Human Development & Quantitative Methodology Theses and Dissertations
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Item The Relationships Between Job Burnout, Job Stress, and Job Satisfaction Among Schoolteachers(1985) Newburg-Rinn, Sharon; Hardy, Robert; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)Purpose Questions have been raised concerning the separateness of the three concepts, job burnout, job stress, and job satisfaction. It is best to avoid coining new terms such as "burnout" if they are unnecessary. Further, understanding the relationships between these concepts may help prevent confusion in future studies involving these concepts. The purpose of the study was to increase the understanding of all three of the concepts by understanding their relationships to one another. Specifically, are job burnout, job stress, and job satisfaction best viewed as three separate concepts? If not, further questions arise. Is job burnout the same thing as job satisfaction? Could job stress also be placed under the job satisfaction rubric? Finally, are job burnout and job stress part of the same phenomenon? Procedures and Conclusions Surveys were sent to 1512 teachers who were randomly selected from all the members of the Maryland State Teachers Association. Of these, 741 (49%) responded. Eliminating unusable responses brought the final total to 701 teachers. Two measures of each concept were utilized, one a multiple item test and the other a single global question answered on a five point scale. The multiple item instruments were: 1) for job satisfaction, Smith, Kendal, and Hukin's (1969) Job Descriptive Index, Work Scale; 2) for burnout, Maslach and Jackson's (1979a) Maslach Burnout Inventory, Emotional Exhaustion Scale; and 3) for stress, Cichon and Koff's (1980) Teaching ~~ents Stress Inventory. For the three concepts, the global questions were similar in structure to this example: "In general, how stressful do you find being a teacher?" 1 Not Stressful 2 Just a Little stressful 3 Somewhat Stressful 4 Quite Stressful 5 Extremely Stressful These data were analyzed by way of a multitrait-multimethod matrix (Campbell and Fiske, 1959) and a factor analysis. These approaches allowed an assessment of the pattern of the relationships between these concepts. It was concluded that the preponderance of the evidence implied that job burnout, job stress, and job satisfaction are best considered separate concepts. In addition, it was found that there was a poor correlation between a global measure of stress and the Teaching Events Stress Inventory. The study tends to suggest that the TESI be reexamined before being used again in this fashion for possible changes which would allow a higher correlation between it and a global measure of job stress.Item Adult Children of Alcoholics as Public High School Teachers: Comparable Risks for Occupational Burnout(1989) Hofford, Craig William; Gold, Robert S.; Health Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)Clinicians working with Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACAs) have suggested these individuals are at higher risk for occupational burnout than those who did not grow up in alcoholic environments (NACAs). However, little empirical data exist to support such claims. This study compared the scores of ACAs and NACAs on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The ACAs' scores were further tested to explore any relationship that might exist between MBI scores and birth order or treatment received for co-dependency. The population tested was a convenient, non-random sample of uburban, public high school teachers. High school professionals (N= 409) responded to a study instrument that included the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (C.A.S.T.) and the MBI. Eighty-three respondents were determined to be ACAs by their scores on the C.A.S.T. A statistically significant number (N= 23) of those ACAs did not indicate that they grew up in an alcoholic home on the accompanying demographic sheet. Discriminant analysis (ACAs and NACAs) produced a significant canonical correlation of .7957 (p < .001). Significant variables included parental alcoholism, parental drug dependency, Personal Accomplishment, years in teaching, Depersonalization, parental stroke, age. burnout (intensity), and parental handicap. Teacher burnout rates were lower than reported in previous tudies. ACA teachers had statistically significant, higher mean scores for intensity of Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment (p < .05). Tests of the means failed to identify any other differences in the groups with regard to the incidence of burnout. No statistically significant differences were found between the means of comparison groups of ACA teachers defined by birth order or treatment. Results suggest that ACA teachers perceive the intensity of Depersonalization more strongly than NACA teachers. Their higher sense of Personal Accomplishment may, in fact, enhance the intensity of that feeling of Depersonalization since getting along with people is highly valued in the teaching profession. There appears to be no relationship between the measures of burnout in ACA teachers and the variables of birth order and treatment. Any conclusions drawn from this study, however, must be tempered by the fact that a post hoc power analysis indicated very low power for the hypothetical comparisons conducted in this study.Item An Analysis of Selected Topics in Christian Sex Education Curricula(1982) Dahlin, Marjorie B.; Gardner, Albert H.; Human Development Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)PROBLEM. This research identified content and methods used in 37 current Christian sex education resources to teach the topics of masturbation, contraception, homosexuality, abortion, and pre-marital sex. The analysis sought to ascertain the extent to which these topics were covered in the resources, if at all; the direction of stance taken by each resource toward each topic; the type(s) of authority cited in support of stance; the scriptural passages quoted in support of stance; the type of values education approach used, and characteristic themes comprising basic content in each of the five topics. PROCEDURE. Titles for the analysis were identified based on bibliographies by SIECUS and the National Council of Churches' Commission on Family Ministries and Human Sexuality, with a follow-up survey to check for possible omissions. The final sample consisted of materials produced by or for 1) the Commission's member groups and 2 ) the Roman Catholic Church. The investigator's judgments were subjected to tests of inter-judge reliability, resulting in overall levels of agreement of 76.0% to 94.1%. RESULTS. At least 4 of the 5 topics were covered in most (70.3%) of the resources. All of the materials discussed pre-marital sex; this topic exceeded the others in number of sentences of coverage by more than 4 times. The resources tended to be accepting of contraception by married couples (except for the Roman Catholic materials); divided on their stances toward masturbation; disapproving of premarital sex and homosexuality, and ambiguous toward abortion (again, except for the Roman Catholic materials). Scriptural references cited in support of stances derived primarily from the Old Testament and the writings of St. Paul. The type of values education approach used most frequently was "Inculcation." Almost half the resources contained information on contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS. Most of the resources contained discussion of most of the topics. Further research might explore the thoroughness and accuracy of this coverage. Recommendations are made for revision of the materials.Item An Application of Concepts from the Cobb Model to Female Coping with Mid-Life Events(1983) Lake, Geraldine Stirling; Hardy, Robert; Institute for Child Study/ Department of Human Development; University of Maryland (College Park, Md); Digital Repository at the University of MarylandThis study examined the relationship among social situation variables, selected personality variables, and how a woman in mid-life copes with a major life event. Specifically, this study considered relationships among Myers-Briggs Type Indicator continua, social support, choices and assessments a woman makes in coping with a life event. The subjects were 102 women, aged thirty-five to fifty-five, who had experienced a life event (e.g:, divorce, health problems, job loss, etc.) in the past three years. Subjects completed instruments on their background; personality (MBTI); type of events involved; responses to these events; quantity, quality, and types of social support used; and current life situation assessment. T Tests were computed using the Extraversion/Introversion MBTI continuum with quantity and quality of resources used. T Tests were also computed using subjects' scores on quality of resources with life assessment variables. Multiple Analysis of Variance was used to test new constructs developed from the Critical Response List with the MBTI Scales. Two specific hypotheses and three questions were studied. Hypothesis 1 stated that extraverts would report being helped by more people and helped more by people when compared to introverts. Differences between the two groups were not significant. The t Test on extraversion and quantity of help approached significance; the part of the hypothesis testing extraversion and quality of help was rejected. Hypothesis 2 stated that subjects having better quality of support would report better life situations than would subjects with poorer quality of support. While the difference between the two groups was not significant, the t Tests did approach significance. Other questions which tested for coping response differences between groups on the other three scales of the MBTI found no significant differences, indicating that the MBTI scales did not discriminate among the coping responses of the subjects. One sub-group, judging, rated their quality of emotional support received as much higher (.0046) than did perceivers. These results lend little support to the idea that there are significant relationships among MBTI continua, social support, and how a woman copes with a life event. The study did find that subjects mainly used family and friends for support while working though a life event and that over 90% of the women reported that emotional support was the most important kind of support.Item Perceived Organizational and Personal Factors Related to Job Satisfaction in Public School Teachers(1982) Dodge, Joan Moir; Milhollan, Frank; Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Teaching has always been a demanding occupation; and yet, in the last few years, there has been increasing evidence that teachers are expressing greater feelings of anxiety, frustration and dissatisfaction with their jobs. While there appears much popular interest in the area of teacher stress and job dissatisfaction, generally there has been little research attention. More specifically, there has been little empirical assessment using a multivariate model which examines the interaction of organizational and personal variables related to job satisfaction in a teacher population. It is the purpose of this study to examine both perceived organizational factors and personal factors and to determine how variation in these factors leads to variation in job satisfaction in teachers. Based on a multivariate model, the following two questions were addressed: 1. Does participation in decision-making, teaching anxiety, social support in schools {perceived organizational factors) as well as job involvement, years of teaching experience, age and sex (personal factors) affect job satisfaction in public school teachers? 