Determining the level of belief one has in themselves, or their self-efficacy, can be a key factor to improve certain dietary patterns and choices in the rural youth population. Sugar sweetened food and beverage consumption continues to rise and fruit and vegetable intake remains a struggle in rural areas; addressing both the food environment and adolescents’ self-efficacy could have a lasting impact on changing the nature of a generation of rural student’s food and beverage choices. This study measured self-efficacy levels of (n=425) adolescents in rural Kentucky and North Carolina using the Youth Impact Questionnaire and dietary intake using the NHANES Dietary Screener. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher levels of self-efficacy resulted in a statistically significant ability to consume more vegetables. Further associations found that higher levels of self-efficacy resulted in increased fruit consumption, and improved added sugar food and beverage selections. These findings suggest that it could be beneficial to target adolescents’ self-efficacy as a way to modify certain health behaviors in a sparse food environment such as these rural Appalachian areas.

The local high school and school district have failed to achieve adequate yearly progress in reading due to the poor performance of 9th-grade and special education students on the annual state reading assessment. There may be numerous factors leading to the low scores, but researchers have suggested that students whose parents are engaged in their education have more academic success than students whose parents have minimal participation. An explanatory survey design was used in this quantitative study to identify the involvement activities of parents of 9th-grade students and determine if there was a relationship between their involvement and their child's reading achievement. The theoretical framework was Epstein's theory on parental involvement. Archival data from the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness-end of course English I/reading test of 65 9th-grade students were coded for anonymity and matched with their parents' total scores on the Parent Choice of Involvement Activities survey. Data analyzed using the Pearson product-moment correlation analysis yielded no significant relationship between parent involvement and students' reading scores. Descriptive analysis identified that parents were more involved with educational activities in the home, rather than participating at school. Therefore, a school-based parent development program was designed. Additional research is needed to explore other reasons for the poor reading outcome of the 9th-grade and special education students. Providing parents with strategies that empower them to become fully involved in the secondary education of their children can bring about positive social change by building strong relationships between the school, family, and community to support the academic achievement of high school students.

African American men are more likely to have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes than non-Hispanic White Americans and are less likely to adhere to treatment. Culture in the African American community plays a key role in how this community copes with illness and the health care system. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of social and cultural determinants of Type 2 diabetes self-management among African American men. Bandura's social cognitive theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The research question sought to identify cultural and social factors that contribute or protect how African American men manage Type 2 diabetes. The study had a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. A purposive sample of 11 African American men ages 48 to 76 with Type 2 diabetes volunteered to participate in in-depth interviews. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, inductively coded, and analyzed for emergent themes using NVivo 12 software. Thematic analyses led to the development of 8 themes and 8 subthemes. The lived experiences of the participants were classified into personal factors (self-efficacy, knowledge, outcomes, expectations, and attitudes); environmental factors (modeling, social norms, perceived support, facilitation, dietary choices, and accessibility); and behavioral factors, which differed in terms of consumption, goal setting, and behavior toward health care. Positive social change implications of the study may include further education on disease management, recommendations to healthcare professionals, community stakeholders, and African American families on specific factors that can enhance knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to improve management of Type 2 diabetes among African American men.

In 2015, 0.2% of African American women were in chief executive officer (CEO) roles and 1.2% were in executive or senior-level roles within a 500 Standard & Poor's (S&P) organization. African American women's lived experiences are underutilized by organizational and human resources (HR) leaders in the development and implementation of recruitment, talent development, diversity and inclusion, and succession planning strategies. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences regarding career advancement decision-making strategies for senior-level African American women. The conceptual framework used was social cognitive career theory (SCCT), which addresses the 'what' and 'how' of career development and behaviors across one's life span. The central research questions were about participants' decisions-making strategies used to attain senior-level management positions and how the facets of SCCT impacted their decision-making processes. Snowball sampling was the purposeful strategy used for recruiting 12 African American women who serve/served in a senior-level position within an organization. The data collections sources included interviews and field notes. By deductive and inductive coding, the main themes uncovered were leadership, family, education, authenticity, and faith. The results of this study may benefit organizational and HR leaders as they consider improvement opportunities for their recruitment, talent management, diversity and inclusion policies and programs, and succession planning strategies, inclusive of internal and college recruitment, involvement in community youth initiatives, and strategic alignment of high-level, internal organizational stakeholders.

