Psychology Commons^™

Eating Behaviors Of Older Adults Participating In Government-Sponsored Programs With Different Demographic Backgrounds, Yeon Bai, Shahla M. Wunderlich, Joseph Brusca, Johnson-Austin Marti, Michelle O'Malley

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study was to determine the food behaviors of nutritionally high-risk seniors as a function of their racial background, gender, marital status, and education level. A total of 69 seniors were identified to be at high nutritional risk using the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) checklist. A supplemental questionnaire (SQ) was created to examine the risk factors in relation to the participant’s demographic background. Key results indicated that Asians practiced healthy food behaviors and women were more likely to eat alone (p≤0.05). Married participants (90.9%) were most likely to consume 2 meals or more each day. College educated …

Impact Of Exposure To Violence On Urban Youth: A Biopsychosocial Perspective Of Aggression, Jodi S. Huntington

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Long Term Effect Of Parental Involvement In A Child's Education: A Ten-Step Approach, Eraina Ross-Aseme

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parental Involvement in a child's education is very important to the child becoming a productive citizen. Some parents find themselves getting in at the start of their child entering elementary school; parental involvement should begin before the school age years. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of establishments such as schools, churches and businesses partnering in a child's education. The goal of this project is to empower parents to build stronger support systems with schools, neighborhoods, churches and communities. Its aim is to show parents, school systems and businesses that collaboration in the education arena can be strengthened to achieve a …

A Positive Approach: Training Coaches To Build A Positive Motivational Climate, J. Spencer John

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to develop a training program for youth sport coaches focusing on a positive motivational climate, with an intended outcome to increase intrinsic motivation in youth sport participants. The coaching workshops that are available today tend to focus on teaching the fundamentals of the sport; while largely ignoring the motivational side of coaching. Pop Warner Football is the largest youth football league in the country, they have a large coach training program that focuses on drills and skill development, but fails to address positive motivation. Providing youth sport organizations with a training program that adds …

Children And Happy Growing Up 香港學童快樂地成長嗎? 2012, Lok Sang Ho

Hong Kong Children Happiness Index 香港兒童快樂指數調查

A caring and loving relationship between parents, and parents’ respect for children’s views and privacy are what Hong Kong children value the most in defining their happiness. While financial well-being is clearly important, it is far less important than having a warm, loving family that promotes effective communication and avoids strongly worded rebukes and disciplinary actions, according to the results of the latest happiness survey conducted by the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) of Lingnan University.

This study was commissioned by the Early Childhood Development Research Foundation and sponsored by Henderson Land Group. Conducted between November 2011 and January …

Differences In Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults In Different Living Situations, Jennifer Roake

Theses and Dissertations

Differences in life satisfaction among young adults in different living situations were evaluated. The aims of this study were to use the Satisfaction with Life Scale to examine the differences in life satisfaction. Levels of depression as well as purpose in life were also evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Purpose in Life Scale. A total of 91 participants responses were included in the study, with 58 participants reporting living independently and 33 participants reporting living with parents. Independent t-tests found that individuals living at home report lower levels of life satisfaction compared to participants …

Evaluation Of An Early Intervention Program Using Eligibility Criteria, Emily Kurlansik

Theses and Dissertations

Early Intervention programs are state and federally funded programs that are available in virtually every state that provide support to children birth to three who have developmental delays. Eligibility into the program varies by state and determining eligibility for a child is a complex task that has tremendous implications on both the program and its children. A program evaluation was conducted on a branch of an early intervention program located in New Jersey to determine whether service providers were correctly identifying children who were eligible for services. Results indicated that four of out the 112 children in the program were …

The Role Of School Psychologists Regarding The Implementation Of The Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act, John Kowalcyk

Theses and Dissertations

Current school psychologists in New Jersey were contacted in order to determine the attitudes, roles, and approaches of different school psychologists in relation to the new HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) legislation for all New Jersey Public Schools. This study gauged school psychologists' level of involvement in implementing the new legislation and their overall roles with regard to maintaining a safe and positive school climate. The survey, which was sent via email to school psychologists across the state, asked questions about their perceived roles in schools, the time they spent on various obligations during the workday, their involvement with the …

The Control Of Posture In Newly Standing Infants Is Task-Dependent, Laura J. Claxton, Dawn Melzer, Jyoong Hyun Ryu, Jeffrey M. Haddad

