Applied Behavioral Studies in Education
Practicum Programs
ABSED faculty have maintained the use of seven paid practicum sites to support doctoral students enrolling in supervised field placements. Students placed in these practicum sites are assigned a client case load under close supervision of agency personnel and department faculty.
Sponsors: Jim Thorpe Rehab Hospital, Edwin Fair Community Mental Health Center, Rural Health Project, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Payne County Youth Services, and Stillwater Domestic Violence Services
PIs: Donald Boswell, Al Carlozzi, John Romans, and Carrie Winterowd
Univariate and Multivariate Omnibus Hypothesis Tests Selected to Control Type I Error Rates When Population Variances Are Not Necessarily Equal
When independent random samples are selected from normal (multivariate normal) populations with equal variances (covariance matrices) to test the equality of population means (mean vectors), the choice at each level of the omnibus hypothesis is clear--independent samples t, ANOVA F, Hotelling's, or MANOVA. Population variances (covariance matrices) that are not necessarily equal, however, cloud the picture. In terms of maximizing power while adequately controlling Type I error rates over the widest variety of conditions, empirical literature suggests use of (a) the Wilcox (1992) H to test the univariate null hypothesis for the equality to two means; (b) the Wilcox (1993a) Z to test the univariate null hypothesis for the equality of k means, (c) either the Kim (1992), James (1954) second-order, or Johansen (1980) procedure to test the multivariate null hypothesis for the equality of two mean vectors, and (d) either the Coombs-Algina (in press) U, James (1954) second-order, or Johansen (1980) procedure to test the multivariate null hypothesis for the equality of k mean vectors.
PIs: William T. Coombs
James Algina (University of Florida)
Debra Olson Oltman (Oral Roberts University)
Type I Error Rates and Powers for the Johansen Test, Pillai-Bartlett Test, and Coombs-Algina Tests Under Covariance Matrix Inequality and Non-Normality
The Johansen, Pillai-Bartlett, and four Coombs-Algina tests were evaluated for Type I error rate, using Monte Carlo experiments that varied seven factors. Power was evaluated by varying the same factors and type of noncentrality structure. Split-plot analyses were used to identify factor combinations contributing significantly to total variance. In controlling Type I error rate the Coombs-Algina tests were adequate in all conditions and were superior to both the Johansen and Pillai-Bartlett tests. Differences among the Coombs-Algina tests were small. No test had suitable power with the exponential power for the sample size-effect combinations considered in the study. All had suitable power to detect concentrated noncentrality and marginally adequate power to detect diffuse noncentrality in normal distributions for the given sample size-effect combinations.
PIs: William T. Coombs
James Algina (University of Florida)
Debra Olson Oltman (Oral Roberts University)
Using SAS to Evaluate the Operating Characteristics of Selected Multivariate Analysis of Variance Procedures
Type I error rate and power are the typical standards by which competing statistical hypothesis tests are compared. Much attention has been given in the literature to Type I error rate. However, power has historically been neglected. The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how SAS can be used to effectively estimate power levels for both traditional and new multivariate omnibus hypothesis tests. Type I error rates for the competitors are also included because the concept of power is conditional upon a given probability of Type I error. One needs to show that the two tests operate at the same significance level before one can meaningfully compare their powers. SAS modules using PROC IML, are provided which compute power and Type I error rates for the following procedures: (a) the Pillai-Bartlett (Pillai, 1955) trace criterion, (b) the Johansen (1980) test, (c) the Coombs-Algina R (1996) test, (d) the Coombs-Algina U (1996) test, (e) the Coombs-Algina L (1996) test, and (f)the Coombs-Algina V (1996) test.
PIs: William T. Coombs
Debra Olson Oltman (Oral Roberts University)
Consultant Services to Review Assigned Due Process Hearing
Under this contract, the researcher provided consultant services to the State Department of Education related to the review of Due Process Hearing decisions in the area of Special Education and the rendering of independent appeal decisions pursuant to the requirements of P.L. 94-142.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Education
PI: Charles R. Davis
The Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation: A New Assessment Device
The TRAAM is a four-factor, 37-item teacher rating scale that measures academic motivation in third through sixth-grade students. TRAAM items are descriptive statements on which the teacher rates the student using a five-point Likert scale. High scores reflect positive judgments by the rater and indicate the student's behavior is motivated. The TRAAM is designed to measure academic achievement motivation in elementary-school age students. The scale is designed to be used by psychologists, counselors, educators, and researchers. Professionals with knowledge of tests and measurement principles and child development are appropriate users of the TRAAM. The scale can be quickly and easily completed by teachers who have school experience with the student or who have knowledge of the student's school behavior. Teachers can accurately rate student behaviors to discriminate academic skill from academic performance deficits using the TRAAM. The scale should be especially useful for collecting data during the problem-identification phase of a consultation and might also be used to monitor the effects of interventions, or as a supplement to other diagnostic measures.
