In 2018, the United States Supreme Court overturned PASPA, a law which had previously deemed sports betting illegal. Following this ruling, states have already or have begun passing legislation which legalizes sport betting. As legalization continues to sweep the nation, an untapped domain of research has emerged. From a sport management perspective, there is a new, highly lucrative sport industry with which there is minimal research. The main purpose of this research project is to examine how bet presentation influences consumer behavior related to sports gambling. Specifically, the role that bet format presentation has on consumers’ willingness to bet and the amount they are willing to bet. Additionally, the potentially mediating effects of numeracy and team identification were examined. Participants (N=703) were recruited from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, as these locations natively use different forms of bet presentation (American, fractional, and decimal). This study utilized a Latin square experimental design that examined whether participants were willing to bet more money when shown American odds first compared to fractional odds first. Further, evidence was provided demonstrating the positive mediating influence of team identification, and the influence of subjective numeracy. Practically, the results from this study can inform sports betting organizations, sports betting consumers, as well as government and industry regulators. Theoretically, knowledge is contributed to the domains of sport management, behavioral pricing, and appraisal theory literature. / Tourism and Sport

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability with over 5 million American adults experiencing physical, psychological, and/or social limitations related to stroke. Although depressive symptoms and poor quality of life (QOL) are key outcomes for stroke survivors, little is understood about how these outcomes are affected by stroke survivors’ evaluation of their experience. The concept of cognitive appraisal, an evaluation of the meaning of a situation for one’s well-being, may explain some of the factors associated with post-stroke depressive symptoms and QOL. The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with post-stroke depressive symptoms and QOL using a conceptual model derived from the transactional theory of stress originally proposed by Lazarus and Folkman. Three aims guided this study: to determine whether (a) depressive symptoms at 4 months after stroke are predictive of stroke-specific QOL at 10 months; (b) perceived social support, self-esteem, and optimism at 1 month after stroke predict depressive symptoms among stroke survivors at 4 months; and (c) threat appraisal at 1 month after stroke is a mediating variable between perceived social support, self-esteem, and optimism at 1 month after stroke and depressive symptoms at 4 months. A secondary analysis of data from 392 stroke survivors in the Randomized Trial of Treatment for Post-stroke Depression (AIM study) was conducted. Using a descriptive correlational design and multiple regression analyses, longitudinal associations among perceived social support, self-esteem, optimism, threat appraisal, depressive symptoms and stroke-specific QOL were examined. Perceived social support, self-esteem, and optimism were significantly associated with threat appraisal. Threat appraisal was significantly associated with post-stroke depressive symptoms. Stroke-specific QOL was found to be stable between 4 and 10 months. Partial mediation of the relationship between the explanatory variables and depressive symptoms by threat appraisal at one month post-stroke was demonstrated. In conclusion, threat appraisal is an important factor to consider in future research and intervention development in relation to post-stroke depressive symptoms.

The digitalization of Swedish preschools can be shown by three different indicators. First, the on-going revision of the national curriculum for preschool where children’s digital competences will be added. Second, the research about how digital devices (e.g. tablets) are used in preschools (e.g. Kjällander & Moinian, 2014; Petersen, 2015). Third, the introduction of learning management systems (LMS) designed for preschools.In a recent article, preschool principals in Swedish municipalities are shown to be the group of principals with the largest amount of employees (Hägström, 2017, March).Therefore, this study’s aim is to get a better understanding in which way preschool principals experience that they can use their LMS in conjunction with performance appraisal interviews with their employees. Four research questions have been developed: (1) How do principals describe their use of a LMS?, (2) What do they experience the system give insight in and what not?, (3) To which extent do they regard that the performance appraisal interviews change while using a LMS? and (4) Which ethical dilemmas do preschool principals experience by using a LMS for performance appraisal interviews?Five preschool principals in one southern Swedish municipality have been interviewed. All respondents have been using their learning management system for performance appraisal interviews. The results have been analyzed by activity theory, in particular Engeström’s (2001, 2015) activity system and his cycle of expansive learning (Engeström, 1999, 2001).The findings show that preschool principals are part of an activity system with both resources and limitations. Resources by delegating tasks and discussing and sharing in groups, while their decisions can be limited by national laws and municipal orders. In this activity system, the learning management system can be used both as a communication and an administration tool to realize two of the principals’ outcomes with performance appraisal interviews: to increase the speech time for the employees and to give them possibility to see their own professional development.

