receiving Title I Services, Melissa Calcagni

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the differences in reading achievement, specifically decoding ability, between first graders receiving Title I services and those not receiving the services. A sample of sixteen first graders from a suburban, racially diverse school in New Castle, Delaware was utilized. Eight of the children were selected for the study simply because they were receiving Title I instruction in the form of a one hour pullout program. The remaining eight children were selected based on test results on the San Diego Quick Assessment. The pre-test/post-test control group design was employed in this study. The Mann-Whitney test was used …

A Study To Assess Parental Choice: Why Families Choose Assemblies Of God Day Schools Over Public School, Michael Petrucci

Theses and Dissertations

This survey study identified reasons why families in New Jersey chose to send their children to Assembly of God day schools. Once these reasons were identified a survey was sent to 17 Assembly of God schools in New Jersey. The survey included a Likert scale which enabled respondents to prioritize their reasons for selecting one of these private evangelical schools. Nine reasons were listed on the scale which would be ranked in order of importance by the families who were responding.

The analysis of collected data revealed that families ranked their nine choices in the following order, from most important …

The Use Of Behavioral Intervention Techniques In Aiding Autistic Children In The Classroom, James H. Dundee Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide information to support that, through the use of behavioral intervention techniques, especially the use of positive reinforcement, teachers can help to improve the academic success of the child with autism. The purpose of this current study is to view two unique groups of subjects. Subjects for this design consisted of twelve (12) preschool-aged students from the Gloucester County Special Services School District. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group would receive reinforcement for their behaviors and the second group would not. It was hypothesized for this study that …

A Comparison Of Burnout Levels Between Special Educators And Regular Educators, Andrea Liddle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers who work with mentally and physically handicapped children in special education schools have a higher incidence of burnout than teachers who work in regular education schools.

Twenty regular educators from a public school, k-12, and twenty special educators from two private special education schools, k-12, participated in the study. The special educators taught children with moderate levels of mental retardation and multiple handicaps, Each participant completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Educator's Survey.

Three two-tailed t-tests were computed to compare the means of the three subscales of the burnout survey: Emotional …

Effectiveness Of Conflict Resolution Programs In The Schools: A Study Of Students’ Coping Skills Before And After Participation In A Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation Program, Tammy Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate students' coping styles before and after a conflict resolution program intervention. The 6th grade middle school class was administered the Coping Response Inventory (CRI) prior to receiving the conflict resolution training. The conflict resolution/peer mediation program was designed to empower students by giving them the tools to challenge and solve problems. The program focuses on the following areas: affirmation, communication, conflict resolution, cooperation, and bias awareness/appreciation of differences.

The demographics include the following: The sample group consisted of 6th grade suburban middle school students. There were 21 subjects. 57% were male and …

Pre-Referral Intervention And Follow-Up: An Analysis Of The Pupil Assistance Committee (Pac), Jocelyn Camba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to descriptively analyze the interventions selected and the subsequent follow-up information of the students referred to the Pupil Assistance Committee (PAC).

The sample includes twenty-one students from one New Jersey suburban elementary school which consists of kindergarten through grade six. Data was collected from actual referrals to the Pupil Assistance Committee. Additional data was collected regarding current educational placements and the status of the sample. The design of this study is a descriptive analysis. A coding instrument was used to record data from student files. The major method of data analysis is frequencies and …

What Are Counselor And Client Perspectives On The Preferred Time Frames For The Use Of Assessment Instruments In Career Counseling Of Adults In Career Transition?, Ronald L. Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the timing of assessment instrument usage and the perceived value of assessment instruments for adult clients in career transition counseling settings. Comparisons of career counselor and adult client perspectives on assessment instrument usefulness were also studied. A mailed self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect data. Fifteen counselors and 47 clients, associated with the downsizing of an electric utility company's regional office in southern New Jersey, responded and formed the basis of all data analysis. An independent t Test for unequal groups was used to compare counselor and cheat ratings …

School Bullying And Alcohol And Other Drug Attitudes Survey In Southern New Jersey, Gail J. Tilley

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is the extent of school bulling in southern New Jersey as measured by an adapted version of the Olweus Bully Questionnaire. The students (n=232) surveyed were fourth and fifth graders in a suburban community in southern New Jersey. It was found that 11% of fourth graders and 15% of fifth graders surveyed self-report bullying other students. It was also found that 20% of fourth and fifth graders surveyed indicated that they had been bullied. These percentages matched the trends found by Olweus in Norway. Students in southern New Jersey were also surveyed on their attitudes …

The Relationship Between Career Maturity And Locus Of Control In College Students, Maryann Kimchick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between locus of control in college students and career maturity. The sample consisted of 39 undergraduates attending a state college in New Jersey. Of the total sample, 5 were male, 34 were female. The mean age of the population was 18, with ages ranging from 18 to 24. The majority of the sample were in their first year in college. Locus of control was assessed with the Rotter Internal-External (I-E) scale and the Career Maturity Inventory Scale (CMI-As) was selected to measure Career Maturity. The data collected was analyzed using …

Parenting Styles And The Influences Upon The Level Of Functioning Of Adolescents, Tamiko Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to view the relationship between parenting styles and the influences upon the level of functioning of adolescents. There were 15 subjects in the study. Several characteristics were examined: level of functioning, family status, educational levels, and parenting styles.

The data was collected by a self-designed survey in order to assess the specific parenting style that an adolescent may have been subjected to and an observational rating scale was utilized to assess the level of functioning of each subject.

It was discovered that 66.6% of the subjects were reared by a care provider who favored …

A Descriptive Analysis On The Effect Of The Congruency Between National And State Guidelines For School Psychology Training Programs, Jacqueline J. Olsh

Theses and Dissertations

Each of the 50 states has independently developed guidelines for the minimum training required of school psychologists, providing for variation among the required curriculums. NASP has developed guidelines for training and experience at a national level as a means of establishing uniformity in training. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the congruency between national and state training guidelines has an effect on the percentage of nationally approved school psychology programs. The training guidelines of the 50 states were obtained. A listing of school psychology training programs as well as those nationally approved by state was acquired. The …

Date Rape: Attitudes And Perceptions, Elizabeth Young

Theses and Dissertations

The reasons date rape victims are often blamed for their own assault may be associated with sex-role identification and a lack of education. This study aims to examine the relationship between an individual's measure of sex-role traditionality and their attitudes towards rape by using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory combined with the Rape Attitudes and Perceptions Questionnaire which were administered to two mixed gender classes consisting of 30 juniors and seniors in a rural high school. Approximately one week after the surveys were taken, both classes watched When Romance Turns to Rape, which contains several vignettes on date rape. Then …

African-American Identity, The Quality Of School Life And Academic Achievement, Michael James Mcintire

Theses and Dissertations

Although some studies have linked educational outcomes to identity status (Francis 1981; Hummel & Roselli 1983), only Taylor, Lasten, Flickinger, Roberts and Fulmore, L.D. (1994) have attempted to link educational outcomes to the racial identity status of minority group members. Given the theorized importance of adequate racial identity development for the future psychological health of minority group members, and the impact of educational achievement in high school on subsequent educational, economic, and social outcomes, the present study is designed to assess the quality of school life and the racial identity of African-American high school students, and to determine the extent …