Psychology Commons^™

Why Is It That Computers Still Can't Do What Our Brains Can?, Marvin Minsky

IMSA Great Minds Program ®

Why is it that computers still cannot do what our brains can? Marvin Minsky has been studying this problem for over 20 years, and he believes it is because computers are shackled by constraints we place on them. He believes, by changing the instructions we give them, computers will be able to have motivations and feelings ... and consciousness! What are these constraints, and how will removing them release the power of computers?

Longitudinal Analysis Of Cohesion In Student Work Teams: The Efficacy Of Teamwork Skills Training, Kari Rachel Strobel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study was a longitudinal examination of the effects of teamwork skills training on team cohesion and team performance. Participants were 11 teams, made up of three-to-five undergraduate students who enrolled in a team-based Industrial/Organizational psychology course. For 16 weeks, each team completed three graded assignments per week and was tracked with regard to levels of task and social cohesion. During the seventh week, teams received theory-based training on basic teamwork processes. Results indicate that the training intervention had a significant positive impact on team cohesion. However, training did not affect team performance levels as expected. Discussion centered on the …

Examining Children's Iep Knowledge And Preferences In The Special Education Process, Sharon Eagles

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

According to IDEA (1997), students who receive special education must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Student goals are a required portion of the IEP and can be developed, monitored, and evaluated with or without the student. The literature indicates personal involvement in goal setting increases commitment to achieve the goal, mastery of learning concepts, and intrinsic motivation (Muir, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) students' knowledge of their IEP goals, (b) the level of participation students "liked" as depicted in 3 videotaped IEP development scenarios, and (c) the extent of students' participation in IEP goal …

Emotional Intelligence In Adolescents: How It Relates To Giftedness, Sean Corso

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study addresses the concept of emotional intelligence and how it relates to gifted adolescents. Until recently, it was not possible to test the theory of emotional intelligence. With the advent of the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory and BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version, it became possible for the first time, to measure emotional intelligence in adults and adolescents. However, up to this point, there has been very little if any empirical research conducted with gifted adolescents and emotional intelligence. In addition, there has been a long-standing debate within the scientific literature concerning the social emotional adjustment of academically …

The Music Channel: Integrating The Harp Into The Communication Process Of Children With Autism, Lori A. Kissinger

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study was undertaken to determine if the harp could be used as a communication channel for children with autism. The two research questions guiding this study were: (1) Will a child with autism utilize the harp to try to communicate a message? And (2) if the harp is utilized by a child with autism as a communication channel, can the receiver decode the intended message? Two qualitative case studies using constant comparison analysis were conducted over a six-day observation period. Five predominant responses emerged: (1) initial reaction to the instrument, (2) bonding with the instrument, (3) socialization through …

New Teachers’ Perceptions Of Discipline-Related School Problems And Teacher Satisfaction, Amy L. Kavanaugh

Dissertations

Satisfaction The public is concerned with school safety because of recent school shootings resulting in multiple deaths. Educators are concerned that perceptions of school safety may affect new teacher attrition.

Three questions were examined in this study: (1) What is the trend of new teachers’ perceptions of discipline-related school problems? (2) Do new teachers’ perceptions of school problems vary by teacher gender, school level, size, location, and percentage of minority students?, and (3) Are new teachers’ perceptions of school problems related to their professional satisfaction?

National data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics through the Schools and Staffing …

The Making Of A Textbook On Behavior Analysis And Autism A Behavior Analytic Approach, Sebastien Bosch

Dissertations

After deciding that a need existed for writing a textbook on autism from a behavior analytic perspective, Dr. Malott and I developed Behavior Analysis. Autism and Related Disabilities (BAARD) for use by the students enrolled in the autism practicum at Western Michigan University. As in a circular relationship, the practicum students evaluated and guided the subsequent revisions of the manuscript, and the revisions influenced the subsequent evaluations. BAARD covers all the principles and concepts of behavior analysis that are relevant to treatments and issues in autism and related disabilities and numerous treatments and phenomena specific to developmental disabilities.

During its …

A Behavioral Systems Analysis Of Textbook Quality Improvement, Elizabeth T. Suarez

Dissertations

Behavioral systems analysis is a deliberate approach to systems-design that is intended to help a system achieve its ultimate goals. The present study used behavioral systems analysis in an attempt to improve the quality o f a college-level textbook. Formative and expert evaluations were used to assess the needs of the textbook. Once the needs were determined, a six-step process of analysis, goal specification, design, implementation, evaluation, and recycling was used to meet the objectives specified by the needs assessment.

