Digital Commons Network^™

Central Fatigue In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Peter A. J. Hope

Theses : Honours

Fatigue associated with activity is a normal response, seeking to prevent damage or conserve energy. Some individuals show heightened fatigue responses with no distinct aetiology. In chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), peripheral fatigue mechanisms display no apparent abnormalities, indicating some central mechanism. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to compare force, perceived exertion, electromyogram response, motor evoked potentials (MEP) and silent periods (SP) following stimulation in normal and chronic fatigue groups. Participants (n=l2) were physically matched and performed a sustained sub-maximal (20% of MVC) isometric contraction of the elbow flexors. There were no significant differences (p < 0.05) in elbow flexor strength or time to reach fatigue. CFS participants showed a significant difference in perception of effort at outset. Differences were also noted in MEP amplitude and SP duration (p

Patterns Of Anger, Attribution, And Appraisal, Andrew J. Ellis

Theses : Honours

A single study investigates two cognitive theories of anger arousal, and the hostile attribution bias (HAB) phenomenon from the aggression literature. It was argued that the role of B. Weiner’s (1985, 1986) casual attribution dimension of intentionality has been underestimated in anger arousal; and it was hypothesised that when attributions of intentionality increase anger arousal increases. R. S. Lazarus and K. A. Smith's ( 1988) appraisal theory holds that emotions arc aroused in response to personally relevant events, and without this appraisal process causal attibutions are insufficient to evoke emotions. Based on this it was hypothesised that appraisal components are …

Nutritional Problems And Information Needs Of Patients Receiving Chemotherapy And Radiation Therapy, Margaret Joan Robinson

Theses : Honours

Nutritional status is a major factor in determining the successful outcome of treatment for cancer. The combined effect of cancer, and the treatment for cancer, has the potential to severely impair nutritional status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and severity of treatment-related side-effects which affect nutritional status in cancer patients and to determine the sources and helpfulness of information about nutrition which had been utilised by patients. A descriptive study was used to investigate two groups of patients, one group who was receiving chemotherapy, and the other, radiation therapy. A questionnaire developed by the researcher …

Teacher's Perceptions Of The Introduction Of A Middle School Within A Western Australian Independent Girls' School, S. M. Lienert

Theses : Honours

In 1995 an independent girls' school in Perth, Western Australia, decided to introduce a Middle School. 'This meant changing the traditional structure of grouping children aged between 5 and 12 years into primary school and children aged between 13 and 17 years into secondary school. The aim of the Middle School was to provide increased educational opportunities for 12 to 14 year old students. When the introduction of a Middle School was announced teaching staff expressed a number of concerns with respect to their new roles and the new school operations. These concerns raised questions about whether years of teaching …

Children's Perceptions Of Tasks, Structure, Routines And Roles In Two Multi-Age (P-1) Classrooms, Anne Yeoward

Theses : Honours

In Western Australia, multi-age grouping is being explored as a means of providing a rich learning environment which helps children to learn, caters for individual differences and recognises the child's social and cognitive development (Rice & Basich. 1994 ). To date no study on the child's perceptions, expectations and experience of school within this organisational framework has been conducted. The purpose of this study is to find out about young children's perceptions of tasks, structure, routines and roles in a multi-age class. What are children's perceptions of the class grouping and task content in a multi-age class? What are children's …

Coming Out Of The Closet : Young Gay Men's Experiences In The Process Of Coming Out, Ronald Macdonald

Theses : Honours

Coming out of the closet is a decision that all young gay men consider, however there has been little recent research undertaken which investigates this phenomenon. The purpose of this qualitative study is to provide an account of young men's experiences in the process of coming out and a critical analysis of the influences of cultural, political and social factors which impinge on the process. A phenomenological method (utilising Colaizzi's procedural steps) will be employed to collect data and to extrapolate common themes and meanings. A purposeful sample of seven young gay men were interviewed. Data was collected from taped …

Individual Differences In Word Association And Inference Generation From Brief Discourse, Alison L. Clark

Theses : Honours

When people read a short discourse, both more and less skilled readers make word associations. However, it has also been found that, whereas more skilled readers generate inferences from the text, less skilled readers do not (Long, Oppy, & Seely, 1994). The present study partially replicates and extends the study of Long et al. (1994) by investigating the pattern of word associations and whether less skilled readers may be able to generate inferences if given more time to process the discourse. In particular, the study investigates whether word association are made and inferences are drawn as part of an automatic …

Women In Leadership Project: Research Register, Linley Lord, Leanne Burton

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Accounting For And Quantifying Dependencies In Dichotomous Test Data, Barry Sheridan

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper reports on a strategy employing the Extended Logistic Model of Rasch to quantify dependencies in dichotomous test data by providing standard errors of measurement which are commensurate with the loss in information arising from dependencies among subsets of items. Data collected for the Australian Scholastic Aptitude Test were analysed and shown to exhibit strong dependencies among the items involved. A technique is presented for estimating the number of equivalent independent items (found to be 74 in this study) to the original test number (100).

