Thesis (M.S.)--Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Dept., South Dakota State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-100). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Economics)--Vanderbilt University, Aug. 2010. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2005. / Principal faculty advisor: Nancy Signorielli, Dept. of Communication. Includes bibliographical references.

I ett samhälle där unga mäns välbefinnande utges vara utsatt för risk av deras engagemang i en virtuell värld önskar den här studien lyfta fram hur unga män själva upplever välbefinnande ur ett socialpsykologiskt perspektiv. Fem spelare fick i kvalitativa intervjuer framföra sina egna upplevelser ifrån sina erfarenheter av att spela MMORPG-spel. Med detaljrika teorier om subjektivt välbefinnande, socialt välbefinnande och teori angående gemenskap har studien en teoretisk grund som tillämpades i en transcendental analysmetod. Resultatet klargjorde att socialt välbefinnande och gemenskap existerar i spelet och kan uppnås av de unga manliga spelarna.  Essensen  kretsade  kring  socialt  samspel  mellan  de  andra  spelarna  i MMORPG-världen och upptäcktes genom de tre teman grupp, kommunikation och framgång/utveckling. Slutsatsen var att unga män kan uppnå socialt välbefinnande inom MMORPG-spel och att det här har allt att göra med det sociala samspelet mellan alla spelarna i spelet. / In a society where young men’s well-being is proclaimed to be at risk due to their involvement in a virtual world this study wants to shed light upon how young men themselves experience well-being from a social psychological perspective. Five players partook  in  qualitative  interviews  to  express  their  own  experiences  from  their  time playing MMORPGs. With detailed theories of subjective well-being, social well-being and theory of fellowship, the study has a theoretical foundation applied in a transcendental analysis. The result made it clear that social well-being and fellowship exist in the MMORPGs and can be achieved by the young male players. The essence revolved around social interaction between the other players in the MMORPG world and was discovered through three themes related to their group, communication and success/development. The conclusion was that young men can achieve social well-being in MMORPGs and this was due to the social interaction between all the players within the game itself.

This thesis is a social psychological study on ideas of well-being in later life by older adults, staff members, and volunteers involved in community support. Social representations theory constitutes the theoretical lens through which social constructions of well-being are examined. This project constitutes an ethnography of how groups represent wellness in later life, and how they evaluate receiving and giving support. Three day centres and a scheme of home visits of a voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom were the main sites of this study. Participant observation and 54 in-depth interviews were the main data sources. The study shows that both clients and practitioners understand wellness in later life as the result of an active, independent, and gainful living. This idea was shared amongst all groups in both settings, indicating the prevalence of a hegemonic view of wellness. This view is present in public understandings and professional discourse on ageing well. Nevertheless, clients and practitioners also challenged this ideology of wellness by representing ageing both as experience of gains (e.g. vitality and autonomy) and limitations (e.g. frailty and social isolation). These views are represented via two binary oppositional themes: activity-passivity and independence dependence. Moreover, clients and practitioners highlight the importance of health, adaptation, and relationships of support to attain well-being in old age. The concept of canonic themata and the evidence of a complex representational field around the theme of ageing constitute important empirical insights with which to understand the sharedness of well-being amongst all groups. Differences were observed in the way in which clients and practitioners position themselves – the first groups as receivers of help, whereas the second one as providers of care. Moreover, clients represent themselves as active and independent despite being recipients of support. In negotiating their views of independence, they preserve a positive sense of identity and accept help from others. Cognitive polyphasia also characterises thinking about well-being: physical, psychological, social, and material elements interact to promote wellness. The study also sheds light on how communities of support make sense of their practices. The concept of representational project offered a rich theoretical insight into how groups represent well-being promotion in the charity. Both clients and practitioners represent well-being promotion as actions to preserve functionality and participation in the community. Therefore, two set of actions were mentioned in both settings: socio-emotive and practical support. Implications for well-being policies and community support were addressed.

The purpose of this study is to analyze if and how cultural values and expectations in society influence the experiences and perceptions of happiness and well-being. Applying a quantitative research methods approach, a survey based on previous research was conducted to compare and analyze experiences and perceptions between two contrasting cultures, China and Sweden, using Hofstede’s national culture dimensions as an analytical tool. The sample consisted of students from China and Sweden. The findings from the study show that both groups ranked family as being the domain of life most important for their well-being, followed by health for the Chinese group, and friends for the Swedish group. There were statistically significant differences in the mean responses in some questions that may be attributed to cultural differences. For example, finishing long-term difficult tasks was ranked more important for the well- being by the Chinese group. As for the Swedish group, they felt to a higher degree that they had the freedom to choose what they would like work with. The majority of the responses, however, were similar between the two groups. The paper discusses how globalization may contribute to converging values in the current generation of students. Furthermore, other factors such as internal abilities and societal and cultural structures have an influence on the possibilities to pursue goals in life. Happiness is achieved by finding a balance in life between what you can achieve and accepting what you cannot. The themes and concepts used in the study are inspired by Jongbloed and Andres’ concepts of happiness as balance and gears of well-being. The study contributes to the research fields of human-centered development, and happiness studies on how subjective indicators as a complement to objective indicators can be used to better measure growth from a cultural perspective.

