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Title: "Teaching in the Eyes of Beholders": Preservice Teachers' Reasons for Teaching and Their Beliefs About Teaching.
Creator: Pop, Margareta Maria, Turner, Jeannine E., Rutledge, Stacey, Roehrig, Alysia, Keller, John, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of the present study was to investigate Preservice Teachers' (PT) reasons for teaching and their beliefs about teaching. Specific reasons of PTs for entering the teaching career, and typologies (clusters) of PTs based on their reasons for teaching were investigated. Further, across the clusters of PTs, their beliefs about teaching were examined, in the context of PTs' understanding of their goals to become teachers. Mixed methods were used for data collection: survey and...
Show moreThe purpose of the present study was to investigate Preservice Teachers' (PT) reasons for teaching and their beliefs about teaching. Specific reasons of PTs for entering the teaching career, and typologies (clusters) of PTs based on their reasons for teaching were investigated. Further, across the clusters of PTs, their beliefs about teaching were examined, in the context of PTs' understanding of their goals to become teachers. Mixed methods were used for data collection: survey and interviews. Participants were undergraduate students enrolled in the EDF 4210 Educational Psychology and EDF 4430 Classroom Assessment courses for the Spring semester 2007. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 215 participants completed a survey about PTs' demographic data, PTs' reasons for teaching and their beliefs about teaching. An initial quantitative analysis of participants' responses for the Reasons for Teaching Questionnaire (RTQ) was made using factor analysis and cluster analysis to establish groups/clusters of individuals displaying similar patterns regarding their reasons for teaching. For the second phase of the study, a selected number of participants (n=25) from the three clusters were recruited for an in-depth interview. The purpose of the interviews was to explore more deeply PTs' understanding of their goal to become a teacher, as well as similarities and differences across the clusters. Overall, the study results indicated a variety of reasons for teaching and beliefs about teaching expressed by PTs in their survey and interview responses. Survey results indicated six main categories of reasons (i.e., factors) as influential to PTs' career choices. These were reasons related to PTs' identity issues, reasons related to PTs' subject matter, reasons related to PTs' meaningful relationships, reasons related to the teaching job benefits, reasons related to PTs' holistic views of profession and reasons related to job opportunities through teaching. Three different clusters of PTs were obtained by conducting a cluster analysis, and specific reasons were found to be relevant for each cluster as related to their teaching career choices. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests, conducted to further explore the differences across clusters of PTs regarding their beliefs about schooling and beliefs about the teaching career, showed significant differences across the three clusters of PTs. The interview results provided more support to understanding the interplay among PTs' motivation and beliefs about teaching in the context of their understanding of the teaching goal development. A grounded theory model was developed to represent PTs' understanding of their teaching goal development as related to four major categories: Motivators, Beliefs, Context, and Strategies. Results from this study showed that PTs' understanding of their goal development was related to different types (or combination) of motivators for teaching, specific beliefs about the teaching career, all these applied to a specific context (i.e., past school experiences, emotions etc). How PTs perceived themselves as teachers, and how they perceived teaching represented a major influence in their career choices. Research from this area can bring a significant contribution to understanding PTs' beliefs in connection with their reasons for teaching as related to their attitudes toward teaching and their future professional practices. From this perspective, the issue of teacher education quality programs can be addressed, and stress the importance of studying PTs' views of teaching as related to their future instructional practices. Findings from such research may also bring a contribution to understanding motivational aspects for continuing teaching and job satisfaction, and indirectly may provide support to understanding various teacher attrition issues.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0498
Format: Thesis

Title: The Validation of A Measure of Competency in the Use of Psychological Assessment in Career Counseling: A Piagetian Framework.
Creator: Etheridge, Roy L., Peterson, Gary W., Tate, Richard L., Proctor, Briley, English, R William, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Based on the results of a prior field study, it was determined that an instrument that borrows from Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development could be constructed and reliably used to measure assessor competence in the use of a career counseling assessment instrument in career counselor training. This research further explores the feasibility of validating this instrument. If successful, a training template could be created to provide competency measurement for the remediation of...
Show moreBased on the results of a prior field study, it was determined that an instrument that borrows from Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development could be constructed and reliably used to measure assessor competence in the use of a career counseling assessment instrument in career counselor training. This research further explores the feasibility of validating this instrument. If successful, a training template could be created to provide competency measurement for the remediation of counselors in training and the improvement of counselor training models. The theoretical model upon which the instrument is based is the Piagetian Matrix of Test User Competence (PMTUC). The competency assessment instrument based on this theoretical matrix was named A Measure of Assessor Competence (AMAC). The AMAC produces one global score based on six test items. The long-term intent of this line of research is to promote the utility of the PMTUC in the creation of a variety of measures of competency (AMACs) across many psychological assessments. The PMTUC theory and the resulting AMAC instruments could be applicable to all instruments. The specific intent of this study was to validate the use of the AMAC in the creation of a measure of competency in the use of a career counseling instrument. The instrument selected for this validation research was the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) because experts in the use of this instrument were readily available. Therefore, the measure of assessor competency for this specific research study is the AMAC-CTI. Future studies might attempt to build measures of competency in the use of the MMPI-2 (AMAC-MMPI-2), Rorschach (AMAC-Rorschach), or perhaps the WISC-IV (AMAC-WISC-IV). To validate the AMAC-CTI instrument, five studies were conducted. Study 1 involved expert ratings of the importance of the six items in the AMAC-CTI using an Expert Content Rating Form. The experts in the field of counseling and career development were identified by the Director of Clinical Training in a Combined Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology and School Psychology at a large university in the southeastern United States. For this study, persons were considered experts if they had at least 10 years experience in the field of career counseling, held faculty positions, currently supervised graduate students in career counseling, and had served as a supervisor for the student administration of at least two hundred Career Thoughts Inventories. All five experts agreed that the items on the AMAC-CTI were important to critically important. Studies 2, 3, and 4 involved expert raters, graduate students, and professionals in the field of counseling and career development. The graduate students were enrolled in a Combined Counseling Psychology and School Psychology doctoral program or the Mental Health Counseling masters program at a large southeastern university who have been trained in the use of the CTI. The professionals work in the field of counseling psychology and have also been trained in the use of the CTI. Participants were approached via face-to-face request, e-mail request, or telephone by either the primary investigator of this dissertation or the aforementioned Director of Clinical Training about volunteering for a study of trainee competency using assessments. Once persons agreed to participate, they were contacted via e-mail by the primary investigator and were directed via e-mail to access a web link provided by www.surveymonkey.com. Once participants accessed the link, they were introduced to the survey and presented with an electronic consent form and, upon agreeing to participate, a background questionnaire. Participants provided responded to six open-ended format questions which were assumed to correspond to the 6 primary determinants of test user competence. At the conclusion of the survey collection process, responses to surveys were redacted of personal identification information and given to expert raters to perform ratings using the AMAC-CTI. For Study 2, inter-rater reliability coefficients and measures of internal consistency were derived to confirm the reliability of the instrument. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) determined that the AMAC-CTI is a uni-dimensional instrument. Study 3 was conducted to examine the difficulty of the instrument. The open-ended portion of the survey required respondents to answer six detailed questions that corresponded to the six items that make up the AMAC-CTI. Based on the results of this research project, the performance tasks were determined to be somewhat difficult. Study 4 assessed convergent validity by asking the student participants' clinical supervisors to rate their respective students' competency in the use of the CTI. Supervisors used the same evaluation criteria as the AMAC-CTI to assess their students. The student participants' overall AMAC-CTI scores were then correlated with the overall ratings provided by their respective clinical supervisors. It was hypothesized that these scores would be correlated, but statistical analyses failed to show a significant relationship. For Study 5, analyses were performed to examine the relationship between AMAC-CTI scores and education and between AMAC-CTI scores and experience in the use of the CTI. AMAC-CTI ratings were positively correlated with experience in the use of the CTI, but were not correlated with education level and the number of assessment courses completed by participants. Implications for further test development and counselor training of assessment skills are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0491
Format: Thesis

Title: The Development of the Transition Readiness Scale for Female Inmates.
Creator: Etheridge, Mary Anne, English, R. William, Peterson, Gary W., Railey, Michael, Tate, Richard L., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: While there has been an increase in research concerning female offenders in recent years, there is no current standard for the comprehensive assessment of readiness for transition from a correctional environment into the community for this population. Most of the literature on female offenders focuses on factors contributing to criminal behavior and factors that predict recidivism risk with little focus on assessing readiness for transition from incarceration into society. Assessing and then...
Show moreWhile there has been an increase in research concerning female offenders in recent years, there is no current standard for the comprehensive assessment of readiness for transition from a correctional environment into the community for this population. Most of the literature on female offenders focuses on factors contributing to criminal behavior and factors that predict recidivism risk with little focus on assessing readiness for transition from incarceration into society. Assessing and then addressing the special needs of women during incarceration may help them successfully re-enter society, live a quality life, and thus avoid recidivism. This study represents the first steps in the construction of a reliable and valid needs assessment, the Transition Readiness Scale, to pinpoint and target the needs of female inmates and enhance readiness for release. The Transition Readiness Scale was based on a theory of readiness involving two dimensions: complexity and capability (Sampson, Peterson, Reardon, & Lenz, 2000). Complexity refers to readiness factors relating to an individual's environment or circumstances. Capability refers to factors relating to an individual's abilities or competencies. Upon review of the literature concerning female inmates, nine content areas were chosen to represent the most salient readiness areas in female inmates: substance abuse, physical health, mental health, education, employment, support, spirituality, life skills/resources, and parenting. The instrument was developed in three phases. During the first phase, the items on the Transition Readiness Scale were written to assess the domains of complexity and capability across the nine content areas listed above. An average of five items per content area were written to represent each domain of complexity and capability, for a total of one hundred initial items. The items underwent professional critique and serial revisions. Data collection to refine the instrument was conducted utilizing female correctional inmates at a large southeastern federal women's prison. The second phase, Tryout, involved fifty subjects completing the 100-item Transition Readiness Scale. Items on the instrument were eliminated if they did not meet certain inclusion criteria or demonstrate significant statistical variability, resulting in an 85-item instrument. Also during this phase, a team of expert judges was asked to sort the items into the domains of "complexity" and "capability" for the purpose of assessing content validity. During the third phase, Field Trial, three hundred and fifty inmates completed a reduced version of the instrument, producing 324 valid data sets. These subjects also completed a background questionnaire for the purpose of describing the development sample. The data for this phase were analyzed using a confirmatory factor analysis. Background information was compiled and used to describe the sample. The results of this research indicate that the items on the Transition Readiness Scale represent the constructs of capability and complexity. Support was found for many of the content domains to be considered subscales of the measure, but such support was not found for some. The TRS can be considered a screening tool for the assessment of female inmates' capability and complexity needs to promote readiness for release into community living. Further development of the instrument is needed for all content domains to be considered subscales, and further reliability and validity studies need to be conducted.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0497
Format: Thesis

Title: How Goal Orientations, Perceived Competence, and Strategy Training Affect College Students' Use of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Achievement in Learning Foreign Languages.
Creator: Xiao, Ling, Keller, John, Lan, Feng, Reiser, Robert, Wager, Walt, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine how goal orientations, perceived competence, and strategy training affect college students' use of self-regulated learning strategies and achievement in learning foreign languages. One hundred seventeen undergraduates participated in the study. The students came from 8 introductory Arabic, Chinese, German, and Japanese classes, with 2 classes from each language. Students were categorized as either having task-involved goal orientation or ego-involved...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine how goal orientations, perceived competence, and strategy training affect college students' use of self-regulated learning strategies and achievement in learning foreign languages. One hundred seventeen undergraduates participated in the study. The students came from 8 introductory Arabic, Chinese, German, and Japanese classes, with 2 classes from each language. Students were categorized as either having task-involved goal orientation or ego-involved goal orientation. A median split method was used to categorize students into either with high perceived competence or with low perceived competence. One of the two classes of the same foreign language was randomly selected to receive self-regulated language learning strategy training. Students' use of self-regulated learning strategies was measured by a strategy inventory for foreign language learning. Students' achievement was measured by course-related tests. The results showed that students with task-involved goal orientation scored significantly higher than students with ego-involved goal orientation on self-regulated strategy use, but there was no significant difference in achievement. No interaction effect was found with student ego-involved goal orientation and perceived competence. The results showed no significant difference between students who received training and those who did not. The reasons for these findings were discussed. Implications of the findings as related to foreign language instruction were discussed. Implications for further research that might yield significant findings were also discussed.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0410
Format: Thesis

Title: Perceived Teacher-Directedness, Omniscient Authority, and Communication Behaviors in Second Language Cooperative Learning.
Creator: Zhou, Feng, Turner, Jeanine E., Keller, John, Losh, Susan C., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: After firstly investigating the correlations among students' omniscient authority beliefs, students' perceived teacher-directedness, and students' intra-group communication behaviors, this research explored the cultural differences between American students and Chinese students regarding to these variables. A total of 89 Chinese students and 131 American students participated in this research. The results indicated that students' naïve omniscient authority beliefs were positively correlated...
Show moreAfter firstly investigating the correlations among students' omniscient authority beliefs, students' perceived teacher-directedness, and students' intra-group communication behaviors, this research explored the cultural differences between American students and Chinese students regarding to these variables. A total of 89 Chinese students and 131 American students participated in this research. The results indicated that students' naïve omniscient authority beliefs were positively correlated with their perceptions of higher teacher-directedness and negatively correlated with the mega-cognitive perspective of intra-group communication behavior. Meanwhile, differences were found between Chinese and American cultural groups with regards to students' omniscient authority beliefs, perceived teacher-directedness, and communication behaviors during cooperative learning. Chinese students tended to rely on themselves as the resources of information and knowledge and Chinese students perceived less teacher-directedness compared to American students. As to within-group communication behaviors, Chinese students were more excelled at time management while American students were more excelled at maintaining group affection.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0518
Format: Thesis

Title: Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling (MASEM): Comparison of the Multivariate Methods.
Creator: Zhang, Ying, Becker, Betsy Jane, Yang, Yanyun, Niu, Xufeng, Eklund, Robert, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Meta-analytic Structural Equation Modeling (MASEM) has drawn interest from many researchers recently. In doing MASEM, researchers usually first synthesize correlation matrices across studies using meta-analysis techniques and then analyze the pooled correlation matrix using structural equation modeling techniques. Several multivariate methods of MASEM have been proposed by the researchers. In this dissertation, I compared the commonly used multivariate methods for meta-analytic path modeling....
Show moreMeta-analytic Structural Equation Modeling (MASEM) has drawn interest from many researchers recently. In doing MASEM, researchers usually first synthesize correlation matrices across studies using meta-analysis techniques and then analyze the pooled correlation matrix using structural equation modeling techniques. Several multivariate methods of MASEM have been proposed by the researchers. In this dissertation, I compared the commonly used multivariate methods for meta-analytic path modeling. Specifically, I examined the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) method (Becker, 1992; Becker & Schram, 1994) and the Two-Stage Structural Equation Modeling (TSSEM) method (Cheung, 2002; Cheung & Chan, 2005) using both simulation studies and real data analyses. Both the traditional GLS approach (Becker, 1992) and the modified GLS approaches (Becker & Fahrbach, 1994) were applied and compared with the TSSEM approach. Fixed-effects data and random-effects data were generated to see how these approaches differ at the first and second stages of MASEM. The results shows that the modified GLS approach performs as well as or better than the TSSEM approach in both the first step of synthesizing correlation matrices and the second step estimation of the parameters and standard errors, using both fixed-effects data and random-effects data. The original GLS approach only performs well when the within-study sample size is large enough (of the simulation situations in this dissertation, n ). Both the modified GLS approach and the TSSEM approach produce equivalent parameter estimates across all conditions. However, the standard errors from the TSSEM approach seem to be over-estimates under certain conditions. Overall, both the modified GLS and TSSEM approaches are appropriate for conducting meta-analytic path modeling and the difference in parameter estimates is minimal.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0534
Format: Thesis

