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2009

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Implementing Security In An Ip Multimedia Subsystem (Ims) Next Generation Network - A Case Study, Jose M. Ortiz-Villajos Jan 2009

Implementing Security In An Ip Multimedia Subsystem (Ims) Next Generation Network - A Case Study, Jose M. Ortiz-Villajos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) has gone from just a step in the evolution of the GSM cellular architecture control core, to being the de-facto framework for Next Generation Network (NGN) implementations and deployments by operators world-wide, not only cellular mobile communications operators, but also fixed line, cable television, and alternative operators. With this transition from standards documents to the real world, engineers in these new multimedia communications companies need to face the task of making these new networks secure against threats and real attacks that were not a part of the previous generation of networks. We present the IMS …

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Let Them Run Wild, Val. Czerny Jan 2009

Let Them Run Wild, Val. Czerny

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Drawing from literary criticism, ecological philosophy, psychoanalysis, and the wisdom of the female principle - or what Paula Gunn Allen perceives as "Her presence," the "power to make and relate"- this interdisciplinary study challenges dominant assumptions that habitually prevail in western cultural thinking. Let Them Run Wild investigates alternative, "buried" articulations which emerge in nineteenth-and early twentieth-century narratives that especially engage an audience of both children and adult readers. Recognizing the fictions inherent in linear-driven thought, these articulations celebrate narrative moments where reason is complicated and reconjectured, where absence is affirmed as presence, and where tale-tellers disappear behind the messages …

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Is There A Relationship Between Academic Achievement And School Climate At The Elementary, Middle, Or High School Grade Level?, Thomas Stacy Doyal Jan 2009

Is There A Relationship Between Academic Achievement And School Climate At The Elementary, Middle, Or High School Grade Level?, Thomas Stacy Doyal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Researchers have determined that many factors, including school climate, may be contributing to the lack of academic achievement of many of our students. In an effort to better understand this issue, this study tested for possible relationships between the school climate of multiple schools in Palm Beach County, Florida, and their students' academic achievement. Separate analyses were done at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. For the purpose of this study, academic achievement (criterion variable) was measure by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Math and Reading sections. School climate (predictor variable) was measured by the school district's yearly climate …

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Interlaminar Mode Iii Fracture Ect Method - Testing And Analysis, Grant. Browning Jan 2009

Interlaminar Mode Iii Fracture Ect Method - Testing And Analysis, Grant. Browning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

In an effort to obtain an improved mode III fracture toughness test suitable for a testing standard, mechanics analysis, experimental testing, and finite element analysis (FEA) have been conducted. Of particular concern are the merits of one-point and two-point edge crack torsion (ECT) test methods, the influence of specimen geometry that overhangs beyond load/support points, and the influence of crack length on the compliance and energy release rate. Shear stress distributions at the crack front are determined to examine the uniformity of mode III loading and mode II influence. The shear stress distributions in the one-point and two-point tests are …

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Mathematical Modeling Of Plankton Patchiness, Simantha S. Ather Jan 2009

Mathematical Modeling Of Plankton Patchiness, Simantha S. Ather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

In natural systems, it has been observed that plankton exist in patches rather than in an even distribution across a body of water. However, the mechanisms behind this patchiness are not fully understood. Several previous modeling studies have examined the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on patch structure. Yet these models ignore a key point: zooplankton often undergo diel vertical migration. I have formulated a model that incorporates vertical movement into the Rosezweig-MacArthur (R-M) predator-prey model. The R-M model is stable only at a carrying capacity below a critical value. I found that adding vertical movement stabilizes the system …

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Latinas Experiencing Transnational Motherhood, Rosa Maria Sternberg Jan 2009

Latinas Experiencing Transnational Motherhood, Rosa Maria Sternberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Economic changes have made the immigration of women to the United States part of major political and social issues. Women from Latin America frequently immigrate alone and without legal documentation, leaving their children in the care of relatives or friends, thus becoming transnational mothers in the process. Hispanic/Latino groups comprise the largest minority in the U.S., and Latina women account for 48.9% of the total Latino population. This demographic trend is expected to continue, and Hispanic/Latino groups are projected to experience the largest population increase in the coming decades (Marshall, Urrutia-Rojas, Soto-Mas & Coggin, 2005). The separation from their family …

