Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Open access. Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-103). Print copy also available.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed May 30, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-127).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The present study was a systematic investigation of hierarchical skill sequences in the design copying domain. The factors associated with possible variations in task difficulty were delineated. Five hierarchies were developed to reflect variations in rule usage, the structuring of responses, presence of angles, spatial orientations, and stimulus complexity. Three-hundred thirty four subjects aged five through ten years were administered a 25 item design copying test. The data were analyzed using probabilistic models. Latent trait models were developed to test the hypothesized skill sequences. Each latent trait model was statistically compared to alternate models to arrive at a preferred model that would adequately represent the data. Results suggested that items with predictable difficulty levels can be developed in this domain based on an analysis of stimulus dimensions and the use of rules for task completion. The inclusion of visual cues to guide design copying assists accurate task completion. Implications of the current findings for facilitating the construction of tests which accurately provide information about children's skill levels were discussed. The presence of hierarchical skill sequences in a variety of ability domains was supported.

The purpose of this study is to describe six-to twelve-year-old children's views of childbirth using words and drawings of children who were present when a baby was born in order to understand children's conceptualization of birth. As background to the study, the accessibility of childbirth to children through time and space was reviewed in the Human Relations Area Files. The information revealed cultural units both allowing and forbidding attendance of children at birth. Interviews and drawings were used to collect data from 14 informants. Audiotape-recordings of the interviews were transcribed, analyzed and organized into meaningful categories, which were validated by six key informants. The categories represented the knowledge used by children to interpret childbirth and included: people who do things at birth, steps in a baby being born, things people do at birth, best parts of being there, worst parts of being there, things that are gross at birth, things that are scary at birth, and things for kids to know about being there. The relationships of the categories were discussed in themes inferred from the data by the researcher. The themes identified were: I never seen it before; the first time you don't know; it might not be scary for you, but it was for me; the more often you see it, the less it bothers you; dads, kids and ladies help; I can't stand to miss it; it's kind of gross for the person who has to watch; and you learn by being there. The themes are discussed in relation to the research questions, health care and concepts that guided the study (childbirth as a sociocultural event, culture of childhood, child's-eye view, and cognitive development). Health professionals, especially nurses, have the opportunity to prepare parents and children for birth, to facilitate family-centered birthing practices and to minimize the strains related to life processes, such as birth and development. Childbirth through children's eyes communicates the birth event as a situational crisis as well as a developmental opportunity.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This research investigated the precision with which spatial information can be maintained in memory and reproduced as well as factors which may effect these emerging abilities. To study this, ten males and ten females in each of first, third, fifth, and seventh grades participated in three drawing tasks under two conditions (match and recall). The tasks involved the presentation of a 4" straight line or a 2" x 2" right angle drawn on an 8" white disc. Subjects were asked to draw a line exactly the same size and in the same place (static), after an imagined rotation, or after an imagined bending or unbending of the line (transformation) on an 1" white disc. Several mixed design analyses of variance with repeated measures on the task variables were run. First graders made significantly more errors than all other subjects. Third and fifth graders differed little and both performed significantly less accurately than seventh graders. Performance on the rotation task and the transformation task did not differ significantly with performance on both yielding more error than performance on the static task. The match condition generally proved easier than the recall condition, straight lines led to less error than bent lines, and orientation information was more accurately preserved than metric information. The requirements of the task, i.e., no change, change in position, or a change in form, interacted with both the stimulus type and the type of information preserved. Grade level also interacted significantly with task and stimulus type. When determining how spatial abilities emerge and the accuracy with which spatial information can be dealt, task demands, stimulus characteristics, and type of information being measured must be considered along with the developmental changes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cross-age tutoring by high school students on the affective perception of fourth graders in the areas of self-concept, perception of self as a student, perception of self as a social studies student, and perception of self in the school environment. The tutoring was done in social studies--specifically in Arizona history--relating to the culture, history, and environment of the students' own surroundings. A rationale for the study was based on the social learning theory. High school students modeled behavior for the elementary students and reinforced positive learning experiences dealing with their own culture. This experience would enhance the elementary students feelings of self-worth, and improve their self-perception. The literature was reviewed from three aspects: cross-age tutoring, self-concept, and affective perception. Eight elementary classrooms, four experimental and four control, in four schools in the southwest part of Tucson, Arizona were involved in this one study. Nine hypotheses were tested dealing with self-concept and perception of self. Results of the study were assessed through the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale pre- and post-measures, and the Affective Perception Inventory. An analysis of data was subjected to a two-factor analysis of variance using a hierarchical design. The primary aspect of this design is the assumption that an individual's score is partly influenced by the social unit of which the individual is a member. In all categories the treatment of cross-age tutoring had no effect on the experimental means. The hypotheses did not prove to be significant at the F = .05 level of significance. (A significant difference was found in the direction of the control group's mean score on the post self-concept scale.) It is the finding of this study that there were too many variables, other than the tutoring process, that could not be controlled. A further examination of the results shows that there were significant school within treatment effects, in the perception of self in the school environment, which indicates that the treatment interacted with classroom variables.