Twelve School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) seniors in the undergraduate honors program presented posters of their research projects on June 4 at Annenberg Hall.
All are students of Penelope Peterson, SESP dean, and teaching assistant Danny Cohen, a doctoral student in the Learning Sciences program. Assistant Dean Susan Olson coordinated the event. Following is a description of each student's research:
Janet Baek
Human Development and Psychological Services
Acculturation and Marijuana Use among Latino and Asian-American Youth: The Role of Peer Norm and Familial Values
Previous research has shown that ethnic youth who are more acculturated to U.S. cultural norms are at greater risk for marijuana use. This study examined social and cultural factors that may contribute to this phenomenon for both Asians and Latinos. Among Asians, the association between acculturation and marijuana use was mediated by changes in peer norm and familial values.
Advisor: Jelani Mandara, PhD
Reader: Namratha Kandula MD, MPH
Acculturation and Marijuana Use among Latino and Asian-American Youth: The Role of Peer Norm and Familial Values
Previous research has shown that ethnic youth who are more acculturated to U.S. cultural norms are at greater risk for marijuana use. This study examined social and cultural factors that may contribute to this phenomenon for both Asians and Latinos. Among Asians, the association between acculturation and marijuana use was mediated by changes in peer norm and familial values.
Advisor: Jelani Mandara, PhD
Reader: Namratha Kandula MD, MPH
Alison Fredman
Social Policy
Does Stakeholder Alignment Correlate with Higher Student Performance? Evidence from KIPP Schools
To replicate successful schools, analysis must go beyond test scores to understand what characteristics associated with these higher achieving schools. This study uses the KIPP 2008-2009 Healthy Schools pilot survey to determine what characteristics are most associated with strong test score performance. While there are no consistently significant relationships in the results of this study, several displayed consistent patterns of signs.
Advisor: David Figlio, PhD
Reader: James Spillane, PhD
Does Stakeholder Alignment Correlate with Higher Student Performance? Evidence from KIPP Schools
To replicate successful schools, analysis must go beyond test scores to understand what characteristics associated with these higher achieving schools. This study uses the KIPP 2008-2009 Healthy Schools pilot survey to determine what characteristics are most associated with strong test score performance. While there are no consistently significant relationships in the results of this study, several displayed consistent patterns of signs.
Advisor: David Figlio, PhD
Reader: James Spillane, PhD
Alexandra Nicole Gordon
Learning and Organizational Change
Teachers’ Instructional Advice-Seeking Patterns: A Social Network Analysis
Within schools, teachers seek out other individuals for instructional advice for a number of reasons. This study explores whether these individuals follow the formal organizational structure when doing so, and if not, whether there are other plausible reasons why teachers go to certain colleagues when seeking information regarding teaching practices.
Advisor: James Spillane, PhD
Reader: Jeannette Anastasia Colyvas, PhD
Teachers’ Instructional Advice-Seeking Patterns: A Social Network Analysis
Within schools, teachers seek out other individuals for instructional advice for a number of reasons. This study explores whether these individuals follow the formal organizational structure when doing so, and if not, whether there are other plausible reasons why teachers go to certain colleagues when seeking information regarding teaching practices.
Advisor: James Spillane, PhD
Reader: Jeannette Anastasia Colyvas, PhD
Stephanie Harold
Human Development and Psychological Services
Sudden Gains in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Patterns of Depressive Symptoms
In this study of cognitive-behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, some patients experienced large improvements for their depressive symptoms in a single between-sessions interval. The patients who experienced sudden gains had statistically significantly greater decreases in depression scores from the beginning to the end of treatment than those who did not experience sudden gains.
Advisor: Richard Zinbarg, PhD
Reader: Solomon Cytrynbaum, PhD
Sudden Gains in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Patterns of Depressive Symptoms
In this study of cognitive-behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, some patients experienced large improvements for their depressive symptoms in a single between-sessions interval. The patients who experienced sudden gains had statistically significantly greater decreases in depression scores from the beginning to the end of treatment than those who did not experience sudden gains.
