Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10217/100504

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 455

Open Access
Rater goals as a function of appraisal purpose and ratee performance level
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1994) Kerst, Melinda E., author; Cleveland, Jeanette, advisor; Bell, Paul A., committee member; Pegnetter, Richard, committee member; Thornton, George C., 1940-, committee member
The goals raters have in mind when evaluating employee performance has not been a central area of focus in traditional performance appraisal literature (Cleveland & Murphy, 1992; Murphy and Cleveland , 1991). The purpose of the current study was to empirically examine rater goals and how they vary as a function of appraisal purpose (administrative or developmental) and ratee performance level (poor, average, or outstanding). The method used in this study was based upon procedures used in the creation of behaviorally anchored rating scales. The study was divided into three main phases: phase one involved goal generation, phase two involved retranslation of goals, and phase three involved rating the importance of goals. Analysis of variance and t-tests were conducted to examine the degree to which goals differed in rated importance based upon appraisal purpose ( developmental or administrative) and ratee performance level (poor, average, outstanding). Results supported the influence of appraisal purpose and ratee performance level on rated goal importance. In addition, evidence supporting an interaction of purpose and performance level on rated goal importance was found. Interpretations, limitations, and implications for organizations and future research are discussed.
Open Access
Effects of gender on socialization factors in adolescent drug use
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1998) Rial, Daniel, author; Swaim, Randall C., advisor; Chavez, Ernest L., advisor; Fritz, Janet J., 1942-, committee member
This study investigated differences, by gender, in the roles that various socialization factors play in a model of causal processes leading to adolescent drug use. Five latent socialization variables (family strength, family sanctions against drug use, religious identification, school adjustment, and peer drug associations) were based on 15 observed variables, and the dependent latent variable (polydrug use) was based on 3 observed variables. Data from a representative national sample of 2306 public school students from grades 7 to 12 were analyzed using the socialization model posited by Peer Cluster Theory. MANOVAs (Developmental Level by Gender) were conducted on the groups of indicator variables associated with each latent variable, and several significant multivariate main effects were found for gender. Female participants reported higher levels of the variables contributing to family sanctions, religious identification, and school adjustment. Male participants reported higher levels of the variables contributing to peer drug associations and polydrug use. The socialization model was evaluated using structural equation modeling methods. The measurement and structural components of the basic model were evaluated first, followed by the test of a new model that included an additional direct path from family sanctions to polydrug use. Some differences in paths between variables were observed across gender. Among the 7th- to 9th- grade students, two paths were found to be significantly different across gender: 1) while for younger males, family strength correlated significantly and positively with family sanctions, this path was not significant for the younger females; and 2) while the relationship between religious identification and school adjustment was significant and positive for both genders in the younger age level, religious identification had a stronger effect on school adjustment for younger males than for younger females. Among the 10th- to 12th- grade students, three paths were found to significantly differ across gender: 1) while for both males and females increased family sanctions was associated with reduced peer drug associations, the effect was more pronounced for females; 2) while higher school adjustment led to lower peer drug associations for males, the effect for females was not significant; and 3) while for both genders, higher levels of peer drug associations were associated with higher polydrug use, this effect was stronger for males. Finally, when the models were rerun after adding a direct path from family sanctions to polydrug use, and this new model was compared against the original model, there was a difference in change of fit across developmental level. This new path did not significantly change fit for the younger students, but it did for the older students. Among the older students the strength of this path varied by gender, being stronger for males than females. Consistent with Peer Cluster Theory, these data can be interpreted as supporting the role of peer drug associations as mediating the effects of other socialization variables on adolescent drug use. Implications of these findings of differences by gender and developmental level for development of intervention and prevention programs are discussed, and suggestions are made for future directions in adolescent drug use research.