Title: The Relationship Between Social Support and College Adjustment in Intercollegiate Athletes.
Creator: Dreher, Desaree Valerie, Eklund, Robert, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Turner, Jeannie, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Over the last 30 – 40 years, transitions (e.g. college, marriage, retirement), in general, and their outcomes have gained growing attention (Halamandarus & Power, 1999). Transitions break down habitual patterns of action and force the individual to form new behaviors to fit his or her novel experience (Dornbusch, 2000). Late adolescence is a period marked by numerous developmental changes and novel experiences that the individual needs to conquer in order to prepare for adulthood (Pratt,...
Show moreOver the last 30 – 40 years, transitions (e.g. college, marriage, retirement), in general, and their outcomes have gained growing attention (Halamandarus & Power, 1999). Transitions break down habitual patterns of action and force the individual to form new behaviors to fit his or her novel experience (Dornbusch, 2000). Late adolescence is a period marked by numerous developmental changes and novel experiences that the individual needs to conquer in order to prepare for adulthood (Pratt, Bowers, Terzian, Hunsberger, Mackey, Thomas, et al., 2000; Tao, Dong, Pratt, Hunsberger, & Pancer, 2000). One significant juncture for many late adolescents is the entrance into college. Even though some students find the transition into college as a challenge to personal growth, many students are overwhelmed and experience stress (Wintre & Yaffe, 2000). In 1999, approximately 60% of adolescents attended college where as only 15% attended in the 1930s (Steinberg, 1999). Despite this increase in the pursuit of higher education, many college freshmen end up transferring from their original institution or dropping out of college entirely. The current university attrition rate among American and Canadian freshmen is 25% (Wintre, Bowers, Gordner, & Lange, 2006), although, this rate does not include students who transferred to another university or re-entered college at a later point. Several studies have reported the beneficial effects of social support during the transition to college (Pratt et al., 2000; Tao et al., 2000; Hinderlie & Kenny, 2002; Schwitzer, Robbins, & McGovern, 1993; Halamandaris & Power, 1999). In particular, studies have found that peer support significantly affects one's adjustment to college (Hinderlie & Kenny, 2002; Pratt et al., 2000; Giacobbi, Lynn, Wetherington, Jenkins, Bodendorf, & Langley, 2004; Hays & Oxley, 1986; Wiseman 1997). It may be that first-year student-athletes are more fortunate than other students because they enter college with a pre-existing support network of teammates who can aid in their transition. For example, first-year student-athletes have reported in interviews that fellow teammates positively affected their adjustment to college (Giacobbi et al., 2004). Currently, there is limited research on the transition into college for student-athletes. The aim of the present study was to advance the understanding of the impact of social support on student-athletes during their transition into college, and compare this to nonathlete-students. Specifically, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of team support on adjustment in first-year student-athletes. The results have indicated that student-athletes', both first-year and vii second-year, were similarly adjusted to college than first-year and second-year nonathletestudents. There was a significant difference in network composition between student-athletes and nonathlete-students, indicating that student-athletes rely on the appropriate support providers (i.e. athletes). However, when compared to nonathlete-students, student-athletes did not display higher college adjustment scores. In fact, both groups exhibited normatively typical adjustment scores. Furthermore, results indicated that there was no difference in adjustment scores between first-year and second-year student-athletes.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0670
Format: Thesis

Title: Flow, Attentional Strategy, and Self-Presentation in Runner Participating in 5 and 10 Kilometer Road Races.
Creator: Edwards, Amanda, Eklund, Robert, Tenebaum, Gershon, Eccles, David, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this investigation is to explore the relationship between flow state, dissociation, and self-presentation in runners. It was hypothesized that dissociation would be negatively related to flow dimensions of total concentration on the task, receiving unambiguous feedback, having a sense of total control. Conversely, it was thought that dissociation would be positively related to the flow dimensions of time transformation, merging of action and awareness, loss of self...
Show moreThe purpose of this investigation is to explore the relationship between flow state, dissociation, and self-presentation in runners. It was hypothesized that dissociation would be negatively related to flow dimensions of total concentration on the task, receiving unambiguous feedback, having a sense of total control. Conversely, it was thought that dissociation would be positively related to the flow dimensions of time transformation, merging of action and awareness, loss of self-consciousness, and autotelic experience. A questionnaire packet containing an informed consent form, a demographic information handout, a Race Flow Scale (Modified DFS-2; Jackson & Eklund, 2002), the thought recording handout, and the Modified Self-Presentation in Sport Questionnaire (SPSQ; McGowan et al., 2008) was administered to 210 male and female runners. The analyses of this investigation are presented in three subsections: descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and the results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), including a posteriori exploratory analyses involving two covariates. Results reveal no significant relationships were established between attentional strategy and the dimensions of flow, or between self-presentational concerns and attentional strategy. However, it was found that individuals who experience self-presentational concerns are less likely to attain the state of flow.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0618
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effect of the Integration of Social Annotation Technology, First Principles of Instruction, and Team-Based Learning on Students' Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Meta-Cognitive Skills.
Creator: Archibald, Thomas Nielsen, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Many freshmen students enter colleges and universities without the essential academic skills needed to be successful. Colleges and universities are seeking instructional interventions to address these needs. This study explored the effect of the Social Annotation Modeling- Learning System (SAM-LS) (three instructional interventions including social annotation technology, Merrill's (2002) First Principles of Instruction, and team-based learning) on students' acquisition of reading...
Show moreMany freshmen students enter colleges and universities without the essential academic skills needed to be successful. Colleges and universities are seeking instructional interventions to address these needs. This study explored the effect of the Social Annotation Modeling- Learning System (SAM-LS) (three instructional interventions including social annotation technology, Merrill's (2002) First Principles of Instruction, and team-based learning) on students' acquisition of reading comprehension, critical thinking, and meta-cognitive skills. RM ANOVA revealed multiple statistically significant (p
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0233
Format: Thesis

Title: Expert and Novice Practitioner Use of the Computer-Based Test Interpretation for the Self-Directed Search: A Qualitative Analysis.
Creator: Shy, Jonathan David, Sampson, James P., Lenz, Janet, Padavic, Irene, Peterson, Gary, Reardon, Robert, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State...
Show moreShy, Jonathan David, Sampson, James P., Lenz, Janet, Padavic, Irene, Peterson, Gary, Reardon, Robert, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: This qualitative research study explored the process by which expert and novice counseling practitioners use the computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) for the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Two groups of people were involved in the study: (a) research participants and (b) student assistants. Research participants were the focus of the study; student assistants were not measured or assessed in any way. Research participants were selected from a career center at a large southeastern university...
Show moreThis qualitative research study explored the process by which expert and novice counseling practitioners use the computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) for the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Two groups of people were involved in the study: (a) research participants and (b) student assistants. Research participants were the focus of the study; student assistants were not measured or assessed in any way. Research participants were selected from a career center at a large southeastern university. All received some training in the use of the CBTI for the SDS prior to their participation in the study. Student assistants were selected from an undergraduate course in career development. Students in the course take the SDS and receive an interpretation of their CBTI as part of normal classroom procedures. They were invited to have their interpretation audio-recorded for the current study and were offered extra credit as an incentive. Twelve students were selected; those who wanted to assist but were not selected were still presented with an opportunity to receive extra credit. Data collection occurred in two phases. Research participants first interpreted a CBTI for the SDS to two student assistants. These interpretations were audio-recorded. Following the interpretative events, the researcher interviewed research participants; interviews were also audio-recorded. During the interview, research participants were asked about the nature of the student participant's SDS scores and their reactions to the interpretive process. Following the data collection procedures a professional transcription agency transcribed audio recordings. The researcher reviewed transcribed audio recordings from interpretive events and interviews for one participant and identified a preliminary coding system based on themes present in the data. Nvivo qualitative software was used to assist with this effort. The preliminary coding system went through several iterations as data from additional participants was analyzed. The characteristics of expertise identified by Glaser and Chi (1988) were used as sensitizing concepts in order to link the data analysis to relevant literature. Raw data and the preliminary coding system were presented to an auditor with knowledge of qualitative research to provide an objective opinion of the data. Feedback was received and a final coding system was identified. The final coding system consisted of a thematic hierarchy of five major categories, 12 higher order themes, and 13 lower order themes. A second auditor reviewed the final coding system and raw data to ensure the appropriateness of the data analysis. Results revealed that experts and novices interpreted much of the same content presented in the CBTI for the SDS, but did so in different ways. Experts explained more content of the CBTI for the SDS, solicited background information, discussed resources and services, and incorporated elements from two career theories during interpretations. Experts also made decisions about: the relative importance of data, student's career problems, and how to adjust their performance and structure the interpretive process based on the unique needs of students. The results suggested that this study's experts possessed more complex domain-specific schema for the interpretation of the CBTI for the SDS. These schema appeared to enable experts to examine more data, which was used to form more complex conceptualizations of students' career functioning. The findings lent support to the characteristics of expertise identified by Glaser and Chi (1988), as well as for stage theories of the development of expertise identified by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986). The findings were used to develop a suggested interpretive process of the interpretation of the CBTI for the SDS.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0327
Format: Thesis

Title: An Analysis of the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version as a Measure of Emotional Intelligence in Children and Adolescents.
Creator: Shuler, Celeste Nobles, Prevatt, Frances, Wagner, Richard, Peterson, Gary, Pfeiffer, Steve, Proctor, Briley, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida...
Show moreShuler, Celeste Nobles, Prevatt, Frances, Wagner, Richard, Peterson, Gary, Pfeiffer, Steve, Proctor, Briley, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of emotional intelligence as it occurs in children and adolescents by investigating the psychometric properties (i.e. validity) of the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i: YV). The validation of this instrument involved considering its relationship to cognitive intelligence, self-report of personality, and parent-report of behavior. A battery of tests that included a measure of intellectual functioning, an omnibus...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of emotional intelligence as it occurs in children and adolescents by investigating the psychometric properties (i.e. validity) of the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i: YV). The validation of this instrument involved considering its relationship to cognitive intelligence, self-report of personality, and parent-report of behavior. A battery of tests that included a measure of intellectual functioning, an omnibus personality test, a measure of childhood behavior problems, and the EQ-i: YV was administered to a sample of 143 children ranging in age from 8 to 18 years. A small positive relationship was found to exist between Full Scale IQ and the broadband measure of emotional intelligence. Many significant relationships were obtained between the subtests of the EQ-i: YV and the omnibus personality test, suggesting a high degree of relationship. Significant correlations were evidenced among the scales of the EQ-i: YV and the measure of childhood behavior problems, but to a much lesser extent than with personality. The EQ-i: YV demonstrated the abilityt to predict significantly elevated scores on a broadband measure of emotional difficulties. Lastly, aspects of personality were found to contribute more heavily to the prediction of overall emotional intelligence than did cognitive intellectual functioning.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0325
Format: Thesis

Title: Graph and Property Set Analysis: A Methodology for Comparing Mental Model Representations.
Creator: Smith, Linda Jane, Spector, J. Michael, Douglas, Ian, Johnson, Tristan E., Dennen, Vanessa P., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this dissertation study was to conduct the next stage of research in the development of a new methodology (Smith, 2005) based on an analysis of Graphs and Property Sets (GAPS). The objective of the methodology is to measure the degree of similarity in structure and content of mental model representations. Such measures are useful in determining if and to what extent instructional interventions promote understanding and the acquisition of expertise with regard to complex...
Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation study was to conduct the next stage of research in the development of a new methodology (Smith, 2005) based on an analysis of Graphs and Property Sets (GAPS). The objective of the methodology is to measure the degree of similarity in structure and content of mental model representations. Such measures are useful in determining if and to what extent instructional interventions promote understanding and the acquisition of expertise with regard to complex phenomena and problem solving situations. This methodology builds on earlier research (e.g., Spector & Koszlka, 2004) and was tested in a prototype study (Smith, 2006). The research was developmental in nature and consisted of a formative evaluation of the methodology aimed at answering the following questions: 1. Does the methodology provide useful comparisons of student-constructed models based on relevant attributes of structure and content that are embedded in the model elicitation methodology? 2. What improvements in the methodology are needed prior to further research and development and eventual implementation in the form of a mental model assessment tool? a. What improvements are needed regarding the mental model elicitation methodology? b. What improvements are needed in the mental model representation analysis methodology? The study revealed that the methodology can provide useful comparisons of student-constructed models. The determination of usefulness was based on the feedback received from two professors who are instructors for beginning students in the instructional design program which provided the subjects for this research. The study also identified specific improvements that are needed prior to further research and development of the methodology. For this study, a mental model is an internal cognitive structure created by an individual to explain external phenomena, to solve problems, and/or to predict outcomes of actions and decisions. Such internal structures cannot be observed directly, and methods for representing an individual's mental model vary according to the latitude of expression given the individual and the extent of assumptions that must be made concerning the degree of similarity between the internal model and the external representation. The methodology evaluated in this study represents a systematic attempt to combine freedom of expression on one hand with structured detail elicitation on the other. The intention is to reduce the number of inferences and assumptions an investigator must make in interpreting a mental model representation and address finer levels of comparisons between and among models. The methodology uses an application of graph theory (Chartrand, 1977; Diestel, 2000) and can be distinguished from other graph-based methodologies by one or more of the following characteristics. Subjects create their own graphs to represent their mental models. Subjects provide detailed property sets for each graphic element. Property sets define both the concepts in a subject's mental model and the subject's understanding of how concepts are related. Finally, comparisons between models are based on analyses of properties of graphic elements rather than linked pairs of concept labels. Property set analysis may determine whether or not similar labels in different mental model representations refer to the same concepts. It also may determine whether or not similar concepts are identified with different labels. Assumptions that subjects understand and use concept labels the same way can lead to inaccurate conclusions about the degree of correspondence of one model to another. The research context was a graduate program in instructional design at a large, Southern university. Individuals may enter the program as masters students or doctoral students. The focus of this study was limited to comparisons of mental model representations between novices and experts in the field of instructional design. The methodology was used to examine gaps between the knowledge and conceptions of beginning students and the knowledge and conceptions of their professor who is an experienced practitioner in the field of instructional design. The initial state of student knowledge and conceptions can have significant implications for the design and delivery of instruction. First, understanding students' prior knowledge provides a starting point in bridging the gap between their beginning state and the learning objectives of the instruction. Second, learning of new material takes place with regard to a larger world view students may have. Integration of new knowledge within this larger context requires some awareness of the context's relevant attributes. Next, examination of students' initial conceptions and mental models may reveal misconceptions that must be overcome in order for the learning objectives to be achieved. Misconceptions can be firmly entrenched, and may require design and/or delivery approaches beyond those sufficient to instruct students without such handicaps. It is assumed that a comparison of mental model representations of beginning students with the mental model representation of an experienced practitioner will reveal both initial states of the learners and misconceptions they may have. Participants included three professors who are experienced instructional designers and 19 graduate students in an introductory design course in the Instructional Systems Program. Participants were trained to use the methodology to represent their mental models in responding to an instructional design problem. Mental model representations of students were compared with that of the professor teaching the introductory instructional design course. The comparisons addressed: (a) the degree of similarity in content and structure; and (b) specific areas in student models which might indicate misconceptions or knowledge gaps. The mental model representations of the other two experienced instructional designers were compared to that of the professor teaching the course. This analysis determined that the methodology has utility in comparing the models of persons with similar expertise (experienced designers) as well as those with different levels of expertise (professor/student). It also confirmed that the methodology identifies more similarities between persons with similar expertise than between persons of different levels of expertise. Answer to research question 1. A comparison of student-constructed models based on relevant attributes of structure and content is considered useful if it reveals misconceptions or gaps in knowledge that, if present, will affect the design and/or delivery of instruction for the purpose of improving the potential for learners to achieve the targeted learning goals. The comparison analysis results were shared first with the professor teaching the class of student participants to determine the usefulness of the methodology in identifying misconceptions or knowledge gaps that can affect instructor decisions concerning the design and/or delivery of instruction. Next, the results were shared with the other two professors, one of whom also was an instructor for beginning students in instructional design. The third professor, who did not teach instructional design students, did not comment on the specific application of results; however, the two professors teaching in the instructional design program responded that the information would aid them in making course design and delivery decisions. They indicated surprise regarding (a) the amount of information that the methodology could produce and (b) the extent of the gaps in knowledge that were revealed between entry level students and their professor. Answer to research question 2. Required improvements in the methodology were addressed using qualitative data obtained from analysis of mental model representations and participant responses to questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires and interviews were used to obtain participant feedback on the representation process. Comparative analysis data and data from the questionnaires and interviews were examined to determine what improvements are needed prior to further study and implementation of the methodology. The initial analysis results and recommended list of changes were shared with the experienced practitioner group (i.e., the professors) to obtain their reactions to the proposed improvements. The list of recommendations include: (a) an improved training plan with more examples and additional practice; (b) assessment of understanding of both the representation process and the problem statement prior to model elicitation; (c) better design of the model to be used for comparison with student models; and (d) a set of guidelines for constructing the database and performing qualitative analyses. Because this study was limited to a single application and participant group, results cannot be generalized. However, the mental model assessment methodology design is not limited to this specific application. The results of this study can set the stage for future research using other subject areas, different educational levels, and additional populations. The intended features of this methodology are that it will: (a) be generalizable across domains and populations; (b) be applicable for a variety of purposes in education and training including educational research and instructional design; (c) be scalable for practical use in secondary, tertiary and work settings; (d) be appropriate for complex problem solving domains; (e); produce metrics that identify the degree and basis of correspondence between mental models; and (f) provide greater insight into the structure and content of a person's mental model than what is now provided by current mental model assessment approaches. Further research may produce a validation for broader applications and eventual implementation in the form of a mental model elicitation and assessment tool.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0362
Format: Thesis

