The beneficial of keeping a dog and the booming Chinese pet dog market allowed many Chinese people considering owning a dog. However, how owners treat their dogs are extremely different. Some of them consider dogs as their child while others think dogs are just objects with special function. These different attitude leads to dog owners’ different consumption intention towards dog-related products and services. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the dog owner’s intention of buying or keeping a dog in China. The theory of planned behavior was used to analyzed in this thesis. The goal was to figure out the factors that influence owners’ intention of buying or keeping a dog. To investigate our purpose, the qualitative method with eleven semi-interviews were conducted in this thesis, and we analyzed the data using the method of qualitative content analysis. The results were shown from attitude, subject norm and perceived behavior, which comes from the theory of planned behavior.

Objectives: To examine the association between depressed mood and clusters of health risk behaviors. Methods: A nationally representative sample of adolescents (N=15,214) was utilized to construct 10 pseudocontinuous health risk behaviors. Cluster analysis was performed to group adolescents, and subsequent multivariable logistic models were created. Results: Compared to non-risk takers, belonging to risk clusters significantly increased the odds of reporting depressed mood. African Americans in high-risk clusters appeared to be more vulnerable to depressed mood, when compared to remaining racial groups. Conclusions: Results suggest that adolescents engaging in multiple health-risk behaviors do so in the context of depressed mood.

No description available.

The importance of control in information system development (ISD) project has been widely emphasized. However, most studies focused on formal control and relative few efforts haven been entered to understand the effect of information control. In addition for those studies focus on informal control only viewed this issue from team level perspective. Drawing on the limitations of past studies, this study attempted to query possible antecedents of clan control effectiveness from aspect of the social control theory. In particular, we focus on the effects of personal beliefs, project commitment, team attachment and involvement on the compliance of individuals on group norm. We hypothesized that social bonds lead to compliance as well as extra-role behaviors for individuals within project team. Based on survey data collected from 205 members of ISD project teams. The results confirmed the hypothesized relationship between social bonds and compliance. The analysis also reveals that three factors, including personal beliefs, project commitment, and involvement are associated with external-role behavior. The results of this study can not only serve as a reference for future researches but also generate implications for practitioners.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Taiwan. Breast cancer has the highest morbidity rate in females. Early detection in Taiwanese women is hampered by their inadequate knowledge of risk factors, their biased perceptions of mammography and by their low intentions to carry out recommended preventative strategies. Although the Internet has become a powerful tool to disseminate health information, health information offered on the web frequently is not theoretically-based or patient-centered. Effken's (2003) Informatics Research Organizing Model (IROM) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (Prochaska & Diclemente, 1982; Rakowski, Dube, & Goldstein, 1996) were used to guide the design and evaluation of a tailored web-based program aimed at improving effective breast cancer detection in Taiwanese women. This study used a pretest-posttest design to examine the impact of a tailored, web-based educational intervention on Taiwanese women's perceptions of and intentions to obtain mammography, as well as their satisfaction with the website. One hundred twenty eight Taiwanese women were randomly assigned to one of two groups: tailored intervention (TI) or standard intervention (SI). The TI group received tailored educational materials (i.e. tailored messages, case studies, personal testimonies, and mammography information). The SI group received an educational brochure developed by the Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health (DOH). A Stage of Adoption of Mammography Question (SAMQ) and Decisional Balance of Mammography Inventory (DBMI) were administered before and after the educational intervention. A Website Users Satisfaction (WUS) and Demographics Inventory (DI) were administered after the intervention. All materials and instruments were delivered and assessed via a website. ANCOVAs, Chi-Square tests and t-tests were utilized to test the hypotheses. Results of the study revealed that the TI group differed significantly from the SI group in terms of perceptions of, and intentions to obtain, mammography, as well as in satisfaction with the website. The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of how a health education website can change women's mammography-related perceptions and intentions if theoretically-based and tailored interventions are emphasized.

