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Brough, Dianne T. "Navigating emotion research during a paradigm shift in psychology." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/81606/1/Dianne_Brough_Thesis.pdf.
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Human emotional responses are highly individual. A comprehensive analysis of emotion research in cognitive psychology and physiology, including laboratory-based experiments, showed that understanding human emotions requires a dynamic systems approach incorporating insights from scientific disciplines beyond psychology. Importantly, subjective and automatic evaluations of emotive information are context-sensitive and changeable, confirming the dynamic nature of emotion and role of individual differences. Furthermore, a comparison of different statistical approaches established that statistical estimation, rather than averages, best captures our highly individual emotional responses. Emotion research needs a cross-disciplinary approach.
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Swann, Catherine Jane. "Psychology and self-reported PMS : an evaluation of different research strategies." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.294792.
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Nel, Natasha. "Evaluation of a pilot crime prevention project in the Western Cape." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7939.
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Bibliography: leaves 137-141.The non-governmental organisation U Managing Conflict (UMAC) is responsible for the implementation of a local crime prevention initiative in the Western Cape. The pilot project involves establishing community safety forums (CSFs) consisting of representation from government departments, communities and civil society. The CSFs project has two primary goals. The first is to facilitate information sharing and co-operation between relevant local stakeholders, and the second is to ensure that role players participate in multi-agency crime prevention planning and project initiation.
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Baker, Jack David. "Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Youth Participatory Action Research." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1538816180877824.
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Eddleston, Adrienne. "An action research study to select an effective model to evaluate consultation within two Educational Psychology Services." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/an-action-research-study-to-select-an-effective-model-to-evaluate-consultation-within-two-educational-psychology-services(bc3338fc-9034-49ca-9b3a-3572e5fcef2c).html.
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Background: This research was conducted within two Welsh bordering Local Authorities (LAs) across two Educational Psychology Services (EPSs) that changed their service delivery model to consultation following joint training. The Principal Educational Psychologist (PEP) sought to evaluate the EPSs and the services they deliver, but previous methods, including sending questionnaires to head teachers and parents, were not considered robust enough or to have sufficient depth. The PEP therefore commissioned this piece of research to source a clear and useful measure to evaluate consultation. Participants: Across the two LAs, the PEP, ten generic Educational Psychologists (EPs) and one Senior Educational Psychologist (SEP) participated in the study. Methods: This study used the Research and Development in Organisations (RADIO) model of Action Research (AR). A literature review was initially conducted to identify potential evaluation models. Thereafter, within the AR phases, different data were collected and analysed with stakeholders to ascertain EPs' use of evaluation models and their preferences and perspectives as practitioners. Data collection incorporated both focus groups and questionnaires, which generated quantitative and qualitative data which were analysed through a variety of methods, including content analysis, thematic analysis and questionnaire analysis software. Findings: Within the AR design, data gathered during the earlier phases of the research were used to guide next steps in the research process. This led to the identification of two preferred models: The Constructionist Model of Informed Reasoned Action (COMOIRA) and Appreciative Inquiry (AI). These were then piloted across the EPSs and each EP completed a post-pilot questionnaire. In the final phase of the research two focus groups were held to consider the usefulness of the COMOIRA and AI models as service evaluation tools. The data generated a number of themes relating to accountability, applying psychology, change, evaluation and strengths; and raised issues relating to future implications. Conclusion: The AR design of the research facilitated a collaborative approach for shared decision making around the development of an EPS evaluation framework. The study identified positive and valuable aspects with regards to both the COMOIRA and AI models when these were implemented to evaluate consultation. Both models have the potential to assess aspects of the consultation process and could conceivably contribute towards providing outcomes which demonstrate accountability to employers and service users. Additionally, professional practice models could be used to evaluate wider aspects of EP practice and be of broader benefit to EPSs.
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Botha, Cornelius J. "Evaluation of a school-based intervention programme for South African children of divorce." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11901.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-88).Currently, parental separation in South Africa affects an estimated 30 000 children under the age of 18 annually. These children spend a great part of their day at school where they have to interact with peers and teachers and are expected to perform academically, but parental separation could have a significant impact on their ability to do so. Although research has found that children can be adversely affected by parental divorce, schools in South Africa do not offer any group interventions in an attempt to assist and guide children through what could be an ordeal for them. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the school-based Children of Divorce Intervention Programme (CODIP) at two South African schools. CODIP is a preventively oriented 12-week group programme for nine to twelve year old children. The aims of the programme are to create a supportive group atmosphere in which children can share divorce-related feelings and clarify misconceptions about divorce. Participants are also taught problem-solving, communication and anger management skills. Twenty-five boys of divorce from two schools (ages 10 to 13 years) were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one delayed intervention control group. The boys' understanding of divorce was assessed through the completion of the Children's Belief about Parental Separation (CBAPS) scale. The Self Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) was used to assess children's perceptions of themselves, while the Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire for Children (PACHIQ-R-CH) was employed to determine the boys' perceptions of their families. Questionnaires to determine the boys' general adjustment were completed by the boys, teachers and parents. Boys completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), teachers the Teacher-Child Rating Scale (T-CRS), the AML-R Behaviour Rating Scale and the SDQ, and parents completed the Parent-Child Rating Scale (P-CRS) and the SDQ.
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Wanzer, Dana Linnell. "Developmentally Appropriate Evaluations: How Evaluation Practices Differ Across Age of Participants." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2017. https://thesiscommons.org/bk57d.
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It is well-known that meaningful differences in development exist among children, adolescents, and adults. However, to what extent do evaluators adapt their approach, designs, and methods to be responsive to a youth population? This study used an experimental simulation in which practicing evaluators designed an evaluation of a hypothetical tutoring program and were randomly assigned to the program serving children, adolescents, or young adults. Results indicate that evaluators were less likely to be participatory—both in the evaluation overall and in data collection—when the participants of the program were children than when they were adults. These findings suggest that evaluators, even those with experience conducting evaluations of youth programs, do not consider age as a meaningful cultural context and may need additional training in conducting developmentally appropriate evaluations.
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Scott, Wayne C. University of Ballarat. "Program evaluation : issues related to planning, implementing and evaluating ethically responsible and clinically required research." University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/12781.
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Scott, Wayne C. "Program evaluation : issues related to planning, implementing and evaluating ethically responsible and clinically required research." University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/15390.
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Scott, Wayne. "Program evaluation : Issues related to planning, implementing and evaluating ethically responsible and clinically required research." Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2006. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/61654.
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Chantry, Brian N. "Research Experiences for Undergraduates: An Evaluation of Affective Impact." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2009. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd3323.pdf.
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Ahmed, Nazeema. "An evaluation of the psychotherapeutic milieu therapy programme of the William Slater Centre for Adolescents and Young Adults." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13458.
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Bibliography: leaves 194-227.In recent years there has been increasing recognition of the turmoil of the adolescent developmental period. This has primarily been the result of research demonstrating high morbidity, and at times mortality, for this age group. With the acknowledgement of adolescent mental health problems, and adolescent depression in particular, came the application of a range of treatments for adolescent problems and disorders. This in tum gave rise to a need, from funders and practitioners alike, to demonstrate the efficacy of the interventions. While traditional social science methods were utilised for this purpose, the rise of the field of evaluation brought new vigour to the area of efficacy of psychological treatments. It was this new approach that informed the structure and methodology for the present thesis. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the William Slater Centre for Adolescents and Young Adults' psychotherapeutic milieu treatment programme. The efficacy of this milieu treatment programme was determined by analysing the following: (i) the structure of the programme; (ii) the process of the programme; and (iii) the short-term outcome of the programme. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Results of the evaluation are manifold, with each chapter of the thesis providing insight into varying aspects of the Centre's therapeutic programme. Detailed descriptions of the structure and process of the William Slater Centre and its therapeutic programme is provided. This is followed by an in-depth account of the implementation of the therapeutic programme, where details of the day-to-day functioning of the programme is provided. The final part of the thesis is a brief examination of the short-term outcome of the programme and the staff and adolescent patients' perceptions of the strengths and limitations of the Centre's programme. The thesis provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and functioning of the William Slater Centre and its programme. Emphasis is placed on the concordance of the therapeutic programme with milieu therapy principles. The thesis demonstrates that while the Centre provides an essential service to the adolescent psychiatric population, significant organisational problems of the Centre and the programme require attention.
