The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of emotional intelligence as it occurs in children and adolescents by investigating the psychometric properties (i.e. validity) of the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i: YV). The validation of this instrument involved considering its relationship to cognitive intelligence, self-report of personality, and parent-report of behavior. A battery of tests that included a measure of intellectual functioning, an omnibus personality test, a measure of childhood behavior problems, and the EQ-i: YV was administered to a sample of 143 children ranging in age from 8 to 18 years. A small positive relationship was found to exist between Full Scale IQ and the broadband measure of emotional intelligence. Many significant relationships were obtained between the subtests of the EQ-i: YV and the omnibus personality test, suggesting a high degree of relationship. Significant correlations were evidenced among the scales of the EQ-i: YV and the measure of childhood behavior problems, but to a much lesser extent than with personality. The EQ-i: YV demonstrated the abilityt to predict significantly elevated scores on a broadband measure of emotional difficulties. Lastly, aspects of personality were found to contribute more heavily to the prediction of overall emotional intelligence than did cognitive intellectual functioning. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2004. / Date of Defense: February 24, 2004. / Test Validation, Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence / Includes bibliographical references. / Frances Prevatt, Professor Directing Dissertation; Richard Wagner, Outside Committee Member; Gary Peterson, Committee Member; Steve Pfeiffer, Committee Member; Briley Proctor, Committee Member.

This qualitative research study explored the process by which expert and novice counseling practitioners use the computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) for the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Two groups of people were involved in the study: (a) research participants and (b) student assistants. Research participants were the focus of the study; student assistants were not measured or assessed in any way. Research participants were selected from a career center at a large southeastern university. All received some training in the use of the CBTI for the SDS prior to their participation in the study. Student assistants were selected from an undergraduate course in career development. Students in the course take the SDS and receive an interpretation of their CBTI as part of normal classroom procedures. They were invited to have their interpretation audio-recorded for the current study and were offered extra credit as an incentive. Twelve students were selected; those who wanted to assist but were not selected were still presented with an opportunity to receive extra credit. Data collection occurred in two phases. Research participants first interpreted a CBTI for the SDS to two student assistants. These interpretations were audio-recorded. Following the interpretative events, the researcher interviewed research participants; interviews were also audio-recorded. During the interview, research participants were asked about the nature of the student participant's SDS scores and their reactions to the interpretive process. Following the data collection procedures a professional transcription agency transcribed audio recordings. The researcher reviewed transcribed audio recordings from interpretive events and interviews for one participant and identified a preliminary coding system based on themes present in the data. Nvivo qualitative software was used to assist with this effort. The preliminary coding system went through several iterations as data from additional participants was analyzed. The characteristics of expertise identified by Glaser and Chi (1988) were used as sensitizing concepts in order to link the data analysis to relevant literature. Raw data and the preliminary coding system were presented to an auditor with knowledge of qualitative research to provide an objective opinion of the data. Feedback was received and a final coding system was identified. The final coding system consisted of a thematic hierarchy of five major categories, 12 higher order themes, and 13 lower order themes. A second auditor reviewed the final coding system and raw data to ensure the appropriateness of the data analysis. Results revealed that experts and novices interpreted much of the same content presented in the CBTI for the SDS, but did so in different ways. Experts explained more content of the CBTI for the SDS, solicited background information, discussed resources and services, and incorporated elements from two career theories during interpretations. Experts also made decisions about: the relative importance of data, student's career problems, and how to adjust their performance and structure the interpretive process based on the unique needs of students. The results suggested that this study's experts possessed more complex domain-specific schema for the interpretation of the CBTI for the SDS. These schema appeared to enable experts to examine more data, which was used to form more complex conceptualizations of students' career functioning. The findings lent support to the characteristics of expertise identified by Glaser and Chi (1988), as well as for stage theories of the development of expertise identified by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986). The findings were used to develop a suggested interpretive process of the interpretation of the CBTI for the SDS. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2008. / Date of Defense: September 16, 2008. / SDS, Self-Directed Search, CBTI, Computer Based Test Interpretation / Includes bibliographical references. / James P. Sampson, Jr., Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Janet Lenz, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Irene Padavic, Outside Committee Member; Gary Peterson, Committee Member; Robert Reardon, Committee Member.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to conduct the next stage of research in the development of a new methodology (Smith, 2005) based on an analysis of Graphs and Property Sets (GAPS). The objective of the methodology is to measure the degree of similarity in structure and content of mental model representations. Such measures are useful in determining if and to what extent instructional interventions promote understanding and the acquisition of expertise with regard to complex phenomena and problem solving situations. This methodology builds on earlier research (e.g., Spector & Koszlka, 2004) and was tested in a prototype study (Smith, 2006). The research was developmental in nature and consisted of a formative evaluation of the methodology aimed at answering the following questions: 1. Does the methodology provide useful comparisons of student-constructed models based on relevant attributes of structure and content that are embedded in the model elicitation methodology? 2. What improvements in the methodology are needed prior to further research and development and eventual implementation in the form of a mental model assessment tool? a. What improvements are needed regarding the mental model elicitation methodology? b. What improvements are needed in the mental model representation analysis methodology? The study revealed that the methodology can provide useful comparisons of student-constructed models. The determination of usefulness was based on the feedback received from two professors who are instructors for beginning students in the instructional design program which provided the subjects for this research. The study also identified specific improvements that are needed prior to further research and development of the methodology. For this study, a mental model is an internal cognitive structure created by an individual to explain external phenomena, to solve problems, and/or to predict outcomes of actions and decisions. Such internal structures cannot be observed directly, and methods for representing an individual's mental model vary according to the latitude of expression given the individual and the extent of assumptions that must be made concerning the degree of similarity between the internal model and the external representation. The methodology evaluated in this study represents a systematic attempt to combine freedom of expression on one hand with structured detail elicitation on the other. The intention is to reduce the number of inferences and assumptions an investigator must make in interpreting a mental model representation and address finer levels of comparisons between and among models. The methodology uses an application of graph theory (Chartrand, 1977; Diestel, 2000) and can be distinguished from other graph-based methodologies by one or more of the following characteristics. Subjects create their own graphs to represent their mental models. Subjects provide detailed property sets for each graphic element. Property sets define both the concepts in a subject's mental model and the subject's understanding of how concepts are related. Finally, comparisons between models are based on analyses of properties of graphic elements rather than linked pairs of concept labels. Property set analysis may determine whether or not similar labels in different mental model representations refer to the same concepts. It also may determine whether or not similar concepts are identified with different labels. Assumptions that subjects understand and use concept labels the same way can lead to inaccurate conclusions about the degree of correspondence of one model to another. The research context was a graduate program in instructional design at a large, Southern university. Individuals may enter the program as masters students or doctoral students. The focus of this study was limited to comparisons of mental model representations between novices and experts in the field of instructional design. The methodology was used to examine gaps between the knowledge and conceptions of beginning students and the knowledge and conceptions of their professor who is an experienced practitioner in the field of instructional design. The initial state of student knowledge and conceptions can have significant implications for the design and delivery of instruction. First, understanding students' prior knowledge provides a starting point in bridging the gap between their beginning state and the learning objectives of the instruction. Second, learning of new material takes place with regard to a larger world view students may have. Integration of new knowledge within this larger context requires some awareness of the context's relevant attributes. Next, examination of students' initial conceptions and mental models may reveal misconceptions that must be overcome in order for the learning objectives to be