Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2024, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by a spectrum of neuropsychological and behavioral impairments ranging from mild to severe. Formal diagnostic assessments primarily rely on a comprehensive evaluation of behavioral and developmental factors. However, the self-report assessments currently used have limitations which threaten the scales' reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the psychometric properties of the Autism Spectrum Trait Scale (ASTS), a new self-report scale developed to detect ASC in adults. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 764) was conducted to develop the factor structure, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 754) was performed to determine model fit. The results indicated a stable six-factor model with good model fit, metric measurement invariance, and relatively high sensitivity and specificity. These findings provide evidence for the utilization of the ASTS as a component of assessment for ASC in adults.

Committee: Amir Poreh (Committee Chair); Kathleen Reardon (Committee Co-Chair); Elizabeth Goncy (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2021, Psychology-Counseling

There are several multidimensional scales that are proposed to measure the intersection between gender and racial identities with African American men. These measures have used total scale scores, or subscale scores based mostly on exploratory factor analysis. Few confirmatory factor analyses with priori structures have been performed on existing measures that would support the use of a scale score or a raw score. Moreover, they do not demonstrate a measurement model. This study assessed the dimensionality of the Rogers African American Masculinity Scale (RAAMS, Rogers, 2017). Through interpretation of several models (i.e., a bifactor model, correlated factors modela second order factor in a hierarchical model, or a unidimensional model) the RAAMS demonstrated strongest model fit using a bifactor model The RAAMS subscales raw scores were determined to be useful in measuring the latent subscale factors of Self-Definition, Discrimination, and Traditional Masculinity but not African American Values as it was determined that the construct does not contribute meaningfully from the general factor. There was also validity evidence of the RAAMS subscales through their correlations with similar scales (i.e., MIS and BMES). The RAAMS also demonstrated configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance for two age groups of African American Men. It was suggested that the RAAMS is approached in similar ways for the two different age groups. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Committee: Jonn Queener (Committee Chair); Ronald Levant (Advisor); Robert Peralta (Committee Member); Ingrid Weigold (Committee Member); Suzette Speight (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychological Tests; Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

Introduction: Social media has become a necessary form of communication for young adults in nearly all contexts of life. One such context is in higher education, specifically, university students who are connected and “online” nearly 24 hours a day. Not only are these young adults integrating social media into their collegiate academic experiences both formally and informally, university faculty are also using this form of communication to support their teaching. In recent years, a number of countries in the Middle East have started to use social-networking sites (SNSs) for communication with regularity. One country with a significant proportion of social media users is Saudi Arabia (SA), with Saudi university students being the largest group of active users. In the current study, two scales measuring social media use were translated into Arabic and used with a large sample of undergraduate students in SA. Purpose: Manuscript 1's objective was to examine the psychometric properties (i.e., content and construct validity; internal consistency reliability) of the Arabic version of the Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS) among Saudi undergraduate students. Manuscript 2's purpose was to examine the same psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Social Media and Academic Performance of Students (SMAPOS) scale in a sample of Saudi undergraduate students. Additionally, the functioning of items in both scales was evaluated across male and female students. Methods: A total of 508 undergraduate students at one, large university in SA participated in this study and completed the Arabic versions of both scales (i.e., the SONTUS and the SMAPOS). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Internal Consistency Reliability, and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) were used to analyze the data. Results: Manuscript 1 results showed that the Arabic version of the SONTUS contained three subscales and overall had good psychometric p (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aryn C. Karpinski (Advisor); Jason Schenker (Committee Member); Lee Seon Jeong (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Tests and Measurements

PHD, Kent State University, 2019, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the newly developed Twitter and Scholastic Synchronicity Scale (TSSS) and Twitter and Scholastic Apportionment Assessment (TSAA) items. The study also sought to understand if and how attitude and behavior positively and/or negatively related to undergraduate students' academic performance. The TSSS scale focused on measuring how undergraduate students use Twitter for academics while the TSAA scale focused on their attitudes toward using Twitter for academics. A comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted to explore both the validity and reliability aspects of these newly developed scales. An online survey collected research data from 327 undergraduate students at one institution. First, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to understand the underlying factor structure. Second, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to check the proximity of the conceptual model's results to the hypothesized model. Third, reliability and validity aspects of the measure were investigated using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Rasch Analysis (RA). Fourth, Hierarchical Multiple Regression (HMR) was used to understand the relationship between students' academics and the newly developed scales. The results here provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the newly developed scales. CFA confirmed that research data support the hypothesized data, and RA indicated that the items featured in these newly developed scales are based on a single measure. The HMR results indicated that students' academic performance and Twitter scales (TSSS and TSAA) are strongly correlated. Both scales help to explain the variance in undergraduate students' academic performance.

