published_or_final_version / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Public Health

published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Doctor of Medicine

published_or_final_version / Anatomy / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Au Chung-yan. / Thesis submitted in: Dec 2004. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-68). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES --- p.vi / INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Significance of Dimension Development --- p.2 / Dimension Development in Western Cultures --- p.3 / Dimension Development in the Chinese Culture --- p.10 / STUDY 1 --- p.12 / METHOD FOR STUDY 1 --- p.12 / Participants --- p.12 / Procedure --- p.13 / RESULTS AND DISCUSSION FOR STUDY 1 --- p.13 / STUDY 2 --- p.16 / METHOD FOR STUDY 2 --- p.17 / Participants --- p.17 / Measure --- p.17 / Procedure --- p.18 / RESULTS AND DISCUSSION FOR STUDY 2 --- p.18 / STUDY 3 --- p.20 / METHOD FOR STUDY 3 --- p.26 / Participants --- p.26 / Child-rated Measures --- p.26 / Teacher-rated Measures --- p.29 / Procedure --- p.29 / RESULTS FOR STUDY 3 --- p.30 / Factor Analyses of Self-reported Social Withdrawal Questionnaire --- p.30 / "Relations between Unsociable Withdrawal, Anxious Withdrawal, Isolated Withdrawal, Avoidant Withdrawal and Children's Social, Psychological and Cognitive Characteristics" --- p.39 / "Predictors of Unsociable Withdrawal, Anxious Withdrawal, Isolated Withdrawal and Avoidant Withdrawal" --- p.43 / Gender and Grade Differences in Social Withdrawal Factors --- p.45 / SUMMARY FOR STUDY 3 --- p.47 / GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.48 / Social Withdrawal Dimensions --- p.48 / Comparisons among Social Withdrawal Dimensions --- p.57 / Implications of Present Findings --- p.59 / Direction for Future Research --- p.61 / Conclusion --- p.62 / REFERENCES --- p.63 / APPENDIX A: Descriptions of the Social Withdrawal Dimensions used in Study2 --- p.69 / APPENDIX B: Self-Rated Items of the Social Withdrawal Dimensions used in Study 3 --- p.70 / APPENDIX C: Appendix C: Items used to measure Children's Perceived Self-Competence --- p.72 / APPENDIX D: Items used to measure Children's Social Anxiety --- p.73 / APPENDIX E: Items used to measure Children's Fear --- p.74 / APPENDIX F: Peer Nominated Items used to measure Children's Aggressiveness --- p.75

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The continued surge in childhood obesity rates globally has created much impetus for researchers to develop intervention strategies effective in changing physical activity behavior during childhood. Despite such interest there has been limited success, and very rarely have cross-cultural applicability of these initiatives been considered. This thesis begins with an examination of the applicability of a Western-modeled school-based intervention, America on the Move, using pedometers and point-of-choice prompts in an attempt to change the walking behavior of Chinese Hong Kong children (Chapter 2). To achieve this, the intervention mapping protocol was followed. The process comprised three studies. First, health messages prompting walking behaviors were developed and tested for motivational properties. Second, two piezoelectric pedometers were validated for our target population, and finally, a 7-week pilot of the intervention using the validated health messages and pedometers was implemented and evaluated among 8-12 year old Chinese Hong Kong children. The second part of the thesis took the unexpected results of the pilot intervention and explored how a goal-related psychological construct, emotional rehearsal, which has been associated with dysregulated health behaviors, may contribute to these. This part commences with an overview of the conceptualization of rehearsal and presentation of a conceptual model between stress and dysregulated health behavior mediated by the propensity for rehearsal (Chapter 3). Three studies were then undertaken to examine the relationship between rehearsal and dysregulated physical activity behavior. First, a Chinese version of the Rehearsal Scale for children (RSC-C) measuring propensity of rehearsal in children was adapted and validated for use in the subsequent two studies (Chapter 4). The second study investigated the existence of pedometer reactivity and how this might interact with propensity for rehearsal (Chapter 5). Lastly, the relationship between rehearsal and child health was examined through an assessment of the propensity for rehearsal and central adiposity status. Taken together, results of these empirical studies show promise in supporting the proposition that the effectiveness of intervention strategies may be culturally bound via the propensity for rehearsal and its link with cardiovascular health. Limitations of this thesis and future research directions are explored in the final chapter. / published_or_final_version / Human Performance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy