Digital Commons Network^™

The 'Oldest Tricks In The Book' Do Not Work! Reports Of Burglary By Duma Detainees In Western Australia, Natalie J. Gately, Jennifer Fleming, Nathalie Mcginty, Anthony M. Scott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Foreword : Research investigating the methods and motivations of burglars has typically focused on incarcerated offenders. The Australian Institute of Criminology’s Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program provided an opportunity for the authors to explore the methods and motivations of those actively involved in committing burglaries, whether or not they had actually been caught or detained for that offence. The findings support Routine Activity Theory, indicating that offenders consider a number of factors in determining whether a property will be targeted for a break and enter offence. As might be expected, opportunistic burglars choose easy to access properties, stay …

Student Perceptions Of Online Interactive Versus Traditional Lectures; Or How I Managed Not To Fall Asleep With My Eyes Open, John A. O'Rourke, Susan J. Main, Martin G. Cooper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Universities are increasingly experimenting with the online domain to connect with busy and digital-savvy students and counter the decline in face-to-face lecture attendance More often than not universities are offering videoed lectures or PowerPoints with lecturer voice-overs as a way of delivering content. Evidence suggests that while these techniques may provide the flexibility required, some content needs more personalised delivery. In this article the authors explore the development and delivery of an online lecture format. Using a combination of video, text and interactive cell technology, this online offering was trialed in a unit focused on the education of students with …

Educational Innovations And Pedagogical Beliefs: The Case Of A Professional Development Program For Indonesian Teachers, Cher Ping Lim, Jo Tondeur, Hendrati Nastiti, Jeremy E. Pagram

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study aimed to explore the impact of a professional development program on the teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and practices. More specifically, the program endeavoured to design a prototype for teacher professional development in Indonesia that was sustainable and scalable. This one-year program built upon the participating teachers’ existing practices, reinforced with the concept of reflection as a tool for ongoing inquiry of their own practices. The three major components of this program were: action research, peer-coaching and leadership support. By using a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative data collection, this study examined the changes in the participating teachers’ beliefs …

Bastard Immigrants: Asylum Seekers Who Arrive By Boat And The Illegitimate Fear Of The Other, Lelia R. Green, Anne Aly

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The human capacity to marginalise and discriminate against others on the basis of innate and constructed characteristics is evident from the long history of discrimination against people whose existence is ‘illegitimate’, defined as being outside the law. What is inside or outside the law depends upon the context under consideration. For example, in societies such as ancient Greece and the antebellum United States, where slavery was legal, people who were constructed as ‘slaves’ could legitimately be treated very differently from ‘citizens’: free people who benefit from a range of human rights (Northup). The discernment of what is legitimate from that …

Beyond Madness: Ways To Foster Nonviolence In Human Systems, Marilyn J. Palmer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Positioned as an epilogue to the themed edition of Social Alternatives on the nature and politics of madness in contemporary Australian society, this article has been inspired by the narratives and analyses of the contributors to this edition. It aims to go beyond madness to explore _strategies of resistance to the violence of marginalisation, humiliation and incarceration which often comes before and after a diagnosis of madness. Proposed strategies for resistance include studying up and speaking back to the oppressors; improving the capacity of bystanders to intervene; holding a structural analysis of power and resistance to support social change work; …

Social Engagement, Setting And Alcohol Use Among A Sample Of Older Australians, Julie Dare, Celia Wilkinson, Steve Allsop, Stacey Waters, Sheila Mchale

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The harms associated with risky alcohol consumption have long been researched and recognised in the health field. However, little available research has focused on older people, or extended analysis of alcohol use by this segment of the population beyond a bio-medical perspective. With the rapid ageing of the global population, research that investigates alcohol use amongst older people from a social perspective is important. This article reports on research with a group of older women and men, to identify and explain factors that influence alcohol consumption. In-depth interviews were conducted in Perth, Western Australia with 20 men and 22 women …

Carer Experiences With Rehabilitation In The Home: Speech Pathology Services For Stroke Survivors, Katy Stewart, Natalie Ciccone, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Caring for a stroke survivor can be a complex role with carers at an increased risk of mental health difficulties. Early supported discharge from hospital with rehabilitation in the home (RITH) allows stroke survivors to return home at an earlier stage in the recovery process, potentially placing an extra burden on carers. Being involved in intensive therapy,in the home, in the early days post-stroke may be difficult with the role and experiences of carers in RITH being underresearched. This paper identifies the roles, experiences and preferences of ten carers of stroke survivors with dysarthia and dysphagia. Many carers were involved …

