Digital Commons Network^™

Ensemble Artifact Design For Context Sensitive Decision Support, Shah Jahan Miah, John G. Gammack

All Works

Although an improvement of design knowledge is an essential goal of design research, current design research predominantly focuses on knowledge concerning the IT artifact (tool) design process, rather than a more holistic understanding encompassing the dynamic usage contexts of a technological artifact. Conceptualising a design in context as an "ensemble artifact" (Sein et al., 2011) provides the basis for a more rigorous treatment. This paper describes an IS artifact design framework that has been generated from the development of several practitioner-oriented decision support systems (DSS) in which contextual aspects relevant to practitioners' decision making are considered as integral design themes. …

Implementing The Family-Centered Care Model, Parents’ Satisfaction And Experiences In Neonatology, I Dall’Oglio, A Portanova, M Fiori, O Gawronski, R Fida, A Cocchieri, G Rocco, E Tiozzo, Jm Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Phonitalia: A Phonological Lexicon For Italian., Jeremy Goslin, Claudia Galluzzi, Cristina Romani

School of Psychology

In this article, we present the first open-access lexical database that provides phonological representations for 120,000 Italian word forms. Each of these also includes syllable boundaries and stress markings and a comprehensive range of lexical statistics. Using data derived from this lexicon, we have also generated a set of derived databases and provided estimates of positional frequency use for Italian phonemes, syllables, syllable onsets and codas, and character and phoneme bigrams. These databases are freely available from phonitalia.org. This article describes the methods, content, and summarizing statistics for these databases. In a first application of this database, we also demonstrate …

The Craving Experience Questionnaire: A Brief, Theory-Based Measure Of Consummatory Desire And Craving, Jon May, Jackie Andrade, David J. Kavanagh, Gerald F.X. Feeney, Mathew J. Gullo, Dixie J. Statham, Jessica Skorka-Brown, Jennifer M. Connolly, Mandy Cassimatis, Ross Mcd Young, Jason P. Connor

School of Psychology

Aims: Research into craving is hampered by lack of theoretical specification and a plethora of substance-specific measures. This study aimed to develop a generic measure of craving based on Elaborated Intrusion (EI) Theory. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) examined whether a generic measure replicated the 3-factor structure of the Alcohol Craving Experience (ACE) scale over different consummatory targets and timeframes. Design: Twelve studies were pooled for CFA. Targets included alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate and food. Focal periods varied from the present moment to the previous week. Separate analyses were conducted for Strength and Frequency forms. Setting: Nine studies included university students, with …

Motivational Interventions May Have Greater Sustained Impact If They Trained Imagery-Based Self-Management, David J. Kavanagh, Jackie Andrade, Jon May, Jason P. Connor

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Planning-Related Motor Processes Underlie Mental Practice And Imitation Learning., Patric Bach, Bassem Khalaf Allami, Mike Tucker, Rob Ellis

School of Psychology

It is still controversial whether mental practice-the internal rehearsal of movements to improve later performance-relies on processes engaged during physical motor performance and, if so, which processes these are. We report data from 5 experiments, in which participants mentally practiced complex rhythms with either feet or hands while using the same or different body parts to respond to unrelated sounds. We found that responses were impaired for those body parts that were concurrently used in mental practice, suggesting a binding of body-part-specific motor processes to action plans. This result was found when participants mentally trained to memorize the rhythms, to …

Perceptions Of Time In Relation To Climate Change, S Pahl, S Sheppard, C Boomsma, C Groves

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

From Theory To Practice: Two Ecosystemic Approaches And Their Applications To Understanding School Bullying, Guckin C Mc, Stephen James Minton

School of Psychology

School professionals, particularly school counsellors and school psychologists, require detailed knowledge of many important factors that contribute to the personal, academic, and vocational development of the students in their charge (e.g., psychosocial development, curricula developments, local community developments and initiatives, national and international policy developments). The amount of detail and knowledge required by school counsellors/psychologists is bewildering, even before consideration of the individual differences in those who require their help. A framework can provide school professionals with a parsimonious approach to organising, synthesising and understanding all the information that needs to be considered in relation to a child within a …

When Do I Wear Me Out? Mental Simulation And The Diminution Of Self-Control., Cn Macrae, Bm Christian, M Golubickis, M Karanasiou, Et Al