African American women have the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, thus increasing their risks for chronic diseases. Their understanding of their health status and response to it could be triggered by messages in the media, yet few researchers have examined this topic with African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how advertisement and editorial content in media contributed to perceptions African American women have about overweight and obesity. Following the theoretical foundation of the social cognitive theory, the research questions explored what messages study participants encountered and which messages prompted behavior changes. Ten African American females age 25 and older were recruited and interviewed about their understanding of overweight and obesity, chronic disease risks, and self-efficacy. Codes and themes about obesity, health risks, physical activity, eating, and body image were extracted line by line from interview transcripts. Six themes emerged: obesity as viewed by participants, perceptions of health risks, impact of media messages, perceptions of body image, encouragement from media, and steps to improve personal health. These results indicated that media messages are factors in the development of the views African American women have about being overweight or obese and motivated them to adopt health improving behaviors. Messages in the media can contribute to shifting the imbalance of overweight and obesity among African American women. Additionally, the results can inspire public health officials, health communication researchers and media professionals to develop and disseminate informative health related messages.

The main objective of the doctoral thesis was to analyze the features of one’s vocational path during the time of undergraduate studies. Undergraduate studies can be treated as a pathway of transition from school to the world of work. Therefore, it is especially important to identify what makes vocational choice successful during this period of time. In the study, several psychological success indicators of vocational path choice were distinguished. Moreover, the following factors were analyzed as their possible predictors: internal-cognitive factors (self-efficacy and vocation-related expectations), internal-personality factors (Big Five trait dimensions), external factors (situational-demographic characteristics). The study was conducted in the framework of Social Cognitive Career Theory. 625 undergraduates representing various Lithuanian universities took part in the main study. The results provide a basis for distinguishing the most important factors of vocational path choice during the transition period, i.e., those factors that most strongly relate either to vocational choice success indicators or to the adequacy of its planning. In the discussion, both theoretical implications and practical recommendations are provided. / Disertacijoje nagrinėjami profesinio kelio ypatumai bakalauro pakopos studijų metu – pereinamuoju laikotarpiu tarp mokyklos baigimo ir įėjimo į darbo pasaulį. Darbe buvo siekiama išskirti psichologinius sėkmingo profesinio kelio pasirinkimo rodiklius bei įvertinti, kokie veiksniai jiems turi daugiausiai reikšmės. Remiantis socialine kognityvine karjeros teorija ir pereinamojo laikotarpio tyrimų apžvalga, nagrinėti vidiniai kognityviniai (įvairūs saviveiksmingumo aspektai, profesiniai lūkesčiai), asmenybės (Didžiojo Penketo asmenybės bruožai) ir išoriniai (situaciniai-demografiniai) veiksniai. Tyrime dalyvavo 625 įvairių Lietuvos universitetų bakalauro pakopos, 1–4 kurso studentai. Gauti rezultatai leidžia išskirti svarbiausius vidinius ir išorinius profesinio kelio veiksnius – tuos, kurie pereinamuoju laikotarpiu labiausiai sietini su sėkmingu profesinio kelio pasirinkimu ar adekvačiu jo planavimu. Aptariant tyrimo rezultatus, diskutuojama tiek jų reikšmė teorine prasme, tiek pritaikymo galimybės profesinio orientavimo ir konsultavimo praktikoje.

Career education has become an integral part of high school programming in Canada (Gibbons, Borders, Wiles, Stephan & Davis, 2006). Research on school-based career interventions is on the rise throughout North America (Hiebert, 2010; Roest & Magnusson, 2005). The current study is intended to contribute to this growing area by examining the impact of an elective career education class offered in Saskatchewan public schools called Career and Work Exploration 30 (CWE30). CWE30 combines experiential classroom activities and work placements. Experiential learning has long been regarded as an effective way of increasing self-efficacy, as described in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT; e.g., Bandura, 1977), a factor shown to play a role in encouraging career exploration and confident career-related decision-making (e.g., Blustein, 1989). Another contributor to active career exploration is intrinsic motivation, described in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the innate desire to seek out knowledge and growth and to therefore engage in activities that foster this development (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Given the complex and relatively nascent nature of research in this area, the chosen methodology was a case study (Yin, 2014). Multiple types of data were collected. Fourteen grade 11 and 12 high school students from Saskatchewan completed the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form (CDMES-SF; Taylor & Betz, 1983) and a motivation questionnaire (adapted from Kerner et al., 2012) at the beginning and end of the second semester of the 2013-2014 school year. Two students and one teacher were interviewed. Further, the class curriculum, student attendance, blank copies of in-class activities, and homework that was assigned were collected. Results included significant differences in scores on the CDMSE-SF from pre to post testing and common themes on the qualitative measures such as frustration with assignments and placement time commitments; excitement about experiential learning; fears and uncertainties related to career decision-making; and suggestions for improvements emerged. Course documents provided further evidence as to the implementation of the CWE30 curriculum and the inclusion of factors thought to promote intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy as described in SDT and SCT respectively. Implications within the current literature as well as for future research are discussed.

