Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education Theses and Dissertations
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Item The Effect of a Structured Group Experience on the Transition from the Role of College Student to the Role of Working Professional(1980-04-23) Lyons, John C.; Schlossberg, Nancy K.; Counseling, Higher Education, and Public Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a structured group experience on the transition of new college graduates from the role of student to worker. Fifty-seven subjects,who were employed in their first professional job upon graduating from college,were formed into an experimental group of twenty-nine and control group of twenty-eight subjects . A needs assessment identified ten behaviors which supervisors considered to be indications that a new employee was functioning as a worker rather than a learner. A twenty-two item questionnaire was developed which allowed supervisors to evaluate the degree to which their subordinates were performing the ten target behaviors . A second instrument containing seven items was developed which allowed subjects to report the degree to which they felt they were performing these behaviors . Data were collected from supervisors and subjects using these instruments both before and after treatment. Treatment consisted of a workshop having two components: 1) the presentation of the ten behaviors which supervisors had identified as being desirable, and 2) a structured approach to skill mastery which utilized fantasy, planning and problem solving. Post-treatment evaluations of subjects by supervisors were significantly higher than the corresponding pre-treatment evaluations, t (28) = 3.11, p < .01, providing support for the hypothesis that a structured group experience has a beneficial effect on the transition from the role of college student to the role of working professional.Item The Relationships Among Temperament, Attachment and Initial Adjustment to College(1989) McAndrew-Miller, Carol; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Attachment theory suggests that the nature of the infant's first relationship with its primary caretaker is the foundation of normal development and influences adjustment in various domains throughout the life-span. Temperament research also indicates a relationship between temperament attributes and adaptation to change. The research in attachment and temperament has primarily focused on young children and adolescents. This research project sought to investigate the relationship of the constructs of attachment and temperament with initial adjustment to· college. A total sample of 261 first semester college freshmen from two college/universities completed a series of questionnaires. The questionnaires included indices of students' perception of past attachment relationships (Parental Bonding Instrument; Parker, Tupling, & Brown, 1979), temperament profile (Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey; (Windle & Lerner, 1986) and adjustment to college (Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire; Baker & Siryk, 198 6 ); Perceived Social Support Scale- Friends; Procidano & Heller, 1983). Through multiple regression analyses, results indicated that temperament (positive mood, low distractibility, and rhythmicity/ positive mood flexibility, rhythmicity-eating and persistence) correlated with attachment (care/low overprotection). Temperament was found to correlate with the five areas of adjustment (academic: distractibility, flexibility, activity level-general, rhythmicity-daily habits, persistence; social: approach, mood, flexibility, persistence; personal/emotional: flexibility; rhythmicity-eating, activity level-sleep, distractibility; goal attainment: mood flexibility, persistence, approach; perceived social support: mood, approach, rhythmicity-eating). Post hoc analyses indicated school and gender differences within specific domains of attachment and adjustment. High school grade point average was best predicted by the temperament dimensions of flexibility, mood, and persistence whereas first semester college grade point average was best predicted by the low distractibility, rhythmicity-sleep and activity level-sleep. For the relationship of attachment to college adjustment, care was the most significant predictor for the five aspects of adjustment. The results of this research are supportive of the earlier work with children and adolescents and validates that attachment and temperament are influential variables in adjustment during the life-span.Item WORK STATUS AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS(1988) Fabian, Ellen Sue; Power, Paul W.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)Work has always been the goal of the vocational rehabilitation process, and has assumed major importance in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation. The significance accorded work is apparent in the appropriation of millions of federal dollars for improved vocational training technologies (Rehabilitation Acts Amendments, 1986: P.L. 99-506), as well as in the volume of vocationally-oriented literature in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation. Despite policy and program attention, competitive employment success for individuals who are mentally ill remains marginal, with most national and local reports citing employment rates as low as 5 percent and only as high as 25 percent. These poor outcomes are generally attributed to individual disabilities or environmental obstacles, but few studies have attempted to determine the meaning of work to this population by examining the impact that employment status has on overall quality of life. The present study explores the impact of work status for a sample of 81 individuals with chronic mental illness participating in community rehabilitation programs in Maryland. Individuals who met the study criteria were randomly selected form programs, and were assessed using the Quality of Life Interview (Lehman, 1988) and the Vocational Development Scale (Hershenson & Lavery, 1978). Quality of life theory and research suggests that specific domains of an individual's life have an impact on overall reports of well-being. Therefore, this study assesses the relationship between work status and life satisfaction as an analysis of main effects, and then analyzes