Child Psychology Commons^™

Documenting Lines Of Communication Between School Personnel And Physicians For Medication Evaluation Purposes For Students With Adhd, Pamela M. Radford

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to document current and desired lines of communication between school personnel and physicians for the purpose of making medication decisions for students with ADHD. School-physician communication practices-were assessed utilizing a national survey of primary care physicians who are members o f the American Medical Association (AMA) and school psychologists who are members of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Specific information exchange practices that were assessed included: (a) on what student characteristics is information collected (e.g., academic performance, disruptive behavior, social interactions), (b) how school-based information is collected (e.g., direct observations, rating scales), …

Using Measures Of Intervention Integrity, Intervention Acceptability, And Intervention Effectiveness To Evaluate A Toilet Training Program In A Preschool Classroom For Children With Special Needs, Katherine M. Holverstott-Cockrell

Dissertations

The primary objective of this study is to use measures of intervention integrity, intervention acceptability, and intervention effectiveness identified by Witt and Elliott (1985) to evaluate the toilet training program in a preschool classroom. The second objective is to assess the effects of parent participation with the toileting program. The third objective is to assess the effects of the toilet training intervention. Specifically, this study investigated (a) the relationship between intervention integrity, acceptability, and effectiveness of a toilet training intervention implemented in a preschool setting and at home; (b) the relationship between parental participation with the intervention and the efficacy …

A Study Of The Effect Of Group Family Play On Family Relations For Families With Children Considered At-Risk For Educational Failure, Carmen Colleen Baldus

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Acceptability And Effectiveness Of Computer-Based Adjunctive Parent Training For Child Noncompliance, Dwayne M. Munneke

Dissertations

Noncompliance with parent requests is a commonly reported behavior problem for clinic-based child referrals. Parent skills training has been empirically demonstrated as an effective treatment for helping parents increase positive child behaviors and decrease negative behaviors. Unfortunately, many therapists and agencies are unable to implement parent-training programs due to limited therapist training, limited economic resources, or long waiting lists.

Adjunctive, computer-based, treatment programs have become increasingly popular in both research and clinical settings for facilitating psychological assessment and intervention. This project involved the development and preliminary investigation of the effectiveness and acceptability of a computer-based program designed to supplement therapist-delivered …

The Validity Of The Adhd Section Of The Diagnostic Interview Schedule For Children, Ann M. Mcgrath

Dissertations

The purpose o f this study was to learn more about the validity o f the ADHD portion of the NIMH-DISCIV. In order to accomplish this goal, 58 youth participants were divided into three groups: (1) subjects who met criteria for ADHD based upon both the youth and the caretaker versions of the DISC; (2) subjects who met criteria for ADHD based upon the caretaker DISC, but not according to the youth DISC; and (3) subjects who did not meet criteria for ADHD according to either the youth or the caretaker DISC. Subjects in these groups were compared across parent …

Evaluating The Effects Of Postive Peer Reporting On Social Acceptance, Mary Short

Dissertations

The effects of a positive peer reporting procedure on social status and social interactions were assessed. Children who are socially rejected seem to be disliked by their peers due to their high frequency of negative behaviors and low frequency of positive behaviors. Therefore, to decrease the negative behaviors and increase the positive behaviors, rejected children were asked to make positive comments about their peers. Participants included 4 children, ages 10-15 years. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized. Collection of baseline data began immediately following the confirmation of consent and eligibility for the child to participate. Initial baseline data …

Evaluating The Social Acceptability Of Persons With Habit Disorders: The Effects Of Topography, Frequency, And Gender Manipulation, Douglas W. Woods

Dissertations

Literature suggests that children who exhibit habit disorders are less socially acceptable than children who do not exhibit such disorders. This series of studies investigated the social acceptability of adults who exhibit habit disorders. In Studies 1 and 2, undergraduate students rated the social acceptability of individuals who exhibited motor tics, vocal tics, hairpulling, and no habit. Results showed that the individuals with no habit were more socially acceptable than the individuals who exhibited either motor tics, vocal tics, or hairpulling.

