Child Psychology Commons^™

Cognitive, Emotional, And Behavioural Correlates In Children With Psychopathic Traits, Vanessa Leanne Pedden

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Psychopathy is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in emotional, interpersonal, and behavioural domains. Adult psychopaths commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime and are at a heightened risk for recidivism. Research suggests that children with psychopathic traits present with deficits similar to their adult counterparts on measures of passive avoidance learning and emotional processing. There is also evidence to suggest that these children engage in differential forms of aggression. In addition, research suggests that adult psychopathy develops early in life. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine cognitive, emotional and behavioural characteristics in children with psychopathic traits. The …

Play Therapist's Perspectives On Culturally Sensitive Play Therapy, Krystal M. Vaughn

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Association for Play Therapy (2009) promotes play therapists’ awareness of personal cultural identity, obtaining continuous cultural knowledge, and displaying culturally appropriate practices. Play therapy research includes studies on working with specific culturally diverse populations. Founding play therapists, such as Virginia Axline, have made suggestions for toys that should be included in the therapist’s playroom. This exploratory survey inquired about play therapists’ perceptions of culturally sensitive play therapy, materials used, and perceived barriers to implementing culturally sensitive play therapy. Members of the Association of Play Therapy with at least master’s degree (n=385) reported on their ability to incorporate …

Language Brokering A Dynamic Phenomenon: A Qualitative Study Examining The Experiences Of Latina/O Language Brokers, Adriana Esquivel

Scripps Senior Theses

Language brokers are children of immigrants who use their skills as bilinguals to interpret or translate for their family and/or community members. Although language brokering may begin in childhood or preadolescence, language brokering may continue until adulthood. While there are a small number of studies that have touched upon change over time, this study’s primary focus is on language brokers’ experiences relating to change over time. This was accomplished through semi-structured in depth retrospective interviews among Latina/o young adults attending small liberal arts colleges. Three aspects of language brokering were examined, the practice of language brokering, feeling towards language brokering, …

Brief Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement Preference Assessment: Brief Mswo, Christina R. Weldy

Graduate Student Research

No abstract provided.

The Role And Impact Of Bullying Bystanders In An Urban School Setting, Courtney Casey

Theses and Dissertations

The current study focused on bystander interventions in hypothetical real world and cyber world bullying scenarios. Participants included 87 5th-8th grade students living in an urban community in southern New Jersey. The intervention of bystanders, taking into account their cultural awareness of snitching was explored. The bystanders' relationship with the bully and victim, and the bystanders' method of intervention were examined. An original survey of bullying scenarios was administered to collect data. Results showed the majority of bystander intervention levels as moderate (50.57%) or high (35.63%). The cultural relevance of snitching yielded no significant impact on bystander intervention. Future research …

The Relationship Between Aggression And Communication In Students With Developmental Disabilities, Emily Peel

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between aggression and communication in students with developmental disabilities. Previous research examining the relationship between aggression and communication found a significant correlation between physical aggression and expressive vocabulary in language (Dionne, Tremblay, Boivin, Laplante, & Perusse, 2003). The current study investigated a link between high intensity behaviors (aggression) and the degree of impairment within the communication domain. Archival data was obtained from a sample of students living in a residential facility for stabilization of behaviors in Southern New Jersey. Communication was measured by the communication goals and objectives listed in …

Childhood Sexual Abuse And Social Functioning: A Systematic Review Of Reviews, Evan Alden Leclair

Honors Scholar Theses

Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) has been widely studied for its effects in later life. Previous reviews of these studies have identified CSA as a risk factor for dysfunctions in later life such as risky sex, depression, teenage pregnancy, drug use, sexual re-victimization, and health disorders. This project systematically reviews the state of systematic reviews and meta-analyses addressing the link between CSA and social functioning in later life for men and women. Systematic reviewing and meta-analysis both apply scientific methods to gather and evaluate empirical evidence. The quality of reviews can vary, leaving the conclusions of poor reviews untrustworthy. The current …

Longitudinal Changes In Pronoun Reversals In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Typically Developing Children, Michelle Cheng

Honors Scholar Theses

Pronoun reversals occur when a pronoun is incorrectly mapped to the wrong referent. For example, when a child says, “You eat the cookie!” and intended to state that he is eating a cookie. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, are known to be frequent reversers, but their development of these reversals; for example, incidence rate and endpoint, is still unknown. In this study, children interacted with their mothers in a 30-minute play session and their spontaneous pronoun usage were coded for the perspective of the pronoun, type of reversal, and case errors. Children with ASD to their typically developing (TD) …

Understanding The Use Of Positive Reinforcement Strategies And Practical Application Of Strategies Across School And Home Settings…, Becky Horrocks M.Ed, Allison Garofalo Ma

Annual Foundations Behavioral Health/La Salle University Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference

This presentation will teach the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis so they can be used in the school and home settings. It will emphasize a reduction in the use of punishment techniques through emphasis of positive reinforcement to teach replacement behaviors. It will introduce and examine the construct of maladaptive behavior(s) serving a function, and suggest function-based alternatives.

This Program is designed to help you…

1. Learn about the basic principles of behavior
2. Understand that punishment has limitations and is most effective when used with positive reinforcement
3. Understand that the use of Positive reinforcement is the best practice to diminish …

Home-School Collaboration: Concurrent Home And School Reading Interventions Within A Response To Intervention System, Qi Zhou

Dissertations

The current study investigated the effectiveness of reading interventions in the form of home-school collaboration on increasing oral reading fluency in elementary students exhibiting reading fluency deficits. Specifically, student participants were receiving Tier II reading interventions at their school. Additionally, parents were trained to implement an individualized intervention identified by brief experimental analysis with each student at home. Home-school notes were used to facilitate support and communication between the home and school. Results demonstrated that three of four students’ oral reading fluency improved. Furthermore, parents rated the interventions as acceptable. Parent treatment integrity was found to be adequate.