Approaches To Decision Making, Richard J. Mckenna

Research outputs pre 2011

This book is designed as a brief introduction to the understanding of decision making in work settings. It is designed for use in graduate courses and should be supported by a wide range of additional reading materials and practical exercises. The approach is multi-disciplinary and pluralistic: there are many perspectives from which decision making may be viewed. Similarly, there are many differences in decision making between individuals and between contexts.

The book is intended to contribute to a raised awareness of the many issues and high complexity attaching to important decisions. It may or may not help the reader to …

Making Justice Culturally Sensitive: Project Implementation Report, Paul Omaji, Nara Srinivasan

Research outputs pre 2011

The Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training (as it was then called) funded Edith Cowan University from the 1995 National Priority (Reserve) Fund to direct a project to identify courses for educating and training personnel employed by justice agencies on multicultural issues; identify course content for a program to educate NESB and Aboriginal peoples on various aspects of the Australian justice system; and develop training packages for the justice agencies and NESB and Aboriginal communities. The Project was conceived against the background of an increasing concern about the well-being of minority groups within the justice system.

The University, through …

The Role Of Social Support Networks In The Independent Functioning Of Elderly Persons, Maree Gabbedy

Theses : Honours

There is conclusive evidence which highlights the importance of physical and mental health in the ability of elderly persons to function within society, and elderly persons who require services to maintain their independence, are assumed to have lower levels of functioning than persons who do not apply for, or require assistance. Individuals, however, are rarely totally independent, as most people are involved in social networks, where the reciprocal exchange of money, emotional support, goods and services are exchanged with friends family and neighbours. This study, examined the role of social support networks in the independent functioning of the elderly, in …

The Effect Of Expert Testimony On Juror Decision Making In Eyewitness Identification Cases, Pamela J. Sullivan

Theses : Honours

The provision of expert testimony for the defence has been demonstrated to sensitise jurors to the variables that may reduce the reliability of an eyewitness identification (Cutler, Dexter, & Penrod, 1989). However, research examining the variables that reduce identification reliability has revealed conflicting findings (Yuille & Cutshall, 1986). Given this disparity in psychological opinion, a situation may arise where opposing expert testimony for the prosecution and the defence is delivered within the same criminal trial This thesis examined the effect of each form of expert testimony about eyewitness identification issues on the decision of the individual juror. The decision making …

Self-Concept Differences Between Bullied And Non-Bullied Children, Wendy Forrest

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to compare bullied and non-bullied children in order to ascc1tain whether the two groups varied on specific self-concept factors. The theoretical position was that low self-concept was related to bullying and as such, bullied children would score lower on a stipulated self-concept test. The sample comprised fifty-three bullied and fifty-three non-bullied children from grades six to nine, selected from three large state city schools and six large state country schools with similar socio-economic status. The students were allocated to the "bullied" and "non-bullied" groups by class teachers using specified criteria. All fifty-three bullied children …

Children's Gender Relations In The Preschoool Setting : Parents' And Children's [Sic] Perspectives As Indicators For Change, B. D. Murfin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates how 4/5 year old children, from one preschool centre, and their parents perceive gender relations in our gendered society. By observing children's interactions in a preschool setting, and discussing these interactions with the children involved, the discourses and discursive practices operating in the gender regime of this setting are uncovered. The characteristics of children's gender relations in this setting are that asymmetrical relationships are prevalent; masculine and feminine storylines are common along with shared storylines; masculinise hegemonic discourses are dominant although many girls and boys cross the gender divide; some children see the other sex/gender as ‘foreign’ …

Exploring Infertility Through Art, Olga Gibson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study, entitled "Exploring infertility through art" focuses on researching the use of art to explore the psychogenic, psychological and physiological aspects of infertility and the psychosomatic avenues of expression possibly resulting in, or contributing to, infertility. The term psychogenic means "pertaining to disorders which are functional in origin" (Chaplin, 1973, p. · 391), or "term usually employed of disorders which originate in mental conditions, though they may come to involve physiological changes, as a result of these mental conditions" (Drever, 1978, p. 231). A psychogenic disorder is ''a functional disorder which has no known organic basis and is therefore …