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Taylor, Jacques William. "Assessment of research criteria for exposure-based outcome studies of PTSD." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49859.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Treatment outcome research strives towards objective estimates of disorder-specific treatment efficacy and has been applied to most psychiatric disorders. However, due to shortcomings in outcome research designs, problems still remain regarding the interpretation and generalisability of treatment outcomes. This is despite the development of research methodology criteria such as the Gold Standards, currently viewed as essential criteria for well-controlled cognitive-behavioural outcome research. The objectives of this assignment are (a) to assess the Gold Standards as criteria for treatment outcome research by means of a qualitative overview and evaluation of exposure treatment studies for PTSD, and (b) to make recommendations for the expansion and/or modification of these criteria. An assessment of five selected treatment outcome trials, based on the Gold Standards, showed significant limitations in the scope of the Gold Standards regarding (a) the inclusion of target symptoms in the research hypotheses, (b) estimates of treatment adherence, (c) guidelines for statistical analyses of attrition points, (d) the ethical implementation of exposure treatment, and (e) estimates of significant clinical change. It is concluded that the Gold Standards are not sufficient to ensure valid and reliable treatment outcomes. Recommendations are made for the expansion of four of the existing Gold Standards parameters and three additional criteria are proposed. Key words: treatment outcome research, Gold Standards, post-traumatic stress disorder, exposure therapy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsing oor behandelingsuitkoms streef na objektiewe resultate oor die uitkoms van behandeling vir spesifieke psigiatriese versteurings. Nogtans, weens tekortkominge in die ontwerp van uitkomsstudies, word talle probleme steeds ervaar met die interpretasie en veralgemeenbaarheid van die resultate van die studies. Dit is die geval ten spyte van die ontwikkeling van navorsingskriteria soos die "Gold Standards" wat huidig as die belangrikste kriteria vir uitkomsstudies op die gebied van die kognitiewe gedragsterapie aanvaar word. Hierdie projek het ten doelom (a) die Gold Standards as kriteria vir uitkomsnavorsing te assesseer deur middel van 'n kwalitatiewe oorsig en evaluering van vyf geselekteerde uitkomsstudies van blootstellingsterapie vir post-traumatiese stresversteuring, en (b) om aanbevelings te maak ter aanvulling enJofwysiging van die Gold Standards. Evaluasie van die studies het betekenisvolle beperkings in die Gold Standards se omvattenheid uitgelig in terme van (a) die insluiting van teikensimptome in die navorsingshipoteses, (b) die skatting van behandelingvoitrekking ("treatment adherence"), (c) riglyne vir die statistiese analise van data oor attrisie, (d) die etiese implementering van blootstellingsterapie, en (e) skattings van betekenisvolle kliniese verandering. Dit blyk dat die Gold Standards nie voldoende is om geldige en betroubare resultate oor behandelingsuitkomste te verseker nie. Aanbevelings word gemaak vir die hersiening van vier van die Gold Standards kriteria en drie addisionele kriteria word voorgestel. Sleutelwoorde: behandelingsuitkomsnavorsing. Gold Standards, post-traumatiese stresversteuring, blootstellingsterapie.
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Perucca, David. "Divided Timed and Continuous Timed Assessment Protocols and Academic Performance." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1067.
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Children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) are exposed to numerous stress factors that are negatively associated with sustained attention and academic performance. This association suggests that the timed component of lengthy assessments may be unfair for students from such backgrounds, as they may have an inability to sustain attention during lengthy tests. Research has also found academic disparities between gender. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the relationship between continuous and divided timed tests in terms of student test scores, with additional assessments incorporating gender. Two charter schools from a suburban Idaho school district were the sources of the convenience sample. Fifth grade students were tested in groups of approximately 30. The research questions for the study concerned the relationship between continuous and divided assessment protocols and Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test scores for low- versus non-low-SES students and among gender. The hypothesis was that there would be a statistically significant difference in TAKS scores between continuous and divided assessments. An ANOVA was used to determine whether a statistical relationship existed between test scores and test protocol by gender. ANOVA results indicated no significant differences in math test scores between test protocols and among gender, suggesting that increased collaborative efforts between families and schools may mitigate factors associated with attentional and academic deficits among students from low-SES environments. The results of this study may be helpful for communities as they develop curricula that may close the academic gap among students of all SES backgrounds.
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Bolgan, Samuela. "Securing cyberspace : development and evaluation of a novel research toolset." Thesis, Abertay University, 2018. https://rke.abertay.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/fec61742-8054-42f3-8bcf-cfd0491fa4e2.
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Cybersecurity is an issue of great concern today; data breaches are becoming more frequent and are causing huge economic losses in almost all the industry sectors. The majority of them are caused by malicious or criminal attacks perpetrated by individuals also known as “hackers”. Although the mainstream portrait of hackers nowadays brings to mind the idea of cybercriminals, not all hackers are malicious ones. The word hacker in its original sense only describes a computer enthusiast and a skilled programmer who was eager to learn how computers work. The key to distinguish a good or a bad hacker lies only in the specific intent and the permission to hack. Recently many companies are indeed hiring hackers to test their systems and protect them from the malicious attacks. The strength of good hackers is that they possess the same skills as malicious ones but they use them to enhance security. At the present stage, the process of hiring candidates for internet security positions for the majority of organizations, and business corporations relies mainly on interviews, while few of them advertise some sort of hacking challenges to be solved by potential applicants in order to evaluate upfront their skills and abilities. Moreover, an in-depth review of the literature has revealed that, so far, no systematic investigation has been carried out on the cognitive skills that characterise ethical hackers, experts who are professionally trained to protect systems’ security. The present PhD thesis offers a contribution that starts filling this gap in the literature with an exploratory investigation on the cognitive skills related with hacking expertise on a behavioural level. Findings show that hackers possess stronger systemizing traits as compared to the general population, and suggest a role of the ability to systemize on hacking performance. Moreover, performance on hacking-related tasks is shown to be related with mental rotation abilities and a field independent cognitive style. These findings have both theoretical and practical applications that are extensively discussed; together with possible future directions.
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Harnar, Michael Allen. "Theory Building Through Praxis Discourse: A Theory- And Practice-Informed Model of Transformative Participatory Evaluation." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/57.
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Stakeholder participation in evaluation, where the evaluator engages stakeholders in the process, is prevalent in evaluation practice and is an important focus of evaluation research. Cousins and Whitmore proposed a bifurcation of participatory evaluation into the two streams of transformative participatory and practical participatory evaluation (T-PE and P-PE respectively). T-PE stems from a social justice perspective and P-PE has more of a use orientation. T-PE is an underdeveloped evaluation theory with relatively low operational specificity. Case examples provide some understanding of it in practice, but comprehensive empirical support is still forthcoming. This study aims to develop a greater understanding of the participatory evaluation schema of P-PE and T-PE and to develop more practice-based and accessible operational specificity of T-PE by developing a logic-model like representation informed by both theorists and practitioners. In the process, a set of 28 key T-PE variables and eight statements that help identify T-PE evaluators were developed.
