College of Education
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item Development and Preliminary Validation of the Religious Identity Development Scale(2002) Veerasamy, Suthkaran; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a new measure of religious identity development, the Religious Identity Development Scale (RIDS). The study also explored the relationship among religious identity development, anxiety and dogmatism to determine convergent and discriminant validity for the RIDS. The concurrent validity for the RIDS was determined by exploring the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientations. The religious identity measure that was validated in this study was based on a proposed model of religious identity development, the Experiential/Rational Model of Religious Identity Development. The participants for the study were 211 students and adults from the Midwest and East coast. They completed the Religious Identity Development Scale (RIDS; V. Suthakaran, 2002), the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale (Rokeach, 1960), the State subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Scale (Spielberger, 1983), Age Universal Intrinsic-Extrinsic Scale (Gorsuch & Venable, 1983), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). Exploratory factor analysis supported a six-factor model better than a seven-factor model. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by the negative correlations of the Acceptance status with anxiety and dogmatism, and the negative correlation of the Cognitive-Rationalization status with anxiety. Convergent validity was demonstrated by the positive correlations of the Concrete, Relational and Cognitive - Rationalization statuses with dogmatism, and the positive correlation of the Confusion status with anxiety. Some evidence, albeit modest, was found for concurrent validity, in that the Relational status was positively correlated with extrinsic religious orientation, and the Exploration status was positively correlated with intrinsic religious orientation. The negative correlation of the Cognitive-Rationalization status and the Confusion status with intrinsic religious orientation also provided tentative evidence for concurrent validity. Additional preliminary support for the concurrent validity of the RIDS was provided by examining the relationship of the six statuses with a two-dimensional definition of intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation. Finally, results appeared to indicate that the internal consistencies and test-retest reliabilities were adequate, except for the Relational status. The methodological limitations of the study and implications for counseling psychology were discussed. Suggestions for future research for refinement of methodology were offered.Item CAREER CERTAINTY OF COLLEGE STUDENT ATHLETlCS IN REVENUE VS. NON- REVENUE SPORTS(2002) Davtyan, Arman; Adams-Gaston, Javaune; Counseling and Personnel Services; University of Maryland (College Park, Md); Digital Repository at the University of MarylandThis thesis explored the career certainty of college student-athletes, specifically looking for differences between athletes in revenue and non-revenue sports. The My Vocational Situation survey was administered to a sample of Division I athletes representing both revenue and non-revenue sports to assess their vocational identity, as well as to gain information regarding possible difficulties and barriers against career certainty in student-athletes. Additionally, this thesis sought to find relationships between the following variables: (a) vocational identity and perceived barriers to career decision-making, (b) intent to pursue professional athletics and other non-athletic career aspirations, (c) vocational identity and career aspirations, and (d) sport type and intent to play professionally. Although no significant differences were observed between revenue and non-revenue athletes with respect to career certainty, chi-square analyses revealed significant relationships between all four sets of variables above (a-d). Based on these findings, implications for practice and future research are discussed.Item Cognitive Processing in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as Measured by the Thematic Apperception Test(2001) Young, William F.; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The present study attempted to add to the growing body of knowledge of ADHD by using the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) to measure cognitive processing in children with ADHD. Forty-five Children between the ages of 7 and 13 were evaluated for ADHD through a semi-structured interview and behavioral rating scales. IQ, achievement, visual-motor integration tests as well as a continuous performance test were administered as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Out of the 45 children, 15 were identified as having ADHD ( clinical group), 18 had attention deficit symptoms but were below the threshold for diagnosis (sub-clinical group), and 12 were found to be ineligible. Comparisons were made between the three groups of children referred for evaluation for ADHD and a group of 15 normal-control children taken from archival data who were matched for age and gender with the clinical group. Significant differences were found between all three of the referred groups and the control group for the following four cognitive processing variables from the TAT; Perceptual Integration , Level of Abstraction, Cognitive-Experiential Integration , and Level of Associative Thinking. The three groups of children referred for evaluation did not differ from each other. Gender differences were noted in the clinical group only with girls with ADHD scoring higher on cognitive processing variables than boys with ADHD. Factor analysis of all the measures used revealed four factors; cognitive processing, behavioral performance, hyperactivity, and inattention. Exploratory analysis was conducted on 16 children from the clinical and sub-clinical groups who were retested using behavioral rating scales, the continuous performance test, and the TAT; however, the number of children retested was too few to draw conclusions from the data. These results are discussed along with