Psychology Commons^™

When The Wildebeest Gets Your Berries : Adolescent Anger Management, Patresa A. Hartman

Graduate Research Papers

This study presents a review of literature regarding adolescent anger management. Problematic anger is defined as externalizing or internalizing behaviors that occur frequently enough and at a high enough level of intensity to: (1) disrupt one's everyday functioning at school, home, and/or in the community; and (2) impair one's relationships with others and one's own self-concept. The causes can be traced to a myriad of possible sources: cognitive problems; developmental problems; chronic irritability, agitation, volatility, or mood instability; or environmental stressors.

This review of studies regarding adolescent anger management programs leads to the following suggestions for school psychologists: (1) understand …

Identifying And Building On Strengths Of Children With Serious Emotional Disturbances, Michael Orval Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore strengths assessments and the participation of parents in assessment of strengths and functioning of their children challenged by serious emotional disorders. The children in this study have a high level of exposure to mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuse in their biological families. These children are living with family members or foster families in the community, with the majority at continuing risk of placement outside of their homes and communities due to serious emotional and behavioral problems.

The research questions investigated are the concordance of families and professionals in assessment of …

The Effect Of Peer Collaboration On Children's Problem Solving Ability, Lillian M. Fawcett

Theses : Honours

Peer collaboration is a commonly used learning strategy, perceived by educators as a valuable educational activity. Studies do indicate a performance output benefit for children working collaboratively compared to children working individually. However, the longer term cognitive benefits of collaboration appear to be limited by a number of factors. It is suggested that cognitive change following peer collaboration is limited to children working with a more cognitively competent peer (or one with a different perspective), active participation and reasoned communication. This paper considers elements of Piaget's and Vygotsky's cognitive development theories in an attempt to explain some of the processes …

The Use Of Correspondence Training To Increase Attentive And Prosocial Behaviors In A Sports Setting For Children With A Diagnosis Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Benjamin Slater Allums

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Non-Directive Play Therapy: Past, Present And Future, Jeslina Jayanti Raj

Masters Theses

The paper focuses on the history, research and future directions of non-directive play therapy. According to the history of play therapy, the first person to advocate studying the play of children in order to understand and educate them was Henry Rousseau. The history of play therapy is discussed with further details. Few studies have been done that empirically support the effectiveness of non-directive play therapy and there have been no investigations of therapeutic processes. From a behavioral perspective, it is understood that non-contingent attention in the form of attention, the absence of demands and the environmental richness of the playroom …

The Internet And Youth Engagement: An Exploration Of How Youth Spend Their Time Online And Its Relation To Civic Involvement, Trevor P.D. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Internet use and civic involvement in youth. Participants consisted of 378 youth between the ages of 16 and 25 from across Canada. Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of a measure called the Youth Inventory of Involvement, designed to assess civic involvement in youth. Brief measures of introversion/extraversion and depression were also completed. Participants then completed questions designed to assess the amount of time they spend online in an average week, as well as for what they use the Internet. Results indicate that there may be a non-linear relationship between amount …

The Genesis Of Generativity: Looking For Signs Of The Seventh Stage In Adolescence, Heather Leigh Lawford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present study was to investigate Erikson’s construct of generativity, defined as care and concern for the next generation and usually viewed as important for midlife adults, in a late adolescent sample using a developmental perspective. Generativity was studied using the seven component model developed by McAdams and de St. Aubain (1992). The current study examined the presence of four components of the generativity model at age 22: generative concern (concern for future generations), generative commitment (commitment to leave a lasting contribution to future generations), generative acts (actions or behaviours that benefit future generations), and generative narration …

A Study Of The Effect Of Group Family Play On Family Relations For Families With Children Considered At-Risk For Educational Failure, Carmen Colleen Baldus

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Child As Father To The Man [Sic]: The Political Psychology Of Spanking, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes political psychological aspects of the ongoing controversy about the consequences of spanking as a child-rearing technique.

The Impact Of Parental Variables On Child Behavior At Home And In The Daycare Classroom, Margaret Sue Hart

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study was designed examine the relationships among parental variables and child behavior in different settings and to test four path analytic models of children's internalizing and externalizing behavior as reported by both parents and primary daycare teachers. Participants were 104 intact couples with children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years. Mothers and fathers independently completed a packet of questionnaires including measures of masculinity ideology, parenting beliefs, work stress, work-family conflict, marital conflict, child behavior, as well as a demographic questionnaire. Correlations among parent and child variables were calculated. Moderate relationships between maternal and paternal variables …

The Utility Of Psychological Research To Aid And Abet Violence: Terrorist Talent Scouts And The Selection And Management Of Youthful Terrorists, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article identities the political implications of psychological research intended to prevent or minimize youthful violence. The article then focuses on how this research can be used to help select and manage youthful terrorists.

