Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Success Off The Field: Academic Strategies Of High-Gpa College Athletes, Ashlynn Erbe

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the strategies academically successful college student athletes use to do well in their class work, where academic success was defined as a 3.5 GPA for 12 or more credits for the two semesters preceding the study. Data were transcriptions of individual interviews with five male and five female athletes in seven sports at an NCAA Division I university in the western United States. Independent coders analyzed the data and agreed upon themes related to challenges to academic success and strategies to meet those challenges. Findings add to the literature by detailing self-regulatory habits that academically underprepared athletes …

General Education Teachers' Self-Reported Response To Overt Student Problem Behavior In The Classroom, Ingrid Lewis Shurtleff

Theses and Dissertations

The need for teachers to respond effectively to student problem behaviors is vital for positive student outcomes. This study examined how general education teachers respond to different problem behaviors, what variables possibly predict those responses, and if dealing with problem behaviors plays a possible role in teacher attrition. Results were reported using descriptive and statistical analyses. Three-hundred sixty-three elementary and secondary teachers in five school districts were invited to participate in a survey. Findings indicate that teachers primarily use individually directed responses to problem behaviors and the responses had little differentiation according to intensity of behavior. The data revealed some …

Inclusive Teaching In Faith Communities: Examining The Effects Of Brief Video Trainings On Planning Inclusive Teaching For Individuals With Disabilities, Mary Margaret Woodruff

Theses and Dissertations

Many individuals within faith congregations are primarily taught by volunteers desiring to edify and support those they teach. Unfortunately, these devoted teachers also feel heightening insecurity in accomplishing this task because they lack professional training and experience working with individuals with disabilities. As volunteer teachers, many of these instructors do not have access to training that is efficient and affordable. The purpose of this study was to examine the how brief training videos on inclusive teaching practices, gleaned from empirically-supported practices promoted in special education classrooms, impact faith-based instructors' knowledge, confidence, and planning skills. Participants included three lay teachers from …

Stack The Deck: A Self-Monitoring Intervention For Adolescents With Autism For Balancing Participation Levels In Groups, Lauren Elizabeth Lees

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects the lives of 1 in 54 children in the United States. By definition, these children often have social communication deficits as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviors that are socially isolating. Inclusion of participants with disabilities such as ASD in classroom or group settings with peers is a high-priority goal for building skills that lead to independent living and higher quality of life for all. Balancing an individual’s class or group participation is not always easy with different levels of social skills, however. In a classroom, this can translate to difficulty in knowing how to …

An Evidence-Based Evaluation Of Behavior Management Practices Among Paraprofessionals, Jordan Mark Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Paraprofessionals (i.e., paid school employees working under the supervision of licensed and certified personnel) are being given expanded roles and responsibilities in schools. Unfortunately, many paraprofessionals in the United States are not well trained and are asked to take on responsibilities they have not been prepared for. One of those responsibilities is managing student behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate paraprofessionals' self-reported behavior management practices. Using a survey, we collected information concerning paraprofessionals' feelings of confidence in managing problem behavior, techniques to manage problem behavior, feelings concerning their behavior management training, and their views on certain problem …

What Are Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Rural School District Needs To Effectively Educate Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kari Lyn Pugh

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has continued to rise each year. This fact has significance in the area of education. The rise in prevalence of autism means an increase of students with autism in schools. Educators have the need to be prepared to provide an appropriate education for these students but may not have training or resources to be effective. Rural communities may have even more concerns about education for students with ASD due to geographic isolation and the lack of available educators in their area trained to support the specific needs of these students. To determine the …

Drawing Out Trauma: Visual Art Therapy For Child Sexual Abuse Victims, Katelynn K. Mckinnon

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global problem that can have lasting effects cognitively, physiologically, and emotionally for the victim. If the psychological damage from CSA goes untreated, it can lead to unstable conditions within one’s self, and in relationships. When children are affected by sexual abuse, it can be difficult for them to verbalize the traumatic incident. This inability to express can lead to problems in viewing and experiencing the self, and may lead to dissociation. Many aspects of trauma symptoms are difficult for individuals and especially children to express verbally. Visual arts therapy offers an alternative to verbal-based …

Humanizing The Model Minority: A Literature Review Of Current Research Concerning Counseling Asian American College Students, Austin M. Lynn

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

A detailed examination of the past 10 years of literature regarding the counseling of college-age Asian Americans is undertaken, with an emphasis on counselor and client perspective. The applicability of Western counseling to individuals steeped in Asian culture is examined, and suggestions aimed towards increasing counselor competency provided. Counselors’ self-perceived competency and Asian American client experience are reviewed. The effects of acculturation and enculturation are discussed; with a special focus on the impact of Asian cultural values and their potential negative relationships with help-seeking attitudes. The nature, implementation, and efficacy of multicultural counseling is explored. Data comparing college-age Asian Americans …

The Effects Of Telehealth Training On Parents Of Children With Autism In Albania, Freskida Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated telehealth training with parents on techniques for working with their children with autism spectrum disorder in Southeastern Europe. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of telehealth training on the parents and the increase of mands on the children. The participants of this study included three mothers and three children, which totaled six participants. Parents were trained on how to increase functional communication in their child. Telehealth training was based on an effective training package called Behavior Skills Training (BST). BST consist of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The resources needed for the …

Science Into Practice: Effective Solutions For Social Isolation And Loneliness., Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ryan Layton, Bonnie Barton, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Robust research evidence confirms the adverse health effects of social isolation and loneliness, with increasing focus on finding effective solutions. What can we extract from epidemiology and relationship science to help us design more effective solutions? This article identifies themes in contemporary scholarship that inform effective program and intervention design. The themes include: (1) multiple underlying causal factors that may require tailored approach; (2) the time course of relationships and disease development versus length of interventions; (3) the protective effects of relationships are based on naturally occurring or existing close relationships, yet most programs involve strangers; and (4) not all …

Personality And Coping, Alyssa Seely

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, And Finding Joy, Ammon Kou

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

International Student Support Groups: Learning From Experienced Group Members And Leaders, Nathan` Page, Mark Beecher, Derek Griner, Timothy B. Smith, Aaron Jackson, Klint Hobbs

Faculty Publications

Adjustment to college can be particularly difficult for international students. A multi-site qualitative study investigated the experiences of six group leaders and 10 group members who participated in seven different university counseling center international student support groups. Analyses of interview data using hermeneutic interpretation resulted in nine major themes and ten sub-themes organized into four sections: (1) Recruitment and group design, (2) Experiences of group members, (3) Experiences of group leaders, and (4) Additional considerations. College and university counseling centers can effectively work with international students by providing outreach and support groups.

The Expression Of Gratitude As A Contributor To Marital Strength, Kandace R. Palmer

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Abstract

Gratitude is an important positive emotion for personal and social growth. Because of innate human needs, gratitude strengthens and builds interpersonal connections (Carnegie, 1936/1981; Johnson, 2008; Lambert & Fincham, 2011). In light of more recent research on the expression of gratitude in dyadic relationships, gratitude is considered to be an essential emotion for communicating “responsiveness” and for marriage survival (Algoe, Fredrickson, & Gable, 2013; Algoe, Kurtz, & Hilaire, 2016; Algoe & Zhaoyang, 2016). When spouses express appreciation, sincerity is necessary for gratitude to strengthen a marriage (Gordon, Arnette, & Smith, 2011; Leong, 2012). Furthermore, insincere gratitude, or a belief …

One Jump Forward, Two Jumps Back: A Qualitative Study Of Parental Issues Raising Adolescents With Autism, Molly Anne Rosenbaum

Theses and Dissertations

There have been numerous investigations seeking to quantify the experience of parents raising adolescents of autism, but remarkably few have looked at the total experience qualitatively, as reported by parents. The present study was conducted along with a larger study for adolescents with autism participating in the PEERS® social skills group intervention, which includes simultaneous parent sessions. This study analyzed comments made in the parent group, identifying the issues parents reported spontaneously through a qualitative analysis of 12 unstructured hour-long sessions including parents (n = 16) and graduate student clinicians. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the …

A Hermeneutic Exploration Of The Therapeutic Process Of Clinicians At An Eating Disorder Treatment Center, Sabree Anne Crowton

