Psychology Commons^™

Childhood Discipline Disparities For African American And Latinx Students, Cierra Townsend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American and Latinx students are disproportionality impacted by punitive discipline models including suspensions, detention, and expulsions. This disproportionality removes students from the education setting creating adverse social emotional, academic, and economic outcomes. Students who are suspended and expelled are more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system and or to be pushed out of school into alternative settings. Therefore, punitive discipline leads to increased school-based pathways to the juvenile justice system (SPJJ), also known as the school the prison pipeline (STPP). Despite knowledge of these adverse outcomes, schools continue to utilize punitive discipline practices. School psychologists are …

Unlocking Potential: The Transformative Power Of Trauma-Informed Schools On Students' Well-Being And Academic Success, Tiffany Carolino

University Honors Theses

Trauma-informed approaches in public schools have emerged as a promising strategy to address students' social-emotional well-being and academic success impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This paper explores the necessity and effectiveness of trauma-informed practices within educational settings. Adverse childhood experiences encompass a range of traumatic events that profoundly affect children's development, behaviors, and academic performance. Despite the prevalence of ACEs, traditional disciplinary practices often fail to address the underlying issues, leading to further challenges for students. This literature review examines three trauma-informed programs: HEARTS, TIES, and STRIVE, each offering strategies to support students and educators. Results from these programs …

A Phenomenological Study Of School Psychologists: The Influence Of Implicit Bias On The Disproportionate Identification Rates Of African American Students Evaluated For Emotional Disturbance, Sonya Coe-Milo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As advocates, school psychologists remain ethically responsible and uniquely positioned to identify social injustices and promote nondiscriminatory practices in prekindergarten through grade 12 public education institutions. Implicit bias and its influence on African American students is one such practice. In public education, implicit bias contributes to discipline disproportionality, differentiated teacher support, pedagogical practices, and adult perceptions and expectations of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. These factors directly correlate to the disproportionate identification rates of African American students for special education and related services. Therefore, this phenomenological qualitative study examined the personal, lived experiences and perceptions of school psychologists regarding implicit bias …

Relation Of Life Sciences Students’ Metacognitive Monitoring To Neural Activity During Biology Error Detection, Mei Grace Behrendt, Caron Clark, Mckenna Elliott, Joseph Dauer

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Metacognitive calibration—the capacity to accurately self-assess one’s performance—forms the basis for error detection and self-monitoring and is a potential catalyst for conceptual change. Limited brain imaging research on authentic learning tasks implicates the lateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate brain regions in expert scientific reasoning. This study aimed to determine how variation in undergraduate life sciences students’ metacognitive calibration relates to their brain activity when evaluating the accuracy of biological models. Fifty undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory life sciences course completed a biology model error detection task during fMRI. Students with higher metacognitive calibration recruited lateral prefrontal regions linked in …

Psychological Distress And Behavioral Vigilance In Response To Minority Stress And Threat Among Members Of The Asian American And Pacific Islander Community During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew S. Franks, Rin Nguyen, Y. Jenny Xiao, Dena Abbott

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Stigmatization, hostility, and violence towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to conduct research to promote understanding of the effects of such stigmatization on the AAPI community. Accordingly, the present study used a combined minority stress and integrated threat framework to examine whether factors related to AAPI identity would moderate the relationship between stigmatization/threat associated with AAPI identity and increased psychological distress and behavioral vigilance. AAPI individuals were recruited online from both Turk Prime and Reddit and completed measures of perceived stigmatization; integrated threat; depression, anxiety, and stress; …

Growing Through Adversity: The Relation Of Early Childhood Educator Post-Traumatic Growth To Young Children’S Executive Function, Caron A. C. Clark, Holly Hatton-Bowers, Kimia Akhavein, Sarah Rasby, Gilbert R. Parra

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Early childhood educators (ECEs) play a critical role in supporting the development of young children’s executive functions (EF). EF, in turn, underpins lifelong resilience and well-being. Unfortunately, many ECEs report adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that may compound high stress levels associated with an emotionally and physically demanding profession. ACEs have well-established negative implications for adult well-being and may dampen ECEs’ capacities to engage in emotionally responsive interactions with children. However, many individuals who experience ACEs also report post-traumatic growth experiences that foster empathy, self-determination, and resilience. Such post-traumatic growth may equip teachers with skills to engage in responsive …

High Times, Higher Stakes: Mental Health Impacts In New Recreational Marijuana Legal Landscape, Jason T. Lorenzon J.D., Chris Pezalla, Diana Semilia

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

This presentation delves into the societal and mental health consequences arising from the increasing trend of legalizing recreational marijuana. Specifically, we will examine the potential normalization of unconventional behavior among aviation college students, who may grapple with substance use challenges due to stress, sleep difficulties, and the demands of college life. Given the rigorous nature of flight training, prioritizing the mental well-being of pilots becomes imperative.

