Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Examining The Validity Of The Homework Performance Questionnaire: Multi-Informant Assessment In Elementary And Middle School, Thomas J. Power, Marley W. Watkins, Jennifer A. Mautone, Christy M. Walcott, Michael J. Coutts, Susan M. Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Methods for measuring homework performance have been limited primarily to parent reports of homework deficits. The Homework Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) was developed to assess the homework functioning of students in Grades 1 to 8 from the perspective of both teachers and parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity of teacher and parent versions of this scale, and to evaluate gender and grade-level differences in factor scores. The HPQ was administered in 4 states from varying regions of the United States. The validation sample consisted of students (n=511) for whom both parent and teacher ratings were …

Parent Engagement During Home Visits In Early Head Start And Head Start: Useful Strategies For Practitioners, Lisa Knoche, Christine Marvin, Susan M. Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

This study explores strategies used by early childhood professionals (ECPs) involved in a school readiness intervention to support parent engagement in young children’s learning. In this study, we used video recordings to understand the ECP-parent interactions during Early Head Start and Head Start home visits. We coded the videos for the number of parent engagement strategies that were used by ECPs as well as the quality of parent engagement during visits, including the amount of parent-child interaction that took place during the visits. Findings have implications for the implementation of the Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, …

Witnessing Parental Domestic Violence And Young Girls' Dating Relationships, Brinda Kay Mckinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence afflicts people regardless of ethnicity, socio-economically status, age, or gender. Too often, girls enter and remain in abusive relationships, despite the trauma and risks of doing so. Using Roy's theory of adaptation, this study explored the effect of witnessing inter-parental violence on girls' experiences of physical violence or sexual abuse in their dating relationships. Original data collection occurred at a Midwestern U.S. university via e-mail using questions adapted from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey Surveillance System. The study used 526 responses from female participants who self-disclosed if they had or had not witnessed inter-parental violence for categorical …

The Effects Of Competency On Job Satisfaction For Professional Counselors When Providing Court Testimony, Joshua David Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional counselors experience increasing levels of ethical complaints when they provide opinions in child custody cases; the complaints question their competency levels and potentially affect job satisfaction. The purpose of the study was to determine any relationship between competencies and job satisfaction for 277 counselors and 66 psychologists. The competence theory served as the foundation of the study. The quantitative study was a nonexperimental, correlational design using a closed-ended survey. A new, validated Professional Competence Standards Instrument (PCSI) measured both competency as the independent variable and job satisfaction as the dependent variable to assess if competency affected job satisfaction. E-mail …

Predicting The Perceived Importance Of Professional Advocacy Among Counselor Educators, Rebecca Diane Nate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The goal of this nonexperimental quantitative research study was to determine if the professional identity of a counselor educator (CE) predicted their perceived importance of professional advocacy. Social identity theory (SIT) constituted the framework for this study, which asked whether CEs would follow the established norms of the dominant professional group and thus consistently perceive the importance of professional advocacy. The Professional Counselor Advocacy Inventory (PCAI) was used to measure CEs' perceptions. The data of 92 participants were analyzed in SPSS 21 using an ordinal regression. Specialization, age, gender, primary setting, and years of experience were the predictor variables, and …

The Effects Of Motivational Interviewing With The Dual Diagnosis Population, Martina S. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dual diagnosis clients continue to have low treatment completion rates. The purpose of the current study was to understand if motivational interviewing helped to increase completion rates for clients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Studying the problem was necessary for identifying an evidenced-based model for mental health counselors to help clients with dual diagnoses complete CBT treatment. There were no studies available for understanding the effectiveness of motivational interviewing as a tool for improving treatment completion rates for dual diagnoses clients in intensive outpatient programs. The research question examined if motivational interviewing was effective for improving treatment completion rates for …

