School Psychology Commons^™

Effects Of A Short-Duration Online Simulation On Global Empathy, Chad Raymond, Sally Gomaa

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

In an investigation of whether a particular instructional method is associated with greater global empathy among students, undergraduates were exposed to information about Haiti through lecture, news video, or an online game that simulated life in Haiti. Our hypothesis was that students would exhibit greater global empathy after playing the interactive online simulation than they would after hearing the lecture or watching the videos. Average scores for survey questions varied according to the instructional method, as did students behavioral responses during the experiment, but the variations were not statistically significant. A larger sample, a longer duration experiment, or the exclusion …

Bibliometic Analysis Of Reading Research In Deaf Education Journals, Lisha Ann Tignor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

There are known differences in reading development between DHH and hearing populations, but there is limited research in the field of reading development in DHH populations. The aim of this study is to use bibliometric analysis to examine two major journal outlets focused on the advancement of the education of children and adults who are DHH to determine 1) the extent to which the peer-reviewed literature focuses on reading instruction and its five elements; 2) the most influential authors being cited in this area of research; 3) the age of the research being cited; 4) the influence of related disciplines …

Depression Intervention Programs In Low-Income High Schools, Gopika Hari

Undergraduate Research Posters

It is estimated that 2.6 million adolescents suffer from major depressive episodes each year. Research has noted that symptoms in youth have become indicators of mental health complications later in life. Studies reveal that low income is a risk factor for depression and that socioeconomically-disadvantaged teenagers are more than twice as likely to develop mental illnesses. Only roughly 25% of children with mental illnesses receive adequate help and 80% of these resources come from schools. This study focuses on establishing the importance of depression intervention programs in low-income high schools and on designing novel guidelines for effective protocols. A compilation …

Bullying: Prevention/ Intervention Strategies With High School Students, Chloe Blau

Senior Honors Projects

Bullying has been a prevalent issue within the public and private school systems for as long as they have existed. There have always been students who were victimized for various reasons, or for no reason at all, but this generation has become much more vicious when it comes to the lengths to which they will go to hurt someone. Many methods have been used in an attempt to create both prevention and intervention plans for these horrible acts, but it is quite difficult to change a person’s behavior. So what if instead of trying to alter the mind of the …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of The Louisiana Gear Up Program In Promoting Self-Efficacy, Improving Academic Achievement And Increasing Teachers' Aspirations For Their Students, Candi Hill

Doctoral Dissertations

Students are likely to avoid academic pursuits if they lack academic self-efficacy (Bandura, 2000). Furthermore, past poor academic performance contributes to the development of low academic self-efficacy. Students who participate in extracurricular activities, like LA GEAR UP, demonstrate better academic achievement and less risk-taking behaviors than non-participating students (Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003). Research supports the notion that LA GEAR UP is an effective way to improve students' academic performance and to reduce the number of disciplinary referrals students receive (Beer, 2009). Additionally, within the academic literature research has demonstrated that teachers' attributions about students are based upon their perceptions …

Lunch Buddy Mentoring For Bullied Children: Four Case Studies And A Thematic Analysis, Samantha Gregus

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lunch Buddy (LB) mentoring, a type of school-based mentoring, holds promise as a selective intervention for children who are chronically bullied (Elledge, Cavell, Ogle, & Newgent, 2010). This study expanded upon previous research (Elledge et al., 2010) by utilizing a case-study approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods to gain more evidence about the palatability of the intervention and to uncover possible mechanisms by which the intervention is working. Participants were four elementary school children in grades four and five who had been identified as bullied based on child and teacher reports. Quantitative data were collected at multiple points during the …

Context And The Assessment Of Peer Preference: The Lunch Table Rating Scale, James Thomas Craig

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study reports on the development and initial evaluation of a novel peer-report measure of lunch mate preference. The Lunch Table Rating Scale (LTRS) was designed to assess peer preference within a narrow but important Social context while limiting the unwanted influence of reputational bias on peer ratings. Psychometric properties of the LTRS were examined using a sample of 298 fourth-grade students. The LTRS demonstrated good internal consistency and adequate stability over a four-month interval. LTRS scores were positively correlated with Social preference scores from a traditional classroom sociometric instrument and negatively correlated with self-, teacher-, and peer-reported levels of …

Reasons For Non-Engagement With The Provision Of Emotional Competency Coaching: A Qualitative Study Of Irish First Year Undergraduate Students, Aiden Carthy, Celesta Mccann, Sinead Mcgilloway, Colm Mcguinness

Articles

Very little is known as to why students choose not to participate in emotional intelligence coaching programmes. This qualitative study was undertaken with a sample of Irish undergraduate students (n=20), who chose not to engage with the provision of coaching at a technical college inDublin. The reasons for non-engagement were explored by means of face-to-face interviews. The four principal reasons for non-engagement were: failing to appreciate the value of coaching; a perceived heavy academic workload; the fact that coaching was not a mandatory component of the academic curriculum; and fear that coaching may reveal weaknesses of character. Based on the …

An Analysis Of The Self-Reported Ethical Competencies Of School Psychologists Across The Continuum Of Professional Development, Laura Williams Monahon