selected variables that might mediate this relationship. Job satisfaction and vocational development are also analyzed. Results indicate that competitive employment per se does not have a direct effect on life satisfaction, but that gender and satisfaction with employment status mediate this relationship. Although quality of life research suggests that motivation might mediate the relationship between status and satisfaction, this did not appear to be the case for this sample, nor did there appear to be a relationship between work competence and job or life satisfaction. The study explores the implications of the results both for public policy and for program planning. Recommendations for further research are discussed.Item IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF MALE MILITARY ENLISTEES: EVIDENCE FROM THE NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL STUDY(1989) Wright, Stephen E.; Miller, Merl E.; Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The purpose of this study was to identify factors which contribute t o the post-secondary educational attainment level o f male military enlistees. The research problems were : 1. When socioeconomic status/family background factors, educational aspiration factors, educational/ academic performance factors and military factors were considered separately, how did each factor relate to the post-secondary educational attainment of male military enlistees. 2. When socioeconomic status/ family background factors, educational aspiration factors, educational/ academic performance factors, and military factors were considered jointly, how did they relate to the postsecondary educational attainment of male military enlistees? The sample for this study was taken from the National Longitudinal Study (NLS). The selected 845 sample was tracked from the NLS 1972 base year survey through the 1979 fourth follow-up survey. Multiple regression analysis was the analytical tool selected for analyzing the data within this study. Besides the overall significant relationships between socioeconomic status/family background, educational aspiration, educational/academic performance, military factors, and educational attainment, the results of this investigation revealed that a number of individual independent variables were important predictors of educational attainment. It was found that mother's educational aspirations for children, mother's education, father's occupation, high school grade point average, student aptitude, student high school program, reason for entering the military -- to receive in-service college education, and educational plans after.military service -- college were individually all significant predictors of educational attainment of male military enlistees.Item Computer-Based Test Interpretation Software: Its Effect on School Psychologist Decision Making(1989) Wisor, John Wesley; Strein, William; Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of interpretative software for school psychological decision making in its role as a decision aid. One hundred two professional school psychologists were provided case data and asked to make a series of diagnostic and prognostic decisions based on the case material. One subject group received case material only and each of the other two groups received one of two variations of the narrative output generated by a computer-based test interpretation software package in addition to the case material. The subjects were also asked which data sources were most influential as they made their decisions. Diagnostic agreement among the psychologists within each group was analyzed by Kendall's coefficient of concordance or weighted Kappa. For each decision there were no significant differences in agreement between those psychologists who had access to the decision aids and those who did not. Chi-square and Freidman analysis of variance results for similarity of diagnosis across groups were mixed with some trends suggestive of greater similarities of decisions among the subjects utilizing different variations of the computer output than among decisions made by unaided psychologists. Further the school psychologists overwhelmingly indicated that test data and behavioral observations were the most influential data sources for their decisions and that computer-based data sources were the least influential . Also there appeared to be no significant relationship between school psychologist professional experience and the perceived influence of the case data sources as well as little relationship between degree of experience in using computers to the data sources considered to be useful in the decision making process. The results were discussed in terms of psychological decision theory. Trends in the data suggested the computer narrative was most effective in situations where it was necessary to discriminate among ambiguous decision choices rather than in more clear cut situations. It was concluded that computer-based decision aids have the potential to debias the decision process, but that definitive changes will not come until the technology is improved and school psychologists become more familiar with the use of computers.Item A Comparison of Male and Female College Student Presidents on Self-Esteem, Sex-Role Identity, Achieving Styles and Career Aspirations by Gender Composition of Student Organization(1989) Varwig, Jana Ellen; McEwen, Marylu K.; Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in the self- esteem, sex- role identity, achieving styles and career aspirations of 164 male and female college student leaders. Also explored were potential differences between student leaders of single-sex and mixed-sex groups across the same dimensions. All presidents of registered student organizations were asked to participate in the study. Seventy-one percent of the presidents responded and were included in the study. Respondents were administered the Rosenberg Self- esteem Scale, the Bern Sex- role Inventory, the L-BLA Achieving Styles Inventory and a questionnaire containing items on career aspirations. No significant differences were found between male and female student leaders on the self- esteem or sex- role identity variables. Significant gender differences were found on five of the nine achieving styles and on two of the indicators of career aspiration -- college major and preference