This thesis explores two themes on upstream oil and gas economics centred on offshore safety economics and third party access to infrastructure in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). The first part involves work that explores the nexus between the offshore safety regime and safety outcomes. It contributes to the literature by explaining the post-Piper Alpha safety regime changes with regard to our understanding, framing of safety decision making and benchmarking of safety outcomes. The second part investigates third party access to infrastructure issues in the UKCS. It contributes to our understanding of how different third party access to infrastructure arrangements can be utilised to maximise economic recovery. Each chapter addresses fundamental issues of North Sea oil and gas operations through the application of microeconomic, operations research and econometric methods within a formal analytical framework. The results provide insights into decision-making complexities in the upstream oil and gas industry by guiding policy makers. Specifically, part one of this thesis looks at safety performance in the post-Piper Alpha era in the UKCS. It investigates ways through which a more comprehensive and theoretically informed framework can be used to understand the linkages that arise when dealing with safety regulations and their impacts on the offshore oil and gas industry. Our objective is to empirically ascertain the determinants of offshore hydrocarbon releases within the context of the post-Piper Alpha offshore safety regime regulations. This is done using an observed number of hydrocarbon releases linked to a population denominator data of the number of the installations present in the UKCS. Three research problems are examined: (1) the transmission mechanisms through which safety regulation influence firm and industry productivity; (2) the assessment methods utilised in measuring and benchmarking regulatory outcomes in terms of safety compliance; and (3) the extent to which safety policies contribute to enhancing safety levels in the oil and gas industry. We initially review the background and literature on offshore safety with a particular emphasis on the UKCS in Chapter 2. We also frame our research questions and underlying hypothesis here. In Chapter 3, we present our underlying empirical framework and model specifications followed by some descriptive analysis of the hydrocarbon releases data. The results of the various econometric model specifications are analysed in Chapter 4. The second part of the thesis explores how possible different ownership patterns (including access arrangements) might affect the economic viability of exploiting remaining resources in the UKCS. This section attempts to answer two critical questions namely how the impact of the separation of infrastructure and field ownership affect economic recovery and the impact of taxation on field and hub economics in a mature oil basin. We explore how possible different ownership structures and access arrangements might affect the economic viability of remaining UKCS reserves. We apply a mixed integer programming (MIP) model to field data from the Northern North Sea. Specifically, we examine how the unbundling of infrastructure and field ownership, as well as different cost sharing and tariff arrangements, affect the long-term economics of hubs and their user fields. Regarding the layout, Chapter 5 talks about access to infrastructure issues in the UKCS namely the regulatory framework for access and related legislation. It leads to the development of a conceptual framework and model based upon which extractions are made to capture the various potential market outcomes. In Chapter 6, the empirical model, which utilises the mixed integer programming approach, is discussed. The data sources and characterization, as well as the presentation of the results from the Baseline Model, are presented in Chapter 7. The analysis of the Tax Model and the Cost Sharing plus Tax Model including structure and simulated results with underlying assumptions are presented in Chapter 8. Finally, Chapter 9 leads to a thorough discussion of the results followed by conclusions and policy recommendations.