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

School psychologists have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about and sensitive to the ethical principles and guidelines of professional conduct. This study sought to determine if there is a relationship between gender, race, age, dates and types of ethics training, number of years of experience, types of credentials and membership in professional school psychology organizations and school psychologists' knowledge and self-perceived skills regarding ethical practices in school psychology. School psychology graduate students and practicing school psychologists were invited to complete a survey that assessed their knowledge of ethical principles. Data also were collected regarding ethics training and ethical problem-solving practices. …

Evaluating A Social Skills Training Protocol In A Private Setting: Outcomes And Issues, Judi Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Society is dealing with a trend of aggressive and destructive behavior among children and adolescence. Children with social, emotional, and conduct problems are at high risk for academic failure, peer rejection, conduct disorder, school dropout, delinquency, and drug and alcohol problems (Webster-Stratton, Reid, & Stoollmiller, 2008). A high priority for the United States public health and crime prevention is the prevention of aggressive and delinquent behavior during childhood and adolescence (Taylor, Eddy, & Biglan 1999).

Social skills trainings aim to increase the performance of key social behaviors that are important for children to succeed in social situations. Solutions may be …

The Relationship Between The Functions Of School Refusal Behavior And Family Environment, Rachel Marie Schafer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current study examined the relationship between the functions of school refusal behavior and family environment characteristics in a community sample of youth. The primary aim was to determine the family environments most strongly associated with each function of school refusal behavior in an ethnically diverse, community-based sample of youths referred to the legal process for absenteeism. Hypotheses for the current study were based on the premise that family environment characteristics of the community sample of youths with problematic absenteeism would generally resemble those identified in previous clinical samples. The first hypothesis was that youth who refuse school primarily to …

Selected Demographic Characteristics And Social Interest As Predictors Of Teacher Stress, Barry J. Morales

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to study stress in teachers in Louisiana by utilizing a descriptive/comparative research design. Hypotheses were tested concerning relationships between each of seven independent variables and the dependent variable (teacher stress). The independent variables were (a) years of teaching experience, (b) educational levels of teachers (college degrees), (c) age, (d) gender, (e) social interest, (f) geographical location (North and South Louisiana), and (g) educational levels of students taught by teachers (elementary, middle, high school). The procedure for choosing the participants involved a sample of convenience whereby superintendents provided access/permission to specific schools. Nine schools (three …

School Psychologists' Knowledge Of Tourette Syndrome Characteristics And Awareness Of Appropriate Interventions, Jesse Usher Glassman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder consisting of multiple involuntary motor tics and one or more vocal tics. The duration of the disorder is at least one year and not more than three consecutive tic-free months (APA, 2000). The tics associated with TS are frequently more severe than other tic disorders on the spectrum. There are varying degrees of severity of TS disorder, requiring maximum to no treatment. Children and adolescents diagnosed and who are showing signs of TS are referred for school evaluations in order to identify various learning difficulties and /or emotional issues which are often associated …

School Psychologists' Confidence Level With Suicide Intervention And Prevention In The Schools, Jodi L. Stein-Erichsen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Schools psychologists are often called upon to work with suicidal students regardless of previous training or the comfort levels that they possess in this area (Debski, Spadafore, Jacob, Poole, and Hixon, 2007; Oordt, Jobes, Fonseca, and Schmidt, 2009). This study evaluates the results of a survey created by this study’s investigator. It was disseminated to members of the National Association of School Psychologists’ Listserv (NASP-Listserv) and gathers general and demographic data as well as information that contribute to the assessment of suicide intervention and prevention experience and training received by the participants. Also investigated was whether or not suicide intervention …

The Positive Role Of Negative Emotions: Fear, Anxiety, Conflict And Resistance As Productive Experiences In Academic Study And In The Emergence Of Learner Autonomy, Jaya Kannan, John Laurence Miller

CTL Publications

Although affect is widely recognized as a powerful force in determining students’ academic success, researchers and practitioners have paid little attention to emotional barriers that often impede college success or how instructors may respond constructively when such barriers arise. The purpose of this paper is to initiate discussion of this important problem by offering a model of how an initially resistant, fearful, and/or anxious student can use emotionally unpleasant experiences to transform himself or herself into a more autonomous and successful learner. We offer prima facie support for this model by presenting the results of two cases of first year …

A Survey Of Pennsylvania School Psychologists' Training, Knowledge And Evaluation Practice For Assessing And Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders, Loren M. Pearson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to survey Pennsylvania school psychologists regarding their training, knowledge and evaluation practices when assessing and diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A 65 question electronic survey focusing on four areas: A) training, B) knowledge, C) current practice and D) demographic information, was distributed to 908 certified school psychologists in Pennsylvania and completed by 243 respondents. Results found that school psychologists in Pennsylvania play a key role with assessment and diagnosis of ASD, yet have limited formal training in important aspects of ASD. Doctoral level school psychologists and school psychologists with the greatest number of …

Student Satisfaction And Program Evaluation For The First Three Psy. D. School Psychology Cohorts At The Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine, Ronald M. Deguffroy

