MA, Kent State University, 2009, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

We examined the impact of overreporting on the validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scale scores by comparing the strength of correlations with external criteria for a control group of individuals who completed the MMPI-2-RF under standard instructions with correlations of individuals who completed the instrument under instructions to (a) feign psychopathology or (b) feign somatic complaints. Correlations between MMPI-2-RF substantive scales and criteria were much weaker for feigners than for controls. We also examined mean profiles, which were more elevated for feigners than for controls. Overall, results were more extreme for psychopathology feigners than for somatic feigners. Our results demonstrate the detrimental effect that overreporting psychopathology or somatic problems has on the validity of MMPI-2-RF scale scores. The findings emphasize the critical need for validity indices in self-report personality assessment so that test interpreters can detect individual protocols that are likely to have extremely invalid scale scores due to invalid responding.

Committee: Yossef Ben-Porath PhD (Committee Chair); John Graham PhD (Committee Member); John Gunstad PhD (Committee Member); Manfred van Dulmen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Mental Health; Psychological Tests; Psychology

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) contains a set of five Interpersonal scales that have either been added or modified as part of the revisions made in the transition from the MMPI-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) to the MMPI-3. The current study aims to investigate the construct validity of each MMPI-3 Interpersonal scale by examining associations between them and various external measures of relevant interpersonal constructs across three separate undergraduate student samples. Hypotheses were first developed regarding associations between each Interpersonal scale and relevant criterion measures, which were then tested using correlational analyses. Associations between each Interpersonal scale and criteria were further examined using hierarchical regression when unhypothesized, meaningful associations occurred. Discriminant validity was also investigated using a series of dominance analyses. Results indicate that most hypotheses were supported. While some unhypothesized Interpersonal scales incrementally predicted scores on criterion measures, dominance analyses indicated that most scales initially hypothesized to be associated with a criterion also dominated prediction of that criterion over other Interpersonal scales. Implications of these findings and limitations of the current study are discussed.

Committee: Yossef Ben-Porath (Advisor); Christopher Waz (Committee Member); Mary-Beth Spitznagel (Committee Member); William Lechner (Committee Member) Subjects: Personality Psychology; Psychological Tests; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2022, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology PhD

Perpetrator workplace aggression has always been considered as a uni-dimensional construct from the uni-dimensional perspective. The most popular and widely used scale, interpersonal deviance scale (IDS; Bennett & Robinson, 2000), to assess perpetrator workplace aggression has only seven items (i.e., seven content areas), which lacks a high level of content-related and construct-related validity. Recently, researchers have suggested that perpetrator workplace aggression may be a construct with a general factor at the top (Sackett & DeVore, 2001); however, this general factor can be less clear for a more complex model (Marcus et al., 2016). Using three samples (N = 271, 337, & 264), this research found that perpetrator workplace aggression was also a uni-dimensional construct from the multi-dimensional perspective, the general factor was very clear for a complex model, and developed a new scale with a higher level of content-related (i.e., 24 different content areas of perpetrator workplace aggression) and construct-related validity (by developing a large nomological network). In addition to a higher level of content-related and construct-related validity, the new scale showed a higher level of internal consistency and substantive validity. Hence, I recommend that researchers and practitioners use this new scale in future when assessing perpetrator workplace aggression.

Committee: Nathan A. Bowling Ph.D. (Advisor); David M. LaHuis Ph.D. (Committee Member); Corey E. Miller Ph.D. (Committee Member); Brian D. Lyons Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Occupational Psychology; Organizational Behavior; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults can be significantly impairing across various life domains. As manifestations of ADHD in adulthood become increasingly recognized, however, research has started to address diagnostic challenges inherent in the clinical evaluation of adult ADHD. One such challenge is the reliance on self-reported ratings when measuring functional impairment associated with ADHD symptomatology. Considering the high clinical need for accurate assessments of functional impairment in the diagnosis of ADHD, it is critical that both clinicians and researchers understand the falsifiability of subjective instruments commonly used to measure functional impairment. We used secondary analysis of data from two cross-sectional studies to investigate the relations among perceived functional impairment, symptom validity, and performance validity in adults presenting with ADHD. Study 1 utilized a simulation study design with a general functional impairment measure, while Study 2 was a clinical known-groups study with an ADHD-specific functional impairment measure. As expected, noncredible responders reported significantly greater symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, anxiety, and depression compared to credible responders across both studies, though there were variable findings for self-reported somatic symptoms. Additionally, noncredible responders reported greater overall functional impairment relative to credible responders, and a greater proportion of noncredible responders endorsed clinically impaired levels of functional impairment. While noncredible presentations significantly moderated the association between self-reported functional impairment and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in Study 1, there was less consistent support for a moderating effect of noncredible presentations on the relationship between symptoms and impairment in Study 2. These results suggest that, in adult ADHD evaluations, noncredible presentations ca (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julie Suhr (Advisor); Julie Owens (Committee Member); Brian Wymbs (Committee Member); Allyson Harrison (Committee Member); Bilal Urkmez (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