2. Are perceived organizational or personal factors more influential in affecting job satisfaction in teachers? The study sample consisted of two hundred public school teachers with 69% of them being classroom teachers who responded to a questionnaire. Results were analyzed using simultaneous multiple regression for question one and a hierarchical multiple regression analysis for question two. Findings showed that 35% of the variance of job satisfaction could be explained by these seven variables. The four variables of emotional support, participation in decision-making, teaching anxiety, and age, yielded significant contributions to job satisfaction. Using a hierarchical method to determine the unique contribution of organization versus personal factors to job satisfaction, results indicated that organizational factors account for 33% of the variance in job satisfaction while personal variables accounted for 2% of the variation. In general, these findings suggested that perceived organizational factors were much more important to the public school teachers' feelings of satisfaction with their jobs than personal factors were. These findings were discussed in terms of implications related to helping school administrators focus on mental health issues of teachers as well as the importance of organizational environment to job satisfaction.Item Effects of Team-Assisted Individualization on the Attitudes and Achievement of Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade Students of Mathematics(1981) Bryant, Reva R.; Johnson, Martin L.; Human Development & Quantitative Methodology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The philosophy of individualized instruction has been embraced by many school systems in the United States. However, research has not consistently supported claims that this approach will increase academic achievement. Teachers have lodged multiple complaints related to demands and problems imposed upon them and their students as a result of implementing individualized programs. An attempt to alleviate the problems inherent in existing individualized programs has resulted in The Johns Hopkins University staff's development of Team-Assisted Individualization (TAI)--an approach based on the modification of a researched and widely used group-paced model of instruction with cooperative learning teams as one component. This eight-week study evaluated the effects of three treatments on the achievement and attitudes toward mathematics class of 504- students in grades three, four and five. TAI combined student team learning and individualized instruction. Rapid Progress Mathematics (RPM) students used the exact materials as TAI students, but omitted the team component. This treatment was included to determine whether any effects of the program were due to the combination of teams and individualized instruction or only to the materials and procedures. Control students were instructed with traditional materials and procedures. Results of the standardized mathematics test showed significant effects for treatment and grade. After adjustment for pretests, the treatment effects were in the order TAI > RPM > Control. Effects approaching significance were also found on the diagnostic test, but on this test the order of the treatments was TAI> Control > RPM. Results of the attitude scale clearly showed that TAI and RPM conditions created more positive attitudes than did the control classes, but there were no differences between TAI and RPM. Further research will be needed to assess and to adapt these methods for use over a longer time period and to clarify the relative contributions of the team component and the individualized instruction component of the TAI program. However, this study documents the effectiveness and practicality of combining team learning and individualized instruction.Item The Effect of Grade Level, Achievement, and Type of Task on Metacognitive Awareness in Elementary Mathematics(1985) Bongiovani, Maryanne Bozarth; Torney-Purta, Judith; Human Development & Quantitative Methodology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Metacognition is an awareness of how one thinks and learns. It includes an awareness of the strategies used to learn as well as an awareness of oneself as a learner. The purpose of this study was to describe children's metacognitive awareness during a classroom type task. A further purpose was to determine how grade level, achievement, and type of task influence this awareness. One hundred sixty-eight fourth, sixth, and eighth grade boys and girls were classified as high or low math achievers based on their performance on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, a group achievement test. These children were then randomly selected to receive either known or unknown math problems. The