Award Date

8-1-2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Psychology & Higher Education

First Committee Member

Scott Loe

Second Committee Member

Tara Raines

Third Committee Member

Joe Crank

Fourth Committee Member

Gene Hall

Fifth Committee Member

William P. Jones

Number of Pages

84

Abstract

This study explored the relationships between internalizing behavior problems, processing speed and academic fluency. Internalizing behaviors are behaviors typically associated with depression and anxiety, such as withdrawal, somatization, and excessive worry. This study focused on the impact of these behaviors on an individual's ability to efficiently process information, as well as perform simple academic tasks quickly. The following measures were used: WISC-IV Coding and Symbol Search scores as a measure of processing speed, WJ-III Tests of Achievement Math Fluency and Reading Fluency scores as measures of academic fluency, and BASC-2 Parent Rating Scale scores for internalizing behaviors. Data gathered from 137 participants ages 8 to 12 were analyzed to determine what types of relationships exist between these three variables. It was expected that (1) internalizing behaviors negatively impact both processing speed and academic fluency; (2) a significant relationship exists between processing speed and academic fluency; and (3) high levels of internalizing behaviors mediate the relationship between processing speed and academic fluency. Results of regression analyses confirmed a predictive relationship between processing speed and academic fluency, but a significant relationship was not found between internalizing behaviors and processing speed, nor internalizing behaviors and academic fluency. Given these results, evidence of internalizing behaviors as a mediator between processing speed and academic fluency was not established.

Keywords

Academic fluency; Human information processing – Psychological aspects; Internalization; Internalizing behaviors; Learning – Psychological aspects; Processing speed

Disciplines

Applied Behavior Analysis | Educational Psychology

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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