issues surrounding the diagnosis of ADHD and future directions for research regarding the nature of cognitive processing in children with ADHD.Item Who Wants to be a College President? Forms of Capital and the Career Aspirations of Senior College Administrators(2003) Umbach, Paul D.; Birnbaum, Robert; Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)This study used the theories of human, social and cultural capital as a lens to study the career aspirations of senior administrators, specifically vice presidents and deans already in the pipeline to the college presidency, particularly as they related to race and gender. More than 2,700 vice presidents and deans at American Association for State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) member institutions were asked to provide demographic information, ant to respond to survey items assessing their accumulation of capital, their experiences with discrimination and their aspirations. More than 1,600 surveys were returned resulting in a 61 % response rate. The typical senior administrator at state colleges and universities was a 54 year old, White, male from a middle to upper class family. Approximately 30% of the senior administrators were women. People of color made up approximately 13% of the senior administrators. African Americans represented the largest number of people of color at 8% of the respondents, followed by Latinos/as (3% of the sample) and other minorities (2% of the sample). The study found that most senior administrators did not aspire to be college presidents. Forms of capital were found to have a strong relationship with aspirations. Greater accumulation of human, social and cultural capital led to higher levels of presidential aspirations. Race and gender also were related to presidential aspirations. African Americans were significantly more likely than Whites to aspire to the presidency, and women were significantly less likely than men to want a presidential post, even after controlling for capital and discrimination. The majority of women and people of color in the study experienced discrimination in their career. For women, their experiences with discrimination appeared to have a negative impact when predicting some of the measures of aspirations. For people of color, their reported experiences had little impact on their presidential aspirations. The findings of this study highlighted the importance of issues of networks and mentoring. It also furthered the understanding of the impact of forms of capital, the pipeline to the presidency and discrimination on the aspirations of senior administrators.Item Exploring the Lives of Asian American Men: Racial Identity, Male Role Norms, Gender Role Conflict, and Prejudicial Attitudes(2000) Liu, William Ming; Pope-Davis, Donald B.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Much of the literature on masculinity has focused on the lives of White men. The literature assumed that White male experiences were ubiquitous for all men. Although some literature has begun to explore the lives of men of color, no empirical studies could be found that investigated the experiences of Asian American men from a racial identity perspective. Using racial identity to examine the lives of Asian American men was important since Asian American men, historically and contemporarily, encounter racism, yet no studies could be found that examined racism specifically among Asian American men. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between racial identity, male role norms, gender role conflict, and prejudicial attitudes. 323 Asian American men were surveyed from public, private, and community colleges on the East and West coast. Participants were given the People of Color Racial Identity Attitude Scale (POCRIAS, Helms, 1995), Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS, O'Neil et al., 1986), Male Role Norms Inventory (MRNI, Levant et al., 1992), Quick Discrimination Index (QDI, Ponterotto et al., 1995), and a demographic form. Results from correlations show small relationships between Conformity, Internalization, and prejudicial attitudes. Similarly, relationships between GRCS and MRNI subscale and total scores show some small to modest relationships. A two-way ANOVA showed differences in prejudicial attitudes between those who had never taken a multicultural education course and those who had taken two or more courses. Finally, two hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted. In the first regression, the GRCS total score was the criterion and the predictors were POCRIAS subscales and prejudicial attitudes. Dissonance, Immersion/Resistance, and Internalization subscales were significant predictors. In the second regression, the MRNI Traditional Masculine Attitude score was the criterion and POCRIAS and prejudicial attitudes were predictors. Immersion/Resistance, Internalization, and prejudicial attitudes were significant predictors. Because the variance accounted for in the correlations and regressions were small, results suggest that potentially, other variables such as Asian cultural values and age may be playing a role in the experiences of Asian American men. The strengths and limitations, counseling implications, and recommendations for future research are also presented.Item An Explanatory Study of the Institutional Factors Relating to the Quality of Social Greek Letter Societies(2001) Zacker, Terry York; Komives, Susan; Counseling and Personnel Services Department; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)This exploratory study sought to describe which institutional interventions and/or factors seem to make a difference in high quality Greek (fraternity and sorority) communities. The research provided a descriptive analysis of the institutions which host Greek letter communities identified as promoting the positive ideals of the Greek experience. Through a revised Council for the Advancement of Standards Self Assessment Guide (CAS-SAGR) measurement tool, several factors important to Greek community success were postulated. The institutions were identified by experts familiar with the fraternity and sorority arena (e.g. national executive directors of fraternities and sororities, Association of Fraternity Advisors national board