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Public concern over the occurrence of bullying in schools has increased considerably within the last decade. Although there are many programs in place that attempt to address the problem of bullying in schools, they have achieved only varying levels of success, with many failing to alleviate the problem. In addition, although some researchers have conducted studies on either the relationship between self-esteem and bullying victimization or the relationship between self-esteem and participation in martial arts, few have conducted studies seeking to understand the correlation between participation in martial arts, bullying victimization, and levels of self-esteem. The current study measured levels of self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; Rosenberg, 1965) and the frequency of bullying victimization (Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale; Mynard & Joseph, 2000) among twelve- to sixteen-year-old adolescents. The current study compared differences in self-esteem and bullying victimization between three groups of adolescents: one group consisted of students with less than two months of martial arts experience (minimal experience group; BG); one group consisted of students with 2–35 months of martial arts experience (moderate experience group; MG); and one group consisted of students with more than 36 months of martial arts experience (advanced experience group; AG). Participants (N=XX) were recruited from one county located in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. Analyses of the data included MANOVA, comparing the three groups' data on measures of self-esteem and bullying victimization. Correlational analyses and Chi-Square analyses were also conducted to show relationships between variables. No significant differences were found between the reported self-esteem scores and reported bullying victimization scores of the AG and the BG or MG. There was a significant negative correlation between self-esteem and bullying victimization. And a significant relationship was found, using the Chi-Square analysis, between length of participation in martial arts and reported self-esteem.

With the increase in interracial marriage researchers have begun to thoroughly assess how self-esteem and racial identity are affected. Recent studies have revealed that the construct of biracial identity is complex in forming a sense of self and racial identity. This inability to identify with a specific race is not only an issue to our entire population but especially to the biracial community. The social work profession has an array fields and services that become flexible to diverse populations; yet, the biracial population has not be explored in depth which may result in not fully understanding the dynamics of the culture that play into the individual. This study utilized a qualitative analysis consisting of interviews with nine participants who shared their experiences of self-esteem as being a biracial individual. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of self-esteem among biracial individuals. Biracial in this current study refers to an individual being biologically mixed with two different races, yet one biological parent is African American. Biracial females, not to exclude biracial males, are dealing with a complex issue because they are placed in a predicament of trying to parallel their identity from Western culture. The findings of the study will increase the awareness and cultural humility within a new growing population, impact future social work policy, practice, and research.

Healthy romantic relationships are positively associated with physical and mental health outcomes, and past research has shown that traditional masculinity negatively impacts relationship satisfaction. The current study examined the effects of men's discrepancies between their self-ratings and perceptions of their peers' on autonomous and pressured motivations to act agentically on relationship outcomes for both partners in a heterosexual relationship. In addition, men's investment in gender ideals was measured as a potential moderator and men's self-esteem as a potential mediator. Specifically, it was predicted that men's self-esteem would mediate the association between the investment-by-discrepancies (autonomous and pressured) interactions and relationship satisfaction reported by both partners. Results of polynomial regressions on 183 romantic relationship dyads did not support predictions. Limitations presented include scale validity, the correlational design of the study, and the conceptualization of pressured and autonomous motivations as opposites of each other. Future directions included exploring the various forms of men's agentic extrinsic motivations and how they associate with relationship outcomes; and the utilization of real-time relationship behaviors observed during an interaction between romantic relationship partners.

No description available.