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Lived Experience Of The Spouses Of Transplant Recipients, Jo Anne Stecher Jan 2009

Lived Experience Of The Spouses Of Transplant Recipients, Jo Anne Stecher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The numbers of transplant surgeries continue to rise in the U.S. This results in a greater number of caregivers who are present in the recipients' lives. Most often these caregivers are spouses. Transplant spouses present with emotional needs, which have been expressed in this study. Nurses, especially those who work with the spouses of transplant candidates and recipients, could be appreciative of the requirements that have been told by these spouses. Six women and two men were interviewed for this study. Their stories were analyzed using a phenomenological approach and five themes emerged from the data. The themes that surfaced …

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Let's Get Into Character, Marc R. Fedderman Jan 2009

Let's Get Into Character, Marc R. Fedderman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study will focus on Quentin Tarantino's three most recent films: Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), and Death Proof (2007). These works are significant, in that they present a marked departure from the director's earlier films. Specifically, they offer portrayals of resourceful and powerful female protagonists, in stark contrast to the frequently neglected and marginalized women of Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). Buttressed by a mixture of psychoanalytic feminist and postmodern theories, I will perform a careful textual analysis of these latest films. In particular, I intend to uncover the ways in which …

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Marketing Music In A Digital Age, James Rocco Amedeo Jan 2009

Marketing Music In A Digital Age, James Rocco Amedeo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The physical sale of music and the effectiveness of traditional media are expected to continue to decline, challenging marketers to develop new methods to create awareness about music. Although music sales are declining, interest in music is healthy, and strongest amongst the American young adult market - between the ages 18-34. This marketing plan uses traditional and innovative techniques to capture the attention of the target market, which is more culturally diverse and technologically advanced than any previous demographic.

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Mate Value And Partner-Directed Insults, Emily J. Miner Jan 2009

Mate Value And Partner-Directed Insults, Emily J. Miner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

To prevent a partner's infidelity and relationship defection, men perform mate retention behaviors. Some of these mate retention behaviors are high-risk because they decrease the likelihood of infidelity while potentially increasing the likelihood of relationship defection. Although previous research has indicated that mate value may be related to mate retention generally, research has not addressed these cost-inflicting mate retention behaviors specifically. The current research examines the relationship between men's and women's mate values and men's use of partner-directed insults - a specific type of cost-inflicting mate retention behavior. The results from a sample of 158 women indicate that although men's …

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Methionine Sulfoxide Reductases, David J. Brunell Jan 2009

Methionine Sulfoxide Reductases, David J. Brunell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr) enzymes catalyze the reduction of methionine sulfoxide (Met(O)) to methionine. The Msr enzymes protect cells against oxidative stress and may have a role in aging. The MsrA family of enzymes reduces stereospecifically the S epimer of free and protein-bound Met(O) while the MsrB family reduces the R epimer of Met(O) in proteins. It has been generally accepted, primarily from studies on MsrA, that the biological reductant for the Msr enzymes is thioredoxin (Trx), although high levels of dithiothreitol (DTT) can be used as the reductant in vitro. In contrast, certain MsrB enzymes show less than …

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Mariage Et La Maternitâe Chez Marie De France, Palazzolo Danielle Firmino Jan 2009

Mariage Et La Maternitâe Chez Marie De France, Palazzolo Danielle Firmino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Twelfth century French feudal culture witnesses the codification of new marriage laws and a rapid rise in popularity of the Cult of the Virgin Mary, with correspondingly renewed attention being paid to women by ecclesiastical intellectuals of all sects. Of particular interest to these churchmen was the duty of the medieval wife to bear children. The Lais of Marie de France, a late twelfth-century text, often focus explicitly on motherhood (both biological and symbolic) and therefore allow a deeper examination of the new cultural representations of women in the dual role of spouse and mother. The Lais further highlight the …

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Meis Oculis, Joshua. Richards Jan 2009