Open Access
Coworker reactions to a partner with a physical disability
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1998) Randall, Marjorie L., author; Cropanzano, Russell, advisor; Thornton, George C., 1940-, committee member; Slater, Michael, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn Marie, committee member
The purpose of this study was to examine the relative impact of a task partner's physical disability, performance, and interpersonal behavior on the other partner's evaluations of and willingness to collaborate with that individual on a subsequent task. Participants were 198 students paired with a female confederate in one of eight combinations of conditions: nondisabled/disabled (paraplegic), success/failure, pleasant/unpleasant. Each participant/confederate pair completed a set of tasks, after which participants were asked to evaluate their partner and indicate how much they wanted to work with her again on a subsequent task. In general, participants did not respond the same way to the interpersonal behavior of a disabled confederate as they did with a nondisabled partner. Four theoretical models (kindness, social desirability, response amplification, reversed responses) were tested; none of these was supported. Contrary to findings of previous research, predicted affective response to disability was not found; rather, the findings support the notion of disability having a cognitive effect and moderating other variables' impact on evaluations and work-related decisions. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Open Access
Recruitment of racial/ethnic minority doctoral students in psychology: a content analysis of counseling psychology program websites
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2002) Chambers, Serenity, author; Buki, Lydia P., advisor; Griffin, Cindy L., committee member; Edwards, Ruth W., committee member
The presence of racial/ethnic minority student recruitment strategies on counseling psychology websites (N = 67) was assessed using a website checklist devised by the primary investigator. It was predicted that the presence of key recruitment strategies on program websites would be related to higher numbers of racial/ethnic minority students enrolled in counseling psychology programs. Results showed that although most programs have implemented previously recommended recruitment strategies on their websites, they have not done so extensively. In addition, findings suggest that programs with higher numbers of diversity words and phrases in their webpages have a higher enrollment of racial/ethnic minority students. Counseling psychology programs aspiring to increase the representation of racial/ethnic minority students should incorporate statements reflecting an interest in and commitment to diversity issues in their webpages. In addition, programs should consider incorporating to a greater extent recruitment strategies previously recommended in the literature.
Open Access
WEB site recruitment in counseling and clinical psychology: an exploratory evaluation of multicultural content
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2006) Chambers, Serenity, author; Chavez, Ernest L., advisor; Borrayo, Evelinn A., committee member; De Miranda, Michael A., committee member; Swaim, Randall C., committee member
The multicultural movement in Psychology calls for racial/ethnic parity in its graduate student representation. One method of increasing minority student representation is to foster a multicultural graduate program. The current study explored the extent to which the multicultural development of a program as portrayed by its Web site affected prospective students' attraction to the program. Participants were contacted via email through their Department of Psychology or Psi Chi chapter, and were randomly assigned to a Web site of a fictitious graduate program in Counseling/Clinical Psychology, representing one of the four multicultural levels. Participants included 134 prospective graduate students in Counseling or Clinical Psychology (78.4% female, 18.7% male) who were at the junior level or above. Minority-identified participants made up 26.9% of the sample. Participants were asked to view the Web site of the fictitious graduate program as if it were real, after which they completed the online Prospective Student Survey, which assessed their attraction for the program. A factor analysis of the Prospective Student Survey yielded two components. Factor scores were calculated and used as dependent variables in subsequent analyses. Employing a MANOV A with an alpha level of 0.05 yielded a significant main effect for multicultural level. Post-hoc tests revealed significant differences for General Affinity Scores (p < 0.05), suggesting that prospective students preferred graduate programs with low and high levels of multicultural development to the placebo. No differences were found between minority and non-minority students. Overall, results suggest a relationship between the information presented on a graduate program's Web site and a prospective student's attraction for that program. Namely, prospective students value programs with either no multicultural emphasis or with multiculturalism integrated throughout. The disregard of the placebo program suggests that a Web site containing very little information is unattractive to prospective students. Congruent with past studies, the results imply that program materials, namely information presented on Web sites, can and should be used as a cost-efficient recruitment tool. To help psychology programs in this endeavor, a list of 12 components to include on Web sites is stipulated.
