Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Analyzing Motivation And Sense Of Belonging Belonging In Cs1 Review Sessions, Cory Longenecker

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The Computer Science Department at James Madison University has a Teaching Assistant program which aims to help students succeed in early-level Computer Science courses. Part of this program is a review session, the Fourth Hour, which provides students extra help on the concepts taught each week in class. Historically, attendance at this review session has been low. Because of this, the study aimed to increase attendance by motivating students through interventions, primarily offering quiz retakes to students who attended. Additionally, this study looked at the reported sense of belonging for participants who attended.

We made three conclusions from survey data …

Self-Compassion For Counselors-In-Training, Sydney Iwanski

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This paper examines the concept of self-compassion and how counselors-in-training (CITs) can develop and refine their self-compassion practice to improve their experience during the counseling practicum semester of their graduate studies. First, this paper will discuss the definitions of self-compassion, the benefits of self-compassion, and things to be aware of in beginning self-compassion work. Then, the paper will discuss the needs of beginning counselors with special attention to the practicum semester. Finally, this paper will provide suggestions for the specific ways self-compassion can help CITs progress in their practice and studies with special attention to supervision, attending to clients in …

A Novel Examination Of None-Of-The-Above As It Influences Examinee Item Responses, Kathryn N. Thompson

Dissertations, 2020-current

It is imperative to collect validity evidence prior to interpreting and using test scores. During the process of collecting validity evidence, test developers should consider whether test scores are contaminated by sources of extraneous information. This is referred to as construct irrelevant variance, or the “degree to which test scores are affected by processes that are extraneous to the test’s intended purpose” (AERA et al., 2014, p. 12). One possible source of construct irrelevant variance is violating item-writing guidelines, such as to “avoid the use of none-of-the-above” in multiple-choice items (Rodriguez, 2016, p. 268).

Numerous studies have been conducted with …

Using Free-Operant Preference Assessments And Reinforcer Evaluations To Measure The Stability Of Preferences Over Time In Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsey Histand

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The present study investigated the stability of preferences over time using an alternating treatment multielement design across participants. The participants were children between the ages of eight and twelve with developmental disabilities, who also displayed interfering behaviors. The study had a baseline condition and two experimental conditions. During the first condition, the therapist provided contingent reinforcement for correct responses during reinforcer evaluations using highest preferred items. During the second condition, the therapist provided contingent reinforcement for correct responses during reinforcer evaluations using least preferred items. Repeated measures of free-operant preference assessments produced participants’ preference rankings, thus identifying highest and least …

Increasing Social Engagement In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Perspective Taking Skills Training, Robyn Devendorf

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The current study sought to teach the perspective-taking skill, a behavior that may require training in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and contribute to an increased ability in children with ASD to engage socially. One-on-one perspective-taking intervention sessions between the examiner and a child identified with ASD took place over ten sessions. Sessions were structured with the guidance of the Social Thinking curriculum entitled, “You Are a Social Detective!”. A single-case design was employed, and results were reviewed through quantitative measures using teacher ratings on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) at pre- and post-intervention. Additionally, use of the Goal …

Representation Is Everything: The Impact Of Diversity In Literature On The Racial Identity And Psychological Safety Of Black Youth, Zaakirah B. Fulani

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study addresses the issue of U.S. schools often acting replicating the same racist/discriminatory practices that play out on a national level, resulting in school being an unsafe environment for Black and other REM students. A lack of psychological safety in schools, according to research, can lead to decreased academic achievement and engagement, feelings of stress and anxiety, and a negative school experience. This study proposes that using culturally relevant texts in curriculums can enhance psychological safety for Black students in order to cultivate safe school environments for REM students. Using an analysis of qualitative data from focus group discussions …

Supporting The Mental Health Needs Of Youth Through Neurobiologically-Informed Approaches, Hannah P. Jarrett

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Many children and adolescents are experiencing increased mental health challenges, resulting in a serious public health crisis. Mental health providers must apply innovative, research-based, and developmentally responsive intervention to meet the current mental health needs of youth. Neurobiologically-informed approaches, such as Polyvagal Theory, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, and Interpersonal Neurobiology, could be used to support children and adolescents appropriately and effectively across a variety of settings. These approaches apply principles of neuroscience, acknowledge developmental considerations, and attend to the impact of trauma. This project reviews mental health trends in children and adolescents, provides a brief overview of these approaches, …

Chinese Strategic Partnerships: A New Form Of Alliance Politics, Sean L. Starkweather

