Digital Commons Network^™

An Investigation Of The Factors That Influence The Career Aspirations Of Year 12 Science Students, Christina R. Holly

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

What has become apparent in recent years is the lack of upper secondary students choosing science related subjects in their final years of schooling. Even of those students who choose science subjects to study in Years 11 and 12 in Australia, many tend to choose non-science pathways for tertiary education options (department of Education, Science and Training, 2003). This is worrying trend, given the numbers of science professionals and teachers required in the new age of technology. By investigating a sample of Western Australian Year 12 students that study any science related subjects, it is expected that there may be …

The Relationship Between Corporate Social Performance And Financial Asset Characteristics, Ingebjørg Kristoffersen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis explores the theoretical and empirical evidence for a relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and financial characteristics. An empirical analysis is performed to examine the Australian evidence for such a relationship, from a financial asset perspective. CSP data provided by Corporate Monitor Pty. Ltd. are used in the analysis. Specifically, available measures of environmental, social and governance performance of 237 Australian companies are compared with selected financial asset characteristics, including firm size, book-to-market value, financial performance and risk, covering the period between July 1997 and August 2003. Evidence of relationships is sought using bivariate correlations, group comparisons and …

Children And Healthy Eating: A Global, Policy And School Curriculum Perspective, Erica Logan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Healthy eating is a topic most people would consider they have an understanding of, yet it is an area which is not often addressed from a critical perspective. Healthy eating is freely discussed in society. It is a dominant discourse used commercially and frequently appears in educational 'texts', however the discourses surrounding healthy eating for children are not well analysed and are most often controlled by the media and often not challenged. A critical perspective to children's eating is adopted for this portfolio and multiple perspectives bought to bare regarding the globalisation of food cultures, and governance and policy influences …

The Effectiveness Of Back Belts As A Control Measure For Occupational Low Back Pain In A Retail Hardware Chain, Nick Merdith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the mandatory introduction of back belts on the incidence, days lost and cost of occupational low back injuries resulting from manual handling in 11 retail hardware chain. The study was of a non-experimental before-and-after design with all retail employees in Western Australia being included in a retrospective cohort. The pre-intervention period extended for 21 months and included 2,265,933 work hours with 647 full-time equivalent positions, while the intervention period was 32 months for 4,411,352 hours worked and 827 full-time equivalent positions. Workers' compensation claims for all occupational injuries occurring …

Mothers' Social Framing, Frequency Of Mother-Child Conversations About Peers, And Preschool Aged Children's Attribution Tendencies, Lisa Lemme

Theses : Honours

In an attempt to fill a gap in the social information processing literature, the present study investigated whether mother-child communication is related to children's attribution tendencies in ambiguous, negative social situations. Measures of mothers' social framing, frequency of mother-child conversations about peers, and children's hostile attributions of intent were scored for 45 mother-child dyads. The results showed that mothers' social framing was a key predictor of preschool children's attribution tendencies. However, frequency of mother-child conversations about peers was not a significant predictor of preschool children's attribution tendencies. Overall, the results of this study provide support for mothers' social framing as …

A Feminist Jungian Analysis Of The Representations Of Teenage Females In Films 1950s To 1970s, Lea O'Dea

Theses : Honours

This thesis is framed within the broad study of film theory and analysis. It is my research into the representations of teenage females in mass media films made and released in the USA and Australia in the years before and after the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and Women's Liberation Movement that began in the 1970s. This work is significant primarily in that it is an analysis specifically of teenage females who feature as lead characters in films. The sample of films has been chosen because as mass media, mainstream films their distribution is indicative of their acceptance within the …

A Systems Approach To An Into Organizational Communication Within The Fire And Emergency Services Authority Of Western Australia : An Action Research Study, Ellen Jones

Theses : Honours

Research suggests that a rapidly changing environment due to advancing technology, globalization, expanding world markets, changing populations is resulting in the need for a change to workplace practices. Emerging issues due to an aging population and the anticipated shrinkage of the workforce with the retirement of the baby boomers is indicating the need for the development of new skills. Through a real-life case study, this thesis looks into the aspects of organizational life that impact on effective communication. Through an action research approach implications are drawn from a systems theory view of communication. Action research and systems thinking enables the …

Gay And Lesbian Psychological Well-Being: A Thesis Comprising; Psychological Health In Adults From Sexual Minorities (Literature Review); And, A Comparative Exploratory Study Of The Psychological Well-Being Of Gay Male, Lesbian, And Heterosexual Australian Metropolitan Adults (Research Project), Stephen D. Brown

