Counseling Psychology Commons^™

School Counselors' Activities In Predominantly African American Urban Schools, Lacretia T. Dye

Dissertations

Urban school reform has begun to penetrate the school counseling profession in both theory and practice. The American School Counseling Association’s National Model (ASCA, 2005), as well as the Transforming School Counseling Initiatives component of the Education Trust (2007) are initiatives within the school profession promoted, in part, as responses to urban school reform. In particular, the ASCA National model is a “call to action” for school counselors to promote student success by closing the existing achievement gap whenever found between students of color, poor students, or underachieving students and their more advantaged peers (ASCA, 2005). However, little information is …

Predictors Of Counselor Self-Efficacy Among Master's Level Counselor Trainees: Impact Of Cohort Versus Non-Cohort Educational Programs, Regina Lynn Meyer

Dissertations

Self-efficacy, a central component of Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT), is an important construct in the realm of therapist development and has been associated with client outcome. Researchers have found that some of the strongest predictors of counselor self-efficacy are level of experience, level of training, state anxiety, and trait anxiety. Missing from this body of literature, however, is an understanding of how the educational format of training (i.e., cohort versus non-cohort) impacts counselor self-efficacy. Because cohort membership has been associated with professional confidence and self-esteem, it was hypothesized that educational format would contribute significant variance to counselor self-efficacy scores. …

What Psychotherapists Have To Teach Us About Childhood Developmental Trauma: The Roles Of Attachment Orientation And Coping Strategy, Rebecca Klott

Dissertations

Psychotherapists have been found to have higher rates of childhood developmental trauma when compared to non-clinicians, yet they do not report more distress. The current study added to the literature regarding the experiences of psychotherapists and explored a theoretical model integrating attachment and coping as mediators for the relationship between childhood developmental trauma and psychological distress among psychotherapists.

A total of 130 masters' level psychologists participated in this study. These participants were asked to complete the following measures: The Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (Sanders& Becker-Lausen, 1995), the Ways of Coping-Revised (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985; Folkman, Lazarus, Denkel-Schetter, DeLongis, & …

Social Justice, White Racial Identity, And Multicultural Competency Among White Master Level Trainees In Counselor Education And Counseling Psychology, Sara Rebecca Streufert

Dissertations

In recent years, scholars have become more vocal regarding counselors and counseling psychologists’ responsibilities to advance efforts for social change (Goodman et al., 2004; Speight & Vera, 2004; Vera & Speight, 2004). As a result, empirical investigations have started to evaluate variables that may contribute to trainees and mental health professionals’ desire to participate in social justice advocacy (Beer, 2008; Caldwell, 2008; Landreman et al., 2007; Nilsson & Schmidt, 2005). However, most of these studies do not focus on trainees and mental health professionals who identify as White. The present study used quantitative analyses to explore nine hypotheses regarding the …

Exploring Genealogical Roots And Family History And Their Influence On College Student Development: A Qualitative Study, Matthew L. Reiser

Theses and Dissertations

Family genealogy research has grown exponentially over the past decade, making it an area worthy of scholarly inquiry (Smith, 2010). Genealogy is now one of the world's most popular hobbies, with hundreds of millions of people worldwide actively engaged in some form of family research (Veale, 2004). In the United States, there has recently been a significant increase in the interest of searching out one's genealogical roots (Triseliotis, 1998). For most young people, the years from late teens to early twenties represent a period of profound change (Arnett, 2000). Many young adults search for and solidify their identity during the …

A Qualitative Analysis Of High School Students' Experiences In The Latinos In Action Program, Johann Paul Simonds

Theses and Dissertations

This research was a qualitative program evaluation of students' perceptions of Latinos in Action (LIA), a peer-mentoring program that seeks to improve high school Latino graduation rates and college admittance. The study was conducted with college students who participated in the program in high school. LIA graduates were interviewed to determine what major factors influenced and supported them in their academic decisions. Additional data included an interview with the program director, results from the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), and a video of one of the interviewees. The researcher explored students' experiences in the LIA program with the …

Bullying: A Qualitative Study Of Siblings Of Young Children With Disabilities, Lindsay M. Proctor

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that, in some instances, siblings can be a first line of defense when a child experiences bullying. Research also shows that children with disabilities are often prime targets of bullying. However, no research was located that specifically explored the relationship between siblings of children with disabilities, their perceptions of bullying and the roles that they play when bullying occurs. This study investigated siblings' perceptions of bullying through a qualitative interview. Twelve participants ranged in age from 7 to 13. Few participants described witnessing siblings with special needs being bullied; however, many of these children described themselves at bystanders …

Effects Of Gender Composition Of Target And Sender Dyads On The Tendency To Infer Lies, Byron J. Simoneaux

Doctoral Dissertations

Lying is so common in human behavior that some have labeled it a social skill. Despite the ubiquity of lies, humans have consistently been found to be poor lie detectors. Attempts have been made to improve the accuracy of human lie detection. Unfortunately, the most successful training only improves accuracy slightly above the level of chance. Because of its importance to society, considerable effort has been aimed at developing methods to help determine when people are lying. Researching how and why humans infer that another person is lying has the potential to advance the understanding of lie detection. Researchers have …

Proposed Dsm-5 Personality Traits And Substance Use: A Multi-Faceted Study, W. Reese Mayer

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the Brief Assessment of Traits – 37 (BAT37) was developed to measure the presence of the personality traits initially proposed for inclusion in the personality disorders section of the DSM-5. The structure of the measure was supported by the results of a pilot study and its construct validity was supported by correlations with theoretically-related scales from the PAI, DAPP-BQ, and HEXACO-PI-R. The BAT37 was administered to a sample of undergraduate college students and clients at a residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facility.

Several of this study's findings are relevant to the proposed changes to the personality …

The Impact Of Psychological Reactance And Approach/Avoidance Motivation On The Effectiveness Of Sleep Interventions, Barbara Calvert

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that college students experience sleep difficulties at a higher rate than the general population. Many factors contribute to the sleep difficulties of college students including lifestyle, stimulant use, alcohol use, physiological arousal, and cognitive factors. Sleep difficulties have been shown to have a significant negative impact on numerous aspects of an individual's life including cognitive/academic performance, physical health, and psychological functioning. College administrators and counselors need effective interventions for students experiencing sleep difficulties. It is also essential that individuals working with college students be aware of personal factors that may impact how an individual responds to a …

An Exploration Of The State-Trait Continuum In Counseling And Positive Psychology, Michael A. Keefer

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Counselors value remaining positive in the face of adversity. Consequently, positive psychology has placed an emphasis on uncovering how long-enduring positive traits (e.g., hope, wisdom, and creativity) can be developed from short-term positive states. This search has resulted in positive psychology's conceptualization of a state-trait continuum. This study explores the state-trait continuum by examining possible quantitative relationships between a state instrument (the Learning Environment Preferences) and a trait instrument (the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Research question 1 found a significant predictive relationship between two MBTI scales (S-N and J-P) and the LEP's cognitive complexity index. Research question 2 found a significant …

The Effectiveness Of Anger Management Programs With Court Mandated Clients: A Provider Perspective, Mary A. Sanderfer

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Arrest for criminal offenses sometimes result in court systems mandating that offenders attend anger management treatment programs. Mandated anger management treatment places a demand on mental health professionals to provide these services. In order to prepare counselors to be effective in providing services, it is important for counselor educators to examine counselors' beliefs and attitudes about mandated anger management treatment. Using a survey method, this study asked counselors to rate the degree they perceived the anger management treatment they provide to be effective and to rate the degree they perceived they were prepared in their training programs to provide anger …

Supporting Utah's Parents In Preventing Adolescent Suicide: A Literature Review And Handouts For Utah's Youth Suicide Prevention Manual, Jennifer L. Whicker

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide, a public health problem on a global scale, has become the focus in many domains across the United States. With the recent push to provide solutions to the adolescent suicide rate in the U.S., the school setting has become an important venue for prevention and intervention efforts. While there are many risk and protective factors, the majority of suicide completions are concurrent with psychiatric disorders among adolescents; as such, this is an area that warrants further investigation. Additionally, school resources are often overwhelmed by the magnitude of need among the student population; therefore, effective interventions must be identified that …