Syftet med denna avgränsade systematiska forskningsöversikt är att studera de senaste fem årens evidensbaserade undervisningsmetoder för skrivutveckling. Syftet är också att studera hur sambandet mellan skrivutveckling, arbetsminne och självförmåga ser ut, samt dess konsekvenser för skrivundervisningen. Målgruppen är högstadie- och gymnasieelever som kämpar med skrivandet i skolan, så kallade struggling writers. Föreliggande studie består av åtta forskningsstudier som undersöker evidensbaserade effektiva skrivstrategier. Studierna är utvalda och avgränsade utifrån bestämda inkluderings- och exkluderingskriterier. Analys och tolkning sker både med utgångspunkt i Banduras social kognitiva teori samt utifrån aktuell forskning inom fältet. Resultatet visar att effektiva skrivundervisningsmetoder ger stöd för arbetsminnet och utvecklar skrivförmågan genom välstrukturerade strategier som även ger visuellt stöd. Därutöver innefattar undervisningsmetoderna medvetenhet om lärandet som social aktivitet vilket betonar goda relationer, konstruktiv feedback samt stöttande lärare som utgår från explicita metoder. Resultatet visar också att elevernas skrivförmåga förbättras när man lägger vikt vid att arbeta med deras tankesätt och självförmåga. / The aim of this limited systematic research review is to study evidence based teaching methods for writing, over the last five years. The aim is also to study the link between writing development, working memory and self-efficacy, and the consequences of such a linkage. The target group are struggling writers in late elementary and high school that experience difficulties in writing composition.   The present study consists of eight research studies on effective writing strategies, selected and limited by certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis and interpretation are carried out from the perspective of Bandura’s social cognitive theory, as well as from previous research in the field. The result shows that effective teaching methods for writing support students’ working memory and writing skills through well-defined structures and visual support. Furthermore, the methods include awareness of learning as a social activity which emphasises good relations, constructive feedback and supportive teachers using explicit methods. The result also suggests that when addressing students’ mindset and supporting their self-efficacy, writing proficiency improves.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management / Kevin R. Roberts / Ethnic foods have gained in popularity and have become mainstream in the diet of most Americans. However, researchers have noted that ethnic food, specifically food served in ethnic restaurants, has been associated with foodborne outbreaks. Little has been done using the Social Cognitive Theory to predict food safety behaviors, especially in independent ethnic restaurants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and environmental determinants are predictive of self-reported food safety behaviors in independent ethnic restaurants. Utilizing a thorough literature review and results of five focus group and group interviews, a questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was translated to Chinese and Spanish and back-translated to English to ensure consistency. After pilot-testing, a multistage random sampling technique was utilized to collect data, targeting a total of 150 food handlers from independent Mexican and Chinese restaurants. A total of 204 food handlers responded, but due to incomplete data or responses from non-food handlers, 201 responses were usable for a response rate of 80.4%. A multiple regression analysis investigated the prediction of food safety behavioral intentions based on the respondents’ self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and environmental determinants and found the model was significant (F = 75.246, p = 0.002). The significant independent variables in the model were self-regulation (β = 0.467, p = 0.001), environmental determinants (β = 0.181, p = 0.011), and outcome expectations (β = 0.152, p = 0.018), which explained about 60.6 % of the variance in food safety behavioral intentions. Self-efficacy was not significant (β = 0.078, p = 0.219). A mediation analysis showed that behavioral intentions are a significant mediator of the relationships between self-efficacy and self-reported food safety behaviors (b = 0.24, CI [0.161, 0.336], self-regulation and self-reported food safety behaviors (b = 0.252, CI [0.155, 0.366]), outcome expectations and self-reported food safety behaviors (b = 0.355, CI [0.247, 0.469]), and environmental determinants and self-reported food safety behaviors (b = 0.269, CI [0.172, 0.393]). Implications, limitations, and direction for future research were discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:30:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5952.pdf: 1430380 bytes, checksum: c8ba5e629cc06643244438cb9ada84d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-21 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The creation of imaginary companions is a phenomenon that has been timidly explored in the international literature in Psychology and Psychiatry. More specifically, there are still important questions regarding who are the children that create imaginary companions and the role that fantasy plays in emotional and cognitive development. In recent years, several studies investigating symbolic play have been conducted in Brazil, however, according to three different data bases (SciELO-Brasil, Index Psi, PePSIC), there are only two national studies on the topic of imaginary