Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Interaction Of Patience And Resistance To Miserly Information Processing On Life Outcomes, Tristan Kirkman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study examined the relationships between three factors: patience, resistance to miserly information processing (RMIP), and life outcomes. Patience, or the ability to delay gratification in exchange for a larger reward, has been associated with having fewer negative life outcomes— those who are able to wait tend to have better lives. RMIP involves the tendency to think analytically instead of using heuristics (mental shortcuts). RMIP has had only limited study in terms of its relationship to actual life outcomes, but what has been examined so far has also suggested a positive relationship. In the present study, it was found that …

Women Directors On Public Company Boards: Does A Critical Mass Affect Leverage?, Cindy K. Harris

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between corporate leverage (the ratio of total debt to total assets) and gender diversity on US public company boards, with particular focus on boards that have at least 25% women directors. Using this critical mass of women eliminates from consideration boards with lesser female representation, whose female directors may be marginalized in their contributions to board functioning and decision-making. I hypothesize that when boards have this minimum threshold of gender diversity, the influence of risk-averse female directors will impact board decisions related to financing, resulting in lower debt ratios when compared to boards with no …

Evaluating For Public Value: Clarifying The Relationship Between Public Value And Program Evaluation, Scott A. Chazdon, Nathan Paine

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This article presents a framework that integrates the concept of public value, known primarily in public administration and public sector economics circles, with program evaluation. We identify four components of this Evaluating for Public Value (EPV) framework. These are: (1) the “publicness” of the participant and the participant’s goals; (2) organizational credibility, which incorporates participant and stakeholder perceptions of the program, as well as the delivery organization; (3) program outcomes, with an emphasis on the value gained by program participants; and (4) broader impacts. The notion of measuring a program’s publicness is perhaps the most novel aspect of this framework. …

Improving Cancer Outcomes Among Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Communities: A Rapid Review Of The Literature, Lyn Phillipson, Karen Larsen-Truong, Sandra Jones, Leissa Pitts

Sandra Jones

This Evidence Check review examined the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic speaking communities in Australia in relation to cancer, its causes, screening, treatments, perceptions of susceptibility, and perceived outcomes. The review explores fear, stigma, taboos, and the role of family, as well as the evidence of effectiveness of cancer prevention, detection and treatment interventions. There are significant gaps in the evidence base.

Building The Capacity Of Schools To Achieve Outcomes For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Project, Amanda A. Webster, Jacqueline R. Roberts

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The number of students with ASD attending mainstream schools has increased dramatically over the past decade. Teachers are reporting they often feel ill-equipped and anxious about meeting the needs of students with ASD in their classroom (Emam & Farrell, 2009). In addition, parents are increasingly expressing frustration with the quantity and quality of support their children with ASD are receiving in school settings and are increasingly resorting to home schooling and other alternative options to meet the needs of their children (Parsons, Lewis, & Ellins, 2009). Finally, school principals have also reported they lack training and information on how to …

Early In-Session Cognitive-Emotional Problem-Solving Predicts 12-Month Outcomes In Depression With Personality Disorder, Kye L. Mccarthy, Erhardt Mergenthaler, Brin F. S Grenyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Therapist-patient verbalizations reveal complex cognitive-emotional linguistic data. How these variables contribute to change requires further research. Emotional-cognitive text analysis using the Ulm cycles model software was applied to transcripts of the third session of psychotherapy for 20 patients with depression and personality disorder. Results showed that connecting cycle sequences of problem-solving in the third hour predicted 12-month clinical outcomes. Therapist-patient dyads most improved spent significantly more time early in session in connecting cycles, whilst the least improved moved into connecting cycles late in session. For this particular sample, it was clear that positive emotional problem-solving in therapy was beneficial.

The Effects Of Fathers' And Mothers' Reading To Their Children On Language Outcomes Of Children Participating In Early Head Start In The United States, Anna E. Duursma

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It is well known that reading aloud affects children 's language and literacy development. Little is known though, about fathers reading to their children. This study examined paternal and maternal bookreading frequency among 430 low-income families and investigated whether paternal bookreading and maternal bookreading predicted children 's early language and cognitive development and emergent literacy skills. Results demonstrated that mothers read more frequently to their toddlers than fathers but approximately 55% of fathers reported reading at least weekly to their children. Paternal bookreading at 24 and 36 months significantly predicted children's language and cognitive skills at age 36 months as …

Reconnecting Urban Planning With Health: A Protocol For The Development And Validation Of National Liveability Indicators Associated With Noncommunicable Disease Risk Behaviours And Health Outcomes, Billie Giles-Corti, Hannah M. Badland, Suzanne Mavoa, Gavin Turrell, Fiona Bull, Bryan Boruff, Christopher Pettit, Adrian E. Bauman, Paula Hooper, Karen Villanueva, Thomas Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng, Vincent Learnihan, R Davey, Rob Grenfell, Sarah Thackway

