Little is known about how children develop their concepts of the future. However, future time perspective (FTP) is considered important in the development of abilities such as planning, goal setting, and the delay of gratification. FTP has also been related to mental health in adults and academic achievement in adolescents. This study explored FTP, defined as the ability to temporally locate and organize future events, and compared participants' ability to locate and organize the same events with respect to their past occurrences. There were 167 participants from four grade levels with average ages of the groups ranging from 7.4 to 10.5 years of age. Participants located five recurrent events on four timelines representing; a past(day), a past(year), a future(day), and a future(year). Participants also took tests to assess their knowledge of conventional time (i.e., clocks and calendars). Hypotheses were proposed that: (a) participants would show a general developmental improvement on all tasks, (b) participants would perform better on day-scale than year-scale timelines, (c) participants would perform better on past than future timelines, and (d) knowledge of conventional time would be used by older participants to structure year-scale, but not day-scale, timelines. Results supported the first two hypotheses but, contrary to expectations, participants performed better on future than past timelines. The author proposed that location of sequences in the past is more cognitively challenging because it moves counter to the unidirectional flow of time; events that are more distant from the present are earlier in the sequence. Results supported the hypothesis that more sophisticated representations of conventional time are needed for location of events in longer durations, and that such representations are developmentally acquired, but a causal relationship could not be established. Participants relied heavily on event schemas in locating events; these schemas helped participants produce a correct sequence but often with the incorrect start of the sequence given the instructions regarding use of the present as a reference point. Results also suggested that children might have a different concept of the relationship between the present and the past and future than that of adults.

In order to provide effective social, emotional, and behavioral supports to all students, there is a need for formative assessment tools that can help determine the responsiveness of students to intervention. Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is one framework that can provide evidence-based intervention within a 3-tiered model to reach students at all levels of risk. This dissertation begins the process of developing a brief, teacher-completed rating scale, intended to be used with students in grades K-8 for the formative assessment of positive classroom behavior. An item pool of 93 positively worded rating scale items was drawn from or adapted from existing rating scales. Teachers (n = 142) rated the importance of each item to their concept of “positive classroom behavior.” This survey yielded 30 positively worded items for inclusion on the pilot rating scale. The pilot scale was used by teachers to rate students in two samples drawn from general education K-8 classrooms: a universal tier group of randomly selected students (n = 80) and a targeted tier group of students with mild to moderate behavior problems (n = 82). Pilot scale ratings were significantly higher in the universal group than the targeted group by about one standard deviation, with no significant group by gender interaction. Strong results were found for the split-half reliability (.94) and the internal consistency (.98) of the pilot scale. All but two items showed medium to large item-total correlations (> .5). Factor analysis indicated a unidimensional factor structure, with 59.87% of the variance accounted for by a single factor, and high item loadings (> .4) from 26 of the 30 factors. The unidimensional factor structure of the rating scale indicates its promise for potential use as a general outcome measure (GOM), with items reflecting a range of social, emotional, and behavioral competencies. Future research is suggested in order to continue development and revision of the rating scale with a larger, more diverse sample, and to begin exploring its suitability for screening and formative assessment purposes.

Research into the role of the family in the etiology and maintenance of bulimia is scant, and typically concentrates on bulimic-anorexics rather than normal weight bulimics. This study attempts to bridge the gap, and investigates two questions: (1) do normal weight bulimics come from more "enmeshed" families than do normal weight nonbulimics; and (2) what are the bulimic woman's family beliefs regarding food, eating, and weight? Eighty normal weight women between 18 and 26 years were divided into three groups: bulimics (N = 21), nonbulimic clinical controls (N = 25), and nonbulimic normal controls (N = 34). Each woman completed a questionnaire comprised of demographic questions, the Bulimia Test, a measure of family functioning developed by Bloom, and The Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence. Each of the inventories yielded scale scores upon which the three groups were compared. In addition, four of the bulimic women were interviewed in depth about their families. Analyses of variance revealed that bulimics perceive their families as less cohesive, and operating in a less democratic and more laissez-faire fashion than their nonbulimic counterparts. Further, bulimics tend to deny that they may need others, to avoid more symbiotic relationships, and to experience greater engulfment anxiety than the nonbulimics. Questions generated by the investigator concerning the family's beliefs and behaviors around food, eating, and weight were factor analyzed, and the three groups were compared on 5 of the factors. Bulimics were found to perceive their families as using food inappropriately and as not engaging in healthy eating habits more than the nonbulimics. Results suggest that the bulimic women in this sample perceive their families as more "enmeshed" than do the other women, and that the families of bulimics gave their daughters confusing and unhealthy messages about food and eating, which probably remain with them. It is believed that these women lack appropriate coping skills, as a result of their family upbringing, and return to their maladaptive eating patterns in times of stress. Alternative explanations and future directions are offered.

