School Psychology Commons^™

Fearful Temperament Moderates The Association Between Positive Parenting And Children's Social Competence During Early Childhood, Jessica M. Grande

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Social competence during kindergarten has been linked to adaptive teacher-child and peer relationships. The quality of parents’ interaction with their children during the toddler years may promote better social development placing children on a trajectory towards social competence. Quite possibly, children vary in how responsive they are to parenting efforts. This study evaluated the extent to which positive parenting predicted change in social competence from child age 3 to 4 among 137 parent-child dyads. Observational measures of positive parenting and fearful temperament were analyzed when children were 3-years of age. Teacher reports of social competence in the classroom were collected …

Mindful Mustangs: A Mindful Meditation App For Cal Poly Slo, Neha Jagannath

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This report discusses the creation and research behind a new mindfulness meditation application called Mindful Mustangs, which is created for the students of Cal Poly SLO. The goal of this mobile website is to use the various techniques used in mindful meditation to reduce the stress and anxiety that college students regularly face. With the onset of iOS and Android applications, similar health and behavioral applications are on the rise. The increase of these applications calls for a certain type of design and a robust analysis must be done to ensure the psychological health of the user. Mindfulness applications such …

A Comparison Of Two Function-Based Interventions: Ncr Vs. Dro In A Preschool Classroom, Zachary C. Labrot

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative efficacy of non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) after behavioral functions have been identified through indirect, descriptive, and experimental assessment. Participants included three preschool-age children in center-based classrooms (Head Start) in a southeastern school district. Functional assessment data were used to inform treatment procedures, which were examined with an alternating treatments design. This study examined (1) relative differences in the efficacy of NCR and DRO in decreasing problem behaviors in preschool children, (2) relative differences in the efficacy of NCR and DRO in increasing appropriate behavior, …

Strategies And Resources To Enhance Test Evaluation And Selection, Janet F. Carlson, Nancy Anderson

Buros Center: Professional Staff Publications

Testing serves an important function for SLPs in offering an evidence base that is useful in screening, diagnosing, monitoring progress, and documenting outcomes. Tests are used to measure diverse constructs such as communication, literacy, oral and written language, receptive and expressive vocabulary, articulation, phonological awareness and processing, and auditory perception and processing. In addition, specific impairments may require specialized measures to evaluate conditions such as stuttering and orthographic competence.

When using tests to diagnose language impairments, Betz, Eickhoff, and Sullivan (2013) suggest that SLPs consider carefully a test’s psychometric properties, particularly because of the “increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice, specifically, …

Traditional Grain Alcohol (Bai Jiu, 白酒) Production And Use In Rural Central China: Implications For Public Health, Ling Qian, Ian M. Newman, Wen Xiong, Yanyu Feng

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: An estimated 25 % of the alcohol consumed in China is traditional unrecorded alcohol produced and distributed informally. Consequently there is concern about its safety and its contribution to public health risk. Little has been written about this type of alcohol in China.

Methods: Researchers observed the manufacture of traditional bai jiu in a rural area of Hubei Province, Central China. Two hundred fifty-nine individuals were interviewed, either individually or in small groups, about their use of and attitudes toward bai jiu. Individuals who made or sold bai jiu were interviewed about local production, distribution, and sale. Key community …

Child Maltreatment And Military-Connected Youth: Developing Protective School Communities: School Responses Of Referral And Clinical Interventions Do Not Address Needs Of Military Families, Kris T. De Pedro

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, more than 2 million school-aged youth in the United States have had a parent enlist in the military. About 1.2 million of these youth have experienced the deployment of a parent. Multiple and prolonged deployments and exposure to veteran trauma disrupt family relationships and financial stability. The deployment cycle also effects the mental health and well-being of service members and left-behind caregivers and children. Indeed, the caregivers in particular must cope with emotional stress and may have feelings of social isolation. Even when seeking help, left-behind caregivers may have difficulty locating …

Modeling Sources Of Teaching Self-Efficacy For Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants, Sue Ellen Dechenne, Natalie A. Koziol, Mark Needham, Larry Enochs

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have a large impact on undergraduate instruction but are often poorly prepared to teach. Teaching self-efficacy, an instructor’s belief in his or her ability to teach specific student populations a specific subject, is an important predictor of teaching skill and student achievement. A model of sources of teaching self-efficacy is developed from the GTA literature. This model indicates that teaching experience, departmental teaching climate (including peer and supervisor relationships), and GTA professional development (PD) can act as sources of teaching self-efficacy. The model is pilot tested with 128 GTAs …

Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Over Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? A Meta-Analysis Of Effective Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders In Middle Childhood, Emily A. Edwards

