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La autorregulación emocional es la capacidad inherente de todos los niños y niñas lo cual les permite gestionar, controlar y regular sus respuestas emocionales en las diferentes interacciones sociales a lo largo de sus vidas. La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo diseñar un programa de actividades para potenciar la autorregulación emocional en niños de cinco años, para ello se utilizaron métodos de enfoque cuantitativo – no experimental descriptiva – propositiva, teniendo una población de 25 niños y niñas de cinco años a quienes se aplicó una lista de cotejo para medir el nivel de autorregulación emocional que poseían. Tras la problemática encontrada, el 92 % de los niños están en proceso lograr su desarrollo emocional, para ello se elaboró la propuesta denominada AUTEMO KIDS para el fortalecimiento de la autorregulación emocional la cual cuenta con distintas estrategias divertidas y dinámicas. En conclusión, se asevera la importancia de promover la ejecución de aportes orientados atender a niños en edad preescolar y las capacidades del área socioemocional, aspecto que favorece además el logro de competencias en el ámbito cognitivo de los menores. / Emotional self-regulation is the inherent capacity of all boys and girls which allows them to manage, control and regulate their emotional responses in different social interactions throughout their lives. The objective of this research was to design a program of activities to enhance emotional self-regulation in five-year-old children, for which quantitative - nonexperimental, descriptive - purposeful approach methods were used, having a population of 25 five-year-old boys and girls who were A checklist was applied to measure the level of emotional self-regulation they had. After the problem found, 92% of the children are in the process of achieving their emotional development, for which the proposal called AUTEMO KIDS was elaborated for the strengthening of emotional self-regulation which has different fun and dynamic strategies. In conclusion, the importance of promoting the execution of contributions aimed at caring for preschool-age children and the capacities of the socio-emotional area is asserted, an aspect that also favors the achievement of competences in the cognitive field of minors.

Young men who grew up with emotionally absent fathers seem to find it difficult to attain equilibrium through dedication to both personal and relational concerns, probably because they tend to have low self-esteem, struggle to establish intimate relationships and may be at greater risk of engaging in antisocial or violent behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore the self-regulation strategies that white young adult male students employ to deal with the emotions and cognitions related to the experience of having emotionally absent fathers. Interactive Qualitative Analysis was applied to facilitate a discussion group process through which a hypothetical model for a purposive sample of nine participants’ self-regulation strategies was systematically constructed. Ten themes were identified, and judging from the model participants’ attempts at self-regulation seem to be unproductive in the long run, hence the presence of three feedback loops from which they are unable to produce constructive behavioural outcomes. Disappointment over emotionally absent fathers has introduced a number of inhibiting factors that hinder the participants’ growth towards self-actualisation. Results support the literature on the complex nature of self-regulation within conflicting relationships. Although the study was explorative and findings cannot be generalised, it does provide valuable cues for counsellors, psychologists and further research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Young men who grew up with emotionally absent fathers seem to find it difficult to attain equilibrium through dedication to both personal and relational concerns, probably because they tend to have low self-esteem, struggle to establish intimate relationships and may be at greater risk of engaging in antisocial or violent behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore the self-regulation strategies that white young adult male students employ to deal with the emotions and cognitions related to the experience of having emotionally absent fathers. Interactive Qualitative Analysis was applied to facilitate a discussion group process through which a hypothetical model for a purposive sample of nine participants’ self-regulation strategies was systematically constructed. Ten themes were identified, and judging from the model participants’ attempts at self-regulation seem to be unproductive in the long run, hence the presence of three feedback loops from which they are unable to produce constructive behavioural outcomes. Disappointment over emotionally absent fathers has introduced a number of inhibiting factors that hinder the participants’ growth towards self-actualisation. Results support the literature on the complex nature of self-regulation within conflicting relationships. Although the study was explorative and findings cannot be generalised, it does provide valuable cues for counsellors, psychologists and further research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

