Psychology Commons^™

Early Oral-Motor Interventions For Pediatric Feeding Problems: What, When And How, C. J. Manno, C. Fox, P. S. Eicher, Mary Louise Kerwin

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Children with developmental delays often have feeding difficulties resulting from oral-motor problems. Based on both clinical experience and a review of published studies, oral-motor interventions have been shown to be effective in improving the oral function of preterm infants and children with neuromotor disorders, such as cerebral palsy. However, oral-motor problems may be under identified in other populations of children with developmental difficulties. The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding oral-motor skill development and problems that can occur in any infant and young child and to review oral-motor treatment techniques and their empirical support.

The Impact Of Sexual Abuse On Student Performance, Denelle M. Mcwherter

Graduate Research Papers

Child sexual abuse is a prevalent societal problem. Up to twenty five percent of children have been abused by the age of eighteen. Victims are significantly impacted academically, socially, and behaviorally. School counselors assume counseling, consulting, and coordinating roles as they assist victims, present prevention curriculum, and act as a referral source.

This paper addresses how sexual abuse affects victims and how counselors can assist victims in developing coping skills and increasing self esteem. In addition, how counselors can help foster a sense of belonging and safety for victims in the school setting will be described, with emphasis on how …

The Effects Of Divorce On Children And Adolescents, Rachelle A. Haker

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper focuses on the effects of divorce on children and adolescents. Based on a review of literature, there are many short-term and long-term effects including emotional, behavioral, and physical issues. Children and adolescents vary in adjustment to divorce depending on multiple factors such as communication, conflict, and parental adjustment. The stages that children and adolescents of divorce go through depend on one's developmental stage and gender. Counselors can greatly influence how children and adolescents adjust to divorce.

Becoming A Better Me : An Examination Of Character Education At The Elementary Level, Lori D. Dobbin

Graduate Research Papers

The first day of school can be a difficult adjustment for many students. Some . students struggle with new settings and new rules. Each student enters the classroom with personal morals and values. These morals and character traits greatly influence the student's academic and social progress. This paper reviews character building and its unique ability to alter the perception of the student's world. The paper looks at the deficits of character and introduces possible solutions to restoring character in elementary-aged children. A closer look at the history of character education lays the foundation for a better understanding of character.

Play Therapy, Melissa A. Hardman

Graduate Research Papers

Play therapy techniques are valuable tools for a variety of professionals who work with children. One need not be a registered play therapist to implement play techniques when working with child clients. There are many types of clients that would benefit from play therapy. There are several different theoretical approaches, but the researcher chose to focus on Adlerian Play Therapy, Client-Centered Play Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, and Psychodynamic Play Therapy. The paper considers the best location to implement play techniques, by urging the counselor to be aware of the setting's location within the building, ease of cleaning, available space, and …

Children Of Incarcerated Parents And The Role Of The Elementary School Counselor, Megan A. Petersen

Graduate Research Papers

Of the 72 million minor children in the United States, 2 million of those have a parent who is currently incarcerated. The dynamics of a child's life are greatly altered when a parent is incarcerated, and many children struggle as a result. Without some form of support or intervention, they are five times more likely than other children to become incarcerated themselves. Elementary school counselors must be aware of the characteristics of children of incarcerated parents, while working to address their needs across numerous levels and contexts.

Suicide Attempt And Characteristics Of Religiously Affiliated Puerto Rican Adolescents And Young Adults, Saúl Rivera

Dissertations

Problem. Recent research has identified several risk factors associated with attempted suicide among the general population. Puerto Ricans, in general, and Puerto Rican Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs), in particular, may face unique challenges that are related to their familial, social, and religious environment that may affect the suicidal attempts among this group. Therefore, this study examined family-related factors, history of being abused, religiosity factors, sexuality factors, gender, substance abuse, age, and socioeconomic status factors among a sample of religiously affiliated Puerto Ricans (73.2% SDAs) living on the island.

Methodology. The data for the study came from the Avance PR study. Avance …

Wonderwise 4-H: Following In The Footsteps Of Women Scientists, Amy N. Spiegel, S. Kay Rockwell, Deanna Acklie, Saundra Wever Frerichs, Kathleen French, Judy Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Wonderwise 4-H: Women in Science Learning Kits, recently included in the National 4-H Curriculum Collection and widely tested by 4-H leaders, have positively affected youths’ perspectives on science, scientists, and scientific work. Adult leaders who used the multimedia, inquiry-based Wonderwise 4-H kits completed a Web survey describing the impact of the kits on youth. It indicated that the kits increased youth’s interest and understanding of science, broadened their view of scientists, and opened their eyes to the possibility of science in their own futures. More information about Wonderwise 4-H and downloadable activities are available at wonderwise.unl.edu.