Title: Same Author and Same Data Dependence in Meta-Analysis.
Creator: Shin, In-Soo, Becker, Betsy Jane, Huffer, Fred, Kamata, Akihito, Yang, Yanyun, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: When conducting meta-analysis, reviewers gather extensive sets of primary studies for meta-analysis. When we have two or more primary studies by the same author, or two more studies using the same data set, we have the issues we call 'same author' and 'same data' issues in meta-analysis. When a researcher conducts a meta-analysis, he or she first confronts 'same author' and 'same data' issues in the data gathering stage. These issues lead to between studies dependence in meta-analysis. In...
Show moreWhen conducting meta-analysis, reviewers gather extensive sets of primary studies for meta-analysis. When we have two or more primary studies by the same author, or two more studies using the same data set, we have the issues we call 'same author' and 'same data' issues in meta-analysis. When a researcher conducts a meta-analysis, he or she first confronts 'same author' and 'same data' issues in the data gathering stage. These issues lead to between studies dependence in meta-analysis. In this dissertation, methods of showing dependence are investigated, and the impact of 'same author' studies and 'same data' studies is investigated. The prevalence of these phenomena is outlined, and how meta-analysts have treated this issue until now is summarized. Also journal editors' criteria are reviewed. To show dependence of 'same author' studies and 'same data' studies, fixed-effects categorical analysis, homogeneity tests, and intra-class correlations are used. To measure the impact of 'same author' and 'same data' studies, sensitivity analysis and HLM analyses are conducted. Two example analyses are conducted using data sets from a class-size meta-analysis and ESL (English as a Second Language) meta-analysis. The former is an example of the 'same data' problem, and the latter is an example of the 'same author' problem. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to assess how each analysis technique works.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0319
Format: Thesis

Title: Over Conformity to the Sport Ethic Among Adolescent Athletes and Injury.
Creator: Shipherd, Marguerite Amber, Eklund, Robert C., Tenenbaum, Gershon, Eccles, David W., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Iconic media moments include when Kerri Strug 1996 Olympic vault with two torn ligaments in her ankle, and Tiger Woods' win in the 2008 US Open with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture on his left tibia. Both athletes were regarded as heroes for competing while injured and particularly because they were successful in doing so. Even fourth grade athletes accept pain and injury as inevitable outcomes of playing sports, and continue to play through the pain and...
Show moreIconic media moments include when Kerri Strug 1996 Olympic vault with two torn ligaments in her ankle, and Tiger Woods' win in the 2008 US Open with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture on his left tibia. Both athletes were regarded as heroes for competing while injured and particularly because they were successful in doing so. Even fourth grade athletes accept pain and injury as inevitable outcomes of playing sports, and continue to play through the pain and injury (Singer, 2004). Over conformity to the sport ethic can include behaviors such as: risking injury or prolonged illness to compete, playing through pain, inclination to avoid medical attention, or winning regardless of the physical costs (Hughes & Coakley, 1991; Miller, 2008). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between over conformity to the sport ethic and injury in adolescent athletes. Male (n = 98) and female (n = 105) athletes between the ages of 13 and 18 in Tallahassee, FL were recruited to participate in the study. Athletes provided demographic, sport and injury history data and completed the Sport Attitudes Questionnaire developed for this study. The Sport Attitudes Questionnaire measured degree of and reasons for conformity to the sport ethic. Data analysis revealed athletes who were found to be higher in sport ethic conformity reported incurring a significantly greater number of injuries at the .05 level (m = 2.02) than their peers (m = .80) who were found to be lower in sport ethic conformity. Athletes high in conformity reported engaging in sport ethic conformity behaviors because they believed athletes should be tough. Athletes low in sport ethic conformity reported engaging in sport ethic conformity behaviors because they loved their sport. Implications of these results for athletes, coaches and sport psychology practitioners are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0320
Format: Thesis

Title: Emoticon Usage in Task-Oriented and Socio-Emotional Contexts in Online Discussion Boards.
Creator: Yigit, Osman Taner, Losh, Susan Carol, Roehrig-Bice, Alysia, Jeong, Allan, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study aims to understand the frequency of emoticon usage in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) using discussion boards. It also aims to understand whether the contexts (i.e., socio-emotional versus task oriented contexts) in which emoticons are used make any difference. In addition, this study will examine whether using emoticons in online discussion boards helps communicators to exchange emotions and thus to enhance the message content. The result of the study suggests that...
Show moreThis study aims to understand the frequency of emoticon usage in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) using discussion boards. It also aims to understand whether the contexts (i.e., socio-emotional versus task oriented contexts) in which emoticons are used make any difference. In addition, this study will examine whether using emoticons in online discussion boards helps communicators to exchange emotions and thus to enhance the message content. The result of the study suggests that participants use more emoticons when they are provided. Participants in socio-emotional contexts use more emoticons than they do in task-oriented contexts. The results of the study also suggest that participants in socio-emotional contexts found emoticons helpful in expressing their ideas and in understanding others' ideas, and also expressing their feelings and understanding others' feelings.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0665
Format: Thesis

Title: The Impact of Social Model Agent Type (Coping, Mastery) and Social Interaction Type (Vicarious, Direct) on Learner Motivation, Attitudes, Social Comparisons, Affect, and Learning Performance.
Creator: Ebbers, Suzanne J., Baylor, Amy L., Hicks, Mary W., Branson, Robert K., Peterson, Gary W., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Pedagogical agents, which are "virtual" (computerized) characters for learning, are a recent research phenomenon. While they have been studied in numerous types of computerized environments in terms of their impact on learning, motivation, attitude and other measures, no study has yet been performed replicating a human-agent social learning "virtual classroom" environment, and no study has compared the impact of a Direct Interaction (learner participates in conversation) as compared to a...
Show morePedagogical agents, which are "virtual" (computerized) characters for learning, are a recent research phenomenon. While they have been studied in numerous types of computerized environments in terms of their impact on learning, motivation, attitude and other measures, no study has yet been performed replicating a human-agent social learning "virtual classroom" environment, and no study has compared the impact of a Direct Interaction (learner participates in conversation) as compared to a Vicarious Interaction (learner overhears conversation). This study sought to determine in a human-agent social learning situation the extent to which the underlying inherent processes of human-human social learning are mirrored in a human-agent social learning situation using Bandura and Schunk's recommended guidelines for social learning models (Coping and Mastery). It also sought to determine the impact of a social interaction - either "overheard" (Vicarious) or "with the learner" (Direct) – on social learning outcomes. The study examined the impact of Agent Type (Coping and Mastery) and the impact of Agent Type * Interaction Type (Coping/Vicarious; Coping/Direct; Mastery/Vicarious; and Mastery/Direct) on learner motivation (self-efficacy and anticipated satisfaction), attitudes (agent likeability and positive attitudes towards agent), social comparison activity (competence similarity, performance similarity, and evaluation comparison), positive and negative affect, and learning performance (recall, integration, and a combined recall/integration score). One hundred and three undergraduate learners from a pre-service teacher's Introduction to Technology course were randomized into five conditions, including a control condition with social model agent present but not speaking. The learning environment was an hour-long automated computerized instructional module teaching learners how to create an e-learning instructional plan in three segments: creating objectives, creating an activity plan and creating an assessment. Dependent measures were taken prior to the inception of instruction, half-way through the instruction, and at the end of the instruction after the post-test learning performance activity. In terms of Agent Type, there were significant results for Motivation (p = .052) and Self-Efficacy (p = .016), Positive Attitude (p = .046), Comparisons (p = .008), Competence Similarity (p = .021), Performance Similarity (p = .003), and all three Learning Performance results (Recall: p = .000; Integration: p = .001; and Combined: p = .000). Attitudes approached significance (p = .086). Coping Agent Type produced significantly more positive results than did Mastery Agent Type for all dependent measures except Learning Performance measures. For these, the Mastery Agent Type was much more effective than the Coping Agent Type. In terms of Time * Agent Type, there were significant results for Attitude, Positive Attitude, and Evaluation Comparison, with Comparisons (p = .083) and Performance Similarity (p = .093) approaching significance. There were no significant results for Agent Type * Interaction Type, but for Time * Agent Type * Interaction Type, Motivation was significant, and Attitudes approached significance at p = .071. Learner Positive and Negative Affect were not significant in terms of Agent Type or Agent Type * Interaction Type, but both dependent measures were highly significant in terms of Time. Over time, both positive and negative learner affect decreased across conditions, demonstrating that the other social learning processes were not affected by mood. All significant results except one were in the expected direction, with the Coping Agent Type producing more positive results than the Mastery Agent Type. However, interestingly, while the Learning Performance measures of Recall (p = .000), Integration (p = .001), and Combined (p = .000) all were highly significant, they produced the opposite result of what was expected, with the Mastery Agent Type learners producing high learning performance scores. Results indicate that in a computerized human-agent social learning experience the Coping Agent Type influences learners to have more positive outcomes in terms of the underlying processes of social learning (motivation, attitudes, and social comparison activity), but the Mastery Agent Type leads learners to have more positive learning performance outcomes. Sweller's Cognitive Load theory, Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance theory, Mayer's social conversation schema, Bandura's Social Learning Theory in terms of motivational issues, and Turner's Theory of Social Interaction explain many of the significant results, and implications for social learning theory and instructional design theory are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0603
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of Agent Emotional Support and Cognitive Motivational Messages on Math Anxiety, Learning, and Motivation.
Creator: Shen, E, Keller, John, Jakubowski, Elizabeth, Driscoll, Marcy, Baylor, Amy, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Mathematics plays an important role in everyday life. Math anxiety has been one of the major reasons that students do not like math mathematics. Many efforts have been done to alleviate learner's math anxiety with respect to curriculum design, math assessment, classroom culture, and teacher attitudes. In this study, math anxiety from the GED (General Educational Development) population is addressed through emotional and motivational support provided by pedagogical agents. There are two...
Show moreMathematics plays an important role in everyday life. Math anxiety has been one of the major reasons that students do not like math mathematics. Many efforts have been done to alleviate learner's math anxiety with respect to curriculum design, math assessment, classroom culture, and teacher attitudes. In this study, math anxiety from the GED (General Educational Development) population is addressed through emotional and motivational support provided by pedagogical agents. There are two reasons to this approach. One major reason is the inherent social nature of learning and research on learners' emotion and motivation are gaining more and more interest. The other major reason is that the embodiment nature of pedagogical agents have been recognized by researchers and the pedagogical agents become one of the ideal candidates to improve learning and influence learners' emotion and motivation in a computer-based learning environment. In this study, emotional support and cognitive motivational messages were embedded in pedagogical agents to promote learning, alleviate math anxiety, and improve leaner motivation. 109 GED students affiliated with local community college participated in this study. This study used a 2 x 2 factorial design. The two independent variables were emotional support and cognitive motivational messages and each dependent variable contained two levels: presence versus absence. The dependent measure of study includes learning, math anxiety, and leaner motivation. MANOVA analysis revealed a main effect of emotional support. Further univariate analysis showed that students who worked with emotional support agents performed better in learning and had less math anxiety than those students who worked with none-emotional support agents. No significant results were found on the main effect of cognitive motivational messages. This study shows quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of pedagogical agents as a means to deliver emotional support in a computer based learning environment. Further research is suggested to examine the adaptive nature of emotional support and cognitive motivational messages. The effect of emotional support and cognitive motivational messages in non-GED population needs to be tested.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0309
Format: Thesis

Title: The Impact of a Standardized Cognitive Information Processing Intervention on the Career Decision State of at-Risk Youth.
Creator: Shelby, Tracy L., James, Darling, Carol, Peterson, Gary W., Losh, Susan B., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: How do children's career aspirations come to reflect the social inequalities among their elders? One theorist, Linda S. Gottfredson, 1996 was interested in explaining how at-risk children come to define themselves professionally and found that career choice is an effort to position oneself in the extensive social order in which the most public, social aspects (i.e., gender, social class, intelligence) play an integral part in this process, rather than the more personal, private elements (i.e....
Show moreHow do children's career aspirations come to reflect the social inequalities among their elders? One theorist, Linda S. Gottfredson, 1996 was interested in explaining how at-risk children come to define themselves professionally and found that career choice is an effort to position oneself in the extensive social order in which the most public, social aspects (i.e., gender, social class, intelligence) play an integral part in this process, rather than the more personal, private elements (i.e., values, personality, siblings, family plans). Given this information, the next question would be, how do we break the cycle of underachievement, poverty, and under education of at-risk youth, so that they can develop educational and career goals that are most suited to their values, interests and abilities? The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) intervention structured by a standard decision-making tool, the Career Decision Making Tool (CDMT) on the career decision-state of at-risk youth. Impact is defined as the total effects, intentional and unintentional, of administering a human service intervention. Furthermore, the career decision state is defined in terms of (a) the extent to which individuals are certain of their educational and occupational choices and (b)their degree of satisfaction with their choice at a given moment in time (Bullock, Peterson, Lierer & Reardon, 2009). More simply, career decision state is defined in terms of career decidedness (certainty) and satisfaction. This study was implemented as part of an existing summer, community-based prevention and health promotion program, Project K.I.C.K. (Kids in Cooperation with Kids), housed within a local Boy's and Girl's Club. While seventy-five youth participated in some of the intervention activities, complete data were available for forty-six participants. Forty-six predominately African American (83%) adolescent youth, ages 11 – 18, attending summer camp at a Boy's and Girl's Club in a medium-sized community in North Florida participated in the intervention. The goals of the CIP interventions are to ensure that the youth are: a) given information and experiences to broaden their educational and career knowledge base; b) prepared to make an informed choice of career; and c) are equipped to develop an educational plan conducive to attaining their career aspirations. The results of this study indicated that, with respect to the development of the occupational goal decision state in terms of decidedness, certainty, or satisfaction, the means did not vary significantly across the observations, pretest, pretest, and posttest. Thus, collectively, the CIP intervention appeared to have no impact on these participants' choice of occupational goal. However, the chi-square ratios pertaining to frequencies of decidedness indicated there was a significant shift (p ≤ .05, χ2 = 32.01, df = 6) in the level of decidedness from pretest 2 to the posttest in that 5 participants indicated a first choice of occupation on the second pretest, but no participants indicated a first choice on the posttest. Thus, there was a shift toward becoming more undecided in terms of occupational goal. With regard to level of educational choice, satisfaction with choice, and certainty of choice, the CIP intervention had no significant impact on the participants' educational goal decision state. Nonetheless, there were changes from the second pretest to the posttest in terms of frequencies of individuals endorsing "Don't know" and "BA/BS degrees," with the former increasing by 8 participants and the latter decreasing by 8 participants. Thus, as with the case of occupational goals, there is a shift toward becoming more undecided in terms of educational goal as a result of participation in the CIP intervention. On a four-point helpfulness scale where 1 = not helpful, 2 = somewhat helpful, 3 = helpful, and 4 very helpful, the participants expressed that the vast majority of activities were helpful to very helpful in formulating their educational and occupational goals. With respect to the entire CDMT experience in terms of satisfaction, the participants indicated that they were satisfied with the facilitation of educational goals and occupational goals. In conclusion, the implementation of a CIP intervention structured by the CDMT appeared to provide an "awakening" experience for many of the participants regarding educational and occupational opportunities. The majority of the participants enjoyed the activities and expressed satisfaction regarding their impact on their educational and occupational goals. It appeared that this was an effective career intervention that could be improved with additional emphasis on preparing for field trips and in processing the experience afterward. The participant's responses to this career intervention were highly encouraging.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0307
Format: Thesis

