Date of Submission

2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Jessica Glass Kendorski, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D

First Advisor

Richard G. Allen PsyD, NCSP, BCBA-D

Second Advisor

Sofi a Pham, PhD, NCSP

Third Advisor

Kristin Gagnier, PhD

Abstract

This study evaluated a social-emotional learning intervention that taught positive self-talk to high school students from underrepresented minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The setting of this study was a place-based program that immersed students in hands-on STEM activities while located in Philadelphia’s life science hub. Before taking a science assessment, students set effort-based goals and learned to say self-talk statements such as “I will give my best effort” and “Even when it's hard, I will give 100%.” This mixed-methods program evaluation compared pre- and post-intervention data using a paired-samples t-test, linear regression, and correlation analyses. Data on participants' motivation in STEM, science performance, and self-talk use were measured using the Self-Talk Scale (STS). Four semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data on students' use of positive self-talk in both academic and out-of-school time (OST) settings. A thematic analysis and convergence of mixed-methods data were used to capture the program's impact. Participants are 65 high school students, ages 14-18, from underrepresented minority groups in STEM. Students actively developed strategies to counter negative self-talk and to apply positive self-talk to help manage high-stress situations, such as testing. Prior studies revealed that positive self-talk effectively improves math test performance among children with negative competence beliefs. The current study demonstrates that integrating social-emotional learning with self-talk in academic settings affects students' perceptions. Study limitations and implications for program staff, K-12 educators, and future research directions are discussed.

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