Prestationsmätning används inom organisationer för att bland annat utvärdera, förbättra, motivera och styra organisationer i önskad riktning. Med New Public Management reformer ökades fokuset på att styra och mäta resultat mer effektivt inom den offentliga sektorn. Det ledde till en högre arbetsintensitet och ökad stressnivå för medarbetarna. Den större delen av tidigare forskningen inom prestationsledning och prestationsmätning är baserat på normala förhållanden. En krissituation sätter däremot organisationer på prov och de behöver anpassa sig för att kunna hantera krisen. När organisationer sätts på prov och behöver strukturera om för att hantera en kris förändras även förutsättningarna för att mäta prestationer. För att undersöka hur prestationsmätning används i krissituationer har en kvalitativ forskningsmetod använts för att få en djupare förståelse för medarbetarnas upplevelser. Data är insamlad genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio medarbetare, som arbetar inom sjukvården och på sjukhus. Den insamlade empirin har analyserats med hjälp av ett konceptuellt analysverktyg som är uppdelad i tre teman: utvärdering, prestationsmätningens form och motivation. Studiens resultat styrker dels den tidigare forskning men bidrar även med nya insikter. Studien visade att prestationsmätning påverkas av krissituationer på grund av tidsbrist då de formella prestationsmätningsaktiviteterna i de flesta fall har behövts prioriteras bort. De informella aktiviteterna har å andra sidan fått mer utrymme och bidragit till en mer informell och möjliggörande styrning inom organisationer. Utvärderingen baseras främst på subjektiva värden, observationer och rykten vilket medarbetarna har blandande upplevelser om huruvida rättvis bedömning cheferna kan göra. Studien har även visat att medarbetarna motiveras av prestationsmätningen när den är kopplad till incitament som högre lön och individuella utvecklingsmål. Däremot finns det inte tillräckligt med resurser för att fokusera på sina mål. / Performance measurements or appraisals are used within organizations to, among other things, evaluate, improve, motivate, and steer organizations in the desired direction. New Public Management reforms initiated an emphasis on managing and measuring results more efficiently in the public sector. This caused a higher work intensity and increased employee stress levels. Most of the previous research in performance management and performance measurement are based on normal conditions. A crisis puts organizations to the test, and they need to adapt to be able to deal with the crisis. When organizations are put to the test and need to restructure to deal with a crisis, the conditions for measuring performance also change. To examine how performance measurements are used in a crisis, a qualitative research method has been used to gain a deeper understanding of employees' experiences. Data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with ten employees, who work in healthcare and hospitals. The collected empirical data has been analysed using a conceptual analysis tool that is divided into three themes: evaluation, the form of the performance measurement and motivation. The results of the study partly strengthen previous research but also contribute to new insights. The study showed that performance measurement is affected by crises, due to a lack of time, formal performance measurement activities have in most cases been prioritized away. The informal activities have on the other hand been given more space and contributed to more informal and enabling control within organizations. Evaluations are mainly based on subjective values, observations, and rumours, which the employees have mixed experiences about whether a manager can make a fair assessment. This research paper has also shown that employees are motivated by performance measurements when they are linked to incentives such as higher salaries and individual development goals, but on the other hand, there are not enough resources to focus on their goals.

It has been often argued that life events have an impact on our physical and psychological well-being. In general, research supports this connection between life events and general health, though some argue that simply experiencing life events has a measurable and predictable impact our health, while others contend that this effect is mediated by the appraisal process. Further, research has identified a number of different factors (hypothetically stratified into pre-existing beliefs, external resources and demands, and behavioral activation and coping strategies) that may influence appraisal and general health. The current study attempts to integrate these findings by testing structural models of the relationship between life events, life stress, and general health while considering the appraisal process and other potential moderators of appraisal and general health. University students (N=204) were tested using 17 assessment measures representing 7 latent constructs of Life Events, Life Stress, Appraisal, General Health, Beliefs, External, and Activation. Results of the measurement models required model respecification to combine Appraisal and Beliefs into one construct and External and Activation into another construct, resulting in a five-factor hypothetical structural model. The resulting empirical structural model is a partially-mediated model that suggests that appraisal and pre-existing beliefs influence the relationship between life events and life stress, and that life events significantly impact measured life stress. The empirical model also indicates that general health is significantly impacted by life stress, as well as behavioral activation and external resources and demands. Practical implications of the findings and recommendations for further research were discussed.

This study examined the relationship between the professional practices components of the School Board of Brevard County Instructional Personnel Performance Appraisal System Instrument and student achievement as measured by a teacher’s valueadded measurement score. A Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was the statistical test used to analyze the data. The population included Brevard Public School instructional personnel assigned to Grades 4-10 who taught reading and/or mathematics measured by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test during the 2011-2012 school year and who received teacher aggregated value-added measurement scores. Findings indicated that there was a small to moderate statistically significant, positive relationship between all eight professional practices component variables and value-added measurement scores. Correlation coefficients ranged from .089 for collaborative inquiry to .218 for quality of instruction. All of the components combined had a correlation of .231, confirming the strength of multiple evaluation measures. Recommendations were provided for future research aimed at further data analysis in Brevard Public Schools as well as other school districts in order to identify the combination of evaluation components that most accurately reflect teaching effectiveness resulting in student learning as well as to pinpoint weaknesses upon which additional training could be based and the fidelity of implementation improved.

