Psychology Commons^™

Strategies For Preventing Disruptive Behaviors Among Students With Autism, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

Help! What should I do with Michael? I can't control him! I often hear pleas of help similar to this one. What can a teacher do to help a student with autism learn and demonstrate appropriate behavior? The purpose of this article is provide a framework by which we can view behavior, and a description of a few strategies to help prevent challenging behaviors among students with autism. When I was a fresh out of college working under a provisional certificate, I was educated in the "current" methods of "behavior management." That is, I learned how to observe, count, graph …

Caregivers Locus Of Control For Child Improvement, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

A potentially important variable that has received little attention in the disabilities literature is the caregiver's locus of control beliefs for child improvement as they relate to treatment compliance and actual child improvement. To evaluate the construct's utility in a practice setting, 131 caregiver-child dyads were assessed twice, twelve months apart. Children were an average of approximately four years old at the first assessment, and all of them had mild to severe developmental disabilities. Aspects of caregiver compliance to treatment were rated, and measures of child development status, family functioning, and caregiver locus of control were administered. Results indicated that …

Violence In Schools: Expanding The Dialogue, Stephanie Urso Spina

Publications and Research

Introductory chapter to Smoke and Mirrors: The Hidden Context of Violence in Schools and Society, edited by Stephanie Urso Spina, Ph.D., published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2000 and is, unfortunately, still timely today.

Effective Multidisciplinary Team Problem Solving : A Review Of Literature, Debra S. Meyer

Graduate Research Papers

The historical legislation mandating multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in schools is well known, yet relatively little attention has been directed toward either evaluating systematic processes that would lead to the desired outcome of better services to all students or educating team members in problem solving content and process. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that influence problem solving outcomes and other aspects of service delivery in MDT settings, including the changing role of school psychologists.

Results indicated much variability and little consensus in several areas: clarity of role expectations, family involvement, interdisciplinary collaboration, continuing educational training, and …

Understanding Equity And Oppression From A Different Perspective: Students Evaluate Their Education, Kevin Black

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In 1993, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training (MET) created a draft document on the topic of antiracism and ethnocultural equity in school boards. This document contained guidelines for anti-oppression policy and practice within schools. Many stakeholders within the education system and society debate whether or not an education for equity is being provided in schools. I chose to respond to this debate by listening to the voices of an unheard stakeholder group: students. Two methods of data collection, questionnaires and focus groups, were utilized in my study. Seventy-one students participated in the questionnaire section, and six students further …

The Effects Of A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Intervention On Irrational Beliefs And Burnout Among Middle School Teachers In The State Of Iowa, Shirley Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) bibliotherapy intervention on the level of burnout and irrational beliefs. This study specifically examined the impact of a REBT bibliotherapy intervention on middle school teachers' irrational beliefs and level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) and the Irrational Beliefs Test (Jones, 1968).

The subjects in this study consisted of 167 middle school teachers in the State of Iowa. These teachers taught sixth, seventh, or eighth grade or a combination of these …

The Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse And Revictimization In Adulthood Among Uni College Students, Kristine R. Wroblewski

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult revictimization. Two hypotheses were examined. It was hypothesized that childhood victims of sexual abuse were more likely to be revictimized as adults. It was also hypothesized that there would be significant differences in demographic and psychosocial correlates between victims of childhood sexual abuse and those who did not report childhood sexual abuse.

The Health and Safety Survey was administered to 589 students at the University of Northern Iowa. There were 398 female respondents and 182 male respondents. The Health and Safety …

Television Violence : The Impact And Influence On Children And Adolescents, Preston B. Hoskins

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will look at the history of violent youth, and the unique development of youth violence in our country. The author will examine the unique characteristics that make media such a powerful communicative source. The author will show how living in a media culture affects the way youth behave, and will explore the extent to which media messages have power over their lives. Information on the significance of television violence on the behaviors of youth will be included.

