De’Vohn Roman Doctoral Qualifying Exams Fall 2024 Day #1 (Co…
De’Vohn Roman Doctoral Qualifying Exams Fall 2024 Day #1 (Cognate in Psychology) Please read the following scenario and respond to each of the questions below it. Andrés is an 11 year-old student in the 6th grade at Tampa Middle School. Andrés’ family recently moved from Venezuela to the United States. Andrés is bilingual, having grown up speaking both Spanish and English in the home. Andrés has been attending Tampa Middle School for approximately three months. He has recently been referred to the school psychologist (you) by the assistant principal, who has noticed that Andrés often spends his free time (e.g., lunch, recess) in isolation and does not interact much with his peers during free time. The assistant principal also reported observing Andrés arriving to the school office frequently throughout the school day complaining of stomachaches and headaches, causing him to miss a substantial amount of instruction. The assistant principal did not note any academic concerns but would like you to follow up on the other issues. A review of Andrés’ cumulative folder reveals that he is indeed performing well academically and has been since beginning elementary school. His first quarter report card grades are slightly lower than usual but his previous year standardized test scores are excellent. A review of Andrés’ absences reveal that he has missed ten days of school in the first three months of the academic year and has left school early another seven days. You find out that he frequently calls home to request that his mother picks him up due to a physical illness, headache, or stomachache. She often obliges his request and he is picked up shortly after lunch on those days. Andrés does not have an individualized education program (IEP) and there is no record of any office discipline referrals or medical issues. You interview several of Andrés’ teachers who report that he is a good student who performs well academically but does not interact much with his peers and generally stays to himself. They also confirmed the assistant principal’s reports about Andrés’ physical complaints. Multiple teachers report that Andrés will ask to go to the front office to call his mother due to a headache or stomachache. They did not have any other remarks about his behavior and says he is generally quiet and attends to his work when present. In your first meeting with Andrés he expresses that he likes school in general but misses his old teachers. He reports not liking the larger size of Tampa Middle School and says the teachers do not seem as nice as his old ones. Regarding his social isolation, Andrés expresses a desire to interact with his peers more but states he is nervous that they might not like him. He also reports being comfortable being alone sometimes because he feels like he can be himself. When asked about the school absences, Andrés expresses feeling physically ill frequently and will stay home if he wakes up with a bad headache. Andrés says he feels sad about leaving his old school behind and that many of his friends did not attend Tampa Middle School with him. He also reported having trouble falling asleep at night, making him very tired most mornings. He was part of his school choir before moving to Florida and reported enjoying singing but said he did not want to try out for the choir at Tampa Middle School because he just didn’t like singing anymore. Andrés’ mother describes Andrés as a very kind and smart child and that he likes to make other people laugh. She reported that he has a close group of friends that he has known since kindergarten. She acknowledged Andrés’ frequent requests to be picked up from school and noted that this was not an issue before moving to Florida. When Andrés comes home from school he often falls asleep or keeps to himself in his room. His mother reported not wanting to bother him while he has a headache. He has been seen by a pediatrician and several specialists who have not identified a medical cause for the headaches or stomachaches. Andrés’ mother reported that she was diagnosed with depression before he was born, receiving treatment (a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy + SSRI) she endorsed as effective. She has not experienced a depressive episode since Andrés was two years old.There is no other history of mental health issues in the family. Andrés lives at home with his father and mother, both of whom work full-time, and a younger sister (8 years old). —– Day #1 (Cognate in Psychology) —- In your role at Tampa Middle School, you have the opportunity to support Andrés, his teaching staff, and his parents. Your responses today should demonstrate your understanding of the affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of behavior relevant to conceptualizing Andrés’s current behavior, and ultimately supporting Andrés indirectly through consultation with school staff. (A discussion of how to support Andrés directly through clinical services is not expected in this Day 1 response, but rather will be addressed in Day 2 of qualifying exams). Please cite empirical literature (author only, no date needed) to support your responses. Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of theories of affective aspects of behavior, describe examples of developmental pathways that may relate to Andrés’ current social-emotional and behavioral challenges. Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of theories of biological aspects of behavior, describe examples of neural, physiological, and/or genetic influences that may relate to Andrés’ current social-emotional and behavioral challenges; what risk factors are present based upon his diagnosis? Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of cognitive aspects of behavior, describe theories of learning, memory, thought processes and/or decision-making that may relate to Andrés’ current social-emotional and behavioral challenges; what instructional content would be most relevant for Andrés? Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of developmental aspects of behavior, describe theories and concepts related to transitions, growth, and development across an individual’s life that may help to better understand Andrés’ current social-emotional and behavioral challenges? Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of social aspects of behavior, describe theories and concepts related to cultural diversity, group processes, attributions, and/or discrimination that may help to better understand Andrés’ current social-emotional and behavioral challenges? Based on the case study, provide two examples of how his current social-emotional and behavioral challenges likely result from the interplay of different bases of behavior referenced in parts 1-5 above (e.g., social concepts that are particularly salient to his developmental stage)? Based on your responses from 1-6 above, how would you consult with Andrés’ teachers and school staff members?