Matching Items (9)
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- All Subjects: Developmental Psychology
- All Subjects: Evaluation
- All Subjects: program evaluation
- Creators: Dumka, Larry
Description
This dissertation used an evolutionary approach to examine the antecedents and outcomes to early pubertal development in girls in four major ethnic groups (i.e., European American, African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American). In the first study, logistic regressions were conducted to investigate the links between socioeconomic status (SES), parenting behaviors, and father absence to pubertal development across and within ethnic groups. SES and father absence predicted earlier pubertal development among European, African, and Hispanic Americans but not for Asian Americans. In the second study, growth curves were estimated for sexual outcomes across ethnic groups. Early developing European and African American girls had higher levels of sexual risk and pregnancy into adulthood. Puberty did not predict outcomes for Hispanic and Asian American girls. Overall, the findings from both studies revealed the importance of investigating childhood environmental contexts, puberty, and sexual health outcomes using an evolutionary perspective.
ContributorsBecnel, Jennifer (Author) / Simpkins, Sandra (Thesis advisor) / Christopher, Scott (Thesis advisor) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Updegraph, Kim (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Early Childhood Education (ECE) classroom quality has been gaining increased attention from researchers and policy makers, as the link between high quality early learning experiences and future success has become clear. The impact of ECE may be particularly important for low-income, ethnic minority youth, who may need additional support to reach the academic level of their higher-income, Caucasian peers. However, the definition of ECE quality does not currently include indicators of classroom practices and center-wide policies that intentionally address issues of culture, race, and ethnicity, topics that may be particularly relevant for the most academically at-risk children. Anti-bias education (ABE) provides a strong theoretical and practical framework for understanding how to incorporate such themes into classroom practice and policy, as well as how to teach students to actively counteract bias and discrimination. However, there is currently no mechanism for researchers to utilize this framework, because there is no measure that can reliably evaluate the level of quality of ABE practices. Therefore, the present study sought to incorporate anti-bias education principles into the conceptualization of classroom quality through measurement development. The measure was developed based on the integration of the original ABE theory with interviews and observations in five ECE programs, which were nominated for their intentional practices regarding issues of culture, race, and ethnicity in the classroom. The five centers ranged in the ethnic composition and average income of their population. The resulting measure contains five domains, with a number of items within each domain. Two of the domains (Toys & Materials, Visual/Aesthetic Environment) contain observational rubrics for assessment, whereas the other three (Organizational Climate, Activities, Interactions) include self-report scales in addition to the rubrics. Future research is needed to pilot the measure and establish validity and reliability across contexts and observation times.
ContributorsGaias, Larissa Michelle (Author) / Dumka, Larry (Thesis advisor) / Shivers, Eva M (Committee member) / Simpkins, Sandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The purpose of this study was to create an evaluation plan for the Preventing Abusive Conduct (PAC/Peace) program, within the community-based organization Chrysalis. PAC/Peace is a program that provides treatment for domestic abuse offenders through psycho-educational counseling groups. This study analyzed evaluation methods used by similar programs to determine which methods were successful, as well as what criteria were used to evaluate these programs. A literature review was conducted on similar studies to find which measures should be used to determine whether a treatment program met the desired goals for its participants. The literature review, along with interviews with Chrysalis staff were used as resources to create a cost-effective evaluation plan for Chrysalis to measure the effectiveness of their offender treatment program. The results indicated a two part evaluation plan would be the most beneficial for Chrysalis at this time. The first part consists of official reports of recidivism collected at one year, and three years post-graduation from the program. The second is utilization of The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale as an offender self-reporting measure, administered at program intake and exit, as well as one year post-graduation. When implemented, the results of this evaluation will give Chrysalis insight to which aspects of the treatment are working, and which aspects might be improved upon. The results acquired from the evaluation may also help PAC/Peace to become an evidence-based program.
ContributorsScouras, Natasha Elexa (Author) / Low, Sabina (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) Program collaborated with a local non-profit organization called Arizona Facts of Life to design a program evaluation for their Youth Leadership Development Training Program, FACTS Curriculum. The purpose of this study was to identify targeted program outcomes, design an assessment to address these outcomes, and recommend possible evaluation designs. Arizona Facts of Life will implement the assessment using one of the recommended evaluation designs, and use the results to measure their Youth Leadership Development Training Program's outcomes and demonstrate efficacy.
ContributorsVan Vianen, Olivia Leigh (Author) / Updegraff, Kimberly (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
There is a serious need for early childhood intervention practices for children who are living at or below the poverty line. Since 1965 Head Start has provided a federally funded, free preschool program for children in this population. The City of Phoenix Head Start program consists of nine delegate agencies, seven of which reside in school districts. These agencies are currently not conducting local longitudinal evaluations of their preschool graduates. The purpose of this study was to recommend initial steps the City of Phoenix grantee and the delegate agencies can take to begin a longitudinal evaluation process of their Head Start programs. Seven City of Phoenix Head Start agency directors were interviewed. These interviews provided information about the attitudes of the directors when considering longitudinal evaluations and how Head Start already evaluates their programs through internal assessments. The researcher also took notes on the Third Grade Follow-Up to the Head Start Executive Summary in order to make recommendations to the City of Phoenix Head Start programs about the best practices for longitudinal student evaluations.
ContributorsArmfield, Jessica Ann (Author) / Duggan, Mary Anne (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to provide a foundation for a plan for evaluations of the impact of the Learning Center on elementary school children with respect to academic achievement and school-related behaviors. Exploratory pre- and posttest data were collected and analyzed and recommendations were provided for a broader evaluation plan to be used in the future. The experience from the exploratory evaluation, limitations and the recommendations in this study can be used by Chicanos Por La Causa to strengthen the Learning Center and thereby optimize the benefit to the children served within the San Marina residential community.