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: Liveable communities create the conditions to optimise health and wellbeing outcomes in residents by influencing various social determinants of health - for example, neighbourhood walkability and access to public transport, public open space, local amenities, and social and community facilities. This study will develop national liveability indicators that are (a) aligned with state and federal urban policy, (b) developed using national data (where available), (c) standard and consistent over time, (d) suitable for monitoring progress towards creating more liveable, equitable and sustainable communities, (e) validated against selected noncommunicable disease risk behaviours and/or health outcomes, and (f) practical for measuring …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Outcomes For Gifted Students In The Wollongong Youth Study, Wilma Vialle, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 14th International ECHA Conference, 17-20 September, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The Feasibility Of Telephone Follow-Up Interviews For Monitoring Treatment Outcomes Of Australian Residential Drug And Alcohol Treatment Programs, Frank Deane, Peter James Kelly, Trevor Crowe, Geoffrey Lyons, Elizabeth Kate Cridland

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Telephone follow-up interviewing is one method of monitoring treatment outcomes of individuals involved in drug and alcohol treatment programs. The present study is the first to examine the feasibility and generalizability of data obtained from telephone follow-up interviews after drug and alcohol treatment in Australia. Methods: Participants attended 1 of 8 Salvation Army Recovery Service Centres where staff administered outcome measures at intake. Three-month postdischarge telephone follow-up interviews were conducted by researchers from the Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong. Results: A sample of 700 clients was obtained for follow-up (582 males; 118 females). A 51% follow-up …

Disinvestment Policy And The Public Funding Of Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Outcomes Of Deliberative Engagements With Three Key Stakeholder Groups, Katherine Hodgetts, Janet E. Hiller, Jackie M. Street, D Carter, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Amber M. Watt, John R. Moss, Adam Elshaug

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Measures to improve the quality and sustainability of healthcare practice and provision have become a policy concern. In addition, the involvement of stakeholders in health policy decision-making has been advocated, as complex questions arise around the structure of funding arrangements in a context of limited resources. Using a case study of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), deliberative engagements with a range of stakeholder groups were held on the topic of how best to structure the distribution of Australian public funding in this domain.

Methods

Deliberative engagements were carried out with groups of ART consumers, clinicians and community members. The forums …

Quality Of Life In Emerging Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Staci Carr

Theses and Dissertations

This study is focused on exploring quality of life in young adults in the autism spectrum and the factors that contribute to their own perception of satisfaction with their lives. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disability that is associated with deficits in social interaction and communication and with restricted and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). There has been a documented increase in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), making it to be one of the fastest growing diagnosed disabilities in children (Hartley-McAndrew, 2014). In the United States, the prevalence of ASD is approximately 1 in 68 children, …

Symptom Severity, Treatment Acceptability, And Motivational Predictors Related To Patient Improvement For Insomnia, Shelby Marie Afflerbach

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

With the widespread presence of sleep disorders in the United States, especially insomnia, it is pertinent to investigate beliefs that patients have about insomnia, symptom severity, and treatment acceptability in order to assess patients' motivation for behavioral change. Participants in this archival study were thirty-one patients seeking help for sleep-related issues, whom were primarily from a Midwestern metropolitan area. Patients had completed pre-treatment measures that assessed insomnia symptoms, outcomes, treatment acceptability, and willingness to change and one post-treatment measure assessing insomnia outcomes. Because the purpose of the present study was to examine whether these variables predict patient improvement (higher scores …

The Development Of A Teacher-Rating Measure Of Positive Behavior, Sara Ann Ebsen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a systems-level prevention model for problem behavior in K-12 schools. As the number of schools implementing PBIS continues to increase, so does the number of evaluations of its fidelity and effectiveness. After summarizing the test construction, purpose and function, and psychometric properties of commonly used measures in PBIS, the current study examines the development of a measure of positive behavior that can be used to evaluate outcomes of PBIS implementation. Research questions focus on (a) themes of positive behavior, (b) internal consistency of the measure, (c) correlation and reliability over time, and (d) …

The Efficacy Of Interactive Journaling® In Reducing Alcohol Use And Alcohol-Related Problems Among Mandated College Student Drinkers, Steven Lee Proctor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems remain serious public health and safety concerns on United States college campuses. Considerable research has amassed to support the efficacy of the Alcohol Skills Training Program (ASTP), most notably the Brief Assessment and Screening Intervention for College Students, in reducing alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among mandated and voluntary college student drinkers. The most recent outgrowth of the ASTP curriculum, CHOICES About Alcohol: A Brief Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program, is a self-guided, experiential writing process which utilizes Interactive Journaling®. The present study sought to evaluate the efficacy of CHOICES in reducing alcohol use and alcohol-related …

Navigating The Health Care Labyrinth: Portraits Of The Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, Thomas C. Crawford Phd

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In 2010, an estimated population of the 311,212,863 Americans generated approximately 1,014,688,290 physician office encounters (Moore, 2010). The frequency and number of professional interactions between caregivers and patients/family members in medical office settings equated to a staggering 1,931 visits per minute. Based on the massive volume of interactions that occurred between patients of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic standings that generated an average household income of $49,445 in 2010 (United States Census Bureau, 2010a) with a physician workforce that the Association of American Medical Colleges (2010) captured as being 75% White that earned (primary care specialties) in …