Psychology Faculty Publications

The postural sway patterns of newly standing infants were compared under two conditions: standing while either holding or not holding a toy. Infants exhibited a lower magnitude of postural sway and more complex sway patterns when holding the toy. These changes suggest infants adapt postural sway in a manner that facilitates visually fixating on and stabilizing the toy in their hand. When simply standing, infants exhibited postural sway patterns that appeared to be more exploratory in nature. Exploratory sway patterns may allow infants to learn the affordances of their new standing posture. These results demonstrate newly standing infants are capable …

Racial And Socioeconomic Differences In Special Education Students Returning To General Education, Katie Aspinwall

Theses and Dissertations

Education's history has been shadowed by disparities in the quality of education delivered universally. Particularly highlighted are the disparities between the cases of socioeconomic status and racial background. Special education has been identified for decades as containing an overrepresentation of minorities classified. This study has analyzed retrospective data from the New Jersey Department of Special Education public website to examine if this pattern of overrepresentation of minorities continues to be represented in the population that returns to general education. The current study also analyzed the District Factor Grouping to investigate the implications of the school district's socioeconomic status in relation …

Suicide Prevention / Postvention: A Student, Parent, Teacher, And Other Educational Professionals Perspective, Heather Leech

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to: (1) determine the extent to which local schools are providing suicide prevention programs; (2) determine the effectiveness of suicide presentation programs; (3) examine the attitudes of teachers, parents, students, and other educational professionals regarding suicide prevention programs and; (4) determine the need for suicide prevention programs in a southern, New Jersey special services school district. A survey was distributed to 20 people in each of the following categories: teacher, parent, student, and other educational professionals. The four categories mentioned above were analyzed in the surveys. The results indicated that the participants feel that …

Gender Differences Associated To Style And Type Of Bullying, Elizabeth Benckert

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that girls show more indirect and relational aggression bullying behavior, while boys will show more direct and physically aggressive bullying behavior (Bjorkqvist, Lagerspetz, & Kaukiainen, 1992). Girls prefer indirect aggression because they can manipulate others; while boys prefer direct aggression against others because it shows dominance and strength (Crick, Casas, & Mosher, 1997). The study was done to show a difference in gender and the style of aggressive bullying behavior they will act out in. Crick et al. (1997) explain that children tend to bully in ways that they know will inflict harm on others and damage their …

Childhood Depression And Obesity: Role Of The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (Hpa) Axis Activity, Joanne Tyler

Kaleidoscope

This study examined relations between child depression and eating behavior and weight problems, including the role ofbaseline cortisol and cortisol reactivity in these relations. Data were drawn from a larger study, and included 50 children between the ages of6 and 12. Children reported on their depressive symptoms, and children and parents reported on child engagement in external eating, under-eating, over-eating, parental pressure to eat, enjoyment of food, and food and satiety responsiveness. For children exhibiting hypercortisolism, depression was associated with decreased over-eating and food responsiveness. Hypercortisolism was especially important for girls and children later in pubertal development. The reduced appetite …

Dance/Movement Therapy And Autism: A Case Study, Katherine Ann Porter

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the development of the therapeutic relationship with a child with autism through dance/movement therapy. The characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder effect social interactions, communication, behavior and interests. This means there is difficulty engaging and maintaining reciprocal social interactions, and trouble with receptive and expressive language. The purpose of this study is to describe how movement mirroring in dance/movement therapy affects the development of the therapeutic relationship with a child with autism, through the analysis of the Ways of Seeing approach.

The data collected in this clinical case study consisted of video tapped sessions and Laban Movement Analysis …

Gender Differences In Written Expression At The Elementary Level, Ashley D. Melloy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in schools is increasing, as it is a useful indicator of students’ basic academic skills. CBM measures are often used for identifying students at-risk, monitoring their progress during interventions, and even making special education eligibility determinations. Much of the research has focused on CBM in the area of reading. Relatively few studies have examined the area of CBM-Written Expression. A couple of studies indicated there are gender differences on CBM-Written Expression measures. This study sought to determine if gender differences exist at the elementary level and, if so, at what grade level such differences …

Development Of The Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms -- Childhood Obesity Model, Kristi Wilsman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project developed a model to account for an obesity outcome in children who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and whose parents have posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or PTSD. A literature review provided the basis for the model and covered the areas of childhood obesity, parental PTSS, childhood PTSD, adverse childhood experiences, relational PTSD, ineffective parent support, and the stress response. A model to explain the outcome of obesity in children with PTSD as mediated by parental support provided after a traumatic event was developed: The Parental PTSSChildhood Obesity Model. The literature review supports a relational perspective for viewing child …

A Needs Assessment Of Communicare's Children Mental Health Services, Shelley Greenwell Fentress

