The present dissertation project investigated relationship enhancement following a brief self-disclosure task (i.e., the Fast Friends Procedure; FFP) via self-report and observational data. Thirty-three undergraduate couples dating for less than six months asked and answered questions that required increasingly higher levels of self-disclosure for…

Within counseling supervision relationships, supervisor feedback is an important aspect of counselors-in-training (CIT) development to improve CIT counseling competency and confidence in practice. Effective supervision requires CITs to disclose details about their practice, including counseling approaches, interpretations, challenges, and errors.…

For over 100 years, youth mentoring has grown to be an evidenced based prevention strategy for youth, demonstrating positive youth outcomes through strong relationships with caring adults. While trusting relationships are the mainstay of the positive impacts achieved through mentoring, the difficulty in recruiting volunteer adults has not met the…

Unethical behavior within organizations results in a financial burden and damage to the organization's reputation. The literature clearly documents the effects of unethical pro-organizational (UPB) behavior in corporate business, but few studies explore this phenomenon in higher education. This non-experimental, cross-sectional survey investigated…

This non-experimental quantitative study utilized linear regression to examine if elementary school counselor and principal relationships predict elementary school counselors' implementation of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. The sample (N = 163) included elementary school counselors (n = 108) and principals (n =…

This quantitative study explores the impact of educational level, specific school culture behaviors, and job satisfaction on career retention among K-12 teachers in the South Texas Coastal Bend region. Teacher retention is a critical issue that affects educational continuity, student outcomes, and the financial stability of school districts. Using…

Teacher interactions with students in the classroom have an influential impact on students' social, emotional, academic, and behavioral development. The problem was that teachers are not prepared for the social interactions experienced in the classroom. The specific problem was that more research is needed to understand the significance between…

The purpose of this quantitative regression analysis was to examine the association between romantic relationships and athletic performance of student athletes at a private Catholic university in South Texas. Student-athletes are under a lot of pressure with high expectations. Research has shown how a student-athlete's performance is crucial for…

The purpose of this study was to examine what influence, if any, input and environmental variables have on students' initial sense of belonging within the first 3 weeks of their community college experience. Using Strayhorn's model of students' initial sense of belonging and Astin's student involvement theory, data from the 2018-2020 Survey of…

Problem: Several studies have examined the prediction of calling in college students, but no known study has focused primarily on the development of vocational calling among the vulnerable population of first-generation college students who have a higher drop-out rate than their peers. Examining the composition of vocational calling in…

Educational researchers are often interested in phenomena that unfold over time within a person and at the same time, relationships between their characteristics that are stable over time. Since variables in a longitudinal study reflect both within- and between-person effects, researchers need to disaggregate them to understand the phenomenon of…

The purpose of this study was to analyze and examine the support that is available to students at a North Central Texas Higher Education Institution. There is a global and national effort to increase the number of individuals entering STEM professions. Overall, there are not enough trained individuals to fill the number of STEM jobs that are…

This quantitative study was an inquiry into whether Louisiana school counselors' perceptions of their professional identity, quality of principal-school counselor relationships, and confidence level (self-efficacy) of providing school-based mental health services (SBMHS) including counseling skills, addressing student issues, and working with…

Retention of Called teachers within the Lutheran school system is becoming increasingly more difficult with each passing year. With the retirement of baby-boomer teachers and the limited amount of Called workers already in the field or qualified new graduates, the purpose of this study is to identify strategies that Lutheran schools are…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of general education elementary teachers attempting to meet the mental health needs of students in their care. Ten teachers from an Eastern Virginia school district were selected to participate in this study. Individuals with experience working with distressed…