Psychology Commons^™

Cognitive And Noncognitive Measures As Predictors Of Student Success At An Independent School, Sharron J. Russell

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Predicting academic success is an important aspect of education, but is of particular interest for educators and admissions officers at independent schools. This study, conducted using archival data at an independent school in the Philadelphia suburbs, used hierarchical regression analysis to determine whether cognitive measures could predict student GPA, whether measures of noncognitive traits (Grit, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Emotional Intelligence) could improve the prediction of GPA, and whether cognitive skills predict to any of the noncognitive traits. The most significant finding (p < .01, ϝ²= .52) is that scores on the Wechsler scales combined with scores on noncognitive measures are good …

An Analysis Of Teacher’S Judgements Of Student’S Executive Functions And Percieved Academic Competency Across Age Groups, Evan Skolnik

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

In the school setting, well-developed executive functions are associated with the metacognitive skills important for learning and are positively correlated with measures of student achievement across children and adolescents; however, development of executive skills has been shown to be inconsistent with chronological age among children. The current study examined if teachers’ ratings of students’ executive functions differ significantly among groups of students whose academic competence is judged to be above average, average, and below average and if these ratings differ significantly by age. Further, the study sought to determine if the relationship between teachers’ ratings of executive functions and teachers’ …

Music Performance Anxiety And Interventions In Conservatory And Liberal Arts Institution Music Students, Francesca M. Jimenez

Scripps Senior Theses

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is reported in musicians of all experience, levels, and genre. However, solo classical musicians report MPA more often and at higher levels than performers in other genres because of its formal culture and traditional structure. Within solo classical musicians, collegiate training greatly differs between conservatories that award a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) and liberal arts institutions that award a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). In 2 studies, the proposed research examines the differences in general anxiety, MPA, and private lesson content between these two groups. Participants will be from the two groups of types of collegiate music …

Dreaming Big: Understanding The Current Context Of Academic And Career Decision-Making For Undocumented Students, Neeta Kantamneni, Kavitha Dharmalingam, Jessica Tate, Beth Perlman, Chaitasi R. Majmudar, Nichole Shada

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Undocumented student immigrants in the United States face substantial challenges in higher education including systemic, institutional, and cultural barriers that often impede access to and success in higher education. These barriers directly influence academic and work opportunities. The purpose of this article is to discuss the myriad of factors that affect the academic, career, and work development of undocumented college students. The three main objectives of this article are to (1) examine legislation that directly impacts access to higher education, (2) explore common barriers and systemic challenges undocumented college students face, and (3) review culturally sensitive interventions and resources for …

Review Of Ordinary Magic: Resilience In Development By Ann S. Masten, Eric S. Buhs, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The notion of risk has been a mainstay of research in child development for decades. Studying and understanding risk have led to important discoveries that have informed policy and practice, particularly for children living in situations where risk is abundant. More recently, there has been attention to cumulative risk, or the idea that single indicators of risk – for example, poverty, hunger, and home insecurity – tend to co-occur. Individuals and families facing higher levels of cumulative risk are thought to have compounded problems, regardless of the risks themselves, because these multiple stressors together wear down a family’s resources and …

Toward A Human Rights Agenda: Social Issues That Have Shaped Psychology In The United States, Dena Abbott, Noelany Pelc, Debra Mollen

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The history of psychology is comparably brief relative to many other fields of study. Within this brief history, beginning in the late 19th century, there have been tremendous, impactful shifts and the coalescence of multiple events that have shaped the development of psychology, which has likewise impacted society. Rapid social, political, cultural, and technological changes have dramatically altered the experience of each successive generation, and the science of psychology has adapted to each change to remain relevant, effective, and innovative. The impact of these widespread changes has affected the ways in which psychologists study human behavior and practice psychotherapy. In …

Developmental Trajectories Of Working Memory From Age 6 Through 25 Years, Kristin L. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Working memory (WM) has been shown to be closely related to measures of achievement and intelligence, as well as attention, illustrating the critical role WM plays in the learning process. Understanding the typical developmental trajectory of WM is essential if professionals are to recognize and intervene when a child’s WM development shows signs of delay. The current study evaluated the development of WM in a crosssectional sample of 303 children, adolescents, and adults from ages 6 through 25 years. The study utilized a comprehensive measure of WM, assessing verbal, static visualspatial, and dynamic visual-spatial WM capacity across various processing demands. …

Promoting Progress To Assist Youth With Disordered Eating In School Mental Health, Bryn Elizabeth Schiele

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating has become a significant issue among children and adolescents; nearly 14% of all youth displaying disordered eating patterns. Despite the prevalence of these disorders amongst school-age students, there is a deficit of empirical literature on the integration of eating disorder support services in schools, as well as a lack of knowledge and training of school mental health (SMH) professionals regarding the appropriate interventions for this population. While eating disorders have previously been considered as outside of the school mental health domain of practice (e.g., Judge, 2001), this view has changed and there exists a significant need to provide …