Open Access
Workplace sleepiness: organizational antecedents and consequences
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) DeArmond, Sarah, author; Chen, Peter, advisor; Stallones, Lorann, advisor
The current research consists of two studies which investigate possible antecedents and consequences of workplace sleepiness experienced by Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) working in long-term care facilities. The first study explored the relationship between resident aggression (an occupational stressor) and workplace sleepiness. Resident aggression is a subtype of workplace aggression commonly experienced by CNAs working in long-term care facilities. Theory suggests that resident aggression may be associated with workplace sleepiness because resident aggression may lead to subsequent workplace sleepiness but also because workplace sleepiness may lead to subsequent resident aggression. To examine the causal nature of this relationship, this study assessed the relationships between resident aggression and subsequent workplace sleepiness and workplace sleepiness and subsequent resident aggression over the course of four consecutive work shifts. The results showed limited support for a positive relationship between resident aggression and subsequent workplace sleepiness, and no support for a relationship between workplace sleepiness and subsequent resident aggression. Future research might explore the process that might underlie the relationship between resident aggression and workplace sleepiness. Rumination and attribution were discussed as factors that might play a role in this process. The second study explored relationships between workplace sleepiness and aspects of occupational safety. Theoretically speaking, workplace sleepiness is thought to be associated with negative occupational safety outcomes such as injuries because sleepiness can lead to job performance decrements. In other words, it is thought that workplace sleepiness might lead to decrements in job performance and that these decrements could then lead to increases in occupational injuries. Therefore the second study explored safety performance (the safety related component of general job performance) as a mediator of this relationship. The results of the study suggest very limited support for safety performance as a mediator. This limited support might be the result of inadequacies in measures of safety performance. Some suggestions were offered for improving the measurement of this construct.
Open Access
Mental health services in a northern Colorado Head Start program
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) Chew, Brandi L., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor
Head Start is a federally funded program that aims to improve the school-readiness of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition to the educational curriculum, the program provides health resources for its students and their families, including psychological services. This study reviewed the characteristics of psychological services provided in a Head Start program located in northern Colorado. Findings of this study support the necessity of the Head Start mental health component and its direct contributions in providing psychological services to students and families. Results revealed consistency between parent and school staff reports regarding presenting problems and concerns. The most pronounced concerns from both school staff and the parents were problems with the parents' psychological well-being. Additionally, both school staff and the parents most frequently requested counseling services for their psychological and/or socio-emotional issues. Based on these findings, the author discusses various mental health roles assumed by the Head Start Mental Health Provider, including the role of a family-based treatment provider, a broker, collaborator, and a promoter.
Open Access
Situational and dispositional uncertainty as moderators of justice-to-outcome relationships: testing uncertainty management theory in virtual teams
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) Eurich, Tasha L., author; Kraiger, Kurt, advisor
This investigation applied uncertainty management theory (van den Bos & Lind, 2002) to generate a model predicting that situational and dispositional uncertainty would moderate justice-to-outcome relationships. First, the model hypothesized that members of virtual teams would experience increased situational uncertainty relative to members of co-located teams, and situational uncertainty was predicted to intensify reactions to fairness and unfairness. Specifically, it was hypothesized that uncertainty would strengthen (a) the positive relationship between procedural justice and both performance and supervisory trust and (b) the negative relationship between procedural justice and both emotions and counterproductive behavior. Second, because individuals high in risk aversion and uncertainty intolerance experience increased dispositional uncertainty, the model predicted that those high on both traits would exhibit more polarized reactions to fair and unfair procedures than those low on both traits. Specifically, when perceptions of unfairness were present, relative to individuals low on both traits, those high on both traits were proposed to demonstrate increased negative emotions and counterproductive behavior, while demonstrating increased performance and supervisory trust under fair conditions. Third, relative contributions to the outcomes of procedural justice and both situational and dispositional uncertainty interaction terms were tested. Results revealed that (a) as predicted, media richness was lowest in virtual teams relative to co-located ones, (b) counter to predictions, social presence was higher, and team uncertainty was lower, in virtual teams relative to co-located ones, (c) interactive effects of procedural justice and dispositional uncertainty were present for both trust and state anger, and (d) interactive effects of procedural justice and situational uncertainty due to virtual teams did not emerge. Analyses for the relative contributions of each type of predictor indicated that main effects for procedural justice explained the majority of variance in outcomes, such as trust. Procedural justice by dispositional uncertainty interactions explained a small but important amount of variance in outcomes, and procedural justice by situational uncertainty interactions explained effectively no variance. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.
