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Full-Text Articles in Child Psychology

The Effects Of Social Media Sites On Self-Esteem, Kristine Raymer Jul 2015

The Effects Of Social Media Sites On Self-Esteem, Kristine Raymer

Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of the Internet over a decade ago came the introduction of a new form of communication referred to as social networking. On-line social networking sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, have become increasingly popular and almost an integral part of everyday life, especially for college students. Approximately ninety percent of college students have a Facebook account, and it is estimated that the average amount of time spent on this social networking site ranges from thirty minutes to over two hours on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between on-line …


School Psychologists' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Towards Transgender Students, Arielle Walzer Jun 2015

School Psychologists' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Towards Transgender Students, Arielle Walzer

Theses and Dissertations

Transgender students face harassment and discrimination in schools, and those who experience such maltreatment are at a higher risk of attempting suicide and other negative outcomes. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has called upon school psychologists to be advocates for transgender students, yet school psychologists receive little or no training in this area. The Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Transgender Students Survey was created and distributed to members of the New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland state associations for school psychologists. Although previous studies suggest that a person's attitude toward transgender people is affected by age and gender, …


Black History Month: An Investigation Of The Impact Of A Curriculum For Increasing The Knowledge Of Elementary Students' Knowledge Of African-American History, Monique Goodwin Jun 2015

Black History Month: An Investigation Of The Impact Of A Curriculum For Increasing The Knowledge Of Elementary Students' Knowledge Of African-American History, Monique Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of this current study was to show the importance of Black History being added to the curriculum for elementary students of all ethnicities, but especially with the African-American children. During this study the students were given a pre- and post-test on the Civil Rights Movement for the month of February. The study consisted of 40 students from an upper elementary school located in southern New Jersey. Of the participants 26 were female and 14 were male; there are 4 special needs students and 2 in a reading program called Read 180. All were in the 6th grade with …


The Role Of School Psychologists In Bullying Interventions In Year Four Of New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act, Amanda Brady Jun 2015

The Role Of School Psychologists In Bullying Interventions In Year Four Of New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act, Amanda Brady

Theses and Dissertations

Within education, bullying has been a prominent topic of discussion with regard to its effects on students and schools. In order to investigate the specific role of school psychologists in Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) initiatives, this study (a) analyzes the HIB roles of school psychologists and (b) the factors that influence their involvement in advocating HIB initiatives after the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act was passed in 2010. A survey was distributed to about 1,000 school psychologists in New Jersey and asked about demographics, specific roles regarding HIB initiatives, factors that affect their involvement, and satisfaction with …


An Exploratory Investigation Of Extracurricular Activity And Academic Achievement, Jean Marie Gwathney Feb 2015

An Exploratory Investigation Of Extracurricular Activity And Academic Achievement, Jean Marie Gwathney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study were to (a) examine student participation in extracurricular activity, (b) define whether involvement in extracurricular and organizations influence academic achievement, (c) identify if risk behavior is a result of decrease in participation in extracurricular, and organizations. A review of existing literature presented contributing factors affecting student involvement in extracurricular activity, organizations, and increase with academic achievement and decrease in risk behavior. Estimations were made regarding similar factors in extracurricular involvement, and academic achievement literatures. To investigate these estimations, data was configured via, the Rowan University Subject Pool. A correlation and non-parametric analyses revealed no …


The Written Expression Abilities Of Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Stephen J. Molitor Jan 2015

The Written Expression Abilities Of Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Stephen J. Molitor

Theses and Dissertations

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often experience significant academic underachievement. Written expression abilities in this population have not been extensively studied but existing prevalence estimates suggest that rates of comorbid writing underachievement may be substantially higher than comorbid reading and mathematics underachievement. The current study examined written expression abilities in a school-based sample of 326 adolescents with ADHD. The prevalence of written expression impairment, the associations between written expression and academic outcomes, and specific patterns of written expression were investigated. Results indicate that students with ADHD experience written expression impairment at a similar rate to reading and mathematics disabilities. Students’ …


Using Structural Equation Modeling To Understand The Role Of The Family In Pediatric Asthma Contexts, Nour Al Ghriwati Jan 2015

