Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2757
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Item “What Are We?” A Narrative Study of the “Trickiness” of Identity for Asian American College Students(2018) Kim, Yoolee Choe; Park, Julie J.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Asian Americans are a significant and growing population in U.S. higher education, yet their positionality within the U.S. racial landscape has often been unclear. Acknowledged as neither Black nor White, Asian Americans have occupied an often marginalized yet nonetheless racialized position, which has disguised much of their lived experience as racial beings. This study sought to understand how Asian American college students see themselves as racial beings by exploring the role and salience of race and its intersections with other social identities. Using intersectionality as a theoretical framework, this narrative inquiry study was guided by the following research questions: (a) how do Asian American college students describe and make meaning of their racial identity; (b) in what ways, if any, do their other social identities, such as gender, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability status, socioeconomic class, and immigrant generation status, interact with the way Asian American college students describe and make meaning of their racial identity; and (c) how do Asian American college students experience the intersections of their multiple social identities? Following in-depth interviews with four Asian American college students representing a range of identity backgrounds, individual narratives were written for each participant, telling the story of how they came to make meaning of their racial identity, other salient identities, and their intersections. A metanarrative was then generated based on the commonalities of participants’ stories. Through these narratives, the lived experiences of Asian Americans as racial beings were centered. For these four participants, identifying as Asian American was a conscious choice whose meaning was created through reflection on experiences with race, often in conjunction with intersecting identities. Systems of power, oppression, and privilege acted upon those intersections and indelibly shaped the way participants made meaning of their identities, as illuminated by intersectional analysis. The study’s findings indicate paths for future research on Asian American identity development, particularly using critical theoretical perspectives that foreground the influence of systems of power and oppression. The findings also suggest implications for supporting Asian American students and for developing and integrating intersectional approaches in order to create more socially just and inclusive institutions.Item DRINKING, TEXTING, AND HOOKING UP: THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE ON GETTING TOGETHER WITH MEN IN COLLEGE(2014) Ross, Katherine; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Non-platonic relationships are a significant stressor for women in college, and can lead to a variety of negative outcomes (Lindgren, Parkhill, George and Hendershot, 2008). Flirting is how non-platonic interactions begin, yet it has not been studied in a university setting. In this study, semi-structured interviews with twelve heterosexual female college students gathered information about women's intentions, behaviors, and outcomes in non-platonic heterosexual interactions. Understanding college students' goals and communication strategies in non-platonic interactions may improve educational and intervention strategies (Lindgren, Blayney, Schacht, George & Pantalone, 2009). Researchers analyzed interview data using Consensual Qualitative Research methods, which allow for rigorous exploratory analysis aimed at describing the actual experiences of college student women. Students spoke about their personal experiences as well as to their perceptions of norms on college campuses. The conclusions drawn from the data demonstrate the ways in which the college social environment, indirect interpersonal communication, and a desire for human connection characterize college student women's experiences of non-platonic relationships in college.Item The Effect of Living-Learning Program Participation on College Students' Mental Health(2012) Fink, John E.; Hummel, Mary L; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis used Astin's (1993) I-E-O framework to explore how participation in a living-learning program as well as other college environments affected college students' mental health. Data from seven unique institutions that administered an additional mental health module as a part of the 2008 and 2009 National Study of Living-Learning Programs were used in this study. Independent samples t tests, chi-squared tests, and multiple regression were the statistical methods used to investigate three research questions with Keyes et al. (2008) Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) as the dependent variable. The final predictive model explained 33.5% and 37.6% of the variance in students' MHC-SF scores in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Findings did not evidence a predictive relationship between students' participation in a living-learning program and their mental health. Several aspects of the college environment favorably predicted students' mental health, including ease with transition to college, socially supportive residence hall climate, self-confidence, sense of belonging, and sense of civic engagement. Other variables unfavorably predicted students' mental health, including identification as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, as well as emotional consequences of alcohol use. This study's findings offer implications for practitioners and directions for future research.Item Moving Forward: Addressing stress, positive resources, and gender(2012) Yang, Minji; Miller, Matthew J.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined a comprehensive stress-buffering model in a sample of 200 college students. Specifically, this study looked at social support and optimism as moderators between different types of stress and psychological health while controlling for gender given prior research that has demonstrated gender differences among the study constructs. Hierarchical regression analyses found that social support, but not optimism, worked as a significant moderator between different stressors, developmental challenge stress, time pressure stress, and social mistreatment stress, and psychological health. Supplemental analyses found in an independent samples t-test analysis that female college students had higher mean levels of time pressure stress than male college students. An extensive literature review of the study constructs including conceptual and methodological information and areas of improvement are delineated. Limitations of this study as well as future directions in research and clinical practice are also included.Item An Exploratory Study of Student