Narcissism In Romantic Relationships: An Analysis Of Couples' Behavior During Disagreements, John W. King

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Social Skill Generalization With "Book In A Bag": Integrating Social Skills Into The Literacy Curriculum At A School-Wide Level, Buddy Dennis Alger

Theses and Dissertations

Social skill instruction is needed in both targeted and universal contexts. This research utilized a universal social skill intervention, Book in a Bag (BIB), to increase the use of a specific social skill by all students within an elementary school, including students identified as at-risk for behavior problems. BIB was designed to integrate social skills into the curriculum by way of children's literature, specifically a read-aloud book using a direct instruction strategy. The results indicate that BIB had a positive effect on students' behavior in the classroom both for students identified and those not identified as being at-risk for behavior …

Content Analysis Of 50 Picture Books For Latino Immigrant Children: Implications For Supportive Bibliotherapy, Robert Jeffrey Gomm

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the content of 50 children's picture books, specifically award-winning picture books created for and/or about Latino immigrant children. Familiar artwork, situations, and characters help Latino immigrant children identify with the stories. Information from this analysis will help parents, teachers, and school mental health professions select appropriate books for bibliotherapy aligned with Latino immigrant children's needs. Based on this study's analyses, two resources are included: (a) a list of 20 children's picture books that address four or more Latino immigrant challenges and (b) a handout with common challenges facing immigrant children and books to specifically meet each of …

Social And Emotional Learning In Preschool: An Evaluation Of Strong Start Pre-K, Leslie Gunter

Theses and Dissertations

Young children face unique social challenges, and they need social and emotional resilience skills in order to navigate their way through school. Many of the children who need the most help are in family situations where parents are not able to teach these skills. Students can become more resilient through social and emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. SEL teaches children to identify the emotions of themselves and others, to communicate their emotions in a nonviolent way, and to be good friends. By teaching SEL at a young age, teachers can help children become more adept as they make friends …

A Translation And Cultural Adaptation Of The Japanese Version Of The Outcome Questionnaire 45 (Oq), Risa Takara

Theses and Dissertations

The need for psychotherapy outcome research is growing in Japan as the societal demands for psychotherapy have increased in recent years. Although researchers in Japan recognize the importance of integrating clinical practice and empirical research in evaluating psychotherapy outcome, most Japanese studies to date have relied heavily on qualitative case studies (Haebara, 1997; Kanazawa, 2004; Tanno, 2001). With the help of six translators and 116 native Japanese pilot respondents, this study adapted the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ; Lambert et al., 1996), one of the most common quantitative measures of clinical outcome, for use in Japan. The translation of the original OQ …

Measuring Growth: The Reliability And Validity Of The Utah Recovery Scale, Ray J. Katzenbach

Theses and Dissertations

Recently the direction of consumer mental health care in the United States has shifted in terms of its approach to recovery. In this sense recovery is not thought to be a complete amelioration of symptoms, but rather the acquisition of meaningful relationships, independent living, and fulfilling work. In response to these changes, the Utah division of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI-Utah) conducted consumer focus groups for the purpose of developing a tool to monitor this new conceptualization of recovery. The focus groups generated 10 recovery indicators based on recovery as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services …

Efficacy Of Self-Care And Traditional Mental Health Counseling In Treating Vicarious Traumatization Among Counselors Of Hurricane Katrina Survivors, Mary Alice Many

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The population consisted of 9,000 Gulf Coast Licensed Professional Counselors. Surveys were returned by 609 participants. In the researcher-developed demographic survey, 586 individuals responded to the questions regarding age, gender, ethnicity, and years of counseling experience; 585 individuals responded to questions about exposure to prior trauma, and personal Katrina-related losses; 578 individuals responded to the question about the percentage of their work week that was spent counseling victims, and 579 individuals responded to questions regarding the type of mental health care strategy they participated in. There were 439 usable surveys for the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) (Weathers, Litz, Huska, & …