Psychology Commons^™

Praise For Ability Versus Praise For Effort During Continuous Failure, Scott Spaulding

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Recent research suggests that praise for ability may be less effective than praise for effort in influencing performance and interest. C.M. Mueller and C.S. Dweck (1998) suggested further study to examine these variables in real-life settings. Their work has shown that praise for effort increases persistence, performance, interest and other indicators over praise for ability after failure is introduced. This study of 32 fifth graders from a public elementary school further extends this research and examines the effects of praise for ability, praise for effort or no praise while experiencing multiple failures on a task. The results suggest no difference …

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 …

Multicultural Training, Self-Construals, And Multicultural Competence Of School Counselors, Madonna G. Constantine, Christine J. Yeh

School of Education Faculty Research

A study explored the role of prior academic training in multicultural counseling and school counselors' self-construals in predicting self-reported multicultural counseling competence. Surveys were completed by 156 school counselors from the greater New York City metropolitan area who attended a local school counseling conference. The results of the study indicated that self-reported multicultural counseling competence in female school counselors was significantly predicted by the number of previous multicultural counseling courses they had taken. It was also found that male school counselors reported significantly higher interdependent self-construals than their female peers and that higher independent self-construal scores were significantly predictive of …

An Exploratory Study Of School Counselors' Experiences With And Perceptions Of Asian-American Students' Concerns, Christine J. Yeh

School of Education Faculty Research

A study examined school counselors' experiences with and perceptions of Asian-American students. Participants were 154 school counselors in 113 East Coast schools. Results suggested that Asian-American students tended to seek help for academic, family, social, and cultural concerns. Results showed that counselors tended to address these concerns by using Rogerian therapy techniques, directive counseling, and group counseling; involving family and social networks; being aware of pertinent social issues; and employing creative arts activities. Counselors seemed to encounter challenges to counseling that were integrally related to Asian-American cultural contradictions with current counseling models. Counselors reported student coping strategies that involved seeking …

Self And Coping Among College Students In Japan, Christine J. Yeh, Mayuko Inose, Akiko Kobori, Tai Chang

School of Education Faculty Research

Japanese aspects of identity and coping attitudes, sources, and practices were examined among a sample of 240 college students in Japan. Participants reported that they tended to use family members and friends when coping with personal difficulties; only 4.3% of the sample, however, felt comfortable turning to a professional (i.e., counselor) for help. We also investigated Japanese college students' personal, collective, and social aspects of identity (Cheek & Tropp, 1997 ). We found that collective identity was a significant predictor of seeking help from family members; social identity significantly predicted using substances to cope with problems, and participants with higher …

Identity Formation Of Asian American Teenagers And The Role Of The School Counselor, Susan K. Baker

Graduate Research Papers

Teachers and counselors who work with young people know that adolescence is a time of physical, mental, emotional, and social change. Adolescence is a time when teenagers are trying to form an identity for themselves and as they go through this process, many factors will help form who they are and who they become. Most teenagers are able to navigate these years with little conflict, on the other hand, some struggle with different issues. Adolescents have to deal with issues related to sexuality, peer pressure, and development to name a few. However, adolescents belonging to ethnic/racial underrepresented groups have to …

Anorexia Nervosa : A Psychological Perspective Of Etiology And Current Treatment Procedures, Arlene Lagary

Graduate Research Papers

Anorexia nervosa is a chronic and sometimes fatal illness characterized by physical and psychological complications. Although no etiology for this illness has been determined, this paper presents a psychological etiology based on a synthesis of both traditional and current literature. The influence of culture, the therapeutic alliance, and client resistance are also considered. Relapse is common and the illness may last for many years. The health care community has addressed the complexity and chronicity of this illness by using a multi-component approach that includes psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic interventions, family therapy, and psychopharmacology.

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 …

Communication Skills Of Autistic Malaysian Children Undergoing The Aba Programme, Chithra K. M. Krishnan Adiyodi

Student Works (2000-2009)

The aim of this research was to diagnose the communication ability of a group of ten children with autism who were undergoing the Applied Behaviour Analysis programme at a NASOM Autistic Educational Centre in Klang. The research also set out to show that these children were able to use in their daily life the skills that they have learnt in the programme. The ability of these children to communicate before and after the intervention was noted by using a Behavioural Language Assessment Form. through interviews with teachers and in the observations of the researcher. It was found that some communication …

Sorrow Into Joy: A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Women Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Eldine M. Webster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn how six mid-life women who had been sexually abused as children perceived the way in which that early experience had impacted their life to date. Using a phenomenological qualitative life-history approach, each participant was interviewed for a period of from one to three hours. Content analysis of the interviews and member-checking with participants who volunteered to do so resulted in eight major themes emerging from the data: memories, family, career, addictions, depression, boundaries and embodiment, counseling, and synchronicity. The last theme, synchronicity, very closely related to the concept of spirituality and a …