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

There is a noticeable absence in the professional literature regarding what school psychology doctoral students believe leads to satisfaction during their advanced training. Consequently, a general review of available research was conducted to ascertain what other closely related fields say about student satisfaction during doctoral training. As the document progresses, a variety of issues including funding and mentoring as well as considerations for multicultural and ethical issues as they relate to the topic are investigated. A theoretical model of what constitutes a satisfying experience for doctoral training in school psychology is provided. A program specific evaluation was conducted of the …

The Effects Of Parental Burden, Teacher Burden And The Student's Request For Counseling On School Psychologists' Decisions To Recommend Counseling, Brian L. Burgess

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Secure Attachments And Peer Relationships : The Effects Of Secure Mother-Child Attachments On Peer Relationships In Pre-School, Cassandra Damlo

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Teaching Friendship Making Skills To Emotionally Disturbed Children, Alison Stewart Agras

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of teaching children appropriate social skill behavior. The present study investigated a coaching procedure to teach emotionally disturbed children appropriate social skills within the context: of fourteen arts and crafts sessions. Using a multiple baseline across groups design, two groups of four children received training. As a result of training, cooperation behavior showed a moderate change, while eye contact increased substantially for both groups. The behaviors of on task and communication changed only slightly. In addition, these changes generalized to different settings and were· maintained over time. However, praising, receiving praise, as well as …

Empathy, Communication Skills, And Group Cohesiveness: A Systematic Approach, Michael Hass

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This article presents an approach to the teaching of interpersonal communication skills to children from 7-11 years of age, and should be of great interest to professionals in the fields of psychology, social work, education and people involved in training such persons."

Reaction To Social Pressure From Adults Versus Peers Among Mexican, Mexican-American, And Anglo-American Rural Children, Ana Maria C. Donini

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to investigate whether there was a significant difference in the adherence to conventional morality and the reaction to social pressure from adults versus peers among Mexican, Mexican-American, and Anglo-American children. The instrument used was the Moral Dilemmas Test (MDT) developed by Bronfenbrenner, Devereux, Suci, and Rodgers, which measures the reported readiness of children to engage in morally disapproved behavior and their reaction to social pressure exerted by adults and peers. The subjects were asked to respond to a series of conflict situations under three experimental conditions of confidentiality, scrutiny by parents, and scrutiny by …

The Role Of Stimulus And Label Familiarity In Concept Learning, David W. Philips

All Master's Theses

Performance on a concept learning task was investigated by employing familiar and unfamiliar stimulus patterns, three pretraining conditions, and two conceptual rules. Subjects were given either observation or preliminary paired associate practice in labeling shapes with meaningful or nonsense labels and were then required to solve a concept learning task to criterion. It was found that tasks involving familiar stimuli were learned more rapidly than those involving unfamiliar stimuli, and that meaningful verbal pretraining for unfamiliar stimuli resulted in more rapid learning than observation or nonsense label pretraining.

The Effect Of A Learning Skills Course Including Group Counseling On Low Achievers In The Community College, Paul E. Borg

All Master's Theses

A Learning Skills course consisting of study skills, goal direction, and self-understanding was tested among volunteer community college low achievers. Treatment integrated didactic, group discussion, and affective experiences in 18 hour-long sessions. Nineteen subjects received treatment; 25 subjects formed a matched control group; and 41 non-volunteers formed two additional control groups. An apparent trend toward GPA improvement was noted for all groups, but all measurements on GPA and a study survey were non-significant.

Time Sampling Technique Applied To Counseling Practicum, William David Thomas

All Master's Theses

The analysis of interactions between individuals was developed primarily within the structure of classroom education. The historical development and refinement of educational interaction analysis was examined to set its use in the counseling situation into appropriate perspective. Many forms of interaction analysis have been used to investigate a wide range of variables. The review of the literature revealed discrepancies in the reported changes, if any, that took place in the verbal behavior of student counselors as a result of practicum training. To clarify this situation somewhat, this study attempted to observe student counselor verbal behavior change in association with practicum.

The Use Of Selected Films And Film Discussions In Modifying Social Distance In Elementary School Children, Stanton C. Baker

All Master's Theses

When conflicts involving interpersonal relationships arise within the school setting, it would appear appropriate to attempt to cope with these conflicts within the framework of the school; particularly the classroom. Many methods of modifying behavior through group procedures have been attempted with varying degrees of success. It was the purpose of this study to investigate the effectiveness of one such method; a fiIm-discussion technique. This program was developed to modify behaviors, attitudes and/or perceptions which interfere with the development of constructive interpersonal relationships within an elementary classroom.

A Study Of Early Reasoning Skills In The Trainable Mentally Retarded : As Related To Piaget's Seriation Theory, Robert William Ginther

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In terms of Piaget's theory of cognitive development and the relationship he attributes between reasoning and the development of classification and seriation skills, the following questions arise: can early reasoning ability be enhanced through training? If IQ tests are accepted as measures of intellectual function, do they then contain a significant number of seriation type questions? If so, will the seriation test be an accepted measure of intellectual function?