Theses : Honours

Research into the psychological health of members of sexual minorities has been biased towards a medical model of illness and several methodological difficulties need to be considered to critically interpret findings in this area. This review presents relevant literature on sexual minority stressors, positive coping by sexual minority members, and the mixed findings of between-groups comparative research. The medical model bias is evident in an analysis of the measures of psychological health used in research involving sexual minorities. The thesis of considering psychological health of sexual minorities from the broader perspective that includes both well-being and pathology, and of using …

Western Electric: A Survey Of Recent Western Australian Electronic Music, Lindsay Vickery

Sound Scripts

This paper surveys developments in recent Western Australian electronic music through the work of a number of representative artists in a range of internationally recognised genres. The article follows specific cases of practitioners in the fields of Sound Art (Alan Lamb and Hannah Clemen), live and interactive electronics (Jonathan Mustard and Lindsay Vickery) and noise/lo-fi electronics (Cat Hope and Petro Vouris) and glitch/electronica (Dave Miller and Matt Rösner).

Modernist And Postmodernist Arts Of Noise, Part 1: From The European Avant-Garde To Contemporary Australian Sound Art, David Bennett

Sound Scripts

The broad aim of the paper that follows is to test the claim of critics such as Miriam Fraser and Steve Connor that the modernist deconstruction of the music/noise dichotomy has entered a distinctively postmodern phase. The article below therefore traces the history and poetics of this dichotomy from the modernist avant-garde to contemporary Australian postmodernist Sound Art, moving from a discussion of the ideas of Russolo, Cage, Boulez and Schaeffer, to a close reading of Ros Bandt's "Stack" (2000- 01). These themes as expressed in contemporary Australian composition are then explored in Part Two.

Modernist And Postmodernist Arts Of Noise, Part 2: From The Clifton Hill Mob To Chamber Made Opera’S Phobia, Linda Kouvaras

Sound Scripts

This paper will continue to trace negotiations outlined in Part 1 of the music/noise dichotomy as expressed in modernist and postmodernist works.1 Drawing connections with the trajectory of "glitch" in popular music since the 1970s. The paper will examine a number of key ways in which the music/noise dichotomy has been addressed as a borderline dispute between, for example, the embodied and the disembodied, the scored and the unscored, the accidental and the intentional, sense and nonsense, culture and nature. Two key figures from the highly influential group of sound artists who came together at Melbourne's Clifton Hill Community Centre …

Radio Art : A Slovak Perspective, Michal Murin

Sound Scripts

January 16, 2000, marked the history of Slovak New Media art and technologies with the first international internet radio art project. Entitled "LENGOW and HEyeRMEarS Meet Radio Artists", it was a live acoustic performance that utilized radio internet broadcast between ORF1 Kunstradio Vienna with its project Arts Birthday 1.000.037,1 Radio Free B92 Beograd, and Tilos Radim Budapest. The performance took place on 16 Jan 2000, from 11 p.m. to midnight in Nové Zámky, Slovakia (Klik Klub). An edited soundtrack of the event was captured on a CD titled "SOUND OFF 1999-2000". On the occasion of the staging of the performance, …

Suburbia : A Postmodern Artistic Investigation And An Examination Of How Postmodern Approaches Can Be Effectively Adopted In The Context Of The New Western Australian Post-Compulsory Visual Arts Course Of Study, Lisa Young

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In 2007, Western Australia art educators will be required to teach a new post-compulsory visual arts curriculum. This course written in a postmodern context, will need a paradigm shift in approach. As a visual arts educator and a visual artist working in a contemporary context what are valid and effective methods of creatively investigating the postmodern world? How can postmodern themes be taught and strategies employed effectively and with integrity in a visual arts curriculum? What are effective and valid approaches to teaching visual arts in the context of the post-complusory Visual Arts Course of Study?

Nurses' Perceptions Of The Pharmacological Management Of Acute Pain Experienced By Patients Hospitalised In The General Ward Setting, Susan Slatyer

Theses : Honours

This study explored and described the experiences and perceptions of nurses managing acute pain in a Western Australian public hospital. The focus was nurses practising in the general ward setting and using current prescribing guidelines. The aim of this research was to explore nurses' attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about pain and pain pharmacology and how this practice setting influences efficient pain management. Qualitative methodology was selected for its ability to explore complex issues in order to build nursing knowledge and guide nursing practice. This study used a descriptive, exploratory design based on a phenomenological approach. The sample comprised ten Registered …

An Examination Of The Transitional Support Needs For Young People Leaving Detention, Kirsten Janke

Theses : Honours

A successful transition from detention to living in the community is a critical step in preventing young people from recidivism and entrenchment in criminal activity (Utting & Vennard, 2000). According to Outcare, an organisation that provides support services to offenders, ex-offenders and their families, there seems to be difficulty accommodating newly released young people in existing accommodation services: additionally, many of these young people are not able to access existing support services which contributes significantly to recidivist behaviour. The purpose of undertaking this qualitative study was to examine the transitional support needs for young people leaving detention. The investigation adopted …