This dissertation reports the outcome of a comprehensive investigation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2020a) overreporting scales in a forensic disability sample. A review of threats to protocol validity and the history of the MMPI family of instruments' overreporting scales are presented first. Next a literature review on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) overreporting scales is followed by an overview of the development, and description of the MMPI-3 overreporting scales. Four research questions are developed and addressed. Correlational analyses showed that validity scales F and Fp were most strongly associated with collateral symptom validity indicators, whereas F, Fs, FBS, and RBS were comparable in their associations with performance validity tests (PVTs). Classification accuracy estimates associated with cutoffs recommended in the MMPI-3 manual were examined in reference to established structured criteria for Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction (MND). The MMPI-3 overreporting scales performed well in the prediction of Probable/Definite MND and, as expected, to a lesser degree in reference to Possible MND. Comparisons of MMPI-3 substantive scale scores across overreporting groups showed that the MMPI-3 overreporting scales captured different aspects of overreported psychopathology. In an examination of whether the MMPI-3 overreporting scales are associated with an independent “symptom validity” factor apart from PVTs and cognitive measures, a confirmatory factor analysis generally supported a hypothesized three-factor model, highlighting the importance of utilizing SVTs and PVTs to capture different response patterns in forensic disability evaluations. Clinical applications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. The overall findings from this study provide empirical support for the utility of the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Yossef Ben-Porath Ph.D. (Advisor); John Gunstad Ph.D. (Committee Member); Chris Was Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Arbisi Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Educational Studies

This dissertation study describes the development of an instrument, the Fundamental Concepts in Applied Statistics Test (FCAST), which will serve as a tool for graduate students, their advisors, and instructors of applied quantitative methods courses. Most doctoral programs in the social and behavioral sciences include the requirement that students take two or more quantitative methods courses to prepare them to conduct original research and to evaluate the quantitative research of others. For most of these courses, it is assumed that students have basic knowledge of statistical concepts and key terms. Students may not, however, even if an introduction to statistics course is a prerequisite. Those who begin a quantitative methods course without sufficient background knowledge may struggle to achieve the objectives of the course or may become frustrated when presented with statistical concepts or key terms with which they are unfamiliar. The FCAST was designed to be used as a self-assessment by graduate students who wish to measure the degree to which they understand fundamental concepts in applied statistics, or by their faculty advisors to support sound decision-making in developing students' course plans, and as a formative assessment by instructors of quantitative methods courses who wish to gather evidence of their students' background knowledge to guide instruction. The interpretations and uses of the FCAST were validated using Kane's argument-based approach to validation through a systematic, test-development process. Subject-matter experts (SME) and examination of textbooks and course descriptions determined the content of the test. These data were used to write test items which were iteratively reviewed by SME for accuracy and adherence to the purposes of the test, and by graduate student users (Users) for clarity and fairness until a pool of items were pilot tested with a small sample of graduate students (n = 31). Data from the small-sample pilot test w (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Lomax (Advisor); Ann O'Connell (Advisor); Dorinda Gallant (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Tests and Measurements; Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Higher Education (Education)

The primary aim of higher education has been debatable. However, one of the many goals that higher education strives for is to equip students with competencies that will enable them to succeed in their future professions. This goal is achieved through a structured academic curriculum that is embedded with competencies, and the competencies are ascertained through assessments. This study focused on developing a practical measurement approach that offers evidence for the structural validity of an undergraduate competency-based medical curriculum. Competency-based education (CBE) is the 21st century trend for delivering health professions curricula, and defensible assessment systems ascertain these competencies. Therefore, the ability to define and defend the assessment system by producing evidence for structural fidelity ensures curricula efficacy. Structural fidelity indicates the extent to which the inter-relationships among assessment tasks reflect the internal structure of a construct domain. This study sought evidence of structural validity for the pre-clinical curriculum through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the efficacy of the curriculum. The EFA showed that the assessments in the pre-clinical curriculum primarily reflected three constructs. These were medical knowledge, patient care and osteopathic philosophy and practices. The constructs represented three of the seven competencies for the osteopathic medical curriculum. These constructs explained 47 percent of the variance. Through CFA a measurement model with moderate fit was generated: CMIN = 5.7, RMSEA = .09. SRMR = .07, AGFI = .81. This model was cross-validated establishing configural invariance CMIN = 4.52, CFI = .87, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .07 and measurement invariance, CMIN = 4.55, change in CFI = .009, RMSEA = .06. The outcome of the study provided evidence to support the efficacy of the pre-clinical undergraduate medical curriculum.

