Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Psychology, Committee on Human Development, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2009. / "Publication number: AAT 3385821."

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Boise State University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-163). Also available online via the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1931. / Published also by the Westminister press with title: Measuring certain aspects of faith in God. On cover: University of Pennsylvania. "This study was undertaken primarily as a project of the Department of educational research of the Presbyterian board of Christian education."--Introd. Bibliography: p. 114-118.

<p> Infancy and toddlerhood is an important time for the development of emotion regulation, with interactions between parents and children critical to these processes. Negative parenting behaviors can have a deleterious impact on this development; however, for infants and toddlers in child care, the classroom environment, including teacher-child interactions, provides an important setting for emotional development and may serve as a protective factor when parenting risk at home is high. The aim of the three papers presented in this dissertation was to explore the potential for child care to act as a protective factor for infants and toddlers experiencing different dimensions of parenting risk that threaten emotion regulation development: minimal sensitivity and support, harsh and intrusive behaviors, and physical abuse and neglect. Results confirmed the negative impact of unsupportive, harsh, and intrusive parenting behaviors on emotion regulation, but child care was either insignificant in mitigating these effects or operated as a buffer for certain children only. Additionally, a review of the extant literature suggested that understanding the optimal caregiving experiences in child care that meet the unique regulatory needs of maltreated infants and toddlers is limited. Collectively, implications of these findings include the need to ensure measurement validity when assessing children&rsquo;s experiences within child care, the importance of considering the interactive nature of child, parent, and child care factors, and the pressing need for more research regarding child care teachers&rsquo; roles in facilitating emotional experiences in the classroom that meet the unique regulatory needs infants and toddlers facing risk at home.</p>

Over the last thirty years in the UK and a small number of other countries, workers and researchers have developed a robust theory of cognitive development by studying young children’s patterns of behaviour (known as ‘schemas’) (Athey, 1990; Matthews, 2003; Pan, 2004). The research has shown that young children across cultures, are intrinsically motivated to explore patterns through their actions, symbolic behaviour, functional dependencies and thought. By working closely with parents and workers and drawing on their intimate knowledge of each child and their family context, I have extended this theory to include the children’s explorations of emotional issues, such as attachment and separation. During the study, I made video observations of eight children, aged two, three and four years, over one to two years, engaging in spontaneous play in the nursery. I viewed the filmed sequences alongside their parents and workers to gain their insights into each child’s motivations and interests. I then revisited the filmed sequences over time and used journaling, as a technique, to record my responses and reflections. I constructed a case study about each child using schema theory and attachment theory as theoretical frameworks for analysing the data. I also constructed a case study about my own growing awareness of my responses to emotions. I identified some basic psychological needs in the data about each child, that seemed to link with the cluster of schemas each child explored. There seemed to be a gender bias. The boys studied seemed more focussed on ‘doing’ and expressed this by using a cluster of predominant schemas such as ‘trajectory’ and ‘connecting’. The girls studied seemed more focussed on ‘having’ and ‘relating’ and expressed these needs by exploring a cluster of schemas, including ‘transporting’, ‘containing’ and ‘enveloping’. Children seemed to use these repeated patterns in four ways; to gain comfort; to give form to experiences or feelings; to explore or work through painful experiences or feelings, and; to come to understand abstract concepts. I articulated my understanding of Piaget’s concept of ‘reflective abstraction’ by applying it to data gathered and to the literature. I proposed extending this concept to include ‘reflective expansion’. The child takes actions forward onto a higher plane within the cognitive domain, when developmentally ready (reflective abstraction), and simultaneously draws on earlier actions to make links in the affective domain when faced with complex abstract concepts beyond their current level of development (reflective expansion).

<p> The current trends observed in 4-year college graduation and retention rates (ACT 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014; Tinto, 2006) demonstrate a need for improvement in student academic achievement outcomes. Overwhelmingly, research finds that the first year in college is the time of greatest risk for student academic failure and drop out. Challenges associated with academic-oriented forms of stress and anxiety (Baillie &amp; Fitzgerald, 2000; Bembenutty, 2008; Cassady, 2010; Collier &amp; Morgan, 2008; Jean, 2010; Pike &amp; Kuh, 2005; Soria &amp; Stebleton, 2012; Turner et al., 2012) coupled with limitations in effective coping strategies (Hofer et al., 1998; Kitsantas et al., 2008; McInerney, 2011; Pintrich &amp; Zusho, 2002; Robbins et al., 2004; Zimmerman &amp; Schunk, 2008) lie at the center of the difficulties these first-year students experience, which ultimately play a significant role in persistence and achievement outcomes. This is particularly true for students from at-risk populations (e.g., first-generation students, ethnic minorities; Balemian &amp; Feng, 2013; Borman &amp; Overman, 2004; Choy, 2001; Engle, 2007; Jones et al., 2010; Pascarella et al., 2004; Toldson, 2012).</p><p> The wide body of research confirms that no single factor reliably predicts college academic success or failure, although institutions have traditionally relied upon indicators of prior achievement (i.e., H.S. GPA and college entrance exams) for such inferences (Alarcon &amp; Edwards, 2013; DeBerard et al., 2004; Harackiewicz et al., 2002; Kowitlawakul et al., 2013; Randsell, 2001; Zypher et al., 2007). Rather, it is the collective of factors from environmental, behavioral and personal domains that interact and have the potential to positively or negatively influence college student achievement (Bandura, 1986; 1997; 1999; Lazarus &amp; Folkman, 1984; Snow et al., 1996). As such, the Transactional Stress and Coping model (Lazarus &amp; Folkman, 1984) provides a comprehensive model through which the influence and interaction of multiple factors associated with student stress-appraisals, coping responses, and eventual outcomes can be examined within investigations of college academic achievement. </p><p> The main purpose of this study was to examine the degree of influence student background characteristics, indicators of prior achievement, anxiety-laden cognitive belief states, and self-regulated learning had on first-year college student achievement. Informed by the Lazarus and Folkman (1984) framework, a proposed academic-oriented stress-appraisal and coping model was tested for viability in predicting student achievement outcomes at the conclusion of their first-year in college. This study investigated research questions specifically associated with: 1) the influence of gender, ethnicity and first-generation status on first-year achievement; 2) the influence of student prior achievement (i.e., H. S. GPA and SAT scores) on first-year achievement; 3) the potential mediating influence of cognitive appraisals on first-year achievement; and 4) the potential moderating role of self-regulated learning in first-year achievement. For this archival study, all student demographic data, measures of prior achievement, first-year college achievement (cumulative GPA) and self-report responses to the LASSI-HS (Weinstein &amp; Palmer, 1990) instrument were accessed from a large sample (<i>N</i> = 29,431) of first-time, first-year students enrolled at a mid-sized, Midwestern 4-year university during years 2004-2012. Using an established model of stress-appraisal and coping (Lazarus &amp; Folkman, 1984) within an academic context, five models were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to answer the specific research questions and investigate the utility of the models in predicting first-year college achievement. </p><p> The results revealed that although all background factors (i.e., gender, ethnicity, first-generation status) were statistically significant predictors of first-year achievement (GPA), their influence on first-year GPA was minimal. Additionally, prior achievement had a statistically significant, but weak, influence on first-year GPA. Although the direct path relationships for all pre-existing personal factors were statistically significant, the results also indicated anxious cognitive appraisals served a mediating role between these factors and first-year GPA. Thus, a partially mediated model best represented the relationships among these variables. The potential moderating effects of motivational regulation and active coping strategies did not have any meaningful impact in the two self-regulatory coping models tested. Although some statistically significant relationships were observed and provided evidence that background factors, prior achievement, anxious cognitive appraisals and self-regulated learning are associated, their influence was minimal and offered little practical utility in explaining first-year college student achievement. </p><p> Overall, the results of the study were unexpected given the strong theoretical and empirical support for the measures utilized in the study and literature supporting meaningful and rather robust relationships among the variables of interest. This atypical finding seemed to be due primarily to the first-year student GPAs, and suggests attending to concerns related to the evaluation of student performance and achievement in the first year of college. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine potential effects of head-injury on individuals&rsquo; performance on the Picture Memory Interference Test (PMIT). This study examined differences in the performance of college-aged students with and without a history of head-injury on the PMIT. Data was drawn from an archival dataset of PMIT completions held at UCLA and analyzed with permission. From the total dataset of 12,227 completions, experimental groups were derived and separated based upon assumed severity of head-injury, based upon self-report data. Following exclusions, the final data sub-set for analysis consisted of 6,897 unique completions of the PMIT. Of these, 412 were assigned to the Mild head-injury group; 61 individuals were assigned to the Moderate-Severe head-injury group. Multiple one-way ANCOVA were conducted to identify difference between group performances. The results of the current study are unclear as to whether or not the PMIT may effectively detect and discriminate college student participants with a history of head-injury from those without, although significant findings were obtained which demonstrated those with a history of mild head-injury obtained higher scores on particular trials of the PMIT. </p>