Children's Memory Scale Discriminate With Ld And Non-Ld Children, Anna Winland

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Children's Memory Scale at discriminating learning disabled (LD) children from non-learning disabled children between the ages of 9 and 16. A total of 56 children were included in the study; 27 LD and 29 non-LD. Subjects were first determined to be LD or not through the administration of the WISC-Ill and the WIAT to determine if their was a discrepancy of a minimum of 1.75 standard deviations between their individual achievement scores and IQ scores. If the significant discrepancy existed the subject was found to be LD. A neuropsychological battery of tests were …

Development Of A Management Practicum In A Clinical Psychology Program, Clark D. Campbell, William C. Buhrow, Brandy Liebscher

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Some clinical psychology programs are developing training in management in response to both the recognition that management is a major professional role for many psychologists (Clements, Rickard, & Kleinot, 1986) and the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology’s (NCSPP) inclusion of “supervision and management” as one of six competency areas for the core curriculum in professional psychology (Peterson, R. L., McHolland, J. D., Bent, R. J., Davis-Russell, E., Edwall, G. E., Polite, K., Singer, D. L., & Stricker, G., 1991). At the Graduate School of Clinical Psychology at George Fox University (Newberg, OR), we developed a management practicum to …

Rater Training To Improve Student Evaluations Of Teaching Effectiveness, Robert Beeler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The impact of rater training on students performing evaluations of teaching effectiveness was evaluated. Training was administered either via live lecture or video tape. Both trained groups were compared with a no training control group. It was hypothesized that the training would result in more accurate assessments of teaching evaluations and that there would be no significant differences between either of the trained groups. Results showed that students were able to distinguish between dimensions of performance. However, no effects of training were found. The trained groups did not differ significantly from the untrained control group on instructor ratings.

Factors Of Job-Related Stress As Perceived By Middle School Principals In Virginia, Teresa I. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted among middle school principals in Virginia to determine their perceptions of job-related stress factors. The entire population of middle school principals (grades 6, 7, 8) was selected to participate in the study. The Administrative Stress Index was used to assess factors that cause principals stress on the job and to measure their stress levels. A demographic data form was used to collect data on the variables of age, gender, administrative experience, assistant principal support, student enrollment, adults supervised, percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, location of school, type of school, experience as a middle …

The Relationship Between Multicultural Counseling Competencies And Attitudes Toward African Americans Among White Female Graduate Students, Dianne T. Robinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between multicultural counseling competencies and attitudes toward African Americans among White female graduate students in counseling psychology. Participants were 67 White female students enrolled in either the master’s or doctoral level counseling psychology programs in a large Midwestern university. Subjects were administered four instruments. Participants’ self-perceived competencies in multicultural counseling were measured by the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI, Sodowsky, Taffe, Gutkin, & Wise, 1994) and racial attitudes were measured by the Attitudes Toward Blacks Scale (ATB, Brigham, 1993). Demographic information as well as subjects’ level of participation in several activities …

The Effects Of The Selective Dopamine D1 Antagonist Sch 23390, On The Development Of Behavioral Sensitization To The Putative Dopamine D3 Agonist, 7-Oh-Dpat, Candice Marie Himmler

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 requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts by Candace Marie Himmler on November 6, 1999.

A Comparison Of The Transition Of Special Needs Students To Regular Education Students, Anita Burnette

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study investigated the success of transition from school to community life of special needs students in comparison to a similar population served in regular education. Graduates of a western Kentucky high school over a three year period composed the population for the study- Variables observed were KIRIS test results, economic status, and successful transition as measured by the KIRIS Adult Report to Life. Results indicated special needs students were as successful in the transition process as the population to which they were compared. Results have implications that transition plans and teams are necessary for some regular education students as …

The Relationship Between Loneliness And Social Skills In Learning Disabled And Regular Education Populations, Roberta Miller

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Loneliness in children has been associated with internalizing symptoms such as shyness, depression, and low self-esteem (Brage, Meredith, & Woodward, 1993; Renshaw & Brown, 1993; Rubin, LeMare, & Lollis, 1990) and externalizing symptoms such as aggression (Coie, Dodge, & Coppotelli, 1982; Cassidy & Asher, 1992; Dobson, Campbell, & Dobson, 1987). The later outcomes of both of these kinds of internalizing and externalizing symptoms include school withdrawal, criminality, and victimization (Rubin, 1985; Parker & Asher, 1987). We know that children who rate themselves lonely tend to be rejected by peer groups. We also know that children who are rejected by peer …