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

During the 14th National Party Congress in 1992, Jiang Zemin declared that China would never seek alliances nor pursue hegemony. Indeed, since 1961, China has formed formal alliances with mutual defense clauses with only two countries: North Korea and the Soviet Union. Given the US’ alliance network, which extends deep into East Asia and Oceania, many scholars predict that China would seek similar security arrangements to deter potential aggression. However, very little research has been conducted to answer the question of why China has remained persistent in rejecting alliance formation as a viable strategy despite popular notions of increasing Chinese …

Searching For Nonbinary And Trans Inclusion: A Call To Action For Leadership Studies, Jody Condit Fagan, Ari Emilia Short

Libraries

Academic studies of leadership have historically taken a binary view of gender. A literature review was conducted to search for any scholarly work inclusive of trans and nonbinary identities. Across three academic databases and five leadership journals, only 11 such sources were found. These results were reviewed to explore themes across their findings as well as suggestions for future research. The analysis of the 11 sources’ findings and recommendations offer guidance for expanding conceptions of gender in leadership; for enhancing leadership education; and for developing a more complete research agenda for gender and leadership studies. Suggestions are also offered for …

"Domestic Terrorism" Or "Political Protest?": Partisan Cable News Framing Of The January 6 Attack On The U.S. Capitol, Alexandra M. Stover

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a historical event that received widespread media attention in the days and weeks that followed. This study focuses on the differential framing techniques used by Fox News and CNN, specifically, in their coverage of January 6. Additionally, this study addresses the differential framing techniques used across different shows on the same network: “commentary-based” shows and “information-based” shows. In doing so, this research builds upon the vast body of pre-existing news media framing research. This study finds that the differences in framing are more pronounced between Fox News and CNN …

Communicating Across The Pond: Evaluating Perceptions Of Dialectal Divergence Among American Student Sojourners In England, Katherine T. Peppiatt

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Although at first glance the differences between British English and American English seem trivial, “apartment” vs. “flat” or “color” vs. “colour," these dialectal divergences immediately create an othering effect. Subtle changes are representative of the deeper implications of this issue; altered language impacts perceptions about the validity and correctness of a written work. My research seeks to understand how the differences between British English and American English impact American student sojourners during an abroad experience in England. Examining how American sojourners perceive dialectal differences and adapt their written rhetoric to match that of a British audience offers valuable insight into …

American Vibe Check: Based, Mid, Or Cringe? Measuring Gen Z’S Attitudes And Perceptions About American Democracy, Bethany Perryman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Democracy is a concept, process, and practice, and American democracy is a specific flavor of it. Public opinion is influenced and shaped by mass media, and messages about American democracy emerge in a web of powers and among power dynamics. These messages include the actions and relationships of the American civic system with its citizenry and the world. Generation Z is a socially, culturally, economically, and politically unique population in American life, who form their own perceptions and attitudes about American democracy based on their experiences and with the ecosystem of communication and interaction they have with mass media messages. …

Using Video Prompting For Daily Living Skill Acquisition In Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Meghan Park Mitchell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The current study examined the effects of video prompting on the acquisition of a daily living skill with adults who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). A multiple baseline across participants design was used to assess whether a video prompting procedure was able to teach adults with IDD a daily living skill with minimal socially mediated instruction. It was found that performance increased once the intervention was applied. Future directions for research and application in teaching daily living skills to adults with IDD are discussed.

The Sounds Of The Shore: An Afrofuturistic Double Record Performed Through Vernacular Technology, Collin Bright

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Predominately white institutions are socially exclusive hostile environments that uphold white heteronormative patriarchal systems (Harper, 2013; Holliday & Squires, 2021; Razzante, 2018). The everyday task of existing on campus is a struggle for students of color as they are asked to enter spaces/places that are not diverse, inclusive, equitable, or accepting. To address the oppressive and dismissive forces of campus, my thesis uses Afrofuturism to reimagine what it means to exist as a student of color at a PWI. Afrofuturism is a “counter-imaginative cultur[al]” aesthetic-based practice that uses creative postcolonial critiques to reimagine future possibilities (Asante & Pindi, 2020; Pirker …

Using Irtrees To Account For Response Style Effects Between Item Formats, Stephanie Leroy

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Response styles are consistent person-traits that are defined as the tendency to systematically select responses unrelated to the construct being measured (Paulhus, 1991). Response styles introduce construct-irrelevant variance that distorts observed scores on a measure and biases interpretation of the data. The current study looks at midpoint response style (MRS) and extreme response style (ERS). MRS is the tendency to select the midpoint of a rating scale, while ERS is the tendency to select the endpoints of a rating scale. Previous research sought to either account for response style effects or prevemt them – the current study does both. To …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Para-Athletes: A Case Study On Motivation And Psychological Training For The 2020 Paralympic Games, Irina Perfilova