ContributorsLodhi, Osman Sultan (Author) / Roosa, Mark (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Perez, Norma (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) collaborated with Citizenship Counts, a local non-profit organization that provides free civics curriculum to middle and high school teachers nationwide, to evaluate the effectiveness of the current curriculum and create additional curriculum materials. Data were collected over a three-month period through online and paper surveys distributed to teachers who had used some aspect of the Citizenship Counts curriculum previously. Of the teachers contacted, nineteen responded with completed surveys. The results indicate that teachers are pleased with their experience working with Citizenship Counts, but that there were areas where improvements could be made. The additional curriculum materials created were quizzes, which can be added to the Citizenship Counts curriculum as an additional improvement. The main areas of concern from teachers were the Citizenship Counts website and additional help when planning Naturalization Ceremonies.
ContributorsHenderson, Abigail Elizabeth (Author) / Knopf, Richard (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Rodriguez, Ariel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
There is a widespread inequality in health care access and insured rates suffered by the Latino, Spanish-speaking population in Arizona, resulting in poor health measures and economic burden. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 provided mechanisms to alleviate this disparity, however, many Latino communities lack accessible information and means to gain access to health insurance enrollment. Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is a community based organizing that provides many services to low-income communities across Arizona, one of which is the CPLC Insurance Program. In collaboration with the Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) at Arizona State University, the program was studied to help address the need of a LOGIC model and evaluation plan to determine its effectiveness. Interviews with three executives within CPLC were conducted in conjunction with a literature review to determine the inputs, strategies, outputs, and outcomes of the LOGIC model that drive CPLC Insurance's mission. Evaluation measures were then created to provide the necessary quantitative data that can best show to what degree the program is achieving its goals. Specifically, the results indicated the key outcomes that drive the LOGIC model, and an evaluation plan designed to provide indicators of these outcomes was produced. The implications of this study are that the suggested data collection can verify how effectively the program's actions are creating positive change, as well as show where further improvements may be necessary to maximize effectiveness.
ContributorsCunningham, Matthew Lee (Author) / Fey, Richard (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
It is widely recognized that peer-directed aggression and victimization are pervasive social problems that impact school-aged children and adolescents. This study investigated the developmental course of aggression and victimization, and more specifically, addressed three primary aims. First, distinct subgroups of children were identified based on similarities and differences in their physical, verbal and relational aggression and victimization. Second, developmental stability (and instability) were assessed by examining the extent to which individuals remain (or change) subgroups throughout childhood and adolescence. Third, group classifications and transitions over time were assessed as a function of children’s individual characteristics and their relational and contextual experiences.
The sample for this longitudinal study consisted of 482 children (50% females) who were followed over time from grades 1 to 11. Multiple-informant data on children’s physical, verbal and relational aggression and victimization (peer-reports), individual characteristics including emotion dysregulation, withdrawn behaviors (teacher-reports), and hostile and self-blaming attributions (self-reports), and their relational and contextual experiences including peer rejection, friendships, social hierarchy and classroom aggression (peer-reports) were assessed in grades 1, 5, 8, and 11. Data analyses primarily consisted of a series of person-centered methods including latent profile and latent transition analyses.
Most of the identified subgroups (e.g., aggressors, victims and aggressive-victims) were distinguishable by their frequencies (i.e., levels) of aggression and victimization, rather than forms (physical, verbal and relational), with the exception of one group that appeared to be more form-specific (i.e., relational aggressive-victims). Among children in each group there was a modest degree of intra-individual stability, and findings elucidated how some groups appeared to be more stable than others as well as developmental differences. Although group stability was fairly common across all groups, and over time, patterns of instability also emerged.
The combination of trends reflecting both stability and instability support the perspective that the development of aggression in childhood and adolescence is characterized by heterogeneity. In contrast to perspectives that highlight the individual stability of aggression (e.g., that it is a stable behavioral style or individual disposition), findings elucidate the individual, relational and contextual mechanisms by which developmental stability and instability were more pronounced.
The sample for this longitudinal study consisted of 482 children (50% females) who were followed over time from grades 1 to 11. Multiple-informant data on children’s physical, verbal and relational aggression and victimization (peer-reports), individual characteristics including emotion dysregulation, withdrawn behaviors (teacher-reports), and hostile and self-blaming attributions (self-reports), and their relational and contextual experiences including peer rejection, friendships, social hierarchy and classroom aggression (peer-reports) were assessed in grades 1, 5, 8, and 11. Data analyses primarily consisted of a series of person-centered methods including latent profile and latent transition analyses.
Most of the identified subgroups (e.g., aggressors, victims and aggressive-victims) were distinguishable by their frequencies (i.e., levels) of aggression and victimization, rather than forms (physical, verbal and relational), with the exception of one group that appeared to be more form-specific (i.e., relational aggressive-victims). Among children in each group there was a modest degree of intra-individual stability, and findings elucidated how some groups appeared to be more stable than others as well as developmental differences. Although group stability was fairly common across all groups, and over time, patterns of instability also emerged.
The combination of trends reflecting both stability and instability support the perspective that the development of aggression in childhood and adolescence is characterized by heterogeneity. In contrast to perspectives that highlight the individual stability of aggression (e.g., that it is a stable behavioral style or individual disposition), findings elucidate the individual, relational and contextual mechanisms by which developmental stability and instability were more pronounced.
ContributorsEttekal, Idean (Author) / Ladd, Gary W (Thesis advisor) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Jager, Justin (Committee member) / Kochel, Karen P (Committee member) / Kochenderfer-Ladd, Becky (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016