Secure-Base Caregiving And Adult Attachment Development Within The Client-Psychotherapist Relationship, Dennis A. Weeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies have shown significant improvements in the attachment security of adult therapy clients during therapy, supporting Bowlby's theory that such improvement can be influenced by secure-base caregiving provided by mentors such as therapists. However, because these studies did not measure the secure-base variable, its relationship to client attachment development remains unknown. The present study is the first to evaluate that relationship by measuring clients' pre and posttherapy attachment security using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire and therapists' secure-base caregiving using the Client Attachment to Therapist and Working Alliance Inventory, Short Form. Of 21 initially insecure client participants, 17 experienced high …

Saving Our Sisters: Effects Of A Computer-Based Version Of Sista On The Hiv-Related Behaviors Of African American Women, Krystal Frieson

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

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are infectious diseases wreaking irreparable havoc on the lives of millions all around the world. Of those infected and affected by HIV in the United States, African Americans disproportionately bear the burden of this disease, which has resulted in a major crisis within the African American community. In 2010, African Americans accounted for approximately 44% of all new HIV infections among adolescents, 13 years of age and older, and adults [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). These statistics become even more dismal when both race and gender enter the …

Exploring Bisexual-Identified Persons Experiences Of Belonging, David Pascale-Hague

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

Belonging is a basic and fundamental human need (Baumeister, & Leary, 1995) that is associated with psychosocial health (Cohen, 2004). Unfortunately, community belonging is a challenge for those with a bisexual identity. Binegativity, minority stress, and the invisibility of bisexual-identities may interfere with attempts to develop a sense of community belonging (Bradford, 2004). Little systematic research has examined bisexual-identified people’s perceptions and experiences of belonging to a community. This project addressed the question, “What are bisexual individuals’ experiences of community belonging/social exclusion?” Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 12 bisexual-identified persons. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a constructivist …

The Implementation Of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (Sfbt) With At-Risk Youth In An Alternative School Environment, Martha C. Hinchey

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

Research indicates the potential utility of schools as sites for service delivery of mental health interventions. The application of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) within the school domain is reflected in the child psychotherapy literature. Findings on the use of SFBT in school settings suggest that it may be well suited to school contexts given its time-efficient, goal-directed, and strengths-based behavioral approach.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of SFBT with at-risk youth in an alternative school setting. The researcher utilized a multiple case study design to examine the impact of a 6-session SFBT intervention on …

The Inclusive Human Trafficking Checklist: A Dialectical Methodology Of Measurement, Maria C. Almario

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

The identification of victims of human trafficking and consequential service provision is characterized by a significant disconnection between the estimated prevalence of this issue and the number of cases identified. The current dissertation introduces the Inclusive Human Trafficking Checklist (IHTC) as a screening measure, evaluates the appropriateness of the instrument, evaluates whether there are differences in assessment based on the participant’s profession, level of knowledge, and training, and assesses if users of the instrument perceive it as useful. A total of 201 participants were asked to rate three vignettes predetermined by experts to qualify as a either human trafficking case …

Effectiveness Of Psychotherapy For Youth In Poverty: A Benchmarking Study Of A Public Behavioral Health Agency Using A Client Feedback System, Jonathan Kodet

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

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a public behavioral health (PBH) agency that had implemented continuous outcome feedback as a quality improvement strategy.

Method: I investigated the pre-post treatment outcomes of 4,389 ethnically diverse youths (6 to 17 years old) at or under the poverty line participating in treatment (from January 2008 to March 2014) for a broad range of primary diagnoses including depression and anxiety disorders (23%); adjustment disorders (27%); Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (13%), various V-codes (18%); bipolar disorders (3%); and substance use disorders (2%). I also investigated the treatment outcomes …

Naturalistic Clinical Decision Making By Emergency Department Staff And The Assignment Of Categorical Suicide Risk Ratings Within An Urban Veteran Population, Gerd R. Naydock