Using Structural Equation Modeling To Understand The Role Of The Family In Pediatric Asthma Contexts, Nour Al Ghriwati

Theses and Dissertations

Family factors have long been associated with the psychosocial adjustment of children with chronic illnesses, such as asthma (Minuchin, 1975; Rapee, 1997). Research indicates that negative family factors may also contribute to child disease severity, via bio-behavioral mechanisms of effect (Wood et al., 2006); however, these pathways have yet to be examined with a comprehensive focus on more positive family factors. This study sought to examine whether factors such as family cohesion, problem solving abilities, and communication influence asthma symptom severity in children via their effects on child depression and anxiety symptoms. Using structural equation modeling, we identified significant indirect …


Therapist Adherence To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Anxious Youth Across A Case, Julia R. Cox Jan 2015

Therapist Adherence To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Anxious Youth Across A Case, Julia R. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The field has developed many evidence-based treatments (EBTs); the integrity of EBTs being delivered, however, has been studied less than rigorously. Because many treatment manuals are developed to be delivered session-by-session, one way to assess treatment adherence, specifically, is across the course of the case: do therapists deliver treatment components in the order prescribed? The goals of this study were to characterize how therapists deviate from prescribed order and how adherence to order relates to child characteristics. Therapy process data were collected from a subsample of children (N = 33, aged 7-15) that received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address …


The Role Of School Nurses And Chronic Illness, Melonie Ruiz Nov 2014

The Role Of School Nurses And Chronic Illness, Melonie Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

With new technological developments, children who may not have survived birth or infancy are now living longer and healthier lives. These advances can be positive and negative to these children. Although the child has survived, they have developed chronic illnesses due to these advances. These conditions they must live with everyday and depending on how severe the illness may be, they will impact the child's social and educational life. The role of the school nurse should be to ease the stresses that the illness is having on the child. There are many techniques that have been shown to help reduce …


An Exploratory Investigation Of Looping High School Math And English And Student Achievement, Lee Langmuir Sep 2014

An Exploratory Investigation Of Looping High School Math And English And Student Achievement, Lee Langmuir

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to compare the standardized test scores of students in looped (n=47) and non-looped (n=38) settings in high school Math and English classes. In doing so, the scores were compared to see if instruction from the same teacher for more than one year had an effect on student achievement as measured by the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). The HSPA is broken down in to a Math and English section with a possible score of 300 on each; student scores fall in to Partially Proficient (PP), Proficient (P), and Advanced Proficient (AP). Other factors …


Identifying Tier-Two At Risk Students In New Jersey Public Schools, Danisha Moodie Sep 2014

Identifying Tier-Two At Risk Students In New Jersey Public Schools, Danisha Moodie

Theses and Dissertations

Actions to improve student's socio-emotional success in public education by attempting to identify, and eliminate bullying behaviors within educational institution are a key focus for many educators. Harassment, intimidation and bullying behaviors (HIB) are recognized as a solemn issue across the nation. According to the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, public schools are required to report (HIB) incidents to the New Jersey Department of Education. Moreover, coupled with the mandated guidelines of this new legislation many public schools within New Jersey have also adopted positive behavior interventions. This may help in identifying at-risk students who may require a greater level …


The Impact Of Dance/Movement Classes On Adolescent Behavior In An Urban High School Setting, Dinesha Demesa-Simpson Sep 2014

The Impact Of Dance/Movement Classes On Adolescent Behavior In An Urban High School Setting, Dinesha Demesa-Simpson

Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of the arts in education has been undervalued and overlooked by many public school districts throughout the country. As a result of cutbacks, dance programs in educational settings have become an afterthought. In this study the relationship between dance/movement classes and disruptive behavior was analyzed in a sample of 45 at risk students in an urban high school setting. The findings supported the hypothesis that a) dance classes can be utilized as an intervention to reduce stress and b) students who participate in dance programs in public school settings will develop self-control, self-regulation and exhibit less disruptive behavior. …


The Influence A Digital Screen Has On The Learning Process, For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, George Gordon Aug 2014