PIs: Judy Oehler-Stinnett and Terry A. Stinnett
Teacher Rating Scales for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity: A Comparative Study
Teacher rating scales used for assessment of attention deficits and hyperactivity in children were analyzed. Item content for each scale was examined particularly as it related to the constructs of attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity as they appear in the empirical literature. Basic psychometric qualities of the scales were examined as well. Item content across scales with similarly named subtests varied considerably. Most scales had acceptable psychometric qualities. Test users need to select rating scales that best reflect the problem behaviors described in each referral on a case-by-case basis.
PIs: Judy Oehler-Stinnett and Terry A. Stinnett
Development of the Women's Career Beliefs Inventory
The impact of life role conflicts facing women has recently become a focus in the career development field. This is an ongoing project examining factors influencing women's career decision making. The research team is currently developing an instrument to assess career and life-role salience beliefs, and perceived barriers to career development.
PIs: John Romans and Carrie Winterowd
Connie Fox (Student Counseling Services)
Leslie Cochran (graduate student)
Stalking and Harassment of Residential Life Staff
This research team is investigating stalking and harassment of residential life staff by their residents. A survey of 100 residential life departments across the United States is being conducted. Preliminary data analyses show similar findings to the results of the first phase of this project which surveyed counseling center staff. The number of incidences of stalking and harassment reported are small in relation to other problem behaviors, though they are of great concern to the staff who had experienced them.
PIs: John Romans
Joni Hays (Student Counseling Services)
Christina Thayer (graduate student)
Sex Role Identity
The present study examined the relationship of feminine and masculine sex-role identities with overall academic performance and major-specific academic performance. Participants in the study were college students with a major in an animal science related field. Participants were administered the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) while their overall GPAs and the academic major scores were obtained from university records. A significant negative correlation was found between scores on the Masculinity Scale of the BSRI and Cumulative Overall GPA. In addition, individuals with feminine sex role identities had higher GPAs than individuals with androgynous sex-role identities. Results suggest that current models fall short of explicating the relationship between sex roles and academic performance.
PIs: John Romans
W. Scott Badger (graduate student)
Effects of Professional Group Membership, Intervention Type, and Diagnostic Label on Treatment Acceptability
Differences in ratings of treatment acceptability among groups of individuals who are often involved in the recommendation, selection, implementation, and evaluation of behavioral interventions in educational settings were examined. Teachers, school psychologists, and school social workers were presented with a vignette of a third-grade student exhibiting a pattern of disruptive problem behavior. The vignette was held constant but diagnostic labels (LD, BD, ADHD) and interventions (positive and negative-based) for the child were varied. After examining the vignette, participants rated the acceptability of the interventions. There were significant main effects noted for professional group membership and intervention type and a significant interaction effect for professional group membership by intervention type on ratings of treatment acceptability. No significant effects of diagnostic label occurred. Implications of the present study and future research directions are discussed.
PIs: Terry A. Stinnett
Larry Fairbanks (Eastern Illinois University)
Construct Validity of the AAMR Adaptive Behavior Scale--School: 2
The AAMR Adaptive Behavior Scale--School: 2 (ABS-S: 2; Lambert, Nihira, & Leland, 1993) is the second revision of the original 1975 AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, Public School Version (ABS-PSV). Although the ABS-S: 2 is a significant improvement over the first version of the instrument (ABS-SE) there is a need for further study of the scale's construct validity. This study examined the construct validity of the ABS-S: 2 through exploratory factor analyses. Estimates of subtest specificity were also calculated to provide users with an empirical basis for interpreting the ABS-S: 2's domains as separate adaptive behavior strengths and weaknesses. Results indicated the ABS-S: 2 is best understood as a 2-factor instrument for both children with mental retardation (MR) and for those without mental retardation. The test does seem to reflect personal independence and social behavior as the scale's authors intended. Because the data strongly indicated a 2-factor model for both the MR and Non-MR samples, users should be cautious in interpreting the ABS-S: 2 results in terms of the 5-factor model presented by the test's authors. The estimates of unique variance derived also indicated that most of the ABS-S: 2 domains do not have sufficient subtest specificity to be interpreted as unique ability strengths or weaknesses.