The aim of this study is to establish a nation-wide cost-benefit framework for aviation projection appraisal. This framework is built upon Transportation System Analysis Model developed at Virginia Tech Air Transportation System Model (TSAM). Both supply and demand characteristics and their inter-dependence are investigated. It attempts to solve the absence of supply constraints in aviation demand forecast in the literature. In addition, external costs in term of noise and emission are also considered. A national environmental impact analysis introduced by new generation small aircraft system is conducted. Two case studies are discussed to illustrate the framework. The first one is based on the GPS Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Lower Landing Minima capability. It represents a nation-wide cost-benefit analysis with examination of both supply and demand. System-wide benefit of accessibility improvement and infrastructure cost are scrutinized at the same time. A prioritized set of candidate airports for this technology is provided as a result. The second study focuses on New York area. Benefits brought by DataComm technology are evaluated by multi-iteration simulations. DataComm is projected to reduce entry point intrail and final approach separation. The improvements are modeled at individual airport and New York airspace. Consumer surplus is estimated based on demand and delay relationship using TSAM. / Ph. D.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) refers to the withdrawal symptoms experienced when an infant has been exposed to certain substances (e.g., opioids) in-utero, resulting in health challenges for infants. Previous studies have reported substantial variations in the clinical management of NAS, suggesting that some infants may not be receiving optimal care. High-quality clinical practice guidelines are crucial to support optimal patient outcomes and standardize care. In response, I conducted a systematic review and quality appraisal of available NAS guidelines and recommendations using the AGREE-II and AGREE-REX tools. I also developed and piloted a tool to measure family-centred care in guidelines. Most guidelines received low-quality appraisal scores on the AGREE-II and the AGREE-REX appraisals (16/20 and 10/20, respectively) and have conflicting pharmacological recommendations. Findings will improve clinicians’ awareness of the variation in the quality of guidelines and assist them to make care decisions that are from the best available evidence and family-centred.

Finding health information online continues to help patients understand new symptoms. However, incomplete information or advice that errs on the site of caution can cause distress or anxiety and prompt visits to a doctor. Cyberchondria, a new phenomenon, is defined as excessive compulsive searching for health information online that leads to distress and increase utilization of healthcare services. Grounded theory guided the conception of a mixed method study to investigate cyberchondria and symptom appraisal within Emergency Departments. A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data from patients visiting a local Emergency Room. Results showed 63.3% of respondents looked up their symptoms online before their visit, and exhibited higher levels of cyberchondria and health anxiety than those who did not (p .001, p .004), and that health information consulted online can impact the decision to seek out immediate care. Strategies are needed to improve and promote quality online sources to benefit both seekers and services.

Denna uppsats syftar till att studera hur chefer förbereder, genomför och utvecklas av prestationssamtal med medarbetare på arbetsplatsen. Med prestationssamtal menas de formella samtal/möten som innefattar att chefen tar upp en medarbetares prestation. Detta har undersökts genom frågeställningarna: Hur förbereder chefer sig inför ett prestationssamtal?, Hur beskriver chefer sin roll under ett prestationssamtal? samt Vilka lärdomar drar chefer från olika prestationssamtal?. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom åtta semistruktureradeintervjuer med chefer som har eller har haft personalansvar. Databearbetningen har genomförts genom en tematisk analys, där resultatet analyserats utifrån Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv samt Illeris syn på lärande. Studien har funnit att det finns en variation i hur chefer förbereder sig inför prestationssamtal. Förberedelser som bland annat nämnts är att gå igenom anteckningar, ta fram dagordningar, samla bakgrundsfakta, samt gå igenom eventuella mallar. Vidare har studien presenterat att chefer beskriver sina roller i prestationssamtal olika. Något som bedömdes vara gemensamt är att det finns en ökad struktur och tydlighet i de roller som innefattade att ta upp en medarbetares prestation. Samtliga chefer förklarade med varierande ord att erfarenheter är viktiga i prestationssamtal. Lärdomar som cheferna nämnt är exempelvis vikten av relationsuppbyggnad, förberedelser, individanpassning samt att vara tydlig i sin roll. Sammanfattningsvis visar resultatet att det finns individuella skillnader i omständigheterna kring samtalet beroende påbland annat vilken typ av prestationssamtal cheferna pratade om och även vilken medarbetare de pratade med. / This study aims to examine how managers prepare, conduct and develop their knowledge through performance interviews with employees in the workplace. With performance interviews we mean the formal discussions or meetings where the manager addresses an employee's performance. This has been investigated through the following questions: How do managers prepare for a performance interview?, How do managers describe their role during a performance interview? and What lessons do managers learn from different performance interviews?. The empirical material gathered consists of eight semi-structured interviews with managers who have or have had staff responsibility. The data processing has been carried out through a thematic analysis where the results have been analyzed with the help of Goffman's dramaturgical approach and Illeris’ concept of learning. The study has found that there is a variation in how managers prepare for performance interviews. Preparations that were mentioned included going through notes, drawing up agendas, researching background facts and reviewing meeting templates. Furthermore, we have also found that managers describe their roles in performance interviews differently. But something that all the managers described, in different ways, was an increased structure and clarity in their role and communication with an employee when discussing their performance. All managers explained in varying words that experience is important in relation to performance interviews. Different lessons learned by the managers include the importance of building relationships with the employees, preparation, individual adaptation and being clear in their role. Overall, individual differences emerged depending on the manager we spoke to, the type of performance interview they were talking about, and also the individual they were dealing with.