Thesis advisor: Marc Landy / Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment, senators were selected by state legislators, a measure designed to remove them from fluctuations of popular whim. By 1913, reformers, having assailed members of the Senate as insular to the changing needs of their constituents, pressed for fundamental, structural reform, including direct popular elections. But few works have assessed the nature of senatorial campaigns under the indirect regime. I research contemporaneous newspaper coverage and personal correspondences of individual senators to better glean their levels of sensitivity to re-election pressures — a significant qualitative contribution to the discourse. And I measure the extent to which a state’s political conditions influenced the tendency for senators to engage in public appeals for popular support. Senatorial elections were already pseudo-democratic before 1913, experiencing an emergent element of popular legitimacy as public sentiment meaningfully informed the process and conduits for public accountability were expanding. In stark contrast to prevailing perceptions, senators were keenly sensitive to electoral pressures. By cultivating popular support, they regularly tried to bolster their positions vis-a-vis powerful party leaders, state legislators, and pivotal decision-makers. But the strategy was risky as well, for a poor showing in the November elections invited intra-party challenges. Ultimately, my dissertation tells a story of how parties adapted to changing conditions to remain politically viable and survive in a new age, granting concessions to the electorate which were designed to promote greater popular participation whilst maintaining overall control over the process. The crusade for reforming the senatorial selection method was conducted on behalf of reformers who sought to redress perceived inequalities and dysfunction in the system. Debates over the balance between democratic self-government and the importance of whom Jonathan Rauch term “the middlemen” continue to percolate, colorizing the dispute within the Democratic Party over the role of superdelegates and efforts to abolish the Electoral College. And my research explores the intersection of democratic reforms and racialized politics with the adoption of the invidious “white primary” in South Carolina and the factors which gave rise to the race-baiting, populist demagogue Benjamin Tillman — the precursor to modern-day populists and illiberal democracies. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Political Science.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which is a smart combination of pre-existing cruise control and time gap control, plays a major role in rendering driving comfort for the drivers. Currently available ACC system allows the vehicle to maintain the set speed and to automatically adjust the speed to keep up the fixed distance to the vehicle ahead. Here, the speed and the distance are set as per user preferences. Each individual user has their own perceptions and preferences but the existing ACC system lacks the property of user adaption. Hence, this thesis focuses on automatizing the distance settings of the ACC system, which can be adapted to each individual users. In order to incorporate the property of user specific distance setting for ACC, the most relevant contexts in which a change in ACC distance needed is sorted out and a standard distance setting is assigned. Reinforcement-Learning strategies are handled where by the pre-existing distance settings can be modified and adapted to the user once they start driving.

Evidence indicates that flexible self-regulation is a key mechanism of adaptation to major life stressors. To date, various domains of flexible regulation and their role in adaptation to a major life stressor, including coping strategies, affective regulation, and cognitive abilities have been conceptualized and studied in isolation. Further, there is limited understanding of the longitudinal impact of dimensions of flexible coping in the context of bereavement. This dissertation filled several gaps in the literature with three empirical studies. Study 1 clarified the longitudinal impact of divergent sets of coping strategies that underlie flexible coping following the loss of a loved one. Study 2 determined how separate, validated domains of flexibility would empirically cluster together, and tested the cross-sectional impact of the empirically derived latent composites on adaptation following a significant potentially traumatic event (PTE). Study 3 augmented findings from Study 2 by using the empirically derived composites to predict longitudinal adaptation following a PTE, exploring the moderating role of demographic variables, and comparing the predictive utility of the latent composites versus their original features. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Kontextmedvetna spel låter den reella omgivningenpåverka aspekter av spelinnehållet. Då kontextmedvetna spel i en mobil miljö är ett väl utforskat område saknas forskning kring dess möjlighet att även fungera i en stationär miljö. I denna utforskande studie har en modifikation till det stationära spelet Cities: Skylines utvecklats som låter spelarens aktivitet påverka nästkommande spelsession. Modifikationen har sedan använts vid en användarstudie som undersökt hur denna typ av mer löst kopplade kontext där spel och kontext är tidsmässigt separerade påverkar spelarens upplevelse. Studien visar att denna typ av kontextmedvetenhet upplevs önskvärt. Det kan dock krävas någon form av hjälpande länk som förstärker kopplingen mellan spel och kontext samt att kontextmedvetenhetens syfte bör vara att förstärka spelupplevelsen snarare än att vara en drivande faktor.