An In-Depth Analysis Of Students' Academic Retention Abilities In Traditional And Alternative Calendar Schools, Jennifer Reece

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The adoption of an alternative school calendar is a widely discussed topic in education reform today. The need to help students retain more academic skills after summer vacation is one reason school districts are considering alternative calendars. A recent study by Nofsinger (1999) of elementary students used Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes to measure academic skills in the Spring and the Fall in both traditional and alternative calendar schools. This present study further analyzed data collected during Nofsinger's (1999) study to determine whether certain groups of students (i.e., high, middle, and low achievers) gained more benefit from traditional or alternative calendars. …

The Relationship Between Cosmopolitan-Local Orientation And Job Satisfaction Among Admissions Personnel At Christian Colleges In The United States And Canada, Jon P. Harr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the challenges facing college admissions professionals have increased, and turnover in the field has become an area of concern. A review of the literature indicated that surprisingly little research had been done in the area of job satisfaction for college admissions professionals and, in particular, Christian college admissions professionals. No direct application of professional (cosmopolitan-local) orientation to the admissions profession could be found in the literature. As a result, the primary purpose of this study was to examine both the level of job satisfaction and the cosmopolitan-local orientation of Christian college admissions professionals, and to determine if …

A Comparison Of Cognitive Development Between Whites And African Americans Based On William Perry's Scheme Of Intellectual And Ethical Development, Joan Johnson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study compared cognitive complexity between student groups based on cultural background and academic class utilizing William Perry's (1970) cognitive theory of intellectual and ethical development. In addition, the study examined the influence of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on cognitive development. The goal was to ascertain whether Perry's theory, developed from his research on a relatively homogeneous college student population without consideration of the impact of a culturally diverse environment, would be valid for culturally diverse students.

The research design employed to investigate cognitive development used a cross-sectional sample of entering freshmen and graduating seniors attending a predominantly White, …

Intuitive Understanding Of Time And Space At The Age Of Four, Josephine Barry-Davis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the central hypothesis that “children by the age of four years construct accurate and lasting conceptions o f time (past, present, future) and space (near and far away).” In order to test this hypothesis the researcher relied on qualitative research guidelines developed and published in recent years to address social science and educational research issues. The research design is especially applicable to young children where the researcher assumes the role of participant observer. In order to control for the context of the research, the children were observed for time and space cognitive …

Improving Special Education Teachers' Use Of Data-Based Instruction, Steven D. Goodman

Dissertations

The data-based decision model involves frequent measures of student performance (i.e., 2 - 5 times per week), frequent analysis of performance data (weekly or bi-weekly), and the application of decision rules. In the first study, we surveyed 406 special education teachers state-wide. Results of the survey suggest that the databased decision model is not generally practiced by special educators in the field. Just over one quarter of the respondents report to assessing student performance frequently enough to qualify as using the model. Only 10% of respondents indicate that they generally graph student performance. Additionally, less than 23% of respondents who …

The Use Of Curriculum-Based Measurement To Evaluate The Effects Of A Remedial Education Program, Michael D. Hixson

Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of two Direct Instruction programs: Corrective Reading: Decoding and Connecting Math Concepts. The effectiveness of the interventions was evaluated using a single-subject experimental design with curriculumbased measurement (CBM) probes as the main means of assessment. Other methods of assessment included standardized achievement tests, school reports, and pre- and postcurriculum- based assessment probes. The CBM probes for all students were sensitive to the effects of the interventions, although there was a great deal of variability in the CBM reading probes and little correspondence across methods of assessment. The results indicate that the two Direct Instruction programs …

Retention Of Academic Skills Over The Summer Months In Alternative And Traditional Calendar Schools, Christy Nofsinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Alternative calendar schools are increasingly popular alternatives to the traditional nine-month school year and a three-month summer vacation. One purported advantage of a shorter summer vacation is the greater retention of academic material because there is less time to "forget" what was learned. While alternative calendar schools appear to be increasing in number, little research has been conducted to actually measure academic differences in these schools. The purpose of this research was to systematically compare the retention of academic skills of students in traditional and alternative calendar schools over the summer months. Three county-wide school districts participated in this study. …