The American Evaluation Association's membership (N=6,615) was invited to an online survey where they were asked their agreement on eight statements related to participatory evaluation. If they were at all participatory in their approach to evaluation they were asked to model their evaluation practice using an online software. A total of 240 evaluators modeled their practice. A most-endorsed model was created from the drawings of those identified as T-PE evaluators (n=142). A sample of these (n=21) commented on the model through webinars.
The model created in this research is quantitatively and qualitatively different from a model created by a group of practitioners identified as more utilization-focused (n=16). The T-PE model was more likely to have stakeholder involvement and community trust at its center and the comparison model was more action-oriented and outcomes driven. This theory- and practice-informed T-PE model, the set of variables expected to be key to T-PE, and the set of statements that might be used to identify T-PE evaluators from other practitioners provide for a more descriptive theory of transformative participatory evaluation and introduce a novel method for engaging practitioners in the theory development process.
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Foxall, Gordon R. "Consumer psychology in behavioural perspective : an evaluation of the contribution of the experimental analysis of behaviour to consumer research." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 1989. http://oleg.lib.strath.ac.uk:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=21219.
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The purpose of the thesis is to assess the contribution of the experimental analysis of behaviour (EAB), which is closely associated with the work of B. F. Skinner, to the development of consumer psychology, an applied subdiscipline which is currently dominated by cognitive models of choice. Chapter 1 argues that the predominance of the cognitive model impedes the scientific progress of the psychology of consumer behaviour by inhibiting the development of alternative models. A proliferation of competing explanations is advocated for the clash of explanations which Feyerabend argues is a prerequisite of such progress. The EAB is advanced as a vehicle for the erosion of the dominating paradigm: it not only draws attention to the neglected environmental determinants of behaviour but also provides a philosophical standpoint from which to conduct a critique of the prevailing cognitivism. The EAB is described in detail in Chapter 2: its philosophical foundation is examined in terms of th e radical epiphenomenalism upon which its mode of explanation rests, and an account of operant conditioning demonstrates the empirical basis of the paradigm. Skinner's ontological redefinition of behavioural science is outlined through a comparison of classical and operant conditioning. The critical significance of the EAB for consumer psychology is explained in Chapter 3. Attention is drawn to the EAB's emphasis on the critical evaluation of theoretical terms (unobservables); alternative sources of explanation, derived from a behaviourist perspective on choice, are presented; and the more direct route to knowledge provided by a theoretically-based experimental method is discussed. The EAB is itself subjected to criticism in Chapter 4 which examines its limited capacity to explain human behaviour in complex social situations. The verbal control of behaviour, the dualistic function of reinforcement (informational and hedonic), and the disparity between the closed setting of the operant chamber and the relatively open settings ln which purchase and consumption occur, are noted as undermining radical behaviourism's claim to embody a comprehensive explanation of behaviour. Chapter 5 is concerned with the development and evaluation of a model of consumer behaviour derived from the EAB, as reconstructed after the critical examination pursued in Chapter 4. The Behavioural Perspective Model seeks to explain patterns of purchase and consumption by the relative openness of the settings in which they take place, and the patterns of reinforcement which apparently control them. The model's contribution to consumer psychology is discussed ln terms of the relevance of its variables to the outcomes of published behaviour modification experiments concerned with environmental conservation. Chapter 6 summarises the argument and its implications.
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Fritz, Rochelle M. "Bringing Research to Practice: Facilitating Quality Prevention Program Implementation Through Evaluation." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1311774832.
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Pétervári, Judit. "The evaluation of creative ideas : analysing the differences between expert and novice judges." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2018. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/42526.
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The evaluation of creative ideas is a special case of judgment and decision making. It is difficult to objectively evaluate creative products because most people possess an internalised model of creativity which is usually neither verbalised nor explicitly defined. Also, one of the main assessment dimensions of creativity, originality varies as a function of the evaluator's previous experience. For these reasons, previous research has provided practical rather than theoretical grounds for studying the evaluation process. The present thesis examines the conceptual basis on which people evaluate creative ideas. The aim is to identify factors and conditions which enhance the detection of creative ideas. A novel paradigm was created to test how creativity-related features influence the assessment of creativity. In six experiments, experts' and non-experts' judgment was examined regarding urban design. Two experiments established the expert ratings of the stimuli. Further two experiments explored the extent to which non-experts relied on four features (originality, utility, scalability, and riskiness) for judging the creativity of novel project ideas while the level of motivation was controlled. Overall, the findings show that non-experts' creativity judgment relied on all four characteristic features. Their ratings of the features predicted a substantial part of the variance in the creativity ratings. In another experiment, the effect of providing explicit task-related information was tested. Such information did not make a solid difference in the creativity ratings. A final experiment assessed the differences between making relative and absolute judgments about creativity. There was a large overlap between the selection of best and worst ideas regardless of which way the judgment was made. In conclusion, non-experts were found to possess a robust internal model of creativity and not to make random choices. Experts and non-experts were found to judge creativity vastly differently, they only agreed that utility is the most important criterion.
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Routledge, Michael Henry Collis. "Organisation development: a formative evaluation of an OD intervention." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002553.
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Rapid changes and increased competitiveness in business environments, together with greater demands by employees for improvements in the quality of their work lives, make it necessary for organisations to review their operating styles and functions. Many companies have found an answer in Organisation Development (OD) which focuses on ways in which people associated with organisations learn to diagnose and solve those problems which limit organisational effectiveness. The present study evaluates the progress of an OD intervention underway in an organisation in Zimbabwe. A formative evaluation is undertaken during an OD intervention. It is designed to assess the change effort's progress in such a way that steps can subsequently be taken to correct, modify or enhance such aspects of the intervention as may be determined by the evaluation. The study begins with a review of the company's original and revised Mission Statements as well as the present and last two sets of corporate three-year plans. These documents inform the construction of an interview guide. Individual interviews are then used to ascertain attitudes of respondents to the OD intervention and the changes it is bringing about. In addition the interviews are used to gauge the degree of commitment of respondents to the intervention. All the senior managers in the organisation are interviewed as well as the holding company's chief executive and the external consultant facilitating the intervention. The study records fundamental changes taking place in the attitudes of top managers and the first signs of an impact of these attitude changes on the formulation of company plans. Management styles and the culture of the organisation also show some change and influence on routine business operations. In addition there are early indications of an alteration of behaviour at other levels in the organisation. Business outcomes are improving and it is proposed that the benefits are due to fortuitous market developments assisted to an extent by the culture and attitude changes brought about by the OD intervention.
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Wright, Adam. "THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF AN EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY WORKSHOP FOR PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINERS: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/329086.
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KinesiologyPh.D.
The field of personal fitness training is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Historically, scholars, undergraduate institutions, and national certifying organizations that focused on the education of personal fitness trainers have given instructional priority to biological and exercise science content. However, more recent research has underscored the value of psychological and interpersonal skills in driving clients' health and fitness goal attainment. Consequently, the goal of the present study was to determine the impact of a five-hour exercise psychology experiential workshop on levels of perceived importance, confidence in knowledge, and content knowledge of key exercise psychology concepts and skills in a non-randomized sample of personal fitness trainers and students (n = 41). Through a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design, participants were assessed quantitatively pre-intervention and post-intervention. A qualitative follow-up assessment was conducted one-month post-intervention with a sub-set of participants (n = 17). The workshop produced significant improvements in self-reported measures of confidence in knowledge and perceptions of importance of key exercise psychology concepts and skills as well as content knowledge of the exercise psychology concepts covered in the workshop. Further quantitative analyses revealed that certain demographics, namely gender, age, and academic coursework had distinct associations with each of the outcome variables. Follow-up qualitative analyses suggested that participants rated the workshop highly and described their experience in predominately positive terms. Suggestions were provided on how to improve the workshop, particularly focusing on elements of its content and overall structure. Results from the current study highlight the need for increased exposure of personal fitness trainers to instruction in exercise psychology. Given the benefits of developing exercise psychology knowledge, skills, and abilities, the results of this research indicate that preparation for the personal fitness training profession can be enhanced through increased attention to exercise psychology. Limitations of the current study and future directions for outcome research and practice are discussed.