The Benefits Of Bibliotherapy: Textsets And Accompanying Guides For Students And Teachers, Angela Lee Maurina

All Graduate Projects

In this project, bibliotherapy (the use of literature in helping children cope with emotional problems or change) was investigated. Its history, with a specific focus on past and current uses in professional clinical and educational practice, was researched and outlined. In addition, a review of the psychological social and emotional needs and development of fourth through eighth graders ( early adolescence) was conducted. A summative argument supporting the use of bibliotherapy as a tool to meet the specific needs of early adolescents in the classroom setting was put forward. Limitations were noted. Upon completion of the research, an implementation guide …

Parental Monitoring And The Role Of Community Norms And Neighbourhood, Katrina Sims

Theses : Honours

This study used a qualitative approach to explore parent perceptions of community norms for keeping track of children's activities, within a low socio-economic neighbourhood. Semi-structured interviews based on a questionnaire used by Kerr and Stattin (2000) were used to explore parent beliefs about three sources of parent information: solicitation, parental control and child disclosure. A sample of eight mothers of children aged nine to twelve from two low socio-economic neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: shared emotional connections, influence, control versus trust, and communication. Results indicated that parents used varied methods of monitoring children …

Mothers' Social Framing, Frequency Of Mother-Child Conversations About Peers, And Preschool Aged Children's Attribution Tendencies, Lisa Lemme

Theses : Honours

In an attempt to fill a gap in the social information processing literature, the present study investigated whether mother-child communication is related to children's attribution tendencies in ambiguous, negative social situations. Measures of mothers' social framing, frequency of mother-child conversations about peers, and children's hostile attributions of intent were scored for 45 mother-child dyads. The results showed that mothers' social framing was a key predictor of preschool children's attribution tendencies. However, frequency of mother-child conversations about peers was not a significant predictor of preschool children's attribution tendencies. Overall, the results of this study provide support for mothers' social framing as …

Child Care For Working Poor Families: Child Development And Parent Employment Outcomes, James Elicker

Center for Families Publications

The results of the Community Child Care Research Project provide data describing the child care experiences of low income working families in 4 urban communities in Indiana. Because the study participants were volunteers rather than randomly selected, conclusions drawn from these findings necessarily have limitations. Despite these limitations, the research results do represent the experiences of more than 300 low income working families, their children, and their child care providers. The results suggest a number of key issues that need further investigation by policy makers and researchers. Many children in this sample scored lower than established norms in areas of …

Classroom Observations Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Patterns And Characteristics Of Attention Over Time, Thomas M. Timko Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Investigated differences in attentional processes between children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their classroom peers. Models of attention gleaned from laboratory experiments provided a theoretical structure for hypothesizing between-group attentional differences. Seventy-five children with ADHD and 36 normal control children were observed in their regular classrooms over a 1-week time interval. Explication of between-group differences revealed that children with ADHD were approximately 21% less attentive on average. Both groups exhibited an accelerating-decelerating pattern of attention over time, however, children with ADHD cycled at a rate twice that of same-aged peers. Six variables derived from observed attention were examined for …

Wonderwise 4-H: Following In The Footsteps Of Women Scientists, A. N. Spiegel, S. K. Rockwell, D. S. Acklie, K. French, J. Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Wonderwise 4-H: Women in Science introduces youth to contemporary female scientists in their labs, out in the field, and with their families through nine interactive multimedia kits. Youth learn about the scientist’s occupation and participate in hands-on science activities similar to the actual work of a female scientist role model. Using role models was effective in improving youths’ attitudes about science through engaging activities and realistic videos. A web survey of 150 adult youth leaders showed Wonderwise 4-H brings “real science” into youths’ lives by (a) engaging them in actual scientific activities, (b) increasing their understanding of what science is, …

Psychometric Characteristics Of The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale For Children In Adolescent Samples, Nicole Carlson

Honors Program Theses

Most children and adolescents, on any given day, experience some levels of anxiety. They worry about school, about friendships, and about their physical appearance. For most children and adolescents, these worries are considered a normal part of growing older. ln some cases, these worries take control over the child's life and seriously affect the normal developmental process. When the symptoms of anxiety become excessive and debilitating, a person may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. ln the child and adolescent literature, the three primary internalizing disorders are anxiety disorders, somatization disorders, and depressive disorders. This paper focuses on the anxiety …