The 'Stunned' And The 'Stymied' : The P.O.W. Experience In The History Of The 2/11th Infantry Battalion, 1939-1945, Mary R. Watt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Stimulated by a pronouncement of Joan Beaumont that prisoners of war are a neglected subject of historical inquiry this thesis undertakes an empirical and analytical study concerning this topic. Within the context of the prisoner of war experience in the history of the 2/11th Infantry Battalion during the Second World War, it puts a case for including non-operational strands of warfare in the body of Australian official military history. To facilitate this contention the study attempts to show the reasons for which historians might study the scope and range of the prisoner of war experience. Apart from describing the context …

The Use Of Subjective Ratings Of Perceived Exertion (Rpe) To Estimate Fixed Blood Lactate Concentrations During Incremental Cycle Ergometer Exercise, Keith Robert Scotson

Theses : Honours

Prescription of exercise intensity based on blood lactate concentration has become widely accepted in recent years. The methods used to directly measure blood lactate concentration however, can be costly, time consuming and potentially hazardous to both subject and tester. Recent studies indicate that a strong relationship exists between subjective feelings of strain experienced during exercise and changes in the appearance of blood lactate. This raises the possibility that subjective ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) can be used to simply and effectively estimate and monitor appropriate exercise intensity based on blood lactate concentration. In order to test this theory two groups …

New Plays For Old : Jonson's Orton And Orton's Jonson, Josephine M. Wayling

Theses : Honours

The aim of this thesis is to ascertain to what extent Ben Jonson's play Volpone can be constructed through Joe Orton's play Loot. I will attempt to discover how far Loot can be said to be of use in re-examining Volpone in a different light since the emergence of Orton's brand of comic drama. I shall start by looking at influences such as Erasmus and his particular brand of humour as created in The Praise of Folly, and the implications for comedy that it presents in the form of the mock encomium. The relevance of "not what …

Arbitrary Views Of High-Dimensional Space And Data, Andrew Ellerton

Theses : Honours

Computer generated images of three dimensional scenes objects are the result of parallel/perspective projections of the objects onto a two dimensional plane. The computational techniques may be extended to project n-dimensional hyperobjects onto (n-1) dimensions, for n > 3. Projection to one less dimension may be applied recursively for data of any high dimension until that data is two-dimensional, when it may be directed to a computer screen or to some other two-dimensional output device. Arbitrary specification of eye location, target location, field-of-view angles and other parameters provide flexibility, so that data may be viewed-and hence perceived-in previously unavailable ways. However, …

Are Special Needs Qualifications And Teaching Experience Factors In Teacher Attitudes Towards Collaborative Action Plans?, T. Spittle

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this exploratory study was to ascertain if teachers who have special needs training or teaching experience have a statistically significant difference in their attitude towards the implementation of the Western Australian Education Department's Collaborative Action Plans. Using a stratified random sampling method a sample of teachers (N = 2 x 50) was generated from regular primary schools and education support facilities within the Perth metropolitan area. Survey variables canvassed were source reliability, time, efficacy, collaboration, assessment measures, information types and summary issues. A mailed questionnaire produced a response rate of 66%. Survey data indicated that in terms …

Conceptions Of Learning Held By Students In The Lower, Middle And Upper Grades Of Primary School, Carole Noelle Steketee

Theses : Honours

Conceptions of learning are the fundamental beliefs and ideas people hold about their own learning. To a large extent, these understandings determine the way in which learning tasks are tackled and, ultimately, the outcome of learning experiences. Using a phenomenographic approach, this study explored the conceptions of teaming held by six students in the lower, middle and upper grades of primary school. Data collected from a series of individual in-depth interviews resulted in the identification of six distinctly different conceptions of learning. At the most basic level, the students articulated their understanding of learning in a very general sense. This …

An Investigation Of Agency In Children's Own Narrative Writing Before And After Exposure To Counter-Sexist Texts, Jane Nolan

Theses : Honours

This research focuses on the issue of gender in education. It looks at the role counter-sexist texts play in the formation, consolidation and interruption of children's gender ideology. It initially investigates whether or not counter-sexist texts can change agency in children's writing by analysing children's own narrative writing. Then it seeks to shed light on the ways that children respond to these types of texts by using transcripts from discussion sessions.