Developing Bilateral And Spatial Concepts In Primary School-Aged Children: An Empirical Evaluation Of The Anker Bilateral Spatial System, Janet Richmond Dr, M Taylor Dr, S Evans

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties contribute to school-aged learning problems. Hence, a need exists to address children’s visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties as early as possible in the child’s school career. Thus, this study reports on the evaluation of the Anker Bilateral Spatial System’s (ABSS) effectiveness in remediating primary school children’s perceptual difficulties.

Method: Thirty-one children (17 boys and 14 girls) aged 6 to 12 years who had been identified by their classroom teacher as having observable visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties participated in a 10-week pre/posttest intervention study. The study’s pre/posttest assessments included the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor …

A Comparison Of Aphasia Therapy Outcomes Before And After A Very Early Rehabilitation Programme Following Stroke, Erin Godecke, Natalie A. Ciccone, Andrew S. Granger, Tapan Rai, Deborah West, Angela Cream, Jade Cartwright, Graeme J. Hankey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background Very early aphasia rehabilitation studies have shown mixed results. Differences in therapy intensity and therapy type contribute significantly to the equivocal results. Aims To compare a standardized, prescribed very early aphasia therapy regimen with a historical usual care control group at therapy completion (4-5 weeks post-stroke) and again at follow-up (6 months). Methods & Procedures This study compared two cohorts from successive studies conducted in four Australian acute/sub-acute hospitals. The studies had near identical recruitment, blinded assessment and data-collection protocols. The Very Early Rehabilitation (VER) cohort (N = 20) had mild-severe aphasia and received up to 20 1-h sessions …

Young Australian Adults’ Reactions To Viewing Personalised Uv Photoaged Photographs, Lori L. Presti, Paul Chang, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Despite two nationwide sun-protection awareness campaigns, young Australian adults continue to sunbathe. Since their primary motivation for tanning is appearance enhancement, it may well be that campaigns that highlight the negative effects of tanning on appearance are more effective than campaigns that emphasise the health risks associated with sun exposure.Aims: This study aims to explore young adults’ reactions to viewing a photoaged photograph of the sun damage already visible in their facial image.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven females and three males aged 20-30 years. The interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and were then subjected to Interpretive Phenomenological …

Undergraduate Perceptions Of The Development Of Team-Working Skills, Denise Jackson, Ruth Sibson, Linda Riebe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: The ability to working effectively with others (WEWO) is critical yet industry continues to lament deficiencies in new graduates. Progress in developing this highly valued skill in undergraduates is impeded by a lack of conceptual clarity and evidence of how best to measure it, and a tendency to adopt an outcomes-focused, rather than process-oriented, approach. This paper aims to investigate undergraduate perceptions of how well a stand-alone employability skill development programme, operating in an Australian Business Faculty, is fostering the WEWO skill set and which pedagogical practices are considered to add most value. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines undergraduate perceptions …

Principles Of Practice In Mental Health Assessment With Aboriginal Australians, Yolonda Adams, Neil M. Drew, Roz Walker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this chapter, concepts and history of assessment and testing in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing and mental health are discussed. Importantly, recently revised diagnostic guidelines and the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce 20131 and their appropriateness for meeting the distinctive needs of Aboriginal people are reviewed. Various assessment tools and measures that have been validated or proved appropriate for use with particular Aboriginal populations, i.e. youth, women and older people, are described. We conclude that practitioners need to be critically reflective in their role in assessment, and position themselves …

The Internet: Friend, Foe Or Target?, Jonathan D. James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this concluding chapter, I give an overview of how the Internet, a byproduct of our times, is shaping our culture and society in profound ways. I note some of the major concerns and perils of the Internet age and I conclude by pointing out how and why certain countries are targeting the Internet in terms of increased regulation and surveillance.