Affairs Professionals' Conceptualization of Adulthood(2011) Pickard, Jennifer Meyers; Komives, Susan R; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study used the conceptualization of emerging adulthood (a newly proposed phase in the lifespan that is attributed to demographic and societal shifts extending the time period in which young people feel as if they are in-between and neither adolescent nor adult) to examine student affairs professionals' perceptions of college student adulthood. Specifically, the research questions examined differences by generational status (Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Millennial) on the importance of the 34 individual criteria that comprise adulthood (Arnett, 2001; Badger et al., 2006; Nelson et al., 2007) and the importance of these criteria when grouped into the five subscales of emerging adulthood: role transitions, norm compliance, biological/age-related factors, family capacities, and relational maturity. An online survey of student affairs professionals produced 654 respondents. Results from statistical analysis indicated that the most important criteria for student affairs professionals in determining whether or not a person has reached adulthood are accepting responsibility for the consequences of one's actions, developing greater consideration for others, becoming less self-oriented, being financially independent from parents/guardians, and establishing a relationship with parents as an equal adult. Overall, generational status did not result in dramatic differences in student affairs professionals' conceptualizations of adulthood. Regardless of their generational status, almost half (46%) of the student affairs professionals in this investigation did not believe that traditional undergraduates just entering college were adults but when these same students graduate, almost three-quarters (72%) of the student affairs professionals respondents believed that the traditional students were full-fledged adults. Findings confirmed that student affairs professionals' criteria for adulthood are similar to those of traditional college students and parents (Nelson et al., 2007), but also revealed a significant disconnect in the timeline that student affairs professionals deemed necessary for the achievement of adulthood as compared to traditional college students and their parents. These results have implications for both higher education research and professional practice as they highlight the conflicting expectations of students and parents as compared to student affairs professionals and higher education as a whole regarding the role that the college milieu plays in the achievement of adulthood.Item Group Involvement Experiences in College: Identifying a Thematic Taxonomy(2008-03-03) Dugan, John Patrick; Komives, Susan R; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to explore whether latent phenomena could be identified to assist in the classification of students into subgroups based on their patterns of involvement across 21 types of co-curricular group experiences (e.g., cultural groups, student governance, club sports). Further analysis attempted to establish whether the emergent taxonomy of subgroups truly discriminated among students. This was accomplished through the use of data from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, a national research program examining the influences of higher education on college student leadership development. The sample was comprised of 11,209 seniors from 50 institutions across the United States. The primary research question employed exploratory latent class analysis as a means to determine the number of latent factors underlying student patterns of involvement. A total of four latent factors were identified and students were classified into one of eight latent classes interpreted to reflect: Affinity Group Affiliates, Identity and Expression Leaders, Academic Careerists, Cultural Collegiates, Athletes, Social Recreators, Recreational Academics, and Social Collegiates. Findings from secondary research questions contributed to the validity of the taxonomy by demonstrating differential influences of latent class membership on a theoretically-derived measure of leadership. Significant relationships were also identified between latent classes and the demographic variables of race and gender. Results suggested a more complex composition of the category of collegiate identified in numerous taxonomies of college students (Astin, 1993a; Clark & Trow, 1966; Kuh, Hu & Vesper, 2000). Findings also served as a response to the numerous calls for research examining patterns of student involvement in co-curricular group experiences (Gellin, 2003; Foubert & Grainger, 2006; Hernandez, Hogan, Hathaway, & Lovell, 1999; Hoffman, 2002; Moore, Lovell, McGann, & Wyrick, 1998; Renn & Bilodeau, 2005a). Results have implications for both higher education research and professional practice. This includes the provision of new analytic and conceptual approaches for studying college student populations as well as college impact. Findings may also serve as a useful heuristic tool to assist student affairs professionals in their advising and mentoring of college students.Item The same and different: A grounded theory of the experiences of college students who have a sibling with a developmental disability(2007-06-03) Weisman, Jennifer; McEwen, Marylu K; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Research on people who have a sibling with a disability has focused minimally on the experiences of college students who have a sibling with a disability and generally focused on specific aspects and outcomes instead of a more holistic view. Much of the prior research was also conducted during a time when the climate around disabilities was different. This study took a contemporary and broad view of how college students with a sibling with a developmental disability experience college. This study used a qualitative methodology, constructivist grounded theory, to explore the experiences of college students with a sibling with a developmental disability. There were nine initial participants in the study and seven participants who completed the study. All had at least one sibling with a developmental disability and were either currently enrolled in an undergraduate institution or had graduated within two years. The seven participants who completed the study were each interviewed three times and many also shared academic papers or admissions essays that related to their sibling or disability issues. Data from the multiple in-depth interviews and documents were analyzed and the emergent theory was grounded in the data and described the experiences of college students who have a sibling with a disability. This theory contained a core category and five key categories. The core category, which incorporates the essence of participants' experiences, is My Experience in College is the Same and Different. There are five key categories related to the core category: Lessons Learned from Siblings, Having a Sibling Shapes My Personal Traits, Having a Sibling Plays a Role in My College Choices, Having a Sibling Contributes to My Academic Experiences, and Being a Sibling in My Social Interactions. This research contributes to the literature by providing a holistic and contemporary look at a sub-population of college students that has been understudied. It also offers important recommendations for future sibling research as well as ways for colleges to support siblings. As a qualitative study, it offers an in-depth look at college student siblings and demonstrates the complexity of their experience.Item Communication Patterns of Undergraduate Students and their Parents(2007-05-29) Yip, Christine; Guenzler-Stevens, Marsha A.