Committee: Tricia Niesz Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Karl Kosko Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Richard Ferdig Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Statistics

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2010, Weatherhead School of Management

Over time enterprises have woven together a fabric of processes, information structures, and computer tools to conduct their day-to-day business. Many of the components of this patchwork of systems cannot work together effectively, as the underlying models are incompatible. There is however, a strong business case to be made for ensuring that end-to- end business processes are interoperable, both across the enterprise, and with other enterprises. Qualitative research demonstrates that distinct cultures and non-overlapping knowledge between IS development (ISD) team members impedes system development success. It also identifies Boundary Spanning mechanisms as a significant mitigator. We develop these ideas further by exploring the mechanisms of knowledge sharing in project teams covering overlapping competence, and the presence of knowledge integration mechanisms - acculturation, boundary spanning roles- in how they affect ISD success. We utilize survey data derived from 139 ISD projects in a global US automotive OEM, completed between 2006 and 2009. We show that boundary spanning roles, acculturative processes, and cross-domain knowledge affect in significant ways IS development success. In particular, we demonstrate that facilitative boundary spanning roles - ambassador, coordinator, and scout - moderate the relationship between accumulated IS business domain knowledge and ISD success, and that IS business competence is partially determined by acculturation among IS team members, and the technical competence of the IS team. Teams with low levels of business domain knowledge may be able to mitigate their business knowledge deficit by engaging in boundary spanning behaviors as to enhance the flow of information across the team's knowledge boundaries.

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen, Ph.D. (Advisor); Nick Berente, Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Information Systems

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for higher education administrators to assess their social media practices during the admissions cycle. The instrument collects data from students on their perceptions about the quality of the institution's social media activities. A review of relevant literature was completed, and experts were consulted to develop an instrument. The instrument was distributed to 2,000 students at three different four-year public institutions for a total of 6,000. Response rates differed by institution with the highest at 19% and the lowest 6.4%. Exploratory Factor Analyses were run on the data from two of the schools. Using a replication strategy, the final model was replicated between the two EFAs. Using that model, using the data from the third sample a Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed, also confirming that the data supported the model from the EFA. The data showed that social media was not influential in the college choice process. The final 12-item model also had high internal consistency reliability. The final instrument is an effective tool for administrators to assess their social media practices.

Committee: Erica Eckert (Committee Co-Chair); Stephen Thomas (Committee Co-Chair); Aryn Karpinski (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy; Educational Technology; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Technology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2017, Leadership and Change

This study developed a teacher self-assessment instrument in the form of six factors across two overarching constructs, resulting in one Positive Relationships scale with three factors; and three related, but separate, scales measuring elements of the Classroom Environment. Many teacher skills and qualities are known to contribute to effectiveness in the classroom, such as teacher self-efficacy, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and instructional knowledge. The inclusion of affective dimensions of teacher effectiveness can complement the prevailing focus on other measures of teacher effectiveness, through the consideration of critically important, but relatively ignored, aspects of effective teaching. This study examined teacher attitudes toward building positive relationships with students and creating an empowering classroom environment, grounded in teacher effectiveness research. A survey was taken by 403 practicing elementary teachers in the United States. The results were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The resulting factors were compared with a four-item classroom management subscale of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) to determine convergent validity, measuring similar underlying constructs; and divergent validity, measuring attitudes versus efficacy. Participant demographic variables were compared using independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and tests for metric invariance to determine if the instrument performed similarly with all groups. Findings show good model fit, reliability, and validity for the factors related to each overarching construct, and most demographic variables showed no variance in the models. Significant differences were found for the Managing Conflict factor between teachers who taught grades K–2 and teachers who taught all elementary grades. Group differences on the Student-Centered and Positive Guidance factors were found between t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jon Wergin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carol Baron Ph.D. (Committee Member); James McMillan Ph.D. (Committee Member); Thomas Good Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education; School Administration; Teaching

