School Psychology Commons^™

Caught Between Silence And Truth: Graduate Trainees' Disclosures Of Microaggressions, Lourdes D. Concepción Cabán, Rochelle E. Goins, Farhia A. Osman, Brea M. Banks, Tyra M. Jackson, Arielle N. Flint, Keeley Hynes, Kierra R. Peterson

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Graduate training in school, clinical, and counseling psychology programs is often shaped by structural inequities that can harm racially minoritized trainees. Guided by Critical Race Theory, this qualitative study used counterstorytelling to explore how 10 racially minoritized graduate students in school, clinical, and counseling psychology programs experienced and disclosed microaggressions to faculty/supervisors during their graduate training. Through thematic analysis, six overarching themes emerged: (a) types of microaggressive experiences, (b) influence on perceptions of program climate, (c) influence on emotional functioning, (d) actions in response to microaggressions, (e) faculty/supervisor responses, and (f) institutional feedback. Findings indicate that disclosure is frequently fraught, …

Variables Related To School Readiness Among Canadian Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptomology, Carlye Brokl

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms face challenges academically, behaviourally, and socioemotionally at entry to formal education. Yet, these symptoms are rarely investigated prior to school entry, reducing the time that parents can prepare by learning about the disorder, scaffolding their children’s skills, and mediating the risk of long-lasting consequences related to unpreparedness for school. Within the current study, we aimed to uncover specific skills and elements within children’s environments which may be targeted for intervention prior to entering formal education. More specifically, we examined the relationship between the home literacy environment (HLE), mental-state understanding, ADHD symptomology, and …

Children's Peer Selection In Stem: The Influence Of Gender, Ethnicity, And Disability, Meagan Girard, Kim P. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present study examined how children’s peer selection in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) may be influenced by gender, ethnicity, and physical disability. Sixty-four children (ages 6-12) from elementary schools in Southwestern Ontario completed three tasks: a simulated peer selection task, an attribution of ability task, and a stereotype belief questionnaire. In the peer selection task, participants were repeatedly asked to select one peer from a set of AI-generated photographs showing children who differed by gender (male, female), ethnicity (White, Black, East Asian), and physical disability status (able-bodied user vs. nondisabled). The Peer Selection Task was based on the …

Is Prosocial Behavior A Unique Correlate Of Academic Success In Emerging Adulthood?, Jacqueline Di Biase

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Prior developmental research has frequently linked prosocial behavior to stronger academic functioning during childhood and adolescence (Cruz et al., 2024; Gerbino et al., 2018; Oberle et al., 2022), yet its relevance to academic success in emerging adulthood remains unclear. Guided by a Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework, the present study sought to address gaps in emerging adulthood research by examining the academic relevance of prosocial behavior while accounting for influential developmental assets and testing its independent contribution to academic achievement. Undergraduate students (N = 501) completed a cross-sectional self-report survey assessing prosocial behavior, self-control, dutifulness, sociability, and cumulative grade …

Prevalence Of Digital Assessments Among School Psychologists, Jeffrey Bash

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Although digital assessment tools are becoming readily available, many school psychologists still rely on traditional paper-and-pencil methods. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study identified factors related to school psychologists’ Behavioral Intention (BI) to adopt digital assessments and their use behavior (UB). A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used, along with a national sample of 121 practicing school psychologists from 27 states. Multiple regression, ANOVA, and moderation analyses tested three hypotheses. Results partially supported Hypothesis 1: Performance Expectancy was a significant predictor of both BI and UB, whereas Effort Expectancy was not significant in …

Supporting Student Success: Student Perceptions Of The Community College First-Year Experience, Jennifer Mullen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study builds on existing research examining the impact of First-Year Experience (FYE) courses, with a specific focus on community college students, and expands the measures of success for these courses. Most scholarship on the impact of FYE courses on student success focuses on students at four-year institutions and emphasizes academic achievement and retention as key measures of success. In this study, data were collected from community college students enrolled in an FYE-101 course during the Fall of 2025. Pre- and post-course surveys (see Appendices B and C) were administered at the beginning and end of one 15-week and two …

Resilience As A Pathway From Openness To Eustress In College Students, Karis H. Choi