members) as hosting Greek letter communities with chapters which embody the ideals and founding principles ofleadership, service, academic excellence, and character/personal development; and have Greek self-governance systems of high quality. Greek communities from sixteen campuses were selected as those that best represented high quality fraternity and sorority systems. Four individuals at each campus completed the CAS-SAGR instrument. The CAS-SAGR instrument included 14 categories which represented dependent variables in the study. Each category contained several items which asked respondents to rate the importance of the item to their Greek community and how well they accomplished the variable. The data from these surveys were analyzed using Manovas and several correlations based on the independent variables of size and type (e.g. public or private). The results of the Manovas showed no statistical significance for either variable of size or type which suggests more similarities between quality Greek communities. Additionally, Cronbach alphas were applied to the CAS-SAGR instrument to provide an initial screening for reliability. Of the fourteen categories of measurement on the CASSAGR, eleven had alpha scores above .60. The identification and description ofthe 16 institutions, representing varied sizes and types, which host high quality Greek life communities, provides practitioners with prototypes for Greek systems to use when looking at improving their Greek community. The results of this research provide "models" of Greek communities where the founding principles and ideals may be approximating realization.Item Self-concepts of adolescents with learning disabilities: A large-scale database study(2005-08-20) Strein, William; Signor-Buhl, SaraUsing the ELS: 2002 national database, we compared the self-concepts in reading, math, and general academic areas for students with and without identified learning disabilities. Unlike most similar research, students’ measured achievement in reading and math was controlled, thereby effectively comparing students at similar levels of achievement. When controlling for achievement, academic self-concepts were not lower for the students with LD. Similar to other studies, students with LD tended to statistically over-predict their achievement compared to the non-LD group.Item Urbanicity and Academic Self-Concept(2009-02-27) Strein, William; Pickering, Cyril; Grossman, JulieThe main focus of this study was the relationships between school urbanicity (size of community in which the school is located) and fifth-grade students’ academic self-concepts. Using multi-level modeling methodology (HLM) we were able to investigate “school effects”, net of individual students’ characteristics. School urbanicity had no effect on reading, math, or general academic self-concept. School-level effects were found consistently for aggregate school achievement in reading and math, congruent with Marsh’s Big-Fish-Little-Pond effect. Less consistent school-level effects were found for proportion of minority students and school-average SES. Individual level effects mirrored those reported in other literature with tested achievement having the greatest effectItem Self-Concept and Learning Disabilities: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Results(2006-03-31) Strein, WilliamUsing the ECLS-K national database, this study compared the self-concepts in reading, math, general academic (all-subjects), and peer areas for third-grade students with and without identified learning disabilities. Unlike most similar research on academic self-concept, students’ measured achievement in reading and math was controlled, thereby effectively comparing students at similar levels of achievement. Correlations between achievement and self-concept were small for both LD and non-LD groups. When controlling for achievement, academic self-concepts were not lower for the students with LD. Similar to other studies, students with LD tended to statistically over-predict their achievement compared to the non-LD group. This study extends the Strein and Signor (2005) study that used similar methodology on a national database of high school sophomores.Item The Impact of Model Selection on Loglinear Analysis of Contingency Tables(2009) Gao, Jing; Dayton, C. Mitchell; Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)It is common practice for researchers in the social sciences and education to use model selection techniques to search for best fitting models and to carry out inference as if these models were given a priori. This study examined the effect of model selection on inference in the framework of loglinear modeling. The purposes were to (i) examine the consequences when the behavior of model selection is ignored; and (ii) investigate the performance of the estimator provided by the Bayesian model averaging method and evaluate the usefulness of the multi-model inference as opposed to the single model inference. The basic finding of this study was that inference based on a single "best fit" model chosen from a set of candidate models leads to underestimation of the sampling variability of the parameters estimates and induces additional bias in the estimates. The results of the simulation study showed that due to model uncertainty the post-model-selection parameter estimator has larger bias, standard error, and mean square error than the estimator under the true model assumption. The same results applied to the conditional odds ratio estimators. The primary reason for these results is that the sampling distribution of the post-model-selection estimator is, in actuality, a mixture of distributions from a set of candidate models. Thus, the variability of the post-model- selection estimator has a large component from selection bias. While these problems were alleviated with the increase of sample size, the interpretation of the p-value of the Z-statistic of the parameters was misleading even when sample size was quite large. To avoid the problem of inference based on a single best model, Bayesian model averaging adopts a multi-model inference method, treating the weighted mean of the estimates from each model in the set as a point estimator, where the weights are derived using Bayes' theorem.