The research project investigated the trade-off between profit and social welfare objectives and whether metrics existed to measure the social welfare objectives set and the impact made. The study was conducted with leading brands within their respective categories and that are currently active in the South African BoP consumer market. The BoP market is widely recognised as an opportunity for business in developing markets to gain penetration of their brands and grow profits. How much of this ambition is married with social welfare objectives that aim to give back rather than just take out of the communities that they operate in? The challenge has been on what social impact to target and how to measure this. The research project was done using a quantitative research method, sampling brands that are within the top three sellers of their respective categories for LSM 1-4 consumers as measured by AMPS. This was supported by a thorough literature review to highlight the gaps that exist in the current way of interacting with BoP markets. The main finding is that profit is still the primary objective for most brands operating within this space and goals and associated social welfare metrics are still a distant third to marketing and business metrics measured within a business. The study ends with some recommendations for brand and business leaders to consider as they continue their incursions into BoP markets. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

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This study examined the relationship between mentored ministerial field education's four components and student efficacy beliefs in 11 professional skills for students at several evangelical seminaries in the U.S. It also investigated whether students believed they had become competent practitioners of these skills or had received sufficient mentored field education in order for them to do so. A new self-efficacy survey was developed, and N=102 students from seven seminaries participated. Practice accounted for 7.9% of the variance in self-efficacy. Observation, instruction, and feedback were more weakly correlated with self-efficacy and not significant in the regression. On a scale from 0 ("I cannot do at all") to 10 ("Highly certain I can do"), participants' self-efficacy in the skills ranged from 6.89 in counseling to 8.98 in "using and interpreting Scripture;" and there were indications that many participants had received a somewhat uneven field education. Only 23% of participants reported receiving sufficient practice and 19% sufficient feedback for them to become competent professionals. Future directions for research are suggested; and implications for both schools and churches are discussed from the perspective of instructional design, including incorporating students' self-assessments into learner analysis and field education program evaluation. / Ph. D.

The communication of anthropogenic climate change presents many challenges, for communicators, scientists, policymakers and publics alike. Particularly difficult is the issue of uncertainty, which can include ambiguity around the phenomenon of climate change, the possible impacts of this, and the timeframe within which such impacts will be seen. Previous research has established that audiences are often averse to uncertainty, and will disregard or ignore messages that contain it. This raises a theoretical and practical question of how best to manage uncertainty in climate change communication in order to maintain audience engagement. This question was the focus of this PhD research. Specifically, the aim of this thesis was to explore the process of climate change communication from the perspectives of the scientists, communicators, and the recipient. I achieved this research goal by utilising a mixed methods design. I firstly interviewed the originators (i.e., scientists) and professional communicators of climate change information to explore the process from their side (Chapter 2). This revealed a number of themes connecting to the different ways scientists and communicators understand the process of communication (e.g., as information exchange versus relationship building), the challenges of climate change communication and uncertainty in particular, and the (appropriate) role of scientists when communicating with the public about climate change. Next, in a series of studies I experimentally explored how audiences respond to variations in the informational content of climate change messages (such as the level of uncertainty) and the role of different communicative styles in further shaping audience engagement (Chapter 3). Broadly, the results of these studies suggest that while uncertainty can undermine audience engagement with climate change communications, the negative effects of uncertainty are buffered when the communicator is perceived to be high in morality and/ or when they use an open communication style. Interestingly, these effects of communication style were particularly evident among women, whereas men tended to react against this. Together, these studies show how relational factors (e.g., communication styles and perceptions of communication sources) can moderate the impact of informational content on audience responses. Finally, I ended this programme of research by looking in more detail at how audiences perceive a real scientific organisation engaged in climate change communication and the bases of their beliefs about organisation competence and morality (Chapter 4). This study combined qualitative and quantitative data to delve deeper into some of the insights gained in the experimental work, and to reconnect this to the real-world organisation context I began with. This study again showed how perceptions of communicator morality moderate responses to uncertainty, but also provide useful insights into the different origins of perceptions of morality and competence. Chapter 5 concludes by summarising the research presented in this thesis, discussing its strengths, limitations and ways forward. Here, I also consider the theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the thesis’ research findings. Briefly, it is argued that addressing the scientific uncertainties of climate change may not necessarily mean altering the form of information itself. Rather, modifying the language peripheral to the information that contains uncertainty, attending to the ways in which audiences perceive the sources of uncertainty, and considering variations amongst publics, may help to engage in effective communication around the complex issue of climate change.