The Impact Of Genetic Disease On The Family: Examining The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being, Social Support, And Spirituality In Unaffected Carriers Of Leber’S Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Jonathan W. Dator

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current research was undertaken to explore the psychological well-being of mothers and siblings of an individual with vision loss symptoms due to Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and whether perceived social support and spiritual involvement and beliefs served as protective factors as these family members coped with their child or sibling acquiring a disability. One hundred seventeen participants, 65 mothers and 52 siblings completed a Demographic Questionnaire, the Outcome Questionnaire-45, the Impact of Event Scale, the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support via an online internet survey. The data revealed that both mothers …

Diet And Effects Of Environmental Stressors On The Altricial Nestlings Of Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus), Jacob G. Randa

Biological Sciences

Double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) are a common species of altricial waterbird found across much of North America. As a piscivorous colonial waterbird, cormorants are often persecuted due to perceived impacts on fisheries. In this study I examined the diet of cormorant nestlings at five cormorant colonies in central North America to answer two questions: 1) Is nestling diet reflective of opportunistic feeding behavior, thus diminishing the likelihood of negative impacts to the fishery? and 2) How do diet and environmental stressors effect the development of cormorant nestlings? By analyzing the caloric content of nestling diet and quantifying environmental stressors such …

Effects Of Vibrotactile Display Position And Shape On Extrapersonal Localization, Adam D. Sitz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Vibrotactile displays are capable of conveying extrapersonal spatial information to users navigating or operating within a three-dimensional environment (e.g., aircraft pilots). Although vibrotactile displays can be applied to many parts of the body, recent applications have focused on torso-based displays that egocentrically reference distal targets. However, these displays may be poorly suited to convey elevation because of the generally cylindrical shape of the human torso. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of handheld vibrotactile displays configured either in a cylindrical or spherical-shape as compared to a torso-based display. Due to its shape, the spherical …

Naval Aviation Squadron Risk Analysis Predictive Bayesian Network Modeling Using Maintenance Climate Assessment Survey Results, Harry Michael Robinson

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Associated risks in flying have resulted in injury or death to aircrew and passengers, and damage or destruction of the aircraft and its surroundings. Although the Naval Aviation's flight mishap rate declined over the past 60 years, the proportion of human error causal factors has stayed relatively constant at about 80%. Efforts to reduce human errors have focused attention on understanding the aircrew and maintenance actions occurring in complex systems.

One such tool has been the Naval Aviation squadrons' regular participation in survey questionnaires deigned to measure respondent ratings related to personal judgments or perceptions of organizational climate for meeting …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Long-Distance Versus Geographically Close Romantic Relationships: Relational Maintenance, Satisfaction, And Affectionate Communication On Facebook, Christina J. Gentile, Autumn Edwards

Iowa Journal of Communication

In this study, individuals in long-distance and geographically close romantic relationships were surveyed to determine whether there were differences in regards to relationship maintenance, relationship satisfaction, and affectionate communication via Facebook. Further, this study explored whether individuals differed on the aforementioned dependent variables by attachment style. The results of this study suggest that there are few differences in relationship-oriented Facebook use for individuals with varying attachment styles and relationship types, and that Facebook likely is not a primary medium individuals use to communicate with a romantic partner. However, utilizing Facebook was found to be beneficial for relationship satisfaction.

Connecting Visual Communicators With An Auditory World: Exploring Communication Accomodation Processes In D/Deaf-Hearing Interactions, Genelle Timperlake Sanders, Stephanie Rollie Rodriguez

Iowa Journal of Communication

d/Deaf individuals' use of a visual-based language, American Sign Language (ASL), can lead to challenges in communicating and developing relationships with the larger hearing majority. This study uses Communication Accommodation Theory as a framework for exploring d/Deaf individuals' perspectives on communication with hearing individuals and the strategies they use to converge or diverge from hearing individuals during interactions. Through in-depth interviews conducted in ASL, participants were asked to recount experiences of communication interactions with members of the hearing majority and preferred strategies and motivations for convergence or divergence. Results identified convergence as a strategy to indicate interest in communicating with …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 46, Number 1, Fall 2014 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Co-Rumination With A Friend About A Romantic Relationship: Perception Of Satisfaction And Inequity, Ashley A. Hanna Edwards, Krystyna S. Aune

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study investigates the relationship between co-ruminating about one's romantic relationship with a close friend and friendship satisfaction, romantic relationship satisfaction, and inequity in the romantic relationship. Reasons for co-ruminating with a friend about issues in romantic relationships were reported. Results indicate that co-ruminating about one's romantic relationship with a friend had no significant association with friendship satisfaction. Additionally, this study found that co-ruminating with a friend about a romantic relationship is correlated with higher perceptions of inequity within a romantic relationship and with romantic relationship dissatisfaction. A discussion of implications, limitations, and future directions is offered.