Title: Predicting Third Grade Students' FCAT Reading Achievement and Oral Reading Fluency Using Student Demographic, Academic History, and Performance Indicators.
Creator: Canto, Angela I., Proctor, Briley E., Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Prevatt, Frances, Peterson, Gary, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State...
Show moreCanto, Angela I., Proctor, Briley E., Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Prevatt, Frances, Peterson, Gary, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is Florida's annual measure of student yearly academic progress with major implications for individual students and schools. The present study explored the inter-relationships among student background and reading performance indicators and the predictive utility of those variables as a means to identify students at risk for FCAT failure. The following indicators were incorporated into this study: student demographics (gender and socio-economic...
Show moreThe Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is Florida's annual measure of student yearly academic progress with major implications for individual students and schools. The present study explored the inter-relationships among student background and reading performance indicators and the predictive utility of those variables as a means to identify students at risk for FCAT failure. The following indicators were incorporated into this study: student demographics (gender and socio-economic status), academic history (attendance rate and number of prior grade retentions), teacher-rated evaluation of student performance (student participation in Reading activities and Reading grade), and reading skill (decoding and oral reading fluency). Decoding and oral reading fluency were measured using the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) subtests (Good and Kaminski, 2002b), three months prior to FCAT administration. The student background and performance variables were first used in a multiple regression analysis to predict FCAT Reading achievement. Among these predictor variables, ORF, student's third quarter Reading grade, and SES were found to be statistically significant predictors of Reading FCAT-SSS scores. The strong correlation found between ORF and FCAT achievement in this study was congruent with results in previous studies, whereas the addition of Reading grade and SES as significant predictors of Reading FCAT-SSS scores were new findings in this study. Next, it was of interest to determine whether any of the aforementioned indicators also predicted ORF ability. Reading grade and NWF scores were both statistically significant predictors of ORF performance. Lastly, this study examined the utility of two risk models of Reading failure that use cutpoint guidelines for student performance on the DIBELS ORF subtest to determine risk level. These cutpoint models were applied to this data set to determine the usefulness of these models in identifying students who may be at risk for reading difficulty. Both models explored were moderately effective in identifying at-risk students. However, a three-category risk model (low, moderate, high) was determined to be of greatest assistance to educators for efficiency and ease. In conclusion, this author identified limitations inherent in the present study and offered recommendations for future research directions.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0095
Format: Thesis

Title: Students with Learning Disabilities Who Are Admitted to the University Using Alternative Criteria: How Do They Fare?.
Creator: Allison, Katie Coddington, Proctor, Briley, Prevatt, Frances, Li, Huijun, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Many post-secondary institutions now have programs for special admission considerations for students with learning disabilities (LD's). These programs review information to determine the eligibility of students with disabilities who may not otherwise meet minimum standards for admissions. This study examines the academic success of students with LD's admitted through a Special Admissions Committee (SAC) when compared to students admitted through the "normal" process. An analysis of...
Show moreMany post-secondary institutions now have programs for special admission considerations for students with learning disabilities (LD's). These programs review information to determine the eligibility of students with disabilities who may not otherwise meet minimum standards for admissions. This study examines the academic success of students with LD's admitted through a Special Admissions Committee (SAC) when compared to students admitted through the "normal" process. An analysis of documentation of 45 undergraduate students submitted to an SAC indicates that they have lower high school GPA's and lower standardized test scores than their non-LD counterparts, but have similar levels of success (as measured by comparing cumulative college GPA's, number of failed courses, and outcome status three semesters after matriculation).
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0047
Format: Thesis

Title: Public Forum Doctrine in Higher Education: Student Rights and Institutional Prerogatives.
Creator: Alexander, Laurence B., Beckham, Joseph, Rayburn, Jay, Brooks, Jeffrey, Schwartz, Robert A., Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Historically, public colleges and universities have been thought of as places where free speech and free inquiry abound. Institutional policy makers, however, have occasionally placed restrictions on student expression. When students have challenged these restrictions, courts have used public forum analysis to delineate the balance of student rights to free speech and the institution's right to self-governance. Using legal-historical research methods, this study traced the development of the...
Show moreHistorically, public colleges and universities have been thought of as places where free speech and free inquiry abound. Institutional policy makers, however, have occasionally placed restrictions on student expression. When students have challenged these restrictions, courts have used public forum analysis to delineate the balance of student rights to free speech and the institution's right to self-governance. Using legal-historical research methods, this study traced the development of the public forum doctrine in the case law and its application to students in higher education. Employing Edward H. Levi's three-stage evolutionary theory on the development of a legal concept, the study concluded that the public forum doctrine had completed the first two stages, which involved creation, development and classification. The doctrine, however, has not lost its viability, which is Levi's final stage. Other conclusions of the study: 1) Institutions have broad authority to make regulations that are consistent with their missions. 2) Despite this authority, policy makers are constrained by First Amendment principles. 3) Forum analysis enables administrators to designate areas for student speech. 4) The protection of student speech on campus is influenced by the context of the speech. 5) Administrators may exercise the greatest control over campus areas characterized as closed fora. 6) Although, the distinction between designated and limited fora remains ambiguous, courts have begun to suggest differences. 7) Content-based and viewpoint-based regulations on public forum speech are disfavored. 8) Regulations on public forum speech must be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest. 9) The judicial characterization of student publications as limited fora is undergoing legal challenge. 10) The conflict between the students' right to free expression and the public institutions' right to govern is dynamic and ongoing.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0165
Format: Thesis

Title: Differential Item Functioning Analyses for Mixed Response Data Using IRT Likelihood-Ratio Test, Logistic Regression, and Gllamm Procedures.
Creator: Atar, Burcu, Kamata, Akihito, Flake, Janice, Oosterhof, Albert C., Tate, Richard L., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: With commonly usage of polytomously scored items in addition to dichotomously scored items in educational tests, it is likely to see these two item formats in a test. Several procedures are available to detect differential item functioning (DIF) for dichotomously scored items. Most of these procedures are extended to be adapted for polytomously scored items. DIF analyses are usually conducted for either dichotomously or polytomously scored items. In this study, DIF analyses were conducted for...
Show moreWith commonly usage of polytomously scored items in addition to dichotomously scored items in educational tests, it is likely to see these two item formats in a test. Several procedures are available to detect differential item functioning (DIF) for dichotomously scored items. Most of these procedures are extended to be adapted for polytomously scored items. DIF analyses are usually conducted for either dichotomously or polytomously scored items. In this study, DIF analyses were conducted for mixed test that was composed of both dichotomously and polytomously scored items in addition to dichotomous test that was composed of only dichotomously scored items and polytomous test that was composed of only polytomously scored items. Three DIF detection procedures – IRT likelihood-ratio test procedure as an item response (IR) based approach, logistic regression procedure as a non-item response (non-IR) based approach, and generalized linear latent and mixed modeling (GLLAMM) procedure as an alternative approach - were applied to simulation and 10th grade Spring 2004 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) data. Simulation conditions considered for dichotomous, polytomous, and mixed tests were sample size (N = 600, N = 1200, and N = 2400), sample size ratio between reference group (R) and focal group (F) (N = 300R/300F = 600, N = 400R/200F, N = 600R/600F = 1200, N = 800R/400F = 1200, N = 1200R/1200F = 2400, and N = 1600R/800F), and DIF magnitude (0.32, 0.43, and 0.53). In addition to these conditions, DIF condition (low-shift, high-shift, and balanced) was considered for polytomous test. Simulation was replicated for 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 times for each simulation condition for the IRT likelihood-ratio test and logistic regression procedures. It was found that 200 replications provided more stable results than 100 replications, and 300, 400, and 500 replications did not improve stability of results. Precision of item parameter estimation with IRTLRDIF program that was run to conduct the IRT likelihood-ratio test DIF analyses for simulation data was evaluated using root mean squared error (RMSE), squared bias, and standard error (SE) for all three test types. Significance of main and two-way interaction effects of sample size, sample size ratio, and DIF magnitude on the mean RMSE, mean squared bias, and mean SE was also tested. The results of item parameter stability study indicated that sample size affected the precision of item parameter estimates in all three types of tests. Item parameters were estimated better for larger sample sizes. Sample size ratio affected the precision of both item discrimination and item difficulty parameter estimation in the dichotomous test, the precision of item discrimination parameter in the polytomous test and the precision of the first between category threshold parameter in the mixed test. Samples with equal sample size ratio provided slightly better estimates than samples with unequal sample size ratio. On the other hand, DIF magnitude was not an effective factor on the precision of item parameter estimation in all three test types. In general, the item parameters were recovered well for the dichotomous, polytomous, and mixed tests by IRTLRDIF program. Type I error and power study was also conducted to evaluate performance of the IRT likelihood-ratio test and logistic regression procedures in detecting DIF for the dichotomous, polytomous, and mixed tests. The power of the likelihood-ratio test and logistic regression procedures were above 0.80 for the medium and large sample sizes and the large DIF magnitude conditions in the dichotomous test. The power of these two procedures increased as sample size or DIF magnitude increased. As a result, the type I error rates of both procedures increased. In general, the type I error rates were in good control for this test type. The polytomous test provided similar results in the power of the IRT likelihood-ratio test procedure with the dichotomous test for all DIF conditions. However, the power of the logistic regression procedure was unacceptably low for all DIF conditions, especially for the balanced DIF condition. The logistic regression procedure provided good power only for the large sample size and DIF magnitude condition. The IRT likelihood ratio-test and logistic regression procedures were very powerful for the large sample size or large DIF magnitude conditions and the type I error rates were within the expected value at these conditions in the mixed test. For the GLLAMM procedure, only one typical dataset was randomly chosen out of 500 datasets for each simulation condition in the dichotomous, polytomous, and mixed tests. Item parameter stability of the GLLAMM procedure in the STATA program was compared with the IRTLRDIF program. It was found that overall, GLLAMM provided closer estimates of items parameters to their true values than IRTLRDIF at most conditions for all three test types. DIF analyses were conducted for 2004 FCAT science data of 10th grade students that was composed of 41 dichotomously and 4 polytomously scored items using the IRT likelihood-ratio test and logistic regression procedures across different sample size and sample size ratios (N = 7761 (calibration sample), N = 300R/300F = 600, N = 400R/200F, N = 600R/600F = 1200, N = 800R/400F = 1200, N = 1200R/1200F = 2400, and N = 1600R/800F). DIF in gender was examined for the calibration sample and the sub samples of the calibration sample. Male students were considered as the reference group and female students were considered as the focal group. Several items were detected as DIF in the calibration sample and only 3 of these items were found to have moderate DIF by the IRT likelihood-ratio test procedures and all DIF items were found to have negligible DIF by the logistic regression procedure. These 3 DIF items were detected by the IRT likelihood-ratio test, logistic regression, and GLLAMM procedures for the sub samples of the calibration sample under all sample size and sample size ratios.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0248
Format: Thesis

Title: Combining Regression Slopes from Studies with Different Models in Meta-Analysis.
Creator: Jeon, Sanghyun, Becker, Betsy Jane, Huffer, Fred W. (Fred William), Yang, Yanyun, Paek, Insu, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreJeon, Sanghyun, Becker, Betsy Jane, Huffer, Fred W. (Fred William), Yang, Yanyun, Paek, Insu, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Primary studies are using complex models more and more. Slopes from multiple regression analyses are reported in primary studies, but few scholars have dealt with how to combine multiple regression slopes. One of the problems in combining multiple regression slopes is that each study may use a different regression model. The purpose of this research is to propose a method for combining partial regression slopes from studies with different regression models. The method combines comparable...
Show morePrimary studies are using complex models more and more. Slopes from multiple regression analyses are reported in primary studies, but few scholars have dealt with how to combine multiple regression slopes. One of the problems in combining multiple regression slopes is that each study may use a different regression model. The purpose of this research is to propose a method for combining partial regression slopes from studies with different regression models. The method combines comparable covariance matrices to obtain a synthetic partial slope. The proposed method assumes the population is homogeneous, and that the different regression models are nested. Elements in the sample covariance matrix are not independent of each other, so missing elements should be imputed using conditional expectations. The Bartlett decomposition is used to decompose the sample covariance matrix into a parameter component and a sampling error component. The proposed method treats the sample-size weighted average as a parameter matrix and applies Bartlett’s decomposition to the sample covariance matrices to get their respective error matrices. Since missing elements in the error matrix are not correlated, missing elements can be estimated in the error matrices and hence in the parameter matrices. Finally the partial slopes can be computed from the combined matrices. Simulation shows the suggested method gives smaller standard errors than the listwise-deletion method and the pairwise-deletion method. An empirical examination shows the suggested method can be applied to heterogeneous populations.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Jeon_fsu_0071E_14179
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of Cardiovascular Health on Cognitive Function and Driving Performance among Healthy Older Adults.
Creator: Mason, Justin Richard, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Panton, Lynn B., Chow, Graig Michael, Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreMason, Justin Richard, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Panton, Lynn B., Chow, Graig Michael, Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive and psychomotor functions, resulting in difficulties with daily activities such as driving. Cognitive function has been found to be associated with arterial stiffening. These age-related decrements can be mitigated through routine aerobic exercise. To determine the effects of life-long aerobic exercise on cognitive function, driving performance, and cardiovascular health (i.e., arterial stiffness and thickness) among older adults (65 – 84 years...
Show moreAging is associated with a decline in cognitive and psychomotor functions, resulting in difficulties with daily activities such as driving. Cognitive function has been found to be associated with arterial stiffening. These age-related decrements can be mitigated through routine aerobic exercise. To determine the effects of life-long aerobic exercise on cognitive function, driving performance, and cardiovascular health (i.e., arterial stiffness and thickness) among older adults (65 – 84 years old). A cross-sectional design was utilized to compare 27 endurance-trained older adults with 35 sedentary counterparts. Driving performance and cognitive function were measured via driving simulator and a cognitive battery, respectively. Cardiovascular health was assessed via a perceptually-regulated exercise test, carotid-intima media thickness (IMT) via Doppler ultrasound, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). Fitness comparisons were made using an independent sample t-test. Cognitive function and driving performance scores were transformed to Z-scores. VO2max was higher in the endurance-trained group compared to the sedentary group (41±9 vs 25±3 ml/kg/min, p<.01). There were no differences between the groups in cf-PWV (12±2 vs. 12±2 m/s), carotid-IMT (.74±.15 vs .76±.13 mm), nor cognitive function scores (-.01±.57 vs -.09±.97). However, the endurance-trained group performed better on the driving simulator (.18±.58 vs -.28±.92, p<.05). Enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness may mitigate age-related decrements to driving performance.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Mason_fsu_0071E_14223
Format: Thesis

