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.

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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    Developing effective communication for climate change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation
    (2021) Lim, JungKyu Rhys; Liu, Brooke Fisher; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Preparing for natural disasters and adapting to climate change can save lives. However, little research has examined how organizations can effectively communicate climate change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation behaviors. This dissertation employs two studies to examine how to effectively communicate disaster mitigation and preparedness to help at-risk publics better prepare for natural disasters. Fragmented studies so far have not provided an integrated model to identify the most effective factors for explaining and predicting disaster preparedness behaviors and policy support. Moreover, studies have not yet developed and tested communication messages that can motivate publics’ disaster risk mitigation through experiments. Thus, in Study 1, this dissertation attempts to build an integrated model and identify the key factors that motivate disaster preparedness behaviors and policy support through three large-scale online surveys (N = 3,468). Two of the most common federally declared disasters in large disaster-prone states are studied: wildfires and hurricanes with floods. Study 1 finds that social norms and self-efficacy strongly motivate disaster preparedness behaviors, while response efficacy strongly motivates policy support behaviors. Then, based on Study 1 and consultation with eight communication experts, Study 2 develops messages using social norms and efficacy. Study 2 tests the social norms and coping appraisal messages through four between-subject online experiments (2 X 2 X 2 X 2) with an additional vicarious experience condition in flood- and hurricane-prone states (N = 5,027). Injunctive norms and disapproval rationale strongly encourage at-risk publics to take mitigation behaviors, and vicarious experience seems promising for message design. Additionally, this dissertation reveals at-risk publics’ awareness, behavioral engagement, preferred communication channels, and information sources for preparing for hurricanes and wildfire risks. Weather forecasters and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the National Weather Service (NWS), were the preferred information sources for preparing for hurricane risks. Conversely, local and state fire departments were the preferred information sources for preparing for wildfire risks. By developing and testing messages on the strongest factors using preferred information sources, the dissertation provides guidance for risk communication researchers and professionals.
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    Predicting Study Abroad Interests and Choice Goals Through Social Cognitive Career Theory
    (2020) Wang, Ruogu Jason; Lent, Robert W; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Studying abroad in college is an educational choice that has significant implications for students’ personal, academic, and career development. Applying the Social Cognitive Career Theory interests and choice models (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), this study examined social cognitive predictors of study abroad interest and intent. First, the psychometric properties of new and revised domain-specific social cognitive variables were assessed with an initial sample of students (N = 325) from a Mid-Atlantic university, yielding 8 factors and adequate factor-derived psychometrics. This was followed by measurement model testing on a second, nationwide sample of students (N = 277), which showed that the overall model fit indices offered good fit to the data. Regressions on the second sample produced support for most of the SCCT paths predicting study abroad interests and study abroad intent. Finally, practice-based implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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    CREATIVE PERSUASION: ENHANCING WELL-BEING AND SELF-EFFICACY THROUGH THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE
    (2018) Ganzermiller, Josie Deanna; Khamis, Sahar; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This manuscript is intended as a first step in exploratory research to examine the efficacy of creative performance in entertainment-based health interventions, as well as the cognitive mechanisms for that efficacy. Creative performance for the purposes of this study is defined as engaging in an activity that requires the participant to use his or her body to creatively portray a character and/or enact a message. While much is known about the efficacy of entertainment-based health interventions, less empirical work has focused on how merely participating in creative performance promotes well-being. Well-being is psychological and mental health, which is more than the absence of mental disorder or disease, but rather the state of "optimal psychological functioning and experience" (Ryan & Deci, 2001). This document outlines a panel study that evaluates the degree to which active involvement in an immersive theatre camp leads to increases in well-being and self-efficacy for adolescents, as well as the theoretical basis for expecting such a result. A front matter table (p. vii) provides a reference for the key concepts and variables included in the study. The following chapters expand on the rationale for this work, including entertainment-education, benefits of creative performance, and the importance of well-being in adolescence.
