J. Martin Giesen

The Relationship Between Parental Involvement and Mathematics Achievement for Students With Visual Impairments

The effect of parental involvement on achievement has received a significant amount of research attention in the general student population, but surprisingly very little research has been conducted in this area for students with disabilities. This study investigated the association between parental involvement (both at home and at school) and mathematics achievement for students with visual impairments. The samples used for the study (N = 341 and N = 324) were taken from the nationally representative Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study. Multilevel modeling for longitudinal data was used to investigate the research questions. Parental involvement at school was positively associated with mathematics achievement for students who began the study in elementary school, and parental involvement at home was negatively associated with mathematics achievement for students without a cognitive disability. However, there was a strong positive association between mathematics achievement and parental involvement at home for students who also had a cognitive disability.

A Multicomponent Treatment Package to Increase Anger Control in Teacher-Referred Boys

ABSTRACT A manualized treatment package for anger control in boys ages 7 to 10 was investigated using a control group outcome design. The treatment package included modeling, rehearsal with self-talk problem-solving, daily report cards and a praise phase. At post-test treatment participants were significantly higher than controls on the Aggression Control factor of the Olweus Aggression Inventory (OAI) and the Compliment observation category. Controls scores were significantly higher than the treatment groups on the Dislike Factor of the Peer Status Rating Scale-Child Report Form and on the Threat observation category.

Leadership power discrepancies and worker morale: A test of ecological dissonance theory

The present study attempted to develop a new measure of ecological dissonance (Miller, Topping, & Wells-Parker, 1989) for an organization and to assess its relationship with measures of alienation, involvement, and satisfaction. Questionnaires were administered to 94 faculty members at Mississippi State University. It was hypothesized that respondents experiencing greater ecological dissonance would also show higher alienation scores, lower involvement scores, and lower satisfaction scores with regard to their jobs; it was also hypothesized that the ecological dissonance levels would vary among the four influence systems (department head, dean, provost, and president of university) and would affect morale to different degrees. Correlational analyses indicated significant correlations between the measures of ecological dissonance, alienation, involvement, and satisfaction. A regression analysis revealed that the ecological dissonance generated within the department head’s influence system was the best predictor of morale. Additionally, a repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the four influence systems differed significantly in ecological dissonance. The results supported the hypotheses and ecological dissonance theory.

Effects of cue-controlled relaxation a credible placebo treatment and no treatment on shyness among college males

Abstract Thirty-three shy male college students participated in two interpersonal performance tests with attractive female confederates. Between the two interpersonal performances each was exposed to cue-controlled relaxation, to a credible placebo regimen or to no treatment. Self- and confederate ratings of social effectiveness, self-ratings of heterosocial enxiety and heart rates during the interpersonal performances were unaffected by exposure to orthodox cue-controlled relaxation. Skin conductance during the interpersonal performances was lowered markedly by cue-controlled relaxation. The meanings and limitations of the GSR data are discussed along with some directions for future research.

Vocational rehabilitation services and employment for SSDI beneficiaries with visual impairments

BACKGROUND: A considerable proportion of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) consumers with visual impairments are Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries. The consumer and the effectiveness of VR and the Social Security Administration can benefit from greater understanding of the processes leading to improved employment outcomes for this

Ecological dissonance in decision-making participation systems as a predictor of job satisfaction, involvement, alienation, and formalization

The discrepancy between measures of preferred and actual participation in decision making was used as a measure of ecological dissonance for an organization and then used to assess its relationship to job satisfaction, job involvement, job alienation, and job formalization. Questionnaires were administered to 143 faculty and staff members of Mississippi State University. Correlational analyses indicated mild relationships between the measures of ecological dissonance and job satisfaction, job involvement, job alienation, and job formalization, thus providing support for ecological dissonance theory (see Miller, Topping, & Wells-Parker, 1989). It was concluded that ecological dissonance in participation in decision making was a predictor of workers’ job satisfaction, job involvement, job alienation, and job formalization.

Factorial Study of Component Procedures in Desensitization Treatment of Test Anxiety among College Students

Heart rate and skin conductance during testing were obtained from 38 highly test-anxious college students before and after they were exposed to one of four experimental treatments and from 9 low test-anxious students who were not exposed to any treatment. The treatments varied factorially the major procedural components of systematic desensitization by crossing graded versus ungraded visualization of a standard test-anxiety hierarchy with the presence versus the absence of concurrent instructions for muscular relaxation. Heart rate during testing was not a correlate of reported test anxiety. Skin conductance during testing was a correlate of reported anxiety, but it was not influenced robustly by any of the experimental treatments. There was some evidence of sensitization when graded imaginal rehearsal was not paired with relaxation.

Heterosexual anxiety: Stable multichannel assessment for therapy outcome research

Thirty-six shy males participated in two interpersonal performance tests with attractive female confederates. Between the two interpersonal performances, each was exposed either to one of three elaborate placebo treatments or to no treatment. During and after each performance, “heterosexual anxiety” was measured with instruments recommended for research purposes by Borkovec et al. (1974). Results showed that the recommended shyness measures were immune to unwanted changes either from repeated assessments or from any of the three multisession placebo procedures. Hence the experiment partially replicated and substantially extended previous research, suggesting the feasibility of using the Borkovec et al. shyness-assessment package in behavioral fear-therapy research.

Predictors of Earnings Enabling Likely Roll Departure for SSDI Beneficiaries With Visual Impairments in Vocational Rehabilitation

We examined individual, socioeconomic, disability, service, and state-level factors predicting vocational rehabilitation (VR) closure earnings exceeding substantial gainful activity for Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries in VR who were blind or visually impaired (BVI). We used 2011 RSA-911 (Rehabilitation Services Administration) data from 3,505 individuals exiting VR. Using multilevel modeling, we found positive relationships for beneficiaries who were male, younger, African American; held higher education levels; were without additional disabilities; had higher earnings and DI benefits at application; received services related to job placement and on-the-job supports; did not receive “work basics” (job-readiness) training; received training/support services in rehabilitation technology and other supports; and resided in states with lower unemployment rates. Interactions with VR agency structure revealed compensatory effects—negative relationships for being female and for being older were overcome by receiving services in a blind (rather than combined) agency. We concluded that prior work experience of a DI-beneficiary consumer contributes substantially to high earnings likely to lead to benefits termination due to work for the BVI consumer exiting VR and may serve to level race/ethnicity differences in outcome. Policy recommendations include retaining separate VR agencies for BVI consumers and strongly encouraging work experiences for consumers in VR.

The desire for longevity: Development of the Personal Longevity Scale

ABSTRACT A new psychometrically acceptable measure of the desire to live a very long life was devised using two samples. In Study 1, initial exploratory analyses of the Personal Longevity Scale (PLS) scale revealed a two-factor structure. The Hope factor represents the hopefulness participants have with regards to their expectations about personal longevity. The second factor, Dread, represents the fear and uneasiness associated with self-perceptions of living a very long life. In Study 2, the bidimensional nature of the PLS measure was confirmed, and the scale was further refined to include a final of seven items. Four items represent Hope (α = .85), and three items represent Dread (α = .78). Theoretical rationales for the two-factor structure of personal longevity are discussed. In Study 3, the PLS was compared to three similar measures of attitudes about aging. The results indicate that the PLS has moderate levels of convergent and discriminant validity. Potential uses for the new scale are discussed.