Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Date of Award

12-2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

School Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Ralph Carlson

Second Advisor

Dr. Jo Ann Mitchell Burns

Third Advisor

Dr. Liang Zeng

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between cognitive ability (dependent variable) and 5 independent variables: acculturation, socioeconomic status (SES), oral acquisition of syntactic structures, family size, and family structure. Instruments used were the WISC-III, Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM), Sociocultural Scales in the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA). The sample consisted of 96 bilingual Mexican American children aged six and seven years, randomly selected from five school districts in south Texas; 47 were female, and 49, male. The method of analysis was multiple linear regression. The null hypothesis was tested at the .05 level of significance, using a F distribution. Results suggest that for 6-year-old children there is a strong correlation between cognitive ability and oral acquisition of syntactic structures in English; a weaker correlation is found among 7-year-olds. No other variables correlate significantly with cognitive ability.

Comments

Copyright 2001 Lorraine Geralyn Boudville. All Rights Reserved.

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/utrgv.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/relationship-between-cognitive-performance/docview/249961815/se-2?accountid=7119

Granting Institution

University of Texas-Pan American

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