Intergroup discrimination is a pervasive fact of life and many factors are proposed to contribute or relate to its existence and expression (e.g. Staub, 2001). Though much research in social psychology has focused on the need for positive self-esteem as an underlying motive, in the past 25 years, evidence for the role of self-esteem in intergroup discrimination has at best proved contradictory (see Long & Spears, 1997; Rubin & Hewstone, 1998). More recently, other motivational constructs for human behaviour have been proposed to play a part in intergroup discrimination (e.g. Abrams & Hogg, 2001). This thesis focuses on the need to belong (or belongingness) as this has long been recognised as a basic human need (e.g. Horney, 1945) and recently, evidence has been provided to support this assumption (e.g. Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Thus the present thesis argues that as a fundamental need, the need to belong (NTB) would be expected to play a role in intergroup discrimination. In support of this assumption, results from some empirical studies are also highly suggestive of a link between intergroup discrimination and the NTB (e.g. Marques & Paez, 1994), though the current research programme is the first to explicitly examine this link. Seven experiments employing the same basic methodology were conducted to investigate the central hypothesis that engaging in intergroup discrimination decreases the NTB. Three experiments supported the hypothesis. Experiments 2 and 3 found that the NTB decreased for New Zealanders who engaged in intergroup discrimination and Experiment 7 found that members of a minimally socially important group showed a decrease in the NTB following intergroup discrimination when measured at a group level, but not at the personal level. Experiment 1 (Chapter 5) investigated the central hypothesis utilizing the minimal group paradigm (MGP). Despite participants exhibiting intergroup discrimination when given the opportunity, there was no significant change in their reported NTB. Thus the results of this experiment did not support the central hypothesis. Experiment 2 (Chapter 6) investigated whether the central hypothesis would be supported if participants were members of a realistic and meaningful social group category (i.e. New Zealanders). Results from this experiment showed that those participants who exhibited intergroup discrimination did in fact show a significant decrease in their NTB. Experiment 3 (Chapter 7) sought to replicate these results and to control for self-esteem effects utilizing New Zealand participants. Again, results supported the central hypothesis and no effect was found for either global or collective self-esteem. To test whether this result would generalize to other social categories, Experiment 4 (Chapter 8) tested whether the NTB would be decreased after women participants engaged in intergroup discrimination. Results found there was no significant difference in the NTB between women who engaged in discrimination and those who did not. Thus the central hypothesis and the results from Experiment 2 and 3 were not supported. To then investigate whether social influence accounted for the contradictory results from Experiments 1-4, Experiment 5 (Chapter 9) required women to publicly or privately state their intergroup discrimination. No significant changes were found in the NTB (from pre- to post- allocation task) for either private or public responding conditions, whether women engaged in intergroup discrimination or not. It was then assessed whether the importance to participants of the social identity in question was a factor. Experiments 6a and 6b (Chapter 10; women and men respectively) compared the NTB of participants with low identification with their social group, to high identifying participants. For both women and men, no significant changes were found in the NTB from pre- to post-allocation task for either high or low identifiers, regardless of whether they engaged in intergroup discrimination. Thus the central hypothesis was again not supported. Finally in Experiment 7, the NTB measure was re-evaluated and items were changed to be more group-oriented, compared to the original more individually-oriented items. The procedure used for Experiment 1 (i.e. MGP) was employed for Experiment 7 (Chapter 11) with participants completing both the personal and group versions of the NTB scale. The results for the modified group NTB scale showed that for participants who engaged in intergroup discrimination, group NTB decreased significantly from pre- to post- allocation task, compared with no significant change for those participants who did not engage in discrimination. No effects were found for either control or experimental participants� responses on the original NTB scale. Thus the central hypothesis and the results from Experiments 2 and 3 were supported. Furthermore, as was found for earlier experiments, there was no effect of either personal or collective self-esteem on the results for Experiments 4- 7. Taken overall, these results indicate that there may be a relationship between intergroup discrimination and the need to belong and that this may be most appropriately assessed using a group level measure of the NTB. Moreover, these results cannot be explained on the basis of self-esteem. Results from Experiments 2 and 3 may also indicate that if the social group category is meaningful enough for the individual (e.g. nationality), significant changes for the NTB at the personal level may occur. Despite the limitations of the present research, these results indicate that the investigation of the relationship between intergroup discrimination and the need to belong may further elucidate the underlying nature of prejudice. A number of possible directions for future research are discussed.

