School Psychology Students Research Articles

A Survey of Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Consultation Courses in School Psychology: Implications for Training School Psychologists

All 216 doctoral and specialist level school psychology training programs were mailed a seven question survey to determine how much behavioral consultation and behavior analysis course work school psychology students are offered. One hundred and twenty-eight surveys were returned, yielding a return rate of 58.26%. The results indicated that almost all programs offer didactic courses in consultation (98.79%) and behavior analysis/behavior modification (91.52%). The percentage of practicum devoted to behavioral consultation and behavior analysis/modification was considerably less (about 25% for each) than other subject areas. The results are discussed within the context of training needed to meet the needs of practitioners in the areas of behavioral consultation and behavior analysis/behavior modification.

Consultant directiveness and support as predictors of consultation outcomes

Transcriptions of the first interview between 17 advanced doctoral students in school psychology serving as consultants and 17 experienced teachers were coded with the Consultant Analysis Record (Bergan & Tombari, Journal of School Psychology, 13, 1975) for consultant verbalizations that provided support to the consultee. The consultants had received training in an expanded model of behavior consultation. Correlations were computed between categories of consultant verbalizations and three consultee outcomes: consultees' perceptions of (a) the consultation process, indicated by their responses to the Consultant Evaluation Form (Erchul, Professional School Psychology, 2, 1987); (b) whether the problem improved; and (c) whether they did anything differently as a result of consultation. Total scores on the Consultant Evaluation Form correlated significantly with positive validation elicitors ( r = -.62), with inference emitters ( r = .48), and with support ( r = .47). The findings are interpreted as supporting the importance of the consultants' relationship skill and problem-solving skills to consultees' evaluations of consultation. The use of controlling verbalizations, especially closed-ended questions, is associated with less favorable consultee perceptions of consultation. The implications for training consultants and directions for future research are offered.

Graduate psychology students' perceptions of the scientist-practitioner model of training

Abstract Since its inception over forty years ago, there has been considerable controversy regarding the viability of the scientist-practitioner model for training professional psychologists. The present study utilized a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to assess graduate psychology students' (n=24) perceptions of this training model. Counselling, clinical, and school psychology students participated in semi-structured interviews and were administered the Vocational Preference Inventory, Form B (Holland, 1977) and the Scientist-Practitioner Inventory (Leong & Zachar, 1991). Data were analyzed using a combination of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) and additional qualitative data analytic approaches (Miles & Huberman, 1984). A number of patterns were observed between students' perceptions and feelings about the scientist-practitioner model and their definition of science, career interests, and shaping experiences. Implications for the future training of professional psyc...

Experience and representation of the consultant role: Exploring the implicit theories of school psychology trainers and students.

Experience and representation of the consultant role: Exploring the implicit theories of school psychology trainers and students.

Characteristics and perceptions of beginning doctoral students in school psychology.

Characteristics and perceptions of beginning doctoral students in school psychology.

Evaluating adolescents' popularity with the Draw-a-Friend Test.

While projective drawings have been widely used to evaluate children in schools (Goh & Fuller. 1983) and aggressive traits o n clinical referral (Handler & Mclntosh, 1971) , techniques and methods are not available for the evaluation of popularity of adolescents among peers. T o investigate the potential of such an instrument five college-age smdents ( 2 men, 3 women of M age 19 yr., range 17 to 22 yr.) involved in a life skills program were administered the Draw-a-Friend Test, specifically designed for this inquiry. Clients were asked to respond to the following statement: a picture of you and a friend doing something. Draw the best picture that you can. Clients were then asked to respond indicating the nature of the activity, identity of the friend, age, position in the picmre, and future events. The life-skills counselor ranked the clients on popularity based on his observation of interactions of acceptance among peers during group sessions. Three doctoral students in school psychology next ranked the clients, based on their evaluation of the drawings and descriptions. All three judges had extensive experience as school psychologists and training in personality assessment. They were asked to use a holistic approach or over-all impression in ranking subjects from least to most popular. Judges' and counselors' rankings were then correlated by the Spearman rank-order procedure: for Judge 1 x Counselor p 1.0, Judge 2 X Counselor p 1.0, Judge 3 x Counselor p .26 ( p > .05). While interjudge reliability (p3.r 1.0, p .05, p3.3 .26, p > .05) indicates disagreement, the values suggest that the procedure may be useful in an initial evaluation of social desirability among adolescents. Further research must delineate the specific psychometric properties of this instrument.

School psychology and college learning disabled students: Traning and service possibilities

In recent years, increased attention has been devoted to the applicability of school psychological services to the adult population. Despite such attention, few school psychologists currently are being prepared to service adults. This paper argues that, with increasing numbers of learning disabled students entering postsecondary institutions, there exists an opportunity for school psychology training programs to aid in the servicing of these legally handicapped adults, while, at the same time, providing valuable experience to school psychology students in servicing the adult population. Specifically, this paper provides the reader with an overview of services provided to college learning disabled students, discusses the relationship between such services and school psychological services, and identifies numerous and service possibilities that exist for the profession of school psychology.