As online learning rises in popularity, students are increasingly learning through technology and without regular guidance from teachers. These learning environments differ from traditional classrooms in many ways and deliver different experiences. In this study, participants’ learning environments were manipulated using two independent variables, each with two levels for a total of four conditions: study medium (text was presented either on paper or a screen) and prompt type (text was interspersed with prompts designed either to induce metacognitive processes or to be interacted with non-metacognitively). Ninety-two participants were each assigned to one of the four conditions in a between-subject design, read three expository texts, completed a comprehension test after each text, and responded to a survey at the end of the study. Participants who read text on paper tended to take more notes and spend more time studying than those who read from a screen, but performance was equal between the mediums. Participants receiving metacognitive prompts performed better than non-metacognitive participants on multiple-choice questions with an effect size comparable to those generated by educational interventions in existing literature; however, the performance difference was not statistically significant unless prompt response scores were controlled for. In addition, behavioral differences emerged between metacognitive participants (re-read more) and non-metacognitive participants (summarized more while reading). The results from this study can be used to inform dialogue about technology in classrooms and instructional design.

The concept of learner autonomy (LA) in second/foreign language education has been the central focus for many researchers (Benson, 2007, 2011, 2013; Holec, 1981; Gu & Nguyen, 2013; Little, 2007, 2009 and others) and has become a part of mainstream practice of language education in some educational contexts; however, there is still a high interest in researching language learner autonomy and ways to foster it. Partially, this renewed interest is due to advances in technology and pedagogy such as self-access centers, distance learning, blended learning and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in general and changes in educational policies (Benson 2011, 2013). Modern language learners are exposed to various choices in their language education such as numerous learning modes and a variety of language learning resources. However, this change means that learners must be capable of making informed decisions about their language education and taking some control over it in order to become successful and maximize their learning experience. There are examples of autonomous learning programs which place autonomy at the center, worldwide. Recently, the Center of English as a Second Language (CESL) at the University of Arizona (UA) created and implemented a new educational practice, Program for Intentional Learning (PIL). The goal of this program is to foster LA as well as equip CESL students with knowledge, skills, tools, and resources to be successful in both language learning and their future American college education. PIL is a hybrid program in terms of combining different approaches to fostering LA: resource-based, technology-based, curriculum-based, learner-based, and teacher-based (Benson, 2011).Responding to Benson's (2011) and Nguyen's (2012) call for more rigor in research on LA and educational interventions to promote LA, this dissertation follows the guidelines proposed by Nguyen (2012): a) having a clear operationalized definition of LA, (b) implementing both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and (c) piloting and validating tools. This dissertation examines the effectiveness of the PIL program in terms of its capacity to foster LA and to help CESL students to become more successful in learning English. The evaluation of the program was conducted as a multiple-case study of four participants with a mixed-method research design. The present study draws upon a main survey which measures a degree of LA as pre- and post-test, interviews with case study participants and their instructors, learning diary, and action plan comparison. Even though the comparison of pre- and post-survey scores revealed that only two case study participants had a significant change towards greater LA, all four participants reported changes in their learning behaviors. These changes point to a higher degree of LA, and all participants shared a positive overall evaluation of the PIL workshops. The study suggests that this type of educational intervention to promote LA can be effective, especially in developing metacognitive knowledge and skills, increasing participants' motivation and changing their attitude towards language learning and their teachers.

Persistent pain conditions are a major health problem throughout the world and are one of the primary reasons that people seek medical treatment (Gureje, Von Korff, Simon, & Gater, 1998; Verhaak, Kerssens, Dekker, Sorbi, & Bensing, 1998). These conditions are characterized by complex interactions between cognitive, emotional, and physiological disturbances and are often associated with comorbid psychological disorders (Gatchel, 2004). Though previous studies have examined the effect of interventions targeting persistent pain, such as physical self-regulation interventions, few studies have examined the complex interaction between such interventions and other variables such as psychological and physiological functioning and presence of social support. The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of a physical self-regulation intervention (i.e. diaphragmatic breathing entrainment) on response to a brief physical stressor (i.e., mild thermal stimulation) as well as to evaluate whether presence or absence of a supportive partner influenced this relationship. Participant response was measured via self-report of pain intensity and unpleasantness and via physiological measures of respiration rate, blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability. The study consisted of 154 female participants who participated in pairs (i.e., 77 pairs). Each participant was randomly assigned to training in diaphragmatic breathing or a control condition as well as being randomly assigned to complete the study with or without their supportive partner present. Analyses revealed that breathing entrainment resulted in significantly slower breathing rate during the thermal stressor task (p < .01). Presence of a supportive partner interacted with breathing entrainment to influence heart rate during the thermal stressor task (p < .05) such that participants who completed the study with a support person present had a lower heart rate when trained in diaphragmatic breathing than when trained in a control protocol and participants who did not have a support person present showed the opposite effect. Presence of a supportive partner also interacted with breathing entrainment to influence ratings of task unpleasantness (p < .05) such that participants who were trained in diaphragmatic breathing rated the task similarly regardless of presence or absence of a supportive partner, whereas participants who were trained in a control protocol rated the task as more unpleasant when accompanied by a supportive partner. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the impact of training in diaphragmatic breathing and presence of social support on response to thermal stimuli as measured by both self-report (i.e., ratings of task unpleasantness) and physiological (i.e., respiration rate and heart rate) measures. This study highlights the usefulness of implementing a self-regulatory training strategy for treatment of pain and in considering the efficacy of incorporating a supportive partner into such training.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