School of Psychology

Exerting self-control can diminish people's capacity to engage in subsequent acts of behavioral regulation, a phenomenon termed ego depletion. But what of imaginary regulatory experiences-does simulated restraint elicit comparable lapses in self-control? Here we demonstrate such effects under theoretically tractable imagery conditions. Across 3 experiments, temporal, structural, and spatial components of mental simulation were observed to drive the efficacy of imaginary self-control. In Experiment 1, lapses in restraint (i.e., financial impulsivity) were more pronounced when imaginary regulation (i.e., dietary restraint) focused on an event in the near versus distant future. In Experiment 2, comparable effects (i.e., increased stereotyping) emerged when …

Oculometric Variations During Mind Wandering, R Grandchamp, C Braboszcz, A Delorme

School of Psychology

A significant body of literature supports the contention that pupil size varies depending on cognitive load, affective state, and level of drowsiness. Here we assessed whether oculometric measures such as gaze position, blink frequency and pupil size were correlated with the occurrence and time course of self-reported mind-wandering episodes. We recorded the pupil size of two subjects engaged in a monotonous breath counting task while keeping their eyes on a fixation cross. This task is conducive to producing mind-wandering episodes. Each subject performed ten 20-min sessions, for total duration of about 4 h. Subjects were instructed to report spontaneous mind-wandering …

Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Free Markets: Alec's Populist Constructions Of "The People" In State Politics, Anne Sherwood

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, has been championing neoliberal and neoconservative bills relatively unnoticed in statehouses across the country for years. Using the populist frame, I contend that ALEC creates a new subject position for its corporate and legislative members as small business owners and virtuous entrepreneurs. This rhetoric is also on display in Wisconsin, where Governor Scott Walker utilizes populist rhetoric to constitute "the people" as workers.

The U.S. National Park Service: Organizational Adaptation In An Era Of Complexity, Uncertainty, And Change, Anna Christina Mills

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Conservation agencies worldwide are facing rapid, volatile social and ecological change, which is especially problematic for bureaucratic, hierarchical conservation organizations that are designed to be stable and resistant to change. The current science and management paradigm based on Progressive era ideology is proving to be inadequate to deal with this change, and the need for a new paradigm that embraces complexity and uncertainty in our social ecological systems is emerging. The National Park Service (NPS) is one of these organizations that has acknowledged the need to better adapt to a changing environment. An external science committee recommends in Revisiting Leopold: …

Stakeholder Perspectives Regarding The Ecosystem Services Produced By The Frank Church - River Of No Return Wilderness In Central Idaho, Benjamin Thomas Irey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wilderness management is directed by policy and legislation that mandates protection of the values associated with wilderness character. However, there is ample evidence to suggest that wilderness benefits society in many ways, beyond the values associated with wilderness character. If that is the case, then failure to account for those values will lead to socially inefficient management decisions. The Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness (FC-RONRW) in central Idaho was selected as a case study region in which to test the hypothesis that society derives a multitude of benefits from wilderness in addition to those associated with wilderness …

Frozen, Old, Or New? : Comparing Biochemical Markers And Tissue Oxygenation In Transfused Blood, Connor Wiles

University Honors Theses

The transfusion of red blood cells is a necessary therapy used to treat anemia that often results from traumatic hemorrhage. The traditional method of storing red blood cells prior to transfusion in the United States has been as a liquid in a refrigerated fashion at a temperature between two and eight degrees Celsius. Throughout the storage duration, the red cells undergo a series of structural, functional, and biochemical changes commonly known as the storage lesion. Increased length of storage has been associated with increased rates of infection, as well as higher incidents of mortality. We hypothesized that this prospective, randomized, …

Addressing The Unmet Need : An Analysis Of The Global Prevalence Of Refractive Error And Its Possible Solutions, Sonam Narayan

University Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the global prevalence of refractive error as the top cause of vision impairment, and explores future solutions that could be implemented to eradicate the issue. The practice of donating both recycled and ready-made eye glasses/spectacles is discussed, in addition to the VOSH groups that provide these resources and their public health outlooks.