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Leadership and Change

This study developed a scale for teams to assess their behaviors related to creative synergy. Creative synergy is the interactions among team members where the collective creative results are greater than the sum of their individual efforts. When a team achieves creative synergy they have the potential to solve difficult problems with innovative solutions leading to positive impacts on our communities, societies, and even our world. This study looked at the internal-process variables of teams to determine what factors impact creative synergy. The research process involved two phases. In Phase 1, a survey was taken by 830 adults who were members of teams. The results were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A new scale was created that identified three factors teams need for creative synergy: team purpose, team dynamics, and team creative process. In Phase 2, the new scale was tested with three work teams to determine the perceived accuracy of the scale. The new Creative Synergy Scale will be a valuable tool for teams wanting to be more creative together. It will give them feedback on their level of team purpose, team dynamics, and team creative process. This dissertation is accompanied by two supplemental files: a video of the author's introduction (MP4) and a correlation table showing the original 75 items considered for the Creative Synergy Scale (PDF). This dissertation is available in open-access at OhioLink ETD Center, etd.ohiolink.edu and AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/

Committee: Mitchell Kusy Ph.D (Committee Chair); Carol Baron Ph.D (Committee Member); Susan Keller-Mathers Ed.D (Committee Member); James Kaufman Ph.D (Other) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Administration; Business Community; Cognitive Psychology; Communication; Management; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Psychological Tests; Psychology; Social Psychology; Social Research; Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2014, Educational Leadership

Despite the constant demands placed on schools to excel academically, there is a combination of core components necessary for school systems to be successful. Although schools want to offer a climate that is conducive to all of their stakeholders (staff, students, and family members) many of them strive to understand the existing climate and the impact it has on the school. Because measuring climate is difficult many schools struggle to find a valid means of gathering information in order to improve the school climate. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) designed a second version of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environment (CASE) survey to measure school climate in 2010 (the original version was designed in 1986) and, to date, it had not been validated. According to NASSP, the information gained from the survey can be utilized by schools to make better decisions for school improvement. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the construct validity of the 2010 version of CASE through exploratory factor analysis. Additionally, the researcher also analyzed the usability of the instrument's design, clarity, and ease of use by intended stakeholders at the local school level. The entry points for data collection in schools were a national random sample of high school principals (N=28) who were members of the National Association of Secondary Principals. The principals distributed an online link to the survey to the staff, students, and parents/guardians in their buildings, consistent with the CASE design. Over 4,000 stakeholders representing 28 schools across 21 states completed the CASE survey. A four-factor solution was derived from a factor analysis of combined responses from three groups of stakeholders (students, parents, and instructional staff). The four factors retained were: (1) Savvy Teaching Practices, (2) Student Responsibility and Safety, (3) Cohesive School Relationships and Belonging, and (4) Posi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carolyn Ridenour Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Thomas Lasley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Charles Russo Ed.D. (Committee Member); Keri Kirschman Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Tests and Measurements

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, EDU Policy and Leadership

In education research, ordinal data is the norm but does not meet the assumptions of most statistical methods and thus is often analyzed inappropriately. Using a dataset typical of the field, this study compared four factor analytic methods: a traditional exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a full-information EFA, and two EFAs within the confirmatory factor analysis framework (E/CFA) conducted according to the Joreskog method and the Gugiu method. Because an approach for handling cross-loaded items in multifactor models has not been clearly defined within the Gugiu method, two approaches were compared. The fixed-loadings approach involves forcing cross-loaded items to load onto only one factor, chosen based on the strongest theoretical justification. The delete-items approach deletes all cross-loaded items from the model. Both approaches were used to arrive at a starting model that was then modified according to the Gugiu method. Methods were compared on initial model fit, replication in a confirmatory factor analysis, and the stability, interpretability, and reliability of the models. In terms of initial model fit, methods appropriate for ordinal data produced better models, the E/CFAs outperformed the EFAs, and the Gugiu method demonstrated greater model interpretability than the Joreskog method. Both approaches to the Gugiu method produced well-fitting models, but the delete-items approach outperformed the fixed-loadings approach. However, contrary to the findings of a previous study, these results did not hold for model validation. In CFAs conducted on posttest data, the model fit of the E/CFAs was on par with or worse than the model fit of the EFAs. Additionally, the two approaches to the Gugiu method performed the worst where before they had performed the best, with the fixed-loadings approach faring particularly poorly. In the case of this data, the full-information EFA produced the best fitting models. Examining characteristics of the data help to expl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: P. Cristian Gugiu (Advisor); Eric Anderman (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Tests and Measurements; Psychological Tests