Placement Decisions Revisited: IQ Doesn't Always Tip the Scale

The differential influence of IQ and adaptive behavior data was investigated by presenting four case studies to 20 school psychology graduate students, 20 special education graduate students, 20 school psychology practitioners, and 20 special education practitioners. Subjects were asked to make educational placement decisions for each case study, with half receiving the data in an IQ-adaptive behavior scale order, and half in the reverse order. Results indicated that the school psychology and special education students and practitioners did not differ in their relative uses of the data in the decision-making process, and that all subjects consistely made placements in least restrictive environments. Educational placements across the four case studies differed both with respect to the differential influence of IQ and adaptive behavior data and the order of presentation. The complexity of the placement process and educational implications are discussed.

School psychologists as researchers: An approach for initiating training and practice

A project is described that involved school psychology students in doing applied research. The possible impact that implementing such a plan might have on creating cooperative research opportunities, on providing training in applied research, and on influencing the school's perception of the school psychologist's role is considered.

Rapport pitfalls of beginning testers

Based on observations of school psychology students enrolled in a testing practicum, common pitfalls of beginning testers in the area of rapport were delineated. These pitfalls are described and illustrated with verbatim examples taken from observation notes. The authors concluded that trainees in testing often cannot translate guidelines provided in the literature into effective rapport in the testing session and that observation of test administration in a realistic setting is an essential component of supervision in testing.

Examiner error in intelligence testing: Are you a source?

Four protocols and scripts were constructed for the WAIS (Wechsler, 1955) presenting a range of levels of intelligence and an assortment of behavioral patterns. A group of three practicing school psychologists edited the scripts and assessed the accuracy of point assignments to individual items. Unanimity was reached for scoring of each response. These “standard” responses appearing in the WAIS manual were memorized by clients who served as examinees. Thirty-three WAIS administrations were completed by practicing school psychologists and school psychology students eligible for state certification as psychometrists. These obtained score means were not significantly different from the “true scores” assigned to the standard responses for Verbal, Performance, or Full Scale indices. However, a number of examiner item scoring and administration errors were observed for numerous subtests, that could well result in misplacement or exclusion of an individual from a special program. Such examiner error suggests the need for a reexamination of training procedures and continuing education for school psychologists to facilitate proficiency with new and revised psychometric instruments (WAIS-R).

Experiences of school psychology interns in psychology internship centers

In the development of psychology internship centers, we must not overlook what is happening to interns from different specialty backgrounds. This article describes centers that accept school psychology students, and examines the nature of the experiences that such students receive as interns. The author suggests implications for school psychology and the broader development of the internship in professional psychology.

Aggressive consultation in the schools with mini-consultants, college credits—and a show of power

How can a consultant or “change agent” become effective in the public schools? (a) A university instructor placed undergraduate education students in elementary classrooms every morning for a year to conduct behavioral projects. These “innocent change agents” stimulated teachers to ponder their teaching through explaining goals and procedures and collecting data. (b) Graduate students in school psychology served as “mini-consultants.” (c) The teachers were enrolled in a year-long course for college credits and salary increments and assigned behavioral projects in their classrooms. Thirteen teachers successfully changed behaviors in 60 of 70 attempts. Fifteen recommendations are presented.

School Psychology and Special Education Students' Placement Decisions: IQ Still Tips the Scale

Syracuse University's Psychoeducational Teaching Laboratory attempted to evaluate how well it was transmitting the principles of multidimensional and nonbiased assessment practices to its students. School psychology and special education graduate students were asked to make program placement decisions for a child when given data about IQ, adaptive behavior higher than IQ, and academic achievement. Results indicated that the school psychology and special education programs were equally successful in training students to seek least restrictive school placements. Their decisions reflected a greater degree of integration with nonhandicapped students than might be expected from either the child's IQ or adaptive-behavior data alone. However, no matter what the order of presentation of IQ and adaptive-behavior data, IQ had a powerful paralyzing effect on further flexibility in problem solving. For these students, the mainstreaming ideology had taken hold, but the IQ information had not been demystified. If these findings are supported in replications, definite implications arise regarding the manner of presenting IQ information when making placement decisions. It has been known for a long time that IQ is not highly related to our educational system's goal of post-school adult adjustment. Therefore the recent development of adaptive-behavior measures, although imperfect in conceptualization and construction, is viewed positively. Their impact upon school placement and programming decisions, relative to other measures, will depend on future reliability and validity research.