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders remain extremely difficult to treat and investigation has revealed that manual-based eating disorder treatment outcomes have failed to improve over the second half of the last century. Various studies have observed that clinicians use evidence-based treatments for eating disorders inconsistently and often exclude fundamental theoretical techniques. Some argue that this departure from evidence-based practice may in some cases be the efforts of clinicians to develop methods more sensitive to real world situations. It stands to reason that some of the techniques currently being used by clinicians are promising treatment approaches. The purpose of this study was to explore …

Video Prompting Delivered Via Augmented Reality To Teach Transition-Related Math Skills To Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Giulia Cacciatore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-based instruction packet as a method of teaching math-based vocational skills delivered through augmented reality to three adults with intellectual disabilities. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly to solve each selected type of math problem. The independent variable was the video-based math intervention delivered via augmented reality, which modeled the individual steps for solving three different multi-step math problems: (1) adjusting a recipe to serve a different number of people, (2) calculation of salary, (3) calculation of unit prices. Visual and statistical analysis demonstrated …

Beauty As A Confounding Variable: Refining Measure Of Viewing Time, Rachael Caryn Pinkerman

Theses and Dissertations

Current research on viewing time measures of sexual attraction fail to explore potential confounding variables of viewing time. One viewing time measure, the LOOK, has been shown to be reliable over time and generally correlated with self-reported sexual orientation but has been unable to differentiate between a non-offending group and an offending group of individuals. This study utilizes the LOOK to examine the relationship between viewing time and a potential confounding variable of viewing time, beauty, using two constructs of beauty (facial beauty and full-body beauty). Facial beauty scores were created by measuring the degree of adherence to four universal …

Look Again—Traditional Women As Nontraditional Students: A New Face In Higher Education, Candi Jones Newell

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of 13 culturally traditional women who returned to higher education as nontraditional students. An individual unstructured interview, with guiding questions, was held with each woman. This provided the opportunity for these women to articulate their experience. The interviews were transcribed and interpreted using a synthesis of qualitative methods based upon Kvale's method. Seven themes emerged: (a) participants would tell a woman considering a return to school to "do it!" (b) participants saw spousal support as significant in their ability to return to school, (c) participants saw their families as generally supportive of their return to …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Presenting Concerns Among Asian International And Asian American Students In A University Counseling Center, Hannah La Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

To date, there has not been research that disaggregates the experiences of Asian American and international Asian college students seeking psychotherapy in college campus settings. We examined archival data collected over the course of a 17-year period that focused on experiences of Asian American, international Asian, and European American students at a large university in the intermountain west, US. More specifically, we used archival data to identify differences between the aforementioned groups of students in regard to psychotherapy utilization, presenting concerns, distress levels endorsed at intake, and distress levels endorsed at termination. Results were calculated based on findings from the …

Navigating Conflicts Between Religious And Professional Values: Psychologists' Experiences, Michael Ray Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of psychotherapists' values in psychotherapy has become increasingly challenging as philosophers have questioned the viability of concepts such as objectivity and relativism. Historically, psychotherapists have relied on notions such as bracketing or suspending their own values to avoid the moral and ethical implications that such values might be active in psychotherapy. Acknowledging that psychotherapists' values are active in psychotherapy raises a host of important issues, including how to appropriately navigate value conflicts. This study explored the experience of psychotherapists as they navigate conflicts between their religious and professional values. Qualitative interviews with eight religiously committed psychologists were transcribed …

Reducing The Impact Of Disabilities In Developing Nations: Implications From A Parent Delivered Behavioral Intervention In Macedonia, Sophie Visick Rindlisbaker

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is recognized the world over as a major public health issue. Autism is highly prevalent, persists across the lifespan, and is characterized by behaviors that can profoundly impair typical functioning. Interventions based on behavioral strategies have proven effective, but there are significant barriers to care, including cost, intensity of treatment, and access to qualified practitioners. The impact of ASD and obstacles to appropriate care are magnified by systemic limitations in developing countries. Parent training holds promise as a method of disseminating therapy to underserved areas. This study investigated the effectiveness of a pyramidal parent training intervention …

Video-Based Interventions For Teaching Calendar Skills To Individuals With Autism, Malinda Glasgow

Theses and Dissertations

Video-Based Instruction (VBI) is an evidence-based practice that has been used for teaching new skills to individuals with disabilities for over two decades. VBI involves the use of pre-recorded videos to teach new skills. Benefits of VBI include flexibility in when the instruction is provided to students and allows students to receive instruction while the teacher is working with another person. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the impact of the independent variable of VBI, upon the dependent variables of (a) the percentage of steps completed correctly to make novel calendar entries; (b) the timeliness of …