The sample consisted of 20 students from a Western Australian state primary school. These students were randomly distributed into a control and experimental group. Each week, for a period …

The Design And Implementation Of A Toolkit For The Creation Of Virtual Environments, Jesse Kinross-Smith

Theses : Honours

Virtual Reality is a field that is steadily increasing in popularity and interest. New developments in both hardware and software have empowered developers with new devices allowing faster and better quality interaction with virtual environments. However, the emphasis of research in virtual environments has been more concerned with development of new display and input devices, as opposed to the investigation of different methods of interaction that a three-dimensional environment offers. This project designs and implements a three-dimensional, interactive, virtual environment development system upon an existing three-dimensional rendering engine. The aim of the project is to allow users to generate virtual …

An Analysis Of Potential Incompatibility Between The Acts Amendment (Evidence Of Children And Others) Act 1992 And Defendants' Rights, V. F. Pearson

Theses : Honours

The need to balance the needs and rights of all parties is a central consideration in legal procedure. This is no simple task, however, when the interests of the defendant are often in direct contrast to those of the witness. Much of the contention arises from the ambiguity associated with the nature of both victims' and defendants' rights and the lack of clear guidelines for the resolution of conflict where such competing interests are involved. Because Australia has no document precisely delineating the nature and content of individual rights, the result is a reliance on an ill-defined combination of common …

Samurai Of Gentle Power : An Exploration Of Aikido In The Lives Of Women Aikidoka, Katie Noad

Theses : Honours

This exploratory study of women's experience of the martial art of aikido comes as a response to the paucity of texts on women in the martial arts. My 16-year involvement with aikido and my studies in the field of Leisure Science have led me to explore the apparent contradiction between the traditionally masculine domain of martial arts and prescribed female/feminine behaviour. As a feminist researcher and as an aikido participant I acknowledge a close connection with my topic and hence the subjective nature of this study. I am not trying to produce an absolute truth, but present some of the …

The Effects Of A Sense Of Humour On Empathic-Responses : Testing Positive And Negative Affect As Mediating Variables, Michael Francis Sheehan

Theses : Honours

Research investigating individual differences in empathy-related responding has shown sympathy (an other oriented response involving concern) and perspective taking (the psychological adoption of another's point of view) to be related to emotional regulation and more positive affect, and personal distress (an egoistic reaction to another's distress) to be associated with overarousal and more negative affect Separate research investigating the stress-moderating effects of humour has linked coping humour to reduced negative affect and the maintenance of positive affect. The present study tested a model that hypothesised that coping humour would have an indirect affect on each empathy-related variable through positive and …

The Development Of Drink Driving Policy In Western Australia, 1990-1996, Evanya Cameron

Theses : Honours

In the last two decades, road safety has emerged as a significant issue in public policy, not only in Australia but internationally. In particular, measures to reduce the increasing number of drink drivers has been of top priority. Despite this importance, Western Australia has lagged considerably behind other Australian states, and especially New South Wales and Victoria in all areas of drink driving policy development and implementation. This study investigates the reasons for the slow development of drink driving policy from 1990-1996, by examining the Western Australian policy making process. The roles of each of the crucial policy actors, the …

Bullying In Schools : An Extension And Replication Of Schoolchildren's Attitudes And Helping Behaviour Toward Victims Of Bullying, Kathy Elliott

Theses : Honours

A replication and extension of Rigby and Slee's (1991) study, was conducted in rural Western Australia to investigate age and gender differences in schoolchildren's attitudes and behaviour toward victims of bullying. One hundred and seventy two students (93 Females, 79 males) participated in the study, comprising of, Year 3, Year 7, Year 8, and Year 12 students. Three written, anonymous questionnaires were used: (i) The Peer Relations Questionnaire (Rigby & Slee, 1994) and (ii) the Pro-Victim Scale (Rigby & Slee, 1991) examined students peer interactions and attitudes toward victims; and a self-developed questionnaire, (iii) the Victim Questionnaire, was ased to …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Court Interpreters Upon Attributions Of Defendant And Plaintiff Culpability, Grace Frances

Theses : Honours

An expressed reluctance of the courts to employ interpreters has been challenged on the basis that a failure to provide such assistance to the Non-English Speaking (NES) witness contravenes the principles of natural justice. Further, NES defendants risk being misunderstood and incapacitated in their ability to effectively communicate the intended meaning of the evidence they are giving. In order to determine whether the presence of an interpreter exerts influence upon attributions of culpability given to a NES defendant, it was .important to identify whether evaluations were based on the interpreter's presence or on the defendant's ethnicity. Therefore, three trial conditions …