achieved. Misconceptions can be firmly entrenched, and may require design and/or delivery approaches beyond those sufficient to instruct students without such handicaps. It is assumed that a comparison of mental model representations of beginning students with the mental model representation of an experienced practitioner will reveal both initial states of the learners and misconceptions they may have. Participants included three professors who are experienced instructional designers and 19 graduate students in an introductory design course in the Instructional Systems Program. Participants were trained to use the methodology to represent their mental models in responding to an instructional design problem. Mental model representations of students were compared with that of the professor teaching the introductory instructional design course. The comparisons addressed: (a) the degree of similarity in content and structure; and (b) specific areas in student models which might indicate misconceptions or knowledge gaps. The mental model representations of the other two experienced instructional designers were compared to that of the professor teaching the course. This analysis determined that the methodology has utility in comparing the models of persons with similar expertise (experienced designers) as well as those with different levels of expertise (professor/student). It also confirmed that the methodology identifies more similarities between persons with similar expertise than between persons of different levels of expertise. Answer to research question 1. A comparison of student-constructed models based on relevant attributes of structure and content is considered useful if it reveals misconceptions or gaps in knowledge that, if present, will affect the design and/or delivery of instruction for the purpose of improving the potential for learners to achieve the targeted learning goals. The comparison analysis results were shared first with the professor teaching the class of student participants to determine the usefulness of the methodology in identifying misconceptions or knowledge gaps that can affect instructor decisions concerning the design and/or delivery of instruction. Next, the results were shared with the other two professors, one of whom also was an instructor for beginning students in instructional design. The third professor, who did not teach instructional design students, did not comment on the specific application of results; however, the two professors teaching in the instructional design program responded that the information would aid them in making course design and delivery decisions. They indicated surprise regarding (a) the amount of information that the methodology could produce and (b) the extent of the gaps in knowledge that were revealed between entry level students and their professor. Answer to research question 2. Required improvements in the methodology were addressed using qualitative data obtained from analysis of mental model representations and participant responses to questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires and interviews were used to obtain participant feedback on the representation process. Comparative analysis data and data from the questionnaires and interviews were examined to determine what improvements are needed prior to further study and implementation of the methodology. The initial analysis results and recommended list of changes were shared with the experienced practitioner group (i.e., the professors) to obtain their reactions to the proposed improvements. The list of recommendations include: (a) an improved training plan with more examples and additional practice; (b) assessment of understanding of both the representation process and the problem statement prior to model elicitation; (c) better design of the model to be used for comparison with student models; and (d) a set of guidelines for constructing the database and performing qualitative analyses. Because this study was limited to a single application and participant group, results cannot be generalized. However, the mental model assessment methodology design is not limited to this specific application. The results of this study can set the stage for future research using other subject areas, different educational levels, and additional populations. The intended features of this methodology are that it will: (a) be generalizable across domains and populations; (b) be applicable for a variety of purposes in education and training including educational research and instructional design; (c) be scalable for practical use in secondary, tertiary and work settings; (d) be appropriate for complex problem solving domains; (e); produce metrics that identify the degree and basis of correspondence between mental models; and (f) provide greater insight into the structure and content of a person's mental model than what is now provided by current mental model assessment approaches. Further research may produce a validation for broader applications and eventual implementation in the form of a mental model elicitation and assessment tool. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2009. / Date of Defense: November 26, 2008. / Instructional Design, GAPS, Assessment, Mental Models / Includes bibliographical references. / J. Michael Spector, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ian Douglas, Outside Committee Member; Tristan E. Johnson, Committee Member; Vanessa P. Dennen, Committee Member.

