The perception of self-efficacy is a central cognitive construct in explaining motivation. Assigned goals are established in the literature as affecting self-efficacy, but only a few researchers investigated their effects in complex tasks. One stream of research revealed the positive effects of easy goals on performance in a complex task without regard to self-efficacy perceptions. In the present study, the focus was on the effects of assigned, easy goals on self-efficacy and personal goals in complex task performance. It was expected that easy goals would be superior to moderate or impossible goals because the complexity and uncertainty of the task distorts subjects' perceptions of goal difficulty.

This study examines middle school students' perceptions of a future career in a science, math, engineering, or technology (STEM) career field. Gender, grade, predispositions to STEM contents, and learner dispositions are examined for changing perceptions and development in career-related choice behavior. Student perceptions as measured by validated measurement instruments are analyzed pre and post participation in a STEM intervention energy-monitoring program that was offered in several U.S. middle schools during the 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model, developed by incorporating predictors identified by an examination of the literature and a hypothesis-generating pilot study for prediction of STEM career interest, is introduced. Theories on the career choice development process from authors such as Ginzberg, Eccles, and Lent are examined as the basis for recognition of career concept development among students. Multiple linear regression statistics, correlation analysis, and analyses of means are used to examine student data from two separate program years. Study research questions focus on predictive ability, RSQ, of MLR models by gender/grade, and significance of model predictors in order to determine the most significant predictors of STEM career interest, and changes in students' perceptions pre and post program participation. Analysis revealed increases in the perceptions of a science career, decreases in perceptions of a STEM career, increase of the significance of science and mathematics to predictive models, and significant increases in students' perceptions of creative tendencies.

The purpose of the study is to describe the current status of and the relationships between teacher self-efficacy and in-service teachers’ perceptions and/or attitudes of (a) the quantity and quality of feedback from formative evaluation, (b) toward feedback from formative evaluation, and (c) the impact of feedback from formative evaluation on teacher self-efficacy. In addition to calculating correlation coefficients, 6 teachers were interviewed – 2 each from high, medium, and low efficacy schools. The quantitative data reported low, positive correlations between all of the factors. Statistically significant correlations were found between 8 of the 12 factors including teacher attitudes toward feedback from formative evaluation and: overall Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (r = .302), student engagement (r = .309), instructional strategies (r = .237) and classroom management (r =.266). Other statistically significant correlations were found between teacher perceptions of the impact of feedback from formative evaluation and its relationship to self-efficacy and: overall Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (r = .295), Student Engagement (r = .300), Instructional Strategies (r = .209), and Classroom Management (r = .282). The face-to-face interviews and online focus group supported the quantitative findings as the participants reported that they value formative evaluation and feedback and deem it a necessary component of professional growth. Participants felt that they would benefit from an increased number of formative evaluations followed by specific, frequent and positive feedback. The participants indicated that their self-efficacy was not negatively impacted by infrequent observations and/or feedback that lacks detail.

While quantitative research has determined that first-generation college students (FGS) are less likely to interact with faculty than are their non-FGS peers, this qualitative study examines how incoming first-year college students, both FGS and non-FGS, perceive faculty-student interaction and whether they consider it important. Addressing different types of interaction with college instructors, both in-class and out-of-class, participants across a range of FGS status shared their views through surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups. Focusing specifically on incoming first year students, this study also explores the motives for, impediments to, and encouragements to faculty-student interaction that students identify. Finally, the study examines the origins of students’ perceptions of such interactions. It finds that FGS and non-FGS come to college with different cultural and social capital pertaining to this, and that non-FGS have a greater familiarity with the field and expected habitus of college. However, FGS demonstrate an ability to access their social capital in order to obtain valuable knowledge that informs their perceptions of college and of faculty-student interaction. Further, in the focus groups, FGS described emerging comfort with faculty over the course of their first months of college. The origins of students’ perceptions often differed, as non-FGS were more likely to describe being influenced by family, while FGS more often explained how they accessed their social capital in order to obtain cultural capital and practical knowledge regarding college and faculty-student interaction. Meanwhile, FGS’ and non-FGS’ motives for interacting with faculty, and the impediments and encouragements they identified, were frequently similar. The motives included their desire to learn and share opinions, as well as their interest in obtaining letters of recommendation in the future, while comfort with classmates and faculty and interest in class were commonly named as encouragements to interact with faculty.