Substance abuse has been identified internationally and in South Africa as an escalating problem that has harmful effects on the substance user and on society. The cost of treating substance-related disorders places a strain on the allocation of financial resources to treat the problem. When relapse occurs in substance users who have already undergone rehabilitation, it increases the costs of treatment. Waiting lists at treatment centres are also negatively affected for first-time admissions when relapsed substance users are re-admitted. The study aimed to identify relapse indicators by post-discharge follow-up of adult substance users in a registered, non-profit, state-subsidised treatment facility in Cape Town. Marlatt’s Dynamic model of relapse was used to explore the individual and socio-cultural factors which were potentially associated with relapse. A quantitative research design using archival data and purposive sampling was used to identify possible relapse indicators. The participants were ex-patients who had undergone an inpatient treatment programme and who had been followed up post discharge. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of the Western Cape Higher Degrees Committee. Written permission was granted by the treatment centre who is the original data owner.The majority of participants were male. More than half of the sample reported polysubstance use and, for more than half of them, the age of onset of substance use was between 11 and 15 years. Severe depression was present for more than a third of the participants, whilst the majority of the sample was assessed as being substance dependent. A large proportion of patients had family members who also used substances. The majority of the sample was unemployed and more than half had received previous substance abuse treatment. Significant associations were not established between the identified variables within the groups of factors. Additional studies are required to explore the factors contributing to relapse in this patient population. / Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych)

This study reports an experiment that examines whether librarians provide equitable virtual reference services to diverse user groups. The relative absence of social cues in the virtual environment may mean greater equality of services though at the same time greater inequalities may arise as librarians can become less self-aware online. Findings indicate that the quality of service librarians provide to African Americans and Arabs is lower than the quality of service they provide to Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and Jewish students. This study adds to the knowledge of subjective bias in the virtual environment by specifying those that are discriminated against online, identifying the kinds of discriminatory actions of virtual reference librarians, and identifying the type of queries that more frequently result in unbiased service.

This thesis deals with craniosacral therapy. It is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part describes the history, industry and principles of this method. It also gives basic information about craniosacral treatment and highlights the work of the craniosacral therapist. The work also describes the effect of stress on human health and shows the importance of psychosomatic view of the individual. It also aims to look abroad and shows two studies that examine the effectiveness of craniosacral therapy. The practical part aims to obtain empirical data using the questionnaire.

This thesis deals with a very topical issue. The theoretical part contains information relating to the alienation of children (human) from nature. The thesis offers an introduction to selected perspectives of human on nature in its history. There is described a relationship between man and nature, from a psychological point of view, clarified the term "alienation" or "alienating nature" and listed the expected consequences of this alienation. Attention is also focused on environmental sensitivity and summary of findings from previous research of alienating nature of children in the Czech Republic. Subject of interest is also the development of leisure activities and value preferences of Czech youth. In the research part of the thesis there is children's relationship to nature, based on the amount of their experiences in the natural environment, determinated by questionnaire survey. Comparison with the results of previous research findings showed that although the issue of alienation of children from nature is solved, the situation does not improve nor deteriorate. Equally interesting are the findings of a growing unsubstantiated fear of children in nature, but it does not have any effect on many experiences in the natural environment. A comparison of the results of the research also showed that...

Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória de cunho quantitativo e tem o objetivo de caracterizar a atuação das(os) profissionais de psicologia no tema de relações étnico-raciais no Brasil. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um WebSurvey e participam, como respondentes, psicólogas/os dos Estados brasileiros do Amazonas, da Bahia e de São Paulo. O formato da pesquisa tem o intuito de fazer um estudo comparativo de atuações nos três Estados, sob um recorte multicêntrico. Buscou-se compreender as associações entre os dados do processo formativo e ocupacionais das/os profissionais. Sobre a formação, por exemplo, houve a investigação sobre o nível de titulação, o perfil da Instituição de Ensino onde tiveram a formação e o interesse no tema das relações étnico-raciais. Sobre os dados ocupacionais, fezse alusão ao tempo, ao número e as áreas de atuação, ao perfil do serviço psicológico, as populações étnico-raciais e socioeconômicas atendidas, as percepções de situações de racismo no cotidiano de trabalho e as intervenções técnicas elaboradas no tema das relações étnicoraciais, dentre outro itens. Tais dados foram processados no software SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), versão 20. Também sob o viés quantitativo, são analisadas as crenças das/os respondentes sobre \"atuação e identidade do psicólogo/a\" e sobre \"humano e as categorias étnico-raciais populares no Brasil\" (a saber, Pessoas Orientais, Pessoas Negras, Pessoas Indígenas e Pessoas Brancas). As crenças foram investigadas segundo o método de Evocações Livres e realizada a Analise Lexical de conteúdo, com auxílio do software IRAMUTEQ (Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires), versão 0.7. Nos resultados, o perfil das(os) profissionais são apresentados com a Estatística Descritiva e com a testagem de 12 hipóteses. A partir dos achados concluise com cinco (05) principais argumentos. O primeiro, é que há disparidades formativas e ocupacionais entre profissionais brancas(os) e negras(os). O segundo, é que há também disparidades étnico-raciais no atendimento das populações. O terceiro, acerca da influência política e filosófica cristão-católica na atuação das(os) profissionais de psicologia. Influência cristão-católica também notada no perfil do racismo brasileiro, que também pode ser identificado nas crenças das(os) participantes sobre as categorias étnico-raciais. O quarto diz respeito à prevalência do uso isolado do recurso da habilidade pessoal das(os) profissionais no, que é a Escuta Atenta e Sensível para o tema, alheio a outras ações, técnicas e procedimentos específicos para o tema das relações étnico-raciais. O quinto e o último argumento versa sobre a influência dos históricos institucionais dos respectivos Conselhos Regionais de Psicologia na difusão do tema das relações étnico-raciais, cada estado pesquisado, o que é observada pelas proporções das(os) profissionais quem pautam o tema no seu ambiente de trabalho / It is an exploratory research of quantitative nature and aims to characterize the performance of psychology professionals in the subject of ethnic-racial relations in Brazil. The data were collected through a WebSurvey and as respondents, psychologists from the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Bahia and São Paulo. The format of the research is intended to make a comparative study of performances in the three states, under a multicentric cut. It was sought to understand the associations between the data of the training process and occupational of the professionals. About training, for example, there was research on the level of qualification, the profile of the Institution of Education where they had the training and the interest in the subject of ethnic-racial relations. Regarding the occupational data, the time, the number and the areas of action were mentioned, the profile of the psychological service, the ethnic-racial and socioeconomic populations served, the perceptions of situations of racism in daily work and the technical interventions elaborated on the subject of ethnic-racial relations, among other items. These data were also processed in SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software, version 20. Also under the quantitative bias, the respondents\' beliefs about the \"performance and identity of the psychologist\" and about \"human and categories ethnicracial groups in Brazil \"(namely, Eastern Persons, Black People, Indigenous Peoples and White People). The beliefs were investigated according to the Free Evocations method and carried out the Lexical Analysis of content, using the software IRAMUTEQ (Interface for Multidimensional Analyzes of Textes et de Questionnaires), version 0.7. In the results, the profile of the professionals is presented with Descriptive Statistics and with the testing of 12 hypotheses. rom the findings we conclude with five (05) main arguments. The first is that there are training and occupational disparities between white and black professionals. The second is that there are also ethnic-racial disparities in serving the populations. The third, about the political-philosophical and Christian-Catholic influence in the performance of psychology professionals. Christian-Catholic influence also noted in the Brazilian racism profile, which can also be identified in the participants\' beliefs about ethnic-racial categories. The fourth concerns the prevalence of isolated use of the personal skill of the professionals in the Attentive and Sensitive Listen to the theme, unrelated to other actions, techniques and procedures specific to the theme of ethnic-racial relations. The fifth and final argument concerns the influence of the institutional histories of the respective Regional Councils of Psychology in the diffusion of the subject of ethnic-racial relations, each state being researched, which is observed by the proportions of the professionals who guide the theme in their workplace

Thesis advisor: Joseph J. Pedulla / There is considerable evidence that new teachers are ill prepared for classroom practice, including self-reported evidence collected from teachers (e.g., Levine, 2006), and statistical evidence for differences in the achievement of students with new versus more experienced teachers (Rivkin, Hanushek, and Kain, 2005). In light of the challenges encountered by new teachers (e.g., Levine, 2006), this study examined the value of different forms of teacher knowledge for teachers with different levels of experience. In particular, this study investigated the interactive relationship between teaching experience and teacher content knowledge, and student achievement in mathematics and science. In New York City, Boyd et al. (2009) linked practice-focused teacher preparation to student mathematics achievement in the first year of teaching and teacher content preparation to achievement in the second. However, other studies demonstrated interactions between teaching experience and content knowledge with different interpretations (e.g., Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Monk, 1994). At the same time, this study examined the interactive relationship between teaching experience and teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, and student achievement. Extant models of teacher career development (Huberman, 1989; National Research Council, 2010) and how teacher education affects student achievement (e.g., Desimone, 2009) offered theoretical grounding for the study. With nationally representative samples of fourth and eighth grade U.S. students--participants in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study--this study employed hierarchical linear modeling to address its research questions among an array of student achievement outcomes in the domains of mathematics and science. This study attempted to account for salient student, teacher, and contextual factors, and the probabilities of teachers' receipt of various teacher education "treatments" (i.e., propensity score analysis) to reduce the plausibility of selection threats to internal validity. The study found no evidence for relationships between teacher content knowledge or pedagogical content knowledge and student mathematics and science achievement in fourth and eighth grade. Furthermore, the results indicated no interactive relationships between forms of teacher knowledge and teaching experience, and student achievement in these grades/subjects. The limitations of cross-sectional, observational studies using large-scale data and directions for further research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation.