This study explored the effects of parental false perceptions of their children's temperament on their subsequent school behavior problems. Participants were parents and teachers of 97 kindergarten children in an urban southern community. Both parents and teachers completed questionnaires on children's temperament, while teachers reported on children's school behaviors. Results indicate that both parent and teacher report of child temperament is related to school behavior problems, however, when parental ratings are more favorable than teacher ratings, this favorability is related to more internalizing and externalizing behaviors in school. In addition, parents rated their children higher on negative emotions, while parents and teachers rated similarly on effortful control. Furthermore, parent ratings of children's negative emotions were predictive of behavior problems above and beyond teacher's report. Findings highlight the relation of parental perceptions to children's school behavior problems and the utility of parent-teacher collaboration in improving children's school adjustment.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore counselor educators’ perceptions of working with students unwilling to set aside their personal religious beliefs while counseling clients. Purposeful sampling was used in a snowball fashion to select participants with a minimum of one year experience as a counselor educator and who are currently working in the field of counselor education. The participants of this study reported and described perceptions of their lived experiences as counselor educators. The primary research question for my study was what are the perceptions of counselor educators as they relate to working with students who are unwilling to set aside their religious beliefs while counseling clients? The foundation for my study was provided by a review of counselor education literature which focused on areas such as gate-keeping, values conflicts, remediation, referrals, due process, and student dismissal. In this study, the Ward v. Wilbanks et al. and Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley et al. legal cases provided the context within which the question of how counselor educators handle working with students who are unwilling to set aside their religious beliefs was explored. Semi-structured phenomenological interviews including the use of open-ended questions were used to collect data. Taped interviews were transcribed, read and analyzed for key words and descriptive terms. The data was coded into categories, categories were clustered into themes and themes were cross-analyzed to create super-ordinate themes. Super-ordinate themes were then used to address the primary and secondary research questions. Based on the results of my study the one over-arching theme that appeared was gate-keeping. Under the realm of gate-keeping fell three super-ordinate themes: ethical issues, student interventions, and legal issues. Implications for counselor educators are presented along with recommendations for further research. Personal reflections of the researcher were presented.

Interracial contact in South Africa continues to be fraught with tension. Many investigators have used the contact hypothesis to explore the relationship between contact and prejudice in South African samples, which has revealed the highly complex character of interracial contact. With much of the research on interracial contact being quantitative in nature and comparatively little qualitative work being done, few studies have looked at perceptions of interracial contact and none can be found which have used Q-methodology as the method of investigation. The aim of the study was to uncover groups of people who have similar perceptions about interracial contact in South Africa through the factor analytic process inherent in Q-methodology. Q-methodology is a comprehensive way of looking at people’s views, attitudes, opinions and beliefs on a topic and has both qualitative as well as quantitative dimensions, making it unique method which can shed a different kind of insight into the subjectivities of interracial contact compared to traditional research methods. Q-methodology is explained in some detail and supported as the best approach for exploring perceptions of interracial contact in South Africa given the country’s history of racial segregation and complexity of intergroup dynamics. The study used a non-probability, volunteer sample of 55 undergraduate students at the University of the Witwatersrand. A centroid factor analysis was performed on the data followed by a varimax rotation, which yielded four groups (“factors”) of people with similar patterns of subjectivities on the topic of interracial contact in South Africa. The groups were labelled the experientialists, ethnocentrists, segregationists, and integrationists based on their distinct patterns of perceptions of interracial contact in South Africa.

Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Educational research has examined factors contributing to teachers' burnout symptoms, including their perceptions of student behaviors (Ingersoll, 2003). Interestingly, teacher and students' races have been differentially related to teachers' perceptions of student behavior (Downey and Pribesh, 2004); this disparity in perceptions has been associated with teachers making more negative recommendations for African American students than for White students (Tenenbaum and Ruck, 2007). However, racial categories are not psychological constructs and offer little room for designing interventions to restructure teachers' perceptions of student behavior as a strategy to prevent teacher burnout. Since most teachers are White, using Helms's (1995) White racial identity model could offer a conceptual framework for examining different perspectives by which teachers understand their students' racial dynamics, which in turn, might affect how teachers feel, think, and act. Thus, if teachers' racial identity relates to their burnout symptoms, perceptions of student behavior, and recommendations, educational researchers could investigate more effective means of preventing teacher burnout symptoms and affect teachers' reactions to racially diverse students. White teachers (N = 237) completed an on-line survey containing an abbreviated White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale (Helms, 2011), behavior subscales of the Conners' Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale - Teacher Form (Conners, 2008), Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators' Survey (Maslach, Jackson, and Leiter, 1996), two teacher recommendations measures, and a demographic questionnaire. Results from Multivariate Analyses of Covariance suggested that teachers did not react differently to students' ethnic names or pictures with respect to their perceptions of students' behavior or teachers' likelihood of using specific recommendations. However, canonical correlations suggested that teachers' levels of burnout symptoms were related to their perceptions of students' Defiant Aggressive and Conduct Disorder symptoms. Moreover, teachers' biased and confused racial identity perspectives were strongly positively related to teachers' (a) burnout symptoms; (b) perceptions of angry, argumentative, and defiant behaviors; and (c) likelihood of using negative behavior management strategies with their students. Discussion included recommendations for educational training programs, methodological limitations, and implications of the results. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Myths prevail among the general public about wood, forest products, and the condition of the environment in the United States. Research shows that most people are unaware about the proliferation of products that they use in their daily lives that are made out of or are derived from wood, about the amount (and shortcomings) of paper recycling in America, and the degree of environmental "friendliness" that wood and non-wood substitutes inherently possess. Students surveyed on Virginia Tech's campus could not state the main purpose of the United States Forest Service, nor could they identify the primary reason rainforests in South America are disappearing. Survey results from undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products showed that they have a much better understanding of the environment and use of wood in people's lives. Survey results from students enrolled in the wood curricula closely parallel those from employees in the wood products industry. An exhaustive literature review of current academic and popular journals is summarized, as are results from the Virginia Tech survey. The impact that public misperceptions have on the wood products industry and steps to remedy them are also examined. Research findings show that the forest products industry needs a coordinated and centralized public promotion campaign to inform the general public about wood's attributes and environmental advantages. / Master of Science

Variations and differences in skin colour has been a complex phenomenon around the world. Issues of colour and identity in a postcolonial and post-Apartheid context, is also a significant field of interest. Popular stereotypes portray darker skin pigmentation as undesirable and inferior to lighter pigmentation. The process of ‘lactification’ (Fanon, 1968) remains a question today as much as during earlier colonial times. These stereotypes also bring to the fore, essential questions about hierarchies of power and oppression, culture and identity and how these are shaped to fit popular dominant culture. This study explored peoples’ perceptions around different shades of skin colour and attitudes towards various shades of pigmentation. The study adopted a qualitative approach and explored perceptions around skin colour through in-depth interviews. Fifteen adult participants in Soweto, Gauteng were recruited for the study via purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that the western idea of attractiveness is still highly regarded. Black women and men take various measures to conform to the western ideal simply to be acknowledged as attractive and stigma is attached to the dark complexion. Self-esteem is affected by the perception of beauty, high perception of attractiveness equals to the high self-esteem.