The role of the Resident Assistant (RA) has assumed special prominence during the last thirty years, as theories of student development have promoted the practice of peer education, particularly in residence halls. RAs have been given a long list of tasks and job expectations that can be generally categorized within peer counseling and policy enforcing functions. Some researchers and writers in the field of student development and residence hall ecology have argued that with proper training and supervision, RAs can adequately fulfill their assigned duties while simultaneously matriculate, fulfilling their own personal undergraduate academic and social needs. This assumption is presently under scrutiny, as information from cognitive development regarding late adolescent epistemology questions the readiness of these students to be able to perform simultaneously in all of their roles. In particular, the role of enforcing university rules and regulations with many floormates who are also peers and friends presents RAs with levels of conflict that may stem from their current cognitive developmental level, thus limiting the ways they negotiate conflict during enforcement activities. The result may be a mis-match of person to task. Some undergraduate RAs may not be ready to carry out their most developmentally challenging task of enforcing campus policy with peers to whom they have ties of support and friendship. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of certain behavioral trends in the ways RAs negotiate conflict with their peers while enforcing university policy based on their tested cognitive developmental level. By administering two production-type developmental assessments and one preference-type conflict mode inventory, as well as performing individual interviews of selected RAs, I examine possible mis-matches and matches of RAs with their roles, particularly that of policy enforcement with peers.

<p> The thesis investigated debated intelligence theories: Cattell&rsquo;s (1943) &ldquo;Theory of Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence&rdquo; and Gardner&rsquo;s (1983) &ldquo;Theory of M.I.&rdquo; The research asks: Which existing theory-based and hypothetically based measurement models of intelligence fit the measurement data better? How does a traditional vs. modified M.I. Theory measurement model fit? How does a combined measurement model of the theories fit? Participants (n=287) were students (age 18-25) from a top-tier East-Coast university. Approximate statistical power is .90 with effect size of .5 (<i>p</i>&le;.05). Participants were administered the <i>Reynolds Adaptable Intelligence Test and Multiple Intelligence Developmental Assessment Scales</i>. Structural equation modeling revealed better fit for the &ldquo;Theory of Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence&rdquo; data (&chi;²(4) =8.08, <i>p</i>=.09; CMIN/d.f.=2.02; RMSEA= .06; TLI= .98; CFI= .99; IFI=.99; SRMR=.0221). The traditional Theory of M.I.&rdquo; model fit was insupportable (&chi;²(300) =1441.448, <i>p</i>&lt;.000; CMIN/d.f.=4.80; RMSEA= .12; TLI= .61; CFI= .64; IFI=.65; SRMR=.2239), but alternative M.I. models were supported. A correlated M.I. model (&chi;²(264) =569.09, p&lt;.001; CMIN/d.f.=2.16; RMSEA= .06; TLI= .88; CFI= .90; IFI= .91; SRMR=.06) and 4-factor model M.I. with distinct bodily-kinesthetic and musical talent (&chi;²(267) =526.32, p&lt;.001; CMIN/d.f.=2.12; RMSEA= .06; GFI=.91; TLI= .92; CFI= .94; IFI= .94; SRMR=.06) show acceptable to good fit. A M.I. Indicator &amp; R.A.I.T. TII to <i>g</i> SCU Model shows good fit (&chi;²(120) =247.56, p&lt;.001; CMIN/d.f.=2.06; RMSEA= .06; TLI= .89; GFI=.94; CFI= .96; IFI= .96; SRMR=.10). Current findings are further discussed in relation to analogous studies.</p>

Enhancing and facilitating a strength-based intervention model presents a challenge for practitioners and those involved in program design and policy. This study examined a shift away from a deficit-based approach and toward strength-based assessment of family functioning within current early childhood practices. The initial effectiveness of the Family Functioning Style Scale in facilitating the re-framing of family functioning was assessed and patterns of reported family strengths were analyzed and compared. A random sample of 64 parents, equally representing four different early childhood program models, were asked to complete the scale, participate in informal discussion, complete a follow-up questionnaire, and answer follow-up questions individually three months later. The sample of parents reflected equal distribution among Head Start, Day Care, Early Intervention and Pre-School Special Education programs as well as represented equal distribution with respect to ages served (0-3, 3-5) and special education program and regular education models. The study also included a sample of 13 professionals, representing the four programs, who completed the scale based upon their knowledge of 13 of the families in the parent sample. While inter-class correlation coefficients indicated that there was no significant evidence to show that there was a difference in the rating of family strengths between parents and professionals, professionals expressed a need to gain further familiarity with the strengths of families they served. When asked if completing the scale helped them to identify family strengths, 77.6% of the respondents to this question indicated that they felt the scale had been effective. The area of strength most frequently reported by the total sample was in cohesion. The area of strength least frequently reported by this sample was in communication. Income was significantly correlated with the full scale score (FFSS) and the strength dimensions of competence and cohesion. Risk factors, such as low income and social isolation, were felt to impact the reporting of strengths within each sub-group. Several significant differences between the four sub-groups were reported with respect to the full scale mean scores as well as within several of the strength dimensions. This study supported further investigation of the use and effectiveness of scales as well as the option of interviews in order to assess family strengths and facilitate a strength-based model for intervention. In addition, the researcher emphasized the importance of staff training and policy formation in order to support program models in their effort to create environments which will maximize the recognition of family strengths and nurture the empowerment of families.