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the 61-year history of the Paralympic Games, the Games have never been canceled for any public health reasons. In order to participate in the Paralympic Games, the preparation process for professional athletes is planned at least four years in advance. Interruptions to this schedule can present significant challenges for elite athletes. Such was the case in 2020 with widespread cancellations of many athletic events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of in-home isolation can potentially cause athletes to experience different psychological conditions, including depression and anxiety as well as losing motivation. The purpose of this study was to …

The Effects Of A Self-Recording Procedure On Student’S On-Task Behavior, Maria Leventhal

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This study investigated the isolated effects of self-management on students on-task behavior through an operant analysis. Two elementary-aged students, receiving ABA services at a special education school were taught to self-record their on-task behavior using a Gymboss miniMAX timer that cued them at variable intervals. Following baseline, students were trained to self-record using Behavior Skills Training. A series of phases was then implemented to gradually increase the intervals. To isolate the effects of self-recording, feedback and reinforcement were not provided. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, a functional relation was demonstrated between self-recording and on-task behavior.

Double Dosing: Investigating The Utility Of Multiple Priming Questions On Test-Taking Motivation, Mara Mcfadden

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Priming examinees with questions about intended effort prior to testing has been shown to significantly increase examinee expended effort via self-reported effort and response-time effort. However, this question-behavior effect seems to wear off later in a testing session, specifically when a test is given second in the session. I examined whether administering a second “dose” of the question-behavior effect could combat the decrease in examinee effort later in a testing session. To evaluate whether “double dosing” could increase examinee effort later in a testing session, I randomly assigned examinees to one of three question conditions prior to completing two low-stakes …

Temporal Relevance Of Parent Qualities And Behaviors For Predicting Young Adults’ Emotion Regulation And Romantic Relationships, Saleena Wilson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The present study sought to compare the utility of adolescents’ parental relationship qualities and behaviors for predicting young adult emotion regulation as well as the mediating role of emotion regulation in the intergenerational transmission of relationship qualities and behaviors. Early adolescence is characterized by the emergence of new emotions, responsibilities, and budding romantic relationships. Parental relationships with positive qualities may provide a safe environment for teens to explore these unfamiliar experiences. In late adolescence, teens depend less on this secure base but benefit from the utilization of specific relationship behaviors, modeled to them by their parents, in increasingly important …

“I Like People… Who Are Like Me:” Attitudes Of Southern White Conservative Males On Diversity, Kevin Patrick Schell Jr.

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In America, racism, discrimination, and white supremacy are systemic. In the South, this is seen more prominently given its history of intolerance. Leading to diversity training being ineffective towards Southern white conservative men in society and at the workplace. This research study aims to understand Southern white conservative men’s attitudes toward diversity to inform diversity training practitioners on better training methods. It also sought entry points and a path forward in diversity training for this demographic. Focus group studies were done with four individuals in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Data was collected and analyzed. It was found that their …

Developing And Establishing Validity Evidence For A Measure Of Situational Leadership In An Outdoor Leadership Context, Guy B. Debrun

Dissertations, 2020-current

Discussions of what it means to be an effective outdoor leader are common in outdoor education literature (Smith & Penny, 2010). Research has identified core competencies, conceptual frameworks, and course curricula for effective leadership. However, the criteria upon which judgements are made about leaders lack clarity (Smith & Penny, 2010). Furthermore, very little is documented, and few evaluation instruments exist to evaluate outdoor leader effectiveness (Phipps et al., 2005). The lack of instruments is problematic for four reasons: (1) it hampers efforts to create recognized outdoor leader certifications, (2) it impedes efforts to demonstrate the value of outdoor leadership program …

Affectionately Attached: The Impact Of Attachment Styles On Sexual Self-Concept Among Adults Who Identify As Lgbtgeqiap+, Karli M. Fleitas

Dissertations, 2020-current

The aim of this quantitative research study was to investigate the interplay between attachment orientation and subscales of sexual self-concept among an exclusively LGBTGEQIAP+ adult sample. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to examine attachment anxiety and avoidance with four subscales of sexual self-concept including, sexual motivation, sexual satisfaction, sexual consciousness, and sexual monitoring. The purpose of this study was two-fold—to compare findings with non-LGBTGEQIAP+ samples and provide new data. The relationships between attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious and avoidant attachment) and sexual motivation and satisfaction were compared to prior findings in the literature. Each test was statistically significant and negatively …

Affirmative And Integrative Counseling For Lgbtqia+ Individuals, Allison De Blois

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Counselors are ethically obligated to serve LGBTQIA+ clientele and therefore should strive to integrate an affirmative approach to counseling. A counselor may say that they are providing affirming care, however it is important to reflect on what affirming counseling is in application. To better serve LGBTQIA+ clientele, counselors may grow their affirmative counseling approach by being knowledgeable of historical considerations, evidenced-based approaches to implement, clinical recommendations for a counselor to implement, and considerations on advocacy practices and resources.