With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Ohio, this presentation integrates insights from Diana Semilia's 2022 study on Kent State Flight Students Ages 19-26. The study's objective was to extract practical recommendations applicable …

Factors That Inhibit And Support The Work Of School-Based Mental Health Providers, David B. Naff, Jennifer Murphy, Alexandra Javna, Wyatt Aldrich, Erin Standish, Jeen Joy, Ciana Cross, Sandra Saji

MERC Publications

This research brief comes from the MERC Supporting Mental Health in Schools study. Launched in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores research-based strategies for supporting mental health in PK-12 school settings, as well as the emotional and professional capacity of PK-12 faculty and staff in the MERC region to support the social and emotional wellness of their students. This brief shares takeaways from a systematic literature review that highlight the factors that inhibit and support the work of school-based mental health providers, including school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. It outlines the roles …

The Influence Of School Policies On Black Students' Mental Health, Ama Ogyaa Boateng

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

When educators target Black students’ hair through school policies, they inadvertently target their racial identity, causing harm to their mental health (Joseph- Salisbury & Connelly, 2018). While previous research has looked at the relationship between a school’s racial climate and Black students’ mental health (Mattison & Aber, 2007), this research study explored the mental health of Black adults who have experienced racial discrimination or racial microaggressions, in relation to hair and dress codes, as Black students in the K-12 school system.

A retrospective survey was used to explore the experiences that Black young adults had in the K-12 school system …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Dungeons And Dragons™ (D&D) As A Brief Intervention For College Students, Alexander W. Peralta

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of a table-top roleplaying game (ttrpg), specifically Dungeons and Dragons™ (D&D), on increasing feelings of social connection, decreasing perceived stress, increasing self-esteem and improving adjustment to college among first semester, first year students. participants signed up to either the D&D group or the comparison group. D&D participants (n = 18) attended five one-hour weekly D&D sessions, meanwhile the comparison group (n = 10) went through their first semester of college with no intervention, but completed the study measures at the same points in time as the D&D participants. All participants completed measures of social …

Teacher Acceptability Of Praise Across Grades (K-12), Laura Heuermann

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the praise acceptability literature by examining K-12 teachers’ preferences for praise and whether their acceptability for praise, as a behavior management tool, declines as grade level increases. Teacher acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were collected through the Teacher Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (TPRPS) which is a survey adapted from the previously existing Adolescent Preference for Praise Survey (APPS). A total of 140 teachers from rural, suburban, and urban school districts completed the TPRPS survey. Results of the study showed that as grade level increased, teachers reported to praise students …

Self-Reported Multicultural Teaching Knowledge Of K-12 Teachers, Ailish Raftery

Masters Theses

Research continues to show that students who belong to racial and/or ethnic minority groups face a variety of challenges at school, such as disproportionate rates of drop out, behavioral problems, exclusionary discipline practices, absenteeism, placement in special education, and more. These challenges are thought to contribute to the academic achievement gap between White and racial/ethnic minority students throughout the American public school system. Therefore, it is important to assess the multicultural teaching competence of American teachers and investigate barriers to improving culturally responsive teaching practices. Past research has investigated teachers’ multicultural teaching competence, but fewer compared general and special education …

Autism-Related Support Services On Mental Health And University Connectedness, Adeline E. P. Rogers

Scripps Senior Theses

College is notoriously challenging, with many student concerns associated with adapting to the new expectations for lifestyle, workload, and socializing that come with transitioning to college and/or university (Gelbar et al., 2015). For college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the impact of these changes can be far more challenging, as their needs can be different from their neurotypical peers. This study implemented an online survey to gather data on autistic students’ feelings of depression, anxiety, stress, university connectedness, experiences with university autism support programs, and basic demographics. Unfortunately, the results found from this study were contaminated by a large …

The Non-Standardization Of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: A Call To Action, Gabriel L.S Gomez

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most diagnosed disorders in adults and children, yet there is no standardized method to assess for ADHD. The similarity of symptoms shared across other disorders (comorbidity) makes the assessment of ADHD a very delicate process. This is not aided by the fact that the assessment of ADHD is not standardized. This allows individuals able to assess for ADHD to give a test or a combination of tests that they find fitting. This in turn brings into question the quality of testing and disagreement in diagnosing across fields. Lastly, ADHD-focused measures typically …

