UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
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Item OUTCOMES OF YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID USA WITH PARENTS: EXAMINING BELIEFS, BEHAVIORS, AND KNOWLEDGE(2020) Marsico, Kristen Frese; Wang, Cixin; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Youth typically do not seek mental health services for themselves, and instead rely on their parents to play a “gatekeeper role,” and identify the problem and seek appropriate services for the youth. Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) USA teaches adults to recognize signs of youth mental illness and intervene using a five-step action plan that focuses on assessing for risk, listening nonjudgmentally, and connecting youth to resources and mental health care. While studies have examined the effects of the program on various stakeholders in children’s lives, limited attention has been given to parent trainees. The present study examined the effects of YMHFA USA on parents’ mental health literacy; mental health first aid intentions, self-reported MHFA behaviors to help youth, and confidence in their helping skills; attitudes toward seeking professional help and intentions to do so; and stigma. Six trainings were provided at no cost to parents with at least one child under the age of 21, and 107 parents participated in the research by completing pre-, post-, and two month follow-up surveys (n = 64). Paired sample t-tests were conducted to examine change, and results indicated that following the training, parents reported statistically significant increases in all variables of interest with the exception of stigma, which decreased. Changes in MHL, attitudes, intentions toward help-seeking, and stigma were maintained at two month follow-up. Participants answered six open-ended questions and responses were thematically analyzed. Qualitative results indicate that parents signed up for YMHFA USA due to a desire for knowledge and skills, having multiple roles that necessitate interactions with youth, prior experience with mental illness, and the increasing prevalence of youth mental illness. Parents identified that the most beneficial aspects of the training were learning the ALGEE action plan, participating in roleplays and examples, gaining information about youth mental illness, having a positive/open training environment, and learning strategies for understanding and interacting with youth. Finally, improvements to YMHFA USA were suggested in regard to both the content and structure of the training. Implications for practice and research are discussed.Item Bereaved College Students: Examining Predictors of Grief Counseling Skills Among University Counseling Center Therapists(2019) Jankauskaite, Greta; O'Brien, Karen M.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Between 22% to 30% of college students are grieving a death of a close friend or family member, and nearly 60% of college seniors report experiencing at least one loss in the last three years of college (Balk, 2011; Cox, Dean, & Kowalski, 2015). The university counseling center often is the primary resource for bereaved students, yet centers have limited resources and some psychologists reported inadequate training for working with grieving students (Kim, 2016). This study examined predictors of grief counseling skills in a sample of university counseling center therapists. Grounded in the death competence model (Gamino & Ritter, 2012), results indicated that cognitive competence and emotional competence predicted grief counseling skills, with training/experience being the most robust predictor. Future directions for research and clinical implications are discussed.Item Understanding Teacher Stress: Relations of Implicit and Explicit Coping Processes with Teaching Outcomes(2017) Kim, Margaret Jordan; Teglasi, Hedwig; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Teacher attrition within the first three years is a growing problem in the US. The current study focuses on teacher stress from a novel perspective by assessing how teachers cope with stresses of the profession at the earliest point in their careers – during their training. Coping is defined as a transaction between a person and their environment, influenced by conscious choices and automatic processes. Research relies on explicit measures (self-report on Likert scales) to assess coping, but critics note this approach is limited and does not assess the whole process. In addition to Likert scales, this study incorporates implicit measures (narratives, the Thematic Apperception Test), to examine the implicit processes of coping. As predicted, significant correlations were identified within, but not across methods of measurement. Implicit but not explicit measures were significantly correlated with external evaluations of teacher effectiveness. Implications for coping theory and measurement are discussed.Item Culture-Training Match: Testing the Interaction between Trainee Cultural Background and Training Design on Stress Reactions and Transfer of Training(2014) Salmon, Elizabeth; Gelfand, Michele J.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study investigates how trainee cultural background interacts with training structure and error instructions to predict transfer of training. Previous research on training interventions relies largely on Western theories of learning, and few training techniques have been tested with samples outside of North America or Western Europe. The current research seeks to expand these perspectives to investigate the impact of different training interventions in face and dignity cultures, with a particular focus on how cultural differences in stress reactions affect training outcomes. Building on this foundation, I hypothesize that the match between trainee cultural background and training design elements will predict training effectiveness, as measured by training transfer. Specifically, trainees from dignity cultures are expected to benefit from training interventions with low structure and error encouragement instructions. In contrast, the same training design may be ineffective or even counterproductive for trainees from face cultures, who are hypothesized to benefit more from high structure training and error avoidant instructions. Further, I link culture-training match to physiological stress to suggest that this may be one mechanism through which the