Title: The Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport and Injury Rehabilitation with High School Athletes: A Pilot Study.
Creator: Cooper, Brandon T., Chow, Graig Michael, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Canto, Angela I., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning...
Show moreCooper, Brandon T., Chow, Graig Michael, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Canto, Angela I., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Injury in sport is a frequent occurrence that often causes athletes to experience stress, frustration, anger, depression, and pain. Mindfulness practice has shown to be efficacious in reducing stress and pain, while improving well-being. Despite this, there is limited research investigating the effects of mindfulness-based interventions with injured athletes. In the current study, the Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport 2.0 (MMTS 2.0; Baltzell, Caraballo, Chipman, & Hayden, 2014) was...
Show moreInjury in sport is a frequent occurrence that often causes athletes to experience stress, frustration, anger, depression, and pain. Mindfulness practice has shown to be efficacious in reducing stress and pain, while improving well-being. Despite this, there is limited research investigating the effects of mindfulness-based interventions with injured athletes. In the current study, the Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport 2.0 (MMTS 2.0; Baltzell, Caraballo, Chipman, & Hayden, 2014) was implemented and evaluated with three high school female athletes. Utilizing a nonconcurrent multiple baseline among subjects design, participants completed measures of pain, stress, well-being, self-compassion, and mindfulness throughout the intervention. Two participants improved in mindfulness and self-compassion relative to baseline levels. The same two participants also reported reductions in pain and stress, and improvements in psychological well-being subscales autonomy and self-acceptance. Improvements in mindfulness and self-compassion corresponded with adherence to between-session meditation exercises. The participant with the lowest adherence reported reductions in mindfulness, self-compassion, and well-being, and did not complete post-intervention follow-up assessment. Overall, results were mixed and should be interpreted with caution. Future research should continue to evaluate the impact of mindfulness and self-compassion interventions like the MMTS 2.0 with injured athletes to determine its utility.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Cooper_fsu_0071N_14268
Format: Thesis

Title: Online Learners' Satisfaction: Investigating the Structural Relationships among Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy, Task Value, Learning Design, and Perceived Learning.
Creator: Yalcin, Yasin, Dennen, Vanessa P., Adams, Jonathan L., Klein, James D., Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and...
Show moreYalcin, Yasin, Dennen, Vanessa P., Adams, Jonathan L., Klein, James D., Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: The purposes of this study were to investigate the structural relationships among the factors that affect online learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience, and to develop a structural model that explains online learners’ satisfaction. For these purposes, a research model was developed based on the principles of social cognitive theory and the Macro Model of Motivation and Performance, and the findings reported in past research. The study investigated the effects of self-regulation,...
Show moreThe purposes of this study were to investigate the structural relationships among the factors that affect online learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience, and to develop a structural model that explains online learners’ satisfaction. For these purposes, a research model was developed based on the principles of social cognitive theory and the Macro Model of Motivation and Performance, and the findings reported in past research. The study investigated the effects of self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, and learning design on perceived learning and satisfaction, and the effect of perceived learning on satisfaction. Participants consisted of higher education students who were enrolled in fully online courses in the Spring 2017 semester at a public university in the Southeastern United States. Data analyses were conducted on a dataset that included 1115 responses. Majority of the participants were female (810 students, 72.6%), and pursued an undergraduate degree (838 students, 75.2%). Participants’ age ranged between 18 and 62 with a mean of 24.14 and a standard deviation of 7.99. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to answer the research questions and test the research hypotheses. Assessment of the measurement model revealed that the six-factor model showed a good fit to the data. Assessment of the structural model revealed that eight out of the nine research hypotheses were supported. The results showed that self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, and learning design had significant direct effects on perceived learning. These four factors explained 66.7% of the total variance in perceived learning. Furthermore, self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, learning design, and perceived learning had significant direct effects on satisfaction. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the effect of self-regulation on satisfaction was negative. Five factors explained 81.4% of the total variance in satisfaction with the online learning experience. Finally, perceived learning had a mediation effect for the relationships between self-efficacy, task value, learning design, and satisfaction. The results suggested that metacognitive self-regulation, self-efficacy beliefs for interacting with the instructor and peers, task value beliefs, learning design, and perceived learning are important factors to consider in online learning settings in terms of learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience. The results are interpreted and discussed in the light of theory and past research findings. Implications of the research results are shared for instructional designers and online instructors.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Yalcin_fsu_0071E_14189
Format: Thesis

Title: An experiment to compare the effectiveness of instruction versus discovery in generalizing the strategy of a simple game.
Creator: Page, Robert Leroy, Nichols, Eugene Douglas, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a difference in the ability of two equally capable groups of subjects to generalize the winning strategy of a simple game when one group learns the perfect strategy for one form of the game by the discovery method and the other group learns it by reading an explanation of the strategy"--Introduction.
Date Issued: 1970
Identifier: FSU_ahk1593
Format: Thesis

Title: Assessing Job Negotiation Competencies of College Students Using Evidence-Centered Design and Branching Simulations.
Creator: Masduki, Iskandaria, Shute, Valerie J. (Valerie Jean), Marty, Paul F., Reiser, Robert A., Klein, James D., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of...
Show moreMasduki, Iskandaria, Shute, Valerie J. (Valerie Jean), Marty, Paul F., Reiser, Robert A., Klein, James D., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: The study explored the development of a valid assessment tool for job negotiation competencies using the Evidence Centered Design framework. It involved the creation of a competency model, evidence models, and task models that guided the development of a branching simulation tool to quickly diagnose college students' knowledge and skills in job negotiation. The online tool utilized three scenarios where students play the role of job seekers negotiating with their potential future employers....
Show moreThe study explored the development of a valid assessment tool for job negotiation competencies using the Evidence Centered Design framework. It involved the creation of a competency model, evidence models, and task models that guided the development of a branching simulation tool to quickly diagnose college students' knowledge and skills in job negotiation. The online tool utilized three scenarios where students play the role of job seekers negotiating with their potential future employers. This study focused on two key behaviors in negotiation – making counteroffers and making reasonable concessions. A preliminary competency model was first developed based on a literature review of negotiation research. This model was then validated by a panel of experts. The experts also validated the evidence model (how to score performance on the simulation) and the task model (what tasks should be performed to elicit evidence of performance). These activities and the experts' feedback for improving the prototype simulation provided content validity for the tool. A total of 86 undergraduate and 51 graduate students participated in the study. The students completed an online tutorial, the scenarios in the simulation, a demographics survey, and two other survey instruments that provided alternative measures of negotiation abilities. Their performance on the assessment simulation was determined by their overall competency score and value of the negotiated outcome. Students were classified as experts or novices based on their negotiation experience and knowledge of negotiation strategies. Results from the study indicated that experts performed better than novices in terms of overall competency and negotiated outcome. The study also compared the outcomes of the assessment tool with outcomes from the alternative measures of negotiation ability (a survey on preference for competing, collaborating, compromising, and accommodating negotiation strategies and a survey to determine self-confidence in using distributive and integrative negotiation tactics). I hypothesized that students with a high preference for competing and collaborating strategies would also have higher scores from the assessment tool. On the other hand, students who indicated a high preference for accommodating and compromising strategies would have lower scores. The results from the Preferred Negotiation Strategies survey supported my hypothesis that students who highly prefer accommodating and compromising strategies would have lower scores on overall competency and negotiated outcome. But the mixed findings for competing and collaborating preferences only partially supported my hypotheses. I also hypothesized that students who were highly confident in the use of distributive and integrative negotiation tactics would have higher scores on the assessment compared to those who have low self-confidence. The results did not support my hypotheses because there were no significant relationships between confidence and the assessment outcomes. Finally, the study also found that gender, expertise, and negotiation training have an effect on overall competency score and the negotiated outcome. This dissertation provided a case study on how to develop an assessment tool that diagnoses negotiation competencies using the ECD framework. It also provided evidence of validity for the tool by demonstrating its ability to distinguish different levels of performance by expert and novice negotiators.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Masduki_fsu_0071E_12914
Format: Thesis

Title: Predicting Quality of Life of College Students Diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Creator: Sedam, Chad R. (Chad Robert), Ebener, Deborah J., Hanline, Mary Frances, Peterson, Gary W., Dong, Shengli, Osborn, Debra S., Florida State University, College of Education,...
Show moreSedam, Chad R. (Chad Robert), Ebener, Deborah J., Hanline, Mary Frances, Peterson, Gary W., Dong, Shengli, Osborn, Debra S., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: While an ever-increasing amount of literature exists regarding various aspects of ADHD, the relationship of functional impairments to important life and social skills, as well as professional functionality remains relatively unexplored. The Barkley Functional impairment scale is a recently developed and untested scale, especially with respect to other constructs of college life. While the reported validity is promising for use of evaluating functional impairments in people with ADHD, the...
Show moreWhile an ever-increasing amount of literature exists regarding various aspects of ADHD, the relationship of functional impairments to important life and social skills, as well as professional functionality remains relatively unexplored. The Barkley Functional impairment scale is a recently developed and untested scale, especially with respect to other constructs of college life. While the reported validity is promising for use of evaluating functional impairments in people with ADHD, the validity and utility of the scale should be evaluated in relation to similar constructs to determine overall benefit. By doing so, researchers and other professionals in the field of counseling, rehabilitation, and professional development can address the relationships, and can improve counseling and rehabilitation services people with ADHD. Therefore, a study encompassing the relationships among measures of self-perceived functional impairment, quality of life, college self-efficacy, and career decision state could prove beneficial in understanding how aspects of ADHD affect individuals throughout the college experience. The purpose of this study was to address and to evaluate the strength of these relationships. If the self-perceived functional impairment scores were deemed to be associated with quality of life and college self-efficacy, the use of the BFIS as a diagnostic and prescriptive tool could be supported to improve the effectiveness of counseling and rehabilitation services for college students with ADHD. Four research questions guided this study. The first question stated, "Is the self-perceived functional impairment related to quality of life?" The second question stated, "Is the self-perceived functional impairment associated with college self-efficacy?" The third question stated, "What is the relationship between perceived level of functional impairment and career decision state as measured by indecision and satisfaction with choice?" The fourth question stated, "What is the relationship between perceived level of functional impairment, college self-efficacy, and career decision state with respect to self-perceived quality of life in students diagnosed with ADHD?" The hypothesis for the first question was, "There is an inverse correlation between self-perceived functional impairment and quality of life in students diagnosed with ADHD." The hypothesis for the second question was, "There is an inverse correlation between self-perceived functional impairment and college self-efficacy in students diagnosed with ADHD." The third question had two hypotheses. The first hypothesis for question three was "There is a positive correlation between level of indecision and perceived level of functional impairment." The second hypothesis for question three was, "There is a positive correlation between degree of dissatisfaction with career choice and perceived level of functional impairment." The hypothesis for the fourth question was, "Functional impairment, college self-efficacy, and career decision state all will capture significant independent variation in the prediction of quality of life in students diagnosed with ADHD." The first, second, and third hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product-Moment correlations. The fourth hypothesis was tested by using linear multiple regression. Data were collected from 150 of 1108 students registered with the Students with Disabilities Resource Center (SDRC) at Florida State University through an email questionnaire. Two emails were sent approximately two weeks apart to obtain participants. Volunteer participants were potentially compensated by having their anonymous identification number submitted to a raffle drawing to receive one of three prizes: a $150 gift card, a $75 gift card, and a $50 gift card. A web-based survey program was utilized, consisting of a background/demographics questionnaire and the Occupational Alternatives Questionnaire (OAQ), the Barkley Functional Impairment Scale-Long Form (BFIS-LF), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), and the College Self-Efficacy Inventory (CSEI). This instrument was approved by the Florida State Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to utilization with participants. Only complete surveys were used in the calculation of results. Results of the study showed the first hypothesis was accepted that quality of life is moderately and inversely associated with perceived level of functional impairment. The second hypothesis also was accepted. College self-efficacy was inversely, but weakly associated with perceived level of functional impairment. The first part of the third hypothesis was rejected that the level of indecision with career choice was related to perceived level of functional impairment. The second part of this hypothesis was accepted that dissatisfaction with career choices was weakly correlated with perceived level of functional impairment. The fourth hypothesis was confirmed that perceived functional impairment, self-efficacy, and level of dissatisfaction with career choice significantly contributed to the quality of life of students diagnosed with ADHD. Levels of functional impairment and dissatisfaction were inversely correlated with quality of life in the prediction model. The information gathered yields beneficial information about the use of the BFIS in disability and rehabilitation counseling centers as a tool for addressing perceived functional impairments and related constructs of students diagnosed with ADHD. The correlations found among self-perceived functional impairment, college self-efficacy, the dissatisfaction portion of career decision state, and quality of life of people with ADHD could significantly benefit the manner in which services are provided to people utilizing various disability services on college campuses. Based on these results, the utility of the BFIS was supported as a prescriptive tool and as an instrument for counselors to use to address the relationship between self-perceived functional impairment, college self-efficacy, dissatisfaction with career choice concerns, and quality of life in college students diagnosed with ADHD.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Sedam_fsu_0071E_12995
Format: Thesis

Title: An investigation into the emotion of fear and its effect on learning.
Creator: Reynolds, Lala M., Black, Marian, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "This paper reports the results of an investigation into the relation of the emotion of fear and learning. Purposes of the investigation were: 1. To bring together some of the literature in education and psychology that deals with fear and learning. 2. To study the fears of elementary school pupils. 3. To make recommendations on the basis of purpose one and purpose two that might be useful to school teachers"--Introduction.
Date Issued: 1956
Identifier: FSU_akp4993
Format: Thesis

Title: An Examination of the Integrative Relationship Among the Factors of Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory: Addressing Existing Problems and Missing Links.
Creator: Dyrlund, Allison Kay, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Eklund, Robert, Yang, Yanyun, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State...
Show moreDyrlund, Allison Kay, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Eklund, Robert, Yang, Yanyun, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: For almost a decade researchers (Biddle, Soos, & Chatzisarantis, 1999; Wang & Biddle, 2007) have been advocating for studies that advance our understanding of the ways in which AGT and SDT are related in the exercise domain. Despite the fact that researchers have been stressing the importance of empirical tests of the convergence of the two theories, there has yet to be a satisfactory study in response to this demand. Further, existing studies that have attempted to even partially address the...
Show moreFor almost a decade researchers (Biddle, Soos, & Chatzisarantis, 1999; Wang & Biddle, 2007) have been advocating for studies that advance our understanding of the ways in which AGT and SDT are related in the exercise domain. Despite the fact that researchers have been stressing the importance of empirical tests of the convergence of the two theories, there has yet to be a satisfactory study in response to this demand. Further, existing studies that have attempted to even partially address the issue have been methodologically flawed (Biddle et al., 1999; Ntoumanis, 2001). The purpose of this study was to establish a conceptual model that consists of relating the dimensions of SDT and AGT to each other, and to test a model linking the two theories. A complete model of the relationships among the dimensions of the AGT and two subtheories of SDT (e.g., organismic integration theory and cognitive evaluation theory) was developed and tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Questionnaires developed based on the three theoretical explanations were completed online. The online survey was comprised of four measures: Perceptions of Success Questionnaire-Exercise (POSQ-E), Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire: Intrinsic Motivation Subscale (BREQ), Exercise Motivation Scale (EMS), and Psychological Need Satisfaction in Exercise Scale (PNSE). Several structural models were tested to examine the integrative relationships among the theories. Results showed that, when compared with ego orientation, task orientation had a stronger influence on need satisfaction and internalized behavioral regulations. In addition, need satisfaction predicted behavioral regulations. Findings also suggested that both ego and task orientations not only influence behavioral regulations for exercise directly, but also indirectly through satisfaction of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0613
Format: Thesis