The Effects Of Social Skills Intervention On The Emotional Intelligence Of Children With Limited Social Skills, Marni B. Betlow

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Physical And Behavioral Complaints In Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Paradoxical Effects Of Methylphenidate, Maria M. Coiro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypotheses concerning paradoxical, psychostimulant-related side effects experienced by ADHD children were examined in the context of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within subject (crossover) experimental design. Results revealed that behavioral and physical complaints were significantly higher under baseline relative to placebo and the four methylphenidate (MPH) conditions (5-mg, 10-mg, 15-mg, 20-mg) across three symptom categories: ADHD core/secondary symptoms, symptoms common to all children, and symptoms highly specific to MPH. No significant differences were found among active drug conditions. Implications of these findings for assessing and monitoring potential treatment emergent symptoms in children are discussed.

Clima Familiar En El Trastorno Por Déficit De Atención-Hiperactividad [Family Environment In Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder], Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Isabel Montiel-Barbero, Joaquín A. Peña

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

The effect of family environment on the development of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not known. We sought to characterize families with children with ADHD in order to better understand the contributions of family environment to the development of ADHD. We collected demographic data, parents’ and teachers’ rating scales, intellectual quotient, and the family environment scale (FES) for 53 children (aged 4-13), 29 with ADHD diagnosis and 24 controls. Statistical analysis indicated a family environment profile within the average range for both samples. There were significant differences between ADHD and controls for the measures of cohesion, intellectual activity orientation, and …

Why Do Young Children Forget Where They Learned Information? The Relation Between Source Monitoring, Theory-Of-Mind Understanding And Suggestibility, Angela D. Evans

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In Study one, Fifty young children (3- to 5- year-olds) watched a video and were then interviewed about the video by a Knowledgeable interviewer, who had watched the video with the children, and a Naive interviewer, who had not seen the video. Children were asked yes/no recognition questions, half of which contained misleading suggestions. After five to seven days, children were asked the same yes/no recognition questions by a third Naïve interviewer. Children then completed a source-monitoring task Followed by three theory-of-mind tests. Study two followed the same methodologies as Study one but with an increased sample size (72 children), …

Children's Ability To Use Time-Lines To Recall The Order And Duration Of Single And Repeated Actions, Leanne Lynn Gosse

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined the ability of children aged 4-8 to recall temporal information verbally and using a visual 'time-line'. Forty-five children participated in an activity (making a picture of the sky at night) with the researcher, followed by a series of recall tasks. Children were asked to recall location, duration and sequencing information about single autobiographical events that parents provided, as well as single and repeated events from the activity. Results demonstrated developmental increases in children's ability to provide temporal information. The 7-8 year olds were always more accurate than the 5-6 year olds, followed by the 4 year olds. …

Prediction Of Childhood Externalizing Disorder Outcome: A Variable-Oriented And Person-Oriented Analysis Of Better Beginnings, Better Futures Data, Stephanie C. Cerutti

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The current study identified risk factors associated with childhood externalize disorders. Intervention outcomes of children that took part in a community-based, early childhood prevention project, Better Beginnings Better Futures, were studied longitudinally from Grade 3 to Grade 6. Three intervention sites in Ontario (Cornwall, n = 108; Sudbury, n = 134; Highfield, n = 131) and two matched comparison sites in Ontario (Ottawa-Vanier, n = 116; Etobicoke, n = 87) were examined. Risk factors examined at multiple levels of analysis, including the individual, family, and community levels of analysis, were considered. It was expected that higher risk children would respond …

Strategies For Universal Prevention Of Depression In Adolescents., Patrick Possel

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: The occurrence of depressive disorders in adolescence is of high individual and social importance because of their prevalence and persistence into adulthood and their co-morbidity with other psychological disorders and psychosocial problems. International researchers have recognized the seriousness of depressive disorders in adolescence and thus have been involved in the development and evaluation of prevention programs.