Temple University--Theses
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Davis, Elizabeth C. "Development of an Outcome Measure for Use in Psychology Training Clinics." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2017. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc984154/.
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The ability to monitor client change in psychotherapy over time is vital to quality assurance in service delivery as well as the continuing improvement of psychotherapy research. Unfortunately, there is not currently a comprehensive, affordable, and easily utilized outcome measure for psychotherapy specifically normed and standardized for use in psychology training clinics. The current study took the first steps in creating such an outcome measure. Following development of an item bank, factor analysis and item-response theory analyses were applied to data gathered from a stratified sample of university (n = 101) and community (n = 261) participants. The factor structure did not support a phase model conceptualization, but did reveal a structure consistent with the theoretical framework of the research domain criteria (RDoC). Suggestions for next steps in the measure development process are provided and implications discussed.
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Linn, Brenda Marian. "In the wake of reading wars: cognitive psychologists' and teacher educators' familiarity with and evaluation of cognitive reading research." Thesis, McGill University, 2013. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=114151.
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This study examined the nature and breadth of the communication gap between psychology and education with respect to our understanding of reading. Fifteen cognitive psychologists and 17 teacher educators from major faculties of education answered open-ended questions about literacy and educational policy, then read ten hypothetical research scenarios based on seminal studies. For each, participants gave Likert-scale ratings of the probability and the potential scientific value of each outcome, and suggested theoretical or practical implications. Open-ended responses were analyzed for common themes and points of divergence with respect to ideology, epistemology, and social concerns. Prediction ratings and value ratings were compared by means of an overall MANOVA and one-way ANOVAs for individual scenarios. Theoretical and practical implications identified by the two groups were also compared. Responses to the open-ended questions revealed a near-consensus about the nature and value of literacy, and about the undesirability of government's mandating approaches to literacy instruction. The two groups agreed, as well, that the hypothetical research scenarios were potentially worthwhile. However, the groups differed in what they expected the research would find, predicting different, often opposite, outcomes for scenarios whose findings were inconsistent with a whole language/psycholinguistic view of reading. The two groups also suggested different implications for their predicted findings. Most teacher educators suggested that findings would distinguish between reading for meaning and decoding, while cognitive psychologists saw reading for meaning as dependent upon complete orthographic and phonological processing. Possible reasons for the communication gap between psychology and education are considered.Cette étude explorait la nature et l'étendue de l'écart entre la perspective de la psychologie et celle de l'éducation en ce que concerne l'acte de lire. Quinze psychologues cognitivistes et 17 professeurs des sciences de l'éducation recrutés en Angleterre et en Amérique du Nord ont répondu à des questions ouvertes concernant la littéritie et l'alphabetisation et les politiques éducatives, avant de lire dix mises en situation de recherche tirées d'études germinales sur la lecture. Pour chacun de ces mises en situation, les participants ont indiqué selon une échelle Likert la probabilité et la portée scientifique d'un résultat donné; ils en ont également évoqué des interprétations théoriques ou pratiques. Les réponses aux questions ouvertes ont été analysées en fonction de thèmes récurrents et de points de divergence en ce qui concernait l'idéologie, l'épistémologie et des considérations sociales. Les cotes prédictives et les cotes de portée scientifique ont été comparées à l'aide d'analyses MANOVA et ANOVA à sens unique pour chaque mise en situation. Les interprétations théoriques et pratiques évoquées par les deux groupes ont également été comparées. Les réponses aux questions ouvertes ont démontré un consensus quasi-total quant à la nature et la valeur de la littéritié ainsi que l'opinion qu'il soit inopportun que le gouvernement dicte des approches à l'enseignement de la lecture. Les deux groupes se rejoignaient également sur l'intérêt des mises en situation de recherche; ils prédisaient néanmoins des résultats contraires l'un à l'autre lorsqu'il s'agissait de données qui ne s'enlignaient pas avec une interprétation psycholinguistique de l'acte de lire. Les deux groupes ont également évoqué des interprétations différentes des résultats prévus. La plupart des pédagogues prévoyaient la mise en évidence d'une différence entre la lecture donnant accès au sens d'un texte et le décodage; les psychologues cognitivistes interprétaient la lecture donnant accès au sens comme dépendante d'un traitement orthographique et phonologique complet. Des raisons possibles pour l'écart entre la perspective de la psychologie et celle de l'éducation sont proposées.
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Davis, Martha. "Analysis of the Relationship Between Levels of Ability Grouped Students & Their Attitudes Toward Teachers & the Learning Process." TopSCHOLAR®, 1990. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/2238.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the ability grouping of a student and his/her attitude toward teachers and the learning process. Three groups of students enrolled in the Logan County School System in the spring of 1988 were administered the Arlin-Hills Attitude Survey. These groups of students were those who had been identified as gifted/talented, special education (EMH or LD) and regular class students. The findings of this study indicated that the three groups did not differ significantly in attitudes toward teachers or attitudes toward the learning process.
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Thomas, Jon E. "Current State of Online Teaching Evaluation Processes in Post-Secondary Institutions." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2018. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7000.
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This is a multi-article dissertation that seeks to address the current state of online teaching evaluation processes in post-secondary institutions. The last two decades have seen a dramatic increase in enrollment in online courses at post-secondary institutions. Unfortunately, evaluating online instructors has been a neglected field of research leaving many post-secondary institutions to develop their own evaluation systems. A deeper analysis of the current practices of online instructor evaluation will help administrators to strengthen their evaluation processes, thereby providing more effective online teaching. The first article is a literature review that explores common practices of post-secondary institutions. By performing an extensive review of the literature, it is clear that very little research has been done to address online instructor evaluation beyond student evaluations. The second article compares different approaches to online instructor evaluation in various post-secondary institutions. By performing interviews with administrators, we found that many institutions are using a variety of types of evaluations and not just student evaluations to evaluate online teaching. The third article is a study that explores how well institutions that utilize a master course model evaluate online teaching competencies. This is done by performing a content analysis of their observational rubrics.
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Graham, Danielle. "Evaluation of individual cognitive behaviour therapy for older people who are fearful of falling : a pilot study and clinical research portfolio." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2013. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4627/.
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Objective: It has been found that 50% of older adults who fall will develop fear of falling. Group delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective in reducing fear of falling however, research has found that individually delivered CBT may be more effective and acceptable than group delivered CBT. This research is a preliminary study evaluating the effectiveness of an individually delivered CBT intervention for fear of falling in older adults compared to a control group receiving physiotherapy. The study also reports data on indicators of the acceptability and feasibility of CBT in this sample. Method: Eighteen participants were recruited from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Falls Prevention Service and were allocated to either the CBT or control group according to the treatment site that they attended for the Falls Prevention Service. Measures of fear of falling, anxiety, and quality of life were compared within subjects and between groups at pre and post treatment. Results: On the measure of fear of falling, significant within subject differences for those who received the CBT and between subject differences compared to a group receiving standard physiotherapy were found. No differences were found within subjects or between groups on measures of anxiety or quality or life. The intervention was found to be acceptable to older adults and practical in terms of delivery. Discussion: Individually delivered CBT is an effective and feasible intervention for older adults who are fearful of falling and is more effective than standard physiotherapy. Future studies should aim to investigate if this beneficial effect is replicable.