The first objective of this study was to produce and publish an improved edition of a textbook and to begin …

Retention Of Female Faculty Members, Susan L. Murray, Mariesa Crow, Suzanna M. Rose

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The recruitment and the retention of female undergraduate and graduate students into engineering courses is discussed. A similar challenge lies in recruiting female faculty member from the limited pool of candidates in several fields at most universities. It is found that about half the females who were hired did not stay at the university. It is suggested that programs should be introduced to encourage mentoring and career development as such improvements would benefit all faculty members both female and male.

How Intervention Techniques Altered And Affected Various Teacher And Student Behaviors In A Physical Education Class With The Use Of A Mentor Teacher, Jennifer Lynn Seybert

Graduate Theses

Teaching behavior was assessed in this study over a period of two months in an elementary physical education setting. One non-certified physical education teacher served as the subject. The subject’s teaching behaviors were recorded during eight forty-five minutes classes. The eight sessions were broken down into four cycles with two observations per cycle. Each observation was followed with feedback from the investigator on problem areas. The subject was given suggestions for improvement. Data was accumulated through the use of the Arizona State University Observation Instrument. Variables recorded included event recording for (a) use of first names, (b) pre-instruction, (c) concurrent …

Self-Criticism As Experienced By Performing Artists A Phenomenological Study, Rosemary Hakes

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and document the essence of the experience of self-criticism for performing artists with the aim of providing recommendations for educational and therapeutic purposes. Moustakas (1994) defines essence as “that which is common or universal, the condition or quality without which a thing would not be what it is” (p. 100). In this study a phenomenological research paradigm was used. Each step in the data reduction process built directly toward revelation of essence through synthesis.

The central question guiding this research was: What is the essence of self-criticism as it is experienced by …

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 …

The Relationship Between Social And Emotional Intelligence In Children, Shannon Herring

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between social and emotional intelligence was investigated. The study sample consisted of 31 females and 28 males who were between the ages of 9 and 12. The student participants completed the Social Skills Rating System-Student Form (SSRS), which assesses social competence, and the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV), which measures emotional intelligence. Parents of the children also completed the Social Skills Rating System-Parent Form for comparison purposes. Both forms of the SSRS yielded statistically significant correlations with the EQ-i:YV. The results indicate that the instruments designed to assess emotional intelligence and social intelligence were highly related. The …

Test-Retest Reliability Of Phonemic Awareness Assessment Instruments Of Kindergarten Students, Lorie Craycroft

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As a child develops, one of the most critical factors in future success in school is reading ability. The extent to which a child is phonemically aware can predict how well he or she will be able to read. With this in mind, many instruments exist that test for these phonemic awareness skills. The purpose of this research was to examine the test-retest reliability of four phonemic awareness instruments. Six elementary schools in the Bowling Green City School District participated in the study. A total of 152 students in the kindergarten grades of each school were administered the Comprehensive Test …

Improvoing Head Start Children's Emergent Literacy And Phonemic Awareness Through Parent Training, Kelli Bradbury

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Typically, research on emergent literacy and phonemic awareness is focused on children older than five years of age. The research clearly suggests that emergent literacy and phonemic awareness skills are precursors for children to learn to read and that low-income children often lack these skills. However, very little research has focused on emergent literacy and phonemic awareness skills of four-year-olds. Another important factor that has been neglected, thus far, is the impact parents may have on their children acquiring these skills. Therefore, this study presents a training program that addresses emergent literacy and phonemic awareness in low income, four-year-old, Head …

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, …

An Evaluative Argument-Based Investigation Of Validity Evidence For The Utah Pre-Algebra Criterion-Referenced Test, Louise Richards Moulding

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study collected evidence to address the assumptions underlying the use of the Utah Core Assessment to Pre-Algebra (UCAP) to (a) measure student achievement in pre-algebra, and (b) assist teachers in making adjustments to instruction. An evaluative argument was defined to guide the collection of evidence. Each of the assumptions in the evaluative argument was addressed using data from a suburban northern Utah school district. To collect the evidence, test content was examined including item match to course objectives, reliability, and subtest intercorrelations. Analyses of correlations of the UCAP with convergent and discriminant measures were completed using student test data …

The Effects Of Cocaine And Morphine Alone And In Combination On The Development Of Behavioral Sensitization, James Espa Woods Ii

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by James Espa Woods II on April 19, 2001.