Children may have difficulty with learning for a great variety of reasons. In determining these reasons, the diagnostician will need to consider among other intellectual functioning, environmental influences, biological and emotional disorders and cultural differences. What also needs to be included is how students view themselves as people and as students - that is, their feelings of self-worth or self-esteem. Very often the solution to a child's learning problems are looked for in the cognitive areas, when it is this affective aspect of learning that requires attention. There is ample research evidence to show, that children with poor opinions of thier self-worth, are less likely to be doing well at school than children who have a high opinion of themselves. Less clear however, is the actual cause and effect relationship. That is, is it more usual to find low self-esteem causing poor school performance or does poor school performance cause low self-esteem. This study assumes that low self-esteem is likely to be a major cause of poor performance and that any efforts to change a child's opinion of himself in a positive way, will result in improved performance - in this particular case - at reading. As self-esteem is largely learned from interaction with significant others, an attempt was made to influence the self opinions of a group of children by specific counselling of these 'others', here, their parents and teacher. The major thrust of the counselling was directed towards the parents, although it is understood that an equal amount of effort with the teachers of the children involved would have been justified. In a program extending over ten one and one half sessions, parents of an experimental group of children, were counselled in two groups. The aims of the program were to provide parents with an awareness of how their child's self concept is formed, how it affects their achievement in school and how they might influence its change. In the study, this experimental group did not show any significant gain in achievement or self-esteem over the control group. Nevertheless, there emerged a number of useful implications for better practice in the field of educational counselling.

Research on the families of the disabled suggest that the advent of a child with a disability will cause a far-reaching effect on the mother, father, siblings and the family's relationship with the outside world. Researchers have differed on the extent and causes of difficulties faced by the siblings, with many inconsistencies and contradictions shown. Some studies have found behavioural problems and lowered self-esteem, and others suggest an increase in altruism and compassion. An investigative study was implemented, with siblings from 29 families with a disabled child, matched with siblings from 29 families with no identified disabled sibling. Patterns of family outings, the use of support services and perceptions of difficulties faced by the family were examined. The matched siblings were compared on the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, measures of altruism, and behaviour as seen by both teachers and parents. The children also were questioned on their perception of family cohesion and their involvement with other family members. Major findings of the study were a pattern of social isolation for the families, and perception of isolation within and outside the family for both the parents and the siblings. The siblings scored significantly lower on the Coopersmith Inventory, and parents perceived them as having more behavioural difficulties than the controls' parents. No significant difference in altruism was found between the two groups of siblings. The finding that some siblings are coping well, whilst others are showing severe difficulties is ilustrated by four case studies. A number of limitation s of the study are discussed. particularly the wide range of variables investigated, and difficulties with some instruments. Further areas of research are suggested, including exploring the relationships and interactions within the family. It is concluded that for both the siblings and the whole family, the development of strong support networks and help in reframing perceptions and expectations may help to overcome the feelings of intra-family and extra-family isolation.

This study investigated the effects of a cross-age tutoring programme on the tutors' self-esteem. The study also examined the effects of the programme on the tutors' attitudes to computers. A case study approach was used to answer the following questions: 1. Does the self-esteem of tutors increase when they tutor in a nonacademic subject area e.g. teaching others to use computer games? 2. Do the changes in self-esteem generalise to other areas or are the changes specific to the subject area of the tutoring? 3. Do the tutors' attitudes to computers change when they teach younger children how to use computer games? Twelve tutors, from three A.C.T. primary schools, were trained as tutors. Girls from Years 5 and 6, with low self-esteem (measured using the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory), were selected to teach girls from Years 1 and 2 how to use computer programmes. Self-esteem was assessed pre- and post- tutoring using the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory, concept maps and teacher's ratings. Computer attitudes were assessed pre- and post- tutoring using the Bath County Computer Attitudes Survey and concept maps. A post-tutoring questionnaire provided information, from the tutors, about the tutoring programme. The case study approach allowed analysis of each student's experience in the programme. The criteria used to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme were the differences in the pre- and post- tutoring measures of self-esteem and computer attitudes and the tutors' responses in interviews. Self-esteem increased for eleven of the tutors. Making a contribution, feelings of increased competence, a sense of belonging and positive feedback were the factors that appeared to enhance the tutors' self-esteem. All tutors were more confident with the computer at the end of the programme, and in six cases there were increases in the computer attitude survey scores.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Duquesne University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 74-82) and index.