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

Educational institutions, at all levels, must justify their use of placement testing and confront questions of their impact on students' educational outcomes to assure all stakeholders that students are being enrolled in courses appropriate with their ability in order to maximize their chances of success (Linn, 1994; Mattern & Packman, 2009; McFate & Olmsted III, 1999; Norman, Medhanie, Harwell, Anderson, & Post, 2011; Wiggins, 1989). The aims of this research were to (1) provide evidence of Content Validity, (2) provide evidence of Construct Validity and Internal Consistency Reliability, (3) examine the item characteristics and potential bias of the items between males and females, and (4) provide evidence of Criterion-Related Validity by investigating the ability of the mathematics placement test scores to predict future performance in an initial mathematics course. Students' admissions portfolios and scores from the mathematics placement test were used to examine the aims of this research. Content Validity was evidenced through the use of a card-sorting task by internal and external subject matter experts. Results from Multidimensional Scaling and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis revealed a congruence of approximately 63 percent between the two group configurations. Next, an Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to investigate the underlying factor structure of the mathematics placement test. Findings indicated a three factor structure of PreCalculus, Geometry, and Algebra 1, with moderate correlations between factors. Thirdly, an item analysis was conducted to explore the item parameters (i.e., item difficulty, and item discrimination) and to test for gender biases. Results from the item analysis suggested that the Algebra 1 and Geometry items were generally easy for the population of interest, while the PreCalculus items presented more of a challenge. Furthermore, the mathematics placement test was optimized by removing eleven items from the Algebra 1 factor (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aryn Karpinski PhD (Committee Chair); Tricia Niesz PhD (Committee Member); Rajeev Rajaram PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Gifted Education; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Psychological Tests

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Organization Development

Personality psychology, which focuses on understanding individual orientation, traits, and attribution style, provides critical insights into organizational behavior and performance. This study begins with a rigorous review of foundational theories, ensuring quality, clarity, transparency, and methodological rigor. Specifically, it examines behavioral orientation, personality traits, and attribution style to lay the groundwork for developing the Unified Human Dynamics Framework Instrument (UHDF-I) through exploratory factor analysis. This dissertation aims to achieve two primary objectives: 1) deepen understanding of behavioral orientation, traits, and attribution style constructs; and 2) create the Unified Human Dynamics Framework Instrument (UHDF-I), integrating 11 diverse constructs into a cohesive framework to elucidate human personality dynamics. The validity and reliability of the UHDF-I were established through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A preliminary EFA using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation supported the development of an 11-factor structure for the UHDF-I. The UHDF-I integrates 11 constructs: task and relationship orientation; Machiavellianism; narcissism; psychopathy; sadism; faith in humanity; Kantianism; humanism traits; and internal and external locus of control attributions. Initially comprising 290 items, including 13 for honesty, attention, and redundancy measures, these were refined to 44 items (4 per factor) following EFA to eliminate non-loading, poorly loading, or cross-loading items above an Eigenvalue of .3. The Unified Human Dynamics Framework Instrument (UHDF-I) offers comprehensive and empirically validated insights into fundamental personality characteristics. By integrating multiple constructs, it provides a robust framework to enhance understanding of how individuals and groups connect, motivate each other, and interact across various life and work domains. Utilizing the UHDF-I has the potential to opt (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steven Cady Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Lubomir Popov Ph.D. (Other); Truit Gray Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeanelle Sears Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Sociology