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Anxiety is a commonly diagnosed disorder in middle childhood that affects many aspects of the child’s life. Effective treatment is needed so that children are able to experience fewer or no symptoms of anxiety and to manage anxiety. Cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) is widely used as a treatment for children with anxiety. CBT can either be facilitated in an individual or group format but there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding which modality is most effective. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effectiveness of individual CBT (ICBT) and group CBT (GCBT) in treating school-aged children with anxiety disorders. Eligible …

Creating A Digital Community In Colleges Through An Interactive Theater Intervention: Guidelines For Cyberbullying Prevention During Freshmen Orientation Week, Benjamin Hindell

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Cyberbullying has created a demand for trainings and workshops that propose “digital citizenship” in schools. These trainings focus on respect for one’s self, peers, and community on and offline (Collier, 2012). Most research in the area has been on junior-high and high-school-age students. However, studies have shown that college age youth also experience cyberbullying. Freshmen may begin college with the psychological trauma of bullying and/or cyberbullying experienced in junior high and high school. They may be perpetrators, victims or both. I propose an interactive cyberbullying prevention program designed for incoming college freshmen that addresses the dynamics of traditional and cyberbullying, …

Culture And Cognition: The Role Culture Plays In Cognitive Development In Rural Tanzania, Eileen Seissen

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper examines the perceived difference of cognition in a Tanzanian classroom. It also examines the effects culture has on cognition. It aims to answer the questions: What role does Tanzanian culture play in shaping the cognitive skills of its children? And, from an American trainers perspective, within an experiential learning environment, what cognitive differences are perceived in abstract thinking, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving? Nine American trainers, one Tanzanian trainer, and one Tanzanian student participated in my study. Each participant filled out a questionnaire geared toward understanding their training methods and perceptions of participant's skills and abilities. After …

A Brief Overview Of Amblyaudia, Raelynn Lamminen, Daniel Houlihan

Psychology Department Publications

Amblyaudia, a recent subcategory of auditory processing disorder, is characterized by asymmetrical auditory processing of an individual’s ears. Amblyaudia can result in speech comprehension difficulties, reading difficulties, information processing deficits, and inattention. These difficulties can be mistakenly attributed to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), depression, anxiety disorders, and communication disorders. Unfortunately, traditional hearing tests do not place the two ears in competition and cannot detect asymmetry. Therefore, students who exhibit these difficulties and have normal performance on traditional hearing tests should be also evaluated for amblyaudia with dichotic listening tests. Amblyaudia can be addressed through dichotic …

School Psychologists’ Training And Knowledge Of Tourette Syndrome, Leticia Cornejo

Educational Studies Dissertations

A web-based survey was conducted that included 97 practicing school psychologists in California. The results from the survey indicated that the majority (88%) of respondents were knowledgeable about Tourette Syndrome. Many respondents (28%) had never worked with a student with Tourette’s, 20% had at least one case, and 52% indicated that they had worked with more than two cases in their careers as school psychologists. The majority of respondents indicated that their school psychology program did not adequately train them to assess or counsel students with Tourette’s. The majority of participants also did not feel confident to work with students …

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Adhd In College: Recommendations “Hot Off The Press”, Laura E. Knouse

Psychology Faculty Publications

ADHD leads to impairment across the lifespan including during the college years. An increasing number of studies document the academic, social, and psychological impairments associated with the disorder in college (DuPaul, Weyandt, O’Dell, & Varejao, 2009). Yet, until very recently, there were no published studies on cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches specifically tailored to college students with ADHD. Over the past year, however, four research groups have published work on skills-based cognitive-behavioral treatments for this population. My goal in this article is to briefly summarize these findings and to identify key recommendations for clinicians working with college students with the disorder that …

Impact Of Athletic Identity And Emotional Competence On Athletes’ Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help, Garett V. Weatherhead

Dissertations

Athletes have been found to have more negative attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help than non-athletes (Watson, 2005) despite experiencing comparable amounts of mental illness (Markser, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine factors that are associated with athletes’ help-seeking attitudes, including athletic identity and emotional competence. A sample of 144 college student-athletes from a small, private Midwestern college in the United States participated in the study. The athletes competed at the NCAA Division III level. Participants were asked to complete the following measures: Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993), Attitudes Toward Seeking …

Investigating The Use Of A Positive Variation Of The Good Behavior Game In A High School Setting, Shauna Lynne

Master's Theses

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an example of an interdependent group contingency that can be used in classrooms to manage behavior. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a positive variation of the GBG in which teachers attend to rule-following behavior, as opposed to the original version of the game in which teachers attend to rule-breaking behavior. In previous studies, researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the GBG in decreasing problematic behavior and/or increasing productive or desired behavior in classroom settings and in hospital settings and spanning preschool-aged, elementary toddlers to high school-aged adolescents. An …

