Graduation Term

2014

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Psychology: School Psychology

Committee Chair

John B. Pryor

Abstract

Past research has shown that racial and weight-related biases are present in school settings and can have a negative impact on students. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of racial and weight-related biases upon judgments that school psychology graduate students make about Black and overweight students who were having problems in school. The problematic behaviors exhibited by the student in the case study were based on symptoms often seen in children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We also examined the extent to which implicit and/or explicit attitudes moderated the degree of school psychology graduate students' attributions of negative personality traits and work habits to Black and overweight students with ADHD. In addition, we wanted to determine the relationship that taking diversity courses have on racial and weight-related biases.

Results indicated that school psychology graduate students have an implicit pro-Black bias and an implicit and explicit anti-fat bias. Results also showed that the school psychology graduate students attributed the students in the Black and overweight case studies problems to laziness when they held implicit anti-Black bias. Unfortunately, the

studies problems to laziness when they held implicit anti-Black bias. Unfortunately, the measure used in this study to examine the relationship between diversity courses and racial and weight-related biases was influenced by the case study manipulations. Therefore, we were unable to test this hypothesis.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2014.Jackson.S

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