Ratings Of Assessment Procedures By Learning Disabilities Teachers And School Psychologists, Raquel A. Williams

Masters Theses

This study surveyed the perceptions of school psychologists and learning disabilities teachers (LD teachers) on the frequency of use and usefulness of the following assessment procedures: Standardized tests, curriculum based measures (CBMs), classroom observations, interview with general education teachers, and analysis of class assignments for initial placement of a child, instructional planning, and evaluation of student progress. Further, this study investigated how proficient the two groups felt in administering each of the five assessment procedures. Fifty four school psychologists and 32 LD teachers completed the questionnaire. Results indicated that school psychologists and LD teachers agreed on the frequency of use …

An Analysis Of Protective Factors And The Development Of Resiliency In Ninth And Twelfth Grade Male And Female Students Of A Heterogenous Suburban High School, Frances E. Clemente

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Neuropsychological Test Scores In Children With And Without Learning Disabilities, Gerard E. Spiegler

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Fifty-six elementary and secondary school students between the ages of 9 years and 16 years were individually administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition (WISC-III) and the Reading and Mathematics Composite sub scales of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT). Based on a criterion of at least 1.75 standard deviations difference between the highest WISC-III Index score and the lowest WIAT composite score, 27 subjects were assigned to a Learning Disability (LO) group and 29 subjects to a Not LO group (NLD). All even numbered subjects were subsequently administered the same battery of 9 neuropsychological tests in …

The Impact On Team Effectiveness Of Personality Preferences Of Team Members Involved In The Connecticut Early Intervention Project, Nancy Krafcik-Rousseau

Dissertations

Problem. Educators are faced with significant challenges daily as they attempt to meet the diverse needs of students. The establishment of school-based problem solving teams is one approach that supports teachers and students. This study will determine if personality preferences of team members impact the effectiveness of teams involved in the Connecticut Early Intervention Project (EIP). EIP incorporates a team approach providing assistance to requesting classroom teachers who have students experiencing difficulties.

Method. The research design consisted of a comparison of two groups of Connecticut public schools that participated in the Early Intervention Project (EIP) and were trained accordingly. Schools …

An Analysis Of Role Perceptions And Job Satisfaction Of Secondary-School Counselors In Trinidad And Tobago, Hillman St. Brice

Dissertations

Problem. The increasing emphasis on school counseling by the Ministry of Education in Trinidad and Tobago highlights the need to clarify and standardize the role of the counselor in the secondary schools. The satisfaction of these needs can be facilitated by determining the perceptions held by counselors, principals, teachers, and students about the counselor’s role in the school system; by clearly articulating this role; and by identifying the relationships between the counselor’s role and the counselor’s job satisfaction. The burden of this study was to determine these perceptions and relationships.

Method. A descriptive mode of inquiry was used to explore …

The Impact Of The College Experience On The Lives Of Female Single-Parent Students, Elizabeth Darby Watson

Dissertations

Problem. Poverty affects all people groups, but women are systematically poorer than men are. The feminization of poverty aptly defines the plight and consequence of women's poverty. In the United States the current federal mandate requires all able-bodied adults to be gainfully employed. Minimum-wage jobs, for unskilled and untrained workers, do not move poor women and their families out of poverty.

Method. This study used quantitative and qualitative data to explore the impact of the college experience on 56 single parents who had attended a tuition-driven, faith-based college during the 10-year period of 1987-1997. Responses from a mailed questionnaire and …

Putting Quality Functional Assessment Into Practice In Schools: A Research Agenda On Behalf Of E/Bd Students, Mary M. Quinn, Robert A. Gable, Jim Fox, Robert B. Rutheford Jr., Richard Van Acker, Maureen Conroy

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The discipline provisions of the IDEA place emphasis on gaining an understanding of why the student is motivated to engage in problem behavior and to consider, when appropriate, positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address the behavior. These legislative mandates bring center stage a range of new duties and responsibilities for the IEP team. This article discusses the problems that school divisions across the country are encountering when implementing these requirements and recommends a course of research to address these issues.

Addressing Peer Mediation : Conflict Resolution In Schools, Amy Junkermeier

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review existing literature and research on peer mediation ip schools. A critical review is necessary due to the increasing popularity of peer mediation programs despite limited empirical evidence to support their usage. Examining the strengths and weaknesses of previous research is an important part of establishing program effectiveness and overcoming barriers to successful implementation. A critique of the research and implications for future research are also provided.

