Digital Commons Network^™

From Products To Politics: Understanding The Effectiveness Of A Celebrity Political Endorsement, Melissa Sanati

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

From Scott Baio’s endorsement of Donald Trump to Sarah Silverman’s endorsement of Bernie Sanders and subsequent rejection of the “Bernie or Bust” crowd at the DNC, celebrities have habitually inserted themselves into the political sphere, however, there has been little empirical research on celebrity endorsements of political candidates. Rooted in branding theory, this study seeks to understand the effectiveness of celebrity political endorsements by utilizing advertising effectiveness models. The primary model, derived from work done by Amos, Holmes, and Strutton (2008), translates source factors of a celebrity product endorser to those of a celebrity candidate endorser, such as credibility, attractiveness, …

Audere Est Facere: Reconsidering Proactivity And Examining Its Impact On Teams, Erik C. Taylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Proactivity has become one of the most prominent phenomena in organizational behavior over the last twenty-five years. Scholars have established several different methods of assessing proactivity as a dispositional trait, and identified numerous different types of proactive behaviors. Further, interest in proactivity as a phenomenon within and among teams has been an area of growing recent interest. However, the literature is plagued with a number of problems that limit our understanding of proactivity and impede the growth of the field. At the conceptual level, scholars frequently lament the lack of theoretical unity and the proliferation of overlapping constructs that results …

Human Gut Microbiota And Obesity: How Is Gut Microbiota Associated With Obesity Improvement Induced By Bariatric Surgeries Or Low-Calorie Diet Treatment?, Rui Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An increasing number of studies suggest that the complex microbial community of the human gut may have an important role in human health and disease conditions such as obesity and diabetes. However, the causal relationship among gut microbiota, obesity, weight loss, and the influence of bariatric surgery remains largely unknown. This study investigated the correlation between human gut microbiota and obesity via determining how gut microbiota is associated with obesity improvement induced by bariatric surgeries (BRS) and low-calorie diet (LCD) treatment. Specifically, we investigated the effects of various bariatric surgery (BRS) procedures and a low-calorie diet (LCD) treatment on the …

Exploring Social Indicators Of Situational Interest In Physical Education And Activity Classes: Integration Of Interest And Self-Determination Theories, Joseph Opiri Otundo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is clearly documented that physically active lifestyles result in numerous health benefits. Unfortunately, a majority of individuals do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Physical education (PE) courses provide avenues for students to increase PA. Teachers and public health officials identify the importance of student motivation constructs such as interest in promoting PA behaviors and other healthy life habits. The purposes of this dissertation were to advance the measurement of situational interest by investigating social indicators derived from self-determination theory (SDT), and to test a theoretical model that integrates interest theory and SDT. Two quantitative studies were designed …

Mining Social Media Data For Improved Understanding Of Disaster Resilience, Lei Zou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Disaster resilience is the capacity of a community to ‘bounce back’ from disastrous events, by effecting resilience building activities through the four phases of emergency management – preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. However, data describing a community’s behaviors in each phase are difficult to access in traditional databases. Social media data provide an innovative data source to better understand communities’ responses and behaviors in each phase of emergency management during disasters, and thus could ultimately monitor and enhance disaster resilience. This study analyzes the spatial-temporal patterns of Twitter activities during Hurricane Sandy, which struck the northeastern United States on October …

The Professional Prospectus: A Call For Effective Professional Disclosure, Benjamin P. Edwards

Scholarly Works

Without easy access to relevant information, many consumers unwittingly trust serious decisions to professionals with histories of malpractice and negligence-leading to both individual and societal harms. This Article proposes to improve professional services markets with a tool that has already proven effective in the securities markets: a prospectus. A "Professional Prospectus" would reduce information asymmetries and improve the market for professional services through disclosure and consumer choice.