The Matching Criterion Purification For Differential Item Functioning Analyses In A Large-Scale Assessment, Hyesun Lee, Kurt F. Geisinger

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study investigated the impact of matching criterion purification on the accuracy of differential item functioning (DIF) detection in large-scale assessments. The three matching approaches for DIF analyses (block-level matching, pooled booklet matching, and equated pooled booklet matching) were employed with the Mantel– Haenszel procedure. Five factors—the length of a test, the proportion of items exhibiting DIF, a sample size, a ratio of a reference and focal group, and the existence of an average ability difference between two groups—were manipulated. The three matching approaches were used with and without purification. Also, a systematic test form difference was considered. The …

Bullying Intervention In Adolescence: The Intersection Of Legislation, Policies, And Behavioral Change, Susan M. Swearer, Meredith Martin, Marc Brackett, Raul A. Palacios Ii

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This article reviews current research on bullying during adolescence. The complexity of bullying behaviors during the adolescent time period are discussed and a review of the developmental literature on adolescence provides suggestions for why current bullying prevention and intervention programs are less effective for this age group. Current anti-bullying policies and legislation are reviewed under a framework of adolescent brain development and the development of consequential thinking. Suggestions for implementing social-emotional learning programming during the adolescent period are provided and a novel approach using social media is presented. In order to effectively combat bullying during this developmental period, programming must …

Estimate Of Adolescent Alcohol Use In China: A Meta-Analysis, Yonghua Feng, Ian Newman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: A profile of adolescent alcohol use for China that specified gender, school type and a consistent definition of alcohol use.

Method: A total of 1,646 papers were identified in the Chinese- and English-language literature published 2007–2015 that reported Chinese adolescent drinking rates. Selection criteria were established a priori. Thirty-two papers met all the selection criteria. Five papers were eliminated because they were found to be duplicate reports of the same data.

Result: The resulting sample included 26 papers—24 in Chinese and two in English, 20 describing middle school students, 12 describing high school students, and six describing vocational …

Does Child Temperament Modify The Overweight Risk Associated With Parent Feeding Behaviors And Child Eating Behaviors?: An Exploratory Study, Allan D. Tate, Amanda Trofholz, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Jerica M. Berge

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Child temperament is a measure of an individual’s behavioral tendencies. The primary objective of this study was to examine whether child temperament modified the overweight risk associated with parent feeding behaviors and child eating behaviors. Methods: A sample of predominantly African American, Midwest families (N = 120) recruited from four metropolitan primary care clinics participated in this cross-sectional, mixed methods study. Parents reported on feeding practices, child eating behaviors, and child temperament. Results: Difficult temperament was not statistically related to parent feeding practices or child eating behaviors (p > 0.05). Tests of interaction indicated that the risk …

Temperament And Teacher–Child Conflict In Preschool: The Moderating Roles Of Classroom Instructional And Emotional Support, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Leslie Hawley, Victoria J. Molfese, Xiaoqing Tu, Amanda Prokasky, Kate Sirota

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research Findings: This study is an examination of (a) links between preschool children’s temperament (effortful control, shyness, and anger) and teacher– child conflict and (b) classroom instructional and emotional support as moderators of associations between temperament and teacher–child conflict. Children (N = 104) were enrolled in 23 classrooms in 9 preschools in a Midwestern city. Teachers provided ratings of children’s temperament and parents reported demographic information in the fall of the school year, classrooms were observed in the winter to assess instructional and emotional support, and teachers rated conflict with children in the spring. Multilevel models were estimated, and 3 …

Parent-Teacher Communication About Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Examination Of Collaborative Problem- Solving, Gazi F. Azad Phd, Mina Kim Med, Steven C. Marcus Phd, Susan Sheridan Phd

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Effective parent-teacher communication involves problem-solving concerns about students. Few studies have examined problem solving interactions between parents and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on identifying communication barriers and strategies for improving them. This study examined the problem-solving behaviors of parents and teachers of children with ASD. Participants included 18 teachers and 39 parents of children with ASD. Parent-teacher dyads were prompted to discuss and provide a solution for a problem that a student experienced at home and at school. Parents and teachers also reported on their problem-solving behaviors. Results showed that parents and …

Adolescence In Lifespan Perspective: Review Of Laurence Steinberg, Age Of Opportunity: Lessons From The New Science Of Adolescence, David Moshman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Laurence Steinberg, Age of opportunity: Lessons from the new science of adolescence. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, 2014, ISBN: 978-0-544-27977-3 (cloth), 264 pp., $28

Adolescence, argues Laurence Steinberg in Age of opportunity, is the new zero-to-three. Noting the extensive publicity regarding evidence of the developmental plasticity of the very young brain, Steinberg writes, “We now know that adolescence is a similarly remarkable period of brain reorganization and plasticity” (p. 22).