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This document is a review of literature on needs assessments and the benefits of conducting one. Communicare is a mental health agency that serves the Lincoln Trail Region. Currently, most of the revenue from their children programs comes from Medicaid, which is a fee-for-services payer source. The Kentucky Medicaid Program is in the process of contracting with managed care organizations to oversee services that have been paid directly from Kentucky Medicaid. With these changes, mental health organizations must identify specific community service needs as well as expanding revenue sources. Applying for grants is one way mental health agencies can expand …

Using The Good Behavior Game To Decrease Disruptive Behavior While Increasing Academic Engagement With A Headstart Population, Brandy Marie Hunt

Dissertations

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been widely supported as an effective intervention to alter a variety of target behaviors, in various settings, with varying age groups; however, there are areas warranting further investigation. Prior to the present study, no study has examined the GBG’s effectiveness in decreasing disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate academic behaviors within a preschool population. The present study adds to the literature base by investigating the GBG’s effectiveness in simultaneously decreasing classroom disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate behaviors. A multiple baseline design across three Headstart classrooms was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the GBG on …

Positive Peer Reporting And Positive Peer Reporting Combined With Tootling: A Comparison Of Interventions, Julie Christine Sherman

Dissertations

Positive Peer Reporting (PPR) and Tootling are interventions designed to improve children’s positive behavior and decrease peer rejection. Research is limited for both interventions, including dependent variables for appropriate behavior. The current study assessed PPR and a combination of PPR and Tootling for decreasing inappropriate behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. Behavior was also observed a second time to assess for generalization. Results showed that PPR and PPR with Tootling both reduced inappropriate behavior for four children referred for peer rejection and who exhibited inappropriate behavior in the classroom. There were no differences between the two interventions for inappropriate and appropriate …

Managing Sibling Conflict And The Relation Between Mothers' Emotion Socialization Beliefs And Children's Coping With Peer Victimization, Melissa Anne Faith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the degree to which children's strategies for coping with peer victimization were related to their strategies for coping with sibling victimization. Also examined were the relations among mothers' sibling conflict management strategies, their emotion Socialization beliefs, and children's coping with peer and sibling victimization. Data were obtained from 98 4th grade children and their mothers. Results indicated that children's peer victimization coping strategies were significantly related to their sibling victimization coping strategies. I found that mothers who value and accept children's negative emotions were more likely to coach their children through sibling conflict. Unexpectedly, I found that …

Agreement In Mother And Father Acceptance-Rejection, Warmth, And Hostility/Rejection/Neglect Of Children Across Nine Countries, Diane L. Putnick, Marc H. Bornstein, Jennifer E. Lansford, Lei Chang, Kirby Deater-Deckard, Laura Di Giunta, Sevtap Gurdal, Kenneth A. Dodge, Patrick S. Malone, Paul Oburu, Concetta Pastorelli, Ann T. Skinner, Emma Sorbring, Sombat Tapanya, Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado, Arnaldo Zelli, Liane Peña Alampay, Suha M. Al-Hassan, Dario Bacchini, Anna Silvia Bombi

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

We assessed whether mothers’ and fathers’ self-reports of acceptance-rejection, warmth, and hostility/rejection/neglect (HRN) of their pre-adolescent children differ cross-nationally and relative to the gender of the parent and child in 10 communities in 9 countries, including China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States (N = 998 families). Mothers and fathers in all countries reported a high degree of acceptance and warmth, and a low degree of HRN, but countries also varied. Mothers reported greater acceptance of children than fathers in China, Italy, Sweden, and the United States, and these effects were accounted for …

Narcissism And Interpersonal Relationships: Examining The Use Of Prosocial And Coercive Behavior Strategies Among Adolescents In A Residential Setting, Marion Tam'eca Wallace

Dissertations

The association between Machiavellianism and bistrategic control has been demonstrated in children and adolescents (Hawley, 2003). Machiavellianism shares several features with narcissism. The present study investigated whether adolescents with higher levels of narcissism were perceived by peers as engaging in prosocial or antisocial behaviors depending on the phase of the relationship and whether control strategies translated to peers’ ratings of likability. Forty-seven participants (43 males, 4 females) provided data for this study. Overall, individuals who reported higher levels of Machiavellianism also reported using more coercive behavior strategies. Self-reported narcissism was only associated with self-reported use of more coercive control strategies …

Evaluation Of Performance-Based And Pre-Set Conventional Criterion For Reinforcement In Check In-Check Out, Lauren Lestremau Harpole