In einer komplexen Berufswelt, in der ständige Veränderungen den Alltag vieler Unternehmen bestimmen, ist die Fähigkeit von Mitarbeitern, ihr Verhalten den veränderten Bedingungen anzupassen (Adaptive Performance) eine bedeutsame Facette der beruflichen Leistung. Es ist jedoch bis heute unklar, ob Adaptive Performance sich als eigenständiges Leistungskonstrukt von anderen Formen der beruflichen Leistung abgrenzen lässt. Ferner ist die Befundlage hinsichtlich einiger Antezedenzien inkonsistent, während andere bisher noch nicht im Zusammenhang mit Adaptive Performance untersucht wurden. In der ersten Studie wird ein Fragebogen zur Erfassung von Adaptive Performance sowie von Proactive Behavior, einem etablierten Konstrukt der beruflichen Leistungsforschung, entwickelt und anhand vorhandener Skalen validiert. Die Studie (N = 196) zeigt, dass sich adaptive Leistung von proaktivem Verhalten empirisch abgrenzen lässt. Es können emotionale Stabilität und (wahrgenommene) Autonomie als differenzielle Prädiktoren nachgewiesen werden, wobei emotionale Stabilität erwartungsgemäß höher mit Adaptive Performance und Autonomie höher mit Proactive Behavior korreliert. In der zweiten Studie werden anhand der aktuellen Forschungsliteratur Anforderungen an eine Instrumentenentwicklung zur fähigkeitsbasierten Erfassung von Adaptive Performance in Form eines webbasierten Postkorbs abgeleitet und die Entwicklung des Messinstruments beschrieben. Die aufgestellten Anforderungen werden anschließend anhand einer studentischen Stichprobe (N = 104) geprüft. In Studie 3 wird in einem Experiment (N = 185) der Einfluss von Intelligenz, der Fähigkeit, rational zu denken sowie von Routinestärke auf Adaptive Performance untersucht. Hierbei wird Adaptive Performance mit Hilfe des vorab entwickelten Postkorbs erfasst und die jeweiligen Zusammenhänge unter kontrollierten Bedingungen betrachtet. Entgegen der Hypothese ergeben sich keine Hinweise auf einen bedeutsamen Einfluss der Intelligenz. Hingegen zeigen sich bedeutsame Zusammenhänge mit der Fähigkeit, rational zu denken sowie mit der Routinestärke. Die theoretische sowie praktische Bedeutung der Befunde wird abschließend diskutiert und darauf aufbauend werden Implikationen für die weitere Forschung und Personalpraxis abgeleitet.

El presente estudio tuvo por objetivo identificar la existencia de relaciones significativas entre la Teoría del Liderazgo Situacional y el Clima Organizacional, en un grupo de colaboradores pertenecientes a una empresa de electrificación, en el año 2018. Para ello, se realizó una investigación no experimental, con enfoque cuantitativo de tipo correlacional, utilizando métodos comparativos causales de corte transversal. Para recolectar la información se utilizaron dos instrumentos, uno para evaluar los estilos del Liderazgo Situacional y la efectividad de su adaptabilidad, aplicado a los jefes de mandos medios; y otro a los subordinados para determinar el nivel de influencia sobre el Clima Organizacional, con el fin de analizar y comparar relaciones entre ambas variables. El cuestionario de Liderazgo Situacional es el diseñado por Paul Hersey y Ken Blanchard, denominado LEAD (Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description) que consta de 12 items, y el de Clima Organizacional es el que actualmente utiliza la empresa para medir la satisfacción, con una escala de Likert de cinco niveles y una adaptación de los ítems en base a la metodología Great Place to Work. La muestra está compuesta por 162 colaboradores en total: 28 jefes de mandos medios y 134 subordinados. Los resultados demuestran una correlación causal positiva moderada de 0,588 entre ambas variables, determinando una influencia moderada y aceptando de esta manera la hipótesis alternativa planteada. Es decir, cuando el estilo del liderazgo del jefe es más adaptable a la situación, mayor es la satisfacción en los colaboradores de esta entidad. / The objective of this study was to identify the existence of significant relationships between the theory of leadership and the organizational climate, in a group of employees who are in a private multinational institution of electrification, during the year 2018. This, investigation will be carried out non-experimental with correlation-type quantitative approach, using cross-sectional causal comparative methods. Two instruments were used to collect information, one to evaluate the styles of Situational Leadership and the effectiveness of their adaptability, applied to the middle managers, and another to the subordinates to determine the level of influence on the Organizational Climate, with the objective of analyze and compare relationships between both variables. The Situational Leadership questionnaire is designed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, called LEAD (Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description) which consists of 12 items and the Organizational Climate questionnaire is the one currently used by the company to measure satisfaction, with a scale of five-level Likert and an adaptation of the items based on The Great Place to Work methodology. The sample is composed of 162 employees in total, 28 middle managers and 134 subordinates belonging proportionally to the six company business units. The results show a positive moderate correlation of 0.588 between both variables, which determinate a significant influence and accept in this way the alternative hypothesis proposed. So, we can say that when the leadership manager style is more adaptable to the situation, the satisfaction of the employees increases as well in the company. / Tesis