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this thesis was to examine the student-parent relationship by understanding communication patterns of undergraduate students and their parents. Topics discussed, frequency, initiation, methods of communication, and student satisfaction were investigated and analyzed across race, gender, and age. There were 539 usable respondents (females n = 331, males n = 182) between the ages of 18 and 24 from a Mid-Atlantic university. Students most frequently discussed physical health issues, career planning, living situations, friends, and current financial situations with their parents. More than two-thirds of respondents did not discuss the topics of alcohol and sex. Students and parents both initiated communication an average of five times a week, and cell phone was the most common method of communication. Regarding satisfaction, more than two-thirds of respondents were "satisfied" or "strongly satisfied" with the frequency, methods used by parents, frequency of parent-initiated communication, quality of advice, and level of sharing.Item Acting Out Integrity and Honor: Student Honor Council Cultural Influence on Members' Development(2007-05-18) Appel-Silbaugh, Cara; Komives, Susan R.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This ethnographic inquiry of the Student Honor Council at the University of Maryland, College Park provided insight into how this culture bound by enduring values and ritualistic behavior influenced members' development. The purpose of this study was to understand how participation in the culture of the Student Honor Council at the University of Maryland, College Park influenced the development of Student Honor Council members. As a study of culture, ethnographic methodology and methods were employed. Additional questions guiding this study included: (1) how did the members describe and define the culture of the Student Honor Council; (2) how did members come to make meaning and define the various adjudication and educational processes; and (3) how did the honor council culture, and various adjudication and educational processes influence an individual's development? The methodology and traditional methods of ethnography were employed, including individual interviews, group interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings of this research were analyzed by the Kuh and Hall (1993) and Schein (1992, 2004) theoretical models of culture, including cultural levels of artifacts, values (both espoused and enacted), assumptions, and perspectives. The results of this research were interpreted with the dimensions of self-authorship and compared alongside the learning partnerships model both as defined by Baxter Magolda (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004b). The findings of this research revealed a purposeful, function based culture in which members adapted the values of the culture in a simplistic manner and became more indoctrinated with prolonged engagement. Although the culture did meet the tenets of the learning partnerships model and members expressed an influence of development in the self-authorship dimensions, the culture merely served as a conduit for development, not promoting movement along any developmental scheme. Findings additionally supported Baxter Magolda's claim that "good company" on the journey of development was vital. This study provided advanced understanding of the learning partnerships model as utilized to understand co-curricular experiences. Further, this inquiry links peer-based judicial board experiences to empirical research. Additional links to research, recommendations for practice, and implications are included.Item Achievement and integration factors related to the academic success and intent to persist of college freshmen and sophomores with learning disabilities(2007-03-28) DaDeppo, Lisa Marie Wilson; Speece, Deborah; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The number of students with learning disabilities (LD) attending college has increased over the past several decades, yet outcomes including graduation rates continue to lag behind those of non-disabled students. In addition to students' background characteristics and past academic achievement, Tinto's (1975; 1993) constructs of academic and social integration have been the focus of much of the research identifying factors associated with college student success and persistence. Previous research has validated the impact of academic and social integration on college student persistence and success; however, these factors have not been studied with a sample of students who have disabilities. In this investigation hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to study the relative influence of pre-college achievement and college integration variables on the academic success and intent to persist of college freshmen and sophomores with LD, while controlling for background characteristics. Participants were 97 freshmen and sophomores with LD at a large, public university in the southwestern United States. Students completed a demographic questionnaire as well as portions of the Freshmen Year Survey (Milem & Berger, 1997) to measure integration and intent to persist. High school GPA, SAT scores, and college GPA were obtained from university records. Academic, social and total integration were not unique significant predictors of college GPA beyond background characteristics and past academic achievement. However, total integration was a significant predictor of intent to persist, accounting for 17 percent unique variance. Academic integration was a significant predictor of intent to persist accounting for 12 percent unique variance. Further, social integration was a significant predictor of intent to persist, accounting for 18 percent unique variance beyond background characteristics and past academic achievement and 7 percent unique variance in the model that also included academic integration. These findings suggest academic and social integration are promising constructs to explain the persistence of college students with LD. Implications of this study include the need for continued research on the role of academic and social integration for college students with LD, as well as on the practices of high school and college personnel in preparing students with LD for college.