Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2757

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Counseling Psychology

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Social Cognitive and Acculturation Predictors of the College Adjustment of Asian Americans
    (2011) Hui, Kayi; Lent, Robert W; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of the present study was to extend understanding of factors related to the college adjustment of Asian and Asian Americans. The study was based on the SCCT model of well-being and included an exploratory focus on culture-specific variables. Data were collected from 122 undergraduate college students who self-identified as Asian, Asian Americans, or Pacific Islander. The present findings are generally consistent with previous studies of the SCCT model of satisfaction, providing empirical support for the cross-cultural validity of the SCCT model with Asian American students. The predictive model accounted for a substantial percentage (41-44%) of variance in the college adjustment indicators, academic and social domain satisfaction. The present study extends the findings of previous studies by showing the differential utility of self-efficacy and social support in predicting domain satisfaction. Results from both quantitative and qualitative data highlighted the importance of social support in the college adjustment of Asian Americans. The present findings also suggest that cultural variables (acculturation and enculturation) relate to Asian Americans' college adjustment indirectly via self-efficacy, social support, and goal progress. Limitations of the study and implications for practice and future research are discussed.
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    First Baby, First Year: Gratitude and Emotional Approach Coping as Predictors of Adjustment and Life Satisfaction during the Transition to Motherhood
    (2011) Piontkowski, Sarah; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Becoming a mother is one of the most common major life transitions, with approximately 82% of the population of women in the United States having given birth by the age of 45. Although becoming a mother is generally thought of as a positive experience, the transition to parenthood can also present many challenges. This study examined the postpartum transition of 152 first-time mothers. Utilizing the stress and coping model, this study explored the role of gratitude and emotional approach coping on postpartum distress, postpartum adjustment, and life satisfaction. Data were collected using an online survey, and correlations, regression analyses, and mediation analyses were run. The findings revealed that women who reported higher levels of both gratitude and emotional approach coping also reported better postpartum adjustment, greater life satisfaction, and less postpartum distress. The health of both the mother and the baby also predicted better postpartum outcomes for mothers.
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    BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES REGARDING HPV VACCINATION AMONG COLLEGE-AGE WOMEN: AN APPLICATION OF THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL
    (2010) Schaefer, Kathryn; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The human papillomavirus (HPV) represents the most common sexually transmitted disease. The development of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, protects women from becoming infected. The current study examined attitudes toward the HPV vaccine in 150 college-age women who had received the vaccine and 58 college-age women who had not. Data were collected using an online survey and correlations and regression analyses were run to assess for relationships between the variables of interest. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM), predictor variables included perceived benefits, barriers, susceptibility and severity regarding HPV infection and vaccination. Additional psychosocial variables were also explored. Results indicate that for unvaccinated women, perceived benefits accounted for unique variance in predicting vaccine intentions. Moreover, self-efficacy, cues to action and subjective norms all accounted for unique variance in differentiating vaccinated from unvaccinated women. In summary, women's decision to get the vaccine involves a complex interplay of factors.
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    Providing Feedback to Group Co-Leaders to Improve Group Climate: An Intervention to Facilitate Similar Mental Models in Co-Leader Teams
    (2010) Miles, Joseph Richard; Kivlighan, Dennis M.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention that provided feedback to co-leaders of intergroup dialogues about their mental models of their group members. Co-leaders completed similarity ratings of their group members, and group members completed a measure of group climate following each of seven weekly sessions. Co-leader similarity data was used to derive each co-leader's mental model of her or his group members for each session. Co-leaders in the experimental condition received feedback in the form of a graphical representation of their own and their co-leader's mental model of their group members after each session, and were provided with discussion questions to help them examine these mental models. Co-leaders in the control condition did not receive feedback, but were given discussion questions regarding the most important incidents in their most recent dialogue session. The Engagement and Avoidance aspects of group climate in the intergroup dialogues developed as predicted (i.e., Engagement significantly increased and Avoidance significantly decreased), however there was no significant change in the Conflict aspect of the group climate over time. Additionally, co-leader mental model similarity was not significantly related to any of the aspects of group climate as predicted. Finally, results indicated that the feedback intervention did not significantly impact the level of similarity in co-leaders' mental models, or the group climate.