Title: Convergent and Incremental Validity of the MMPI-2 and Rorschach on Psychotic-Related Indices.
Creator: Dao, Tam K., Prevatt, Frances, Joiner, Thomas, Peterson, Gary, Kelly, F. Donald, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The popularity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1940), MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) and the Rorschach in the assessment of psychopathology in applied settings have been well established (Archer & Krishnamurthy, 1993b; Greene, 2000). Although it might be expected that the MMPI and the Rorschach would be interrelated, a review of the literature revealed little congruence between these two widely used assessment...
Show moreThe popularity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1940), MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) and the Rorschach in the assessment of psychopathology in applied settings have been well established (Archer & Krishnamurthy, 1993b; Greene, 2000). Although it might be expected that the MMPI and the Rorschach would be interrelated, a review of the literature revealed little congruence between these two widely used assessment measures (Archer & Krishnamurthy, 1993a, 1993b; Ganellen, 1996a, 1996b, 1996c; Meyer, 1996; Meyer, 1997; Meyer, Riethmiller, Brooks, Benoit, & Handler, 2000). The general goal of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach variables related to psychosis in a clinical population of adults. To accomplish this goal, the current study was broken down into two specific goals. . First, following previous convention (Meyer, 1997; Meyer et al., 2000), this study examined the effect of test interaction styles on the interrelationships between the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach on psychotic-related indices. Second, this study examined the incremental validity and the clinical utility of the MMPI-2 and Rorschach with regard to differential diagnosis in a sample of adult inpatients with a primary psychotic disorder (PPD) or a primary mood disorder without psychotic features (PMD). Results indicate that grouping patients according to test-interaction style, in the form of being either dilated or constricted when responding to the task, had minimal impact in the predicted direction on the level of convergence between the MMPI-2 and Rorschach. When test interaction styles were ignored, there were modest significant correlations between the MMPI-2 Sc and BIZ scales and the Rorschach PTI. Similarly when patients approached each test with a similar style, there were modest significant positive correlations between the MMPI-2 Sc and BIZ scales and the Rorschach PTI. When patients approached the test in an opposing manner, the MMPI-2 scales and the Rorschach variables tended to be negatively correlated. Despite significant correlations between the MMPI-2 Sc and BIZ scales and the Rorschach PTI, these correlations were small in magnitude, and were not consistent with those reported by Meyer et al. (2000) and Lindgren and Carlsson (2002). On its own, the PTI showed a better overall classification rate than the MMPI-2. The PTI was able to correctly classify PPD and PMD patients 84% of the time as compared to 70% when the MMPI-2 variables were used. To assess the clinical utility of the MMPI-2 and Rorschach in differentiating psychotic patients from non psychotic patients, diagnostic efficiency statistics were computed at each block of the hierarchical regression analyses. When the MMPI-2 variables were entered first into the analyses, diagnostic efficiency statistics indicated that the addition of the Rorschach PTI contributed to the prediction of group membership above what was predicted by the MMPI-2 variables. When the Rorschach PTI was entered first into the analyses, diagnostic efficiency statistics showed that the MMPI-2 scales were not able to add to the predictive capacity of the Rorschach
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0852
Format: Thesis

Title: Robustness of Hierarchical Linear Model Parameter Estimates under Violations of Second-Level Residual Homoskedasticity and Independence Assumptions.
Creator: Darandari, Eqbal Z., Tate, Richard L., Kelley, Colleen, Oosterhof, Albert, Kamata, Akihito, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study applied Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the robustness of parameter estimates for a two-level Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) to the violations of the second-level residual homoskedasticity and independence assumptions. It considered these violations in the context of a typical HLM model with random intercepts as outcomes, a model that has been commonly used in value-added analysis for school settings. The study had a factorial design with unbalanced data, where five factors...
Show moreThis study applied Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the robustness of parameter estimates for a two-level Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) to the violations of the second-level residual homoskedasticity and independence assumptions. It considered these violations in the context of a typical HLM model with random intercepts as outcomes, a model that has been commonly used in value-added analysis for school settings. The study had a factorial design with unbalanced data, where five factors were considered in the simulations. The first two represented variance and independence assumption violations, while the other three were conditional. The baseline values for the model specifications and sample size reflected results obtained from HLM analysis conducted on an actual school data system. Variations of these values were considered in representing the five study factors. The first factor represented three homoskedasticity levels of the residuals at the second level of the model: no assumption violation, moderate violation, and an extreme violation. The second factor represented three independence levels for the residuals at the second level of the model: no assumption violation, a violation by misspecifing a second-level predictor having a medium-positive effect size, and a violation by misspecifing a second-level predictor having a small-negative effect size. The other three factors in the study included three levels of collinearity among second-level predictors; two sample sizes at the second level; and two average sample sizes at the first level. The five factors manipulated in this study produced 108 conditions, and 100 replications were used for each condition. The robustness of the HLM parameter estimates was evaluated through the absolute and relative bias, the mean square error, and the absolute and relative inaccuracy of their apparent standard errors. In addition, a five-way factorial ANOVA was used to identify significant and relatively important main and interaction effects of the study factors on the bias of the estimates for each parameter. In addition, graphs were utilized mainly to show variations in the accuracy of the apparent precision of the estimates for each parameter under the study conditions. The study results showed that the HLM parameter estimates and their apparent precision were robust to moderate and severe differences in second-level residual variances. However, they relied heavily on having independent second-level residuals, resulting from a correctly specified model. When the independence assumption of the second-level residuals was violated, the HLM parameter estimates of the second-level predictors and variance were biased and the accuracy of the apparent precision of all HLM second-level parameter estimates decreased. The effect of this violation became more evident as sample size was decreased, particularly at the second level. This effect depended also on the parameter of interest, the correlation of the misspecified predictor with other predictors included in the model, in addition to the effect size and sign of this misspecified predictor. When the assumption violation factors interacted with the conditional factors, collinearity level and sample sizes, the pattern of their effects on bias and accuracy of apparent precision differed from their pattern when they were considered separately. More specifically, the pattern of interaction was considerable for the independence assumption violations. The results also showed that the apparent standard errors produced by HLM had a tendency to be larger than the actual standard errors for all parameters, particularly with small sample sizes. This could be partially attributed to the correlation among the predictors at the different levels of the model and centering-related issues.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0850
Format: Thesis

Title: Differentiating Two Types of Juvenile Sex Offenders: Generalists versus Specialists.
Creator: Wolf, Amanda L., Kelly, Donald, Mullis, Ann, Pfeiffer, Steven, Phillips, Beth, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of the present study is to explore various risk factors which may potentially be used to predict and distinguish two subtypes of juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs): (1) juvenile sexual offenders with a history of antisocial behavior (JSO- generalists) and (2) juvenile sexual offenders without a history of antisocial behavior (JSO-specialists). The overall goal of this study was to fill a gap in the research by providing empirical support for two different developmental pathways that...
Show moreThe purpose of the present study is to explore various risk factors which may potentially be used to predict and distinguish two subtypes of juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs): (1) juvenile sexual offenders with a history of antisocial behavior (JSO- generalists) and (2) juvenile sexual offenders without a history of antisocial behavior (JSO-specialists). The overall goal of this study was to fill a gap in the research by providing empirical support for two different developmental pathways that may lead to juvenile sexual problem behaviors. Although several theories have been proposed, the etiology and developmental pathways of sexual offending behavior in juveniles remains unclear (Parks & Bard, 2006). Consequently, predictive factors and differences among subgroups of juvenile sexual offenders remain inconclusive. Logistic Regression was used to examine the relationship between the categorical dependent variable of history of antisocial behavior (present or absent) and several risk factors associated with sexual recidivism. Potential covariates were screened and entered into the model, if significant. Descriptive statistics were also used to describe background characteristics. The developmental model of sexual aggression proposed by Seto and Barbaree (1997) describes at least two types of sex offenders; the first type described as persistently antisocial with the second type being described as less antisocial, but more likely to demonstrate deviant sexual interests. In addition to providing empirical support for different developmental pathways of sexual aggression, identifying different risk factors among these two types of offenders will provide significant implications for the treatment and assessment of juvenile sexual offenders. The current study sought to answer the following research questions: 1) Is there an overall relationship between the outcome variable--group membership based on history of antisocial behavior (JSO-specialist vs. JSO-generalist) and the predictor variables: single-parent home, use of physical force or threats, child victim, male victim, sexual victimization history, exposure or experience of domestic violence, lack of empathy, and lack of remorse, after controlling for history of ADHD, failed/held back status, and ESE/SLD class enrollment? 2) Which predictor variable(s) predict group membership based on history of antisocial behavior? If significant, how does the predictor variable(s) affect group membership? Based on a review of the literature, it was predicted the risk factors: use of threats or force during the offense, lack of empathy, lack of remorse, exposure or experience of domestic violence, and single-parent home would be significant predictors of JSO-generalist group membership. Where as, it was predicted that the risk factors of sexual victimization history, having a male victim, and having a child victim, would be significant predictors of JSO-specialist group membership. History of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), held back/failed status, and enrollment in ESE or SLD classes were screened as potential confounds based on prior research linking ADHD and academic difficulties with antisocial behavior (e.g., Lahey & Loeber, 1997). In addition, it was suspected that group differences in intellectual ability could potentially impact the variables of lack of empathy and lack of remorse due to differences in stages of moral development. The omnibus model was a significant predictor of group membership (JSO-specialist vs. JSO-generalist). However, there was not a significant increase in the effect size from model 1 to model 2. In other words, the predictors were unable to significantly increase the prediction beyond what was already accounted for by the covariates. Looking at the individual impact of each of the predictors, the coefficients indicate that lack of empathy was a significant positive predictor of history of antisocial behavior after controlling for ADHD, ever held back/failed status and enrollment in ESE/SLD classes.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0881
Format: Thesis

Title: Motivational Orientation of Risk Sport Participants: Does Planning-Related Behavior Affect Participation?.
Creator: Young, Patrick R., Eklund, Robert C., Glueckauf, Robert, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Eccles, David W., Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Within the last decade, risk sports and activities have received a great deal of attention within the psychological arena. With this attention, risk sport participants have been identified as registering high in the sensation-seeking personality trait, displaying an enhanced degree of self-efficacy, and reflecting a paratelic metamotivational state dominance. Recently, research within this domain has provided evidence that risk sport participants actively engage in a degree of deliberate and...
Show moreWithin the last decade, risk sports and activities have received a great deal of attention within the psychological arena. With this attention, risk sport participants have been identified as registering high in the sensation-seeking personality trait, displaying an enhanced degree of self-efficacy, and reflecting a paratelic metamotivational state dominance. Recently, research within this domain has provided evidence that risk sport participants actively engage in a degree of deliberate and purposeful preparatory behavior, which is contrary to the impulsive and spontaneous generalizations that often characterize these sport participants. Preparatory behavior is often engaged in by risk sport participants in an attempt to positively influence the appraisal of their risk sport environment. Through the use of preparatory behavior such as rehearsing task-specific motor movements, checking weather reports, and establishing contingency plans, risk sport participants attempt to increase their perception of control over task-relevant and environmental stimuli. As a result of this planning-related behavior, participants can successfully enhance their perceptual control over their sport environment. Consequently, risk sport participants often obtain an increased degree of motivational desire to participate, and risk sport performance is often enhanced. The current investigation sought to empirically test the effect of manipulating risk sport participants' cognitive resources prior to engaging in a risk sport task. Inexperienced and experienced climbing participants (N =72) were either prompted or unprompted to engage in preparatory behavior, or were cognitively interfered with via completion of several mental puzzles (i.e., verbal responses to mathematical equations, etc.) prior to engaging in a timed top-roping (i.e., vertical) task. This manipulation was done in an attempt to influence climbing participants' degree of planning, their perceptual control over the risk sport environment, their degree of motivation to complete the climbing task, and their overall risk sport performance (i.e., time to complete the climb). Participants' degree of climbing experience was also investigated to determine the degree to which climbing experience moderated the effect of the manipulation in regards to planning, perceptions of control, motivation, and performance. Results of the current investigation support previous research that risk sport participants do actively engage in preparatory behavior. Specifically, the manipulation of cognitive resources was found to significantly affect climbing participants' planning-related behavior. Furthermore, participant climbing experience was found to significantly affect participants' degree of planning, perceptual control, and risk sport performance. Climbing participants who were either instructed to plan or afforded a time interval to plan if they so chose to, reported significantly higher degrees of planning than participants' who were cognitively interfered with. Climbing participants who reported higher degrees of planning tended to report descriptively higher perceptions of control, a higher degree of motivation, and recorded faster climbing times. Discussion concerns the influence of preparatory behavior on perceptual control, motivation, and performance within risk sports and activities. Preparatory behavior, which is contrary to the tenants of the paratelic metamotivational state dominance characteristic of risk sport participants, is also addressed. Future research in regards to the role of preparatory behavior within risk sport activity should address a diverse selection of sports and activities. Furthermore an attempt to further examine the relationship between preparatory behavior and perceptual control is warranted.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0885
Format: Thesis

Title: Comparing Early Father-Daughter, Father-Son, Mother-Daughter, and Mother-Son Verbal Interactions in Low-SES Families.
Creator: Ingrole, Smriti A. (Smriti Aniket), Phillips, Beth M., Jones, Ithel, Roehrig, Alysia D., Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreIngrole, Smriti A. (Smriti Aniket), Phillips, Beth M., Jones, Ithel, Roehrig, Alysia D., Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: SES related differences in children’s early language skills influence their later language development. Parent-child verbal interactions during the initial years of children’s life play an important role in children’s early language development. Although both mothers’ and fathers’ early language input contributes to children’s language skills, until recently mothers were considered as the only primary caregivers of children and thus have been the focus of majority of the research in this area...
Show moreSES related differences in children’s early language skills influence their later language development. Parent-child verbal interactions during the initial years of children’s life play an important role in children’s early language development. Although both mothers’ and fathers’ early language input contributes to children’s language skills, until recently mothers were considered as the only primary caregivers of children and thus have been the focus of majority of the research in this area. The father’s role in a family has evolved in the past three decades meaning that fathers are increasingly spending more time with their children and contributing to their overall development. The evidence from limited research comparing mothers’ and fathers’ early speech with their preschool aged children is mixed. Also, some findings, mainly derived from research on mothers, suggest that parents socialize their sons and daughters differently, which reflects in early parent-child verbal interactions. In contrast, some research suggests that children, by the function of their own gender, elicit speech differently from their parents. Furthermore, there is an indication of differences in mother-son, mother-daughter, father-son, and father-daughter early talk. Considering the important role of parent and child gender in early parent-child verbal interactions, the current study aimed to compare parental quantity/quality and children’s quantity of language among the four independent groups of father-daughter, father-son, mother-daughter, and mother-son. A total of 112, mainly African-American, parent-child dyads were recruited for this study. Specifically, the sample included 32 father-daughter, 28 father-son, 26 mother-daughter, and 25 mother-son dyads. The convenience sample of children (37-60 months of age) and their respective mother or father were recruited from preschools known to serve a socio-economically disadvantaged population in the southeastern US. Semi-structured parent-child play sessions were videotaped at the child’s child-care facility for approximately 15-minutes. The videotapes were coded for parents’ quantity and quality of language and children’s quantity of language. The results indicated no differences among father-daughter, father-son, mother-daughter, and mother-son groups in terms of parental quantity/quality of language and children’s quantity of language. Suggesting the bi-directional nature of early parent-child interaction process, the exploratory analysis revealed significant differences in correlations among parental quantity/quality and child quantity of language across the four groups of this study.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Ingrole_fsu_0071E_14116
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of a Psychological Skills Training Program on Maintenance of Use and Self-Efficacy in Psychological Methods.
Creator: Klein, Tyler Gregory, Chow, Graig Michael, Panton, Lynn B., Tenenbaum, Gershon, Turner, Jeannine E. (Jeannine Ellen), Florida State University, College of Education, Department...
Show moreKlein, Tyler Gregory, Chow, Graig Michael, Panton, Lynn B., Tenenbaum, Gershon, Turner, Jeannine E. (Jeannine Ellen), Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: This study explored maintenance of psychological method use and self-efficacy of method use during and following a systematic psychological skills training (PST) program. A sample size of 44 division-I collegiate athletes (27 males, 17 females) competing in baseball (n=19), softball (n=14), and track and field (n=11) sports participated in a quasi-experimental, two-group, untreated control group design study with dependent pretest-posttest and three-month follow-up. The PST program, titled...
Show moreThis study explored maintenance of psychological method use and self-efficacy of method use during and following a systematic psychological skills training (PST) program. A sample size of 44 division-I collegiate athletes (27 males, 17 females) competing in baseball (n=19), softball (n=14), and track and field (n=11) sports participated in a quasi-experimental, two-group, untreated control group design study with dependent pretest-posttest and three-month follow-up. The PST program, titled AIM (Adopt, Integrate, Maintain), combined evidence-based practices with pragmatic psychological method use recommendations, and was implemented using systematic protocols for each session. Participants received four successive and cumulative PST sessions consisting of goal setting, relaxation, imagery, and self-talk that emphasized education, skill building, self-monitoring, and regulation of psychological methods. Participants were measured on use of psychological methods via the Test of Performance Strategies-2 (TOPS-2; Hardy, Roberts, Thomas, & Murphy, 2010) and self-efficacy in use of psychological methods via a scale constructed based on Bandura’s (2006) recommendations. Both measures were administered pretest (pre-intervention), posttest (one week following fourth session), and at six-week follow-up. Repeated measures MANOVAs conducted for method use and method efficacy separately, revealed nonsignificant interaction effects. Conversely, within-subjects contrasts revealed treatment group participants significantly increased (pre- to posttest) and maintained (posttest to follow-up) method use in relaxation, imagery, and self-talk. Control group contrasts indicated significant increases in imagery from posttest to follow-up. For method efficacy, the treatment group significantly increased and maintained efficacy for all four methods with no significant changes for the control group. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first sport psychology study to employ intervention fidelity monitoring, revealing full adherence and adequate intervention quality. Overall, findings from the study revealed support for increasing and maintaining method use and efficacy treatment gains three months following PST.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Klein_fsu_0071E_14076
Format: Thesis