Problem: Esports budgets and earnings have significantly increased in the past years whichhas increased the level of involvement of corporate sponsors in esports. Ironically, researchaimed at sponsorship within esports is not so abundant. Therefore, due to the lack of knowledge and information about sponsorship in esports and sponsor relationships withesport consumers, this thesis aims to connect already established sponsorship theories withthe new emerging market of esport events and competitions. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate how consumer purchase decisionsand perceptions are affected by sponsored products in esport within Sweden.Research question: From the purpose we arrived at the research question “What factorsaffect a consumer’s purchase decisions and perceptions of sponsored products in esportswithin Sweden”. Method: To achieve the purpose of our study, a quantitative research method has been used,conducting survey research to gather empirical data. For this research, we have used alreadyestablished concepts and theories based on sponsorship, brand image, and image transfer tofulfil the purpose of this research. Results: Consumers within Sweden can be affected by multiple factors such as the playersor the esports teams who use a specific product, the values shared with the sponsor, andperception of the esports teams or/and player. Conclusion: From the results of the questionnaire and the subsequent results from thestatistical analysis we managed to quantify the effects of sponsorship from the differentperspectives as well as the relationships between brand to consumer, brand to event, and brand to product.

Thesis advisor: Joseph O'Keefe / This qualitative case study examined the leadership practices of principals and how central office administrators (COAs) support those practices in one Massachusetts school district. Through the conceptual framework of distributed leadership, this study examined perspectives about the impact of the Massachusetts Model of Educator Evaluation (MMSEE) on principals and how they understood their leadership practices and assessment within the MMSEE. Data included semi-structured interviews with principals, artifacts from the Massachusetts Department of Education, and documents that highlighted how COAs support principals. Findings indicated that principals relied on leadership practices common to distributed leadership such as collaborative work with staff and COAs, and building organizational structures to support instructional improvements. While principals recognized support of their leadership practices from COAs, they expressed inconsistency with expectations and supports given. The study recommends continuation of the professional development plans about instructional goals for principals. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Internationalization on campus is being called for in order to adapt to a rapidly globalizing social and economic context. However, many institutions, including those across Vermont, have not yet polled their faculty to see what international experiences or background faculty members have. Few have a comprehensive understanding of faculty language competencies, or in what ways faculty members have been collaborating with foreign scholars. This study looked at attitudes and beliefs faculty members have towards bringing global dimensions into their faculty role, as well as their perceptions of internationalization on campuses. This study takes the extra step of looking at the data collected on Vermont faculty, and then slices it through multiple lenses, looking to see if there are trends and connections by demographic factors such as gender, academic rank, discipline, number of years in the field, or having a preference for student learning or research. Results of this dissertation study revealed a faculty composition that was reassuringly internationalized when looking at language abilities, international experiences, among other demographic factors. Results also revealed that faculty attitudes and beliefs as well as perceptions of campus climate towards internationalization, were overwhelmingly positive. Following comparisons to prior national and international studies, Vermont institutions have strong evidence to claim support for internationalization among their faculty. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Background and aims: Pain management programmes provide effective interventions for people with chronic pain, but effects are modest, and not all participants benefit. The current study aims to investigate the role of acceptance and cognitive representations i.e. beliefs about pain, in engagement, and outcome, of this kind of intervention. Design and participants: A quantitative design was used to investigate whether acceptance and cognitive representations of pain predict engagement and outcome of intervention, whether acceptance and cognitive representations change during intervention, and the relationship of acceptance with five dimensions of belief. Participants were 116 patients referred for assessment to a pain management programme. Measures Questionnaire measures of acceptance of pain, and cognitive representations of pain were used as predictor variables. Measures of distress, self-efficacy and physical function were used as outcome measures. Pain severity and waiting time were also measured as potentially confounding variables. Results: Measures of acceptance and cognitive representations of pain did not predict who would complete the intervention. Increases in acceptance, and decreases in perceived consequences of pain, and pain identity, occurred during the intervention. Lower acceptance was related to more serious perceived consequences and greater pain identity, but not with beliefs about cause or expected duration of pain, or beliefs in control and cure. Implications: Interventions aiming to increase acceptance by changing beliefs about perceived consequences of pain and pain identity may be useful. Further research is needed to explore the nature of acceptance, and the role of different dimensions of belief in affecting functioning, in chronic pain populations.