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    BUILDING READINESS AND INTENTION TOWARDS STEM FIELDS OF STUDY AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
    (2017) Kurban, Elizabeth R.; Cabrera, Alberto F; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This dissertation study investigated the cognitive and contextual influences contributing to the developmental process that high school students undergo in preparing for and considering the selection of an academic major in a STEM field. Guided by the theoretical framework of SCCT (Lent et al., 1994) and Wang’s (2013) conceptual model, I developed a new conceptual model for understanding the STEM readiness and intention development process. The STEM Readiness and Intention Development (SRID) Conceptual Model addresses gaps in previous research, such as the absence of parental involvement. In addition, my research design overcame measurement and analytic shortcomings, while examining the moderating effect of self-efficacy on high school students’ intention to major in a STEM field. Through the use of structural equation modeling with data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, I tested the SRID Conceptual Model and examined the indirect effects of self-efficacy on high school students’ intention to major in a STEM field. The results of these analyses suggest several cognitive and contextual influences contributing to building STEM readiness and students’ intention to major in STEM during high school. This study revealed that STEM readiness is impacted directly by several factors, including SES, math ability, parental involvement, math self-efficacy, science self-efficacy, math interest, and science interest. Intention to major in STEM is directly impacted by STEM readiness, as well as high school students’ interest in math and interest in science. In addition, I found that self-efficacy in math and science had a mediating effect through math and science interest on high school students’ intention to major in STEM, emphasizing the critical impact of self-efficacy throughout the career development process. Overall, this dissertation study expands our knowledge of the process that leads high school students to become prepared for and aspire to pursue majors in STEM. Through facilitating this process among all student populations, we may improve overall enrollment and persistence through the STEM pipeline and contribute to the national goal of increasing the number of graduates in STEM fields of study.
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    COACHES, CLIMATES, “FIELD” GOALS, AND EFFICACY: A “DE-CONSTRUCTION” OF THE MASTERY-APPROACH TO COACHING AND EXAMINATION OF RELATIONSHIPS TO PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN A YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
    (2015) Goldstein, Jay; Iso-Ahola, Seppo E.; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In support of the achievement goal theory (AGT), empirical research has demonstrated psychosocial benefits of the mastery-oriented learning climate. In this study, we examined the effects of perceived coaching behaviors on various indicators of psychosocial well-being (competitive anxiety, self-esteem, perceived competence, enjoyment, and future intentions for participation), as mediated by perceptions of the coach-initiated motivational climate, achievement goal orientations and perceptions of sport-specific skills efficacy. Using a pre-post test design, 1,464 boys, ages 10-15 (M = 12.84 years, SD = 1.44), who participated in a series of 12 football skills clinics were surveyed from various locations across the United States. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) path analysis and hierarchical regression analysis, the cumulative direct and indirect effects of the perceived coaching behaviors on the psychosocial variables at post-test were parsed out to determine what types of coaching behaviors are more conducive to the positive psychosocial development of youth athletes. The study demonstrated that how coaching behaviors are perceived impacts the athletes’ perceptions of the motivational climate and achievement goal orientations, as well as self-efficacy beliefs. These effects in turn affect the athletes’ self-esteem, general competence, sport-specific competence, competitive anxiety, enjoyment, and intentions to remain involved in the sport. The findings also clarify how young boys internalize and interpret coaches’ messages through modification of achievement goal orientations and sport-specific efficacy beliefs.
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    A STUDY OF THE PERCEIVED TEACHING SELF-EFFICACY AND LEADERSHIP OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS
    (2014) Zentmeyer, April A.; Kivlighan, Dennis M; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived levels of teacher self-efficacy and leadership of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). One of the goals of Race to the Top is to provide highly qualified, efficacious teachers in every classroom, prepared to lead in the 21st century. Given that National Board Certification is one avenue to highly qualified status, this study sought to discover whether NBCTs perceived high levels of teacher self-efficacy and assumed leadership roles at a higher rate than a matched sample of non-NBCTs. This quantitative, non-experimental approach compared the perceived levels of teacher self-efficacy in the domains of instruction, engagement, management, and leadership of NBCTs to a matched sample of non-NBCTs in one district in the state of Maryland. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale - SF (TSES), a 12-item Likert-like scale, used with permission by Dr. Anita Woolfolk-Hoy measured teacher efficacy in the three domains. A question regarding compensated leadership roles was added to the TSES. Results derived using SPPS generated a T-test to examine the subset correlations and tabulate compensated leadership roles. The T-test failed to reveal a statistically reliable difference between the mean scores of the NBCTs and a matched sample of non-NBCTs. Both groups scored high on the TSES and assumed leadership roles in the district. The non-significant results do not discount National Board Certification as a vehicle to identify highly qualified, self-efficacious teachers prepared to lead in the 21st century.