In Study 3, videotapes were created in which actors simulated motor tics, vocal tics, Tourette’s Syndrome, and Trichotillomania. The …

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 …

A Computer/Tutorial System Compared With A Workbook/Tutorial System For Presenting Instructional Material To At-Risk Elementary School Students, Vincent O. Hodge

Dissertations

Two different ways of presenting instructional material and reacting to students’ responses were compared. One, taking advantage of several features of multimedia instruction involved a desktop computer and various computer-presented consequences of correct and incorrect responses (largely chosen by the student). The other consisted in presenting the same instructional materials (the SRA primary curriculum) in a workbook form with tutors' comments and praise as the main form of response consequence. The two methods were compared with respect to various measures of student and system performance, including student accuracy (percent correct responses), types of errors, amount of correct response repetition (over-responding), …

The Efficacy Of Pediatric Pain Management Techniques For Infants During Inoculation Procedures, Kimberly K. Wisdorf-Houtkooper

Dissertations

In this study four different pre-immunization interventions were compared with respect to their effects on modifying arousal level before an immunization and their effects on the level and duration of distress after the immunization. In addition, the study evaluated whether the infants’ pre-inoculation behavioral state affected their response to a painful stimulus. Data consisting of facial expression, presence or absence of cry, cry duration, and behavioral state were collected prior to, during, and after the inoculation. Forty-two subjects were randomly assigned to one of four soothing conditions. These included: rocking, swaddling, sucking on a pacifier, and a control group.

An …

Do Reinforcer Surveys Enhance A Brief Parenting Skills Program For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disordered Children?, Maria A. Channell

Dissertations

Several clinical researchers have documented the benefits of evaluating reinforcer preference prior to the implementation of behavioral parent training programs. However, this has not been specifically tested with Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disordered (ADHD) population in relation to parent training. This between groups study investigated whether systematically altering parent delivered reinforcers to match children’s preferred reinforcers would result in an even greater increased compliance and decreased noncompliance.

One group received a brief (4-6 session) parenting program based on Patterson’s (1974) model. A second group received the same program with an added component wherein the child completed a reinforcer survey prior to the …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Women Survivors’ Disclosure Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Joanne Dodgson

Dissertations

In clinical literature regarding adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, disclosure of abuse is considered a vital aspect of healing (Courtois,1988; Herman, 1992). Despite the apparent significance of disclosure, few studies have been conducted to investigate this process. Integrating feminist and qualitative research perspectives, I sought to explore disclosure through the stories, language, and perspectives of women survivors. I was interested in learning about the following issues: (a) the ways in which survivors' disclosure unfolded, (b) the ways in which survivors understood and made meaning of their disclosures, and (c) the ways in which survivors' lives changed through the process …

Measuring Changes In Spontaneous Play Behavior In Preschoolers With Autism Associated With A Receptive Language Intervention, Jori Reijonen

Dissertations

Children diagnosed with Autistic Disorder have well documented deficits in the development of pretend play. When it occurs, spontaneous pretend play differs from play seen in other children in frequency, duration, and quality. The present study examined the effects of teaching preschoolers with Autism to follow one-part directions to play during discrete trial receptive language training sessions on spontaneous play skills.

Receptive language tasks were designed to teach simple pretend play skills (e.g., "Feed the doll with a spoon"). Spontaneous play was continuously sampled during free play sessions in the clinic and in the child's home before these receptive tasks …

The Kinetic Family Drawing As A Measure Of Minuchin's Structural Family Concepts Among Hispanic American Families With Substance-Abusing And Nonsubstance-Abusing Adolescents, José Osorio-Braña

Dissertations

Problem. There is a need for validation of new cultural-sensitive tests for assessing the Hispanic population in the United States that will take into account their cultural competence in the psychological evaluation practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the suitability of the Kinetic Family Drawings as a measure of Minuchin's Structural Family Theory among Hispanic American families with substance-abusing and nonsubstance-abusing adolescents.

Method. The Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD), the Structural Family Interaction Scale-Revised (SFIS-R), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES II) were administered to 141 families, 74 with an adolescent with substance-abusing problems and 67 …

Assessing Pediatricians' Diagnostic Practices: An Analogue Study Of Responses To Adhd-Like Presentations In Preschoolers, Helle Augustesen

Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been considered one of the most chronic behavior disorders observed in the preadolescent population and is one of the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorders in North America. Currently, however, there is little consistency in terms of identifying specific criteria which need to be present in a child's behavior to make a diagnosis of ADHD. This difficulty is even more pronounced in very young children of preschool age. This study utilized a three year old male child shown to 80 subjects on a videotape engaging in either a high or a low level of activity. …

Kinetic Family And Human Figure Drawings Of Child And Adolescent Sexual Offenders, Lyle Curtis Miller

Dissertations

Problem. Juvenile sexual offenders constitute a significant percentage of the total offender population. This study sought to determine whether the KFD and the HFD can be useful in identifying male juvenile sexual offenders by identifying specific characteristics in their drawings that differentiate them from the general population.

Method. KFDs, HFDs, and demographic information were collected from 401 male general subjects and 49 male juvenile sexual offenders ages 8 to 17. Forty-three KFD and 30 HFD dependent variables involving emotional and behavioral indicators and sexual symbols were analyzed by Chi-Square Analysis and Discriminant Analysis. Significance was set at .05.