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Gwizdka, Jacek, and Mark Chignell. "Individual Differences and Task-based User Interface Evaluation: A Case Study of Pending Tasks in Email." Elsevier, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105556.
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doi:10.1016/j.intcom.2004.04.008This paper addresses issues raised by the ever-expanding role of email as a multi-faceted application that combines communication, collaboration, and task management. Individual differences analysis was used to contrast two email user interfaces in terms of their demands on users. The results of this analysis were then interpreted in terms of their implications for designing more inclusive interfaces that meet the needs of users with widely ranging abilities. The specific target of this research is the development of a new type of email message representation that makes pending tasks more visible. We describe a study that compared a new way of representing tasks in an email inbox, with a more standard representation (the Microsoft Outlook inbox). The study consisted of an experiment that examined how people with different levels of three specific cognitive capabilities (flexibility of closure, visual memory, and working memory) perform when using these representations. We then identified combinations of representation and task that are disadvantageous for people with low levels of the measured capabilities.
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Barthelus, Bloodine. "The relationship between student infractions and social emotional competence: A program evaluation of Responsive Classroom(RTM)." W&M ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618887.
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Spencer, Sara. "A Delphi Study Regarding Assessment of Intelligence in the Presence of Autism." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/934.
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Research has indicated children with autistic disorder often demonstrate below average intelligence. Others have suggested intelligence of the autistic population has been underestimated. A gap in the current literature reflects the need to examine the accuracy of assessment of intelligence of children with autistic disorder. The research questions underlying this study addressed tools professionals use to assess intelligence of children with autistic disorder, how tools are selected, the level of confidence in the accuracy of results, and what level of consensus exists among experts. This Delphi study used a panel of 20 autistic disorder experts and 3 rounds of surveys to establish expert consensus of practices for gaining an accurate measure of intelligence and to determine if an appropriate tool is available to measure intelligence of children with autistic disorder. This study was based on the Lockean inquiring systems philosophical perspective with a sequential, exploratory, mixed methods design and employed the constant comparative method for data analysis. Emergent themes included strategies used for assessing intelligence in this population, barriers to determining accurate results, and methods for mitigating the influence of barriers. With moderate to strong consensus among participants, the findings demonstrated lack of availability of an appropriate measure of intelligence for children with autistic disorder. This study has the potential to contribute to positive social change with findings justifying the development of an appropriate assessment tool which will enhance life opportunities of children with autistic disorder when more accurate measures lead to appropriate placement in academic, vocational, and social settings.
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Greeff, Lise-Marie. "The design, implementation and evaluation of a peer group sexuality psycho-education programme for university students." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49792.
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Thesis (MA) -- Stellenbosch University, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Health and social problems associated with the high-risk sexual behaviour of young people worldwide gave rise to the priority status accorded to sex education in the past decade. Despite the attention focused on and the goals set for sexual health education, surveys indicate that the AIDS epidemic is still spreading, STD infections are increasing and a growing number of unwanted pregnancies are reported every year. It seems therefore that many young people are not yet able to manage their sexual health effectively and sex educators are confronted with the challenge to provide more effective sexl education interventions. This study attempted to address the need for effective sexuality education for young people by designing, implementing and evaluating a peer group sexuality psycho-education programme targeted at university students. The process of programme development was guided by the phases proposed by the Psycho-education model: Phase 1: Problem-identification. This phase entailed becoming aware of the problem through media attention, social awareness, discussions with members of the community and exploring problems around young people's sexual health through an extensive literature review. Phase 2: Situation Analysis. During this phase the researcher clarified the identified problem by conceptualizing and defining relevant concepts and identifying theoretical frameworks and principles that could be used to address the problem. as well as the Action Research model were identified as useful theories. Phase 3: Development of the programme. The Information-Motivation-Behavioural skills (1MB) model and the Guerney model were used to guide the design of the programme. Phases 4, 5 and 6: Implementation, evaluation and re-evaluation. These interdependent phases entailed three consecutive implementations of the sexuality psycho-education programme. The principles of Action Research were used to guide the implementation and evaluation processes. Evaluation of qualitative data obtained through participatory research after each implementation allowed for continuous adaptation and improvement of the programme. At the end of the third implementation quantitative data was supplemented by quantitative data obtained with a pen-and-paper test-retest method. Quantitative results indicated that the sexuality education programme significantly increased subjects' knowledge regarding sex en sexuality, but did not have a significant impact on attitudes and perceived behavioural skills. There was an indication that clarification of attitudes had been promoted, and that attitudes relating to the use of contraception had positively changed. Furthermore, a significant change in perceived behavioural skills regarding communication about and behaviour for the prevention of HIV/STDs had been achieved. Qualitative evaluation indicated that subjects felt more positive about using condoms and about communicating with their partners about the use of contraceptives. Step 6 and full circle back to step 1: Final Re-evaluation and problem-identification. During this phase the researcher reviewed the outcomes of the intervention. New problems were identified and recommendations made for future continuation. The researcher concluded that the deficits in research methodology, such as a lack of structured qualitative evaluation, hampered effective evaluation of the programme. Further research needs to be conducted to develop appropriate theoretical frameworks and measuringinstruments with which to inform and evaluate the effectiveness of sex education programmes.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gesondheids- en maatskaplike probleme wat verband hou met die hoë-risiko seksuele gedrag van jongmense wêreldwyd het daartoe gelei dat seksonderrig gedurende die afgelope dekade voorrang geniet het. Ondanks die toespitsing op seksuele gesondheid, en die doelwitte daarvoor gestel, toon peilings dat die VIGS-epidemie steeds versprei, seksueel-oordraagbare siektes (STDs) toeneem, en 'n groeiende aantalongewenste swangerskappe jaarliks aangemeld word. Dit blyk dus dat 'n groot aantal jongmense nie in staat is om hulle seksuele gesondheid effektief te bestuur nie en seksopvoeders word gekonfronteer met die uitdaging om meer effektiewe seksopvoedingsintervensies te verskaf. Met hierdie studie is onderneem om die behoefte aan doeltreffende seksualiteitsopvoeding vir jongmense aan te spreek, deur die samestelling, toepassing en evaluering van 'n portuurgroep seksualiteit psigo-opleidingsprogram gemik op universiteitstudente. Die proses van programontwikkeling is gelei deur die fases wat voorgestel is deur die Psigo-onderrigmodel: Fase 1: Probleemidentifikasie: Dié fase het kennisname van die probleem behels as gevolg van die aandag daaraan gewy in die media en as gevolg van maatskaplike bewustheid, asook deur bespreking met lede van die gemeenskap en deur ondersoek van probleme in verband met die seksuele welstand van jongmense deur middel van 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie. Fase 2: Situasieanalise: Gedurende hierdie fase het die navorser die geïdentifiseerde probleem duideliker omskryf deur die relevante konsepte te konseptualiseer en omskryf, en teoretiese raamwerke en beginsels te identifiseer wat gebruik kon word om die probleem aan te pak. Fase 3: Ontwikkeling van die program: Die Informasie-Motivering-Gedragsvaardigheidsmodel (IMG) en die Guernymodel is gebruik as raamwerke vir die ontwerp van die program. Fases 4, 5 en 6: Implementering, evaluasie en her-evaluasie. Hierdie interafhanklike fases het drie opeenvolgende implementerings van die seksualiteit-psigo-opleidingsprogram behels. Die beginsels van Aksienavorsing is toegepas in die implementering- en evaluasieprosesse. Evaluasie van kwalitatiewe data, verkry deur deelnemende navorsing na elke implementering, het deurlopende aanpassing en verbetering van die program moontlik gemaak. Aan die einde van die derde implementering is kwantitatiewe data aangevul deur data wat verkry is deur 'n pen-en-papier toets-hertoets-metode. Stap 6 en terug tot by stap 1: Finale re-evaluasie en probleemidentifikasie. Gedurende hierdie fase het die navorser die resultate van die intervensie ontleed. Nuwe probleme is geïdentifiseer en aanbeveliings vir toekomstige voortsetting is gemaak. Die navorser het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die tekortkominge in die navorsingsmetodologie - byvoorbeeld, 'n gebrek aan gestruktureerde kwalitatiewe evaluering - verhinder het dat effektiewe evaluering van die program kon plaasvind. Verdere navorsing word benodig om toepaslike teoretiese raamwerke en meetinstrumente te ontwikkel wat aangewend kan word om die ontwerp van seksopvoedingsprogramme te rig en die effektief van programme te evalueer.