Advisor: Richard Zinbarg, PhD
Reader: Solomon Cytrynbaum, PhD
Ashley Heyer
Social Policy
On the Nature of Sustainable Product Choices: A Qualitative Study Examining College Students’ Attitudes toward Sustainable Brands
This qualitative study explores consumer attitudes toward sustainable goods as well as sustainable business practices in order to understand consumer attitudes toward sustainable products. The focus is on identifying how “sustainable brands” and “unsustainable brands” are perceived relative to one another, why consumers would prefer sustainable brands over unsustainable brands and what barriers exist to purchasing sustainable products.
Advisor: James Rosenbaum, PhD
Readers: John Laing, PhD, Bruce G. Carruthers
On the Nature of Sustainable Product Choices: A Qualitative Study Examining College Students’ Attitudes toward Sustainable Brands
This qualitative study explores consumer attitudes toward sustainable goods as well as sustainable business practices in order to understand consumer attitudes toward sustainable products. The focus is on identifying how “sustainable brands” and “unsustainable brands” are perceived relative to one another, why consumers would prefer sustainable brands over unsustainable brands and what barriers exist to purchasing sustainable products.
Advisor: James Rosenbaum, PhD
Readers: John Laing, PhD, Bruce G. Carruthers
Shari Lewis
Social Policy
In Their Own Words: Minority Youth in a Charter School
In discussions surrounding the benefits of charter schools, students’ perceptions of their educational experiences at these schools are often overlooked. This study explores the school culture at Rauner College Prep and how it shaped the experiences of African American and Latino/a students, their attitudes towards schooling and academic achievement.
Advisor: Carol Lee, PhD
Reader: James Rosenbaum, PhD
In Their Own Words: Minority Youth in a Charter School
In discussions surrounding the benefits of charter schools, students’ perceptions of their educational experiences at these schools are often overlooked. This study explores the school culture at Rauner College Prep and how it shaped the experiences of African American and Latino/a students, their attitudes towards schooling and academic achievement.
Advisor: Carol Lee, PhD
Reader: James Rosenbaum, PhD
Ricki Meyer
Social Policy
A Comparative Study of the Effects of Social Interaction on Student Participation in Two-Way Immersion and Monolingual Classrooms
The two-way immersion (TWI) method of instruction combines language minority and language majority students in the same classrooms and provides instruction in the minority and majority languages. This study explored participation of native English and native Spanish speakers in a TWI classroom as compared to a monolingual English classroom. Results suggest that classroom structure influences how students participate.
Advisor: Eva Lam, PhD
Readers: Miriam Sherin PhD, Steven Zecker
A Comparative Study of the Effects of Social Interaction on Student Participation in Two-Way Immersion and Monolingual Classrooms
The two-way immersion (TWI) method of instruction combines language minority and language majority students in the same classrooms and provides instruction in the minority and majority languages. This study explored participation of native English and native Spanish speakers in a TWI classroom as compared to a monolingual English classroom. Results suggest that classroom structure influences how students participate.
Advisor: Eva Lam, PhD
Readers: Miriam Sherin PhD, Steven Zecker
Stan Polit
Learning and Organizational Change
Legitimatizing Processes in Dual Identity Non-profit Organizations: A Case Study
This study attempts to understand how non-profit organizations try to gain legitimacy by merging non-profit values with a for-profit retail setting. Field research and interviews with non-profit volunteers and affiliated store employees highlighted differences in the way organizational members viewed stakeholder groups. These differences shaped the way the non-profit organization and store management interacted with community members.
Advisor: Ashlee Humphreys, PhD
Reader: Jeannette Colyvas, PhD
Legitimatizing Processes in Dual Identity Non-profit Organizations: A Case Study
This study attempts to understand how non-profit organizations try to gain legitimacy by merging non-profit values with a for-profit retail setting. Field research and interviews with non-profit volunteers and affiliated store employees highlighted differences in the way organizational members viewed stakeholder groups. These differences shaped the way the non-profit organization and store management interacted with community members.