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of criterion-setting, performance-based or pre-set conventional, as evidenced by improvements in children’s behavior. Participant behavior was evaluated through teacher reports of appropriate behavior and observed academically engaged behavior as well as decreases in problem behavior and disruptive behavior. Eight elementary school students in a Southeastern town referred for exhibiting behavior problems served as participants in addition to their teachers. The effects of the different methods of criterion setting on the dependent variables were evaluated. Teacher ratings of appropriate behavior were assessed through evaluation of Daily Behavior …

Do Toddlers Exhibit Same-Sex Preferences For Adult Facial Stimuli?, Andrea Jane Kayl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the first year, infants exhibit visual preferences for female relative to male faces (Quinn, Yahr, Kuhn, Slater, & Pascalis, 2002). These visual preferences may reflect an adaptive behavior resulting from infants' greater experience with females during social interactions, particularly caregiving (McArthur & Baron, 1983; Rennels & Davis, 2008). As children learn they belong to a particular sex during toddlerhood, they become more active seekers of social knowledge and may begin to seek out members of that sex as models for determining appropriate activities and behaviors (Baldwin & Moses, 1996; Martin, Ruble, & Szkrybalo, 2002). The purpose of this investigation …

What Psychotherapists Have To Teach Us About Childhood Developmental Trauma: The Roles Of Attachment Orientation And Coping Strategy, Rebecca Klott

Dissertations

Psychotherapists have been found to have higher rates of childhood developmental trauma when compared to non-clinicians, yet they do not report more distress. The current study added to the literature regarding the experiences of psychotherapists and explored a theoretical model integrating attachment and coping as mediators for the relationship between childhood developmental trauma and psychological distress among psychotherapists.

A total of 130 masters' level psychologists participated in this study. These participants were asked to complete the following measures: The Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (Sanders& Becker-Lausen, 1995), the Ways of Coping-Revised (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985; Folkman, Lazarus, Denkel-Schetter, DeLongis, & …

Risk Factors For High School Dropouts: Do Perceptions Of Bullying Play A Role?, Alison Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

The current study compared perceptions of bullying experiences among students in a public in-house alternative high school education program for at-risk students with those of the students in the general education population of the same high school. Eleven students enrolled in the alternative high school education program between the ages of 16 and 19 were asked to report their experiences with bullying through a school-created survey that is administered annually to the entire high school population. The results of the 2010 survey of 816 high school students were compared to the results of the 11 students enrolled in the alternative …

Bullying Amongst Eighth Grade Students: A Comparison Of The Perceptions Of Bullying Between Students And Teachers, Kristen Litwinczuk

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious problem in today's world. It is not limited by age, gender or education level. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences of teachers' and students' perceptions of bullying, including the comparison of gender throughout the research. The Swearer Bullying Survey was used in this study to assess the students' and teachers' perceptions of bullying. Due to the new Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying Law that was recently passed in New Jersey, results are expected to show similar perceptions of bullying among students and teachers. Both results and implications of this study will be further discussed.

The Examination Of Inter-Rater Reliability And The Reliability Of Attachment Measures, Nicole Bayles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of measuring attachment through subjective measures, as well as the inter-rater reliability of those using the subjective measures. Participants were volunteers who had worked with the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). They included social workers, lawyers, psychologists, etc. Participants were asked to answer questionnaires regarding the DYFS children they had worked with, as well as demographics about themselves. The questionnaires also included an alternative informed consent. The surveys were mailed to participants and included return envelopes to ensure ease of mailing them back. It was hypothesized that measuring …

Positive Behavior Support: A Comparison Between Student Body, Academic Achievement, And Discipline Referrals, Meredith Greenfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this current study was to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of a school-wide positive behavior support program in an elementary school based on the decrease of discipline referrals earned by the students in grades 3-4 (n=43) and (b) find a relationship between discipline referrals earned by each student in the pre-intervention year and the total amount of discipline referrals earned by each student in the post-intervention year were the discipline variables. The scale math and language scores attained by each student for the pre-intervention year and the post-intervention year were the academic variables explored. A Pearson Correlation test …

The Frequency Of Harassment, Intimidation, And Bullying By General Education Students Compared To Special Education Students, And The Implications Of Early Intervention For At Risk Students; Are Special Education Students More Likely To Be Involved In Hib Incidents Than Regular Unclassified Students?, Peter Spezzano

Theses and Dissertations

This study intended to determine the pervasiveness of bullying among middle school students, and the relationship with special education classification. The sample population investigated was composed of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school students. Archival data collected from four years of office disciplinary referrals provided the statistics to evaluate student classification and frequency of bullying. A two-way analysis of variance was conducted in order to examine the data. As hypothesized results revealed that there was a correlation between student special education classification and the rate of involvement in a bullying event. The research suggests that students classified as …