From Animal Cruelty To Serial Murder: Applying The Graduation Hypothesis, Jeremy N. Wright

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Teachers' Intentions To Teach Physically Active Physical Education Classes, Jeffrey J. Martin, Pamela Hodges Kulinna, Robert C. Eklund, Brett Reed

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine determinants of teachers' intentions to teach physically active physical education classes (i.e., spend at least 50% of class time with the students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity). Based on the theories of reasoned action, planned behavior, and self-efficacy, a model was examined hypothesizing that teachers' intentions were determined by subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy. Using hierarchical regression analyses, the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior were supported by accounting for 65% of the variance in intention due to the main effects of attitude and subjective …

Correlates Of Life Satisfaction After Retirement, Richard A. Tackett

Dissertations

Much of the literature on aging, retirement, and stages of life has focused on men. The changing role from productive members of society to that of being retired can be either viewed as an opportunity to experience new adventures or depressing for those who are unable to move successfully into the next developmental stage of life. This study examined factors that could contribute to life satisfaction in 144 individuals who were over 65 years of age. The factors that were included in this examination are self-esteem, morale, depression, and demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, marital status, income, …

A Case Study Analysis Of Serial Killers With Military Experience: Applying Learning Theory To Serial Murder, Tammy Castle

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Tammy Castle on March 21, 2001.

Trends. Psychology And False Consciousness: 2001 Update, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

A recent study in the prestigious Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reports that what makes people happy is not money, luxury, influence, or popularity. Instead, feelings of autonomy, competence, closeness to others, and self-esteem are the primary happiness pathways. Although one might applaud findings that suggest that material well-being is not a stairway to heaven, there is much in these findings that maintain exploitive relations in various social contexts.

Language Acquisition In Children With Autism, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

By definition, children with autism have deficits in communication. Often, when parents notice that something is "different" about their child, it is that he does not acquire language at the same rate as his peers, that the child uses what language he has in an idiosyncratic fashion (e.g., repeating phrases from videos, using pronouns incorrectly), or that the child appears to understand only that language which might be reinforcing to him (e.g., not responding to "Look at Mommy," but responding to "Do you want a cookie?)" When these "red flags" are apparent, parents should beware of misguided advice such as …

The Relationship Between Parent Education And Their Child’S Academic Readiness, S. Noelle Barton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between parents’ education level and their child’s academic readiness. The following research question was examined: Is there a relationship between the level of parents’ education and their child’s academic readiness? In this study, Marshall University Graduate College (MUGC) and West Virginia University (WVU) graduate students collected data from randomly selected children attending West Virginia Educare (WVE) sites. The results of this study indicated there was no significant correlation between parents’ education level and their child’s academic readiness, generally believed to be highly correlated. Conclusions and recommendations for future research …

The Relationship Between Receptive Language Skills And School Readiness, Patricia Slack Hines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between language and academic readiness. The current study included 56 preschool children. Specifically, 9 two year olds participated, 18 three year olds participated, 21 four year olds, and 8 five year olds participated. Twenty- three were female and twenty-three were male. Each child was administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT III), followed by both the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale – Revised or BBCS-R. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the standard scores of the PPVT III, and the …

Program Evaluation Of A School-Violence Project In Wv Schools, Charley Bowen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Youth violence has been a major concern in every community in the United States. A group of educators, social service providers, law enforcement officials, mental health providers, and various interest groups in a small rural West Virginia County developed a plan to address the growing problem of violence among Lincoln County youth. In the fall of 1999, Lincoln County was awarded a three-year Federal Grant. The goal of the Lincoln Early Aggression Prevention Program was to develop and implement a program to increase the health and safety of Lincoln County Students. The county has also received a state grant (Drug …

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Language Acquisition In West Virginia, Stephanie Angel Childers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The interaction between social skills and language acquisition has been a topic of interest in recent years. Current research has suggested children with social deficits are at increased risk for language problems, and vice versa (Gallegher, 1999). As part of the West Virginia Educare initiative, children ages two and a half to five years were randomly selected and individually evaluated using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition and the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs to assess language comprehension and social skills. A Pearson Product Moment correlation on 42 study participants yielded a correlation of -.083 with a significance …

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 …

An Integrated Approach To Acculturation: A Personal Journey, Douglas C. Stone

MA TESOL Collection

The intention of this professional paper is to propose a new, integrated model for acculturation which brings psychological understanding to this process. The first section of this paper gives a brief introduction and several necessary definitions. The second section introduces several existing acculturation models which I found applied to aspects of my experience, but which were inadequate in important areas. In the third diction I outlined a number of psychological models which I used to cope with acculturation and understand my experience before having contact with the acculturation material from the second section. In the fourth section I give an …