Hispanic students often suffer from acculturative stress as they adapt to U.S. college environments; however, few scholars have examined the acculturative stress relationship among undocumented versus documented Hispanic college students. In this quantitative, correlational study design, adaptation levels related to acculturative stress between both statuses were examined. The theoretical foundations of this study are based on the social cognitive career theory. This investigation focused on determining how adaptation levels predict Hispanic college students' acculturative stress and whether this realtionship differ between documented and undocumented college students. The I-Adapt measure was used to measure participants' level of adaptability and the social, attitudinal, familial and educational or the Social, Attitudinal, Familial and Educational (S.A.F.E) measurement was used to measure their acculturative stress levels. The sample consisted of 165 Hispanic college students recruited from a private northeastern university. Contrarily to the main hypothesis, Regression analysis revealed that higher levels of cultural and crisis adaptability predicted lower levels of acculturative stress while higher levels of work stress adaptability predicted higher levels of acculturative stress. Future research should focus on further examination differences in adaptation toward acculturative stress and the aftermath of acculturative stress adaptation methods between documented and undocumented college students. The findings of this study can contribute to social change by informing immigration laws to adopt in order to protect college educated, skilled and productive immigrants.

The present study assessed scores from 627 mothers, fathers and children throughout the metropolitan Portland area on the revised Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES). Of interest was the revised FACES factor structure, internal consistency and interrater reliabilities.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Research on military families has increased since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; however, the research focuses on military families is general with little specific information on Black families within the military. Given the known general impact of race, this is a critical gap in the research into military families. This qualitative descriptive study explores the life of Black daughters in military families by examining the challenges and benefits of growing up as a Black daughter in a military family. There were three primary research questions asked of the participants about their experiences: 1) What challenges did you experience growing up in a military family; 2) What benefits did you experience growing up in a military family; and, 3) Do you believe that being Black affected the challenges and benefits you experienced? If so, in what way(s)? The participants also answered two additional questions of importance to social workers and health practitioners who work with military families: 1) What advice would you give to social workers who work with military families?; and, 2) What advice would you have for the military to help families address the challenges you have mentioned? The answers to the primary research questions are reviewed through the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI), models of systems theory, mettle, adaptability, and transformability. Consideration of the “Strong Black Woman” perspective is also examined. A look at the roles that women play as well as roles imposed on women by others is explored. Implications for social workers, health practitioners, and schools of social work are discussed, inclusive of military family culture and the importance of cultural competence in considering the intersections of a person’s life: racial identity in addition to military implications. / 2021-10-02

System evolvability is vital to the longevity of large-scale complex engineered systems. The need for evolvability in complex systems is a result of their long service lives, rapid advances to their integrated technologies, unforeseen operating conditions, and emerging system requirements. In recent years, quantifiable metrics have been introduced for measuring the evolvability of complex systems based on the amount of excess capability in the system. These metrics have opened opportunities for optimization of systems with evolvability as an objective. However, there are several aspects of such an optimization that require further consideration. For example, there is a trade-off between the cost of excess capability initially built into complex systems and the benefit that is added to the system for future evolution. This trade-off must be represented in the optimization problem formulation. Additionally, uncertainty in future requirements and parameters of complex systems can result in an inaccurate representation of the design space. This thesis addresses these considerations through multi-objective optimization and uncertainty analysis. The resulting analysis gives insight into the effects of designing for evolvability. We show that there is a limit to the value added by increasing evolvability. We also show that accounting for uncertainty changes the optimal amount of evolvability that should be designed into a system. The developed theories and methods are demonstrated on the design of a military ground vehicle.