The present cross-sectional study adds to the extant literature by exploring how parenting and child behavior problems relate to elementary school children's academic achievement and engagement. Parenting was investigated as a possible mediator of the relationship between behavior problems and academic outcomes. A diverse sample of 62 children, their primary caregivers, and teachers participated in the study. Videotaped observation of parent-child dyads doing a homework task allowed the following behaviors to be studied: parental autonomy support, positive-minus-negative presence, quality of teaching, and child engagement. To assess behavior problems, parents and teachers completed behavior rating scales, and parents completed a structured interview. Children participated in language and literacy based achievement testing, and school personnel provided grades. Children who displayed higher levels of engagement performed better on measures of academic achievement. Positive parenting behaviors were associated with academic achievement and engagement. An exploratory analysis was consistent with child engagement partially mediating the relation between parenting behavior and reading achievement. Child behavior problems were related to lower engagement, but contrary to expectations, they were not related to parenting or achievement. Boys rated by teachers as displaying behavior problems, however, had lower academic achievement, but this was not the case for girls. Though parenting was not related to child behavior problems, findings did suggest that parenting and child behavior are associated with child engagement. This research points to the critical role of engagement as a component of academic success and the potential for parents to foster children's academic engagement and achievement through the parent-child relationship.

Submitted by SBI Biblioteca Digital (sbi.bibliotecadigital@puc-campinas.edu.br) on 2017-04-07T11:53:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 C?SSIO RODRIGO DE OLIVEIRA.pdf: 1558816 bytes, checksum: af1bb11391882d7fbd283fd2afa08915 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-07T11:53:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 C?SSIO RODRIGO DE OLIVEIRA.pdf: 1558816 bytes, checksum: af1bb11391882d7fbd283fd2afa08915 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-07 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / The objective of this research is to understand the meaning of indifference to school, for the first years of high school, a public school, a city in the State of S?o Paulo in Brazil. Adopts as theoretical-methodological cultural-historical psychology, in particular, the concepts of Vigotski. Construction of information procedures were used observations recorded in regular classes field journals; conversations with the team manager and with teachers; meetings with students mediated by artistic activities; semi-structured interviews with students and with parents and/or guardians. The results indicate that the school and its contents are far from promoting the interests of students, just because there are no spaces in which meanings are negotiated and what new directions about the role of the school in their lives can be configured. / O objetivo desta pesquisa ? compreender o sentido da indiferen?a em rela??o ao conhecimento escolarizado, para jovens dos primeiros anos do ensino m?dio noturno, de uma escola publica estadual, de uma cidade do interior do estado de S?o Paulo. Adota-se como referencial te?rico-metodol?gico a Psicologia Hist?rico-Cultural, em especial, os conceitos de Vigotski. Como procedimentos de constru??o das informa??es foram utilizadas observa??es registradas em di?rios de campo de aulas regulares; conversas com a equipe gestora e com os professores; encontros com os estudantes mediados por atividades art?sticas; entrevistas semiestruturadas com alguns alunos e com os pais e/ou respons?veis. Os resultados indicam que a escola e seus conte?dos est?o distantes de promover o interesse dos estudantes, justamente por n?o haver espa?os em que significados sejam negociados e que novos sentidos sobre o papel da escola em suas vidas possam ser configurados.

Positive academic self-efficacy beliefs are associated with increased motivation, higher levels of persistence, and overall academic success. There is a gap in the literature regarding how young adult learners with identified learning disabilities who are also enrolled in postsecondary education characterize their development of academic self-efficacy beliefs and corresponding adaptive coping skills. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to develop a meaningful understanding of the lived experiences of young adult students with learning disabilities in the development of their self-efficacy beliefs and adaptive coping skills. Social learning theory, particularly the self-efficacy belief components, was the guiding conceptual framework for the study. Ten postsecondary students with identified learning disabilities were recruited through a purposeful sampling strategy and engaged in individual, semi-structured interviews. Moustakas' steps to phenomenological analysis were employed to analyze the data. Analysis resulted in the emergence of 6 major themes in self-efficacy belief development: (a) the role of experience, (b) support systems, (c) role models, (d) adaptive coping mechanisms, (e) accommodations, and (f) effective educators. Insights from the analysis of the data may contribute to the further development of effective and supportive interventions, strategies, and accommodations for postsecondary students with learning disabilities.