Committee: Lijing Yang (Committee Chair); Michael Williford (Committee Member); Laura Harrison (Committee Member); Gordon Brooks (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Tests and Measurements

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2005, Educational Research and Evaluation (Education)

MCAT scores and undergraduate GPA are two screening devices that are widely used by medical schools in the U.S. to select aspiring medical students. Given their widespread use, it is important that the validities of MCAT scores and undergraduate GPA be investigated to ensure the accuracy of medical school admission decisions. This study was therefore designed to address three important aspects of validation, namely, predictive validity of MCAT subtest scores and undergraduate GPA, differential validity, and differential prediction of the MCAT subtest scores. First, predictive validity was evaluated as an index of the relationship between the predictors, MCAT subtest scores and undergraduate GPA, and the criterion, first-year medical school GPA. Second, differential validity was assessed by comparing the magnitude of validity coefficients obtained as the correlation between first-year medical school GPA and MCAT subtest scores for men and women and for White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic medical students. Third, differential prediction was examined by testing for differences in the regression systems obtained for the different subgroups of examinees. The sample used in the study consisted of 3,187 students drawn from 1992 and 1993 cohorts of 14 medical schools. Statistical procedures utilized in the research included regression analysis, Fisher's z transformations, F-ratio test of equality of standard errors of estimate, and ANCOVA tests of equality of regression slopes and intercepts. Results obtained showed moderately high correlations between the predictors and the criterion. MCAT subtest scores and previous grades were individually good predictors of medical school freshman grades. The combination of MCAT subtest scores and undergraduate GPA was, however, a more powerful indicator of performance in the first-year of medical school. Differential validity results showed that in most cases women had higher validity coefficients compared to men. With regards to differe (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: George Johanson (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Tests and Measurements

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2005, Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Neuropsychological assessment is frequently requested for answering questions about real-world functioning. The ecological validity of neuropsychological instruments in making such predictions about older adults remains largely unknown. Only a handful of studies have examined relationships among cognitive and functional abilities and have suggested a moderate degree of relationship between global performance scores on functional and cognitive screening instruments. But relationships between performance on specific cognitive tests and within common functional domains have remained understudied. The relationships among a comprehensive range of neuropsychological tests, including the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS; Randolph, 1998), everyday functional skills measured using the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS; Loewenstein et al., 1989), measures of prospective memory from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT; Wilson, Cochburn, & Baddeley, 1991), and self- and caregiver-report of functional memory skill were presently evaluated among assisted-living community residents. RBANS total scores only accounted for slightly more variance (48%) than specific cognitive tests (43%) in prediction of DAFS performance, and superior prediction was made when combining both global and test-level in regression on DAFS (52%). Rate of explained variance improved to between 56% - 61% when prospective memory scores were summed with the criterion measure (IADL). Planned models were also used to illustrate the value of unconventional functional criteria relative to traditional IADL commonly used in the validation of cognitive measures. The present findings did not strongly support the use of report measures for the evaluation of everyday memory decline or functional skill in assisted-living populations.

Committee: Julie Suhr (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, Clinical

PHD, Kent State University, 2012, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

The current study examined the ability of scores on the MMPI-2-RF overreporting Validity Scales, F-r, Fp-r, Fs, and FBS-r to moderate the criterion validity of scores on the instrument's Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales. These analyses were conducted in four samples: (a) combined college overreporting simulation and control participant sample, (b) outpatients, (c) inpatients, and (d) criminal forensic examinees. Although results were strongest in the college sample, there was evidence that all four Validity Scales moderated RC Scale criterion validity across all four samples, with moderating effects occurring due to both slope and intercept differences. The findings illustrate the utility of the overreporting Validity Scales to serve their purpose: to elevate and help identify when the results of the instrument's substantive scales overestimate the examinee's level of psychopathology. The conceptual meaning of slope and intercept differences in this context is explored and suggestions are made for best statistical practice when examining the ability of validity indices to moderate substantive scale criterion validity.