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Ngah, Zahari. "A formative evaluation research into the use of psychology service by adolescents and young people : a preliminary investigation ito attendance/non-attendance." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.246040.
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Gheorghiu, A. I. "The face of research : do first impressions based on the facial appearance of scientists affect the selection and evaluation of science communication?" Thesis, University of Essex, 2017. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/20287/.
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First impressions based on facial appearance alone predict a large number of important social outcomes in areas of interest to the general public, such as politics, justice and economics. The current project aims to expand these findings to science communication, investigating both the impressions that the public forms of a scientist based on their facial appearance, and the impact that these impressions may have on the public’s selection and evaluation of the research conducted by the scientist in question. First, we investigated what social judgement traits predict looking like a “good scientist” (someone who does high-quality research) and an “interesting scientist” (someone whose research people show interest in). Three studies showed that looking competent and moral were positively related to both looking like a good scientist and to interest ratings, whereas looking physically attractive positively predicted being perceived as a scientist with higher interest ratings, but was negatively related to looking like a good scientist. Subsequently, we investigated whether these perceptions translated into real-life consequences. Three studies examined the impact of first impressions on the public’s choice of scientific communications, and found that people were more likely to choose real science news stories to read or watch when they were paired with scientists high on interest judgements. Another three studies looked at whether the appearance of the researcher influenced people’s evaluations of real science news stories . We found that people judged the research to be of higher quality when it was associated with “good” scientists. Our findings illustrate novel insights into the social psychology of science communication, and flag a potential source of bias in the dissemination of scientific findings to the general public, stemming solely from the facial appearance of the scientist.
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Dashora, Pushpanjali. "Empowering Homeless Youth: An Evaluation of a Participatory Action Research Based Program." The Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267458035.
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Reding, Frank Nicholas. "An Evaluation of the Impact of a Thesis Colloquium on Self-Regulated Motivation toward Thesis Completion." TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/176.
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What motivates one to write a thesis? This study assessed whether presenting one’s master’s thesis proposal at a thesis colloquium increased the probability of Industrial/Organizational I/O) Psychology graduate students completing their thesis on time (i.e., finishing their thesis as they finished their graduate coursework). This study also examined the relationship between presenting one’s thesis proposal at a thesis colloquium and different forms of motivated regulation and three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness).
Participants included 94 master’s level I/O Psychology alumni from four universities. As expected, students who presented at a thesis colloquium had a higher rate of on-time thesis completion. Students who presented at a thesis colloquium also reported a higher level of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation toward their thesis, and a lower level of amotivation toward their thesis compared to students who did not present at a colloquium. Reported level of relatedness toward individuals who helped work on the thesis was higher for those who presented at a thesis colloquium than for those who did not present. However, there were no differences between those who did or did not present at a colloquium in terms of reported competence and autonomy.
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Erps, Kristen Herner. "School Psychologists and Suicide Risk Assessment: Role Perception and Competency." TopSCHOLAR®, 2018. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/3062.
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As the second leading cause of death for adolescents, suicide has become one of the biggest concerns for school personnel. School psychologists are often expected to be the most competent and able to lead in suicide prevention efforts, however, studies have shown a lack of preparedness in crisis intervention and, more specifically, suicide risk assessment. This study surveyed practicing school psychologists (N = 92) to explore their perception of both their role and competency in suicide risk assessment. While school psychologists reported having varying roles within their district related to suicide risk assessment, the majority endorsed having a role at the tertiary level (i.e., intervening with a student identified as needing help). Participants indicated lacking both graduate training and competency in this area. Significant interactions were found between perceptions of role and competency and primary school setting, state employed, and previous training or exposure. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
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Lopez, Rebecca. "Stress of College Students and Memory with the Implementation of Brief Mindfulness." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7033.
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College students are faced with stressors which can negatively impact memory function, thereby, negatively affecting academic performance. This study used a field experiment design to investigate the effects of brief mindfulness on levels of distress and memory functioning between first-year community college students engaging in a brief mindfulness intervention (n = 29) and a control group (n = 28) by using ANCOVA, MANOVA, correlations, and descriptive statistics. Research questions examined whether a brief mindfulness intervention lowered levels of distress in a treatment group. Second, the study examined whether the intervention of brief mindfulness in a treatment group improved memory function. Finally, the findings of this study answered if changes in levels of distress mediated the effects of exposure to mindfulness on memory function. Using the Brief Symptom Inventory, changes pre to postintervention levels of distress were examined. Distress levels decreased in treatment and control groups following 15 minutes of relaxation (MBSR and unstructured). Differences in memory function were examined using the WMS-IV. Positive correlations between the ability to recall visual and verbal materials on a delay in both groups were found. The findings of this study contributed to positive social change by emphasizing the high levels of distress community college students experience. These findings support the importance of implementing brief stress reduction opportunities in a classroom setting, whether structured stress reduction, such as mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), or unstructured relaxation-time, as a supportive measure to encourage healthy coping skills in handling stress, thereby improving memory and the projection of improving physical and mental well-being, as well as, educational outcomes.
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Stroupe, Heather. "An Evaluation of the Convergent Validity of Multi-Source Feedback with Situational Assessment of Leadership - Student Assessment (SALSA©)." TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/162.
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The current study assessed the convergent validity of the Situational Assessment of Leadership – Student Assessment (SALSA©), a situational judgment test (SJT), with multi-source ratings. The SALSA© was administered to ROTC cadets via Blackboard; multi-source ratings, which paralleled the leadership dimensions of the SALSA©, were administered via paper. Each cadet completed the SALSA© and was rated by 10 peers, his/herself, and at least one cadre (superior). SALSA© scores were not correlated with any of the corresponding dimensions on multi-source ratings, with one exception. Cadre ratings of Consideration/Team Skills were positively correlated with SALSA© scores on the same dimension. This finding suggests that the multi-source ratings and the SALSA© are not measuring the same leadership construct. Self-ratings were significantly higher than peer or cadre ratings. Senior ROTC cadets scored significantly higher on SALSA© than did Junior ROTC cadets. Future research should focus on differences between autocratic styles of leadership and democratic styles of leadership and whether different SJTs are needed to measure each style.
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Orrison, Nancy Lynn Robertson. "Adequate and appropriate intelligence testing of moderately mentally retarded children." W&M ScholarWorks, 1992. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618394.
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The intelligence of moderately mentally retarded (MR) children is difficult to assess because they often have concurrent physical or sensory impairments which adversely affect their test performance. The purpose of this study was to determine if necessary adaptations are made when assessing children who are moderately MR for educational placement in the State of Virginia.;A survey was sent to public school psychologists in the State of Virginia as identified by the 1990-91 roster obtained from the Virginia Department of Education. The survey inquired as to their normal methods of intelligence testing used with the moderately mentally retarded population. The results of the survey and a review of literature were used to determine methods of successful assessment of children who are moderately mentally retarded.;The results of the study indicate that more than one intelligence measure must be made to validate the results. The inclusion of adaptive behavior scales is necessary to satisfy the criteria for mental retardation. Modifications are often necessary to prevent physical handicaps from suppressing the child's scores on standard intelligence tests. What is needed are precisely stated modifications, included with standard intelligence tests, which accommodate for the needs of moderately mentally retarded children.
