Expert Approaches to Mental Toughness Development in the High Risk Sport of Diving

Research focusing on mental toughness development and high risk sport is limited to one examination of elite gymnasts' perceptions. Coaches have acknowledged that mental toughness is important to performance success, while admitting they do not know effective development strategies. The aim of the current research is to address both these concerns by employing a grounded theory approach to ascertain elite diving coaches perceptions of mental toughness development and what mental toughness is. Seven diving coaches volunteered and were interviewed for an average of 49 minutes. They all coached an athlete that participated either in the world championships or Olympic games since 2008. Participants reported that mental toughness was the ability of a diver to perform a movement in a crucial moment that requires focus, extending beyond their comfort zone, overcoming fear, and never giving up. Mentaltoughness may not be the appropriate term due to its lack of multicultural sensitivity. Participants felt that dealing with adversity was something divers would have to constantly process. Mental toughness can be developed by the coach, the environment, or individual athlete. Unique attributes specific to divers were an awareness of self and a distinct level of knowing what the athlete was going to do. More research needs to be conducted to determine if these concepts can be generalized to other high risk sports. Future research could help establish a valid quantitative measure of mental toughness development.

A Young Child's Anxiety and Math Performance: Enhancing Cognitive Behavioral Intervention with Conjoint Behavioral Consultation

Partnering with families, school personnel, and community resources is an important step to supporting the child and family, especially when children might suffer from debilitating anxiety concerns. However, little research examines the impact of anxiety on math performance for young children participating in school-based interventions enhanced by family components. The following research questions were addressed in the study: 1a) Will a young child with elevated levels of anxiety show a decrease in anxiety symptoms with a Cognitive Behavioral framework intervention program for children? 1b) Will anxiety be reduced with the addition of a Conjoint Behavioral Consultation with the family and teacher? 2a) Will a young child show an increase in math performance after participation in a Cognitive Behavioral framework intervention program for children? 2b) Will math performance be increased with the addition of a Conjoint Behavioral Consultation with the family and teacher? A single-subject staggered baseline across situations intervention study addressed whether the Coping Cat, an evidenced-based child-focused intervention now widely used in schools and clinics to treat childhood anxiety, combined with family and school consultation will decrease elevated anxiety levels and improve math performance in an elementary-aged student. The objective was to support mental health development and math performance with an eight-year-old, female elementary student through a collaborative effort of stakeholders in the student's life. Baseline data was collected with repeated measures of anxiety and math performance, and was compared to two intervention phases: first, a child-focused intervention and second, a family and school consultation. The study tested the theory that the Cognitive Behavioral intervention and Conjoint Behavioral Consultation intervention will influence, positively, the anxiety levels and math performance for an elementary-aged student. Results indicate that the child participant with elevated levels of anxiety showed a reduction in symptoms with the introduction of a Cognitive Behavioral framework intervention when compared to her baseline data. The participant showed further reduction in symptoms across the school and home settings with the implementation of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation when compared to baseline and the first intervention phase. Math performance began to increase with the introduction of the Cognitive Behavioral intervention, and continued to improve with the implementation of the Conjoint Behavioral Consultation. Findings suggest that consultation should begin immediately when an intervention is implemented in order to enhance outcomes.

An Investigation of Ozone Related Data and Development of a Model to Evaluate Ozone Episodes for Exceptional Event Criteria

The EPA promulgated the Exceptional Events Rule codifying guidance regarding exclusion of monitoring data from compliance decisions due to uncontrollable natural or exceptional events. This capstone examines documentation systems utilized by agencies requesting data be excluded from compliance decisions due to exceptional events. A screening tool is developed to determine whether an event would meet exceptional event criteria. New data sources are available to enhance analysis but evaluation shows many are unusable in their current form. The EPA and States must collaborate to develop consistent evaluation methodologies documenting exceptional events to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the new rule. To utilize newer sophisticated data, consistent, user-friendly translation systems must be developed.

Development of a Strengths-Based Model for Insurance Automobile, Property, and Casualty Claims Operations

ABSTRACT \ Employers know that to have a successful organization, they must have the right people in the right jobs. But how will they know whom to place where? The development of a model based upon an individual's personality traits and strengths, and how to best use them, is a good place to start. Employees working in positions in which their traits and strengths are maximized enjoy work more, are more efficient, and are less apt to be absent or to look for work elsewhere. It is a mutually beneficial process of selection for both employers and employees. This model illustrates the process in an automobile and property insurance claims operation through utilization of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators and the StrengthsFinder Profiles.