When conducting meta-analysis, reviewers gather extensive sets of primary studies for meta-analysis. When we have two or more primary studies by the same author, or two more studies using the same data set, we have the issues we call 'same author' and 'same data' issues in meta-analysis. When a researcher conducts a meta-analysis, he or she first confronts 'same author' and 'same data' issues in the data gathering stage. These issues lead to between studies dependence in meta-analysis. In this dissertation, methods of showing dependence are investigated, and the impact of 'same author' studies and 'same data' studies is investigated. The prevalence of these phenomena is outlined, and how meta-analysts have treated this issue until now is summarized. Also journal editors' criteria are reviewed. To show dependence of 'same author' studies and 'same data' studies, fixed-effects categorical analysis, homogeneity tests, and intra-class correlations are used. To measure the impact of 'same author' and 'same data' studies, sensitivity analysis and HLM analyses are conducted. Two example analyses are conducted using data sets from a class-size meta-analysis and ESL (English as a Second Language) meta-analysis. The former is an example of the 'same data' problem, and the latter is an example of the 'same author' problem. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to assess how each analysis technique works. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2009. / Date of Defense: May 1, 2009. / Meta-Analysis, Dependence, Same Author, Same Data / Includes bibliographical references. / Betsy Jane Becker, Professor Directing Dissertation; Fred Huffer, Outside Committee Member; Akihito Kamata, Committee Member; Yanyun Yang, Committee Member.

Iconic media moments include when Kerri Strug 1996 Olympic vault with two torn ligaments in her ankle, and Tiger Woods' win in the 2008 US Open with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture on his left tibia. Both athletes were regarded as heroes for competing while injured and particularly because they were successful in doing so. Even fourth grade athletes accept pain and injury as inevitable outcomes of playing sports, and continue to play through the pain and injury (Singer, 2004). Over conformity to the sport ethic can include behaviors such as: risking injury or prolonged illness to compete, playing through pain, inclination to avoid medical attention, or winning regardless of the physical costs (Hughes & Coakley, 1991; Miller, 2008). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between over conformity to the sport ethic and injury in adolescent athletes. Male (n = 98) and female (n = 105) athletes between the ages of 13 and 18 in Tallahassee, FL were recruited to participate in the study. Athletes provided demographic, sport and injury history data and completed the Sport Attitudes Questionnaire developed for this study. The Sport Attitudes Questionnaire measured degree of and reasons for conformity to the sport ethic. Data analysis revealed athletes who were found to be higher in sport ethic conformity reported incurring a significantly greater number of injuries at the .05 level (m = 2.02) than their peers (m = .80) who were found to be lower in sport ethic conformity. Athletes high in conformity reported engaging in sport ethic conformity behaviors because they believed athletes should be tough. Athletes low in sport ethic conformity reported engaging in sport ethic conformity behaviors because they loved their sport. Implications of these results for athletes, coaches and sport psychology practitioners are discussed. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2010. / Date of Defense: March 30, 2010. / Health Damaging Behavior, Adolescent Athletes, Athletic Identity, Sport Ethic, Culture of Risk, Sport Injury / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert C. Eklund, Professor Directing Thesis; Gershon Tenenbaum, Committee Member; David W. Eccles, Committee Member.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title from title page (viewed Apr. 19, 2007) Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-30)

This study sought to examine the impact of teaching both graphic organizer and metacognitive monitoring strategies on the comprehension of 5th grade students reading expository science text. In 2000, the National Reading Panel recommended multi-strategy comprehension instruction; graphic organizers and metacognitive monitoring were two of the recommended strategies. Few studies have examined the impact of combining graphic organizer instruction with metacognitive reading strategy instruction. In this study the effectiveness of teaching both graphic organizer and metacognitive monitoring strategies was compared with instruction in either graphic organizer or metacognitive monitoring strategies. Students in the Graphic Organizer + Metacognitive Monitoring Condition and students in the Metacognitive Monitoring Condition showed increased reading comprehension scores over the course of the six-week intervention on seven expository science passages, whereas students in the Graphic Organizer Condition showed no improvement in passage comprehension scores. In addition, over the course of the intervention, students in the Graphic Organizer + Metacognitive Monitoring Condition showed a significant increase in test scores on a standardized test of reading comprehension. With regard to the increase in reading passage and comprehension test scores, findings from this study revealed that score increases occurred only in conditions where students received metacognitive monitoring strategy instruction. Evidence from this study revealed the importance of metacognitive strategy instruction on reading comprehension gains.

