Date Approved

5-2-2007

Embargo Period

3-30-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School Psychology

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Epifanio, Frank

Committee Member 1

Dihoff, Roberta

Subject(s)

High school students--Social conditions; Parental influences

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the cumulative GPAs and highest combined SAT scores of students from varying backgrounds and parental structures. A total of 83 participants (36 males and 47 females) from a southern New Jersey Catholic high school were surveyed concerning their individual type of parental structure, their cumulative GPA, as well as their highest combined SAT score and individual SAT test scores. Results showed that the interaction between gender and type of parental structure did not have a significant impact on cumulative GPA, on SAT verbal scores, on SAT math scores, on SAT writing scores, or on total combined SAT scores. A correlation matrix was performed to analyze interactions between variables, which yielded no significant relationships between any of the variables in the study. However, it was found that males outscored females on all SAT categories; however, females achieved a higher average cumulative GPA than males in the study. The limitations in this study were numerous; the population studied, time constraints imposed, possible compounding factors unaccounted for, and limited return rate each had a definite impact on the results of the study.

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