La Teoría del comportamiento indica que la toma de decisiones es el motor que da vida a la organización, en donde para la Alta Gerencia una correcta toma de decisiones debe ser respaldada por confiables fuentes de información, ya que al consolidarse esta como un recurso fundamental en este proceso, permitirá elegir y tomar decisiones rápidas y certeras en las organizaciones. Esta información se ha obtenido muchas veces a partir de la transferencia de conocimientos adquiridos de los diferentes procesos de aprendizaje, con el fin de que ayude en tomar la mejor decisión, para lograr buenos resultados y para que la empresa sea sostenible en el tiempo. En esta investigación se analizaron diferentes métodos con el fin de demostrar el riesgo en el proceso de tomar alguna decisión por parte de la Alta Gerencia, ya que ante una decisión todos los grupos de personas que conforman la organización se verán afectados. De modo que, muchas veces las organizaciones se encuentran en una incertidumbre en no saber qué alternativa escoger y qué riesgo puedan correr. Lo que significa que la Alta Gerencia deberá de concentrarse al usar sus experiencias y conocimientos para poder escoger la mejor decisión en base al futuro de su organización. Finalmente, esta investigación pasará a analizar el proceso de toma de decisiones y su efecto para los intereses de una organización de servicio con el objetivo de ser sostenible en el tiempo. / The Theory of behavior indicates that decision-making is the engine that gives life to the organization, where for senior management proper decision-making must be supported by reliable sources of information, since by consolidating this as a fundamental resource in This process will allow to choose and make quick and accurate decisions in organizations. This information has been obtained many times from the transfer of knowledge acquired from the different learning processes, in order to help in making the best decision, to achieve good results and for the company to be sustainable over time. In this investigation different methods were analyzed in order to demonstrate the risk in the process of taking some decision by the Top Management, since before a decision all the groups of people that make up the organization will be affected. So, many times organizations are in an uncertainty in not knowing what alternative to choose and what risk they can run. This means that Senior Management should concentrate on using their experiences and knowledge in order to choose the best decision based on the future of their organization. Finally, this research will analyse the decision-making process and its effect for the interests of a service organization with the aim of being sustainable over time. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

The purpose of this mixed-method phenomenological study is to understand the beliefs and attitudes that mid-career secondary school teachers have regarding the teacher evaluation process and its effect on their professional practice. Mid-career secondary school teachers (defined as having between 14-21 years of classroom experience) from Bayview Public Schools were selected to participate. A total of 152 mid-career secondary school teachers completed an electronic survey. Additionally, a total of 9 participants took part in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework used to guide the study was the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1988; 1991) and Bandura*s theory of self-efficacy (1977). The quantitative results from the electronic survey were used to augment qualitative data collected from interviews with willing participants. The interviews with study participants were analyzed for emerging themes. In all, a total of nine emerging themes came to light through the analysis of interview data. The data revealed areas of concern regarding the current method of evaluating teachers in Bayview Public Schools. A presentation of the findings with regard to the theoretical framework, literature, and practice were presented. Furthermore, a list of recommendations was provided addressing the specific concerns of participating teachers. In conclusion, recommendations were also made concerning future research that might continue to add to the body of knowledge concerning teacher evaluation.

Background: Young adults ages 18-24 are disproportionally affected by unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STD/I). The best protection against both pregnancy and STD/Is is dual contraceptive use: the concurrent use of a highly effective contraceptive method and a condom. Objectives: This dissertation aims to increase our understanding of the psychosocial constructs associated with contraceptive and condom use. This project: 1) examines differences in contraceptive and STD/I knowledge by sex and race, and its association with method use; 2) determines the association between relationship characteristics and dual use; and 3) uses the Theory of Triadic Influence to examine direct and indirect associations between sociocultural factors, interpersonal factors, biological factors, and dual use. Methods: Young adult college students ages 18-24 (N=4,196) were invited to complete a web-based, cross-sectional, sexual health survey in Fall 2018. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were run to determine differences in contraceptive knowledge by sex and race and its association with effective method use (N=436), and differences in STD/I knowledge by sex and race and its association with condom use (N=414). Multiple logistic regression models were run to determine the association between relationship characteristics, pregnancy and condom attitudes, demographics, and dual use (N=463). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the standardized direct and indirect associations of sociocultural, interpersonal, and biological factors and dual use (N=406). Results: Increased contraceptive knowledge was associated with 1.114 odds increase in effective method use (95% CI: 1.058, 1.172), but no association was found between STD/I knowledge and condom use (aOR=0.970, 95% CI: 0.940, 1.000). Adjusted for all relationship characteristics, one-unit increase in trust was associated with decreased odds of dual use (aOR=0.982; 95% CI 0.966, 0.998). In independent models, having sex with a casual date/acquaintance (aOR=3.149; 95% CI: 1.550-6.397) compared to a romantic partner was associated with increased odds of dual use. The hypothesized SEM measurement model had poor fit and was re-specified. The final model had moderate fit and explained 70% of the variance in overall dual use. Condom attitudes (β = 0.18) and partner commitment (β = -0.22) were significantly associated with dual use through intention. Intention was significantly associated with dual use (β = 0.84). Conclusions: Findings emphasize the influential nature of interpersonal and biological psychosocial constructs on method use behavior. Health programs that address partner influences on STD/I risk perceptions, method use intention, and method use behavior could be beneficial for young adults. / Epidemiology