Sibling Secrets, Conspiracies, And Collaborations: Dialectical Tensions And The Relationship Effects Of Sibling Alliances In Families, John H. Nicholson

Iowa Journal of Communication

Accounts when siblings worked together (sibling alliances) were examined to determine the impact of sibling alliance attempts on family relationships. Two hundred alliance attempts comprised the data, including one hundred successful and one hundred unsuccessful alliance attempts. Respondents indicated that engaging in the reported alliances was approximately as likely to have a positive effect on the relationship among siblings as to have no effect at all. Negative effects of sibling alliances were found in under 5% of cases. Most of the reported alliances had no effect on the relationships between targets of the alliance and the sibling allies. In those …

Barriers Impeding Social Support: The Experiences Of Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder, Eileen F. Doherty, Erina J. Macgeorge

Iowa Journal of Communication

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness with a significant negative impact on quality of life. People with bipolar disorder benefit when family and friends provide social support, but quantity and quality of support are often lacking. The purpose of this study is to provide a focused analysis of barriers to support-seeking and provision as identified by young adults (ages 18-30) who have bipolar disorder. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults with bipolar disorder (N = 29) and analyzed using qualitative coding methods. Communication barriers experienced by participants included the characteristics of bipolar disorder, stigma associated with mental illness, desire …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Psychological Reactance And Verbal Defensiveness In The Workplace: The Effects Of Perceived Face Threat And Interactional Justice In Supervisor Requests, Qin Zhang, Donald E. Gibson

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study investigated the moderating effects of perceived face threat and interactional justice in supervisor requests on employee psychological reactance and examined the mediating effects of reactance in the relationships of perceived freedom threat, face threat, and interactional justice with verbal defensiveness. Results showed that perceived face threat had significant main effects and moderating effects on reactance, but interactional justice, in spite of its significant main effects, did not have moderating effects on reactance. Results also showed that reactance did not mediate the effects of perceived freedom threat, face threat, and interactional justice on verbal defensiveness in real organizational setting.

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 46, Number 2, Spring 2014 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Feminist Students' Perceived Barriers To Feminist Activism In The Heartland, Amy Aldridge Sanford

Iowa Journal of Communication

Scholars of communication studies, out of departmental necessity or personal consciousness, are often called to teach courses with social justice at the center. Courses like intercultural communication and gender communication are popular cross-listed courses for interdisciplinary programs, including the most popular interdisciplinary program in the country--women's and gender studies. The Feminist Identification Model recognizes activism as the 5th and final stage of feminist development. Seventeen students at a regional Midwestern university share their thoughts about feminist activism and the barriers to activism they perceive after completing courses in women's and gender studies. Barriers included: (a) financial and family responsibilities, (b) …

A Façade Of Normalcy: An Exploration Into The Serial Murderer's Duplicitous Lifestyle, Maryann Stone White

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The crime of serial murder both fascinates and repulses a myriad of academic disciplines, law enforcement agencies, news media, and popular culture. Despite the vast attention the phenomenon of serial murder has received, serial murderers are poorly understood. The current study used an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from criminology and psychology to explore what mechanism(s) allow serial murderers to maintain a seemingly normal existence, frequently maintaining personal relationships, steady employment, and reputable social networks.

The data were analyzed using a deductive approach guided by a set of research questions as well as an inductive approach, which allowed emergent themes and …

The Effect Of Mentoring On The Academic Success Of College Sophomores, John C. Lee

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A review of the higher education literature indicates that the majority of retention research has focused on first-year students and that additional research is needed for other class levels – particularly sophomores (Graunke & Woosley, 2005). However, the reality is that sophomores benefit from a minimal number of special programs, minimal contact with faculty and others in leadership positions, and minimal attention from student affairs personnel (Anderson & Schreiner, 2000). An unintended consequence of this reduced attention is higher than expected rates of sophomore attrition.

This exploratory research study employs a quasi-experimental quantitative research design to evaluate the results of …