An Analysis Of Student Attitudes Toward Old Dominion University's Teletechnet: A Comparison Of Traditional And Non-Traditional Sites, Michael G. Bisciglia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that shape a student's attitudes toward Old Dominion University's TELETECHNET system. This research utilizes a sample of 238 students enrolled in the TELETECHNET system. An analysis of student responses, based on location, was conducted, to see if a significant difference in the mean attitudes toward TELETECHNET exist between on-site and distance students. Analysis revealed a difference between studio and non-studio students on a variety of factors. This included the respondent's connection to other students, their attitude toward distance education, their willingness to take another TELETECHNET class and their attitude toward the …

An Analysis Of Parental And Peer Attachment And Its Determinant Factors: A Test Of Attachment Theory On Malaysian Students At American Universities, Noriah Mohd. Ishak

Dissertations

This study examined the quality of parental and peer attachments among Malaysian students studying at universities in the midwestern region of the United States. The study was conducted in two phases. Two hundred and two students (106 male, 96 female) participated in the first phase of the study, and 8 students (4 male, and 4 female) participated in the second phase of the study. Phase One employed a cross-sectional quantitative design using a self-administered questionnaire [the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment (IPPA) developed by Armsden and Greenberg (1987)] and revised by the researcher. This instrument has 53 items that …

Clients' Internal Representations Of Their Therapists, Sarah Knox, Julie L. Goldberg, Susan S. Woodhouse, Clara E. Hill

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Thirteen adults in long-term individual psychotherapy were interviewed regarding their internal representations (defined as bringing to awareness the internalized "image") of their therapists. Results indicated that in the context of a good therapeutic relationship, clients' internal representations combined auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (i.e., felt presence) modalities; were triggered when clients thought about past or future sessions, or when distressed; occurred in diverse locations; and varied in frequency, duration, and intensity. Clients felt positively about their representations and used them to introspect or influence therapy within sessions, beyond sessions, or both. The frequency of, comfort with, and use of clients' internal …

The Relationship Between Selected Environmental Variables And Attrition, Persistence, And Academic Success Of Majority And Minority College Students, Carole J. Woolford-Hunt

Dissertations

Research indicates that college student persistence, attrition, and success is related to the student’s ability to gain academic and social integration into the university community. This theory has guided researchers to explore either the academic or social factors that promote integration. Under the umbrella of social integration exists the underresearched category of environmental factors.

The overall purpose of this study was to identify selected environmental factors that affect minority and majority students’ persistence and success rates in a Midwestern state-run university. The environmental variables of size of college within a larger university, residential versus nonresidential nature of colleges within a …

Language Learning Strategies: A Primer, Carol Lindenbrock Fujii

MA TESOL Collection

The question of why some learners acquire a second language more quickly than others has long been a problem for language teachers. Even when students seem basically equal in terms of opportunity and intelligence, progress can vary greatly. Variations in the language learning strategies students employ could explain why some students do better than others. Students can profitably explore the areas of language learning strategies to become more aware and successful learners. This paper begins by defining language learning strategies as the tools learners use to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning and to make that learning more efficient. …

Treatment And Intervention Strategies For Battered Women : Breaking The Cycle Of Violence, Hope L. Huff

Graduate Research Papers

Partner violence is now understood to affect at least 8.7 million women per year (Roberts, 1998). As a result of the chronic abuse, many women suffer from psychological disorders requiring professional help. A large percentage of battered women demonstrate symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and somatic complaints (Margolin & Burman, 1993; Yegidis, 1992). Treatment and intervention strategies will be introduced for both individual and group therapy, based primarily on cognitive approaches.

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy With Children, Debra L. Irvin

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will look at the use of cognitive-behavior therapy with children. Specifically, it will focus on the areas of depression and anxiety. First, there will be a look at applying cognitive-behavior therapy to children. This includes strategies for working with children, and developmental considerations with children. Next, there will be a focus on using cognitive-behavior therapy for children with depression. This section includes an examination of depression in children, and three cognitive-behavioral treatment strategies. The strategies to be discussed include affective education, cognitive restructuring, and social skills training. Finally, there will be an exploration of the use of cognitive-behavior …