Committee: Yossef S. Ben-Porath Ph.D. (Advisor); John Gunstad Ph.D. (Committee Member); Manfred van Dulmen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Daniel J. Flannery Ph.D. (Committee Member); Richard Meindl Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychological Tests; Psychology; Quantitative Psychology; Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2024, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology PhD

Despite there being many meta-analyses on organizational justice in the last 25 years, no meta-analysis has focused on overall justice, a global perception of fairness in organizations. In light of this, my dissertation is a meta-analysis focused on the construct validity of overall justice and its integration with key models of organizational justice. To do this, I identified 183 independent samples from across the globe that use Ambrose and Schminke's (2009) perceived overall justice scale. From there, I used a combination of traditional meta-analytic techniques and meta-analytic structural equation modelling to test my hypotheses. Foremost, I found that overall justice converges with perceptions of justice rule adherence within the environment (mean r = .56) and perceptions of social exchange quality (mean r = .59). I also found that overall justice partially mediates the effects of justice rule adherence in most cases. In addition, I found that social exchange quality, and positive and negative affect are consistent mediators of the effects of overall justice onto job performance. In sum, my findings support the construct validity of overall justice as a measure of global organizational justice. Based on my investigation, I call for future research into the nature of reciprocity in response to overall (in)justice that can incorporate both affect and social exchange mechanisms.

Committee: David LaHuis Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Nathan A. Bowling Ph.D. (Committee Member); Debra Steele-Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ion Juvina Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychological Tests; Psychology

Master of Arts, Marietta College, 2024, Psychology

Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1977) is a widely researched topic. Self-efficacy can positively impact different aspects of people's lives. More specifically, self-efficacy has been found to improve cognitive performance, leading to overall better physical performance in athletes across various sports. However, these studies do not provide a consistent measurement of self-efficacy. The Athlete Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) developed by Kocak (2020) in Turkey is the only scale that provides an English version; it was found to be reliable and valid with their sample of Turkish athlete participants. The current study evaluated the reliability and validity of the ASES in an American population. Data from 165 collegiate athletes was collected across a variety of team and individual sports. Cronbach's Alpha Reliability coefficient, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis and an Exploratory Factor Analysis were conducted to examine scale and the four underlying factors (Sport Discipline Efficacy, Psychological Efficacy, Professional Thought Efficacy, Personality Efficacy). The current study found that the ASES was reliable when all the scales were included, but only two of the factors (Sport Discipline Efficacy and Professional Thought Efficacy) were found to have a value greater than the value recommended by the original researchers to support reliability Sport Discipline Efficacy had a coefficient of 0.780 (>0.70) and Professional Thought Efficacy had a coefficient of 0.720 (>0.70). Fit indices for the scale provided by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis suggest the four-factor model was all found to be at least good fit. The Exploratory Factor Analysis suggested a three-factor model for the scale. It also removing two items (Questions 6 and 13) from the scale. The results from the study could be caused by the smaller sample size, language translation done by the original researchers, and the level of competition across the two samples. It is re (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Alicia Doerflinger Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ryan May Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Psychological Tests; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Leadership Studies

This dissertation aims to bridge the gap between validity theory and the practice of validation. The dissertation employs a three-article approach. Following the introduction in Chapter I, three independent manuscripts representing three empirical studies are presented (i.e., Chapters II – IV). Each chapter is a stand-alone publishable manuscript, consisting of an introduction, review of literature, methods, results or findings, and discussion and implications. The Chapter II study used the Delphi method to explore measurement experts' conceptions of validity and validation. The purpose of the study was to define and reify three key aspects of validity and validation, namely test-score interpretation, test-score use, and the claims supporting interpretation and use. Definitions were developed through multiple iterations of data collection and analysis. By clarifying the language used when conducting validation, validation may be more accessible to a broader audience, including but not limited to test developers, test users, and test consumers. The Chapter III study used a phenomenological research design to explore K-12 teachers' perceptions of compassion and compassionate leadership. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize and operationalize compassionate leadership from the perspective of K-12 teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Study findings highlight how social interaction, supportive relationships, and workplace culture mediate compassion and compassionate leadership in the context of K-12 education. The Chapter IV validation study used a quantitative approach to examine the Compassionate Leader Behavioral Index for Educators (CLBI-E); an instrument designed to measure compassionate leadership in PreK-12 education. CLBI-E development is described in the Chapter IV study, and Rasch (1960) measurement was used to evaluate validity claims related to the psychometric properties of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Judy May Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kristina LaVenia Ph.D. (Committee Member); Erin Krupa Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Hee Soon Lee Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Educational Tests and Measurements