Essa tese tem como objetivo investigar a relação da espiritualidade e da religiosidade com o bem-estar de adolescentes, considerando o bem-estar subjetivo e o psicológico. Para tanto, foram desenvolvidos seis estudos. O primeiro é uma Revisão Sistemática que buscou verificar a relação entre os conceitos de bem-estar e espiritualidade e religiosidade entre adolescentes, a partir de artigos empíricos publicados nos últimos 5 anos. Foram selecionados 26 artigos, que indicaram que há relação entre esses aspectos, e que essa é em geral positiva. Os estudos 2 a 4 apresentam avaliação psicométrica dos seguintes instrumentos: Escala de Bem-estar Psicológico, o Índice de Religiosidade de Duke e o módulo de Espiritualidade, religiosidade e Crenças pessoais (WHOQOL-SRPB). O estudo 5 investiga um modelo hipotético de bemestar entre adolescentes, composto por dimensões do bem-estar subjetivo e psicológico, e o estudo 6 busca investigar a relação da espiritualidade e da religiosidade com o bem-estar de adolescentes brasileiros. Nestes dois últimos estudos são analisadas ainda as possíveis diferenças nas medidas utilizadas por idade e sexo. A amostra dos estudos 2 a 6 foi composta por 1.248 adolescentes brasileiros de 12 a 18 anos (M = 15,09, DP = 1,77). A pesquisa foi realizada de forma online, através de um site criado especificamente para esse fim. Também participaram de grupos focais, realizados para o estudo 04, 58 adolescentes (M = 14,08, DP = 1,65). Para os estudos 5 e 6, além dos instrumentos já citados, foram utilizados uma escala de satisfação com a vida (BMLSS) e uma escala de afetos (CAS). Os resultados dos estudos 2 a 4 indicaram em geral bons índices de ajuste para análises fatoriais (exploratórias e confirmatórias), bem como a invariância dos instrumentos por sexo e idade. No estudo 5 foram testados modelos de relações entre o bem-estar subjetivo e psicológico através de SEM. A partir dos resultados optou-se por um modelo integrado, de fator único, explicando ambas as medidas. No estudo 6 os resultados indicaram relações positivas entre a espiritualidade e a religiosidade com o modelo integrado de bem-estar. Em relação às diferenças por médias, para bem-estar subjetivo foram encontradas diferenças significativas por sexo (meninas com médias maiores), para bem-estar psicológico diferenças por sexo e idade, sendo os resultados apresentados para cada subescala. Em relação à religiosidade e espiritualidade houve diferenças tanto por sexo como por idade. Em geral as meninas apresentaram médias maiores, e não foi encontrado um padrão nas diferenças por idade. Conclui-se que bem-estar subjetivo e psicológico dos adolescentes estão altamente correlacionados, podendo ser compreendidos em um modelo integrado de bem-estar, e que tanto a espiritualidade como a religiosidade possuem contribuições positivas sobre esse bem-estar. / This thesis aims to investigate the relationship of spirituality and religiosity with the wellbeing of adolescents, considering both subjective and psychological well-being. Six studies were developed. The first one is a Systematic Review that sought to verify the relationship between well-being and spirituality and religiosity among adolescents, based on empirical articles published in the last 5 years. We selected 26 articles that indicate that there is a relationship between these aspects, and that this is generally positive. Studies 2 to 4 present a psychometric evaluation of the following instruments: Psychological Well-being Scale, Duke Religious Index, and the Spirituality, Religion and Personal Beliefs module (WHOQOLSRPB). Study 5 investigates a hypothetical model of well-being among adolescents, composed of dimensions of subjective and psychological well-being. Study 6 seeks to investigate the relationship of spirituality and religiosity with the well-being of Brazilian adolescents. In the latter two studies, the possible differences in the measures used by age and sex are also analyzed. The sample of studies 2 to 6 was composed of 1,248 Brazilian adolescents aged 12 to 18 years (M = 15.09, SD = 1.77). The research was conducted online, through a website created specifically for this purpose. For study 4, 58 adolescents (M = 14.08, SD = 1.65) also participated in focus groups. For studies 5 and 6, in addition to the instruments already cited, a life satisfaction scale (BMLSS) and an affects scale (CAS) were used. The results of studies 2 to 4 indicated, in general, good overall fit indices for factor analysis (exploratory and confirmatory), as well as the invariance of instruments by sex and age. In study 5 we tested models of relations between subjective and psychological well-being through SEM. From the results, we opted for an integrated, single-factor model, explaining both measures. In study 6 the results indicated positive relations between spirituality and religiosity with the integrated model of well-being. Regarding the differences by means, for subjective well-being were found significant differences by sex (girls with larger means), and for psychological well-being differences by sex and age, with the results presented for each subscale. Regarding religiosity and spirituality there were differences both by sex and by age. In general, girls presented higher averages, and a pattern of age differences was not found. The conclusion is that the subjective and psychological well-being of adolescents are highly correlated and can be understood in an integrated model of well-being, and that both spirituality and religiosity have positive contributions to this well-being.