PIs: Terry A. Stinnett, Dale R. Fuqua, and William T. Coombs
Academic Achievement Motivation in Hmong Students
School psychologists are increasingly faced with student populations that are more culturally diverse. To meet student needs in a culturally sensitive fashion, school psychologists must increase their knowledge of multicultural issues. Over 100,000 Hmong were involuntary refugees to primarily California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and Rhode Island (Office of Resettlement, 1990). The adaptation from a relatively simple farming life in the highlands of Laos to life in the United States has been particularly difficult (Westermeyer, Neider, & Callies, 1989). Economic self-sufficiency has been difficult because of limited English proficiency, few labor market skills, and large families. These children are torn between modern American culture, which stresses independence and individualism, and the traditional Hmong culture, which supports strong group loyalty and familial independence (Rick & Forward, 1992). Although academic motivation is an important construct that may be helpful for understanding achievement outcomes, little research has been conducted in this area with diverse student groups (Stinnett, Stout, & Oehler-Stinnett, 1995). The purpose of this study was to measure academic achievement motivation of Hmong students using the recently developed Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM) in light of traditional Hmong values. Hmong students were judged higher on Mastery, but lower on Academic-Cognitive Skills and Work Completion than were their anglo counterparts. Discussion of the results were presented.
PIs: Terry A. Stinnett
Larry J. Stout (Nicholls State University)
Daniel A. Koonce (Eastern Illinois University)
Fred Sutkiewicz and Vera Shircell (Sheboygan Public Schools)
The Effects of Labeling Bias on Prognostic Outlook for Children as a Function of Diagnostic Label and Profession
Labeling bias refers to expectations that others might have for a person given a particular label. This study investigated the effects of labeling bias on prognostic outlook for children as a function of diagnostic labels and professional group membership. School psychologists, regular and special education teachers, and introductory psychology students read a vignette that described an elementary-school-aged boy with behavior problems. The vignette was held constant for all participants, but one of four labels (conduct disordered, socially maladjusted, serious emotionally disturbed, no exceptionality) was varied at the end of the vignette. Respondents then estimated the child's likelihood of future success in interpersonal relationships, the likelihood of further behavioral difficulties, and overall adjustment of the child. There was a significant effect noted for diagnostic label across all professionals on the interpersonal relations variable; the serious emotionally disturbed label resulted in significantly poorer outlook than any other diagnostic label except socially maladjusted. There were no other significant labeling bias effects for the other dependent measures, but a main effect for diagnostic label on judgment of overall adjustment did approach significance. There were no significant effects noted for professional group membership. Professionals should consider the use of a label other than SED to minimize labeling bias effects on judgment of interpersonal adjustment in children with behavioral difficulties.
PIs: Terry A. Stinnett
Julie D. Fox (Cherokee Mental Health Systems)
Factors Related to Stress and Burnout in School Psychology Graduate Students
National Association of School Psychologist approved programs from five geographic regions were identified. Graduate students in Specialist and Doctoral level school psychology training programs were surveyed. Stress sources related to coursework, research, practica, faculty, supervision, and other program demands were identified and their relationship to burnout was examined. Suggestions to reduce stress and burnout in school psychology graduate students were generated.
PIs: Terry A. Stinnett
Daniel A. Koonce (Eastern Illinois University)
Conditional Probability Analyses of Academic Motivational Variables for Differentiation of Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Differential diagnosis of conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is extremely problematic for psychologists because symptomology covaries across all three diagnostic categories. This study will utilize conditional probability analyses of motivational variables to effect differential diagnosis of these three disruptive behavior disorders. Motivational variables have not been systematically studied for the purpose of making differential diagnoses with these children. The identification of motivational variables with significant positive predictive power and negative predictive power for children with disruptive behavior disorders would be extremely helpful to psychologists for assessment of these children.
PIs: Judy Oehler-Stinnett and Terry A. Stinnett
George W. Hebert (Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority)
Alternate Achievement Assessment: Usage and Relation to Job Satisfaction
School psychologists were surveyed regarding their use of alternatives to standardized assessment devices. Alternate assessment methods such as curriculum-based measurement, portfolio assessment, authentic assessment, and other direct assessment methods and their relation to burnout and job satisfaction were examined. There were no significant relationships between the use of alternative assessment methods and job satisfaction or burnout in school psychologists. Curriculum-based measurement was the most frequently used alternative achievement method used by school psychologists.