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The ability to comprehensively and effectively identify those individuals who are at greatest risk to engage in self-directed violence (SDV) forms the cornerstone for all professional suicide prevention activities. To that end, mental health professionals have come to rely on the use of risk stratification to identify at-risk individuals as a way to inform and guide risk management and treatment, without having the benefit of empirical evidence to support such practices. The current program evaluation examined archival data comprised of suicide risk assessments conducted by mental health professionals on suicidal veterans (N = 1,560) in the emergency department of a …

Juvenile Delinquent Strengths Assessment: Evaluating The Gap Between Research And Practice, Michael David Knoll

Dissertations

Juvenile delinquency remains a significant problem in the United States, not only for society but also for adolescents who become involved in the criminal justice system. Psychologists working within juvenile justice settings are often tasked with providing valuable information to the courts in the service of this vulnerable population. Such evaluation practices have consistently focused on identifying risk factors for recidivism, while largely neglecting the importance of strengths factors in predicting of positive outcomes for juvenile delinquents. There is a clear need to bridge the gap between the strengths-based variables identified by the literature and the actual assessment practices commonly …

Gender-Homogenous Mentoring, Spiritual Wellbeing, And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In African American Male Adolescents: A Test Of Three Models, Toussaint David Whetstone

Dissertations

Many African American male adolescents mature without the influence of an adequate social model, or a positive, same sex (or gender-homogenous) mentor. Thus, it may be difficult for African American male adolescents to reach adulthood having developed the perceived capability to be successful within specific domains that American society commonly associates with a healthy life course trajectory. A large body of research has suggested that vicarious experience or role modeling is a primary source of efficacy information in a variety of life domains. Research has also suggested that modeling effects are enhanced if the subject and model are similar, especially …

Attachment, Social Support Satisfaction, And Well-Being During Life Transition In Emerging Adulthood, Joel A. Lane, Robert S. Fink

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The present study was designed to investigate the relations among attachment, social support satisfaction, and well-being in a cross-sectional sample of emerging adults (N = 213) experiencing one or more normative life transitions. The sample represented a range of educational and vocational backgrounds. The primary hypotheses were that social support satisfaction would mediate the associations between each attachment dimension and well-being. A corresponding theoretical model was tested using structural equation modeling. The model provided an excellent fit to the sample data. Social support satisfaction mediated the association between attachment anxiety and well-being, but not the association between attachment avoidance …

Leadership Training For A Diverse World: A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Three Interventions With Fraternity And Sorority Leaders, Kirsten A. Gonzalez

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

Lesbian and gay college students face heterosexist and homophobic attitudes and behaviors from their heterosexual peers (Burn, 2000; Fine, 2011; Franklin, 2000; Rankin, 2003; Silverschanz, Cortina, Konik, & Magley, 2008; Woodford, Howell, Silverschanz, & Yu, 2012; & Yost & Gilmore, 2011). Greek fraternity and sorority organizations can contribute to and influence the heterosexist and homophobic climate on college campuses. Greek organizations offer leadership opportunities, community engagement, and a sense of belonging, but these organizations can also perpetuate a climate of hostility and rejection of lesbian and gay peers (Case, 1996; Case, Hesp, & Eberly, 2005; DeSantis, 2007; Rankin et al., …

Mexican-American Adolescents’ Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role Of Sibling And Friend Characteristics, Norma J. Perez-Brena, Lorey A. Wheeler, Kimberly A. Updegraff, David R. Shaefer

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

This study examined the role of sibling and friend characteristics in Mexican-American youth’s gender-typed characteristics (i.e., attitudes, interests, and leisure activities) in early versus middle adolescence using a sibling design. Mexican-American 7th graders (M = 12.51 years; SD = .58) and their older siblings (M = 15.48 years; SD = 1.57) from 246 families participated in home interviews and a series of seven nightly phone calls. Results revealed that younger/early adolescent siblings reported more traditional gender role attitudes than their older/middle adolescent siblings and older brothers were more traditional in their attitudes than older sisters. When comparing siblings’ …