Meis Oculis, Joshua. Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study is an examination of ocular imagery in the secular poetry of T.S. Eliot. As a symbol, eyes begin as a metonym for the panoptic vision of society. In the earliest poems, Michel Foucault's conceptions of discipline illuminate the acerbic paranoia attached to ocular imagery and its source in the culture of turn-of-the-century Boston. Towards 1919, the image of eyes becomes an objective correlative for the figure of Dante's Beatrice who represents both earthly and divine love. The loss of sight by the various speakers in both - "Gerontion" and The Waste Land is then the loss of connection …

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Methodology To Assess The Feasibility For Light Rail Transit In A Low To Medium Density Environment Via Geographic Information Systems And Image Interpretation, Dylan. Kennard Jan 2009

Methodology To Assess The Feasibility For Light Rail Transit In A Low To Medium Density Environment Via Geographic Information Systems And Image Interpretation, Dylan. Kennard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The world currently has more people living in cities than in rural areas. In the United States this is no exception, and as a result government policy is focusing on the supply of 'green' jobs that help repair and expand its infrastructure in an attempt to help curb non-renewable resource use. The expansion of public transportation throughout the country is one facet of the multi-pronged US government policy. In the tri-county area of South Florida (Palm Beach County, Broward County, and Miami-Dade County) a research study known as the South Florida East Coast Corridor Transit Analysis (SFECCTA) entered Phase 2 …

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Model-Based Classification Of Speech Audio, Chris. Thoman Jan 2009

Model-Based Classification Of Speech Audio, Chris. Thoman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This work explores the process of model-based classification of speech audio signals using low-level feature vectors. The process of extracting low-level features from audio signals is described along with a discussion of established techniques for training and testing mixture model-based classifiers and using these models in conjunction with feature selection algorithms to select optimal feature subsets. The results of a number of classification experiments using a publicly available speech database, the Berlin Database of Emotional Speech, are presented. This includes experiments in optimizing feature extraction parameters and comparing different feature selection results from over 700 candidate feature vectors for the …

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Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming Model To Optimize The Use Of Aircraft Deicing And Anti-Icing Fluids, Scott E. Ornitz Jan 2009

Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming Model To Optimize The Use Of Aircraft Deicing And Anti-Icing Fluids, Scott E. Ornitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

A detailed study is proposed for understanding the use of aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids (ADAF) and optimal use of these fluids in airport operations. A detailed literature review of past and current technologies is conducted and possible opportunities to improve the use of ADAF and relevant recommendations are derived. Mathematical optimization models (e.g. MINLP with binary variables) based on a variety of objectives, which deal with exhaustive sets of system constraints are formulated, developed and applied to case studies. One real-life case study area which routinely carries out aircraft deicing is used for testing the mathematical optimization formulations for …

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Numerical Performance Prediction For Fau's First Generation Ocean Current Turbine, Nicolas. Vanrietvelde Jan 2009

Numerical Performance Prediction For Fau's First Generation Ocean Current Turbine, Nicolas. Vanrietvelde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This thesis presents the analytically predicted position, motion, attitude, power output and forces on Florida Atlantic University's (FAU) first generation ocean current turbine for a wide range of operating conditions. These values are calculated using a 7- DOF dynamics simulation of the turbine and the cable that attaches it to the mooring system. The numerical simulation modifications and upgrades completed in this work include developing a wave model including the effects of waves into the simulation, upgrading the rotor model to specify the number of blades and upgrading the cable model to specify the number of cable elements. This enhanced …

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Object Detection In Low Resolution Video Sequences, Diego F. Pava Jan 2009

Object Detection In Low Resolution Video Sequences, Diego F. Pava

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

With augmenting security concerns and decreasing costs of surveillance and computing equipment, research on automated systems for object detection has been increasing, but the majority of the studies focus their attention on sequences where high resolution objects are present. The main objective of this work is the detection and extraction of information of low resolution objects (e.g. objects that are so far away from the camera that they occupy only tens of pixels) in order to provide a base for higher level information operations such as classification and behavioral analysis. The system proposed is composed of four stages (preprocessing, background …