Determined: Start To Finish - Year 1 : The Freshman To Sophomore Experience, Kathleen Steppe

University Honors Theses

For students, the first year of college holds with it specific challenges. This honors thesis describes elements of and provides valuable insight into the college student’s journey, relative to their first-year experience. The largest portion of this thesis focused on review of literature pertaining to institutional support and college retention. This denotes the relationship between each consumer of higher education and the multitude of options from which they can choose to invest in to begin pursuit of their degree. Because of the varied relational aspects between institutional support and retention, also reviewed was literature aligned with efficacy of systems and …

For The Hard Of Hearing: A Catholic Novelist Confronts Modernity, Louis Benjamin Maltese

University Honors Theses

In the early part of the 20th century German Catholic theologian and cultural critic, Romano Guardini, published The End of Modernity, outlining the conceptual shift of self-identity and cosmology from Antiquity to Modernity. Characterizing modernity as turning upon a false self-identity termed “mass man.” This false image of life furthers the individual person’s fragmentation, and deafens their ability to hear the Catholic voice. Walker Percy’s familiarity with Guardini is most explicit in The Last Gentleman where Percy represents the difficulty of hearing the call of Catholicism. Recently, Paul Elie and Dana Gioia have pointed out the lacking literary presence …

Network Analysis-Based Psychoeducation For Gad, Corinna Scott

University Honors Theses

Psychoeducation, providing essential information for a client about psychological and physiological processes, is typically the first step in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) but its content and implementation is currently underdeveloped. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent mental disorder in the United States. Often, persons with GAD and their primary care providers and family do not recognize or understand the meaning of their symptoms because of the diffuse and imprecise nature of the diagnosis. This thesis aims to investigate a systems network analysis of generalized anxiety disorder to explore suggestions for enhancing psychoeducation as an initial intervention for GAD clients. A …

How Has India's Rapidly Growing Ict Sector Impacted Its Rural Poor?, Jasmine Bartolome

University Honors Theses

In this analysis I examine India’s most thriving sector, information and communication technology (ICT). Over the past two decades, India's ICT sector has grown at a rapid rate compared to world standards and has become their specialized area of economic interest. Employment in this sector generally requires highly skilled, educated, English-speaking workers. The majority of India’s population live in rural areas, with little to no access to education; thus, they have major boundaries to participating in India’s booming growth.

I inquire into the relationship and correlation between the Indian ICT sector and the socioeconomic livelihood of rural citizens, as measured …

Conflict And Tourism In Uganda, Brie Busey

University Honors Theses

I am looking into the relationship between conflict and tourism. I will specifically focus on the case study of Uganda in East Africa. Uganda has a strong history of conflict and a reputation of violence. The country has undergone tragedy that gets viewed and heard of around the world. After colonization, the country had to rebuild and suffered a lot of strife. The conflict was seen by the world. Aid is sent, but the country is still working to end all violence. Uganda is seeking the tourism industry to help the economy. The tourism industry has a lot of backing …

Children Of Alcoholics: How Patterns And Perceptions Of The Past Affect The Future, Lindsey Anne Cochran

University Honors Theses

Parental alcoholism and its effects on children has been a problem widely researched for years. This thesis seeks to find the patterns and roles that are established for children living with parental alcoholism and if/why these patterns are maintained into the individual's adulthood. In doing so, parental alcoholism and its effects on children and adult children will be examined through the lenses of symbolic interactionism and family systems theory. Several concepts that affect roles and patterns are discussed, some of the more prominent being: a) symbols, b) circular causality c) feedback loops, and d) roles. Through an in depth theoretical …

The Impact Of Psychosocial Needs Of Adolescent And Young Adult Cancer Patients: An Analysis Of Clinical Trial Participation And Adherence, Kate Jensen

University Honors Theses

The treatment of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology patients requires a comprehensive understanding of the psychological and social complexity of this group. Psychosocial support is often coupled with clinical treatment, but there are still unmet needs within this population regarding relevant information, mental health counseling, practical resources, and others. A significant gap in available clinical trials and participation in clinical trials has prevented progress in clinical treatment of Adolescent and Young Adults with cancer. A review of pertinent literature on psychosocial needs and oncology clinical trials was conducted in order to examine any relationship between unmet needs and clinical trial …