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Drysdale, Michael J. "Psychometric Properties of Postsecondary Students' Course Evaluations." DigitalCommons@USU, 2010. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/783.
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Several experts in the area of postsecondary student evaluations of courses have concluded that they are stable or reliable measures as well as being measures that provide ways of making valid inferences regarding teacher effectiveness. Often these experts have offered these conclusions without supporting evidence. Surprisingly, a thorough review of the literature revealed very few reported test-retest reliability studies of course evaluations and the results from these studies are contradictory. In the area of validity, the conclusions offered by scholars who conducted meta-analyses of mutlisection course studies are inconsistent. This leads to the following two research questions:
1. What is the test-retest reliability over a 3-week period of the course evaluation currently employed at Utah State University?
2. Can results of the course evaluation employed at Utah State University be used to make valid inferences about a teacher's effectiveness?
Two parts of a study were conducted to answer these questions. First, a test-retest reliability part was conducted with students from courses at Utah State University, employing a 3-week time lapse between administrations of the course evaluations. Second, a multisection course validity part was conducted using existing student ratings data and final examination scores for 100 sections of MATH 1010 over a 5-year period. Correlational analyses were conducted on the resulting data from both studies. Test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from 0.64 to 0.94 were found. In the second study, the correlation coefficients from the validity study ranged from -0.39 to 0.71, with a mean coefficient of 0.14 and 0.11 for final examination score by instructor rating and final examination score by course rating, respectively. Results from both parts of the study suggest that the course evaluation used at USU is not reliable and that results of the course evaluation do not provide information that can be used to make valid inferences regarding teacher effectiveness.
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Dietrich, Cynthia S. "A Phenomenological Study of Social Science Instructors' Assessment Practices for Online Learning." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/930.
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Online learning has revolutionized higher education in the United States. In 2007, there were 3.9 million students taking at least 1 online course. Assessment in online instruction is a new experience for teachers because of the recent advent of online course delivery. Current research on online learning does not address instructor experiences with learning assessments. This gap may contribute to online instructors being inadequately prepared to teach online. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore online instructors' experiences with assessments in their undergraduate social science courses. The study was guided by constructivism as well as theories associated with assessment for the college classroom. The main and secondary research questions focused on the participants' experiences with assessment in the online learning environment and the challenges and benefits of assessment in that learning environment. Data were collected with in-depth, semistructured interviews and analyzed via Moustakas's modification of van Kaam's method. The main themes are: (a) instructors use a combination of assessment practices, (b) changes to assessments are based on student feedback, and (c) academic honesty. The present study promotes positive social change by providing members of the online learning community with a better understanding of instructors' assessment processes, as well as the challenges and benefits those instructors face in assessing learning in online classes, all of which may contribute to improved instruction for online students.
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Campbell, Megan Michelle. "The adaptation of the 'Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure' (CORE-OM) from English into a valid Xhosa measure of distress." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001538.
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In South Africa access to mental healthcare resources is restricted for a number of reasons including language barriers that prevent suitable communication between mental healthcare professionals and African language speaking South Africans. The translation of psychometric tools into African languages has been identified as one method in improving access to psychological services for African language speakers. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) has demonstrated its clinical utility within the United Kingdom (UK) National Healthcare Service (NHS) as a standardised psychotherapy outcome measure that evaluates the degree of psychological distress individuals present with at the start of psychotherapy treatment, and the degree of change that has been effected at the termination of therapy. A measure like the CORE-OM holds valuable clinical utility for the South African context. This thesis argues that the availability of a valid Xhosa version of the CORE-OM would allow for improved access to psychotherapy resources for Xhosa speaking individuals, and allow for the evaluation of the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions conducted in Xhosa. The CORE-OM developers have provided a translation design and set of guidelines to standardise the translation of the CORE-OM into different languages. However this thesis argues that these guidelines are incomplete. Instead International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines are recommended as a culturally sensitive method to supplement current CORE-OM translation guidelines, in order to generate a valid Xhosa measure of distress. A mixed methods approach is applied which first investigates the construct equivalence and bias of the CORE-OM English version within a South African student population sample, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in order to establish the degree of adaptation required to generate a valid Xhosa version of distress. Next the CORE-OM English version is translated into Xhosa using the five-stage translation design prescribed by the CORE System Trust, supplemented by ITC guidelines. All changes made to the CORE-OM during translation into Xhosa are documented. The CORE-OM Xhosa version is then investigated for reliability and validity. This investigation reveals low internal reliability within the subjective wellbeing domain indicating that these items are less meaningful as depictions of distress within the Xhosa language. A reduced version of the CORE-OM demonstrates strong psychometric properties as a valid Xhosa measure of distress.
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Wagner, Rita Schreyer. "Efficacy of self-instructional training in the management of test anxiety: A primary prevention model." W&M ScholarWorks, 1991. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618540.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a program of self-instructional training, presented as part of the regular classroom guidance curriculum, in the reduction of test anxiety and improvement of test performance in third grade children.;The sample consisted of 88 third grade students enrolled in regular education in an elementary school. Intact classes were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. A nonequivalent control group research design was used. Dependent variables were test anxiety, academic achievement, and test performance and were measured by the Test Anxiety Scale for Children, the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, and the Coding subtest of the WISC-R. Data was analyzed using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Four null hypotheses provided the basis for testing whether or not there would be a significant difference (.05 level) between the treatment and control groups.;The results of this data analysis indicated that students in the experimental group achieved lower scores on the self-report test anxiety questionnaire than did students in the control group. The 4-week program of self-instructional training was effective in reducing test anxiety. In contrast, the treatment program was not effective on the variables of test performance and academic achievement.;Recommendations include using a larger sample across more grade levels, having the teachers present in the classroom during the self-instructional training, replication of the study with younger children, and follow-up testing to determine the stability of results over time.
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Saad, Kenneth Michael. "The personal need systems of college students: An analysis of the poorly adjusted freshman." W&M ScholarWorks, 1990. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618815.
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This study compared the personal need systems of college students who were failing academically, charged with discipline violation, or psychologically troubled with those of a control group with no record of such problems. The Picture Identification (PIT) was mailed to the 1986 and 1987 entering freshmen classes at the College of William and Mary. From the 1986 class, 531 students completed the PIT, and from the 1987 class, 544 students completed the PIT. The subjects were classified by type of problem and gender. The Female Discipline Group was too small for statistical analysis and was omitted from the report. The Academic Groups were comprised of students who had fallen below the accepted criteria for continuance at the college. The Mental Health Groups were comprised of students who attended the Center for Personal Learning and Development for three or more sessions or sought other psychological aid. The Discipline Group was comprised of students found to be in violation of the "Rules of Conduct" established by the college. The Control Group was comprised of students who had never received counseling, fallen below the minimal academic criteria, or transgressed the rules of the college.;Multiple analyses of variance were performed on all sets of PIT variables. A discriminant analysis was then conducted with the most significant ANOVA variables to determine the strongest independent discriminators among groups. Results are discussed in terms of understanding the relationships between aspects of motivation (as measured by the PIT) and adjustment to William and Mary.
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Higgins, Lesley Ann. "Diagnostic Decision-Making: How Much Do Behavior Rating Scales Influence School Psychologists?" TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/157.
