Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-47).

This report was developed to 1) examine current evidence-based research for cluttering therapy and 2) consider additional research outside of the field that may be of benefit for cluttering clients. It defines the disorder and briefly discusses its key characteristics. Treatment considerations reviewed include: slowed rate, heightened monitoring, using clear speech, using organized language, interacting with listeners, speaking naturally, and reducing excessive disfluencies. The typical approaches that have been used with clutterers as well as approaches that have been used with other disordered populations that address the key treatment considerations are discussed. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

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A survey of two hundred and fourteen undergraduates explored the inter-relationship between the writing strategy adopted, the intermediate text representations created, the methods used to create them, the processes performed on them, and their function in the writing process. The sequence of intermediate text representations created was elicited as a progression through a six box grid where each box represented a different type of intermediate text representation that may have been created. This method was found to be valid and a wide variety of routes through the grid were identified that displayed stability, efficacy, and utility in describing writing behaviour. Five stable writing strategies were elicited from a cluster analysis of the undergraduates' responses to a series of questions on their writing behaviour. A fresh sample of forty-nine undergraduates was able to readily identify from the cluster descriptions the strategy they had adopted to complete a similar writing task, and the writing strategies displayed similarities with those identified in other studies. A relationship was found between the adopted writing strategy and the sequence of intermediate text representations created. The intermediate text representations were created by a variety of methods and served a variety of functions including: collecting information, determining the scope of the task, establishing gaps in knowledge, reducing the cognitive load during planning, developing and expanding ideas, organising ideas, summarising points, facilitates translation, and facilitating collaborative writing. A relationship was found between the sequence of intermediate text representations created, and both the reported method of creating an intermediate text representation and the function it served in the writing process. The results have implications for future research on the writing process and for teachers of writing concerned with raising the standard of undergraduate writing. Six recommendations are made regarding the direction and scope of future research.

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This ethnographic study of the strategies used by pupils in their adjustment to a new class after an individual move to a new school partway through a term considered 30 pupils aged 8-11 entering a Primary School run by the Service Children's Education Authority during the course of an academic year. Previous research suggests that whilst there may be little statistical effect on educational attainment of even frequent changes of school, there are pupils whose attainment seems adversely, and others beneficially, affected. Attempts to associate these pupils with such factors as age at or frequency of moves, socio-economic status or IQ levels have proved unsuccessful. This study utilises the notion of 'coping strategy' as put forward by Hargreaves (1978) and Pollard (1982) to investigate the hypothesis that it is the difference in the strategies that the pupils use that enables some to cope effectively and even benefit from changes of school whilst others appear to suffer. In order to consider the hypothesis this study puts forward an entirely new model of strategies and their use and significantly amends the Hargreaves/Pol lard model of the contexts of constraint. A process of 'progressive focus' is suggested whereby these contexts can be interrelated, individual actions in the classroom can be identified as strategies and linked to goals in progressively wider spheres, and the effect of ineffective strategies can be recognised. Using this model the study: * suggests that pupil adjustment is affected by both their strategies and their goals and provides a description of this process. * suggests that it is not possible to link a simple typification of strategies to any aspect of adjustment * describes the way in which the strategy use of transient pupils could enable them to make higher or lower attainments than their static peers * points to the prevalence of pupil goals in the societal sphere and puts forward a notion of 'radical coping' that explains teachers' serious concerns about the adjustment of some pupils. The basis of teacher interventions with their new pupils is considered and ways in which the model could be used by teachers and parents to assist new pupils in the process of adjustment are put forward. The model, although derived from the situation of new pupils, presents a way in which classroom interactions as a whole could be considered and therefore contributes to a wider understanding of pupil actions and teacher effectiveness.

Earthquakes are amongst the worst natural disasters on Earth, resulting in an annual average of around 10,000 fatalities last century and progressively increasing in the amount of economic damage they cause, reaching US $20 billion per annum this decade. The mitigation of the unwanted consequences of earthquakes is normally achieved by Risk Management Strategies (RMS), which rely on the development of Earthquake Risk Assessment (ERA) techniques. This thesis aims to develop a framework for ERA for medium seismicity regions that incorporates the spatial aspects of the hazard and risk evaluation. The framework is used to undertake ERA for the island of Cyprus, and the information is used to propose RMS. The ERA framework relies on comprehensive data on the location, value and vulnerability of buildings and the population distribution. These data were collected from the various Cyprus Government Departments. Various hazard and attenuation models are examined, and the effect of their variability is taken into account through Monte Carlo simulations. The estimated annual risk for Cyprus is just below £ 10 million CY. This value was estimated based on the use of the re-appraised historical data for the past-century. Comparisons with other seismic hazard assessment methods, such as recurrence relationships, have revealed that, without a spatial distribution model, such approaches are unsuitable for ERA. Though the maximum intensities predicted are in line with the ones that underpin the aseismic code of Cyprus (CCEAA-CFEE, 1994), the predicted design accelerations are higher than given in the code. Hence, new seismic accelerations are proposed. Despite that, the current reduction in risk is comparable to the additional cost of aseismic design. Seismic retrofitting was also examined and it was found that as part of a general modernisation scheme seismic upgrading is cost effective. However, whatever the state of the building, it is recommended that earthquake insurance should be made mandatory. The current seismic insurance rates appear to be fair, though they seem to underestimate the risk in the areas of high seismicity. The number of likely human losses is also estimated. This study concludes that the result of ERA is heavily dependent on the models and data used, and both require constant updating for the ERA results to remain meaningful.

Despite a growing literature on transnational couples, little is known about the challenges they face. The aim of this paper is to study these challenges and to identify coping strategies. In order to understand these issues, qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven couples. Responders consisted of partners from different cultural backgrounds and were either married or in a romantic relationship. The paper looked at the cultural changes that lead up to the acceptance and growth in transnational relationships. Furthermore, the study examined how these changes have affected and are still affecting the individual couples. Through the interviews, the research looked at the interpersonal dynamics to identify the role of culture within the relationships. Culture, it was found, still plays a great role in the day-to-day life of the transnational couples, in spite of the shift from traditional to more liberal values identified in the study. The challenges faced by the couples were very different from each other as the study represented couples from different backgrounds together with their partner, a native Swede. However, a common issue among the couples was communication breakdowns and a lack of understanding of the partner’s background.