While the role of attributional feedback on student learning and achievement has been previously studied in laboratory settings, the importance of these types of feedback in real-time classroom settings is yet to be examined. This study attempted at exploring whether attributional feedback is present in interactions between teachers and students in natural classroom settings and how much they contribute to students' achievement in mathematics. Using an observational coding system, 55 one hour mathematics classrooms were coded for three different types of attributional feedback: direct attributional feedback, indirect attributional feedback, and strategy feedback. Direct attributional feedback consisted of explicit statements that were effort-oriented, ability- oriented, or knowing-oriented. Indirect attributional feedback consisted of teacher behavior that implicitly conveyed attributional messages to students. Behaviors such as unsolicited offers of help, giving credit to students, abandoning students, and calling out student name publicly were coded as indirect attributional behavior in this study. In addition, "why", "how", "what" strategy questions and strategy statements were coded as strategy feedback in this study. The results of this study indicated that while both direct and indirect attributional feedback are present in natural classroom settings, there is a significant difference between the number of times each type occurs. Teachers are more likely to convey attributional messages to students through indirect behavior compared to explicit attributional statements. When these types of feedback were examined in a model predicting students' mathematics achievement scores, the results showed that attributional feedback on their own significantly predicted student achievement but when it was combined with strategy feedback a stronger association with achievement scores occurred. Amazingly, it should be noted that in this model, direct attributional feedback indicated a negative association with mathematics achievement whereas indirect attributional feedback and strategy feedback indicated a positive association. These findings reveal that attributional feedback play an important role in student achievement in mathematics and the most effective way to present students with these types of feedback is to convey them indirectly and in combination with strategy feedback.

abstract: Effective communication plays a major role in the psychological adjustment and quality of the relationship of couples coping with cancer, yet only a few communicative behaviors have been examined in the context of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. This study sought to expand the extant literature by describing a wider range of communicative behaviors (beyond the frequently researched withdraw, disclosure/holding back, and avoidance behaviors) through an observable measure, as previous research has relied heavily on self-report. Couples (134 cancer patients and their caregiving partners) were video-taped discussing a cancer-related concern in the laboratory. Discussions were coded separately for patients and caregivers using the Asymmetrical Behavioral Coding System which captures 22 communicative behaviors. These behaviors contribute to four higher-level scales: positive approach, negative approach, positive avoidance, and negative avoidance. Area under the curve was calculated to describe each factor. The most frequently observed behavior was positive approach, followed by negative avoidance, negative approach, and positive avoidance. Paired samples t-test analyses examining the factors by moderating variables revealed that women engaged in more positive approach behaviors than did men; men engaged in more avoidant behaviors (both positive and negative) than did women; and caregivers engaged in more avoidant behaviors (both positive and negative) than did patients. Findings are consistent with prior research in the field and suggest consideration of tailoring possible future interventions. Further investigation is needed to assess possible interactional effects to ultimately help couples better communicate about the challenges associated with cancer treatment and recovery. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling Psychology 2020

<p>Although it has been hypothesized that chronic emotional invalidation by a parent may have lasting effects on later ability to regulate emotions, and possibly increase the chances of experiencing symptoms of psychopathology, the possible mechanisms surrounding this relationship have not been adequately explored. Further, many investigations have used retrospective reports of invalidation, which may be subject to bias. This pilot study of 19 adolescent-parent dyads explored associations between invalidation, experiential avoidance, and child symptoms of psychopathology in a cross sectional design. Retrospective reports of invalidation as well as an observationally-coded measure of invalidation during laboratory discussions of emotion were utilized, and compared for agreement. The feasibility and acceptability of a larger investigation of these questions is also discussed. It was found that adolescent-reported recalled invalidation seemed to show a stronger pattern of association with observationally coded invalidation than do parent reports. Additionally, several alternative mechanistic hypotheses showed some promise for further exploration. This pilot study was found to be acceptable to participants; however, recruitment of adolescents from a clinical population - and their parents to participate with them - was the greatest obstacle to feasibility for a larger study.</p> / Dissertation

Using a sample of 322 married couples (644 spouses) from The Flourishing Families project, this study examined the relationship between marital power and sexual satisfaction as mediated by observed hostile interaction. More specifically, an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was used in which husband and wife perceptions of their partner's power were hypothesized to be related to husband and wife self-report of sexual satisfaction, with husband and wife observed hostile interaction as possible mediating variables. Results showed that husband and wife perceptions of power were positively related to their respective husband and wife sexual satisfaction and positively related to their respective hostile interaction. Husband hostile interaction was negatively related to husband sexual satisfaction. Husband and wife perceptions of power were negatively related to their partner's sexual satisfaction, and positively related to their partner's hostile interaction. Husband and wife hostile interaction were negatively related to their partner's sexual satisfaction. Husband observed hostility was a statistically significant mediator of the relationship between husband power and husband sexual satisfaction and of the relationship between wife power and wife sexual satisfaction. Wife observed hostility significantly mediated the relationship between husband power and husband sexual satisfaction.

The therapeutic alliance, a construct representing agreement and collaboration on therapy goals, therapy tasks, and the emotional bond between client(s) and therapist, is a robust predictor of therapy outcomes in individual, couple, and family therapy. One way to track the therapeutic alliance is through ruptures and repairs. Ruptures are breaks, tensions, or tears in the therapeutic alliance. Ruptures and repairs influence the therapeutic alliance and consequently therapeutic outcomes. Currently, there is a lack of research addressing ruptures and repairs in couple therapy. The first step in researching alliance ruptures is to have a reliable way to assess alliance ruptures. This study will describe the development of the Coding Rupture Indicators in Couples Therapy (CRICT). The CRICT is an observational coding scheme that measures ruptures in couple therapy. The CRICT was developed through collaboration with researchers in marriage and family therapy, creation of items, adaptation of items from established coding schemes from individual therapy, and input and feedback as the CRICT was used and tested by undergraduates in a coding class. This paper will review foundational research of ruptures and repairs as well as the construction and use of the CRICT coding scheme.