Open Access
The design, construction, and testing of an instrument to measure Latina's health beliefs about breast cancer and screening
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) González, Patricia, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor
Hispanic women's (Latinas) survival from breast cancer (BC) is lagging behind the survival rates of non-Hispanic white women, possibly due to more advanced stage of disease at diagnosis (Fernandez-Esquer, Espinoza, Torres, Ramirez, & McAlister (2003). Fewer baseline and routine BC screening procedures among Latinas may explain the observed delay in diagnosis. Participation in BC screening is influenced by various socio-demographic, socio-cultural and psychological factors. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the Latina Breast Cancer Screening (LBCS) Scale, which measures cultural health beliefs that might influence Latinas' decision to engage in regular BC screening. More specifically, this study tested the LBCS scale to establish its psychometric properties: the instruments validity and reliability. Content validity was assessed by having a research team review the items for relevancy, accuracy and wording of the items. First, a 60-item and an 80-item version of the LBCS was developed and administered to 288 Latinas. Next, principal components analyses and reliabilities aided in reducing the scale to 36 items. This study was successful at identifying six distinct factors, therefore contributing to the scale's construct validity. Lastly, the LBCS scale was tested with 155 participants to establish its psychometric properties: the instrument's validity and reliability. The LBCS displayed strong internal consistency. As expected, the LBCS scale was significantly and positively correlated with the Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale items (i.e., medical mistrust), the fatalism inventory, and the Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire thus establishing convergent validity. In addition, as predicted traditional scores on the LBCS were significantly and negatively correlated to BC knowledge, thus establishing discriminant validity. This study suggests that the LBCS is a reliable and valid scale to assess cultural BC health beliefs. This study provides a contribution to the literature on Latinas BC beliefs through the development of an instrument that measures cultural health beliefs and norms that past research studies have alluded to but have not been able to measure. In conclusion, BC prevention efforts should focus on increasing awareness among Latinas and medical healthcare providers about cultural health beliefs (i.e., Feeling Healthy, Feeling Indecent, Feeling Threatened) which play an important role in BC screening behaviors.
Open Access
Families experiencing divorce: age at onset of overnight stays, conflict, and emotional availability as predictors of child attachment
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Altenhofen, Shannon, author
This study examined the qualities that contribute to post-divorce child attachment in a sample of 24 divorcing mothers and their children, ages 12 to 73 months in the context of shared parenting time arrangements. Child attachment was assessed using Waters' Attachment Q-set (AQS). Qualities such as age at onset of overnight stays, inter-parental conflict and communication, and emotional availability were examined for their importance in attachment security and dependency. Study hypotheses were partially supported. While the study variables collectively did not predict attachment security and dependency outcomes, as hypothesized, the predictor variable of Emotional Availability (EA) Child Involvement proved significantly related with AQS Security. Children who involved their mothers more in interaction were more secure with them. Further, EA Child Involvement contributed to attachment outcomes above and beyond age of onset of overnight stays and parent and partner contributions to inter-parental conflict.
Open Access
Attitudes of older adults toward feminism and women's roles: the influence of gender, religious orientation and political orientation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Burlingame-Lee, Laura Joan, author; Vacha-Haase, Tammi, advisor
Older adults' attitudes toward feminism and women's rights and roles in society were explored using survey techniques in this research. Participants included 274 older adults age 50 and over who were asked to complete questionnaires including a variety of demographic variables (including religious and political affiliations and orientations) and attitudinal measures of feminism and women's rights and roles in society.
Open Access
A longitudinal assessment of privacy and territory establishment in a college residence hall setting
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Benfield, Jacob A., author; Bell, Paul A., advisor
College student retention/persistence is of great concern to higher education officials and has been linked to academic, social, and cultural factors that predict successful adjustment and satisfaction with the setting and the experience. The current research examines territory formation in a residence hall as one of the predictors of favorable outcomes for first-year students.
Open Access
An examination among correlations of broad and narrow measures of predictors and criteria: achievement motivation and work behavior in Brazil
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Potemra, Michael James, author; Thornton, George C., III, advisor
This study examined the proposition (Hogan & Holland, 2003) that predictive validity is maximized when the specificity of predictors and criteria is matched. This proposition was examined using the construct of achievement motivation at three levels of specificity in 74 Brazilian employees. Additionally, the criterion-related validity of achievement motivation was investigated at the same three levels. First, evidence of the Hogan and Holland (2003) proposition could not be obtained due to heterogeneity within groups of correlations. Second, criterion-related validity evidence was demonstrated for the achievement motivation facets of dominance, preference for difficult tasks, engagement, and pride in productivity. Limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.