The Influence A Digital Screen Has On The Learning Process, For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, George Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect a digital screen (iPad) had on the learning process, of a vocabulary matching activity, of words to definitions activity, in a student with autism spectrum disorder, in comparison to learning on paper (flashcards). According to past research, digital based interventions are utilized more often in research settings, indicating a growth in its use in educational settings (Goldsmith & LeBlanc, 2004). Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are often given interventions using digital screen based technologies, in academic and other life and skill teaching settings (Ferguson, Myles, & Hagiwara, 2005; Gentry, Wallece, …


An Analysis And Cross-Battery Assessment Of The Discrepancy Model For Diagnosing Specific Learning Disabilities In School-Aged Children, Matthew Mcenroe Jul 2014

An Analysis And Cross-Battery Assessment Of The Discrepancy Model For Diagnosing Specific Learning Disabilities In School-Aged Children, Matthew Mcenroe

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to examine the current issues of the discrepancy model for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD) and to perform a cross-battery assessment of the WISC-IV and WIAT-III intelligence batteries to determine if the discrepancy model is truly identifying the areas of concern for students being tested with these batteries or if it is misidentifying students leading to issues with classification and SLD identification. A review of the literature examined the history of the discrepancy model and cross-battery assessments as well as the current issues encompassing the discrepancy model and the application of both the discrepancy …


The Effectiveness Of Using Manipulatives To Teach Fractions, Jaime Gaetano Jun 2014

The Effectiveness Of Using Manipulatives To Teach Fractions, Jaime Gaetano

Theses and Dissertations

The current study will focus on the effectiveness of using manipulatives when teaching fractions to elementary school students. Learning the concepts of fractions can be one of the most difficult skills to master for elementary level students. With so many different ways to expose students to manipulatives and enhance their fraction learning experience, it is important to examine how effective these teaching tools can be with respect to student achievement. The current study will discuss the effectiveness on student achievement when manipulatives are used during the teaching process. The main focus will be on student growth after being taught concepts …


Where Did You Come From? The Effects Of Culture, Hometown Region, And Gender On The Perception, Endorsement, And Justification Of Aggression, Lindsay Hendricks Jun 2014

Where Did You Come From? The Effects Of Culture, Hometown Region, And Gender On The Perception, Endorsement, And Justification Of Aggression, Lindsay Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether individual factors, including culture, hometown region, and gender, would affect the likelihood of a person perceiving and justifying an aggressive act. Previous literature explored the differences between distinctive cultural subtypes, hometown regions, and gender on the acceptance of expressing aggression. Hypotheses were established to examine the perception, justification, and endorsement of aggression in a northern setting with college-aged participants. Participants were asked to watch clips from six modern American movies. After each clip, participants answered seven questions based on their perceptions. Six univariate Analysis of Variances (ANOVAs) were conducted to …


Post-Secondary Transition And Follow-Up Services In Public Education For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Nicole Haldeman May 2014

Post-Secondary Transition And Follow-Up Services In Public Education For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Nicole Haldeman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to (a) examine the post-secondary transition services that are being utilized by students of differing disability categories, (b) determine if students with emotional and behavioral disabilities receive the same services as their other disabled peers, and (c) investigate if the profession of the participants impacts the services they utilize and the regularity in which they do so. In order to investigate the usage of post-secondary transition services, New Jersey child study team members completed the questionnaire, Post-Secondary Transition and Follow-up Services in Public Education, designed by the principal researcher. A one-way analysis of …


Where Does Electronic Aggression Fit?: A Comparison Of Dimensional And Categorical Models Of Adolescent Aggression, Krista R. Mehari Jan 2014

Where Does Electronic Aggression Fit?: A Comparison Of Dimensional And Categorical Models Of Adolescent Aggression, Krista R. Mehari

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic aggression is a rapidly growing focus of research, but it lacks a unifying theoretical framework that is necessary to advance the field. The lack of a theoretical framework has led to inconsistencies in measurement of electronic aggression, making it difficult to draw conclusions across studies. In general, researchers have assumed that electronic aggression constitutes a new form of aggression, a counterpart to physical, verbal, and relational aggression, due to unique features surrounding the perpetration of electronic aggression. Furthermore, researchers have treated electronic aggression as a categorical variable based on the assumption that “cyberbullies” constitute a distinct group of adolescents. …