A Professional Prospectus would alter the market for professional services by making professional reputation a more potent force. Economic theory often relies on "reputation effects" to ensure the efficient functioning of the market …

Remembering In Spite Of All: The Construction Of Collective Memory Of State Terrorism In Mexico, Argentina, And Chile, Telba Espinoza-Contreras

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to contribute to the understanding of the formation of collective memory of State violence in Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. By comparing these three cases, I pursue to discern how citizens can challenge the silence and amnesia that the groups in power want to impose on society after a period of State terrorism. In order to examine the process of formation of collective memory, this dissertation highlights two important figures from which citizens have been able to build counter-hegemonic narratives, that is, los exiliados and los desaparecidos. I will highlight how they become lenses through which citizens can …

The Effect Of Rule-Based Scaffoldings On Second Grade Students' Digital Storytelling, Xue Wen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Digital storytelling is a powerful method for revitalizing literacy instruction. Past research suggested that digital storytelling activities improve students’ writing skills through construction of various types of stories. However, little research has investigated in what ways educators can promote students’ interests and actual abilities to express narrative discourse in a digital format. Recent research indicated that the use of story grammars help students develop sophisticated stories. From this perspective, Labov’s story grammar emphasized two functions of good story structure: reference—the listeners (or readers) are told what happened, and evaluation—the speakers (or writers) reveal their attitude toward the events of the …

The Connection Between Drug Use And Crime In Western Australia, Kathryn Riordan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite decades of research, there is no consensus as to the factors that explain the association between drug use and criminal behaviour. While the evolving sophistication in research methodology has identified factors that are associated with involvement in both drug use and crime, exploration of the idiosyncratic factors that contribute to initiation, maintenance and desistence in drug use and criminal behaviour over time, across culture and social context remains unknown. In this research a grounded theory approach was used to develop an explanatory model based on the reported experiences of 22 non-Aboriginal and 11 Aboriginal adult male offenders, incarcerated in …

The Prevalence Of Twice Exceptional Students In The Gat Academic Programs: The Near Miss Phenomena, Lynne Ivicevic

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Twice exceptional (TE) students often experience barriers to their participation in gifted academic programs that contribute to their marginalised status amongst the school gifted population. The estimated prevalence of TE students in gifted programs worldwide varies according to the location, identification means and definition, with little agreement reached between researchers in the field. This research was made up of three interrelated studies. Firstly, six years of longitudinal quantitative cohort data from the Western Australian Department of Education (DoE) database on selected students for the GAT programs including GAT Academic programs and TE students to determine TE prevalence. Secondly, disability prevalence …

Using Blog Comments As Feedback To Promote The Metacognitive Development Of Creativity, Mark Mcmahon, Heather Joseph

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Creativity can be viewed, not just as a set of skills and strategies, but as an overarching metacognitive skill that integrates a range of subordinate generic skills. Key to developing creativity is to engage in a cycle of ideation, reflection and adjustment, within a feedback rich environment. Blogs have the ability to garner external comments that can prompt these processes. Case study research was undertaken to explore what forms of feedback promote metacognitive development and how those forms can best be elicited within a blog. Findings indicated that blog comments can motivate, provide information, enhance quality and promote reflection, and …

The Wages Of Genetic Entitlement: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly In The Rape Survivor Child Custody Act, Jennifer S. Hendricks

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

Creative River Journeys: Using Reflective Practice To Investigate Creative Practice-Led Research, Kylie J. Stevenson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This ‘Creative River Journey’ doctoral study explored the processes of art practice and knowledge-making by six artist–researchers engaged in creative higher degrees by research (HDR) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in three arts disciplines—performing arts, visual arts, and creative writing. The study applied the Creative River Journey (CRJ) reflective practice strategy, originally applied as the River Journey tool in music education (Burnard, 2000; Kerchner, 2006), but further developed by the researcher into a three-phase reflective practice strategy for its application in complex practice-led research projects over the extended period of the participants’ HDR studies. Six rich cases studies of HDR …