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2023, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Clinicians who perform psychoeducational assessments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are typically unaware of the utility of Symptom Validity Tests (SVTs) and often rely on clinical interviews and self-report checklists for diagnosis (Suhr et al., 2008, Young & Gross, 2011). This type of methodology, however, has been found to have serious limitations as it assumes that the respondents are truthful and introspective. This is particularly evident because most self-report checklists rely on direct questioning, increasing social desirability bias. Consequently, these checklists often overestimate pathology in adults with various psychiatric conditions, producing clinically significant levels of ADHD symptoms (Harrison, 2004). The 40-item Keshev Dimensional Scale - Adult (KDS-A) was developed to address the limitations of existing measures. The development utilized facet theory (Guttman 1959; Shye 1978; Tversky & Hutchinson 1986) using the DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) criteria. Results showed that the KDS-A had comparable internal consistency with an existing self-report measure of ADHD commonly used today, and that the KDS-A was also highly correlated with the existing measure supporting the concurrent validity. The KDS-A was also shown to have slightly higher sensitivity and specificity than the existing measure used in this study. Future research needs to be conducted on the effect of embedding the KDS-A within an existing multi-scale personality measure, along with the development of norms for the measure as well.

Committee: Amir Poreh, Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Colleen McMahon, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kathleen Reardon, Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychological Tests; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

The current study bridges the gap between the intelligence literature and applied psychology fields such as industrial-organizational psychology and educational psychology by examining the practical utility of psychometric network models of intelligence. Using data from Project TALENT, this study first demonstrated that a psychometric network provided a better fit to the data than common confirmatory factor models such as a g model, correlated factors models, hierarchical model, and a bifactor model. Second, the study demonstrated that specific ability scores based on the network may provide a marginal increase in the variance explained in outcomes of interest compared to g and factor scores; however, scores informed by the network may not provide much advantage in terms of subgroup differences over factor scores. For both validity and subgroup differences, the g composite was consistently the worst performing method in the study. The results of the study underline the importance of considering specific abilities in selection systems. In addition, researchers and practitioners should continue to explore psychometric networks.

Committee: Samuel McAbee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Melissa Keith Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jari Willing Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeanne Novak Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Psychology

Background: More than 55% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have at least one co-occurring psychiatric disorder including anxiety (20 - 35%) and depression (11 - 23%). However, there are challenges in studying internalizing symptoms in ASD such as complicated symptom presentation, lack of information on the psychometric properties of commonly used measures in ASD, and concerns for the use of self-report instruments. Due to concerns for the accuracy of describing their own internal states and lack of studies on the psychometric properties, use of self-report measures in assessing for anxiety or depressive symptoms in autistic youth is limited both in the clinical and research setting. The primary aim of this study was to assess test-retest reliability and diagnostic validity, the two under-researched psychometric properties, of self-report instruments on depression and anxiety in autistic youth. The secondary aims were to investigate the effect of age, cognitive ability, and adaptive behavior (AB) on these properties and the symptom presentation of these disorders in ASD. Method: Participants were 55 parent-child dyads with children aged 8 - 17 years (Mage = 13.7, SDage = 2.7; Male n = 39) with a previous diagnosis of ASD presenting with at least mild parent-reported depressive or anxiety symptoms. Test-retest reliability was measured through intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between the two time points of the self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms measured by the Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition – Self Report Short (CDI 2: SR[S]) and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), and the diagnostic validity was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with the clinical judgement based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS-PL) as a criterion. The effect of participant characteristics was analyzed by comparing dichotomous groups (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Luc Lecavalier (Advisor); Katherine Walton (Committee Member); Marc Tassé (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Social Work