PIs: Terry A. Stinnett
Michael Havey and Robin Chesnut (Eastern Illinois University)
Initial Development of the Scale of Achievement Motivation for Adolescents and Young Adults
This study presents a preliminary factor analysis of the Scale of Achievement Motivation for Adolescents and Young Adults (SAMAY). An initial item tryout of 134 items was developed and administered to 356 upper division college students. Factor analysis yielded a 10-factor solution; use of KMO statistic, factor loading coefficient criteria, and examination of alpha coefficients reduced the item number to 53. Factors measure Long-term Planning, Leadership, Mastery, Work Completion, Self-concept of Ability, Cooperation, Competition, Internal Orientation, Effort, and Facilitation of Women Working. These factors represent major components of the theoretical literature and indicate potential for the SAMAY as a research and clinical instrument.
PI: Terry Stinnett
Assessment of Attention Deficit, Anxiety, and Motivation: Which Rating Scale Should You Use?
Information regarding the use of behavior rating scales in assessment of attention, anxiety, and motivational difficulties was presented. Models demonstrating the relationship among these factors and how specific rating scales measure them was presented. The Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale for Children, the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders, the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale, the Behavior Assessment System for Children, the Conner's Teacher Rating Scales, the Anxiety Scales for Children, and the Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation were discussed.
PI: Judy Oehler-Stinnett
The Relationship between Academic Expectations and Wellness in High School Students
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between perceived academic achievement (i.e., grades) and perceived academic goals (i.e., expectations regarding school completion and postsecondary pursuits), and health risk behaviors in high school students. High school students (n=1,537) in several school districts in a southwestern state were administered the Senior High School Health Risk Inventory (SHRI; Dewey, 1991). Results indicated that students with lower perceptions of academic achievement and academic goals were more likely to engage in health risk behaviors and obtained lower overall wellness scores on SHRI compared to students with higher perceptions of academic achievement and academic goals.
PIs: Carrie Winterowd and John Romans
Jacqueline Gray, Charla Hall, and Timothy Daheim (graduate students)
The Relationship between Academic Expectations and Wellness in Junior High Students
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between perceived academic achievement (i.e., grades), perceived academic goals (i.e., expectations regarding school completion and postsecondary pursuits), and health-risk behaviors in 2,416 junior high school students. These participants were administered the Junior High School Health Risk Inventory (HRI; Dewey, 1991) as part of the schools' annual wellness screenings. Results indicated that students with lower perceptions of academic success or future academic goals were more likely to report health risk problems (e.g., feeling life is not worth living, tobacco use, infrequent seatbelt use, overall lower wellness scores) compared to students with higher perceptions of academic success and goal direction.
PIs: Carrie Winterowd and John Romans
Jacqueline Gray, Charla Hall, and Timothy Daheim (graduate students)
The Relationship between Acculturation and Substance Use in American Indians
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between level of acculturation and level of substance use in American Indians in northeastern Oklahoma. The participants in our study will include approximately 100 Indian people from the state of Oklahoma who are clients of a local Indian counseling center. Participants will be administered the Life Perspective Scale (LPS; Choney, 1994), the American Drug and Alcohol Survey (ADAS; Oetting, Beauvais, and Edwards, 1986), and a demographic sheet. It is hypothesized that acculturative status and demographic variables such as gender, age, education level, and occupational status will predict level of substance use in northeastern American Indians.
PIs: Carrie Winterowd and Diane Montgomery
Kay Wood (Teacher Education)
Lorena Burris, Sandy Locke, Virginia Crother, and Dianna Ducote Sabey (graduate students)
A National Survey of Current Group Psychotherapy Services in Correctional Facilities
The present study will assess and describe the use of group psychotherapy in correctional settings. The purpose of this study is to expand previous studies (Arnold & Stiles, 1972; McCorkle, 1950; McCorkle & Elias, 1960) in describing the types of group psychotherapy services offered in penitentiaries and correctional facilities. Group therapy providers and psychological (mental health) program directors from 100 randomly selected penitentiaries and correctional facilities in the United States (50 federal, 50 state) will complete a five-page survey developed by the authors. Questions on this survey assess a wide range of areas including demographics, group therapies offered and facilitated, group therapy structure and procedures, group goals and perceived outcomes, and administrative components.
PIs: Carrie Winterowd
Robert Morgan and Sean Ferrell (graduate students)
A National Survey of the Consultation Relationship between Psychologists and Primary Care Physicians
The purpose of this study is to better understand the quality of the consultation relationship between psychologists and primary care physicians and the degree to which psychologists and physicians refer their patients/clients for medical and psychological services. Facilitators and barriers to medical and psychological referrals by each professional group will be assessed in this study. A survey developed by this research group will be administered to approximately 200 psychologists and 200 physicians nationwide.
PIs: Carrie Winterowd
Brian Snider, Bithiah Harmon, Sandy Locke, and Charla Hall (graduate students)