Parenting Practices And Parenting Stress In African American Families Of Children With And Without Adhd, Annie Rabinovitch Jan 2014

Parenting Practices And Parenting Stress In African American Families Of Children With And Without Adhd, Annie Rabinovitch

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined differences in parenting practices and parenting stress between 44 African American maternal caregivers of children ages 6-10 with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 25 caregivers of children without ADHD. Results indicated significant group differences on inconsistent discipline, as child ADHD significantly predicted this parenting construct. There were no mean group differences in positive parenting. Parenting stress was related to parenting practices for the caregivers of children without ADHD, but was unrelated to parenting practices among control caregivers. Child ADHD predicted several subscales of the Parenting Stress Index. However, child ADHD failed to be a significant predictor when a …


The Relation Between Peer Victimization And Changes In Trauma Symptoms In Adolescents, Anh-Thuy H. Le Jan 2014

The Relation Between Peer Victimization And Changes In Trauma Symptoms In Adolescents, Anh-Thuy H. Le

Theses and Dissertations

Peer victimization has been shown to negatively impact youth functioning and may be especially damaging during adolescence, given the increased importance of peers. However, there is a dearth of longitudinal research examining trauma symptomatology as an outcome of peer victimization with low-income, ethnic minority adolescents. The present study investigated this relation in a predominantly African American sample of 684 students assessed at five time points between the fall of their sixth grade and seventh grade school years. Growth mixture models grouped participants with similar victimization trajectories, and latent growth models related growth trajectories of physical and relational victimization to changes …


Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Youth Therapist Observational Cultural Competence Scale, Carrie Tully Jan 2014

Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Youth Therapist Observational Cultural Competence Scale, Carrie Tully

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing diversity of the United States creates a pressing public health need to investigate methods to increase the engagement, retention, and efficacy of mental health services for racial/ethnic minority (REM) youth. Evidence from the adult psychotherapy treatment literature suggests that enhancing therapist cultural competence leads to increases in client satisfaction, alliance, and retention (Constantine, 2002; Sodowsky, Kuo-Jackson, Richardson, & Corey, 1998; Worthington, Soth-McNett, & Moreno, 2007). However, this relationship has not been adequately explored in youth mental health services, due in part, to a lack of valid and reliable measurement. This research project included measure development and initial validation …


Motivation And The Sat: What Factors Help Determine College Success Past Standardized Testing, Alexandra Vartanian Dec 2013

Motivation And The Sat: What Factors Help Determine College Success Past Standardized Testing, Alexandra Vartanian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects motivation plays in determining the success of a student in post secondary education. The relationship between high school GPA (HSGPA), SAT Scores, college GPA (CGPA), and motivation factors were examined. Motivation was measured on the Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed by Paul Pintrich and Elizabeth de Groot. Ninety-two participants responded to the survey. Results corroborated findings from previous research. SAT scores correlate with CGPA; relationships were also observed across several other factors, including HSGPA and CGPA, SAT and Motivation, and HSGPA and SAT scores.


Parental Support Group Member's Views On Inclusion, Kaitlyn Blasy Nov 2013

Parental Support Group Member's Views On Inclusion, Kaitlyn Blasy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the view that parents involved in support groups for parents of children with special needs have on inclusion. Parents were surveyed using the "Parent Opinion About Inclusion/Mainstreaming" questionnaire developed by Leyser and Kirk (2004). Children whose parents completed the survey were ages 4 through 20 and were included in various educational settings. Parents were found to be generally supportive of the idea of inclusion. Benefits of inclusion included social skills for both students with and without disabilities, academic skills, and equal opportunities. Perceived problems with inclusion included experience and adaptability of general …


Generalization Of Executive Function Skills In Inclusion Settings For Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Cassandra Marcone-Wright Sep 2013