As indicated in the subtitle, the book's intent is to provide “lessons from the new science of adolescence.” What is the new science of adolescence? Brain science. And what are …

The Impact Of Religious Commitment On Women’S Sexual Self-Esteem, Dena Abbott, Jeff E. Harris, Debra Mollen

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Religious commitment is associated with decreased sexual activity, poor sexual satisfaction, and sexual guilt, particularly among women. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how religious commitment is related to sexual self-esteem among women. Participants included 196 female undergraduate students, 87 % of whom identified as Christian. Participants completed the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory for Women (SSEI-W), Religious Commitment Inventory-10, Revised Religious Fundamentalism Scale, Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale, and a measure of their perception of God’s view of sex. Results suggested that women with high religious commitment held more conservative sexual attitudes. Significant relationships between religious commitment and two subscales …

The Common Core: An Enhancement Or Hindrance For The Youth Of America?, Haley L. Alderete, Haley L. Alderete

CMC Senior Theses

Education in America differs from other nations and may benefit from modeling some of these foreign practices. Although there are many improvements that the country could make, curriculum could be one of the sources of inadequacy in the education system and is often what receives the most attention. Therefore, the subsequent sections will explore the United States’ major attempt in improving education through creating consistency through the Common Core curriculum. In all, if the United States seeks to maintain its power in various sectors, it must strengthen its education system to ensure success.

Relationships Between Parental Self-Efficacy And Posttraumatic Growth In Mothers Of Children With Down Syndrome, Amanda A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the relationships between maternal variables (mother status (biological or adoptive), birth order of the child with Down syndrome, timing of diagnosis (in utero or at birth), mother’s age at time of birth or adoption, time elapsed since diagnosis and maternal psychological variables (parenting self-efficacy, and Posttraumatic growth). The current study hypothesizes that maternal variables will be positively related to parenting self-efficacy and that parenting self-efficacy will explain a significant portion of the variance in maternal Posttraumatic growth. Results indicated that maternal self-efficacy as measured by the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale was …

An Examination Of A Yoga Intervention And Elementary Students’ Selective Attention And Executive Function In The School Setting, M. Jill Rogers

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of yoga on children’s executive function and selective attention. There were three primary aims of this study. The first aim was to examine whether yoga would have a positive effect on children’s selective attention in a school setting. Another aim was to explore if teachers will report an improved change in children’s executive function in the classroom. The final aim was to determine if yoga would be a socially acceptable intervention to teachers and students. Participants included three fifth grade students and two teachers. Mixed methods were used to visually …

Exploring Barriers To The Generalization Of Social Skills Interventions For Children Diagnosed With Asd: A Qualitative Analysis Of ‘Youth Engagement Through Intervention’, Zachary Shindorf

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty with social skills and maintaining friendships. In turn, many social skills interventions have been developed to aid in the treatment of children diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD, however, have difficulty generalizing the skills learned in social skills interventions to more natural settings like the home and school. This study, therefore, explored the barriers to the generalization of a social skills intervention, Youth Engagement Through Intervention (YETI) for children with ASD. Barriers to the generalization of YETI were explored through the qualitative examination of parents’ acceptability of the …

Solidifying Segregation Or Promoting Diversity? School Closure And Rezoning In An Urban District, Thomas J. Shields

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Purpose: Layered with myriad considerations, school closure and rezoning processes in urban school systems are politically fraught with the potential for damaging consequences. This article explores the politics and impacts of a closure and rezoning process in Richmond, Virginia, through the lens of themes applicable to urban school systems and students across the nation. These include the intersection of closure and rezoning with growing White reinvestment in urban school systems, as well as the importance of focusing on diversity and equity during a time of intense pressure to close schools.

Research Methods/Approach: Drawing on the case of Richmond, Virginia, we …

The Effects Of The Caterpillar Game On Classroom Behavior And Teacher Stress, Amber Jacoby

Masters Theses

A single-case, multiple baseline design was utilized to evaluate the effects of the Caterpillar Game, a classroom management system, on disruptive student behavior, teacher praise, and teacher stress. Three classrooms were included in the study (preschool, kindergarten, and second grade). When the Caterpillar Game was implemented across the three classrooms, student disruptive behavior decreased and teacher behavior-specific praise increased. Disruptive behavior and teacher praise results remained similar to intervention two to four weeks later and teachers reported being highly satisfied with the Caterpillar Game. One of the three teachers reported a decrease in stress. This study adds further support to …