Adolescent And Young Adult Substance Use: Association With Sensation Seeking, Self Esteem And Retrospective Report Of Early Pubertal Onset. A Preliminary Examination, Catherine A. Martin, T. K. Logan, Carl Leukefeld, Rich Milich, Hatim Omar, Richard Clayton

Psychology Faculty Publications

Structured questionnaires were administered to investigate the relationship between early pubertal onset, substance abuse, sensation seeking, and self-esteem. The current study presents data from 1,002 subjects, who were followed from the 6th to the 10th grades and again at the age of 20. In females, early pubertal onset was associated with greater cigarette use and lower self-esteem. Further the interaction of early pubertal onset and low self-esteem was predictive for cigarette use in females, as was early pubertal onset and high sensation seeking. Late pubertal onset was associated with decreased alcohol use and lower sensation seeking in males, with the …

Politics, Childhood Sexual Abuse, And Science Abuse, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article explores the latest political developments concerning the scientific analysis of childhood sexual abuse.

The Nature Of Selection In A Cohort Of Sixth Graders: Homogeneity Of Children’S Friends And Peer Groups With Regard To School Motivation, Tanya L. Fantaski

Dissertations and Theses

This study suggests that the structure and function of children's peer and friendship groups differ. Participants were an entire cohort of sixth grade students (N = 366) from 13 classrooms in a small upstate New York town. Children reported about peer groups, friendships, and their own (behavioral and emotional) engagement. Binomial z-tests were used to identify the peer group structure across all 13 classrooms. Friendship groups were identified from reciprocal nominations of (a) very best friends, (b) best friends, (c) good friends, and (d) friends also friends in class, in school, and outside of school. Group motivational averages were computed …

Conflict Resolution For Peace: Giving Voice To Young Children, Nancy Alice Grote

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. The purμose of the study was to explore six- lo-nine-year-old children's ideas about peace and strategies to resolve conflicts pcaceru\ly. 111 Procedures. Participants in the study were twenty-four first, second, and third graders, twelve girls and tweJve boys, from an urban magnet public school based on the Montessori philosophy. Data were triangulated by three developmentally appropriate activities during semi-structured interviews. Each interview was audio recorded and transcribed into a verbatim transcript. The data were coded and analyzed using the qualitative research computer program, QSR NUD*IST/N4 Classic. Findings. Two themes emerged from the analysis of the data, …

Student Victimization And Its Relation To School Violence, Heidi Gregoire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The frequent depiction of school violence in the media today has led some to believe that violence in our schools is an increasing problem. Those who are most prone to be influenced by the media’s perception of school violence may include those most affected by school violence such as parents, educators, and students. This influence may increase parents’ concerns about sending their children to school, and create a fear of going to school on a daily basis in educators and students. Despite such fears, research suggests that school violence is, in fact, decreasing, at least with regard to school shootings. …

Locus Of Control And Aggression, Glenna Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between locus of control and aggression in children was investigated. Twenty-five students from grades 5 through 8 from a rural public school in southern West Virginia were involved in the research. The students - completed the Children’s Nowicki- Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and the students’ teachers completed the Conners’ Global Index for measuring psychopathology and hyperactivity. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was utilized to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Alpha was set at .05. There was no significant relationship between locus of control and aggression in the children. Research suggests that the expression of aggression is …

Cognitive And Emotional Variables In Childhood Anxiety, Robin L. Browning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research was conducted on 60 subjects from mental health agencies in order to determine that childhood anxiety and depression can be differentiated. The 60 subjects were given the CDI and the RCMAS self-report measures in order to be placed in groups. This allowed the subjects to be divided into 4 groups: Anxious, Anxious/Depressed, Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed. The 4 groups were then given 2 additional self-report measures, the STAIC and FSSC -R to measure whether Anxious and the Anxious/Depressed children exhibited more fears and anxious traits than did the Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed children. Analyses of variance revealed …

Play Therapy, Melissa M. Sitzmann

Graduate Research Papers

Play therapy is a current trend in school and mental health counseling that takes into account the importance of play for a child's self -expression. It is primarily used with children ranging from three to ten years in age (Knell, 1995). Play therapy is not a theory that stands alone; counselors utilizing play therapy draw from their personal theoretical orientation and blend it with play as the primary means of communication (Cochran, 1996).