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Muddling Through, Carole A. Kain Jan 2009

Muddling Through, Carole A. Kain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

In the United States, an estimated 1.4 million children and adolescents, age 18 and under, provide daily unpaid physical, emotional and supportive care to a chronically ill or disabled family member (NAC & UHF). While the phenomenon of caregiving performed by adult children and spouses has been extensively explored by nursing, little is known about how Young Adolescent Caregivers manage being a caregiver while they attend school and mature socially as an adolescent. The purpose of this Grounded Theory study was to identify and describe the basic social psychological problem shared by young adolescent caregivers girls, (N=9), aged 11-14, and …

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One Nation Under Gods, Laura Gayle Fallon Jan 2009

One Nation Under Gods, Laura Gayle Fallon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This study argues that the interfaith symbolism present in the works of American author Jean Toomer undermines dominant Christian justifications for racism in the United States. It also discusses the ways in which Toomer's interfaith symbolism promotes the establishment of a race Toomer called the "American" race, a group of interracial, interreligious people whom Toomer hoped would change the way race was viewed in the United States. The multireligious references in Toomer's works challenge constricted definitions of both religion and race by highlighting interchangeable religious ideals from several world religions.

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Optimal Operation Of Hydro Power Systems Under A Fuzzy Multi-Objective Decision Making Environment, Andrâe Rodrigues Ferreira Jan 2009

Optimal Operation Of Hydro Power Systems Under A Fuzzy Multi-Objective Decision Making Environment, Andrâe Rodrigues Ferreira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Management of water resources has become more complex in recent years as a result of changing attitudes towards sustainability and the attribution of greater attention to environmental issues, especially under a scenario of water scarcity risk introduced by climate changes and anthropogenic pressures. This thesis addresses the conflicts in optimizing multi-purpose hydropower operations under an environment where objectives are often conflicting and uncertain. Mathematical programming formulations can be used to achieve flexible, feasible and optimal operation and planning solutions to satisfy expectations of multiple stake-holders, including regulatory environmental compliance and sustainability. Innovative optimization models using MINLP with binary variables, fuzzy …

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Pedometers In The Curriculum, Henry J. Allen Jan 2009

Pedometers In The Curriculum, Henry J. Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a pedometer-based intervention on physical activity and self-efficacy among community college students in wellness classes (N = 154). The intervention included a pretest/posttest physical activity questionnaire, pedometer use, weekly goal setting and self-report of step data via the web. The experimental group wore pedometers daily for ten weeks; the control group wore pedometers for one week at baseline and week ten. Average weekday physical activity increased 29% for the experimental group and decreased 16% for the control group. Data analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference due to the treatment …

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Perceptions Of Industry Practitioners Toward An Academic Degree Program In Public Assembly Facility Management, James J. Riordan Jan 2009

Perceptions Of Industry Practitioners Toward An Academic Degree Program In Public Assembly Facility Management, James J. Riordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Utilizing a modified Delphi Technique research study, consensus was sought from 298 practitioners in the public assembly facility management (PAFM) industry regarding their perceptions on varied matters connected to the academic preparation of managers/executives serving the industry. A comprehensive literature review and a prior pilot study were conducted for the purpose of creating the initial survey (Questionnaire 1). The pilot study consisted of an open-ended interview session with a panel (N=16) of PAFM managers. Sixty-four (64) of 66 consensus-seeking items attained consensus from the respondents (N=298) after Questionnaire 1 results were tabulated. Respondents were given the opportunity to re-assess their …

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Opposition Politics And Populism, Morgan Alissa Weiss Jan 2009

Opposition Politics And Populism, Morgan Alissa Weiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This thesis examines the relationship between the political opposition and populism. The goal is to identify when, how, and under what circumstances an opposition to a populist leader affects change to the political system. A comparative historical analysis is employed as five case studies from South America are examined. The evidence presented in these case studies demonstrates that the political oppositions in each country were unsuccessful in affecting change to their respective political systems. They were unable to demobilize the support base that the populist leaders had created. Change came to the political systems in four out of the five …

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Plant And Ant Communities In The Northern Everglades, Camille Darby Carroll Jan 2009