The Effects Of Viewing Patient-Related Physiological Data On Students' Mental Health Stigma, Sabrina Kohls

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Abstract

Figuring out how to reduce the negative stigma of mental illness could prove useful to patients and mental health professionals. Previous research has suggested that emphasizing the biological and physiological components of mental disorders may affect how people with these disorders are perceived. Biogenetic explanations have been shown to lessen stigma towards mentally ill patients in some respects. The present study compared participants’ evaluations of a hypothetical depressed person whose description was accompanied by either an MRI of the patient’s brain or a picture of the patient’s sad face. Analyses compared participants’ responses on three aspects of stigma: social …

Mapping The Hidden: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Multigenerational Family Secrets, Tracy Oliver

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Family secrets can be a driving force, whether explicitly or implicitly, for many seeking therapy. Despite this, there is little qualitative research examining how individuals experience and make sense of their family secrets. Through this study the researcher examined the phenomenon of family secrets amongst five individuals from different families. Qualitative research using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) along with a Bowen Family Systems Theory approach was used to explore multigenerational family secrets. Purposive sampling was used to select that participants and data was collected through semi-structured interviews. A genogram was also drafted to identify multigenerational relationships and the history of …

Metaphoric Generative Genograms: A Journey To Bring Genograms To Life Through Metaphorical Components, Elisa Garcia

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a greater understanding of the potential of genograms through my clinical work from a Bowen Family Systems lens. I account for how I processed and effectively blended metaphorical components, by examining six cases from my two-year journal entries, of bringing genograms to life in sessions. I also explain how I created a useful tool, the Metaphoric Generative Genogram, that can benefit other clinicians working with children and families in the foster care community.

Investigating Counselor Training Environment, Awareness Of Privilege, And Social Dominance Orientation As Predictors Of Counselor Trainees' Self-Reported Multicultural Competencies, Melanie Marie Lantz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Despite the elapsed 33 years since the delineation of the Multicultural Counseling Competencies (Sue et al., 1982), little is known about factors that may facilitate the development of multicultural competence in counselors and counselor trainees. As a first step toward greater empirical understanding of multicultural competence and training, the present study sought to examine 3 predictors of counselor trainees’ self-reported multicultural competencies. It was hypothesized that trainees’ Social Dominance Orientation, as measured by the Social Dominance Orientation Scale (SDO6, Sidanius & Pratto, 1999); Awareness of White Privilege, as measured by the White Privilege Awareness subscale of the Privilege and Oppression …

Supervisee Avoidant Attachment And Supervisors' Use Of Relational Behavior : Contributions To The Working Alliance, Katharine Suzanne Shaffer

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Supervision research has demonstrated the importance of a strong supervisory working alliance in the context of clinical training. However, little is known about what specifically occurs in clinical supervision that contributes to a strong supervisory working alliance. The present study of counselor trainees was designed to investigate relations among their avoidant attachment style, perceptions of relational behaviors used by their supervisors in the most recent supervision session, and the supervisory working alliance. Competing hypotheses stated that greater use of relational behavior on the part of supervisors would either mediate or moderate the inverse relationship between trainees' avoidant attachment style and …

Does Self-Care Moderate The Relation Of Stress To Quality Of Life Of Female Doctoral Students In Professional Psychology?, Erin Elizabeth Ayala

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Increasing numbers of women are pursuing doctoral degrees in psychology, and the stress of being a female doctoral student can create a risk for aversive consequences (e.g., ineffective clinical work, impaired competence). Psychologists lack an understanding of the extent to which women can protect themselves from undue stress in professional psychology programs by engaging in self-care. The lack of a comprehensive framework for this phenomenon calls for the need to apply and test the Health Promotion Model to the experience of women in professional psychology programs. The current investigation assessed the extent to which self-care activities would moderate the negative …