Methods: This article will present the difficulties encountered in prevention research with adolescents and in the determination of prevention program efficacy. The main focus will be an overview of current prevention programs and their efficacy with special attention paid to programs featured in …

Common Sense Parenting (Csp) Learn At Home Kit: A Clinical Effectiveness Evaluation Of A Commercially Available Video Training Program For Parents, Sean T. Smitham

Dissertations

Much has been made of the gap between psychotherapy research and clinical practice. Most current psychotherapy research is focused on what could be viewed as macro-level efficacy type issues, while practicing clinicians are often most concerned with micro-level effectiveness questions. The current study-an evaluation of a parent training (PT) program provides an example of how scientist-practitioners can contribute meaningfully to psychotherapy research by conducting small scale clinical effectiveness studies. Parent Training (PT) is a well established efficacious treatment approach for child disruptive behaviors and non-compliance. Recent research has also established that self-administered videotape PT programs may also be efficacious. A …

Assessing The Differential Outcomes Procedure With Children Diagnosed With Autism, Ivy M. Chong

Dissertations

The differential outcomes effect (DOE) refers to the phenomenon whereby discrimination learning is enhanced when a correct response to a specific sample stimulus is followed by its own unique reward (Savage, 2001). According to some researchers, the DOE is a consistent and powerful effect that enhances the acquisition and retention of conditional discriminations (e.g., Urcuioli, 1990). This series of experiments sought to extend research on the DOE. In Experiment 1, we examined the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) with four children diagnosed with autism across various task types commonly used in early intervention. In Experiment 2, we examined the DOP with …

Evaluating Progress In Behavioral Programs For Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Continuous Versus Intermittent Data Collection, Anne Rena Cummings

Dissertations

It is well documented that intensive behavioral treatment of early childhood autism can result in significant improvements in adaptive behavior. The typical teaching format in such programs is based on the restricted operant (i.e., discrete trial) in which the performance of an exemplar skill follows a clear instruction and precedes programmed reinforcement or error correction. Because of the often-intensive nature of behavioral treatment, it is not unusual for thousands of learning opportunities to be presented each week. There currently exists a professional debate regarding the frequency of data collection necessary in autism treatment programs. One side of the argument favors …

External Influences Of Children's Socialization To Gender Roles, Sarah A. Chartschlaa

Senior Honors Theses

It is evident in North American society that there are certain roles placed on boys and girls in accordance with their gender. These gender roles are imposed on children from birth and are taught until eventually they are accepted as absolute truth. Newborn babies are carried out of the hospital in either a pink blanket or a blue blanket depending on gender. Gifts of trucks or dolls are given to toddlers depending on the child's sex. Stories about princesses are read to little girls, while stories of dragons and swords are read to little boys. This socialization of gender roles …

Role Of Naming In Stimulus Categorization By Preschool Children, Caio Flavio Miguel

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to assess whether children would categorize pictures when taught the relevant listener and speaker behaviors separately. A category-sort test was used to assess emergent conditional relations. Category-sort trials consisted of looking at (Test 1) or tacting/labeling (Test 2) a samplestimulus and selecting the appropriate comparison stimuli. In Experiment 1, 4 children (3- 5 years) were taught to tact pictures of six U.S. state maps as either north or south. An assessment was conducted to determine whether they would (1) correctly categorize or sort when presented with a visual sample and (2) select the …

Monitoring The Effects Of Psychotropic Drugs In Students With Emotional Impairments: Home And School Data, Lynne E. Turner

Dissertations

Research has shown that schools do not typically participate in the systematic monitoring of psychotropic medications prescribed to school-aged children with emotional disorders. Conversely, research indicates that the information that is relayed to the prescribing physician from the schools consists, in general, of informal global reports regarding the student's overall behavior. Additionally, research evaluating systematic monitoring systems within schools has lacked input from the prescribing physician regarding relevant data to be collected. These findings provided impetus for the present project, which was an attempt to develop a practical system for schools to monitor possible desired and adverse effects of psychotropic …

The Effects Of Parent's Religious Coping On Children's Functioning After Loss, Beatrice A. Tauber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study explored how parent's religious coping styles influence their child's behavioral reactions following spousal bereavement. Fifteen participants were recruited from churches, bereavement groups, hospices, palliative care programs and from victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Individuals who lost a spouse within the past 3 years and who had a child between the ages of 7 and 14 years participated. Parents described the religious coping strategies they employed after the loss of their spouse on Pargament's Brief Religious Coping Scale as well as the symptoms of their child on the Child Behavior Checklist. Pearson correlations demonstrated a significant …

Functional Status In Children Diagnosed With All: Age And Gender Effects, Sean Eugene Evans

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Age and gender have been purported as important variables in predicting the outcome of children diagnosed with leukemia. This study examines the relationship between age and gender as predictors of functional status in children following the completion of the induction phase of their treatment (i.e., approximately 5-weeks following their diagnosis) for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Prior to analyses, it was asserted that boys and girls would indicate unique experiences of perceived pain intensity and would yield significant differences in functional status scores as measured by the children’s parents. A sample of 50 boys (N=33) and girls (N=17) between the ages …