Generalization Of Executive Function Skills In Inclusion Settings For Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Cassandra Marcone-Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this single case investigation were to research the effects of an intervention designated to prepare a student with Asperger's Syndrome for placement within a public high school. The student attended a specialized private school for grades 3-8. Upon entrance into eighth grade, the student entered the intervention program. This program included placement in a mainstream eighth grade social studies class with the accompaniment of the examiner. The intervention included daily feedback and strategies aimed to increase occurrences of task completion, increase executive function skills within the class setting, and decrease maladaptive behaviors. The identical areas of interest …


Bullying Among Middle School Students, Paige Pfeiffer Sep 2013

Bullying Among Middle School Students, Paige Pfeiffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in opinions between students and the staff (teachers, non-certified support staff and certified support staff) in a suburban middle school with regard to bullying. The researcher summarized data from a survey administered to 671 participants within the school setting. The researcher analyzed which questions were relevant to the hypothesis, twelve questions were scored and the scores of students were then compared using a t-test to those of teachers, non-certified support staff and certified support staff. Overall, significant differences were noted between student and staff perceptions of bullying, and scores of …


Parental And Peer Support In The Lgbt Community, Andrew Midgley Aug 2013

Parental And Peer Support In The Lgbt Community, Andrew Midgley

Theses and Dissertations

The unique challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students are putting pressure on parents, teachers, and school psychologists to find potential solutions. The purpose of this study is to examine variables that have the potential to decrease levels of depression and bullying victimization experienced by LGBT youth. Adults who identify as LGBT were asked to complete a survey reflecting on their experiences in high school. Findings indicate that parental support and peer support are associated with decreased levels of depressive symptoms. There is also an indication that the presence of a student-run LGBT support and/or advocacy group …


Relating Children In Foster Care To School Bullying, Regina Lyons Jul 2013

Relating Children In Foster Care To School Bullying, Regina Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the correlation, if any, that children in foster care have with bullying. The researcher gathered descriptive information by attending foster parent support group meetings in New Jersey. Resource parents reported on behalf of the foster child in their care at that time. Participants were asked to report information within the current school year. Data showed that children in foster care were involved in bullying primarily in the school setting. Implication for and the importance of further research within this field were discussed.


Bullying In New Jersey: What Has Been Done And What Is Going On, Sarah Larsen Jun 2013

Bullying In New Jersey: What Has Been Done And What Is Going On, Sarah Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the new HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) legislation as part of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act for New Jersey public schools in regard to students' perceptions of severity of cyber, relational, physical and non-bulllying scenarios. The study also observed students' ability to identify non-bullying scenarios from bullying scenarios since the revisions were made in 2011. Gender and size of high school the students graduated from were also accounted for. Results of the study were obtained via a two-part survey completed by college students (n = 80). The first section asked for background information such as …


Proactive Measures In Combating Bullying In Schools: Examining The Effectiveness Of The Bucket Fillers Program In Character Building Education, Karina Katsikis Jun 2013

Proactive Measures In Combating Bullying In Schools: Examining The Effectiveness Of The Bucket Fillers Program In Character Building Education, Karina Katsikis

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying continues to plague our schools. Some schools are implementing proactive solutions in the form of character building education to address bullying. The purpose of this research was to examine the character education program, Bucket Fillers, and its effectiveness on reducing bullying in one public elementary school by examining questionnaires containing homeroom teachers' evaluations. Data of behavioral incident reports from prior to the program's initiation and after were also collected and compared. The majority of teachers noticed more spontaneous positive interactions and less negative interactions between students after the establishment of the program. There was no significant correlation found between …


Differences In Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults In Different Living Situations, Jennifer Roake Sep 2012

Differences In Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults In Different Living Situations, Jennifer Roake

Theses and Dissertations

Differences in life satisfaction among young adults in different living situations were evaluated. The aims of this study were to use the Satisfaction with Life Scale to examine the differences in life satisfaction. Levels of depression as well as purpose in life were also evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Purpose in Life Scale. A total of 91 participants responses were included in the study, with 58 participants reporting living independently and 33 participants reporting living with parents. Independent t-tests found that individuals living at home report lower levels of life satisfaction compared to participants …