The Effects Of Tootling On Disruptive And Academic Behaviors In High School, John Dylan Ken Lum

Master's Theses

Considered the opposite of tattling, tootling is a procedure where students report their classmates’ positive behavior instead of inappropriate behavior. This study examined the effects of tootling on students’ behavior in three general education high school classrooms. An A-B-A-B withdrawal with follow-up design was used to assess the effects of the intervention on decreasing classwide disruptive behavior and increasing academically engaged behavior. Students wrote tootles anonymously on paper slips, and deposited them into a marked container. An interdependent group contingency procedure was used to create a class goal for the number of submitted tootles, which led to a class reward …

Generalization And Maintenance Of High School Teachers' Use Of Behavior Specific Praise Following Direct Behavioral Consultation In Classrooms, Traci Ann Taber

Dissertations

This study tested the efficacy of in situ direct training on increasing high school teachers’ use of behavior specific praise in the classroom. Of further interest was the extent to which training led to teachers’ maintained praise and generalized praise use in untrained classes. Students’ disruptive behaviors were measured concurrently to test the relationship between increased praise use and decreases in students’ inappropriate behavior in the classroom. Increasing the frequency of teachers’ use of praise statements with students for engaging in appropriate behavior has shown subsequent reduction in the occurrence of classroom disruptions resulting in less time that a teacher …

Adolescent Bullying: Do Weight, Body Size, And Body Size Dissatisfaction Influence Victimization?, Paige T. Lembeck

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current study investigated how body mass index (BMI) z-score, peer context, and body size dissatisfaction influence bullying victimization in adolescents. Participants were 11-18 year-old patients at pediatrician’s offices in a mid-sized Midwestern city. Path analyses and percentile bootstrapping procedures were employed to investigate the research questions. A zero-inflated Poisson approach was used to examine whether there was an indirect effect between BMI z-score and bullying victimization through perceived difference from friends’ body size and body size dissatisfaction. An alternative model was investigated to determine whether BMI z-score indirectly affected body size dissatisfaction through perceived difference from friends’ body size …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Choice And Differential Reinforcement On The Computation Fluency Of Students With Escape-Maintained Academic Performance Problems, Maureen A. O'Connor

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation compared antecedent- and consequence-based strategies to determine which treatments or combination of treatments produced the strongest improvements in math computation fluency with four elementary-aged students who displayed escape-motivated behaviors. Functional analyses were conducted to identify elementary-school students whose academic responding was under a negative-reinforcement contingency. Next, a preference assessment was administered to each student to identify potentially effective reinforcers in the form of permissible school activities. These high-preference activities were used during the DRA and Task-Choice + DRA conditions. A multielement design was used to examine the impact of four treatments – Task Choice, DRA, Task Choice+DRA, and …

Direct Training Of Teachers In The Use Of Praise: Implementation And Generalization, Linda-Mai Thanh Nguyen

Dissertations

Praise has been shown to be an effective intervention for decreasing problem behaviors in the classroom when there is a hypothesized attention function. Unfortunately, studies have shown that teachers generally provide low rates of praise even after didactic instruction. Praise training consisting of didactic and direct training have been used to increase praise rates but few studies have examined the individual components within praise training to determine if didactic training is necessary. Additionally, while some studies have examined the maintenance of praise rate following praise training, few studies have focused on the generalization of praise towards other students. This study …

Impact Of A Teacher Training Program To Increase Cognitively Stimulating Talk: Pretest And Immediate Post-Test Results, Laura E. Fisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The literacy skills that students develop in preschool are an imperative aspect of school readiness and later academic success. Research has established that some students begin their educational experience at a disadvantage due to the low socioeconomic status (SES) of their family and, as a result, low levels of conversation between parents and children, restricted access to books, and low values placed on literacy. Past research supports that shared book reading is one of the most beneficial activities in which teachers can partake in order to optimize their students’ language development. The Head Start program is intended to alleviate the …

Objectively Measuring The Effects Of Sleep On Reading Comprehension And Sustained Selective Attention, Jennifer L. Thibodeaux

Doctoral Dissertations

The overall performance of a university is measured by retention rates of students. Because individuals who achieve lower grade point averages are at a higher risk of failing or dropping out of college, the academic performance of undergraduates should be the target of concern to maintain good retention rates. Academic performance, which is associated with attention and reading comprehension abilities, is affected by the sleep behavior of students. In regards to college students and sleep, research has indicated that college students demonstrate habitually poor sleep habits. Poor sleep habits have been linked to impaired attention and concentration abilities, but the …

Executive Function Predictors Of Children's Talk, Jacqlyne D. Weber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Relatively few studies have investigated the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and language development, and even fewer have researched hot and cool EF as a predictor language development. This study is an investigation into the relationship between EF and language development in preschool aged children. More specifically, the ability for hot or cool EF to predict language, this will be the focus of the study. It was found that hot EF was a better predictor of language development in preschool aged children.