known math task was operationally defined as one that was easy; it was a problem that the children would be able to solve. The unknown task was operationally defined as one that was difficult, it was a math problem that these children would find unsolvable. lmmediately following the task, the children were given feedback about their performance and were then asked to identify types of thoughts they may have had as they were working on the problems. The types of thoughts included general and specific strategies as well as ability and effort self-evaluations. A 3 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance design was used with Grade Level (four, six, and eight), Achievement (high and low), and Type of Task (known and unknown) as the between subjects factors. Findings showed that a known task elicited positive ability and effort self-evaluations for success. An unknown task evoked the use of more specific strategies than a known task. A grade level difference in metacognitive awareness showed that young children reported more metacognitive thoughts than older children.Item The Effect of Amniocentesis on Parental Anxiety and Self Concept(1981) Thomas, Maureen Mulroy; Dittmann, Laura L.; Human Development & Quantitative Methodology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The purpose of this study was to provide prospective information about the psychological consequences of amniocentesis for both the husband and wife. Amniocentesis is a procedure in which a sample of amniotic fluid is withdrawn from the amniotic sac surrounding the fetus during the second trimester of pregnancy and which is then cultured and tested for the presence of biochemical and chromosomal defects in the fetus. By gathering anxiety and self concept data before and after the results of the amniocentesis were known and then comparing it to similar data collected from pregnant couples who did not opt for the amniocentesis procedure, it was hoped that the following research questions would be answered. 1. Do individuals' levels of anxiety and self concept change after receiving the results of the amniocenteses? 2. Are there differences in women's and men's levels of anxiety and self concept before or after receiving the results of the amniocenteses? 3. Are the levels of anxiety and self concept of couples who have amniocenteses different from the levels of anxiety and self concept of couples who are pregnant but who do not have amniocenteses? There were two sources of data for this study. The first source was the treatment group which was composed of 25 women and their spouses who had an amniocentesis performed during the fifth month of pregnancy. The second source of data was the comparison group which was composed of 25 women and their spouses who were pregnant but who did not have an amniocentesis performed. These two groups were comparable in terms of socioeconomic status, educational achievement, racial composition, and religious affiliation. Both groups were interviewed at home on two occasions and during these times they were asked to describe their pregnancy experiences and to respond to the Institute of Personality and Ability Testing Anxiety Scale Questionnaire and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. To determine if changes occur in the treatment group's anxiety and self concept scores after receiving the test results, correlated t-Tests were performed. It was found that there were no statistically significant changes in either the women's or men's level of anxiety and self concept after receiving negative amniocentesis results. Negative amniocentesis results mean that the fetus has been found to be free of certain genetic defects. To answer the second research question concerning differences in anxiety and self concept scores for the treatment women and men, a series of oneway analyses of variance were performed on the data. It was found that the treatment group women had statistically higher levels of anxiety then their spouses both before and after the results of the amniocentesis were known. In terms of the self concept, the analyses revealed no evidence of statistical differences between the amniocenteis women and men. To determine if there were differences in levels of anxiety and self concept for treatment and comparison group couples, another series of oneway analyses of variance were performed. It was found that there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and comparison group women in terms of anxiety or self concept but there were statistically significant differences between the men. The treatment group men were found to be significantly less anxious than the comparison group men both before and after receiving the negative amniocentesis results. In terms of self concept, the treatment group men were found to feel significantly more positive about themselves before the results of the amniocentesis were known but not after. Based on this study's findings, it would seem that the degree of anxiety experienced by the amniocentesis couple during the waiting period is relative to the sex of the individual and is, at worst, no greater than that associated with being pregnant. It would also seem that in the early weeks after the diagnosis is known, negative amniocentesis results do little to reduce a couple's feelings of anxiety. Finally, it would seem that there is no decrease in a couple's self concept as a results of having an amniocentesis performed. Explanations for the discrepancies between this study's findings and the