Supervisee Nondisclosure : Do Supervisors' Multicultural Competence And The Supervisory Working Alliance Matter?, Heidi Hutman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study sought to understand the circumstances under which supervisee nondisclosure (SND; e.g., Siembor, 2012) is more or less likely to occur by identifying potential constructs that may relate to SND. Specifically, this study investigated the extent to which supervisees’ perceptions of the supervisory working alliance (SWA; Bahrick et al., 1991) and supervisor multicultural competence (SMC; Inman, 2006) contributed uniquely and jointly to SND. Accordingly, it was hypothesized that the SWA would be uniquely and inversely related to SND controlling for SMC and that supervisee perceptions of SMC would be uniquely and inversely related to SND controlling for the SWA. …

Identity Compatibility, Career Adaptability, And Adaptive Coping As Predictors Of College Women's Commitment In Stem Majors, Michelle Murray

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The ‘leaky pipeline’ is a metaphor often used to describe the progressive and persistent phenomenon that occurs when women who have initially planned on pursuing STEM careers drop out before a career is established (Cronin & Roger, 1999). Women pursuing STEM occupations often receive messages that they do not belong or are not expected to succeed in the field, which can negatively impact one’s academic performance, increase psychological stress, and influence one’s persistence within a field of study (Steele & Aronson, 1995; London, Downey, Bolger & Velilla, 2005). Using career construction theory (Savickas, 2013) as a framework, the current study …

The Effects Of Acculturative Factors And Academic Self-Efficacy On International Students' Psychological Adjustment, Jeremy Bissram

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

International students who come to the United States to attend an educational institution go through a process of adjustment in transitioning to the United States. This study focused on further understanding the factors that influence the psychological adjustment process of international students. Using the sojourner adjustment and self-efficacy literatures (i.e., Bandura, 1977; Church. 1982; Ward & Kennedy, 1999) as guiding frameworks, the current study examined the influence of acculturative factors and academic self-efficacy on international students’ levels of depression and life satisfaction. Acculturative factors included acculturative stress, English language proficiency (ELP), and social support from both home and host country.

The Relationship Of Disability Status On Attendance, Behavior, And Achievement Indicators For Students Receiving Intensive School-Based Mental Health Counseling, Meghan Morris Deyoe

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This causal comparative study investigated the relationship of an identified disability (IDEA declared vs. non-declared) on success outcomes for sixth through twelfth grade at-risk students enrolled in a school-based mental health program. Outcome variables included: selected attendance, behavior, and achievement indicators for students who were enrolled in and received intensive school-based counseling.

Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure Moral Distress Among Counselors Working With Children And Adolescents, Ian Scott Turnage-Butterbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Falender and Shafranske (2004) stated it is “essential for clinicians to develop and understanding of all the influences, from conscious beliefs and culturally embedded values to unresolved conflicts at the margin of awareness, that contribute to clinical practice” (p. 81). The purpose of this study was to meet this professional imperative by developing an instrument designed to assess moral distress among counselors working with children and/or adolescents. Using open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews, detailed descriptions of participants’ experiences of moral distress were obtained in order to gain an initial understanding of the ways in which the phenomeonon is experienced in …

The Relationship Between Autonomy, Partner Understanding, And Intimacy In A Sample Of Heterosexual Marital Relationships, Timothy Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study examined three research questions. First, do Personality, Partner Understanding, and Autonomy correlate with Intimacy? Second, does self-reported Autonomy correlate with self-reported Intimacy experienced in the marriage after controlling for Personality? Third, Does Partner Understanding correlate with the Partner Intimacy reported in the marriage after controlling for Personality? The study revealed Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Autonomy to be significantly correlated with Intimacy. Results also revealed Autonomy to be a significant predictor of Intimacy after controlling for Personality and Partner Personality. Examination of Standardized Beta Coefficients revealed Autonomy to be the strongest predictor of Intimacy among variables included in …