published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This study examined eighth grade students' perceived degree of mattering in their private school environments. Mattering, as defined by Rosenberg and McCullough (1981), is a person's sense that he is the object of interest and importance to others, he is wanted or serves as an ego-extension for others, and others depend on him. The study included 167 students from three urban private schools in the lower mainland. Students completed The Ways of Mattering Questionnaire (Individual and Group Forms), and a one page questionnaire, providing information about students' academic self-concept (Bachman's scale), student involvement in extracurricular school activities, and selected demographic variables. Step-wise multiple regression revealed that gender and grade point average were statistically significant predictive variables on the Group Mattering Scale in student to teacher relationships, and only grade point average was a significant predictive variable on the Individual Mattering Scale (student to peer relationships). Recommendations are provided for further study into students' feelings of mattering in the school environment.

Girls' participation in physical education, sport and other physical activity was examined relative to their levels of Perceived Sport Competence, Body Attractiveness, Physical Self Worth and Social Physique Anxiety. Two hundred and thirteen grade 11 girls from two co-educational and two single sex Toronto high schools completed questionnaires designed to assess physical activity participation and these psychological attributes. T-tests verified that there were no differences on the psychological measures between the two types of schools. On the basis of the girls' responses, they were divided into non, low, medium and high participant groups. The relationships between physical activity participation and the selected psychological measures were analyzed by Pearson correlations. Analysis of Variance's (participant groups x psychological construct) determined where differences existed among participant groups. The results revealed that high level participants had greater Perceived Sport Competence, Body Attractiveness, Physical Self Worth levels than the participants at the lower levels. Social Physique Anxiety was unrelated to physical activity participation. Perceived Sport Competence was the best predictor of participation.

This study was designed to explore the effects of high school sport participation on female adolescent body image and self-esteem. This study also explored differences in body image and self-esteem among upperclassmen and underclassmen. The sample consisted of two adolescent female groups: 47 athletes (20 upperclassmen and 27 underclassmen) and 34 nonathletes (18 upperclassmen and 16 underclassmen). All participants took the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and a Demographic Questionnaire. All data were analyzed by conducting t-tests. Results indicated nonathletes had significantly higher scores on body image avoidance than athletes, and underclassmen had significantly higher scores on body image avoidance than upperclassmen. There were no significant differences found on the self-esteem measure. Implications for research and practice are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The present study surveyed 644 (337 males, 306 females) high school students and found that social groups that were disidentified from schools, when compared to identified groups; (a) were perceived to be more distinctive, (b) were more sensitive to the number of competing outgroups, (c) had more closed and cohesive group structures, (d) were perceived to have more homogeneous memberships, and (e) were perceived to be more likely to enact behavioral sanctions against members who strayed from internal group norms. While members of school-identified groups had better self-esteem on average than members of disidentified (at-risk) groups, members of disidentified groups who felt closely connected to their groups had better self-esteem than those who felt more loosely associated, and, such disidentified group members had self-esteem comparable to even identified group members. The results of the present study suggest that the dominant individualistic paradigm fails to satisfactorily explain, or address the needs of socially connected at-risk students who rely on their anti-normative groups to buoy their self-esteem and define their identities.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-172).

Thesis (M. App. Psych.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-128).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Adelaide, Department of Education, 1996. / Bibliography: leaves 156-165. Also available in a print form.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 1994. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-149).