Scripps Senior Theses

College students experience high levels of stress, yet not all stress leads to negative outcomes. This study examines how personality and coping resources contribute to eustress—a positive, motivating form of stress—by investigating whether resilience mediates the relationship between openness to experience and eustress. Undergraduate participants completed baseline measures of openness and resilience before engaging in either a high-demand mental arithmetic task or a low-demand control task. Following the task, participants reported their emotional and behavioral responses using the Measure of Emotional, Physical, and Behavioral Markers of Eustress and Distress (MEDS). Consistent with expectations, individuals higher in openness were predicted to …

Effects Of Teacher Training On Identifying Inattentive Type Adhd In Afab Students, Gabrielle A. Boles

Scripps Senior Theses

Teachers are more likely to detect hyperactive ADHD symptoms than inattentive ones, which often results in students, especially girls with inattentive symptoms, being under-referred (Willcut, 2012). This study evaluates whether a targeted, inattentive-focused, and gender responsive teacher training reduces gendered and symptom-based biases in referral decisions. K-5 teachers will be randomly assigned to receive either standard general ADHD identification training or an inattentive-focused, gender-responsive training, and will then be asked to review vignettes depicting children with hyperactive and inattentive symptoms, with varying student genders. Referral accuracy and knowledge of ADHD will be measured. Training condition, symptom presentation, and student gender …

Pbis Fidelity As A Predictor Of School Connectedness For Secondary Students, Danielle German

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

School connectedness, defined as the extent to which students "feel accepted, respected, included, and supported in the school environment," (Goodenow, 1993, p.80) has been identified as a protective factor linked to numerous positive behavioral, academic, and affective outcomes for secondary students. Given its importance, schools may seek to invest in efforts that enhance students’ sense of school connectedness. Research suggests that targeted instruction may be particularly effective in promoting school connectedness among adolescents (German et al., 2026). Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, multi-tiered framework that emphasizes explicit instruction of behavioral expectations and reinforcement of appropriate behavior. …

Literature In Us School Psychology: Who Gets In?, Finn Drennan, Carmin Jones, Kitzia Martinez, Ethan Jones

CURE Proceedings

Past research has established that biases in psychological research favor authors and participants in the United States and other Western countries (Henrich et al., 2010; Arnett, 2008). However, the extent of this bias in the field of school psychology is not well understood. School psychologists support students from diverse cultural backgrounds, so understanding biases in the empirical literature is important for understanding how well that literature describes all students. The goal of the present study is to apply bibliometric and scientometric techniques to describe who participates in school psychology research. Bibliometric data will be collected from empirical articles published in …

Hallucinogen Use Among Parents Of Children In The United States: Associations With Mental Health And Substance Use, Maggie K. Richardson

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

Hallucinogen use has reemerged in the United States amid expanding clinical research and shifting social and policy contexts. However, population-based evidence remains limited regarding hallucinogen use among adults living with children and its relationship with mental health impairment severity in caregiving environments. Therefore, this study’s objective was to examine associations between past-year hallucinogen use and past-year mental health impairment among U.S. adults, and to test whether associations differ by parental status and number of children in the household. A secondary aim examined correlates of co-occurring substance use among those reporting hallucinogen use.

Data were drawn from the 2023 National Survey …

Expert Validation Of A Professional Development Model For K–2 Emotional Regulation, Mark Simpson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Emotional regulation (ER) is foundational to student learning, behavior, and long-term educational success and well-being; however, many elementary educators report limited formal preparation in explicitly teaching ER skills. The purpose of this study was to design a professional development (PD) program for K–2 teachers focused on ER and to evaluate its content validity through expert review. The framework was grounded in Gross’s process model of ER, Desimone’s core features of effective PD, and Sims’s dynamic IMTP framework. A researcher-developed rubric was used to evaluate alignment, clarity, theoretical grounding, and feasibility. Five experts in various roles within the field of education …

Applied Psychophysiology: Evaluating The Feasibility Of A Digital Breathing Tool, Jessica Pavelka

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Mental health in the United States is a growing public health concern, with one in five adults living with a diagnosed mental health disorder. The prevalence of mental health concerns among adults in the U.S. has not changed significantly from 2021 to 2024 (Reinert et al., 2025). This study examined how mental health providers can leverage technology to support symptom reduction for their patients during and beyond treatment. Biofeedback has demonstrated lasting health benefits, is cost-effective, and holds promise for novel interventions for conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, usability, engagement, …