Unraveling The Interplay: Religiosity, Sexual Health Knowledge, And Sexual Behaviors, Erinmarie Travis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Limited research exists on the longitudinal effects of religiosity and sexual health education on adolescents' sexual risk behaviors and their transition into adulthood. This study used The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health data to investigate these effects in a nationally representative sample. Linear regression analyses explored associations between religiosity, sexual health knowledge (SHK), and sexual risk behaviors (SRBs) during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Findings revealed significant associations between adolescent religiosity and SRBs, predicting SRBs during adolescence. However, religiosity's influence diminished in emerging adulthood, and SHK did not mediate the relationship between adolescent religiosity and SRBs. These results …

Comparing The Effects Of Choice And Performance Feedback On The Writing Fluency Outcomes Of Elementary Students, Collin M. Seifert

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Performance feedback is an effective intervention that improves the writing outcomes of elementary students. Although choice has been referred to as a powerful tool in improving the writing of students, little empirical research has been conducted that investigates the effectiveness of choice when implemented in a class-wide setting. Therefore, the current study used a randomized controlled trial design to compare the effects of performance feedback and choice on the writing fluency outcomes of 40 fourth-grade elementary students in one elementary school. Participants were randomly assigned to either a performance feedback condition (n = 20) or a choice condition (n = …

Enhancing A School Readiness Skill Through A Mindfulness-Based Intervention: Soles Of The Feet, Caitlin J. Moen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Approximately one million children enroll in kindergarten each year with varying levels of experience and school readiness. Fundamental school readiness skills parallel executive functioning skills, which multiple interventions are able to target. School readiness intervention programs can be costly and require a considerable amount of training. Teachers and other school staff need an affordable, easy-to-implement intervention that targets critical school readiness skills. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been found to improve executive functioning skills like self-regulation, which is skill for school readiness. Soles of the Feet (SOF) is an evidence-based MBI that has been found effective for increasing self-regulation in schoolaged …

Early Technology Exposure And Academic Performance In Generation Alpha: Reduced Attention Span And Ability To Multitask, Sanjana Gupta

Undergraduate Research Posters

The increasing prevalence of handheld devices in the lives of young children inspired this research, particularly regarding their potential impact on attention spans and cognitive development in Generation Alpha. Early exposure to tablets and smartphones before the age of seven coincides with critical periods of neuroplasticity, during which the brain is highly receptive to environmental influences. This matters because attention and cognitive skills formed in childhood lay the foundation for academic success and long-term personal development, and the shift toward digital learning platforms in schools may have significant consequences.

This study aimed to investigate whether early exposure to handheld devices …

Do Dyslexia Laws Help Students With Visual Impairments Receive Needed Reading Supports? A Mixed-Methods Approach., Lindsay N. Harris, Johnnie Jones, Molly Pasley, Lisa Liberty, Tiffany Puckett

CISLL Publications

Teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) have long expressed frustrations about the difficulty of getting a dyslexia diagnosis for students with visual impairments, but there is limited data to validate their concerns. Moreover, although most U.S. states have passed dyslexia laws that require universal screening and/or intervention for students with dyslexia, the laws may not be applied equally across all populations of students. A mixed-methods approach can validate TSVIs’ perspectives by revealing whether dyslexia legislation is associated with TSVIs’ perceptions of how their students’ needs are being met. To this end, we conducted a qualitative analysis of TSVI survey …

“Learning To Read With The Magic Seeds”: A Pilot Test Of A Parent Shared Reading Program, Mary Jean Strong

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study was a pilot study to assess the feasibility of “Learning to Read with the Magic Seeds,” a four-week shared reading program, and its effectiveness in changing parental beliefs about literacy. Two groups of parents of preschool-aged children with different demographics participated in the study. Parents completed the Parental Reading Beliefs Inventory prior to and after the four sessions. The first session included an introduction, assessments, and a conversation about literacy beliefs, practices in the home, and the importance of talk. Subsequent sessions focused on extending book talk, phonological awareness, and developing print awareness. During the session, the …

School Psychologists Supporting Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Families Through The Evaluation Process, Jacqueline A. Oluoch

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined factors that predicted higher cultural skills in practicing school psychologists, and if these skills could be improved through a professional development session. Participants were school psychologists who attended a cultural skills professional development workshop during the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention 2024. A Mann-Whitney test was used to examine the change in cultural skills pre- and post-workshop. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine cultural skills by career stage and work settings. The results showed an overall increase in cultural skills post-workshop. Working in public schools or non-public schools was not related to higher cultural skills …

Promoting Caregiver Mental Health Literacy: A Pilot Study Of The Online Program “Mental Wellness At The Lake”, Erika Baylis