Literature Review: Diagnostic Utility Of The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventories In Various Settings : The Detection And Effect Of Faking Good ; Research Project : The Impact Of Faking-Good On The Mcmi-Iii : Implications For Child Custody Evaluations, Paul Lenny

Theses : Honours

Research surrounding the ability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI; Millon, 1977, 198 7, 1994) to detect faking good was reviewed; along with the effect faking has on diagnostic accuracy. Limited research indicates moderate success of the MCMI validity indices (VI) at detecting faking good. Suggested improvements include developing a fake-good profile combining the personality scales and VI and developing new base rate adjustments with populations likely to fake good. Faking good reduces the overall diagnostic accuracy of the test but determining local base rates of faking to produce optimal cut-offs for the VI would improve diagnostic utility. Future …

Parental Monitoring And The Role Of Community Norms And Neighbourhood, Katrina Sims

Theses : Honours

This study used a qualitative approach to explore parent perceptions of community norms for keeping track of children's activities, within a low socio-economic neighbourhood. Semi-structured interviews based on a questionnaire used by Kerr and Stattin (2000) were used to explore parent beliefs about three sources of parent information: solicitation, parental control and child disclosure. A sample of eight mothers of children aged nine to twelve from two low socio-economic neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: shared emotional connections, influence, control versus trust, and communication. Results indicated that parents used varied methods of monitoring children …

Child Support Following Separation : An Exploratory Study Of Non-Resident Fathers' Views Of The Fairness Of Current Contact And Child Support Payment Practices, Marian C. Cook

Theses : Honours

Seven non-resident fathers who were supporting their children from a previous relationship were interviewed to elicit their views on the fairness of current contact and CS arrangements. Most fathers were committed to their parental role and had contact with their children at least every second weekend. Fair contact was that which was flexible around their paid work commitments. Unfair contact was that which was limited by the children's mother. Most fathers viewed their CS as excessive and some had negotiated lower CS than that mandated by legislation. Several fathers wanted a say in how their CS was spent. Some fathers …

End User Preference Of Customisable Features Within A Course Management System, Diana Taylor

Theses : Honours

Customisation is the means by which people alter and change various elements of their environment with the purpose of making it more suited to their immediate needs. This aids in creating a more personalised experience. People are extremely diverse in terms of age, gender, nationality, and with the dominant presence of technology people also have various levels of computer skills and experience. In the context of computer environments, customisation provides the ability to cater for a diverse user group, providing tools and options that assist with specific tasks, improve accessibility and achieve greater user satisfaction. Carter, MacLean, Lovstard & Moran …

Palliative Care Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Management Of The Psychosocial And Spiritual Pain Experienced By Their Clients In The Home Hospice Setting, Laurence Vogler

Theses : Honours

Pain, in palliative care clients, consists of more than just a physical manifestation of their condition. Pain can be experienced on a psychological or emotional level, a psychosocial level or even at a spiritual level. It is widely accepted that nurses in the palliative care setting manage well the physical issues that their clients have, but perceptions can vary on their management of the "non - physical" pain experienced by their clients. This study provided an opportunity for palliative care nurses to describe their perceptions of their management of the psychosocial and spiritual pain experienced by their clients in the …

Skill Acquisition And Transfer To Contextually Different Tasks: Complete, Partial Or Zero Transfer?, Lois E. Johnson

Theses : Honours

There are differing opinions as to whether skills learned in one situation can be transferred and used in new situations. Anderson's (1982, 1993) Adaptive Control of Thought theory states that complete transfer of skills from one situation to another will occur when the processes used in training are the same as those required in transfer. Logan's (1988) Instance theory posits that complete transfer will occur only if the problems used in training are identical to those used in transfer, and that partial transfer should not occur in any transfer situation. However research by Speelman and Kirsner (2001), and Speelman, Forbes …

Photography In Madagascar: Magical Realism As An Ambiguous Space, Talhy Stotzer

Theses : Honours

The visual component of this project consists of a photographic representation of my experience in a Vezo fishing village on the southwest coast of Madagascar. In the exegesis, magical realism provides a theoretical framework to describe both the use of the photographic medium and the content of my images. Away from both the rigid narratives of modernity and its realist perspective and from the sceptical nihilism of extreme postmodemity, magical realism allows for an ambiguous space in which expression and subjectivity are interconnected with empirical reality. Moreover, this concept which acknowledges a plurality of small and, sometimes contradictory, narratives to …

The Perceived Influence Of Some Trainee Characteristics And Conditions For Transfer On Training Outcomes, Jude E. Balm