Attention Or Affect? Evaluating The Discriminant Validity Of Cpt-3 Performance, Gavin F. Price

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The Conner Continuous Performance Test Third Edition (CPT-3) is a behavior-based measure of attention-related problems commonly used to assess Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Research into the discriminant validity of the CPT-3 remains limited, particularly regarding the influence of internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression on performance. The current study examined whether CPT-3 performance was more strongly associated with cognitive indicators of inattention or internalizing symptoms, such as depressive or anxious symptoms. Archival data from 105 adult clients at Murray State University Psychological Center was analyzed. Cognitive inattention was measured using Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) – Working Memory Index (WMI) discrepancy …

Bridging The Gap Between Instruction To Application: Piloting Of Trauma-Informed Care Intervention For Pre-Service Teachers, Meredith Spraggon

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) knowledge, attitudes, and application of trauma-informed care (TIC) practices following a targeted training intervention designed by the researcher. The intervention included an introduction to trauma, it’s impacts on young people, key principles of TIC, recognizing the signs of trauma within the classroom and creating a trauma-informed classroom, culturally responsive TIC practices, as well as resilience factors. Participants included N = 48 undergraduate PSTs enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a large Midwestern university. Participants’ age ranged from 18 to 26 years old (M = 19.73, SD = 1.41). Slightly more than half of …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Proactive And Reactive Behavior Management Strategies, Anna Wilzbach

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the praise literature by examining K-12 teachers’ preferences for proactive behavior management strategies (e.g., praise, acknowledgement, rewards). In addition, teachers’ opinions on the efficacy of proactive strategies were assessed to see if efficacy of strategies decreased as grade level increased. Teacher opinions of efficacy and preferences for proactive strategies and reprimand were collected through the Teacher Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (TPRPS). A total of 93 teachers from rural and suburban school districts completed the TPRPS survey. Results indicated as grade level increased, teachers found praise less effective for managing student appropriate …

Replication Of The Construct Validity Of The Cas2: Rating Scale, Isabelle Joann Kurowski

Masters Theses

Naglieri et al. (2014) created the Cognitive Assessment System Second Edition: Rating Scale (CAS2: Rating Scale) to assess cognitive functioning of children based on teacher observations for use in Tier I screening purposes. The current study is a replication of Graham (2025) study that assessed the construct validity of the CAS2: Rating Scale by comparing it to the Learning Behaviors Scale (LBS). Based on prior findings from Canivez and Gaboury (2016), this study hypothesized that the Attention and Planning subscales of the CAS2: Rating Scale would be most closely related to the Attention/Persistence and Strategy/Flexibility subscales of the LBS, respectively. …

The Adjustment Of Autistic First-Generation Students To Higher Education, Paris J. Cumba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of the current study is to investigate how first-generation students on the autism spectrum adjust to higher education compared to their continuing generation and neurotypical peers through the lens of intersectionality. Previous research has studied how first-generation students and autistic students transition into college environments, but little research has explored how these identities intersect and affect college adjustment.

For this study, 189 undergraduate students completed a survey that measured different dimensions of college adjustment, such as academic motivation, self-efficacy, and current life satisfaction. ANOVA tests showed that there was no significant interaction between first-generation status and autism status …

Accessing Campus Mental Health Services In A Nigerian Southwestern University: Barriers To Academic Success, Caroline Dada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders are a significant health concern among higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. A substantial treatment gap exists in the Nigerian healthcare system, and this gap is further worsened by cultural and religious barriers, which reinforce stigma that discourages students from seeking professional help. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the barriers students encountered when accessing mental health services at a university in Southwestern Nigeria, to increase service access. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with seven professional mental health providers at a university counseling center between March and April 2025. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify …

School-Based Antecedent Interventions Derived From Structural Analyses: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Georgia M. Gaertner

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Disruptive behaviors in the classroom setting present immediate challenges for both students and teachers and are associated with a host of negative, long-term outcomes. Antecedent interventions are a group of behavior management strategies that can be used to target disruptive behaviors before they occur. This study consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis of school-based antecedent interventions that were derived from a structural analysis. The results indicated that structural analytic research on school-based antecedent interventions has been conducted with students across diverse educational settings and with students with a variety of disabilities and conditions. Elementary school students and male students …