Parenting Stress, Behavior, Treatment Satisfaction, And Hope In Caregivers Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Paige Cristin Schultz

Dissertations

Parenting stress has been shown to be related to both negative parenting behaviors and child behavior problems in the general population as well as with children with developmental disabilities. With the majority of children with developmental disabilities participating in multiple treatments, little is known about the effect of treatment satisfaction on caregivers. Hope has also been shown to reduce stress in caregivers, yet little research has examined this relationship with respect to parenting stress specifically or in parents with children with developmental disabilities. Treatment satisfaction has also been associated with less parenting stress in other populations; however, no study has …

The Prefrontal Cortex: A Predictor Of Psychotic Symptoms In Children With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome?, Nicole Addonizio

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Up to 30% of young adults with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS; 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome) develop schizophrenia or psychosis. As a result, identifying the neuroanatomic trajectories that increase risk for psychosis in youth with VCFS is of great interest. Pinpointing a specific subregion of the brain that has a pattern of change in VCFS could aid in further research of schizophrenia and help to distinguish neuroanatomic changes.

In this study, high-resolution anatomic magnetic resonance brain images and measures of psychiatric function (i.e. symptoms of psychosis) were recorded in 40 youth with VCFS, 14 unaffected siblings, and 19 age-matched community control subjects at …

Foster Parents' Perceptions Of Their Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities In Relation To The Behavioral Challenges Of Foster Youth, Melissa Hall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complex, long-term, and prevalent behavioral problems and needs of foster children and youth continue to be documented (Farmer et al., 2010; United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2005). However, research indicates that foster parents are not adequately prepared or trained to address these challenging behaviors (e.g. Dorsey et al., 2008; Lee & Holland, 1991; Puddy & Jackson, 2003). Foster parent perspectives and the inclusion of their input concerning foster parenting and the behavioral problems of foster youth are needed to examine this crucial problem area (Park & Helton, 2010). The intent of this multi-case study was …

Worry Induction Among Adolescents: A Laboratory Evaluation, Jamie Leigh Frala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Available research indicates that worry is an important process involved in the development and maintenance of both psychological (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and physical (e.g., coronary heart disease) problems. However, this process is still in need of further investigation, particularly among adolescents. While a sizable body of literature has examined the nature, prevalence, and correlates of worry in both adults and youth, laboratory investigations of this variable using a real-time worry induction paradigm have previously only been done with adults. The current study aimed to extend the literature by using the controlled laboratory methods well established in the adult literature …

A Typology Of Preadolescent Sexual Abusers Based On The Emerging Personality Patterns In The Millon Preadolescent Clinical Inventory, Sam Wallace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a personality-based typology of preadolescents with sexual behavior problems based the Emerging Personality Patterns in the Millon Preadolescent Clinical Inventory (M-PACI, Millon et al., 2005). Grounding a typology in a theory driven personality system may offer clarity and specificity in understanding preadolescents with sexual behavior problems in a manner that has not yet been explored. A personality and theory driven typology could provide a more comprehensive framework for assessing and treating children who sexually abuse than any of the current taxonomic models.

The study used an ex post facto design with test …

A Study Of Childhood And Late Adolescent Fear: The Role Of Fear In Socioemotional Functioning, Stephanie M. Guillemette

Honors College

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role that fear in childhood plays in socio-emotional functioning in late adolescence. In addition, the role of parental support in this relationship was examined. Participants included 70 college students, ages 18-25 years, who completed measures that assessed their fears and perceptions of social support from parents in childhood, as well as aspects of their present wellbeing (e.g., self-esteem, mood, depressive symptoms). Results interestingly indicated that, “someone in the family dying” was the most highly rated fear in both childhood and late adolescence. Also, fear of family members dying and family members …

Problem Solving Interventions: Impact On Young Children With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsay Ann Diamond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Problem-solving skills are imperative to a child's growth and success across multiple environments, including general and special education. Problem solving is comprised of: (a) attention to the critical aspects of a problem, (b) generation of solution(s) to solve the problem, (c) application of a solution(s) to the identified problem, and (d) evaluation of the consequences of the solution. Children with developmental disabilities may experience difficulty with the problem-solving process.

The purpose of this study was to determine an effective method to teach young children with developmental disabilities to problem solve. Specifically, this study compared two types of problem-solving instruction. The …

The Influence Of Parent Factors On Child Perfectionism: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lisa Caitlin Cook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct that affects adults and children and is associated with psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsiveness. Studies regarding risk factors for perfectionism are scarce but extant research and theories suggest parents may be involved in the development of perfectionism in children. The present study included 160 children aged 8-17 years (67 males, 93 females) and their parents. The study examined child perfectionism across five age groups (8-9 years, 10-11 years, 12-13 years, 14-15 years, 16-17 years) as well as relationships between parent and child perfectionism and between parent psychopathology and child perfectionism. Self-oriented …

8. Child Witnesses And The Confrontation Clause., Thomas D. Lyon, Julia A. Dente

Thomas D. Lyon

Coping Styles Of Maltreated Children As Related To Risk And Temperament, Tiffani N. Orne

Senior Honors Theses

A large number of children are classified as maltreated, and these children respond to maltreatment in different ways. Cumulative sociodemographic risk factors and temperament both affect the socioemotional outcomes, including internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the association between risk factors and behavioral outcomes in children who have been neglected or abused is influenced by temperamental characteristics. Social workers in Virginia completed questionnaires about five children and adolescents who are part of their current case load. Questionnaires included demographic questions, a Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and an Emotionality Activity Sociability (EAS) temperament …