The purpose of this paper is to describe play therapy skills. In addition, two theories of play therapy that could be implemented in a school setting will …

Similarities And Differences In Eyewitness Testimonies Of Children Who Directly Versus Vicariously Experience Stress, Marc A. Lindberg Ph.D., Susan Jones, Lisa Mccomas Collard, Stuart W. Thomas

Psychology Faculty Research

This study tested questions of ecological validity by comparing the eyewitness testimonies of children directly experiencing a painful inoculation experience with those of children in a yoked-control group who vicariously experienced the inoculation on videotape. The study involved 86 5-year-olds, divided between 2 groups: the experiential and yoked control. The experiential group was followed through a health department with a video camera as they received diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DFT), and oral polio inoculations. They were tested immediately, 20 min later, and I month later. Each child in the yoked-control group merely watched the videotape of his or her counterpart in …

The Effects Of Parental Attachment And Parenting Style On The Development Of Violent And General Deliquent Behaviors In Preadolescent Youths, Regina Peacock, Julio Cesar Fisher

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which insecure attachment formation and the laissez-faire of authoritarian parenting style predict violent or general delinquent behaviors in preadolescent youths. The present study analyzes archival data from the first wave of a longitudinal study on delinquent behaviors. Two hundred six male and female sixth grade students were surveyed. A correlation design was used to determine predictors of violent and general delinquent behaviors among these preadolescent youths. Regression analysis was used to determine which predictor offered the best explanation of violent and delinquent behavior. It was found that for boys …

The Impact Of Siblings And Parenting Style On Social Skill Development In Young Adult Females, Genevieve Cordero Arca

Theses Digitization Project

"The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of parenting style and having vs. not having siblings on social skill development."

Attachment Behaviors Displayed By Children In Foster Care, Denise Cathleen Rice

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of attachment, secure or insecure, displayed by foster children after a minimal one-hour separation from their foster parent. The sample consisted of fifty foster parents (22 males and 28 females) who had foster children ranging in ages from 3-12. The foster children have lived in the current foster care placement for at least one month. To measure the foster child's level of attachment to the foster parent, the foster parent completed a demographic survey as well as the Parent/Child Reunion Inventory (Marcus 1988). Analysis was conducted using a variety of …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : Is It A Behavior Disorder Or Active Childhood Behavior?, Larry G. Scheel

Graduate Research Papers

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder constitutes 33 to 50% of mental health referrals for children, an increasing number of researchers has begun to question the validity of ADHD as a legitimate diagnosis. Eberstadt in her 1999 review stated, "Society has changed since the mid-1980s to view what may be normal childhood activity as lack of behavioral compliance" (p.1). Could the prevalence of ADHD simply be an increasingly active society's response to normal, active childhood behavior? The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of ADHD and explore assessment methods. Data from current literature and personal interviews with recognized professionals …

The Relationship Between Language Development And Self-Help Skills In Developmentally Delayed Infants And Young Children, Tammy M. Roberts

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The author explored the relationship between language skills and self-help skills in young children diagnosed as developmentally delayed. Twenty-eight children from the West Virginia Birth to Three Program at Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center in Princeton, West Virginia, were involved in the research. The data was analyzed using the Spearman r formula. The analysis found a strong positive relationship between language skills and self-help skills. The results indicated that developmental interventions need to be global and not delay-specific. Young children learn skills in the various areas of development concurrently. Recommendations for future research were made.

The Relationship Between Attention And Memory And School Readiness In West Virginia Preschoolers, Brenda Carol Parker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current study investigated the relationship between memory and attention and academic readiness in children between the ages of 2 ½ and 5. Forty-two preschool children were involved in the study and were selected from childcare centers participating in the Educare project in West Virginia. All subjects were tested with the Bracken and the Carolina Curriculum. The Bracken measured the academic readiness and the Carolina Curriculum measured memory and attention levels of the children. The results indicated a positive correlation between memory and attention and academic readiness. The findings supported the position that there is a positive correlation between mastery …

Relation Of Age Beginning Delinquency, Chemical Dependency, Family History Of Substance Use And The Likelihood To Display Elevated 49/94 Two-Point Codetype On The Mmpi-A With Juvenile Delinquents, Jay Cunningham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A data search of male juvenile delinquents (N=40) who had taken the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A) was undertaken from archival data at the Industrial Home for Youth Division of Juvenile Services at Salem, West Virginia. The Industrial Home for Youth is a 120 bed maximum security correctional facility for males age 10 through 20 and females age 12 through 20. Subjects’ files were placed into two groups, 20 in each group. The study group is males whose MMPI-A profile had a two-point codetype of elevated 49/94, T-score being 65 or above. The comparison group did not have …

The Ability Of The Child And Adolescent Functioning Assessment Scale (Cafas) To Predict Discharge Status From An Intensive In-Home Treatment Program, Brenda K. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mental health providers are increasing required to document symptoms of clients, level of functional impairment, and improvements in treatment due to increasing pressure from managed mental health to provide the best possible services for the least amount of money and time spent. Thus, instruments that reliably predict functional impairment, length and cost of services are increasing utilized in mental health agencies. One such instrument, the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAF AS), will be reviewed. The purpose of the study will be stated, and the method, procedure, and results will be explained. A discussion will follow detailing a summary …

Specific Parenting Practices Associated With Offspring Anxiety In Young Adulthood, Joan Elizabeth Asseff

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Book Review. Ordinary Resurrections: Children In The Years Of Hope By Jonathan Kozol, Michael Jenuwine, Jane E. Barden

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.