Results. …

Toward An Objective Measure Of Moral Development For Children, Ruth S. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. Research on moral development in school-age children has been hampered by the lack of measurement tools based on a comprehensive model that includes moral cognition, moral emotions, and moral behavior. This study presents the first step toward the development of an objective measure of moral development for children in grades 3-6.

Method. One-hundred-twenty-one items covering different theorized determinates of moral development were administered to 187 children enrolled in grades 3-6. Either cluster or factor analysis was applied to determine the scales. Reliability was appraised by item analysis and validity was assessed by: (1) parent, teacher, and self ratings of …

Effects Of Caffeine Consumption On Cardiovascular Indices, Attention, Task Performance, And Memory Retention In Children, Suzanne L. Keller

Dissertations

Caffeine is one of the most commonly used drugs in the western world today. Average intake of caffeine in the United States has been estimated at greater than 200 mg daily per person. Although plagued by inconsistencies, and methodological problems, research suggests that this level of caffeine ingestion may have significant effects on cardiovascular functioning, and behavioral processes such as attention, cognitive processing, memory, and task performance.

Although children consume significant quantities of caffeine, very little research has been done on the effects of caffeine in children. The limited findings suggest that caffeine consumption may affect the cognitive and behavioral …

Development Of The Concept Of Salvation In The Argentinean And Paraguayan Seventh-Day Adventist Children And Adolescents From Ages 6 To 17 Years, Victor Andrés Korniejczuk

Dissertations

Problem. Research is lacking on how the concept of salvation develops in children and adolescents from Christian religious populations. the purpose of this study was to explore how the concept of salvation develops in Argentinean and Paraguayan Seventh-day Adventist children and adolescents, from a psychological perspective.

Method. Using a developmental, cross-sectional design, semiclinical interviews were conducted with 120 Argentinean and Paraguayan children, ages 6 to 17, to assess the development of the concept and assurance of salvation. Subjects also completed (1) a semantic differential scale, which measured their attitudes toward salvation (ATS), (2) a demographic and religious practices information survey, …

Reactions To Childhood Sibling Death: A Qualitative Investigation, Mary A. Paulson

Dissertations

Problem

In looking at the importance of sibling relationships, we see that the death of a sibling can cause considerable disruption to the surviving child's development. A review of the childhood sibling loss literature indicated that no study was found that investigated the effects of sibling loss on depression and psychosocial development and studied reactions to sibling loss and its effects on cognition, emotions, behaviors, interpersonal relations, and spirituality.

Method

Thirty subjects participated in this research and composed three developmental groups. Erik Erikson's psychosocial developmental stages were utilized in this investigation. The subjects were grouped according to their age at …

Self-Control And Choice In Children: Effects Of Food Magnitude And Reinforcer Delay, Ellen Lee Sharenow

Dissertations

The present research was designed to replicate and extend earlier studies with humans and nonhumans in the area of self-control. A discrete trial, within-subject experimental design over multiple sessions, with food as the reinforcer, was used. Instructions did not describe contingencies of reinforcement Subjects were preschool age children, a population that questionably possess the verbal repertoire capable of generating sophisticated tacting, or mediating behavior during long delays. Four experiments consisted of fixed-ratio, concurrent chain schedules with initial and terminal links. Initial links were forced trials, terminal links, choice trials. In Experiment I, the effects of differences in magnitude while holding …

The Development Of An Instrument To Screen Children At Risk For Attention Deficit Disorder, Carlisle Applewhaite

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to screen children who may be at risk for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This study utilized ten subtests/variables--letter sequencing, numerical operations, number sequencing, coding, listening concentration, color sequencing, object sequence, attention for sequencing, selective attention, and sentence repetition--to generate responses from two groups of students. The intent was to determine if the linear combination of variables or some subset of them could discriminate between the ADD and nonADD groups.

Method. The items in each subtest were carefully selected and subjected to critiques by eight psychologists, a psychometrician, and two …

A Revisitation Of The Wisc-R Factor Structure With Adequate Sample Size, Systematic Control Of Both Iq And Age Ranges, And The Use Of Procedures To Limit Overfactorization, Rudolph D. Bailey

Dissertations

Problem statement. This study addressed the problem of inconsistency in the results of factor-analytic studies of the WISC-R by performing analyses where age and size of Full Scale IQ ranges were held constant, and by using adequate sample sizes.

Methodology. Factor analyses were performed on the WISC-R scale scores. Principal Axes Factor method with squared multiple Rs in the diagonals was used. Oblimin was the rotation of choice. Sample size varied for each analysis, the largest being 3,493; and the smallest, 225.