Recent social conversations and histories point to difficulties queer graduate students of color (QGSOC) experience while pursuing their degrees, licenses, and credentials. This dissertation serves to highlight and further validate the stressfulness of graduate education for QGSOC. With a basis in sociology, this dissertation examines the experiences of students whose identities lie at the intersection of multiple interlocking systems of oppression. One research question with multiple hypotheses guides this study: What is the nature of the relationship between QGSOC backgrounds and extant circumstances and their institutional commitment to and persistence in obtaining their degrees? To obtain this information the researcher used a survey consisting of questions from three previously validated subscales: Everyday Mistreatment Scale (Taylor et. al., 2004), components of the College Persistence Questionnaire (Beck and Hall, 2009), and the Brief Trauma Questionnaire (Schnurr et al., 2002). The total sample for this study was N=176 with 131 participants indicating being Black or African American. Eighty participants indicated being cismen and 92 indicated being ciswomen. 45% of the sample (n=80) indicated being bisexual. Exploratory analysis demonstrated three usable factors from the Everyday Mistreatment and College Persistence Questionnaire's subscales. Two new research questions then guided the study: 1) Are there significant differences based on gender (i.e., male, female), sexuality (i.e., gay, bisexual, demisexual), and program level (i.e., masters, doctoral) on discrimination, student support, and financial strain? 2) Is body weight discrimination a significant moderator between discrimination and student support services satisfaction? T-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression data demonstrated significant results. Gay participants had the highest perceptions of discrimination via everyday mistreatment (Mean = 2.81, Standard Deviation = 0.70), d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brian Gran (Committee Chair); Heather Burton (Committee Member); Adam Perzynski (Committee Member); Eva Kahana (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Organization Development

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold; first to advance the Use of Self (UoS) construct by examining the dimensions of UoS, then to develop an instrument for people to self-assess how they view and use themselves in the workplace. The validity and reliability of the Use of Self Survey Instrument (UoS-SI) were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis. A preliminary EFA was conducted using principal component analysis with a Promax rotation method which supported the three factor-structure of the instrument. The three dimensions of Self-Awareness, Situational Awareness, and Intentional Action were comprised of 55 initial items that were reduced to 33 (eleven per factor) after the items that did not load, cross-loaded, or were substantially the same as another item that loaded higher were removed. The final three-factor structure was run using PCA as the extraction method with a Promax rotation method with the remaining 33 items. The resulting structure loaded cleanly with the three factors of Self-Awareness, Situational Awareness, and Intentional Action, explaining 53.09% of the variance in the relationship patterns of the items and the factors correlating at r > .51. This supports the assertion that the three factors are part of the larger UoS construct, while also being unique and highly reliable with Cronbach alphas a >.90. This also supports that the UoS-SI is a valid and reliable instrument. This research is important because it further extends the empirical evidence on UoS and contributes to the body of knowledge within organizational contexts. Much of the UoS literature focuses on helping-type professions and specifically in the therapy and Organization Development & Change (OD&C) fields. However, little empirical research has been conducted on UoS and there is no known research on how professionals outside of these helping disciplines in organizations use UoS in the workplace. Addressing this limitation is importa (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steven Cady Ph.D (Committee Chair); Jari Willing Ph.D (Other); David Jamieson Ph.D (Committee Member); Colleen Boff Ed.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Personal Relationships; Social Research

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Psychology

Although the importance of sleep difficulties to symptoms of emotional disorders has long been acknowledged, the nature of the potential reciprocal relationship between sleep and emotional disorder symptoms is not yet well understood. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to study the natural progression of these symptoms over a period marked by increases in stress, sleep problems, and psychological symptoms in the population. Using online data collection, this study followed 1,200 participants (59% male) through one year of the pandemic. Sleep, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed at eight timepoints with assessments occurring more frequently at the beginning of the study. In within-participant analyses, two significant relationships were revealed. Symptoms of anxiety and depression each predicted subsequent change in insomnia symptoms. Interestingly, insomnia did not predict changes in either depressive or anxiety symptoms. These findings document only one direction of effect in the relationships between psychological symptoms and symptoms of insomnia: symptoms predicted insomnia. Implications for understanding the role of insomnia in emotional disorders are discussed.