Full textAbstract:
Behavior rating scales are commonly used as part of the evaluation process throughout the field of psychology. Behavior rating scales help assess social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems in children, adolescents, and teens. Behavior rating scales indicate the severity of problem behaviors compared to a normative sample. Four scenarios were developed that varied scores on a behavior rating scale and the amount of other information that supported a specific diagnosis. A rating of the likelihood of a diagnosis was requested to see how much influence behavior rating scale scores have on diagnostic decision-making. Each of the four scenarios was sent to 200 school psychologists across the country for a total of 800 potential participants. An overall response rate of 37.5% was achieved. The findings revealed that behavior rating scales do have some influence on school psychologists’ diagnostic decision-making. However, school psychologists put more weight on other supporting information, such as classroom observations and teacher and parent reports, than on behavior rating scale scores when making a diagnostic decision.
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Goins, David Matthew. "Population Cross-Validity Estimation and Adjustment for Direct Range Restriction: A Monte Carlo Investigation of Procedural Sequences to Achieve Optimal Cross-Validity." TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/165.
Full textAbstract:
The current study employs Monte Carlo analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of various statistical procedures for determining specific values of interest within a population of 1,000,000 cases. Specifically, the proper procedures for addressing the opposing effects of direct range restriction and validity overestimation were assessed through a comparison of multiple correlation coefficients derived using various sequences of procedures in randomly drawn samples. A comparison of the average bias associated with these methods indicated that correction for range restriction prior to the application of a validity overestimation adjustment formula yielded the best estimate of population parameters over a number of conditions. Additionally, similar methods were employed to assess the effectiveness of the standard ΔR2F-test for determining, based on characteristics of the derivation sample, the comparative superiority of either optimally or unit weighted composites in future samples; this procedure was largely ineffective under the conditions employed in the current study.
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P'Pool, Keely. "Using Dweck's Theory of Motivation to Determine How a Student's View of Intelligence Affects Their Overall Academic Achievement." TopSCHOLAR®, 2012. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1214.
Full textAbstract:
This study explored how student intelligence was directly linked to the goals and motivation held by students when engaged in academic settings. Students were administered a questionnaire developed by Dr. Carol Dweck in which they responded to statements in order to determine their individual theory of intelligence. Once this was accomplished, multiple student variables (including but not limited to first semester GPA, second semester GPA, ACT composite score, age, and college coursework) were compared to their view of intelligence to determine if any correlations existed.
Results showed that there was no significant difference between students who viewed intelligence as malleable or fixed with regard to first semester GPA scores or the comparison between first and second semester GPA scores. The data from this research study supported other research by finding that approximately 15% of students were identified in the undecided category regarding their view of intelligence. There was no significant difference found between entity theorists and incremental theorists in regards to the theory of intelligence students held determining whether or not their second semester GPA scores would increase or decrease when compared to their first semester GPA scores. In addition, a significant difference was found between student views of intelligence and their ACT composite score. It was also discovered that there was a positive correlation between how students viewed intelligence and how they viewed talent development.
Findings from this study suggest that praise can be both motivating as well as detrimental to students, and it is important that the correct type of praise be used when addressing students. It was also discovered that teachers can have a direct role in regard to helping students change their view of intelligence from an entity view, in which they view intelligence as a fixed trait, to an incremental view, in which they view intelligence as a malleable trait and able to change through their own effort and hard work. Future research topics are discussed in an effort to determine what strategies and methods can be utilized to allow as many students as possible to reach their full academic potential.
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Cornejo, Leticia. "School Psychologists’ Training and Knowledge of Tourette Syndrome." Chapman University Digital Commons, 2015. https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/ces_dissertations/15.
Full textAbstract:
A web-based survey was conducted that included 97 practicing school psychologists in California. The results from the survey indicated that the majority (88%) of respondents were knowledgeable about Tourette Syndrome. Many respondents (28%) had never worked with a student with Tourette’s, 20% had at least one case, and 52% indicated that they had worked with more than two cases in their careers as school psychologists. The majority of respondents indicated that their school psychology program did not adequately train them to assess or counsel students with Tourette’s. The majority of participants also did not feel confident to work with students with Tourette’s. As found in the study, school psychologists are in need of training to better serve children with Tourette Syndrome. Children, whether diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome or not, may exhibit difficulties making academic progress because of tic related issues, as well as comorbid disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Schools typically are where students spend many hours of their day, and where those who are knowledgeable about Tourette’s can identify and provide needed supports depending on the student’s needs. Therefore, school psychologists play a key role in facilitating proper education regarding Tourette’s to students, teachers, staff, and families, as well as providing academic, behavioral, emotional, and social support a student may need.
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Hogue, S. Elizabeth. "The Effect of an Overall Rating Item on Halo Error in Performance Evaluations." TopSCHOLAR®, 2010. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/160.
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This study focuses on how the presence or absence of an overall rating item on a performance evaluation form affects levels of halo error and satisfaction with the form. Participants included undergraduate college students who were randomly assigned to groups receiving a form with or without an overall rating item at the beginning of the form. A satisfaction item was included on both forms. The analyses included a z-test for correlations from independent samples to determine the difference between the two evaluation forms and a t-test to determine the difference between the satisfaction scores of the two forms. The analyses indicated that the differences between the groups were not significant for levels of halo error or satisfaction.
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Greene, Jennifer A. "Assessing Readiness to Seek Formal Mental Health Services: Development and Initial Validation of the Mental Health Belief Model Assessment (MHBMA)." Scholar Commons, 2018. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7159.
Full textAbstract:
Only a small percentage of people with mental health issues utilize mental health services. This would seem contradictory given the increasing understanding of mental disorders, their high prevalence, and associated disability and distress. Research shows that individual level factors, such as perceptions of need, mental health knowledge, mental health attitudes, and mental health literacy, are related to individuals’ decisions to seek mental health services. The Health Belief Model (HBM) posits four types of health beliefs that affect an individual’s health behavior, in this case, the decision to seek mental health services. To date, researchers and clinicians have no assessment tool to empirically identify the factors affecting a particular individual’s decision making about using mental health services. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop and validate a self-report instrument, called the Mental Health Belief Model Assessment (MHBMA), designed to assess readiness to seek formal mental health services. Based on the HBM, the MHBMA includes 76 items grouped into five scales: Perceived Susceptibility and Fears, Perceived Severity, Perceived Benefits, Perceived Barriers, and Self-efficacy. A 20-item short form was also developed. The responses of a validation sample of 192 adults provided the initial evidence for reliability and validity of the MHBMA. In terms of reliability, internal consistency reliability was high for each scale, with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from .90 to .97, and test-retest correlation coefficients for each scale were strong, ranging from .82 to .92. Evidence for validity was examined via test content, internal structure, and relations to other variables. Specifically, moderate to high correlations in the expected directions were found between the MHBMA and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form and the Barriers to Help Seeking Scale. The scale scores on the MHBMA were also examined in relation to a number of demographic and service use variables. Guidelines for use and interpretation on the MHBMA, delimitations and limitations of the current study, and implications for research and practice are discussed.
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Hu, Shanshan. "AFFECT, MOTIVATION, AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION: TESTING A DYNAMIC MODEL OF INTERACTIVE RELATIONSHIPS." UKnowledge, 2018. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_etds/71.
Full textAbstract:
The present study tested the interactive model of affect, motivation, and engagement (Linnenbrink, 2007) in mathematics education with a nationally representative sample. Self-efficacy, self-concept, and anxiety were indicators of pleasant and unpleasant affect. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were indicators of mastery and performance approach. Persistence and cognitive activation were indicators of behavioral and cognitive engagement. The 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) supplied a sample of 4,978 students from the United States for structural equation modeling. The results indicated that PISA data overall supported the interactive model. Specifically, PISA data completely supported the specification of the relationship between motivation and affect, largely supported the specification of the relationship between affect and engagement, but failed to support the specification of the relationship between motivation and engagement. Finally, PISA data largely supported the specification of the mediation effects of affect on the relationship between motivation and engagement.