Evaluation use is a major goal of program evaluators, because it can lead to program improvement and sustainability. This dissertation adds to the literature on ―Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs‖ (GEAR UP) grant evaluation use by assessing (1) the extent to which project directors of state grants use evaluation results (i.e., instrumental use, conceptual use, persuasive use, and/or process use), (2) the extent to which the evaluations of the state GEAR UP grant programs have had an influence at the individual, interpersonal, and collective levels, and (3) what factors have an impact on the use of those results (i.e., quality of the evaluation, decision and policy setting factors). Additionally, this dissertation provides insight into GEAR UP administrators‘ expectations for evaluation use among state GEAR UP grant project directors and support systems for evaluation use. The participants in this study were 17 current state GEAR UP grant project directors. Electronic copies of surveys and links to an online survey were emailed to participants and paper-and-pencil surveys were distributed during the 2009 National Council for Community Education Partnerships (NCCEP)/GEAR UP Capacity Building Workshop in New Orleans, LA. Telephone interviews were conducted with former NCCEP officials. Descriptive analyses were used to address each research question. Results indicated that GEAR UP project directors are using their programs‘ evaluations for instrumental, conceptual, symbolic, and process-related purposes. Project directors reported evaluation influence at the individual, interpersonal, and collective levels. Both implementation factors and decision and policy setting factors had an impact on project directors‘ decisions to use their programs‘ evaluations. Most of the former NCCEP staff interviewed had high expectations for use of evaluation results by state project directors. Former NCCEP staff members were able to provide a number of examples of cases where states were using their programs‘ evaluations. All of the former NCCEP staff members interviewed said that they thought project directors had been encouraged and trained to promote use. Former NCCEP staff also identified a number of barriers to directors‘ use of their programs evaluations and provided some suggestions for addressing these barriers.

The Indivisible Self (Myers & Sweeney, 2004; Myers & Sweeney, 2005a) model of wellness was proposed in the counseling literature to serve as a framework for enhancing wellness across the life span. Numerous researchers conducted a variety of investigations related to this model; however, gaps in the literature still exist. The aim of the current study was to add to the body of existing literature by investigating one woman‟s wellness across the life span utilizing qualitative methods. The senior adult participant provided a narrative of her life in the form of an oral history. This narrative was then analyzed through the lens of the Indivisible Self model of wellness. The result of this analysis was a descriptive picture of wellness for this woman over the course of her life as it relates to the five Second Order factors of the Indivisible Self model. These five Second Order factors are the Creative Self, Coping Self, Social Self, Essential Self, and Physical Self. In addition to this descriptive picture of wellness, several themes were identified that were central to the participant‟s stories. These themes were Activity, Pleasure, Faith, Relationships, and Helping. The relationship between these themes and concepts from the Indivisible Self model are discussed. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are provided.

The concurrent and predictive utility of three measures of Emotional Intelligence (EI) were determined by administering the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test: Youth Version (MSCEIT:YV; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, in press), the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version ( EQ-i:YV; Bar-On, 2000), the Emotional Aptitude teacher rating scale of the UNIT: Gifted Screening Scale (UNIT: GSS; McCallum & Bracken, in press) and a sociometric measure to 102 third, fourth, and fifth grade students in two rural elementary schools in the Southeastern United States and one elementary school in the North Central United States. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients of scales across instruments ranged from .20 (p < . 05) to .39 (p < .01) Results from dependent t tests showed no significant difference between overall mean scores of the EQ-i:YV and MSCEIT:YV (p <.05) but did show a significant difference between the UNIT:GSS Emotional Aptitude Scale scores of male and female participants (p < .01. Only the UNIT:GSS EAS predicted results of the sociometric in stepwise multiple regression, though the relationship was modest (R2 = .07, p < .01). Apparently, the three instruments assess EI somewhat independently and relate to a peer-based sociometric only modestly.