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

While training is an important organisational development strategy, training transfer is increasingly being recognised as a key issue in ensuring the effectiveness of training and obtaining a return on investment. This study examines the transfer of training following on from a specific experiential learning program that was aimed at increasing the skills of a group of staff within a unique public sector organisation in Western Australia. The aim of this course was that staff would then be able to achieve a key performance indicator for the organisation at the identified target of 99.99% performance. The study is based on the …

In Search Of Possibilities : Informal Responding To Domestic Violence, Marilyn Palmer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis is based on a feminist ethnography. designed to explore how we as members of informal networks (family, social,,student/work and neighbourhood networks) can respond usefully where there is domestic violence. Here, domestic violence refers to violence against women by their intimate partners and I have filtered the various discourses which seek to explain domestic violence through the lens of a feminist ecological model. The inquiry process has been informed by a postmodem feminism. Non-foundationalist ideas about knowledge have influenced the gathering, interpretatation and representation of the research data. The ideas which emanate from the stady have been informed by …

Alcohol And Drug Related Offences: Determining Predictive Factors For Reducing Re-Offending, Rachel Bennett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The association between dependent drug use and criminal behaviour is well known. This coupled with evidence about the efficacy of treatment in addressing drug use has led many jurisdictions to incorporate treatment interventions into their criminal justice systems. The aim of these interventions that use the law as a therapeutic agent (known as ‘therapeutic jurisprudence') is to reduce by mandating drug dependent offenders into treatment, future offending. However, within the treatment effectiveness literature there is also evidence of individuals resolving their drug use problems without engagement in treatment. The term ‘natural recovery’ has been used to describe this phenomenon. Research …

An Exploratory Cross-Cultural Investigation Of The Organisational Strategies Employed To Prevent And Ameliorate Workplace Bullying In University Settings, Dragana Krestelica

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Workplaces abound in conflict. Individuals within organisations are therefore vulnerable to a wide range of intimidating interactional tactics. These tactics can have an extremely negative impact upon individual workers and upon subsequent organisational performance. Consequentially, the diverse forms of organisational social harassment, and specifically bullying, place a large financial burden upon both organisations and nations. Therefore, the identification of strategies used to prevent and ameliorate workplace bullying and an examination that highlights their comparative success or failure is of great importance for all employers, employees and government. This study focuses upon those strategies used to prevent and ameliorate such workplace …

Fibromyalgia And Bladder Irritability, Carolyn K. Brand

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Urinary tract sensory symptoms provide an additional symptomatic burden for women with fibromyalgia. The urogenital symptoms of both fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis have been described as non-infective sensory disorders, suggesting the existence of substantial clinical overlap between the two conditions. Research suggests that although interstitial cystitis has been treated as a specific bladder condition, it may be part of the disorder of central processing of sensory information as seen in fibromyalgia.

The interstitial cystitis symptom index and problem index (ICSI/ICPI) have been used to measure lower urinary tract symptoms and to examine the impact of these symptoms in patients with …

Investigating Information Management Weaknesses In A Local Government Organisation: A Critical Hermeneutic Ethnographic Case Study Of Internet Documents From Information Warfare And Legal Perspective(S), Edward E. Andre

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis I develop an approach to analyse and interpret internet documents belonging to a particular organisation in a State of Australia. My intention in the research is to find ways to protect a local government organisation from litigation and other threats due to weaknesses in information management on the internet. Based on Gadamer's (1985) approach to the interpretation of text discourse, this thesis is a critical hermeneutic ethnographic case study of one local government organisation investigating internet docunents from information warfare and legal perspective(s).

The Alleged Persecution Of The Roman Christians By The Emperor Domitian, Ken Laffer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines the traditional view of Domitian 's reign, particularly as it relates to his alleged persecution of Roman Christians. In the light of recent revisionist studies, which offer alternative views, this alleged persecution needs to be reassessed. In order to reevaluate this topic, it will be necessary to examine the opinions of the traditionalists and the revisionists, argued from the pagan primary sources together with views expressed in Christian primary and secondary sources. The study of the development of the Domitianic tradition, which involves accounts from a variety of primary and secondary sources, will involve a re-examination of …

Human Levitation, Simon B. Harvey-Wilson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Human levitation occurs when the physical body rises into the air and then hovers or moves around, seemingly in defiance of the force of gravity. Traditionally most levitation reports have originated from seven groups: shamanism, people supposedly possessed by demonic spiritual entities, those subjected to poltergeist activity, Spiritualism, people who believe they have been abducted by aliens, martial arts such as qigong and mysticism. These anecdotal reports generally describe levitation as rare, spontaneous and involuntary, although some people seem able to levitate at will. So far almost no scientific research appears to have been conducted into this phenomenon. In order …