Cultural Competency: A Quantitative Analysis Of Cultural Awareness In U.S. Healthcare, Jordan Nomie

University Honors Theses

A growing issue in healthcare in the United States is whether consideration and attentiveness of physicians and other healthcare providers towards a patient’s culture has an effect on the treatment process. An anthropological term, cultural competency, describes a medical professional’s respect and integration of the patients’ cultural beliefs and practices throughout the treatment process in order to reduce cross-cultural health disparities and to improve overall satisfaction. Although there is significant literature outlining a theoretical need for increased implementation of these practices, little work has been done to address actual quantitative evidence supporting or refuting the articulated need. The goal of …

Dracula And Dictators: Changes In Tourism In Romania After The Fall Of Communism, Kelly D. Ragalie

University Honors Theses

The fall of communism in December 1989 left Romania in turmoil, reaching all aspects of life. The tourism sector was only one area in which communism had its effect before and after its demise. This paper argues that the tourism sector has felt changes in development, identity and legacy. The reign of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the historical context in which tourism has developed and the identity of the Romanian people today are discussed in this paper. From brutality to chaos; slow economic growth to introduction of the European Union; mythological characters like Dracula and 'Dracula’s Castle': Romanian tourism is …

Communication Tools Towards A Bioregional Consciousness, Elona Trogub

University Honors Theses

Recognizing that ecological collapse is within reach, I draw upon the observations that poorly distributed power dynamics supported through the reinforcement of individualism, hierarchism, reductionism, linear thinking, etc. are some of the basic principles that pose a challenge when it comes to embracing new and very ancient ways of interacting with the rest of living systems. There exist “original instructions,” reinforced by recent scientific acknowledgements, that contain guidelines for needed action and interaction to prevent anthropogenic ecological collapse. I utilize storytelling as well as several of the leverage points for systems change suggested by Donella Meadows (1999) in deconstructing the …

Magnolia: A Creative Thesis Project, Stephanie Tshappat

University Honors Theses

A creative thesis project consisting of six flash fiction short stories, each one thousand words in length and linked together by a framing story.

Life Near Death: The Impact Of Support Groups For People With Terminal Cancer On Preparatory Grief, Ariel Young

University Honors Theses

Growing evidence suggests that preparedness for death can lead to positive outcomes for the dying and for the bereaved. Preparatory grief, grieving one’s own death before it occurs, is grossly understudied. More research is necessary in order to understand the needs of the dying and to design more effective support systems to meet those needs. Within the next few decades a significant increase in the number of individual’s living with long-term terminal illness and in need of end-of-life care is virtually inevitable. Current support systems may be outdated and thus inappropriate for these individuals.

This thesis reviews relevant literature regarding …

Positive Behavior Supports: An Alternative To The Overuse Of Psychotropic Drugs, Rachel Woollard

University Honors Theses

The potential benefits of positive behavior supports were explored in a sample of elderly persons and traumatic brain injured persons, all of whom were exhibiting behavioral problems. The sample was drawn from Woollard Ipsen Management, LLC’s clientele base and included persons living in adult foster care homes and assisted living facilities within the State of Oregon. All sample members exhibited behavioral symptoms (n=100) that threatened to result in eviction from their places of residence and most were taking at least on[e] psychotropic medication (n=75). Behavior consultants (n=5) working with the residents were also interviewed and observed. Data was collected on …

Understanding Women In Prison: A Review Of Gender Specific Needs And Risk Assessments And Their Policy And Research Implications, Elise Barlow

University Honors Theses

In the last 30 years, the number of women in the criminal justice system has risen significantly, yet the criminal justice system still bases much of its policy on empirical research conducted on a majority male subjects. Risk and need assessments, generally used to categorize inmates into varying risk levels to lower recidivism, have been faulted by many feminist scholars for having little pertinence for women. Their lack of gender sensitive factors has left many scholars questioning their validity. Available correctional programs are based on the knowledge collected by those who are supportive of these "gender neutral" assessments. Because of …

;(, Robert Eversmann

University Honors Theses

Stories about Hillsboro, 7/11, Target, Arco, Shari's, NAPA, Gentle Dental, Dutch Brother's, Tri-Cities, Skate World, Tijuana, Akron and Dayton Ohio.