for a full-time or interrupted career. No significant differences were found between student leaders of single-sex and mixed-sex groups.Item Women Vietnam Veterans and Their Mental Health Adjustment: A Study of Their Experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress(1982) Schnaier, Jenny Ann; Spokane, Arnold R.; Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Approximately 8,000-10,000 women served directly in the Vietnam war. Popular literature and women's self-reports suggest that by virtue of their exposure to extreme stressors resulting from war-time medical experiences women veterans are now describing their stress symptoms, and may be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The intention of this preliminary, descriptive research was to assess the nature and extent of mental health problems affecting female Vietnam veterans. Subjects were contacted through a mailing list of a veterans organization and 89 women who had served in Vietnam as medical personnel completed a written questionnaire about their experiences and reactions to them yielding a 97% return rate. The results indicated that approximately one-third of the stress symptom items were endorsed by 25% of the subjects, and of symptoms first reported as having occurred between homecoming and one year after Vietnam, approximately 70% were reported as still present. These identified symptoms represented a fairly complete picture of those specific symptoms and experiences of PTSD as defined by DSM III of the A.P.A. This investigator concluded that, (a) the current research effort has provided preliminary evidence that PTSD may be applicable to the experiences of women Vietnam veterans, (b) there is evidence of mental health distress among the women sampled, (c) there are positive, growthful experiences for many of the women in this sample, and (d) at l east as far as biographical-demographical factors are concerned, this sample of women Vietnam veterans are different from previously studied male veterans.Item The Effect of Social Problem Solving Ability on the Adjustment of Third-Grade Children(1983) Keys, Susan Gies; Celotta, Beverley; Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Many children experience interpersonal problems and frequently these children lack the necessary skills to successfully resolve such issues. Social problem-solving training programs have recently evolved as a means for developing specific cognitive problem-solving skills. The primary question investigated in this study was whether or not problem-solving ability affects adjustment as measured by teacher ratings. The effect of problem-solving training on specific problem-solving skills was also assessed. Children were randomly selected and assigned to either a problem-solving program or a career awareness control group. The treatment and control conditions were administered by 10 elementary school counselors in 10 different elementary schools. A small group format was used with eight students per group. One hundred and fifty-seven subjects, 78 experimental and 79 control, participated in the study. All students were posttested on a set of 17 dependent variables. Twelve of these were problem-solving variables (conflict identification; feeling identification; goal identification; quantity of alternatives; alternative decision; quality of chosen alternative; quantity of consequences; quantity of means-end steps; quality of means-end steps; persistency; quantity of problem-solving steps; and sequencing of problem solving steps) and five were adjustment variables. The adjustment variables correspond to the five factors of the Health Resources Inventory: gutsy; good student; rules; peer sociability; and frustration tolerance. A significant multivariate F (p < .001) for treatment suggests that problem-solving training had a significant impact on the set of dependent variables. Additional univariate analysis of variance results for each dependent variable reflected a significant difference between experimentals and controls on seven of the problem-solving variables and two of the adjustment variables. The multivariate F tests for sex and interaction were not significant. These results suggest that social problem-solving ability can significantly affect the adjustment of third-grade children. The effect of problem-solving training on problem-solving skills supports this result. This study also discusses these two sets of results in relationship to the findings of prior research and addresses implications for future research and practice.Item The Influence of the Presence of Intellectually Handicapped Siblings on the Development of Empathy in Children(1982) Feinberg, Edward Alan; Pumroy, Donald K.; Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The major purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the development of empathy and the presence of a handicapped sibling among children. The siblings of the handicapped children were between four and one half and eight and one half years of age. The Feshbach-Roe Affective Situations Test was individually administered to 60 siblings of handicapped and nonhandicapped children. The handicapped children were younger siblings of those tested. These handicapped children ranged in age from 12 months to three and one half years. The results indicated that there is no statistically significant difference in overall empathy between children with younger handicapped and younger nonhandicapped siblings. Stepwise discriminant analysis did, however, reveal that there is a differential pattern among individual empathy variables for the two groups. For the total group (p < .028) it was revealed that siblings of the handicapped expressed less empathy toward happy scenarios and more empathy toward fearful scenarios. For children > 7 years (p < .001) siblings of the handicapped expressed more empathy in situations depicting fear and anger and less empathy toward sad situations. The use of the Feshbach-Roe Affective Situations Test was supplemented by interviews with six of the siblings. The interviews added clinical insights that were usually in accord with the implications of the statistical findings. Explanations for the profile of the statistical and clinical results are offered. The possible ramifications of the results are discussed and future research directions are recommended.