interaction between culture and training dimensions impacts training transfer. One study was conducted in which participants from dignity and face cultures (N = 212) were randomly assigned to training conditions varying on structure and error framing instructions. Participants were trained to perform a computer-based simulation, with heart rate and cortisol collected throughout the training intervention. Participants returned seven to 15 days after the training to complete transfer measures. The results showed the expected interactions between culture and training structure and between culture and error instructions for training transfer. Stress reactions did not mediate this effect as expected; in contrast, emotional control was the key explanatory mechanism. Implications for training design and implementation across cultures are discussed, along with possible extensions of this research.Item EXPANDING THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF HEALTH LITERACY TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS(2013) Ruben, Kathleen Ann; Simon-Rusinowitz, Lori; Health Services Administration; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Low health literacy is a significant and growing public health problem. It is estimated that 90 million individuals in the U.S. have low health literacy, which is associated with poor health outcomes. Individuals with low health literacy skills may not be able to obtain health information, communicate with health care providers, or make optimal health care decisions. People from all backgrounds can have low health literacy levels, however, the rates are higher in certain groups such as older adults, Medicaid beneficiaries, and minority populations. Due to our rapidly aging and increasingly diverse U.S. population, the problems associated with low health literacy may increase over the next few decades. Studies have examined the relationship between an individual's health literacy level and their own health outcomes. However, few have focused on how the health literacy level of others, such as caregivers and health care professionals, impacts the health outcomes of care recipients. It is important to understand this relationship in terms of elders who depend on others, such as caregivers and family members, for their care. This series of three studies addresses this critical gap in health literacy research. The first two studies examine the need for a health literacy component of a training program for care teams for individuals with dementia in participant-directed programs. The first is an ethnographic pilot study of caregivers in West Virginia's Personal Options Program, and the second is a mixed- methods study of "Decision-Making Partner" preparedness in Arkansas' IndependentChoices Program. The third study examines the effect of the emergency department referral process on repeated utilization of community health centers by low-income, uninsured adults and Medicaid Beneficiaries, as well as the role of Patient Navigators as mediators within the framework of health literacy. This research provides evidence that the health literacy level of others, including caregivers, decision-making partners, and health care providers significantly impacts the ability of older adults to access health services and supports, communicate with healthcare providers, navigate the healthcare system, and manage chronic diseases. Therefore, addressing health literacy is essential for increasing health-related knowledge, improving health outcomes, and decreasing health disparities in long-term care.Item East Asian International Trainees Experiences of Conducting Therapy in the US: A Qualitative Investigation(2013) Liu, Jingqing; Hill, Clara E; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In the present study, the author investigated East-Asian international counseling trainees' experience of conducting therapy in the US, particularly challenges East-Asian trainees are facing, how East-Asian trainees cope with these challenges, how East-Asian trainees' cultural backgrounds affect their clinical work, and East-Asian trainees' experience with clinical training. Ten East-Asian international trainees (from China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan) were interviewed. For each participant, two 1-2 hours phone interview were conducted, approximately one week apart. In the first interview, participants were asked to discuss their experience with clinical training in the US, to reflect on challenges that they faced that related to doing therapy in the US, and to describe their coping strategies. In the second interview, participants were asked to discuss in details two cases in which their cultural backgrounds facilitated/hindered their clinical work. The Consensual Qualitative Research (Hill et. al, 2005) is used for data analysis. The results indicated that East-Asian trainees deal with challenges such as discrimination/distrust from their clients, language barrier, a lack of understanding of nuances of American culture, countertransference due to cultural conflict, discomfort working with emotions, and difficulty being direct with clients. East-Asian trainees cope with these challenges by seeking support, addressing cultural issues with clients, improving English skills, using cognitive restructuring, using avoidance, and practicing self-care. Results also indicated that East-Asian international trainees' cultural backgrounds/experience (e.g., their understanding of Asian cultural values and their bicultural experiences) can be an asset to their clinical work. Implications for training and research are discussed.Item CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS: THE IMACT OF TRAINING TRANSFER AND PREDICTORS OF TRANSFER(2013) Feinberg, Emily Greene; Hanges, Paul; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In order to better understand the many inconsistencies found in previous research on cross-cultural competence (3C) training effectiveness, this study investigated the impact of training transfer (i.e., the extent to which training concepts are applied to the job context) on cross-cultural success outcomes. Predictors of training transfer, unique to 3C training setting, were also examined. Specifically, individual characteristics, such as personality (i.e., openness to experience, tolerance for ambiguity), cultural motivation, and previous international experience, in addition to climate for transfer (home and host organizations), were discussed as important factors that will likely impact the extent to which training transfer occurs. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of Peace Corps volunteers (N=101) who were completing a cross-cultural training course in preparation for foreign assignment. Results found support for training transfer main effects, as well as cultural motivation and home organization climate for transfer as significant predictors of transfer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.Item Measuring the Impact of Training in the Implementation of Project Management Information Systems(2012) McCarty, Andrew; Skibniewski, Miroslaw; Civil Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Organizations can use training to maximize the benefits realized through the implementation of project, program, and portfolio management software. However, the relationship between Project Management Information System (PMIS) training and the creation of organizational value is not well understood. The goal of the research is to create a better understanding of current industry project management software training practices and outcomes. This research investigates training utilization and outcomes in the PMIS industry, the prevalence, relative effectiveness and efficiency of several commonly used training delivery methods at increasing PMIS outcomes, and the relationships of individual and organizational characteristics on outcomes. An expansive multi-disciplinary review of existing scholarly literature was undertaken to develop a framework for the measurement of project management software training outcomes. Expert input from a panel of 9 practitioners averaging 16.7 years of professional experience related to PM, and 15.1 years of years of professional experience related to PM software usage was used to objectively select a small number of the best-scoring elements of the proposed framework for inclusion in a survey to be administered to practitioners. In total, 1,021 completed surveys were collected and analyzed using statistical methods. Research findings suggest statistically significant differences in consumption rates, effectiveness and efficiency among the examined training delivery methods. This research may contribute to training that is more effective and more efficient, based on the unique requirements of each individual and organization, at a reasonable cost. The methodologies and findings of this research have immediate implications in improving the planning, delivery, and measurement of PMIS training.Item Core Competencies for Effective School Consultants(2012) Burkhouse, Katie Lynn Sutton; Rosenfield, Sylvia; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a set of core competencies of effective school-based consultants for preservice school psychology consultation training. With recent changes in service delivery models, psychologists are challenged to engage in more indirect, preventative practices (Reschly, 2008). Consultation emerges as one such recommended practice for school psychologists (Ysseldyke et al., 2006). However, despite recommendations and mandates from accrediting bodies, there is a lack of consensus to guide training in school consultation. This research involved a systematic literature review and Delphi study to determine core competencies for contemporary school consultants, specifically for school psychologists. An expert panel for the Delphi portion of the research was drawn from a consultation training interest group, a consultation research group, and editors of a consultation training journal in order to sample the leaders in the field of consultation research and training. Multiple iterations of the Delphi study, as recommended in the literature, were conducted to obtain consensus on the fundamental skills and knowledge. Four multicultural consultation competencies from previous research (Rogers & Lopez, 2002) were included to obtain current ratings, and personal characteristics from the literature were rated in terms of essentialness and "trainability." Results from two iterations of survey material indicated a list of 35 core competencies to guide training which received Essential ratings by 75% or more of participants. The four multicultural competencies were rated more highly by the current participants than by Rogers and Lopez's participants 10 years ago. In addition, several personal characteristics were identified as essential to school-based consultants; however, some of the highest rated characteristics were considered least "trainable" by the participants. Finally, implications for consultation training, limitations, and future directions were explored.Item EARLY CAREER SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS' PERCEPTION OF MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY(2012) Sweeney, Samantha Courtney; Strein, William O; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)With the demographics of American school children rapidly changing and the demographics of school psychologists remaining relatively unchanged, more than ever school psychologists are working within the cross-cultural zone. This means that they are working with students and families who are culturally different from them. It has become vital that school psychologists are multiculturally competent; however how this form of competence develops is relatively unknown. Grounded theory methodology was used in the current study to explore how early career school psychologists who work in diverse schools define multicultural competence and multicultural competence development. Results indicate that the participants felt that multicultural competence should largely focus on interpersonal relationships with students and families as well as self-awareness. Additionally, the participants felt that multicultural competence was dynamic as opposed to stagnant. With respect to multicultural competence development, the participants felt that their early career experiences contributed to this area of competence more than any other factor. The foundation of their multicultural competence was made up of a desire to work in a diverse setting as well as their background and exposure to different cultures. They felt that their graduate school classes contributed to this foundation. Personal experiences also contributed to multicultural competence, but were not as significant as professional experiences.