Title: A Qualitative Study of Systemic Factors Contributing to Successful Implementation of Response to Intervention Programs in Elementary Schools.
Creator: White, Sheila B. (Sheila Booth), Canto, Angela I., Rice, Diana Claries, Prevatt, Frances A., Roehrig, Alysia D., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of...
Show moreWhite, Sheila B. (Sheila Booth), Canto, Angela I., Rice, Diana Claries, Prevatt, Frances A., Roehrig, Alysia D., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Response to intervention (RTI), an educational reform effort designed to meet the needs of struggling learners, has been adopted by an increasing number of states as a primary component of their educational service delivery model for low-achieving students (Burns et al., 2013; Castillo & Batsche, 2012). RTI models are multi-tiered instructional systems that allow for increasingly intensive interventions depending on the individual student’s need or response to instruction as indicated by data...
Show moreResponse to intervention (RTI), an educational reform effort designed to meet the needs of struggling learners, has been adopted by an increasing number of states as a primary component of their educational service delivery model for low-achieving students (Burns et al., 2013; Castillo & Batsche, 2012). RTI models are multi-tiered instructional systems that allow for increasingly intensive interventions depending on the individual student’s need or response to instruction as indicated by data-based progress monitoring (Fletcher & Vaughn, 2009). Because RTI programs require large-scale paradigm change and multi-disciplinary coordination at many levels of a school and district, some educators are skeptical that RTI can be implemented with fidelity and produce the desired outcomes. Schools that have successfully implemented RTI in a highly effective manner can serve as exemplars for others who are attempting to implement, improve, or refine their programs. The purpose of this proposed study is to examine the systemic factors related to the successful implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) programs. The study proposed herein is presented from a systems theory perspective, which attempts to understand how the parts of an organization interact and influence each other and contribute to the overall performance of the system (Patton, 2002). Additionally, the emerging field of implementation science provides a useful framework for studying the transition of RTI from a research-based concept to applied practice (Forman et al., 2013). Using the National Implementation Research Network framework (Fixsen et al., 2005, 2009, 2010) as an organizational structure, this study will explore the system level factors related to successful RTI implementation in elementary schools. Understanding the contextual factors or local ecology of an organization such as a school is important when planning the implementation of large-scale school reform projects (Kratochwill et al., 2012; Patton, 2002). Kratochwill and colleagues (2012) called for an increase in qualitative studies, mixed methods designs, and single-case studies when studying evidence-based practices in schools and human service systems to better understand the local contextual factors related to successful programs. Therefore, in order to understand the unique local factors that have contributed to the successful adoption of RTI in elementary schools, qualitative methods were selected for use in this study. Two qualitative case studies of successful RTI implementation sites at the elementary school level will be investigated. Then, cross-case analysis will search for common systemic themes that influenced the RTI implementation process. It is hoped that this study will identify factors that may contribute to successful RTI implementation in elementary schools. These findings will contribute to the knowledge base regarding barriers and facilitators of evidence-based practices in the public elementary school setting.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_White_fsu_0071E_13826
Format: Thesis

Title: Relationships among Behavioral Engagement, Self-Efficacy, Academic Achievement, and Career Choice among Middle School Mathematics Students: Race and Gender Differences.
Creator: Benitez, Julieth Diaz, Losh, Susan Carol, Roehrig, Alysia D., Turner, Jeannine E. (Jeannine Ellen), Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreBenitez, Julieth Diaz, Losh, Susan Carol, Roehrig, Alysia D., Turner, Jeannine E. (Jeannine Ellen), Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: This study used data from the High School Longitudinal Study [2009-2013] to address racial/ethnic and gender similarities and differences in the relationships among behavioral engagement, self-efficacy beliefs, academic achievement in mathematics and future career choices in a sample of 23,450 ninth-graders in the U.S. The data were analyzed using the Log-linear Model Selection Multinomial Logistic Regression programs in SPSS. The results indicated that students with low behavioral engagement...
Show moreThis study used data from the High School Longitudinal Study [2009-2013] to address racial/ethnic and gender similarities and differences in the relationships among behavioral engagement, self-efficacy beliefs, academic achievement in mathematics and future career choices in a sample of 23,450 ninth-graders in the U.S. The data were analyzed using the Log-linear Model Selection Multinomial Logistic Regression programs in SPSS. The results indicated that students with low behavioral engagement and low self-efficacy in mathematics were more likely to obtain very low GPAs in math, while those with moderate behavioral engagement and moderate self-efficacy were less likely to obtain low GPAs. On the other hand, students were more likely to choose math, science and technology careers only when both their behavioral engagement and self-efficacy were moderate. Whenever behavioral engagement or self-efficacy in mathematics was low, they were more likely to choose other white-collar or predominantly blue-collar careers. There were also significant variations in the relationships among the variables depending on students’ race/ethnicity and gender. Finally, students’ gender, self-efficacy in mathematics, and the interaction of behavioral engagement and self-efficacy in math were all significant predictors of students’ certainty about their future career choices.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Diaz_fsu_0071N_14091
Format: Thesis

Title: Note-Taking and Technology.
Creator: Kutta, Timothy J. (Timothy John), Sunderman, Gretchen L., Boot, Walter Richard, Kelley, Colleen M., Borovsky, Arielle, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences,...
Show moreKutta, Timothy J. (Timothy John), Sunderman, Gretchen L., Boot, Walter Richard, Kelley, Colleen M., Borovsky, Arielle, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
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Abstract/Description: The growing prevalence of computers, tablets, and educational apps in academic settings has prompted many researchers to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of this technology. One of the ways that this technology can influence learning in the classroom is through note-taking. Note-taking in the classroom is intended to facilitate learning through deeper processing/encoding of information and providing external storage. The incorporation of technology in the classroom has offered...
Show moreThe growing prevalence of computers, tablets, and educational apps in academic settings has prompted many researchers to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of this technology. One of the ways that this technology can influence learning in the classroom is through note-taking. Note-taking in the classroom is intended to facilitate learning through deeper processing/encoding of information and providing external storage. The incorporation of technology in the classroom has offered students the ability to take notes beyond the use of traditional pen and paper (e.g., via laptop, tablet, etc.). This change in the classroom has led researchers to question both the benefits and drawbacks of note-taking with technology versus with traditional methods, such as pen and paper. This dissertation will investigate whether note-taking using a computer may impair learning relative to taking notes in a handwritten fashion across three experiments. Experiments 1 and 2 asked students to take notes on 20 arithmetic facts. These facts were either presented in the same format across the study and assessment phases (Experiment 1) or in a different format (Experiment 2). Learning was measured at two points in time (i.e., an immediate and delayed post-test, one week later). The results of these Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that taking notes with pen and paper and typing both led to a comparable performance for factual information when controlling for two factors known to impact learning (i.e., word count and verbatim note-taking). Given these results, the goal of the prospective experiment (Experiment 3) is to contrast these findings using conceptual and factual questions after participants have taken notes on a series of Ted Talks about mathematical information. Furthermore, this experiment will require participants to complete a post-assessment questionnaire to evaluate the note-taking strategies that they used.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Kutta_fsu_0071E_13870
Format: Thesis

Title: The Role of Psychological Well-Being in Eating Disorder Recovery.
Creator: Romano, Kelly, Ebener, Deborah J., Swanbrow Becker, Martin Alan, Dong, Shengli, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning...
Show moreRomano, Kelly, Ebener, Deborah J., Swanbrow Becker, Martin Alan, Dong, Shengli, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Background. While a large body of research has examined eating disorders (EDs) from a pathological perspective, little is known about factors that facilitate the recovery process. Objective. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether six dimensions of psychological well-being (PWB) predict disparate aspects of recovery. Methods. Participants (N = 132; 93.2% female; µBMI = 23.91) with self-reported ED histories completed an online survey. Logistic regression analyses were used to...
Show moreBackground. While a large body of research has examined eating disorders (EDs) from a pathological perspective, little is known about factors that facilitate the recovery process. Objective. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether six dimensions of psychological well-being (PWB) predict disparate aspects of recovery. Methods. Participants (N = 132; 93.2% female; µBMI = 23.91) with self-reported ED histories completed an online survey. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether Ryff's (1989) six dimensions of PWB—autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relations with others, purpose in life, personal growth, and self-acceptance—alongside the ED subtypes participants had been diagnosed with throughout their lives, predict the following three aspects of recovery: 1) whether one subjectively classifies oneself as being fully recovered; 2) whether one meets objective criteria for full or partial recovery; 3) whether one's subjective perception of one's recovery status aligns with one's objective classification. Results. Evidence of multicollinearity prevented the incorporation of all six dimensions of PWB in the regression analyses, apart from self-acceptance and autonomy. Higher levels of self-acceptance were associated with an increased likelihood that participants: 1) subjectively believed that they were fully recovered; 2) met objective criteria for full or partial recovery. Lower levels of self-acceptance were associated with higher odds of accurately perceiving oneself to have an active ED. Conclusions. Self-acceptance upholds a pervasive impact on the recovery process. The necessity of targeting this construct in ED treatment is discussed.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_2017SP_Romano_fsu_0071N_13690
Format: Thesis

Title: Implementation and Evaluation of a Performance Profile Intervention with Collegiate Dancers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Creator: Castillo, Elmer Alfonzo, Chow, Graig Michael, Ericsson, Anders, Ericsson, K. Anders, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Canto, Angela I., Florida State University, College of Education,...
Show moreCastillo, Elmer Alfonzo, Chow, Graig Michael, Ericsson, Anders, Ericsson, K. Anders, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Canto, Angela I., Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Since its inception nearly three decades ago, the performance profile (PP) technique has undergone several modifications and been employed exclusively in the sport domain. The purpose of this study was to extend the application of the performance profile technique to dance and systematically examine the utility and efficacy of the revised performance profile technique (Gucciardi & Gordon, 2009b) with collegiate dancers on two specific outcomes – self-awareness and behavioral change. The...
Show moreSince its inception nearly three decades ago, the performance profile (PP) technique has undergone several modifications and been employed exclusively in the sport domain. The purpose of this study was to extend the application of the performance profile technique to dance and systematically examine the utility and efficacy of the revised performance profile technique (Gucciardi & Gordon, 2009b) with collegiate dancers on two specific outcomes – self-awareness and behavioral change. The secondary aim was to assess dancer perceptions of the benefits and future use of the revised performance profile technique. Using a RCT design, 44 collegiate dancers were randomly allocated to participate in either a revised PP (experimental; n = 22) condition or a didactic PP (active control; n = 22) condition to examine the pre-post impacts of a single performance profile intervention on the outcome measures. Systematic intervention protocols were developed to guide the implementation of the individually based revised PP and the didactic PP interventions. Results revealed significant differences in the pre-post intervention self-awareness scores between conditions, with a significant increase within the revised PP condition and a decrease within the didactic PP condition. There was no significant difference in pre-post behavior scores between the experimental and active control conditions. Analysis of a brief post-workshop evaluation administered to revised PP participants indicated that dancers felt the intervention provided several benefits and that they were highly likely to use their individual performance profiles again in the future. Applied implications and future directions are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Castillo_fsu_0071E_14455
Format: Thesis

Title: Examining First-Year Student-Athlete Transition into College.
Creator: Freeman, Jaison Cleveland, Chow, Graig Michael, Taylor, John, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Becker, Martin Swanbrow, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of...
Show moreFreeman, Jaison Cleveland, Chow, Graig Michael, Taylor, John, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Becker, Martin Swanbrow, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a model of first-year student-athlete (FYSA) transition into college. The model examined basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) levels in both athletic and collegiate domains, and the impact of BPNS in each domain on athletic (sport motivation, athlete satisfaction, sport confidence, perceived sport performance), academic (academic motivation, student satisfaction, academic self-efficacy, perceived academic performance), and quality of...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to develop and test a model of first-year student-athlete (FYSA) transition into college. The model examined basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) levels in both athletic and collegiate domains, and the impact of BPNS in each domain on athletic (sport motivation, athlete satisfaction, sport confidence, perceived sport performance), academic (academic motivation, student satisfaction, academic self-efficacy, perceived academic performance), and quality of life outcomes amongst a sample of FYSA at various NCAA institutions in Divisions I, II, and III across the country (N = 260). The model was tested via path analysis, and the results revealed a number of significant direct associations between the factors. Included amongst the most notable and powerful of these relationships were influences of athletic competence on sport confidence, athletic autonomy on athlete satisfaction, collegiate competence on academic efficacy and academic motivation, and sport confidence on academic efficacy and integrated quality of life. The general conclusions of the study stressed the significant impact that BPNS and the development of psychological skills can have on the transition and adaptation process for FYSA. The analyses conducted in this study contribute to the development a deeper understanding of how FYSA experience transition into college and has potentially significant implications for how athletic department administrators approach and allocate resources to orienting FYSA to the campus community.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Freeman_fsu_0071E_14731
Format: Thesis

Title: Featured Student Profiles: An Instructional Blogging Strategy to Promote Student Interactions in Online Courses.
Creator: Lim, Taehyeong, Dennen, Vanessa P., Adams, Jonathan L., Klein, James D., Ke, Fengfeng, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and...
Show moreLim, Taehyeong, Dennen, Vanessa P., Adams, Jonathan L., Klein, James D., Ke, Fengfeng, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Although blogs have been used in online learning environments with optimistic expectations, the distributed nature of blogs can pose some challenges. Currently, we do not have a robust collection of tested blogging strategies to help students interact more effectively with each other when blogs are used as a primary form of engagement in an online class. Prior studies have illuminated the need for effective strategies that will lead to greater active engagement on student blogs. Thus, the...
Show moreAlthough blogs have been used in online learning environments with optimistic expectations, the distributed nature of blogs can pose some challenges. Currently, we do not have a robust collection of tested blogging strategies to help students interact more effectively with each other when blogs are used as a primary form of engagement in an online class. Prior studies have illuminated the need for effective strategies that will lead to greater active engagement on student blogs. Thus, the purpose of the study was to test an early iteration of an instructional blogging strategy, “Featured Student Profiles,” which is designed to help students become acquainted with each other better and encourage them to visit and comment on each other’s blogs. Eighteen undergraduate students who were enrolled in an online course for pre-service teachers in which student blogs are the primary medium of peer interactions, participated in the study. Using a case study design, seven students participated in interviews and all student blog interactions were analyzed. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the interview data and identify salient themes of students’ blogging experiences overall under the study strategy. The findings indicated that students took the most direct and efficient path they experienced to complete the blog task. Their peer interaction patterns varied, but several shifted from random to targeted relationships as the semester progressed. Although all students perceived the strategy as a positive approach to peer awareness, there was no clear evidence of its effect on student interactions. This study provides three suggestions that are needed to achieve more effective use of the strategy.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Sp_Lim_fsu_0071E_14168
Format: Thesis