amniocentesis literature were given. They were grouped into one of three categories-- psychological orientation of the couples, demographic variables, and study design differences. Suggestions were also given for improving the genetic counseling amniocentesis couples receive as a result of this study's findings and areas for further investigation were discussed.Item Oral Communication Apprehension and Its Relationship to Language Achievement and Attitudes Toward the Language Arts(1982) Thom, Ruth V.; Roderick, Jessie; Human Development & Quantitative Methodology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)This study examined the occurrence of oral communication apprehension (OCA) among 547 sixth grade students in two Maryland schools. The focus was on the relationship between OCA and language achievement, as well as attitudes towards the language arts including sex differences. The Personal Report of Communication Fear Scale (McCroskey, 1977) was administered to categorize the subjects into five OCA levels - Low, Moderately Low, Moderate, Moderately High, and High. The scores gained on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills - Language Subtest were used to assess students' levels of language achievement, and their attitudes toward the language arts were measured by their scores on the Attitudes Toward the Language Arts Scale (Arlin-Hills) Frequencies and percentages were computed for estimating differences in the occurrence of oral communication apprehension among the groups and sexes while Chi-square analysis was used for testing significance of sex differences. Two-way ANOVA and Scheffe test for testing significance of sex differences in language achievement and attitudes to the language arts, as well as one-way ANOVA and intercorrelations of the scores of the PRCF and the two other measures were done to assess relationships between these variables. The following were the findings: 1. The High OCA group consisted of 15 percent of the sample, the Low 16 percent and the three combined Moderate OCA groups 69 percent. 2. Sex differences in the occurrence of OCA at each level were of no statistical significance, but slightly more girls than boys were highly apprehensive about oral communication. 3. The Low and Moderate OCA girls' groups scored significantly higher in language achievement than boys in these groups. 4. Sex differences in attitudes toward the language arts were not significant. 5. There was a relationship between OCA and language achievement indicated by a statistically significant difference among the five group means and the high apprehensives scored below the sample mean, while the low apprehensives scored above. 6. There was no relationship between OCA and attitudes towards the language arts as there was no statistically significant difference among the five OCA group means for the attitude scale.Item Adaptation of Indochinese Refugee Unaccompanied Minors to the United States: Depression; Americanization; Academic Achievement(1986) Porte, Zelda; Torney-Purta, Judith; Human Development & Quantitative Methodology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Many Indochinese unaccompanied adolescents have been resettled in the United States without parents. Their recent immigration and adolescent life stage-both potential stressors--may render them vulnerable to psychosocial distress. This study examined effects of placement mode, time in U.S., situation/status of family of origin, displacement, support, and political awareness on their life-satisfaction/ depression, Americanization, and academic achievement. Subjects were 82 Indochinese adolescents, ages 12 to 19. Of 58 unaccompanied minors, 29 were in foster care with Caucasian families, 10 in foster care with Indochinese families, 19 in group homes. Twenty-four Indochinese adolescents living with their own families were also subjects. A child's version of The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) measured depression. The investigator's 42-item questionnaire and checklist collected demographics and additional data. The overall sample was depressed: mean CES-D score, 18.25-two points above clinical depression. But, subjects in ethnic foster care or their own families had mean scores of 11, compared to 23 for Caucasian foster homes or group homes: F(3,78)=12.08, p.<.0001. Significant benefits for subjects in settings with an Indochinese adult (related or not) were: less depression, higher grade point average, more positive academic attributions, greater likelihood of viewing academic success as a result of own effort and under own control, more positive social attributions, greater frequency when sad of turning to another person for help in feeling better. Support had strong but differential influences on successful adaptation: beneficial in lowering depression for children in non-ethnic settings, unnecessary for those in ethnic homes. Displacement taking place prior to immigration to the U.S. ceased to have an effect on important outcomes when all variables were taken into account. There were significant differences in striving for independence (a measure of Americanization) between children in own families and unaccompanied minors, with the former having lower scores. Academic performance proved stable across groups: mean GPA was 3.05. These data suggest the importance of promoting (in the following order): foster care with extended family, foster care in ethnic homes, ethnic staff for service programs, Caucasian foster families with cross-cultural experience.