Plant And Ant Communities In The Northern Everglades, Camille Darby Carroll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

I examined the impact of the exotic, invasive plant Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Brown, on tree island plant and ant communities in the northern Everglades. I selected 15 tree islands representing four groups: non-Lygodium islands, islands with low levels of Lygodium, islands with high levels of Lygodium, and disturbed islands impacted by people. I used a variety of diversity indices to compare plant and ant data among habitats. The ant communities studied included native and exotic species typical of south Florida. Tree island plant communities were consistent with descriptions from previous studies. Plant species richness decreased …

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Philosophy Of The Animal In 20th Century Literature, Jamie Johnson Jan 2009

Philosophy Of The Animal In 20th Century Literature, Jamie Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The following dissertation examines the philosophy of the animal as it appears in twentieth-century British and American literature. I argue that evolutionary theory, along with the Romantic emphasis on sympathy, creates an historical shift in our perception of humans and nonhumans. Beginning with Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby-Dick, the whale represents what I call a transitional animal figure in that the whale not only shows the traditionally symbolic literary animal but also the beginnings of the twentieth century shift toward the literal animal-as-subject. My proposed comparative analysis consists of a return to classic existential and phenomenological philosophers with animal studies …

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Paleopathology Of Human Remains From The Plaza San Marcos, Quito, Ecuador, Ronda R. Graves Jan 2009

Paleopathology Of Human Remains From The Plaza San Marcos, Quito, Ecuador, Ronda R. Graves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

Skeletal remains provide an exceptional opportunity to document the biological adaptations that a population undergoes in response to environmental, political and economic changes (Perry, 2007). For over 35 years, bioarchaeological analyses have documented such changes indigenous Ecuadorians. In 2007, Victoria Dominguez excavated remains at the Plaza San Marcos in Quito, Ecuador. I analyzed these remains, documented evidence of pathologic conditions and trauma, and compared this native population to other indigenous populations and to European cohorts. My analyses revealed increased violence and pathologic conditions in the Plaza San Marcos population when compared to populations occupying Quito prior to colonization and during …

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Power Politics, Rebecca Ann Smith Jan 2009

Power Politics, Rebecca Ann Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

While literary critics acknowledge Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Lady Audley's Secret and Wilkie Collins's No Name as sensation novels that were considered popular literature during the 1860s, many critics often fail to recognize the social and political implications embedded within these texts. In No Name, for instance, Collins's use of a heroine that is disinherited and deemed illegitimate by the law emphasizes the overpowering force of patriarchy. In response to patriarchal law, therefore, the heroines of Lady Audley's Secret and No Name attempt to improve their social positions in a society that is economically dependent upon men. Braddon's Lady Audley and …

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Principals' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Culturally Responsive Leadership In Predominantely [Sic] African American Schools, Tressey. Weaver Jan 2009

Principals' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Culturally Responsive Leadership In Predominantely [Sic] African American Schools, Tressey. Weaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine principals' attitudes toward the use of culturally relevant pedagogy and culturally responsive leadership in predominately African American schools. Culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, culturally responsive urban leadership, and ethnohumanist leadership are the study's theoretical underpinnings. The research question was as follows: To what extent, if any, do principals of predominately African American schools promote culturally relevant pedagogy and utilize culturally responsive leadership? The sample for this mixed methods study was secondary school principals and teachers in predominately African American schools. Seven principals and 43 teachers participated in the study. The research …

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Power, Instability And Regulatory Focus, Noel Jm Trew Jan 2009

Power, Instability And Regulatory Focus, Noel Jm Trew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009

This thesis applies Higgins (1997) Regulatory Focus Theory to the study of conflict by exploring the relationship between power and promotion vs. prevention orientation. After considering the earlier work of Keltner, Gruenfeld & Anderson (2003) that established the considerable effect that power has on approach and avoidance behaviors, the present research shows that this link also applies to regulatory focus. In this study, participants had their sense of power experimentally manipulated by a set of vignettes and then answered follow-up questions to determine what effect this had on their regulatory focus orientation. Results indicated that high power is associated with …

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