A Space For Co-Constructing Counter Stories Under Surveillance, María Elena Torre, Michelle Fine, Kathy Boudin, Iris Bowen, Judith Clark, Donna Hylton, Migdalia Martinez, 'Missy', Rosemarie A. Roberts, Pamela Smart, Debora Upegui

Publications and Research

Using our experiences as members of a participatory action research committee (from the City University of New York Graduate Center and the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility) documenting the impact of college in a maximum security prison, this essay illustrates the power of Participatory Action Research in the construction of counter stories. We raise for discussion a set of theoretical, methodological and ethical challenges that emerged from the co-production of counter stories under surveillance: the creation of a critical space for producing 'counter knowledge'; the co-mingling of counter and dominant discourses, the negotiation of power over and within research in prison, …

Stress In 1st-Year Women Teachers: The Context Of Social Support And Coping, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

The effects of adverse work environments were examined in the context of other risk/protective factors in this extension of a short-term longitudinal study involving 184 newly appointed women teachers. Regression analyses revealed that, adjusting for preemployment levels of the outcomes and negative affectivity, social support and adversity in the fall work environment were among the factors that affected spring depressive symptoms, self-esteem, job satisfaction, and motivation to teach. Support from nonwork sources was directly related to future improved symptom levels and self-esteem; supervisor and colleague support were directly related to future job satisfaction. Effects of occupational coping, professional …

Self-Disclosure, Clara E. Hill, Sarah Knox

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

A review of the analog literature about therapist self-disclosure suggests that nonclients generally have positive perceptions of therapist self-disclosures. A review of the naturalistic psychotherapy literature indicates that therapist self-disclosure occurs infrequently, is used more often by humanistic-experiential than psychoanalytic therapists, is most often about professional background than about intimate personal details, is used for many different reasons, is used cautiously by therapists, and is helpful in the immediate process of therapy. Effects of therapist self-disclosure on the ultimate outcome of therapy are less clear. Limitations of the research (poor and inconsistent definitions and lack of a clinically appropriate methodology …

Religion And Spirituality In Counseling : A Multicultural Perspective, Linda G. Culbertson

Graduate Research Papers

As the counseling profession moves into the 21st Century a greater emphasis is being placed on multicultural and spiritual issues. It is difficult to see how the two entities can be separated. When counselors ignore that a client is Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Christian with the unspoken assumption that religion is irrelevant .to their issues, this may jeopardize the forming of an effective therapeutic relationship (Burke, et al., 1999). Knowledge of religion and spiritual beliefs of ethnic groups can help professionals provide care that is culturally specific and sensitive to the beliefs of the individual (Bibbins, 2000).

Effects Of Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonism On The Development Of Behavioral Sensitization To Cocaine, Hong Dong

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 Hong Dong on December 13, 2000.

Trends. Red Blues: The Psychology Of National Anthems, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the political and psychological aspects of music using the Russian national anthem as an example.

Trends. Social Violence: The Jigsaw Classroom As A Piece Of The Puzzle, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the "jigsaw technique" developed by social psychologist Elliot Aronson as a partial way of addressing school-related violence.

Scholastic Aptitudes And The Future Of An Illusion, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes basic problems with how the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is conceived and employed in the United States (US).

Trends. When Is A Psychological Profile Not A Psychological Profile? The Fbi And School Violence, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the difficulties of predicting and preventing school violence. Though the FBI does have a list of "warning signs" by which to evaluate potential perpetrators of lethal school violence, they do not consider this list to be a profile. This is especially true given that no reliable predictors of lethal school violence have been found.

An Analysis Of Academic Reputation As Perceived By Consumers Of Higher Education, Michael J. Conard, Maureen A. Conard

Psychology Faculty Publications

A college's academic reputation (AR) plays a significant role in positioning the institution. Survey responses of college-bound high school seniors suggest that a majority of respondents view successful postgraduate careers as very important to the perception of AR and very likely to be attributed to a college with very good AR. A principle components factor analysis revealed three factors that describe the perception of AR (i.e., Academic Concerns, Campus Ethos, Practical Value). In a similar analysis three factors were found likely to be associated with very good AR (i.e., Curricular Concerns, Exclusivity, Career Preparation).

A Survey Of Minority Students Who Use Retention Program Services At A Predominantly White Institution, Jamalya Luney

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This researcher seeks to examine the characteristics of those minority students, at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), who frequently use retention program services versus those who do not frequently use retention program services. Frequent use of retention program was considered to be every other week or more. Infrequent user of retention program was considered once a month or less often. Data analysis revealed many similarities between the groups relating to grade point average (GPA), marital status, and housing status. Despite the similarities between the groups, there were some differences, although not significant. The mean age of the frequent users was …

Improving Oral Reading Performance: A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Reading Interventions, Allison Morris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reading can be considered as the most fundamental skill learned in a person's life. It lays the foundation for later success in academics, vocational pursuits, and life. Because of reading's importance in everyday life, the search for effective reading interventions for those experiencing reading difficulties is continual. A single-subjects design was used to examine the overall effect of two reading interventions, listening previewing and folding-in, on oral reading performance. Nine regular education third-grade students served as subjects in the present study. Results indicated that neither the listening previewing procedure nor the folding-in technique were particularly successful at improving oral reading …