Examination Of Externalizing Behaviors Within General Education, At-Risk, And Special Education Preschool-Aged Classrooms, Rebecca A. Rader

Masters Theses

This study examined the natural occurrence of externalizing behaviors within six preschool classrooms (two general education classrooms, two at-risk classrooms, and two special education classrooms). Approximately 100 direct observation minutes were collected in each of the six classrooms to obtain measures of student off-task and disruptive behavior. No significant off-task differences were found across the three classroom types. However, a significant difference in disruptive behavior was found between special education and general education classrooms and also between special education and at-risk classrooms. The most commonly observed disruptive behaviors across all six classrooms were talking out, being out of area, and …

An Investigation Of Reliability And Validity Of The Bully Participant Behavior Questionnaire In An Elementary Sample, Morgan B. Nesbitt

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to investigate the factor structure, reliability, and validity for the Bullying Participant Behaviors Questionnaire (BPBQ) in an elementary sample. Previous research provided preliminary evidence of reliability and validity of the BPBQ scores with middle school students (Demaray, Summers, Jenkins, & Becker, 2014). The BPBQ is a self-report survey that purports to measure participation in five roles of bullying. These roles include bully, victim, assistant to the bully, defender of the victim, and outsider. Another goal of the study was to analyze possible sex and grade differences in the bullying roles. The current sample included …

Empathy, Perceived Popularity And Social Anxiety: Predicting Bystander Intervention Among Middle School Students, Nicole Menolascino

Masters Theses

Bullying is a prevalent issue in today's schools, and the importance of bystanders has been recognized; however, there are few studies that examine personal characteristics that relate to the five bystander behaviors within Latané and Darley's (1970) Bystander Intervention Model (notice the event, interpret as an emergency, accept responsibility, know what to do, and act). This study examined personal characteristics (i.e., cognitive and affective empathy, perceived popularity, and social anxiety) and their relation to each of the five steps of the Bystander Intervention Model in Bullying (Nickerson, Aloe, Livingston, & Feeley, 2014), as well as exploring gender as a moderator …

Title: Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The pervasiveness of autism has significantly increased over the past 2 decades with the 2014 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report indicating 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is recommended as the most effective treatment approach. Nevertheless, previous research has indicated that White children are diagnosed with ASD about 1.5 years earlier than are Non-White children. A current gap remains in literature regarding ASD and different racial groups, and evidence has been inconclusive regarding disparities in identifying and diagnosing ASD. To fill this gap, this study investigated the relationship between child race, …

Yuli's Story: Using Educational Policy To Achieve Cultural Genocide, Katrina Johnson Leon

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

All children residing in the United States have the right to a quality education. At least that is our collective expectation. Through the lived experience of Yuli, a Native American woman from the Southwest, you will discover, due to her birth on a remote reservation, she was not given the same access to education you or I would expect. On Yuli’s reservation, the school system is managed by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Rather than provide K-12 schooling, the BIE operates K-8 on her reservation and then Native youth who want to go to high school must move off-reservation. …

Life Adversity, Social Support, Resilience, And College Student Mental Health, Joshua Mello

All Master's Theses

This study investigated how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), current college student hassles, and perceived social support relate to college student resilience. This study also explored how ACEs, current college student hassles, perceived social support, and resilience relate to college student mental health. A sample of 507 students from a public university in Washington State completed an online study which consisted of surveys operationalizing each variable. The results showed that current college student hassles and perceived social support significantly predicted resilience. Current college student hassles, resilience, and perceived social support also significantly predicted mental health. The study revealed that ACEs had …

Adhd Symptoms, Social Problems, And Independence In Adolescent And Young Adult Males With Fxs, Marjorie Lee Grefer

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents and young adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS) typically report a range of comorbid, impairing conditions including cognitive deficits, autism, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Similarly these individuals experience social problems and very low levels of proficiency in independent living, which makes it extremely important to better understand what contributes to these deficits and how to potentially intervene and improve outcomes. Despite this importance, very little attention has been paid to the developmental period of adolescence in the FXS population. In addition, no previous work has utilized specific narrow band measures to probe for ADHD symptoms and instead has …

How Technology Supported Teacher Behaviors Impact Student Outcomes: Results From A 1:1 Computing Initiative, James Siddall

Theses and Dissertations

As computing technology has advanced over the last several decades, many schools and school districts have embraced the use of this technology in education. One way in which schools and school districts have adopted computing technology is through adopting 1:1 computer initiatives where each student is provided with a computing device. However, despite the widespread and continuously expanding use of 1:1 computer initiatives within the educational setting, surprisingly little is known about the classroom-level factors that may impact student educational outcomes. Only one study to date (Shapley et al., 2010) has attempted to investigate specific classroom-level factors that may impact …