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    Trainees' Use of Supervision for Clinical Work with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients: A Qualitative Study
    (2010) McGann, Kevin; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Most studies considering lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients and their therapists have primarily focused on the clients' experience in therapy (Israel, Walther, Gorcheva, & Sulzner, 2007; Liddle, 1996) or on the therapist's experience of the client (Bieschke & Matthews, 1996; Garnets, Hancock, Cochran, Goodchilds, & Peplau, 1991). However, the role that clinical supervision plays in therapists' development in working with LGB clients is rarely studied. Not enough is known about how supervision is perceived from the perspective of the supervisee who is developing skills in working with LGB clients. The current study examined 12 interviews with randomly selected predoctoral interns at APA-accredited counseling centers around the country, to explore how they made use of the clinical supervision they received for their work with LGB clients. The single previous qualitative investigation of this topic (Burkard, Knox, Hess, & Shultz, 2009) examined interviews with LGB advanced doctoral students. The current study extends the investigation of this topic by interviewing six heterosexual-identified trainees in addition to six trainees who identified as LGB or queer (Q), and by investigating a more geographically heterogeneous sample. The interviews explored various aspects of the supervision experience, including trainees' expectations of their supervisor for supervision of their work with their LGB client, the contributions of trainees and their supervisors to the supervision process, and the impact of supervision on work with the LGB client and other clients. The data were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill, Knox, Thompson, Williams, Hess, & Ladany, 2005; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). All participants valued their supervision relationship, and found their supervisors helpful in assisting them in their therapeutic work with their LGB client. Trainees typically experienced their supervisors as multiculturally sensitive, and some felt that their supervisors helped them with LGB-specific interventions and case conceptualizations. Some differences between how heterosexual and LGB-identified trainees used supervision for their work with their LGB clients. All participants reported gains from their supervision experience with their LGB client that positively affected their work with other clients, regardless of these clients' sexual orientation.
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    Coping, social support, biculturalism, and religious coping as moderators of the relationship between occupational stress and depressive affect among Hispanic psychologists
    (2005-08-03) Maldonado, Leslie E.; Lent, Robert W; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study investigated the degree to which coping behaviors, social support, biculturalism, and positive religious coping moderate the relationship between occupational stress and depressive affect. Research survey packets were sent to doctoral level Latino/a counseling and clinical psychologists with residence in the U.S., members of national or state psychological associations. Usable surveys were received from 580 participants for an overall return rate of 50%. Participants responded to the following instruments: Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale short form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Job Content Questionnaire, Brief COPE, Brief RCOPE (religious coping), and the Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale for Latinos short form. Analyses indicated that 13% of the variance in depressive affect is predicted by occupational stress. Coping strategies, positive religious coping, social support, and biculturalism collectively explained 13% of the variance in depressive affect. Specifically, coworker support (B = -.21, p < .001), total non-work support (B = -.20, p < .001), biculturalism (B = -.12, p < .01), and positive religious coping (B = .10, p < .05) made a statistically significant contribution to the variance in depressive affect scores. Analyses showed that interactions terms between occupational stress and coping strategies, work and non-work social support, biculturalism, and positive religious coping did not moderate the relationship between occupational stress and depressive affect. No increments in variance attributed to the product terms above and beyond main effects were found. Results revealed significant main effects for the predictor variables, except for positive religious coping, beyond occupational stress. Coping behaviors, work and non-work social support, and biculturalism were negatively associated with depressive affect regardless of the level of occupational stress. Results of the present study suggested that on average participants employed more problem-focused coping strategies than emotional-focused coping strategies. Analysis of participants' self-reported coping strategies indicated a wide variety of coping responses. The most frequently mentioned coping strategies were; social support, planning and active problem solving, work support, recreational or disengagement activities, and sports and exercise. Among the least endorsed or mentioned coping strategies were; acceptance, humor, and personal psychotherapy or counseling.