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PhD ceremony Ms. M.D. Boelhouwer: Tussen weerstand en weerbaarheid en andere recepten. Een effectevaluatie van het WIBO-lesprogramma met behulp van vragenlijsten, dagboeken en observaties

When:Th 14-11-2013 at 16:15

PhD ceremony: Ms. M.D. Boelhouwer, 16.15 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Tussen weerstand en weerbaarheid en andere recepten. Een effectevaluatie van het WIBO-lesprogramma met behulp van vragenlijsten, dagboeken en observaties

Promotor(s): prof. P.L.C. van Geert

Faculty: Behavioural and Social Sciences

This dissertation discusses evaluation of the WIBO (Weerbaarheid in het BasisOnderwijs) program for improving the empowerment of children in grades 5 and 6.

We investigated whether or not WIBO was effective, in three separate studies: a questionnaire study and a diary study (n= 764, 372 girls, 392 boys) and an observational study (two classes).

We also asked what WIBO can teach us about research on behavioral change through intervention programs in general.

The teacher, parent and scenario questionnaires showed mainly positive effects (small to moderate effect sizes) on physical and social-emotional empowerment. The diary study showed a decrease in stressful real life experiences and interactions, and an increase of adaptive coping behavior. In contrast, the observational study did not yield a positive effect for adaptive coping strategies. In addition, the observational study validated the WIBO ‘s theoretical description of which behaviors are effective coping strategies.

This dissertation introduces a systematical classification scheme (taxonomy) in which every cell contains an (implicit) definition of effectiveness, and a description of a research method with which this effectiveness can be measured. The taxonomy consists of four dimensions: the static-dynamic, the micro-macro timescale, direct versus indirect sources of information and the short term versus long term dimension.

Ideally, effect evaluation should combine the most important cells of the taxonomy representing the specific form of effectiveness and methods characteristic for that cell.

The results of the WIBO evaluation justify a combination of different kinds of effect evaluations in intervention effect studies.

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