Advisor: Ashlee Humphreys, PhD
Reader: Jeannette Colyvas, PhD
Malavika Srinivasan
Social Policy
Can the Pursuit of a Laudable Mission Harm an Institution?: Trust, Reward and Non-Profit Organizations
The research aimed to learn if a prosocial organizational mission could be harmful and understand the psychological processes underlying judgments of non-profit organizations. A non-profit that provided its leader with a perk was seen as less trustworthy, but for-profits did not elicit this same response. Therefore, organizations with praiseworthy missions should be cautious about providing leaders with non-monetary compensation.
Advisor: Daniel Diermeier, PhD
Readers: Jeannette Colyvas, PhD, Eric Uhlmann, PhD
Can the Pursuit of a Laudable Mission Harm an Institution?: Trust, Reward and Non-Profit Organizations
The research aimed to learn if a prosocial organizational mission could be harmful and understand the psychological processes underlying judgments of non-profit organizations. A non-profit that provided its leader with a perk was seen as less trustworthy, but for-profits did not elicit this same response. Therefore, organizations with praiseworthy missions should be cautious about providing leaders with non-monetary compensation.
Advisor: Daniel Diermeier, PhD
Readers: Jeannette Colyvas, PhD, Eric Uhlmann, PhD
Katherine Thompson
Learning and Organizational Change
The Influence of Interpersonal Dynamics on the Process of Meetings
Within a Northwestern University student group, what is the bi-directional influence between the structure of a meeting and the interpersonal dynamics of participants? Interviews and observation revealed that meetings within a particular student group are heavily influenced by the interpersonal experiences of leadership. The study reveals that meetings are dynamic events that can be influenced by a wide range of factors.
Advisor: Helen B. Schwartzman, PhD
Reader: Jim Spillane, PhD
The Influence of Interpersonal Dynamics on the Process of Meetings
Within a Northwestern University student group, what is the bi-directional influence between the structure of a meeting and the interpersonal dynamics of participants? Interviews and observation revealed that meetings within a particular student group are heavily influenced by the interpersonal experiences of leadership. The study reveals that meetings are dynamic events that can be influenced by a wide range of factors.
Advisor: Helen B. Schwartzman, PhD
Reader: Jim Spillane, PhD
Allister Wenzel
Learning and Organizational Change
Organizational Capabilities and Institutionalizing Environmental Sustainability in Higher Education
This study investigates the operational development of environmental sustainability in higher education through the lens of organizational behavior. Research discovered the organizational capabilities of stakeholder engagement, a structure of centralized expansion and a culture of educational commitment as crucial to the implementation of sustainable practices within three universities.
Advisor: Klaus Weber, PhD
Reader: Jake Julia, PhD
Organizational Capabilities and Institutionalizing Environmental Sustainability in Higher Education
This study investigates the operational development of environmental sustainability in higher education through the lens of organizational behavior. Research discovered the organizational capabilities of stakeholder engagement, a structure of centralized expansion and a culture of educational commitment as crucial to the implementation of sustainable practices within three universities.
Advisor: Klaus Weber, PhD
Reader: Jake Julia, PhD
Kayleigh Wettstein
Human Development and Psychological Services
Using the “F” Word: A Study of the Discrepancies between Feminist Attitudes and Feminist Self-Identification
The aim of this study was to attempt to understand some of the reasons why some young women have feminist attitudes and beliefs while not always identifying with the label. Interestingly, a survey showed that 43 percent of participants held feminist attitudes, but did not label themselves as feminists. Reasons why women are hesitant to identify as feminists were clarified.
Advisor: Bradley D Olson, PhD
Reader: Renée A. Redd, PhD
Using the “F” Word: A Study of the Discrepancies between Feminist Attitudes and Feminist Self-Identification
The aim of this study was to attempt to understand some of the reasons why some young women have feminist attitudes and beliefs while not always identifying with the label. Interestingly, a survey showed that 43 percent of participants held feminist attitudes, but did not label themselves as feminists. Reasons why women are hesitant to identify as feminists were clarified.
Advisor: Bradley D Olson, PhD
Reader: Renée A. Redd, PhD
Last Modified: 6/22/10