Pyramidal Parent Training For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Southeast Europe, Laura Lyn Knecht

Theses and Dissertations

Families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in developing countries may not have as much access to needed behavioral services as families living in developed countries. Caregivers of children with ASD in developing countries would benefit from an affordable, efficient parent training to teach them behavior techniques to use with their children. Pyramidal training is a cost-efficient method of training individuals through peers and would be a supportive intervention for families in developing countries. This study used a repeated acquisition design across three variables to examine whether a caregiver could train another caregiver on three behavioral interventions. These interventions …

Stack The Deck: An Intervention For Regulating Verbal Participation In Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Katherine Ensign Montgomery

Theses and Dissertations

Some students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle with social reciprocity, or the ability to engage in chains of back-and-forth conversation, interfering with other students' ability to respond to a question that is posed by the teacher in classrooms. The participants were 11 fifth grade students with autism spectrum disorder. We used a simple differential reinforcement intervention within a token system in direct instruction sessions for math to help balance the participation in a class of children with ASD as well as lower the number of talk-outs made by all students. Using a single-subject design, data were analyzed for changes …

Language Translation For Mental Health Materials: A Comparison Of Current Back-Translation And Skopostheorie-Based Methods, Amelia Kathleen Black

Theses and Dissertations

As mental health professionals seek to disseminate information in many languages in order to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, it is important to consider the methods of written translation that the field is choosing to employ. The method chosen for translation can affect the accuracy and usability of the translated text. This study begins with a survey of current literature, the results of which suggest that the most popular translation method in the mental health field is back-translation, a translation method based in the premise that translating a text back into its original English after it has …

Effects Of Parent-Implemented Interventions On Outcomes Of Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis., Tina Dyches, Timothy B. Smith, Barbara Mandleco, Byran Korth

Faculty Publications

Background: A large body of literature exists related to parent-implemented interventions for children with disabilities, so it is helpful to synthesize the results of outcome-based interventions for children with developmental disabilities. Specifically, what are the effects of parent-implemented interventions intended to improve children’s (1) social behaviors, (2) life skills/adaptive behavior, and (3) communication skills?

Method: Using meta-analytic aggregation of effect sizes across 30 studies with a total of 1,356 participants, this review examined the association between parent-implemented interventions and intended outcomes of young children with developmental disabilities.

Results: Across all 30 studies comparing children’s outcomes to control groups, the random …

Specific Learning Disability Assessment Of English Language Learners: An Investigation Of The Current Assessment Practices Of Utah School Psychologists, Jesika Lee Forbush

Theses and Dissertations

The landscape of education and the students served in schools has changed over the last few decades and is becoming more diverse (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Methods of special education evaluation in schools are also changing to meet the needs of a dynamic population. Best practices for specific learning disability (SLD) identification recommend the use of effective evaluation methods that inform educational decisions. Many models of SLD identification have been proposed throughout the history of SLD classification. Though many school psychologists have relied on the discrepancy model of learning disability identification, many alternative evaluation methods are coming into …

Racial Attitudes Among Asian And European American College Students: A Cross-Cultural Examination., Timothy B. Smith, Raquel Bowman, Sungti Hsu

Faculty Publications

College campuses are becoming increasingly racially diverse and may provide an optimal setting for the reduction of racial stereotypes and prejudices perpetuated in society. To better understand racism among college students, this study evaluated the attitudes of Asian and White European Americans toward several racial out-groups. Participants completed a survey containing the Social Distance Scale, and differences between participants' ratings of their own race were contrasted with their ratings of other races. Findings revealed strong preferences for social affiliations with members of their same racial background, with attitudes towards out-groups differing as a function of the race of the participant. …

Client Outcomes Across Counselor Training Level Within A Multitiered Supervision Model, Scott J. Nyman, Mark A. Nafziger, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

The authors examined client outcome data to evaluate treatment effectiveness across counselor training level. They used a multitiered supervision model consisting of professional staff, interns, and practicum students. Clients (N = 264) demonstrated significant improvement with no significant outcome differences between professional staff and supervised trainees. Limitations and future directions are discussed.