Committee: Daniel Strunk (Advisor); Baldwin Way (Committee Member); Jennifer Cheavens (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Psychology/Clinical

Over half a million of Chinese international students left their homeland to study abroad in western universities. These students' unique mental health needs should be addressed. Research has indicated that Chinese international students face unique acculturative stressors and have higher levels of psychological distress compared to their domestic counterparts. Yet, there is a lack of research on the measurement of these stressors. In a previous study, we used data from a focus group study to develop a new acculturative stress measure for Chinese international students and conducted a preliminary analysis with a small sample to further modify the measure. Then, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted using a bigger sample and that resulted in a 9-factor measure. This measure has a total of 40 items and was named the Unique Stress of Chinese International Students Questionnaire (USCIS). The USCIS demonstrated good internal consistencies and criterion-related validity when used to predict psychological distress. In this study, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with data from 333 Chinese international student participants. This CFA replicated the previously established nine-factor model and this model demonstrated a good model fit. The nine factors in the model are Loneliness, Social Isolation, Academic Stress, Health Care, Language Barrier, Financial Burden, Academic Isolation, Family Distance, and Transportation. The psychometric properties of this new measure were evaluated, including internal consistency and construct validity by using correlational analysis and hierarchical regression. The testing results suggested excellent internal consistency of the USCIS and adequate convergent/discriminant validity and criterion-related validity. The USCIS is one of the first measures devoted to assessing acculturative stress experienced by CIS. We envision this measure to be used as a screening tool for identifying CIS who express acculturation-r (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William O'Brien PhD (Advisor); Abby Braden PhD (Committee Member); Yiwei Chen PhD (Committee Member); Lara Lengel PhD (Other) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Educational Studies

There is consensus around the fact that quality of teaching is one of the most important school-level factors to influence student achievement at school. Evidence from research suggests that better-qualified teachers can be the determining factor for student achievement and development (Jordan et al., 1997; Sanders & Rivers, 1996; Wright et al., 1997). Therefore, policy makers advocate for ongoing improvements in teacher quality variables, in which the implementation of a well-designed teacher evaluation system has been found to be one of the most effective ways to improve teacher quality (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Looney, 2011; Rockoff & Speroni, 2011). The case of Chile is a particularly interesting example of a teacher evaluation system since its implementation, a validation process that has included not only the experience and documentation regarding the process, but also a comprehensive agenda regarding the validity and reliability of the instrument and evaluation consequences (Taut & Sun, 2014). The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the body of research on the evidence of the validity of Chilean teacher evaluation. Specifically, I focus on one of the teacher evaluation instruments: the portfolio. Through the portfolio, teachers provide evidence of their best practices in three modules: a set of pedagogical materials, video recording class, and collaborative work (not mandatory). In order to accomplish this goal, I use the data from the portfolio results of the 2017 Chilean National Teacher Evaluation (N = 21,982). I use descriptive statistics, exploratory confirmatory factor analysis (ECFA), and factorial invariance to assess the structure of the portfolio across different teacher subgroups: teachers with and without the collaborative work module score, rural/urban teachers, and six different teaching levels. I also compare the theoretical weight assigned to each one of the portfolio indicators with the empirical data. Finally, I evaluate if the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jerome D’Agostino (Advisor); Jessica Logan (Committee Member); Shayne Piasta (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Tests and Measurements

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2019, College of Education and Human Services

Persistence to graduation for adult undergraduate students has been challenging for decades. Many adult learners enroll into the university with numerous sociodemographic characteristics that can hinder their success. Adult students must manage multiple roles and balance their personal, professional and student roles in order to succeed. Twenty-eight percent of first year undergraduate students will not return to college in their second year (American College Testing, 2012). The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between self-efficacy, academic success and persistence for undergraduate students through the lens of Donaldson & Graham's (1999) model of college outcomes for adult learners. The sample for this study represented 310 undergraduate students from two large urban public universities in the United States. This study measured the students' level of self-efficacy and academic persistence in college. The following surveys were employed for this study: the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (Chen, Gully and Eden, 2001) and the Social Integration and Persistence Scale (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1980). Because this survey is nearly 40-years old, the researcher employed an exploratory factor analysis on the data which now suggest that there are six factors that measure academic persistence for adult learners in urban universities. These six factors include: (1) intellectual development, (2) peer group interaction, (3) non-classroom faculty interaction, (4) negative faculty interaction, (5) academic aspirations, and (6) university interconnectedness. This study suggests a significant positive correlation between five of the six factors, with exception to the factor: interconnectedness to the university. The findings suggest that there is a significant correlation between self-efficacy and undergraduate credit hours earned, but no significant correlation between self-efficacy and cumulative grade point average. The findings suggest that there is a posi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jonathan Messemer Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Anne Galletta Ph.D. (Committee Member); Catherine Hansman Ed.D. (Committee Member); Mittie Davis Jones Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2019, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