Verbal discrimination learning and retention as a function of performance or observation and ease of conceptualization of task materials

Four classes of high school psychology students were given verbal discrimination learning tasks with correct responses of varying ease of conceptualization. Study trials were administered with subjects working in pairs, with each subject alternately performing (selecting one of the two projected words) and observing (watching partner make selection). Both in acquisition and in 24-h free recall tests, more correct responses were made under the performance condition. Also, in each instance, there was a reliable Perform/Observe by Group (task) interaction. These results are interpreted as offering support for the proposition that reward functions, presumably operating more directly in the perform than in the observe condition, have some strengthening effect on responses that cannot be accounted for in terms of strictly cognitive processes.

Member Learning in Analytic Self-Study Groups

Summary Member learning in an analytically oriented self-study group conference based on the Tavistock model was studied by a six-week follow-up questionnaire. Conference members were 25 graduate students in clinical, counselling, and school psychology, social work, and psychiatry (10 men, 15 women; 22 white, three minority). Factor analysis of the questionnaire showed that members reported learning on three orthogonal factors: 1) general endorsement of the conference, 2) learning about personal relationships and small group behavior, and 3) learning about group dynamics and large group behavior. Content analysis of open-ended statements about member learning revealed approximately equal reports of learning about personal dynamics and group dynamics. Clinical psychologists reported more learning on factor 3 (p < .02), more group dynamics learning and less personal learning (x 2 = 9.00, p < .01) than school psychologists. It is concluded that the conference was a useful learning environment, and that membe...

A synoptic framework for school program evaluation

A broad-based conceptual schema, termed the Synoptic Evaluation Framework (SEF), is discussed in relation to providing school program evaluation services. Derived from evaluation theory and practice, the SEF allows for the design and conduct of a range of program evaluation studies within the school context. Moreover, the SEF has been used as a basis for training doctoral school psychology students in program evaluation. The SEF consists of the three constituent dimensions: (a) Evaluation Unit, (b) Evaluation Purpose, and (c) Evaluation Service. An understanding of the interactions among these dimensions enables an evaluator to identify the specific programmatic concerns of a decision maker and to design and conduct a responsive evaluation.

Affective transfer as a function of reward and sex of subject

A total of 130 high school psychology students first rated, with knowledge of results, 16 facial photographs for extraversion and observed their partners similarly rate a like number of faces. In a transfer test all subjects then rated the same 32 faces for “usability, ” “intelligence, ” or “character. ” Students, particularly female, showed a greater tendency to give elevated ratings to faces on which their extraversion judgment had been correct (rewarded). The type of transfer test did not make a difference. The results are interpreted as supporting the general proposition that reward can have affective (noncognitive) transfer effects and as raising some interesting questions concerning sex differences.

A Graduate Seminar on Problems in Professional Psychology.

The post-World War I1 years have seen the development of the science of psychology and the applications of psychology, an increase in the number of psychologists with wide employment in other than academic settings. Indeed, this development has been coupled with the increased professionalization of psychology into the largest single group in the mental health area. There has been related growth in programs of graduate study as well as the large scale output of doctoral level psychologists. In opening the seminar in 1991 I indicated that psychology has at least five referents: (1) an academic discipline, (2) a science, (3) a profession, (4) a business, and (5) a union. The emphasis and concern here is on the third of these. This seminar was provided first in 1951 at the University of Maryland for doctoral students (Andrews, Ayers, Cofer, Hackman, Heintz, & Ross, 1954). It has been given regularly at Howard University, not as part of the graduate program in clinical psychology, but is suggested for students in biological, personality, developmental and other specializations as well as for students in counseling and school psychology from the School of Education. While an earlier version of the seminar was presented by Ross (19771, this note describes the latest and last version. The purpose of the seminar is to familiarize the students with the profession of psychology-ics problems, issues, status, controls, achievements, and trends. The goal is to consider the appropriate information on current emphases, pressures, and developments. The seminar inuoduces students to psychology as a profession and is responsive to their interests and expectations. The initial session involves a presentation and discussion of the University, the Department, the Faculty, the graduate program, specializations, facilities, and research programs. The sources are histories of the Univers~ty, the department, the handbook for graduate students, etc. Graduate Study in Psychology is examined for its description of educational programs, specializations, and other information. This review permits a placement and understanding of the Howard University program and provides a frame for the size, scope, and variation in graduate education in psychology as well as the purposes and outcomes of such study. Students are not greatly interested in other programs or in general ouccornes. They are interested mainly in the successful and rapid completion of their studies and experiences, departure from the University, and becoming psychologists. The analysis of the profession of psychology centers about the history, structure and operations of the APA, membership, divisions, as well as regional, state and other associations of psychologists, including the recent formation of the American Psychological SocieQ and the American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology. The major sources used are the APA Monitor, the American Psychologist, and the Directory of the American Psychological Association, together with sources regarding issues in training and education, master's level and doctoral level psychol

High School Psychology Students versus Non-High School Psychology Students in a College Introductory Class

(1976). High School Psychology Students versus Non-High School Psychology Students in a College Introductory Class. Teaching of Psychology: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 172-174.