<p> The researcher taught students with autism 14 years in a public school. For years, her students were part of a social language class and a recess playgroup with typical peers. Though the therapists facilitating those groups observed progress, the researcher witnessed no real-life application outside of class.</p><p> Students with high-functioning autism had a diagnosis that included poor or lacking social skills and a language delay. Research stated that students on the autism spectrum must be taught social skills and could not be expected to 'pick up' skills through simple observation. In order for people to have relationships, go to college, obtain jobs, or marry, they must have adequate social skills.</p><p> The treatment in this study taught conversational skills using a structured <i> Conversation Game</i> (Brinton, Robinson, &amp; Fujiki, 2004) paired with the LinguiSystems workbook, <i>Spotlight on Socials Skills (adolescents): Conversations</i> (LoGiudice &amp; Johnson, 2008). The treatment took place in a self-contained setting to teach participants social skills, and then used scripts to aid the participants in generalizing the skills to unstructured settings. This study included four boys with an educational diagnosis of autism, who were at or near grade level. The treatment strived for generalization and maintenance of social skills to unstructured areas. </p><p> Data collection involved students' individual educational program goals, parent interviews and surveys, student pre-and post-interviews, worksheets, homework, the Empathy and Social-Skills pre-and post-tests, and the JobTips Assessment. The researcher took data regarding individual conversation skills, such as the number of comments, introductions, and closings, and the number of off-topic remarks, while a paraprofessional tracked data on the physical aspect of conversation, including eye contact, body language, facial expressions, and emotions.</p><p> All participants completed the LinguiSystems workbook, phase 2 by displaying appropriate verbal and physical aspects of conversation with other participants, and phase 3 by adding typical peers to the conversation. Three of the four participants were able to generalize social skills in the cafeteria and one generalized to recess. Fifty percent of the treatment population maintained their social skills. The LinguiSystems workbook paired with frequent conversational practice and feedback helped to generalize social skills for students with ASD.</p>

<p> High attrition rates among Latino students have long been identified as a major problem in college. Few attempts have been made to understand the normative developmental experiences among this population. This study, based on a study of lives, a narrative approach, examines the experiences of urban Dominican-American college students. Their strategies for effectively navigating a wide variety of contexts (e.g., school, work, family, and neighborhood) are analyzed, and implications for their educational efforts are examined within a developmental framework. Gender disparities and immigrant processes are also explored. Two part interviews were completed with eleven participants. The first interview was semi-structured and the second was open-ended. Participants were also asked to collect images that represented success. Analysis of the data focused on gathering the following: 1) identifying `master `cultural narratives of Dominican immigrant experiences, especially those relating to school 2) highlighting the reproduction of culture and identity within the narratives 3) emphasizing and revealing strategies and choices that participants were making to gain success and 4) drawing attention to the immigrant experience and its salience in the psychological and developmental processes of this group of college students. The results showed that daily contexts in men's and women's lives appeared to be gendering educational experiences and opportunities for successful school outcomes. Both male and female participants cited challenges about staying in school with roles being influenced by the current social and cultural-historical context. Men's experience was uniquely challenging; their definition of success was contextualized within a framework that offered limited and negative meanings of masculinity. Women's definition of success focused on the search for independence and the desire to have a family. Education was a means of access to these goals. They experienced protection and support within their contexts. As immigrants, all students experienced a consistent negotiation of "self" and identity that led to transformative behaviors in themselves and their contexts. The current research aspires to contribute to understanding the complexity of psychological processes in immigrant groups living in the United States--beyond Dominicans and other Latinos. Of salience, it implies that institutional practices may contribute to the disengagement of young men of color.</p>