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:29:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Maria Bignotto.pdf: 807791 bytes, checksum: cbd31bd6800c47196215c3fea0f860fa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-10 / The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a new method for treating stress, designated stress control training for children (known locally as TCS-I) in the reduction of the symptomatology of stress in children between 8 and 9 years of age. The TCS-I was composed of 16 weekly meetings lasting 90 minutes each, in group session, and was based on cognitive behavior theory. The participants consisted of 20 children equally divided into two groups: the GTCSI which received the TCS-I training and the GC (control group) who had 16 weekly sessions with a psychologist, which did not involve stress control. Initial testing evaluated the symptomatology of stress, the stressors which the children would normally encounter in their everyday lives and what were the confrontation strategies they used. Using the quadriphase model as a theoretical benchmark which emphasizes four phases in the stress process, namely alert, resistance, near-exhaustion and exhaustion, results show that 60% of children were in the near-exhaustion phase, with a prevalence of psychological reactions. The stressors most mentioned by the children were internal in nature, and related to feelings of anxiety and situations related to impaired self-esteem. It was also found that they made use of numbers and types of strategies that were not sufficient to control their levels of tension. The two groups were compared before and after the GTCSI sessions. Initially, the groups showed no significant differences in terms of the level and phase of stress they were facing. After intervention, it was noted that the GTCSI showed a significant reduction in their level of stress when compared to the control group. It was concluded that stressed children, when subjected to stress control training specific to their needs, are capable of developing confrontation skills and achieving a reduction in levels of stress. It was also concluded that TCS-I is very effective in reducing stress in children and the internal sources of this stress. / Este estudo objetivou testar a efic?cia de um m?todo novo de tratamento do stress, designado treino psicol?gico de stress infantil (TCS-I) na redu??o da sintomatologia do stress em crian?as de 08 anos a 09 anos anos de idade. O TCS-I se constituiu de 16 encontros semanais de 90 minutos de dura??o, em grupo, e se baseou na teoria cognitivo-comportamental. Os participantes foram 20 crian?as distribu?das igualmente em dois grupos: GTCSI que recebeu o TCS-I e outro (grupo comparativo GC) que teve 16 encontros semanais com a psic?loga, n?o direcionados ao controle do stress. A testagem inicial avaliou a sintomatologia de stress, os estressores com os quais as crian?as se deparavam no dia a dia e quais estrat?gias de enfrentamento elas utilizavam. Considerando-se como referencial te?rico o modelo quadrif?sico que enfatiza quatro fases no processo do stress: alerta, resist?ncia, quase exaust?o e exaust?o, os resultados indicam que 60% das crian?as encontravam-se na fase de quase exaust?o, com preval?ncia de rea??es psicol?gicas. Os estressores mais mencionados por elas eram de natureza interna e se referiam a sentimentos de ansiedade e situa??es referentes a uma autoestima prejudicada. Verificou-se ainda que faziam uso de um n?mero e tipo de estrat?gias que se mostrou insuficiente no controle de seus n?veis de tens?o. Os dois grupos foram comparados antes e ap?s a interven??o do GTCSI. No inicio, os grupos n?o mostraram diferen?as significativas quanto ao n?vel e fase do stress na qual se encontravam. Ap?s a interven??o, observou-se, que o GTCSI apresentou uma redu??o significativa no seu n?vel de stress quando comparado ao GC. Concluiu-se que as crian?as estressadas quando submetidas a um treino de controle de stress espec?fico ?s suas necessidades, s?o capazes de desenvolver habilidades de enfrentamento obtendo redu??o nos n?veis de stress. Concluiu-se tamb?m que o TCS-I ? muito eficaz na redu??o do stress infantil e das fontes internas de stress.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Communication, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-46).