Browsing by Author "Ann Schulte, PhD, Committee Member"

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Children's Attributions of Intent as They Relate to Peer Social Behavior
(2003-09-09) Grant, Raven; Marcia Bingham, PhD, Committee Member; Mary Haskett, PhD, Committee Chair; Ann Schulte, PhD, Committee Member
The primary purpose of this study was to further examine childhood aggression as it relates to the social cognitive process of social cue interpretation and peer interactions by replicating previous studies that have examined children's attributions of intent and their subsequent behavioral responses and also by expanding on previous studies by examining possible gender and age group differences in social information processing. Participants were a sub-sample of 98 children selected from a community sample of self-nominated families in a university project, 'Parents and Children Together' (PACT). Findings indicated a link between hostile attributions and aggressive responses when these two constructs were measured at the same point in time using hypothetical situations. However, when the measures of social behavior followed the measure of hostile attributions by at least six months, it appeared that social behavior was unrelated to attributions of peer intent. With regard to gender differences, differences were found in observed aggression on the playground where boys engaged in significantly more aggressive behaviors than girls. No gender differences were found in children's intended aggression as measured by hypothetical peer problem situations or in the type of aggression (overt vs. relational), as reported by teachers. Age group differences were not found in the link between younger (5-6 year olds) and older (7-9 year olds) children's beliefs about their peer's intentions and their social behavior.
The Development and Evaluation of an Academic Support Skills Curriculum for Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(2005-10-15) Shimpi, Kristan Bennett; Ann Schulte, PhD, Committee Member; Cathy Crossland, PhD, Committee Member; Ruie Pritchard, PhD, Committee Member; Susan Osborne, PhD, Committee Chair
A paucity of research exists evaluating how to teach adolescents with ADHD skills to enhance their academic functioning in the classroom. Only one study exists that evaluates a homework intervention for students with ADHD and their families (Habboushe et al., 2001). No published studies evaluate other critical components of academic success (e.g., organizational skills and self-awareness/advocacy) for adolescents with ADHD. To address this need, educators and clinicians from the ADHD Program of the Duke Child and Family Study Center developed an academic summer treatment program for adolescents with ADHD. The program curriculum, Skills for Academic Success, provided students direct instruction in the following skill areas: self awareness/advocacy, homework, and organizational skills. This study evaluated whether or not participation in the Skills for Academic Success Curriculum improved self-awareness/advocacy, homework, and organizational skills of participating students. Additionally, behavioral functioning was assessed to determine if improvements occurred at home and school as a result of student participation in the Skills for Academic Success Curriculum. Data from year two (2003) of the academic summer treatment program were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the Skills for Academic Success Curriculum. Group and case study participant data were evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results of this study revealed positive changes in some areas of behavioral functioning, as reported by both parents and teachers. However, only one area was statistically significant (Oppositional factor). Student and teacher post-test reports indicated that students were using some of the homework and organizational strategies learned in the Skills for Academic Success Curriculum. In addition, students reported more self-awareness/advocacy skills after participating in the Skills for Academic Success Curriculum. Implications of these findings as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
Effects of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring on Academic Achievement and Social Interaction of Elementary Students with Emotional-Behavioral Disorders
(2004-08-08) Evans, Ruth Davis Yachan; Douglas Cullinan, EdD, Committee Chair; Edward Sabornie, PhD, Committee Member; Ann Schulte, PhD, Committee Member; Susan Osborne, PhD, Committee Member
The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of an author-developed treatment, Teaching Ourselves Positive Skills (TOPS), to increase academic scores and positive tutoring behavior of elementary students with EBD. The multi-component intervention combined best-practice strategies for reciprocal peer tutoring, direct instruction, token economy, self-and peer-management, and planning for generalization. The ten-week study was implemented in a 4th-5th-grade classroom in a public separate school for elementary students with EBD. Six students participated in the program, although data were collected for two students only, those who met established criteria of documented academic and social behavior deficits and IQ scores above 70. They were 10- and 11-year old African American boys who were completing schoolwork at the 1st-2nd-grade level and were having substantial difficulty with peer relationships. A multiple probe across academic behaviors design was used to determine the effectiveness of TOPS in increasing scores in math and spelling. Accuracy with which the target dyad performed the intervention and interscorer reliability of academic probes were recorded. Student and teacher acceptability surveys were completed after training and at the conclusion of the intervention. A concurrent study examined whether positive tutoring behavior taught and reinforced during morning sessions of TOPS generalized to a second less structured setting during afternoon sessions. Academic scores increased from baseline to treatment phases for both students, although limited data points and divergent baseline trends suggest cautious interpretation of results. Single replications across addition facts and two sets of spelling words indicate a tentative relationship between TOPS and scores for both students. The dyad adhered to tutoring protocol with 85% accuracy overall. Interscorer reliability of academic probes was 100%. Positive tutoring behavior in the generalized setting increased substantially after students received explicit instruction in the second setting. Students and teachers found TOPS fun, easy, and beneficial for improving academics and peer interactions. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.