companions, suggesting a yet limited understanding of the manifestation of this phenomenon in Brazilian children. Considering this gap in the literature, as well as the potential contributions of studies on this type of fantasy, the present research aimed, therefore, to investigate this form of pretend play in a sample of Brazilian children, and to be the first study in Brazil to investigate the relationship between the creation of imaginary companions and sociocognitive development. Our hypothesis was that children with imaginary companions would have significantly higher scores than the comparison group in measures of language, social cognition and engagement in fantasy. Forty children between 6 and 7 years of age (M age = 7;1, SD = 5.29), 21 girls and 19 boys, participated in the study and were recruited from an elementary public school in a city located in the state of São Paulo. Eighteen participants were included in the group of children who reported an imaginary companion and 22 in the group of children who did not. To test for possible differences between the two groups, three measures of theory-of-mind, emotional comprehension and language were used, as well as an interview about fantasy orientation and the characteristics of their imaginary companions. In addition, a questionnaire assessing socioeconomic status and an interview about the family and the child s fantasy world were administered to 11 participating caretakers. As predicted, children s reports of imaginary companions were rich and seemed to serve similar functions to the ones found in previous international studies (e.g., company, fun, emotional support). Children with imaginary companions had higher vocabulary scores than children who did not report them, but no significant differences were found between the two groups with regard to theory of mind and emotional comprehension. Such line of research can help to demystify this form of pretend play, to which little attention is given in the media and in the scientific community, as well as to collaborate with the instruction of parents and educators on the creation of imaginary companions, and finally, to contribute to international research by providing data from a specific culture. Moreover, the present study provides evidence that the creation of imaginary companions is not associated with any developmental deficits; on the contrary, it can be a predictor of more sophisticated abilities such as higher vocabulary. / A criação de amigos imaginários é um fenômeno que tem sido explorado de forma tímida na literatura psicológica e psiquiátrica internacional. Mais especificamente, ainda há questões importantes sobre quem são as crianças que criam amigos imaginários e sobre o papel da fantasia no desenvolvimento emocional e cognitivo infantil. Nos últimos anos, diversos estudos brasileiros têm investigado a brincadeira simbólica, no entanto, segundo três diferentes bases de dados (SciELO-Brasil, Index Psi, PePSIC), há apenas dois estudos nacionais voltados especificamente para a criação de amigos imaginários, o que sugere uma compreensão ainda limitada da manifestação desse fenômeno em crianças brasileiras. Diante dessa lacuna na literatura nacional e as potenciais contribuições do estudo sobre esse tipo de fantasia, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo principal explorar esta forma de faz de conta em uma amostra de crianças brasileiras, sendo a primeira no país a investigar a sua relação com o desenvolvimento sociocognitivo. A hipótese defendida foi a de que as crianças com amigos imaginários apresentariam desempenhos significativamente melhores em medidas de linguagem, cognição social e engajamento em fantasia, em relação ao grupo de comparação. Quarenta crianças, entre 6 e 7 anos (M idade = 7;1, DP = 5,29) participaram do estudo, sendo 21 meninas e 19 meninos, todos recrutados em uma escola de ensino fundamental da rede estadual de uma cidade do interior de São Paulo. Dentre os participantes, 18 foram classificadas no grupo de crianças que possuem um amigo imaginário e 22 no grupo de crianças que não relatam ter amigos imaginários. A fim de testar possíveis diferenças entre os dois grupos de crianças, foram utilizadas três tarefas de teoria da mente, um teste de compreensão emocional e uma medida de vocabulário, bem como uma entrevista sobre engajamento em fantasia e outra sobre amigos imaginários, para explorar as características de tais criações. Um roteiro de entrevista sobre a família e o universo de fantasia da criança foi aplicado com 11 responsáveis de participantes do estudo. Conforme esperado, os relatos de companhias imaginárias recolhidos mostraram-se ricos e apresentaram funções parecidas com aquelas de estudos internacionais (e.g, companhia, diversão, conforto emocional). As crianças com amigos imaginários apresentaram escores mais elevados do que as crianças sem esse tipo de criação na medida de vocabulário receptivo, mas não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos no que diz respeito à teoria da mente e à compreensão emocional. Pesquisas como esta podem ajudar a desmistificar essa forma de faz de conta, sobre a qual pouco se fala na mídia e na comunidade científica, bem como colaborar com a instrução de pais e educadores sobre a criação de amigos imaginários, e finalmente, contribuir para a pesquisa internacional, ao fornecer dados provenientes de uma cultura específica. Além disso, o presente trabalho oferece evidências de que a criação de amigos imaginários não se associa a déficits em desenvolvimento, e pode inclusive ser um preditor de habilidades mais sofisticadas, como por exemplo, um vocabulário mais desenvolvido.