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The mental health needs of children are growing in the United States. Caregiver’s mental health knowledge and attitudes about help-seeking can impede the awareness of help-seeking behaviors. The Baylis Model is a framework for caregivers to increase their mental health knowledge. This research is a pilot study to provide elementary caregivers with mental health knowledge to increase their awareness to access treatments for their children. Participants completed a pre-test to determine mental health knowledge to begin the study. A total of 14 families completed a 10-module course (Mental Wellness At The Lake) on canvas, a web-based learning management system. Throughout …

Navigating New Normals: Student Perceptions, Experiences, And Mental Health Service Utilization In Post-Pandemic Academia, Hadiza Galadima, Anne Dumadag, Cara Tonn

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

This study explores the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education, focusing on shifts in learning experiences and students’ intentions to utilize mental health services post-pandemic. Utilizing Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study assesses perceptions from a stratified random sample of college students on post-pandemic learning experiences and mental health service utilization intentions. Findings reveal a positive reception to university initiatives and a preference for ongoing virtual classes. There is an evident increase in, and varying intentions for, using mental health services, shaped by demographics, employment, and prior service utilization. Younger and female students showed …

Utilizing Mixed Methods To Examine Black Graduate Students’ Experiences With Multicultural Supervision In School Psychology, Larraine Graham

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

Multicultural supervision is essential in preparing psychologists-in-training to provide ethical, multiculturally competent practices to diverse populations. In the field of school psychology, Black graduate students remain underrepresented despite increasing diversity in schools. While there are many resources for establishing best practices in multicultural supervision in related fields, there is a lack of literature in school psychology, especially that examines Black graduate students’ experiences. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to attend to the gap in the literature and better understand Black graduate students’ experiences with the supervisory relationship, satisfaction with supervision, and multicultural competency skill development. The current …

What Is It Really: The Role Of Intergroup Threat In Educational Decision-Making, Kyle A. Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Perceptions of intergroup threat correlate with prejudice against Black Americans (Iyer, 2022). For example, White Americans tend to move out of communities they dominate when the population of Black Americans increases in those communities beyond a “tolerable” rate due to a perceived threat to the neighborhood's safety and resources; this phenomenon is known as White Flight (Grodzins, 1958; Zou & Cheryan, 2022). This exodus of White Americans predicts urban decay, which affects the public school systems in those areas, leading to poorer public services and higher dropout rates among those in the now racially segregated neighborhoods (Mayer & Jencks, 1989; …

Character Strengths In Applied Behavior Analysis And The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study, Michael G. Johansen

Dissertations and Theses

Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have continued to rise. Individuals diagnosed with ASD may display a range of deficits in social communication, behaviors, and symptoms that limit everyday functioning. Among the treatments for ASD, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is typically the earliest and longest intervention individuals with ASD are exposed to. Concerns have been raised over ABA being a compliance-based therapy which potentially produces prompt reliance, reinforcement dependency, and a lack of intrinsic motivation. In an attempt to address these concerns, this study aimed to assess the potential benefits of including the concept of character strengths from the field …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Teaching Experience, Nicholas Daniel Hafner

Masters Theses

Teacher self-efficacy significantly impacts student learning in a variety of ways. High levels of teacher self-efficacy can lead to improved student outcomes and act as a protective factor for multiple stressors. The present study investigated the associations between teachers’ years of experience and their hours of professional development concerning a teacher’s overall self-efficacy and its three domains: student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management. It was hypothesized that years of experience and hours of professional development would predict overall self-efficacy and its three domains. A survey was utilized to gather demographic, experience, and self-efficacy information. A total of 194 teachers …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Role In Supporting Students’ Mental Health Needs, Rachael Mcdonough

Masters Theses

Mental health issues are highly prevalent among children and adolescents and have recently increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence shows a research to practice gap in the area of mental health practices and interventions in schools. As teachers are frontline gatekeepers for identifying mental health issues in students, it is important to understand current teachers' perspectives regarding their role, knowledge, and training. Thus, the current study sought to explore teachers’ perceptions regarding their role in supporting student mental health needs and the barriers that may prevent them from doing so. In the current study, general and special …

The Construct Validity Of The Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition (Rias-2) And The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale Of Intelligence, Second Edition (Wasi-Ii), Cristen J. Rozek

Masters Theses

This study is designed to assess the relationship between two brief intelligence tests, the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales-Second Edition (RIAS-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition (WASI-II; Wechsler, 2011), through evaluating their ability to similarly measure intellectual skills. These two tests measure an individual’s overall general intelligence. Both tests are able to assess individuals aged 6-90. The WASI-II publisher specified this test was only a screener while the RIAS-2 is not. Tests like the RIAS-2 and WASI-II are more time efficient allowing more time to be spent on other professional responsibilities. Manuals from both …