Exploring The Impact Of Postgraduate Preservice Primary Science Education On Students’ Self-Efficacy, Christina Maria Norris

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The effectiveness of science teaching in primary school is dependent upon teachers’ self-efficacy to teach science. Low self-efficacy has been linked to avoidance of teaching primary science; therefore, preservice teacher self-efficacy requires fostering to have graduates keen to teach primary science. Through an embedded mixed method intrinsic-case study, this research explored the impact of postgraduate preservice primary science education on students’ self-efficacy. This research examined the postgraduate students’ self-efficacy as the lens to determine the effectiveness of the design and pedagogical instruction of the unit and its tutors. Data sources included the use of pre/post surveys encompassing the Science Teaching …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Prevalence Of Different Functions Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Peter Taylor, Khowla Jomar, Katie Dhingra, Rebecca Forrester, Ujala Shahmalak, Joanne M. Dickson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

A broad variety of different functions can underlie acts of Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Whilst research so far has identified many of the commonly reported functions, no reliable estimates of prevalence currently exist for these different NSSI functions. Understanding the prevalence of NSSI functions represents a key to better understanding the phenomenology of NSSI and addressing the differing needs of the NSSI population. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of NSSI functions in community and clinical samples.

Method

A literature search of electronic databases PsycINFO, Medline, and Web of Science from date of inception to March …

Psychological Consequences Of Ivf Fertilization – Review Of Research, Alicja Malina, Julie Ann Pooley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Due to the reported efficacy of in vitro fertilization (IVF) this method of dealing with infertility is increasing being used. Experiencing IVF can be a source of psychological and emotional difficulties for couples trying to have a child. A systematic review was performed to discuss IVF as a psychological issue that impacts on the functioning of individuals, couples and families. Ebsco, Science Direct and PsycARTICLES databases were searched using the keywords: IVF fertilization, IVF psychology, infertility, and IVF consequences, using published peer reviewed articles from 2006 onwards. Studies in the English and Polish languages, peer reviewed and investigating general IVF …

Over-Provision Of Discretionary Foods At Childcare Dilutes The Nutritional Quality Of Diets For Children, Ruth M. Wallace, Leesa N. Costello, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The childcare setting can significantly influence the lifelong eating habits and health outcomes of children.It is ideal for health-promoting interventions that optimise the provision of nutritious food and nutrition education. Unfortunately, these interventions are neither offered nor promoted in many childcare settings. Recent studies have indicated an increased risk of overweight/obesity with childcare attendance, which if present in early life is associated with increased risk of chronic disease and reduced psychological wellbeing.

The Psychometric Characteristics Of Two Versions Of A Mathematics Test In Middle School "A Comparative Study, Taghreed Hijazi, Naif Alsharif

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of mathematics achievement test using two versions (paper-pencil and online). The two versions of three mathematics achievement tests were applied on a sample consisting of 958 students distributed to lst, 2nd and 3rd preparatory grades. Each test consisted of 30 items with four alternatives to measure students' problem solving skills and the scientific concepts. The sample of the study was randomly stratified and clustered selected. Item difficulty coefficients of the paper-pencil mathematics achievement test ranged between O.28-0.70, 0.38- 0.62, 048-070 for the lst, 2nd and 3rd preparatory grades respectively. There was between …

The Level Of Using Information Storage Strategies For Memorizing The Holy Qur'an By The Koranic School Students In The City Of Batna In Algeria, Makhloufi Said

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study aimed to identify the level of using Information storage strategies formemorizing the Qur'an by the koranic school students in light of the variables: Gender, academic level, and age. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher used descriptive approach. The researcher applied a questionnaire of his design after confirming its psychometric properties on a sample of 82 students, including 40 males and 42 females within koranic schools in the city of Batna Algeria, for the academic year 2014/2015. The results showed the koranic school students use regulatory, cognitive, and emotional strategies respectively to save the koran and …