The general role of the school social worker is to provide services and supports to address barriers to the academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being of all students. This role includes all aspects of the school environment and climate. Teachers play an essential role in creating a culture where students believe they are capable and belong. Teacher well-being is critical to optimize student well-being and outcomes and promoting teacher well-being should be a consideration to fostering healthy schools. The positive interactions and relationships that teachers cultivate with students have a positive impact on the well-being of both parties. While research has acknowledged the significance of teacher-student relationships, the majority of studies have primarily focused on the student. There is a notable gap in understanding the mechanisms behind developing teacher-student relationships and the individual and ecological factors that either foster or hinder them. Studying this phenomenon with the social work person-in-environment perspective serves to provide a comprehensive examination that includes individual, school, and system-level factors. School social workers' training in systems, mental health, and psychology positions them to assess and intervene to support teachers' relational efficacy. This study had two specific aims: (a) Explore teachers' perspectives of teacher-student relationships and the factors affecting building and maintaining positive teacher-student relationships in the school environment; (b) Utilize the teachers' perspective to design and validate a scale to measure K-12 teachers' feelings of capability and motivation to establish and maintain positive teacher-student relationships. This dissertation applied an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach to research, develop, and validate a measure of facilitators and barriers to teachers' motivation to establish and maintain positive relationships with students. Fo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Natasha Bowen (Committee Chair); Kisha Radliff (Committee Member); Bridget Freisthler (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Occupational Health; Social Work; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

Validity information (effect sizes) for selection tests can be difficult for people to understand without some additional context. Previous research has investigated how using visual representations of effect sizes can help lay people understand the magnitude of the effect. The purpose of this study is to build upon the findings of previous research to investigate how cognitive heuristics (i.e., Anchoring and Adjustment and Range-Frequency Theory) may influence how people interpret visual presentation of validity coefficients. This study used a fully crossed 3 Comparison Effect Size Content (medical vs. nonsense vs selection) X 2 Presentation (sequential vs. simultaneous) X 2 Frequency Below (4 vs. 1) model. Despite expectations, findings from this study suggest that having a high frequency of comparison effect sizes below the focal effect size results in less positive impressions of a focal effect size, perhaps due to the cognitive load of interpreting multiple effect sizes. In addition, presenting the comparison effect sizes simultaneously resulted in higher estimates of the effectiveness of a hiring test. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that practitioners hoping to present statistical information to a lay audience use caution and consider how best to present the information to ensure it is interpreted correctly. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Committee: Scott Highhouse Ph. D. (Committee Chair); Meagan Docherty Ph. D. (Committee Member); Margaret Brooks Ph. D. (Committee Member); James Foust Ph. D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Teacher rating scales are an important part of the identification of impairment for students in secondary school. The currently available measures fail to adequately address the challenges and obstacles inherent to measurement in a secondary school setting, resulting in a lack of strong empirical evidence of their psychometric soundness, possibly due to the methods used to evaluate concurrent validity such as aggregation of data and time points used. The School Functioning Survey (SFS) was designed to be used in a secondary school setting and was intended to address those challenges. However, the SFS did not show adequate levels of treatment sensitivity following a recent treatment study. I aimed to determine if the agreements between SFS ratings and teacher-assigned grades varied across the school year, between academic subjects, and between aggregated and non-aggregated approaches. Spearman's Rho analyses were conducted on an archival sample of 76 high school students and their teachers who rated them halfway through the academic year and at the end of the academic year. Results indicate that the SFS has strong concurrent validity with grades assigned by the teacher who completed the ratings when the results are not aggregated and concurrent validity was equivalent at both time points.

Committee: Steven Evans (Advisor); Darcey Allan (Committee Member); Julie Owens (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Psychology

MFA, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Art

The transactional interplay between “Blackness” and “whiteness” is a dysfunctional melody that sets the tone for America's inner workings. This is particularly true for those who fit the description of a Magical Body. A Magical Body as defined by sociologist; Tressie Mcmillian Cottom are "bodies that society does not mind holding up to take the shots for other people. Magical bodies are bodies that have negative things done to them so other people can be conformable. Magical bodies are seen as self-generating, and as not requiring any investment from the state or from other people.” It is in the mundane that the members of my family represented in this body of work are consistently confronted with the reality of what it means to be a Magical Body. More importantly, it is in the mundane that my family has continued to live, love, and celebrate our existence. The body of work titled Magical bodies is an exploration of the lack of representation of Black people figures in art historical canon. This work focuses on making space for Black figures to counter act the notion of erasure in the canon.

Committee: Janice Garcia (Advisor); Eli Kessler (Committee Member); Davin Banks (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; African History; African Studies; American History; Art Criticism; Art History; Black History; Ethics; Fine Arts; Personality; Spirituality