A Mother’S Disenfranchised Grief: Pregnancy Loss, Madison Jones

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Grief is unique to each individual and in the way it manifests socially, relationally, and physically. There are varying different types of grief and this paper examines disenfranchised grief specifically, miscarriage. Miscarriage, although prevalent, has been understudied in its approach for support and its impact on mothers. The current literature is examined to highlight counseling considerations and approaches to support for this population. Limitations in the current research are identified as gender and racial minorities being understudied. Grief will be experienced by everyone at some point in their lives and counselors must be competent in appropriately supporting this entire population.

Cultural Considerations For Working With Young Adults Who Have Experienced Childhood Trauma, Yasmine Rodriguez

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Childhood trauma can create effects that show up throughout the lifespan. Young adulthood is the first stage of life after adolescence and involves working through more advanced developmental challenges. This offers an important reason to examine the possible outcomes early life has on young adulthood, especially for those who have experienced trauma. This knowledge can be pivotal in different professional sectors such as the mental health and educational fields. The work presented explores common childhood trauma experiences, signs of childhood trauma within both children and young adults, and cultural considerations. Recommendations such as possible interventions and training for professionals …

Identifying The Current State Of Practice Utilized By School Counselors And School Psychologists In Facilitating Divorce Groups In Elementary Schools, Stephanie Harris

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Divorce is considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE) and may lead to a number of negative outcomes for children involved. Research has demonstrated that these children may have higher amounts of internalizing difficulties, externalizing difficulties, as well as lower academic performance. The present study analyzes the current state of practice surrounding divorce groups for elementary aged children within a county of a Southeastern state. The researcher gathered data by providing an online, anonymous survey by attending department meetings for school counselors and school psychologists. The data revealed that several facets of how these groups are facilitated align with evidence-based practice; …

Rural Populations Amongst The Mental Health Crisis In The United States Of America: Implications For Counseling Professionals, Caylyn Arbogast

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The United States is currently experiencing a mental health crisis, following the COVID-19 Pandemic. While the United States continues to experience stigma around mental health, the impacts of the mental health and substance use crisis are even more prominent within rural communities. Challenges include lack of funding, transportation, availability, et cetera regarding the access and availability of services. Virginia, being comprised of mostly rural areas increases the likelihood that counselors may encounter a client from this background or directly serve people of these communities. Counselors are challenged to increase accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and availability to decrease barriers to treatment. As …

Dealing With Your Dragons: Counseling Through Dungeons And Dragons, Devon Howell

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The purpose of this literature review is to explore the idea of using the game of Dungeons and Dragons as a form of group counseling in a therapeutic setting. A search of relevant literature was conducted to discover potential therapeutic utility and cultural aspects of this prospective methodology. It was hypothesized that while the topic might not be well researched, it will yield potential possibilities for therapeutic use. The research presents possibilities for different theoretical underpinnings; in particular, it offers a unique range of benefits to both the client (improvements to social skills, sense of community, and overall mental health), …

You Have Every Right To Be Angry: Impacts Of The Angry Black Woman Stereotype And Counseling Considerations For Helping Black Women Honor Their Anger, Jenelle Francis

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The Angry Black Woman (ABW) stereotype depicts Black women as hostile and aggressive. It is rooted in slavery and functions to silence and invalidate Black women. The ABW stereotype perpetuates racist ideology and is used to control the narrative of Black women and justify their mistreatment. Black women are faced with the impacts of the ABW stereotype throughout different areas of their life, beginning in childhood. Because of the risk of being negatively and inaccurately perceived, Black women have had to filter themselves to not be labeled as aggressive, hyperemotional, and/or the “angry” Black woman. This paper explores the history …

Acculturative Stress, Challenges, And Experiences Of Asian International Students In The United States, Matthew Silver

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Within the United States, many international students may experience the process of acculturation. Acculturation exists when an individual, or group of individuals, from one culture, encounters another culture. Within that context is the experience of acculturative stress (AS). AS is the negative outcome resulting from the pressure and unsuccess of acculturation. In the psychology (and sociology) literature AS is measured among many international communities for many more host countries. Within the United States, Asian International Students (AIS) especially have been seen to have higher rates of AS and a greater hesitation to pursue therapeutic intervention to mitigate the symptoms and …