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    A Meta-Analytical Test of Perceived Behavioral Control Interactions in the Theory of Planned Behavior
    (2013) Boudewyns, Vanessa; Fink, Edward L.; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study used meta-analytic procedures to test for interaction effects among the components of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The central hypothesis examined was that attitudes and subjective norms should perform less well in explaining intentions when perceptions of behavioral control are low. A traditional meta-analysis of nine studies that directly examined perceived behavioral control (PBC) interactions was conducted. A second meta-analysis--the main focus of this dissertation--was conducted that tested for two- and three-way interactions in which the presence of PBC interactions was investigated in 121 studies, which provided 154 data sets with 44,424 participants. In addition to testing for two-way PBC interactions, this meta-analysis also examined whether the presence of PBC interactions depended on other variables. Specifically, three-way interactions with type of behavior classification (i.e., public versus private, familiar versus unfamiliar) and type of PBC operationalization (e.g., self-efficacy, perceived difficulty, perceived control, or some combination of the three) were explored. Results indicated that attitude by PBC interactions exist but that the effects vary depending on the type of PBC operationalization and behavior context. In addition, meta-analytic structural equation modeling was used to examine whether the association between PBC and intention is mediated by attitude and subjective norms; however, no evidence for this relationship was found. Finally, results from an auxiliary analysis revealed that the attitude by PBC interaction on intention had statistically significant nonlinear effects in addition to a linear effect. In contrast, the norm by PBC interaction did not have statistically significant linear or nonlinear effects. The discussion highlights the effects of different meta-analytic techniques, the need for future investigation using experimental designs, the implications of these findings for further theory development, and practical implications for health communication researchers. In sum, through the use of a multi-faceted approach to quantitatively review attitude by perceived control and norm by perceived control interactions in the TPB, this study helped to address inconclusive results with regard to the existence and type of PBC interactions.
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    Third Grade Students' Writing Attitudes, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Achievement
    (2012) Williams, Heather Michelle; Wigfield, Allan; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In order to become successful members of society in the United States, students must be able to write effectively. However, many students are unwilling or unable to write by the time they leave high school. Two major factors linked to writing performance include writing attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs. The first objective of this research is an investigation of the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve writing attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs, and achievement. The second objective is an examination of the relation between those constructs. Participants were given the Writing Attitude Survey, a writing skills self-efficacy scale, and a short writing assessment. Further, 50% of the participants participated in an intervention designed to increase positive writing attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs, and achievement. The study found a significant positive relation between writing self-efficacy and attitudes. The intervention was found to have no effect on the self-efficacy, attitudes, or performance of participants.
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    QUALITY OF PAST EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, LEVEL OF SELF-EFFICACY, AND DEGREE OF TRUST IN PROVIDERS AS DETERMINANTS OF PROVIDER AVOIDANCE: TESTING THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF RACE AND GENDER
    (2012) McDowell, April; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    A critical component in the prevention and treatment of illness and disease is individuals' timely and consistent consultation with healthcare providers. The purpose of the current study was to examine factors influencing individuals' avoidance of healthcare providers in a national sample of insured U.S. adults who potentially have access to healthcare but may not use it. Inadequate access to healthcare as a function of disparities (e.g., lack of health insurance) has increasingly received attention. However, there has been a lack of attention to factors that interfere with use of healthcare among individuals who potentially have access based on insurance coverage. Those individuals are at risk of negative health outcomes when they avoid medical consultation for serious health symptoms. Consequently, the present study examined factors influencing healthcare avoidance among individuals who have health insurance. A secondary analysis was conducted with a publically available data set, the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (NCI, 2009). The study examined the extent to which health self-efficacy, quality of past interactions that an individual has had with healthcare providers (HCPs), and trust in HCPs to take care of one's health needs predicted current avoidance of HCPs. The study also examined individuals' levels of trust in HCPs as a potential mediator of the relationship between the quality of interactions with HCPs and the degree to which individuals avoid HCPs, as well as patient race/ethnicity and gender as potential moderators of the relationship between quality of interactions with HCPs and trust in HCPs. Control variables included age, education, and income. Results provided support for the expected relationships between health self-efficacy, quality of interactions with HCPs, and trust in HCPs, and HCP avoidance. Furthermore, results revealed that trust in HCPs is a significant mediator between quality of interactions with HCPs and HCP avoidance. However, results did not provide support for race/ethnicity and gender as clinically significant moderators between quality of interactions with HCPs and trust in HCPs. Findings provide useful information about factors that influence individuals' avoidance of HCPs, thereby identifying targets for reducing this problematic public health phenomenon. Implications for theory, research, practice, and policy are presented.
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    EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLLECTIVE RACIAL ESTEEM AND LEADERSHIP SELF-EFFICACY AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS
    (2011) Lee, Douglas Henri; Jacoby, Barbara; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis explored whether collective racial esteem was a significant predictor of leadership self-efficacy for Asian American college students. The subjects of the study were undergraduate students from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership who identified as Asian and United States citizens. An aggregated Asian, Chinese, Filipino, and Indian/Pakistani samples were drawn from the MSL in order to study the diverse Asian American population. The aggregated Asian sample included all the ethnicities in addition to the three samples. The hypothesis was tested using a modified Input-Environment-Outcome model as an organizing framework and hierarchical multiple regression as the statistical method. Collective racial esteem was observed as a significant predictor of leadership self-efficacy for the aggregated Asian sample, the Chinese sample, and the Indian/Pakistani sample. The null hypothesis was rejected for these three samples. The null hypothesis failed to reject for the Filipino sample. The study's findings offer suggestions for practitioners and researchers.