Frailty in older adults is characterised as a vulnerable state, which predicts a range of health outcomes (e.g., injurious falls, institutionalisation, and mortality). The physiological and practical outcomes of frailty are recognised, but the psychosocial processes are largely unexplored so they were the focus the thesis. The overall aim of the thesis was to advance the understanding of frailty in older adults and its relationship with ageing perceptions. Three studies were conducted to achieve this aim. The first piece of work was a systematic review that investigated the association between older adults’ perceptions of ageing, broadly defined, and their health and functioning. The review showed that negative ageing perceptions were associated with poor health and functioning across a variety of health domains relevant to understanding frailty including: self-rated health; comorbidities; disability; memory; quality of life; mortality. However, conclusions from the review were limited by the quality and cross-sectional nature of the studies. Consequently, the second piece of work analysed data from a large longitudinal sample to test the relationship between older adults’ ageing perceptions and frailty explicitly. Older adults with more negative perceptions of ageing were more likely to be frail after adjusting for age, sex, depression symptoms, and socioeconomic status. However, ageing perceptions were found to be a weak predictor of frailty six years later. To investigate the mechanisms of the relationship between ageing perceptions and frailty, a qualitative exploration of older adults’ understanding of frailty and their beliefs concerning its progression and consequences was conducted as the third piece of work. Twenty-nine participants participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using a Grounded Theory approach. An understanding of frailty as a negative identity and the strategies by which self-identification “as frail” occurs and is resisted were developed. Participants believed that the consequences of self-identifying as frail were poor health and functioning, disengagement from physical and social activities, depressive thoughts, negative affect, stigmatisation, and discrimination. Most participants actively resisted the identity, and they used a variety of resistance strategies. Collectively, the findings from this project indicate that older adults’ ageing perceptions are related to the development and progression of frailty. Ageing perceptions are associated with older adults’ health and how they view themselves – whether they identify as frail and the different strategies they may use to resist identification. Whilst additional research is needed, the results of this research suggest an influential psychosocial aspect to frailty. Accordingly, a new model of frailty and its relationship with older adults’ ageing perceptions is offered. The model has implications for the way frailty is identified, supported and treated.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

In this thesis I examine the effect of introduction of inflation targeting as a monetary policy regime on the difference between actual inflation and perceived inflation. Perceived inflation is used in the analysis in contrast with previous research, because inflation perceptions are extracted from consumer surveys conducted in individual European Union countries on the whole population sample and thereby enable me to examine the effect that the introduction of inflation targeting has across the whole population. A panel data set of 19 European Union members and 1 candidate, including 7 inflation targeters, is used in the analysis, with monthly information from the period beginning in January 1990 and ending in December 2012. Based on the analysis using fixed-effects model with specific dummy variables to capture the difference-in-differences element, I find that inflation targeters experience lower differences between actual and perceived inflation and that the difference between actual and perceived inflation decreases after the introduction of inflation targeting. Furthermore, various groups divided according to socio-economic characteristics of the consumer survey respondents tend to be affected in a different way by the introduction of inflation targeting, although to a limited extent. JEL...

This exploratory research was designed to elucidate elementary school children's perceptions of the process of counseling with school counselors who utilize play therapy techniques. Seven elementary school children who were engaged in a counseling relationship with a school counselor who utilized play therapy techniques were interviewed three different times in person. All three rounds of interviews were audio taped and transcribed for the purpose of data analysis. Throughout each round of data collection, coding procedures, mainly open, axial, and selective, were utilized to extract and organize emergent themes. The data yielded three main categories: (a) therapeutic relationship, (b) emotional expressiveness, and (c) creative play, which included properties and sub-properties. To verify findings, expert consultation, member checks, and rival explanations were sought. Findings are discussed, followed by a conceptual framework of the counseling process. Methods to address potential limitations are presented, followed by a discussion of implications for counselor educators, play therapists, and school counselors. Last, suggestions for further research are offered.

While approximately 62% of high school graduates enroll in college, almost half of these students do not return for their second year in school. This demonstratable gap in college interest and reaching actual goals speaks to a need for information on how to facilitate the precollege guidance process to achieve more successful high school graduate and postsecondary institution matches. Much information is available in regard to the college choice process of high school students considering four year colleges and universities; scant information is known about how students discover information about the complete range of postsecondary educational opportunities. In particular, the community and technical college postsecondary education options have received minimal attention. Providing precollege counseling and information to students is considered a function of the high school counselor. Therefore, their perceptions and knowledge of postsecondary educational institutions are important in understanding the information they relate to their students. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe high school counselors' perceptions of community and technical colleges as viable and valued postsecondary education options. The study probed into the unique experiences of high school counselors from a major school system and examined how their perceptions were informed and shaped. A qualitative research design incorporating one-on-one interviews was conducted. The conceptual framework guiding this study was informed and developed by integrating three respected models: McDonough's (1997) model of building a comprehensive college culture in the high school, McClafferty and McDonough's (2002) model, and the American School Counselor Association National Model. The perceptions of the high school counselors resulted in five themes which included experiences with university bound students, experiences with community and technical college bound students, pathways of awareness of community and technical colleges, precollege counseling, and perceptions of community and technical colleges. The study concludes with implications for policy, practice, and recommendations for further study.