Hope Among Resilient African American Adolescents, Jessica Briana Mcclintock

Dissertations (1934 -)

African American youth have historically been disproportionately affected by an array of environmental stressors that have put them at higher risk for poor adjustment outcomes (Adams III et al., 2003; Mcloyd, 1990). Despite their hardships, not all of these youth fall victim to negative environmental influences (Miller & MacIntosh, 1999). Many exceed expectations and their lives take positive trajectories that lead to positive adaptation (Hunter, 2012; Miller & MacIntosh, 1999). This positive adaptation in spite of significant risk is referred to as resilience (Cicchetti, 2010). While the importance of resilience has been well documented in European Americans, the majority of …

Cognitive Features Of Self-Stigmatization Among Juvenile Delinquents, Artyom A. Zinchenko, Mamun Al-Amin, Elena Molchanova

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The present study investigates cognitive features of stigmatization phenomenon among juvenile delinquents in Kyrgyzstan. It attempts to describe certain peculiarities of juvenile delinquents’ self-schemas and self-stigmatization. The study, additionally, tackles the issue of currently existing stigmas regarding juvenile delinquency in the country. One hundred and fifty four university students were asked to complete a questionnaire that would measure the level of external stigmatization towards juvenile delinquents and those who were once placed into correctional institution. Students showed presence of stigmatization towards people with a criminal record. Fifteen juveniles from the detention school who attended a socio-psychological training as well as …

The Effects Of Inclusion Classrooms On Students With And Without Developmental Disabilities: Teachers’ Perspectives On The Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Development Of All Students In Inclusion Classrooms, Allison E. Evins

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

In education settings, inclusive or mainstream classes are resisted at the secondary level and there is little research about the possible positive aspects of including students with and without disabilities or an Individualized Education Plan in classes together. In order to better understand the potential benefits of mainstream classrooms, it is important to understand the perspectives of teachers who work within these high school settings. The purpose of this study was to tell the stories of teachers and describe the development that teachers see in inclusive classrooms. Interviews with four teachers revealed insights on mutual learning between the two groups …

Manifestation Determinations: An Interdisciplinary And User-Friendly Guide To Best Practices, Molly E. Knudsen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Rates of suspensions and expulsions are increasing in public schools in the United States, despite research stating that such exclusions have negative effects on students and are generally ineffective in addressing misbehavior. There is an overrepresentation of students with disabilities in the population of excluded students, which poses a threat to their right to a free and appropriate education (FAPE). When a student with a disability faces an exclusion, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a manifestation determination review (MDR) to be held by a committee of school personnel and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to determine the cause of …

After-School Programming As Intervention For Students With Disabilities, Edward D. Tynan

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

After-school programs are increasing in popularity, with an estimated 6.5 million students attending organized after-school programs (Harvard Family Research Project, 2008). With the continuing rise in popularity of these programs, more students (including students with disabilities) have access to after-school programs. The purpose of the current research was to discover what current practitioners of school psychology recommend in regards to after-school programming for students with disabilities. All participants were school psychologists or staff members at after-school programs located within either the Richmond, VA region (including the City of Richmond, Chesterfield County, and Henrico County) or the Harrisonburg,VA region (including the …

Impacts Of Mindfulness On Disruptive Behaviors Associated With Characteristics Of Adhd, Joseph L. Sims

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The prevalence of ADHD has drastically increased over the last decade, and children with this disorder often receive attention from their teachers for their disruptive behaviors (Visser, Danielson, Bitsko, Holbrook, Kogan, Ghandour,... & Blumberg, 2014). Students with ADHD often struggle with controlling their impulses that lead to these disruptions in the classroom. If not addressed, the classroom learning environment is likely to be negatively impacted (Lambert, Cartledge, Heward, & Lo, 2006). Introducing students with ADHD to the practice of mindfulness may help to create a space, or a delay in responding, between thoughts and actions which may, in turn, reduce …

How Does Perfectionism Influence Anxiety In Gifted Middle School Students?, Kelsey Owens

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Research has demonstrated that gifted students tend to experience a higher level of perfectionism when compared to their regular education peers. While perfectionism may aid these students in their academics, it can also contribute to negative consequences in terms of the social and emotional needs of these students, such as anxiety. This research study sought to add to the literature by examining whether perfectionism does influence anxiety in gifted middle school students. Twenty-two middle school students enrolled in a center-based gifted program participated in this study by completing two measures: one examining levels of perfectionism and another examining levels of …