This study examined the relationships between metacognition, self-regulation and students' critical thinking skills and disposition in online Socratic Seminars for ninth grade World Geography and Culture students. Participants of this study came from six intact pre-AP (Pre-Advanced Placement) classes in a public high school in south central Texas in the United States. They were randomly assigned to two groups: a three class treatment group and a three class comparison group. Students in both groups received training on critical thinking skills, Internet security, "netiquette" and the technological tools involved in the online Socratic Seminars. The experimental group performed two metacognitive tasks. They assigned critical thinking tags in the discussion forum and wrote two structured reflection journals after they finished each of the two Socratic Seminar discussions, while the comparison group performed neither of the two metacognitive tasks. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for the data analysis. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed statistically significant effects of the two metacognitive tasks on students' self-regulation, but not on their critical thinking skills and disposition. The structure equation modeling analysis showed that self-regulation had significant relationships with students' critical thinking disposition, but not with students' critical thinking skills for both the experimental and the comparison groups. The structural equation modeling analysis also revealed an insignificant moderating effect of performing the two metacognitive tasks on the relationship between self-regulation and students' critical thinking. Qualitative data analysis triangulated results from the quantitative analyses. / text

Self-regulation and self-control are motivational constructs involved in the process of goal pursuit (Karoly, 1993). Although investigators within and across various fields of psychology have used the terms interchangeably (e.g., Hofmann, Rauch, & Gawronski, 2007; Lord, Diefendorff, Schmidt, & Hall, 2009; Wood, 2005), theoretical work stemming from the clinical field suggests that they are distinct yet related constructs (e.g., F. Kanfer, 1970, 1977; F. Kanfer & Karoly, 1972). However, until now, the relationship between self-regulation and self-control had not been investigated empirically. In the current program of research, I delineated their relationship in two ways. First, I developed and evaluated new self-report measures that better match theoretical models of self-regulation and self-control. Participants (N = 199) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires regarding personality, motivation, self-regulation, and self-control. The new measures had acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities, and displayed relationships expected for convergent and discriminant validity. Modeling techniques indicated that self-control and self-regulation are not strongly enough associated to fall under one higher-order factor, and that the relationship between the two constructs was best represented by a model in which self-control was associated with the self-regulatory stage of goal striving. Second, I evaluated the efficacy of a training session that included self-control techniques in addition to self-regulation skills, and compared outcomes to those from a self-regulation only training group, and a control group. One sample of undergraduate students (N = 49) and one sample of day-shift employees (N=41) were included. Participants completed questionnaires twice daily for a period of three weeks to report sleep-wake behavior, fatigue, affect, and productivity. Objective sleep measures also were obtained through the use of actigraphs, which monitor sleep-wake activity. The self-regulation training groups showed better goal adherence following the intervention compared to the control group, and the combined training groups had even better goal adherence than the self-regulation group. Positive affective changes were also reported among the training groups following the study period. The development of new measurement and training techniques, which better align with the theoretical formulations of self-regulation and self-control, will help to advance the theoretical work concerning these constructs, and could lead to improvement in workplace outcomes.