The Patient Survey Programme: Transforming The Patient Experience In Irish Healthcare, Vivienne Byers, D. Fahey, C. Mullins, C. Roe

Articles

For more than a decade, health policy in Ireland has pushed the centrality of the patient in the delivery and management of healthcare services, including the development of a National Strategy for Service User Involvement in the Health Service 2008–2013 (Health Service Executive, 2008). More recently, the need to provide a ‘patientcentred’ (Department of Health, 2012, 2013, 2014) or ‘person-centred’ (Department of Health, 2016) service has been a guiding principle of health policy documents. The National Service Plan 2017 (Health Service Executive, 2016) also outlines the importance of increasing the rates of service user engagement and feedback across the health …

A National Audit Of Smoking Cessation Services In Irish Maternity Units, C. Reynolds, B. Egan, Shona Cawley, S. Sheehan, M. Turner

Articles

Irish Medical Journal

Access the journal here

Complementary Therapies In Libraries: A Future Perspective, Kellie Sparks

Urban Library Journal

Academic libraries can assist in the efficacy of student learning by offering specialized programming, spaces, and knowledge opportunities that delve into the use of complementary practices and techniques. By regularly offering resources that may be considered non-traditional such as meditation and yoga, libraries can assist students in gaining a greater awareness of themselves and their environment. Libraries can provide these services at the point of need and not limit these methods to only particular times of the academic year. Libraries can also become spaces for further research since much is still being examined regarding the effects of complementary practices on …

Optometric Case Finding For Glaucoma In Ireland: An Investigation Of Current Practice Patterns., Catriona Barrett

Doctoral

Optometrists play a vital role in the detection of glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness. As population screening for glaucoma is neither cost effective nor viable, glaucoma is primarily detected through opportunistic case-finding during routine eye examinations. The present study provides new insight into optometrists’ practice patterns for glaucoma detection in Ireland. Chapters 3 and 4 report on a national survey. The results show that optometrists are well equipped to carry out the traditional glaucoma case finding triad. However, moving towards enhanced services such as monitoring glaucoma suspects or ocular hypertension cases would require some investment in equipment and …

Maternal And Paternal Influences On Infant Diet And Growth Throughout The First Year Of Life., Annemarie E. Bennett

Doctoral

Aim and objectives:

The overall aim of this research was to investigate maternal and paternal behaviours and attitudes and their influences on the diet and growth of infants in the first year of life.

Specific objectives were to assess: maternal wellbeing and breastfeeding outcomes; weaning and supplementation practices; infant growth and body composition; and the views of fathers on having a breastfeeding partner. Methodology: The first study was a prospective observational study, involving the recruitment of 270 pregnant women from the public and semi-private antenatal clinics of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital. Mother-infant dyads were then followed-up at …

Subjective Usability, Mental Workload Assessments And Their Impact On Objective Human Performance, Luca Longo

Articles

Self-reporting procedures and inspection methods have been largely employed in the fields of interaction and web-design for assessing the usability of interfaces. However, there seems to be a propensity to ignore features related to end-users or the context of application during the usability assessment procedure. This research proposes the adoption of the construct of mental workload as an additional aid to inform interaction and web-design. A user-study has been performed in the context of human-web interaction. The main objective was to explore the relationship between the perception of usability of the interfaces of three popular web-sites and the mental workload …

A Constitutional Jurisprudence Of Children’S Vulnerability, Lois A. Weithorn

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Liberty And Community In Marriage: Expanding On Massey's Proposal For A Community Property Option In New Hampshire, Jo Carrillo

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Gender Gap In Startup Catalyst Organizations: Bridging The Divide Between Narrative And Reality, Alice Armitage, Robin Feldman

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Winning The Battle, Losing The War?: Assessing The Impact Of Misclassification Litigation On Workers In The Gig Economy, Veena B. Dubal

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Implicit Bias And Prejudice In Mediation, Carol L. Izumi

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.