Open Access
Factors associated with rural Mexican American gang activity
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Acosta, Sylvia J., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor
This study examines factors related to Mexican American gang involvement in rural communities. Data for this study were obtained from a larger, cross sectional study on adolescent drug use in rural areas. Survey data from a total of 746 males (373 gang members and 373 non-gang members) and 290 females (145 gang members and 145 non-gang members) were analyzed regarding factors of parental caring and family caring, parental permissiveness, religiosity, mental health factors, and alcohol and marijuana use. It was hypothesized that low levels of parental caring and low levels of religiosity would be associated with gang membership. Mental health factors such as low self-esteem and high anger and depression were also expected to be risk factors for gang membership. Logistic regression was used to identify key risk factors related to joining a gang for Mexican American males and females. For males, alcohol and marijuana use, having caring parents and family, parental permissiveness, and anger were significantly related to gang involvement in the analysis. For females, the same variables with the addition of age were significantly related to gang involvement. Religiosity, self-esteem, and depression were not associated with gang involvement in this study. Implications for gang prevention and intervention planning for rural communities are discussed.
Open Access
Alcohol-related outcomes among high school students in the southwestern United States: social-, interpersonal-, and school-related problems
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) McNamara, Robert S., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Swaim, Randall C., advisor
This study examined peer-, family-, and school-related outcomes of adolescent drinking. Two thousand, three hundred and eight Mexican American and White high school students completed the American Drug and Alcohol Survey tm and reported on a variety of measures including age first drunk, current level of binge drinking, and alcohol-related outcomes associated with friends, school, and family. Results indicated that binge drinking is a significant mediator of the relationship between age of drinking onset and school-related outcomes for all Mexican American and some White high school students, while mediation was not found when examining peer- and family-related outcomes. Multiple regression equations also suggest unique effects of age of drinking onset and binge drinking on alcohol-related outcomes. Results are discussed in regard to preventing drinking-related problems by targeting the delay of drinking onset and reducing the frequency of binge drinking behavior, as well as understanding alcohol use at it is related to different adolescent demographic groups.
Open Access
The relationship of extraversion to self-efficacy and chronic pain management in women
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Romano, Patricia Ann, author; Bell, Paul A., advisor
Chronic pain is a silent health epidemic that afflicts millions of Americans each year and the majority of them are women. Researchers continue to try and identify causes of chronic pain and treatment strategies. One treatment strategy has been to evaluate how personality traits impact the experience of chronic pain. The purpose of this project was to assess the relationship of extraversion to self-efficacy, selection of wellness strategies, overall perception of pain disability, and number of pain days reported among a group of individuals with chronic pain. Thirty-five women between 40-65 years of age with chronic pain conditions of arthritis, fibromyalgia, or back problems completed a series of surveys over several waves of data. Results indicated that extraversion was significantly and positively correlated with self-efficacy. This is an important link because previous studies have identified self-efficacy as an essential factor for proactive pain management. However, the personality traits of agreeableness and openness were also significantly and positively correlated with self-efficacy. Extraversion was not found to be significantly correlated with selection of wellness strategies. This might be due to the possibility that the wellness strategies included in this study require special knowledge or training. Although no significant correlation was found between extraversion and overall perception of pain disability and number of pain days reported, potential relationships trended in the inverse direction. A larger sample would help clarify whether a meaningful relationship exists between those variables. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that self-efficacy would be a moderator and/or mediator variable between extraversion and the other three dependent variables. This was not found. The overall conclusion of this study is that the relationship of personality traits to aspects of chronic pain is complex. However, it is worth continuing to explore these relationships so that professionals can teach chronic pain patients how to use or modify their behavioral tendencies for effective pain management.
Open Access
Achievement motivation in Bulgaria and the United States: a cross-country comparison
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Cigularov, Konstantin Petkov, author; Thornton, George C., III, advisor
The present study used the multifaceted Achievement Motivation Inventory (AMI: Schuler, Thornton, Frintrup, & Mueller-Hanson, 2004) to compare the achievement motivation of college students from Bulgaria (n = 465) and the United States (n = 1022) at the facet level. Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses revealed that 11 of the 17 AMI scales exhibited measurement invariance across the two samples. Results from the latent and observed mean differences analyses were consistent to indicate that, compared to students from the United States, Bulgarian students reported higher levels of Compensatory Effort, Flow, Persistence, Preference for Difficult Tasks, Pride in Productivity, and Self-Control; lower levels of Fearlessness and Internality; and similar levels of Competitiveness, Confidence in Success, and Status Orientation. These findings illustrate the importance of establishing measurement invariance prior to making mean comparisons and the usefulness of multifaceted assessment in examining and comparing the achievement motivation profiles of individuals with different backgrounds and characteristics. Implications of the results, limitations, as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.