In adventure programming, there are a variety of conceptions for professional competencies necessary for professionals to cultivate. Creativity is a key skill as we move forward in the 21st century and is often misrepresented in the literature on adventure programming or completely missing. The drive behind this dissertation to address this shortcoming in the literature and work toward determining how creativity may change as outdoor leaders mature. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine what constructs associated with creativity are present in adventure programming and how these constructs vary based on demographic differences among outdoor leaders. The literature review focuses on outlining how creativity is present in the literature on adventure programming and how creativity is conceptualized in other social science research circles. A through discussion of the interplay between creativity and adventure programming is present. To understand how creativity manifests itself in adventure programming the five subdomains of problem solving, divergent thinking, creative self-efficacy, motivation, and general creativity are thoroughly explored and the Creative Outdoor Leadership Scale was developed to measure creativity levels across demographics in adventure 4 programming. A number of outdoor professional agencies were ultimately included in the study at both a pilot level (n=28) and in the final analysis (n=226). The study found that both divergent thinking and creative self-efficacy was a significant predictor of maturation of outdoor leaders in the sample especially between assistant instructors and senior level staff. Independent samples t-test and one way between subjects ANOVA were used to see how these groups change over time. The exploratory factor analysis found a four-factor model that highly correlates with the proposed subconstruct model proposed in this study. Future study recommendations and implications for this study are also discussed.

Committee: Bruce Martin PhD (Committee Chair); Gordon Brooks PhD (Committee Member); Eugene Geist PhD (Committee Member); Andy Szolosi PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Leadership; Environmental Education; Epistemology; Psychology; Recreation; Sociology; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2017, Counseling Psychology

College-aged women are particularly vulnerable to developing disordered eating behaviors (e.g., Hesse-Biber et al., 1999). One potential explanation for this vulnerability is that socio-cultural pressures for women to attain an ultra-thin physique enables these women to derive a sense of meaning, or purpose, in taking extreme actions to lose weight. Qualitative works have provided beginning speculation regarding the specific domains in which women with anorexia find meaning in their symptoms (Nordbø et al., 2006; Serpell et al., 1999). The current study extended these qualitative works by using conventional scale development procedures to create the Meaning in Striving Toward Thinness Scale (MISTS) to assess for the ways in which college women find meaning in their disordered eating. Items were written to reflect five hypothesized domains of meaning: 1) Security/Control, 2) Attractiveness, 3) Avoidance, 4) Mastery/Skill, and 5) Identity. Undergraduate women (N = 339) completed the MISTS, as well as measures of disordered eating, body comparison, body surveillance, body shame, internalized thin ideal, and presence/search for meaning in life. The MISTS was submitted to exploratory factor analysis. A five factor structure provided the best fit for the data, and factors were named to reflect their item content: F1) Avoidance; F2) Accomplishment, F3) Recognition, F4) Perceived Detriments of Weight Gain, and F5) Attractiveness. Pearson's correlations provided initial validity evidence for the MISTS, by demonstrating that the MISTS related to other variables of interest in theoretically-expected ways. The results of these analyses are discussed, and implications for theory, research, and practice as well as limitations and future directions, are explored.

Committee: Charles Waehler Ph.D (Advisor); Ingrid Weigold Ph.D (Committee Member); Linda Subich Ph.D (Committee Member); Margo Gregor Ph.D (Committee Member); Julia Spiker Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology; Psychological Tests; Psychology