Results. At the broad IQ ranges a general factor was found. At narrower IQ ranges, evidence of the …

The Effect Of Associative Distance On The Formation Of Transitive Relations, Robert G. Brown Jr.

Dissertations

Three children, aged eight to eleven years, were taught a series of conditional discriminations using two classes of 26 abstract visual stimuli. The conditional relations were ordered such that the correct comparison stimuli of one relation served as the sample stimuli for the next relation. This allowed for the formation of a series of derived relations (both transitive and equivalence) that differed in terms of the number of intervening nodes. At regular intervals, the subjects' performances on the different transitive relations were tested using unreinforced probe trials.

All three subjects made virtually no errors on transitive relations containing up to …

A Correlational-Developmental Study Of Sexual Symbols, Actions, And Themes In Children's Kinetic Family And Human Figure Drawings, Peggy Joan Rodgers

Dissertations

Problem. Sexual characteristics normally included in children's drawings need to be identified. This study sought to gain definitive information regarding the relationship between (1) child's age, (2) child's sex, (3) media exposure, and (4) sexual characteristics included in Human Figure Drawings (HFD) and Kinetic Family Drawings (KFD).

Method. The HFD, the KFD, and an interview schedule concerning exposure to various media were administered to 560 non-clinic and 81 clinic children, ages 6-18. Sexual characteristics in children's drawings and the amount and type of media the children had experienced were analyzed qualitatively and by Chi-square and Discriminant Analysis. Significance was set …

A Parent Training Program For Teaching Preschool Children Independent Self-Care Skills, Dalene Rooks Degraaf

Dissertations

Teaching children to be independent is a challenge for parents. Initially, parents directly prompt and consequate their children’s behavior. Later, the parents fade prompts and delay consequences expecting their children to use self-management skills and environmental cues to complete tasks. The purpose of this study was to observe some of the methods which parents use to teach their 4-year-old children independent self-care skills and test the effects of a parent training program. The program was designed to transfer stimulus control from the parent’s physical or verbal prompts to textual and picture prompts on a poster listing the morning self-care skills …

The Effectiveness Of Correspondence Training In Controlling Aggressive Behavior Between Children In Play Settings, Naiel Albkower

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of say/do correspondence training in controlling aggressive behavior between children in play settings. Two experiments assessed the effects of children's verbal statements, to play in a friendly manner with others, on the incidence of aggressive behavior during actual play. The results of the first experiment indicated that, in most instances, the number of aggressive incidents decreased as a result of the correspondence training in all subjects except one where the effects of treatment are not clear.

In the second experiment, the incidents of aggressive behavior decreased during the intervention to …

A Developmental Study On The Kinetic Family Drawing For A Nonclinic, Black-Child Population In The Midwestern Region Of The United States, Jannette Shaw

Dissertations

Problem. Valid psychological instruments for use with Black children are scarce. This study sought to validate the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) as a useful tool for gathering information about Black children and their families, and to obtain normative and developmental data for this population.

Method. A correlational research design was used to ascertain the validity of the KFD by comparing results on 40 variables (Burns, 1982; Cho, 1987) with the criterion measure, Semantic Differential Family Scale (SDFS), including family concepts: "Me," "Mother and Me," "Father and M e ” and "My Whole Family." The study utilized a stratified random sample …

Variables Which Discriminate Successful Versus Unsuccessful Placement Of Adolescents In An Open Residential Treatment Program, Teresa Gayle Turner

Dissertations

Problem. Little information exists that clarifies what type of adolescent in need of out-of-home care is appropriate for open residential treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify variables that discriminate between those adolescents who complete and those who fail to complete an open residential treatment program.

Method. Information on 208 adolescents placed at the Family and Children's Center Residential Treatment Program was obtained on 36 independent variables. The variables covered demographic and family characteristics, behavior problems prior to placement, and academic/intellectual functioning. Descriptive statistics were cited; five groups of variables (models) were analyzed by discriminant analysis.

Results. …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Adolescent Religiosity And Adolescent Perception Of Parental Behavior In Antigua And Barbuda, Eustace Sheppard

Dissertations

Purpose. This study investigated the relationship between adolescent religiosity and (a) adolescents' perception of paternal supporting, controlling, demanding, and punishing behavior; (b) adolescents' perception of maternal supporting, controlling, demanding, and punishing behavior; (c) the ten dimensions of adolescents' religiosity and three predictor variables of age, sex, and religious affiliation.

Methodology. The population investigated comprised adolescents between the ages of fourteen and seventeen years old, in forms three and four, attending fifteen secondary schools in Antigua and Barbuda. A sample of 400 was chosen by purposive sampling from eleven of the fifteen secondary schools; of the 400 chosen 314 were included …