Essa tese tem como objetivo investigar a relação da espiritualidade e da religiosidade com o bem-estar de adolescentes, considerando o bem-estar subjetivo e o psicológico. Para tanto, foram desenvolvidos seis estudos. O primeiro é uma Revisão Sistemática que buscou verificar a relação entre os conceitos de bem-estar e espiritualidade e religiosidade entre adolescentes, a partir de artigos empíricos publicados nos últimos 5 anos. Foram selecionados 26 artigos, que indicaram que há relação entre esses aspectos, e que essa é em geral positiva. Os estudos 2 a 4 apresentam avaliação psicométrica dos seguintes instrumentos: Escala de Bem-estar Psicológico, o Índice de Religiosidade de Duke e o módulo de Espiritualidade, religiosidade e Crenças pessoais (WHOQOL-SRPB). O estudo 5 investiga um modelo hipotético de bemestar entre adolescentes, composto por dimensões do bem-estar subjetivo e psicológico, e o estudo 6 busca investigar a relação da espiritualidade e da religiosidade com o bem-estar de adolescentes brasileiros. Nestes dois últimos estudos são analisadas ainda as possíveis diferenças nas medidas utilizadas por idade e sexo. A amostra dos estudos 2 a 6 foi composta por 1.248 adolescentes brasileiros de 12 a 18 anos (M = 15,09, DP = 1,77). A pesquisa foi realizada de forma online, através de um site criado especificamente para esse fim. Também participaram de grupos focais, realizados para o estudo 04, 58 adolescentes (M = 14,08, DP = 1,65). Para os estudos 5 e 6, além dos instrumentos já citados, foram utilizados uma escala de satisfação com a vida (BMLSS) e uma escala de afetos (CAS). Os resultados dos estudos 2 a 4 indicaram em geral bons índices de ajuste para análises fatoriais (exploratórias e confirmatórias), bem como a invariância dos instrumentos por sexo e idade. No estudo 5 foram testados modelos de relações entre o bem-estar subjetivo e psicológico através de SEM. A partir dos resultados optou-se por um modelo integrado, de fator único, explicando ambas as medidas. No estudo 6 os resultados indicaram relações positivas entre a espiritualidade e a religiosidade com o modelo integrado de bem-estar. Em relação às diferenças por médias, para bem-estar subjetivo foram encontradas diferenças significativas por sexo (meninas com médias maiores), para bem-estar psicológico diferenças por sexo e idade, sendo os resultados apresentados para cada subescala. Em relação à religiosidade e espiritualidade houve diferenças tanto por sexo como por idade. Em geral as meninas apresentaram médias maiores, e não foi encontrado um padrão nas diferenças por idade. Conclui-se que bem-estar subjetivo e psicológico dos adolescentes estão altamente correlacionados, podendo ser compreendidos em um modelo integrado de bem-estar, e que tanto a espiritualidade como a religiosidade possuem contribuições positivas sobre esse bem-estar. / This thesis aims to investigate the relationship of spirituality and religiosity with the wellbeing of adolescents, considering both subjective and psychological well-being. Six studies were developed. The first one is a Systematic Review that sought to verify the relationship between well-being and spirituality and religiosity among adolescents, based on empirical articles published in the last 5 years. We selected 26 articles that indicate that there is a relationship between these aspects, and that this is generally positive. Studies 2 to 4 present a psychometric evaluation of the following instruments: Psychological Well-being Scale, Duke Religious Index, and the Spirituality, Religion and Personal Beliefs module (WHOQOLSRPB). Study 5 investigates a hypothetical model of well-being among adolescents, composed of dimensions of subjective and psychological well-being. Study 6 seeks to investigate the relationship of spirituality and religiosity with the well-being of Brazilian adolescents. In the latter two studies, the possible differences in the measures used by age and sex are also analyzed. The sample of studies 2 to 6 was composed of 1,248 Brazilian adolescents aged 12 to 18 years (M = 15.09, SD = 1.77). The research was conducted online, through a website created specifically for this purpose. For study 4, 58 adolescents (M = 14.08, SD = 1.65) also participated in focus groups. For studies 5 and 6, in addition to the instruments already cited, a life satisfaction scale (BMLSS) and an affects scale (CAS) were used. The results of studies 2 to 4 indicated, in general, good overall fit indices for factor analysis (exploratory and confirmatory), as well as the invariance of instruments by sex and age. In study 5 we tested models of relations between subjective and psychological well-being through SEM. From the results, we opted for an integrated, single-factor model, explaining both measures. In study 6 the results indicated positive relations between spirituality and religiosity with the integrated model of well-being. Regarding the differences by means, for subjective well-being were found significant differences by sex (girls with larger means), and for psychological well-being differences by sex and age, with the results presented for each subscale. Regarding religiosity and spirituality there were differences both by sex and by age. In general, girls presented higher averages, and a pattern of age differences was not found. The conclusion is that the subjective and psychological well-being of adolescents are highly correlated and can be understood in an integrated model of well-being, and that both spirituality and religiosity have positive contributions to this well-being.

This thesis focuses on the topic of the experience of talented people with dyslexia. These 'twice exceptional' students are a group of people who deserves more attention than it is nowadays devoted. It is a specific group of people who are rationally talented - traits such as the aim of learning quickly, adopting new information and working with them. They are inquiring, interested in abstract and difficult questions. Their creativity is striking but at the same time they have limitations which is brought by the very specific learning disability in this case mainly dyslexia and some other affiliated disorders. This work's main goal is to describe the experience of this specific group of people, at first by the help of literary survey and then in the empiric part by interview followed by the comparison of the talented people with dyslexia and talented people without dyslexia. This thesis is concluded by suggesting the intervention program for schools in which students are often incorrectly identified and they did not obtain necessary care. key words: twice exceptionality, dyslexia, talent, well-being