Title: Factors Influencing and Predicting the Likelihood of Mental Health Help-Seeking of Collegiate Student-Athletes.
Creator: Bird, Matthew David, Chow, Graig Michael, Taylor, John, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Becker, Martin Swanbrow, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreBird, Matthew David, Chow, Graig Michael, Taylor, John, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Becker, Martin Swanbrow, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Collegiate athletes experience mental health concerns at similar rates to non-athlete students, however, the student-athlete population underutilizes professional mental health help with only 10% of those in need seeking services. Criticisms of the extant research on student-athlete mental health help-seeking include studies that lack theoretical guidance, and convenience samples who are not experiencing a mental health issue. The aim of this study was to conduct a theoretically driven...
Show moreCollegiate athletes experience mental health concerns at similar rates to non-athlete students, however, the student-athlete population underutilizes professional mental health help with only 10% of those in need seeking services. Criticisms of the extant research on student-athlete mental health help-seeking include studies that lack theoretical guidance, and convenience samples who are not experiencing a mental health issue. The aim of this study was to conduct a theoretically driven investigation assessing factors of help-seeking associated with the Health Belief Model and Reasoned Action Approach while sampling student-athletes who identified as currently experiencing a personal or emotional health concern. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to investigate which factors of help-seeking behavior predict the likelihood that a student-athlete will seek professional help, and to identify the differences in help-seeking factors between student-athletes with a lower likelihood of seeking help compared to those with a higher likelihood of seeking help. Participants were 269 NCAA student-athletes who completed an online survey assessing factors related to their help-seeking behavior. A multiple liner regression reveled that perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, and perceived attitudes factors were significant predictors of the likelihood that a student-athlete would seek treatment. Results from a one-way MANOVA showed significant differences between the lower likelihood and the higher likelihood of seeking help group on the perceived seriousness, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, instrumental barriers, stigma-related barriers, and the perceived attitudes factors. Additional information gathered in this study suggests the most frequently reported factors which prevented student-athletes from seeking help include a belief the issues they are experiencing is not that serious, or a desire to seek help from a source other than a mental health professional. Findings from this study have implications for athletic departments, campus counseling centers, and future interventions designed to enhance mental health help-seeking.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Sp_Bird_fsu_0071E_14329
Format: Thesis

Title: The Influence of Teaching Assistants on Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers' Instructional Practices.
Creator: Funari, Chelsea, Phillips, Beth M, Cabell, Sonia Q, Turner, Jeannine E, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
Abstract/Description: Unpredictability in expectations, resources and classroom demographics can be very demanding for teachers, particularly when they are trying to utilize effective instructional strategies. This study evaluates the association of the presence of teaching assistants (i.e., paraprofessionals) with teachers’ instructional decision-making process in the context of the demands placed on teachers by focusing on general education kindergarten and first grade teachers in a quantitative design. This...
Show moreUnpredictability in expectations, resources and classroom demographics can be very demanding for teachers, particularly when they are trying to utilize effective instructional strategies. This study evaluates the association of the presence of teaching assistants (i.e., paraprofessionals) with teachers’ instructional decision-making process in the context of the demands placed on teachers by focusing on general education kindergarten and first grade teachers in a quantitative design. This study began to explore the predictive influences of the frequency of paid assistants in kindergarten and first grade classrooms on teachers’ instructional groupings and to explore the predictive influence of how prepared teachers feel to supervise assistants on their assistant’s instructional role. A sample 148 kindergarten and first grade teachers was obtained through a stratified random sample of small, medium, and large Florida school districts as well as a distribution of questionnaires through LISTSERVs (i.e., Facebook groups, professional organizations) across the United States. Data analyses for this study included descriptive statistics and correlations among all study variables as well as two multiple regressions. Findings from this study demonstrate that class size significantly predicts instructional grouping practices and frequency of a teaching assistant significantly predicts teaching assistant instructional task assignment.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Sp_Funari_fsu_0071N_14291
Format: Thesis

Title: Teachers' Supports for Students' Psychological Needs in Communicative Language Teaching in China: from Self-Determination to Self-Regulation.
Creator: Xing, Fei, Turner, Jeannine E, Sunderman, Gretchen L., Roehrig, Alysia D., Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and...
Show moreXing, Fei, Turner, Jeannine E, Sunderman, Gretchen L., Roehrig, Alysia D., Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: It is beneficial for Chinese English-learners to improve their communicative competence through being taught in a communicative-based class (especially with the use of task-based language teaching, Nuevo, 2006). However, previous studies revealed that Chinese teachers have had difficulties in engaging students in communicative-based classes (Chen, 2003; Chowdhury & Ha, 2008; Chung & Huang, 2009). Therefore, although communicative-based classes aim to have students engage with using the target...
Show moreIt is beneficial for Chinese English-learners to improve their communicative competence through being taught in a communicative-based class (especially with the use of task-based language teaching, Nuevo, 2006). However, previous studies revealed that Chinese teachers have had difficulties in engaging students in communicative-based classes (Chen, 2003; Chowdhury & Ha, 2008; Chung & Huang, 2009). Therefore, although communicative-based classes aim to have students engage with using the target language within the class setting, students in China seem resistant — they are not active in communicating with each other or even the teacher (Chen, 2003). The purpose of this Dissertation study was to examine whether teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and autonomy supports might help engage students as well as improve their communicative competence in communicative-based classes. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and autonomy supports, the satisfaction of students’ psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and students’ self-determined motivation, self-regulation, class participation, and their English learning outcomes by assessing a path-analytic model. Before conducting the path-analytic model, I validated the survey items used to measure teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies, teachers’ autonomy supports, students’ psychological needs, students’ self-determined motivation, and students’ self-regulation through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants involved in the EFA were similar to participants who were involved in this dissertation research (CFA and path analysis): freshmen and sophomores who were taking communicative-based classes (Communicative English for Chinese Learners) at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The EFA-surveys were translated into Chinese and back-translated into English, then distributed face-to-face during the month of June 2017, the end of the second semester in the 2016-2017 school year. Items were adjusted based on results of the EFA, and were subsequently used in a CFA and path-analytic analysis. Surveys were again distributed at the end of the first semester in the 2017-2018 school year for CFA and path analysis. CFA results confirmed the factor structures proposed by EFA. Path analyes showed that the initial hypothesized model did not fit the data well, and thus, the model was modified and a final model was selected and discussed. The final model revealed that only teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies predicted students’ satisfaction of their psycholgocial needs to promote intrinsic motivation, while students’ satisfaction of psychological needs mediated the relationship between teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies and students’ self-determined motivation, as assumed by the self-determination theory. In addition, students’ self-determination (including their satisfaction of psychological needs and motivational regulation) was positively related to their self-regulaion, class participation, course score, and expectation of the amount of knowledge they had learned, both directly and indirectly. Finally, students’ self-regulation negatively predicted students’ course score — which is contradictory with previous studies — while class participation was positively associated with both students’ scores (as assumed by previous studies) and expectation of the amount of knowledge they had learned.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Xing_fsu_0071E_14628
Format: Thesis

Title: Thought Suppression Paradox in Student Athletes and Its Intervention.
Creator: Liu, Sicong, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Boot, Walter Richard, Folstein, Jonathan R., Chow, Graig Michael, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreLiu, Sicong, Tenenbaum, Gershon, Boot, Walter Richard, Folstein, Jonathan R., Chow, Graig Michael, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: Guided by the ironic process theory and its extensions, the dissertation research aimed at (a) studying the thought suppression paradox in student athletes, (b) exploring the efficacy of an acceptance-mindfulness intervention in decreasing the thought suppression paradox, and (c) using working memory capacity (WMC) to explain individual differences on the susceptibility to the thought suppression paradox. A total of 90 NCAA Division I student athletes were recruited and randomly assigned to...
Show moreGuided by the ironic process theory and its extensions, the dissertation research aimed at (a) studying the thought suppression paradox in student athletes, (b) exploring the efficacy of an acceptance-mindfulness intervention in decreasing the thought suppression paradox, and (c) using working memory capacity (WMC) to explain individual differences on the susceptibility to the thought suppression paradox. A total of 90 NCAA Division I student athletes were recruited and randomly assigned to three conditions (i.e., suppression, control, and intervention). All the athletes performed a set of computerized complex span tasks (i.e., operation, reading, and symmetry span), and then completed a task pair in each of the two thought-control phases (i.e., amid, post). The task pair consisted of a thought-monitoring task and a two-color Stroop task. According to the condition assignment, each athlete applied a strategy for controlling the thought of a recent athletic failure when performing the task pairs, and his/her EEG was simultaneously recorded. Results generally supported the existence of thought suppression paradox and the efficacy of an acceptance-mindfulness intervention in student athletes, although WMC failed to account for individual differences. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Sp_Liu_fsu_0071E_14344
Format: Thesis

Title: Visualizing Transfer: How Do Students' Conceptual Writing Knowledge Structures Connect to Their Transfer of Writing Knowledge and Practice?.
Creator: Workman, Erin Leigh, Yancey, Kathleen Blake, Proffitt, Jennifer M., Neal, Michael R., Fleckenstein, Kristie S., Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences,...
Show moreWorkman, Erin Leigh, Yancey, Kathleen Blake, Proffitt, Jennifer M., Neal, Michael R., Fleckenstein, Kristie S., Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English
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Abstract/Description: Situated at the intersection of research on writing transfer, dual coding theory, and concept mapping, this empirical research study investigates students' representation, development, and transfer of conceptual writing knowledge across writing contexts, taking a 2000 level Teaching for Transfer (TFT) course (Yancey, Robertson, and Taczak) as the site of study. In taking up students' use of prior knowledge—made explicit in their visual maps and represented through their key terms for writing...
Show moreSituated at the intersection of research on writing transfer, dual coding theory, and concept mapping, this empirical research study investigates students' representation, development, and transfer of conceptual writing knowledge across writing contexts, taking a 2000 level Teaching for Transfer (TFT) course (Yancey, Robertson, and Taczak) as the site of study. In taking up students' use of prior knowledge—made explicit in their visual maps and represented through their key terms for writing and the knowledge structures linking them—this project continues a line of research that Kathleen Yancey, Liane Robertson, and Kara Taczak began in 2009 at Florida State University when they designed the TFT curriculum for first-year composition (FYC) courses and studied whether, and how, the course supported students' transfer of writing knowledge and practice from the TFT course to other writing sites. Carrying forward this line of research, this dissertation (1) documents, via a series of visual mapping assignments, the prior knowledge of writing that students bring with them into the composition classroom as indexed in their key terms for writing and writing knowledge structures, and (2) traces whether, and how, these visual mapping assignments, integrated into the TFT curriculum, can assist students in both developing new writing knowledge and transferring this conceptual writing knowledge from a sophomore-level writing course, ENC 2135: Research, Genre, and Context, for use in other post-TFT writing sites. Using deductive and inductive coding, descriptive analysis, scored compositions from TFT and post-TFT courses, and four single-case studies of writers, this mixed-methods dissertation identifies changes in students' representations of their conceptual writing knowledge and provides documentation of how this conceptual writing knowledge assisted them—or not—in composing across contexts. This nine-month research study resulted in the following four claims: (1) Participants’ model of prior knowledge use is visible in the conceptual writing knowledge structures represented in their visual maps: Remixers use a network knowledge structure comprised of a mix of their self-selected and TFT key terms, whereas assemblers use a chain knowledge structure onto which they have grafted selected TFT key terms. (2) Remixers can be differentiated based on the process by which they develop their networked knowledge structure—structural development or structural change—and the orientation of their knowledge structure—to concept or process. (3) Visual mapping can support writers in dually-coding their Theories of Writing (ToW) by helping them to “see connections” among concepts and to articulate their verbal ToWs, but having a dually-coded ToW does not necessarily guarantee that a writer can effectively use their ToW to frame new writing situations. (4) Participants who transferred their writing knowledge and practice from ENC 2135 TFT for use in other sites met the three conditions for transfer outlined by Yancey et al. As a result, this dissertation suggests that writing studies scholarship and pedagogy can benefit from additional research on concurrent visual and verbal reflective activities that enable writers to articulate and externalize their conceptual writing knowledge.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Workman_fsu_0071E_14034
Format: Thesis

Title: Self-Regulated Learning, Motivation Beliefs, and the Regulation of Motivation among College Freshmen.
Creator: Tackett, Samantha, Roehrig, Alysia D., Schwartz, Robert A., Turner, Jeannine E, Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational...
Show moreTackett, Samantha, Roehrig, Alysia D., Schwartz, Robert A., Turner, Jeannine E, Yang, Yanyun, Florida State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
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Abstract/Description: This research investigated freshman college students' motivation beliefs and motivation regulation strategies (to manage their effort and persistence) in the context of an authentic college-level academic task such as studying for an exam. The unique elements of this research included the following: (a) studying exclusively freshmen students, (b) capturing their reported use of strategies in the context of a real academic task rather than hypothetical scenarios, (c) identifying whether...
Show moreThis research investigated freshman college students' motivation beliefs and motivation regulation strategies (to manage their effort and persistence) in the context of an authentic college-level academic task such as studying for an exam. The unique elements of this research included the following: (a) studying exclusively freshmen students, (b) capturing their reported use of strategies in the context of a real academic task rather than hypothetical scenarios, (c) identifying whether students used different strategies while studying for their second test than their first test, and (d) identifying the most difficult motivational problems reported by students. The freshmen students' reported motivation beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy, task value, test anxiety), use of self-regulation (i.e., metacognitive) and motivation regulation strategies (i.e., Regulation of Performance, Environmental Structuring, Self-consequating, Regulation of Mastery Goals, Regulation of Value, Regulation of Situational Interest), and their end-of-course grades were gathered. This research was a Quantitative-Qualitative mixed-method (Creswell, 2003, 2008) study design with a time-series cross-sectional sampling of survey data. That is, I sampled multiple freshmen students (N=189) at two points in time to examine students' reported use of motivation regulation strategies (e.g., which ones were used, to what extent did they change their strategies). The quantitative data was analyzed by conducting descriptive, correlational, repeated measures t-tests, and hierarchical regression analyses. The purpose of the qualitative portion of the study design was to identify (a) additional strategies that students used, (b) their perceptions of motivational challenges with academic tasks, and (c) explanations of any changes made to exam studying behaviors. Overall, the goals of this mixed methodology study (quantitative and qualitative) were to address gaps in research findings related to (a) surveying more diverse populations; (b) measuring students' strategy use with an academic task, such as studying for an exam, rather than a hypothetical scenario; (c) replicating findings regarding relationships among a student's motivation beliefs (e.g., self-efficacy) and their use of self-regulated learning and motivation strategies; (d) adding findings regarding students' perceptions of the most difficult challenges to their studying; (e) adding findings about students changing strategy use between Time 1 and Time 2; and (f) replicating findings in relationships among motivation beliefs, self-regulated learning and motivation strategy use, and course grades. The results of this study added diversity of populations (freshmen only) and findings regarding strategy use while studying for an exam to the motivation regulation (MR) research. Freshmen students reported using motivation regulating strategies (MRSs) descriptively more frequently while studying for an exam than reported in hypothetical scenarios (Wolters & Benzon, 2013). Positive, strong and significant correlational relationships existed among students' self-efficacy beliefs, self-regulated learning (metacognitive) and MR strategy use; whereas, a weak yet significant, positive correlational relationships were found between students' reported test anxiety and their use of the following strategies: (a) self-regulated learning (metacognitive), (b) self-consequating, and (c) regulation of mastery goals. Students (72%) reported distractions in environment, time to study, or boredom as the most difficult challenges to overcome while studying. The repeated measures results indicated that students reported using strategies to regulate mastery goals less frequently from Time 1 to Time 2. The reasons given by students for changes in how they studied for Test 2 emphasized pursuing better grades for the test or course and improving their retention of the learned information. Lastly, the hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that students' self-efficacy and use of regulating strategies for sustaining one's value of the content and mastery-oriented learning while studying were positive predictors of course grades. At least three implications for practice are appropriate for those who support student success. First, help students to identify their "performance" early in their freshman semester and year. Because a portion of the freshmen surveyed perceived grades on the first test as the primary stimulus for change in studying as well as sustaining motivation while studying, it would be effective for students to identify indicators of performance sooner rather than later. A second implication for practice is to help students to identify productive changes that will accomplish their desired test or course outcome. A third implication for practice is that increasing a students' belief in their ability to learn the content may be more likely to positively influence students' grade outcomes. An implication for research is to identify beliefs and study behaviors among more diverse student populations.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Fall_Tackett_fsu_0071E_14857
Format: Thesis

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