Open Access
The adolescent experience with parental cancer: effects on roles and responsibilities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Daly, Jennifer Catherine, author; Rosen, Lee A., advisor
The majority of research to present has examined the experience of the cancer patient. The experience of children in families coping with parental cancer is an area in need of further exploration. Results of research with this population have been somewhat mixed; however, multiple studies have noted that children coping with parental cancer may experience symptoms consistent with anxiety and depression that may vary by the child's age and gender. Changes in household roles and responsibilities subsequent to a diagnosis of parental cancer have been offered as a possible explanation for these gender and age-related differences. Results of a recent study (Daly, 2005) suggested that time/age of the adolescent may be a primary factor in the increase in household roles and responsibilities during adolescence, rather than the presence of parental cancer. The current research further examined the adolescent experience with parental cancer through ethnographic content analysis of narrative responses regarding household roles and responsibilities. This study utilized original data collected at the same time and from the same sample of undergraduate students in introductory psychology classes at Colorado State University as the Daly 2005 study. Results of the qualitative analysis show that differences were reported for the chores performed by adolescents coping with parental cancer and those who were not coping with parental cancer, with adolescents who were coping with parental cancer for longer than three months generally perceiving themselves as more involved with chores. Results also show that adolescents coping with parental cancer linked their experience of chores with their parent's cancer. The results of the present study are discussed in light of the Daly (2005) study's results and the available body of literature on this topic.
Open Access
Moderators of the relationship between organizational injustice and employee stress
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Johnson, Rachel M., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor
Although there have been a few notable research studies illustrating the relationship between organizational injustice and stress in the workplace, hardly any researchers have investigated potential moderators of the injustice-stress relationship. I first present an overall theoretical model explaining the relationship between injustice and stress, and then empirically test a portion of the model. Specifically, the empirical investigation examined possible individual difference and situational moderators of the relationship between organizational injustice and perceived stress. Approximately 300 participants, undergraduate students, were recruited from a Western university and given measures of belief in ultimate justice, sensitivity to befallen injustice, equity sensitivity, four types of organizational injustice (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational), social support, perceived stress, and strain in order to test the hypotheses derived from the theoretical model. Results showed that perceived stress fully mediated the relationships between distributive and procedural injustice and strain, and partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal injustice and strain. Also, perceived supervisory support buffered the effects of procedural and interpersonal injustice on stress.
Open Access
Math anxiety and careers among bilingual Latinos
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Goldwaser, Gali, author; Suinn, Richard M., advisor
Latinos do not enter particular occupational fields at the same rate than other ethnic groups and certainly continue to be underrepresented in math, science, and engineering (MSE) fields. Although math anxiety has been widely studied as a variable influencing MSE careers among European-American college students, such information is lacking for bilingual Latino college students. The first objective of the study was to create and psychometrically evaluate a Spanish-language Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Short Version (MARS-SV) and to compare it with the English-language MARS-SV in relation to mathematics performance and mathematics avoidance behaviors. The second objective involved an exploratory analysis of possible variables which could have an effect on bilingual Latino students' choice of MSE college majors and careers. Predictors explored included: (1) past failure experiences with math, (2) inadequate preparation for math majors/careers, (3) math being perceived as stressful, (4) lack of guidance towards majors/careers in math, (5) lack of interest in math majors/careers, (6) value of math-related majors/careers for the future, and (7) general dislike for math. Results suggest that the newly created Spanish-language MARS-SV has good internal reliability, is highly correlated with, and showed similar norms to the English MARS-SV. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation also demonstrated a similar factorial structure to that described in previous literature for the English-language version. The study found that overall math anxiety did not appear to be related to math performance although a ceiling effect in math performance was observed for the sample used. A small, but significant correlation was observed between math anxiety and MSE-related college major avoidance. However, math anxiety was not associated with number of math courses participants completed in high school or college, or were planning on taking in college, and no differences were found between high math anxious and low math anxious students in regard to number of math courses completed in high school or college, and planning on completing in college. A logistic regression model significantly predicted MSE major and career choice, these included perceiving math as stressful, perceived value for the future, and lack of guidance in math, and finally, lack of interest predicted MSE career, but not MSE major.