The purpose of the present article is to propose an alternative short form for the 199-item Arizona Life History Battery (ALHB), which we are calling the K-SF-42, as it contains 42 items as compared with the 20 items of the Mini-K, the short form that has been in greatest use for the past decade. These 42 items were selected from the ALHB, unlike those of the Mini-K, making direct comparisons of the relative psychometric performance of the two alternative short forms a valid and instructive exercise. A series of secondary data analyses were performed upon a recently completed five-nation cross-cultural survey, which was originally designed to assess the role of life history strategy in the etiology of interpersonal aggression. Only data from the ALHB that were collected in all five cross-cultural replications were used for the present analyses. The single immediate objective of this secondary data analysis was producing the K-SF-42 such that it would perform optimally across all five cultures sampled, and perhaps even generalize well to other modern industrial societies not currently sampled as a result of the geographic breadth of those included in the present study. A novel method, based on the use of the Cross-Sample Geometric Mean as a criterion for item selection, was used for generating such a cross-culturally valid short form.

Thesis advisor: Judith A. Vessey / Teasing among children is pervasive; however, it has received remarkably little attention in the empirical, theoretical, or methodological literature in Taiwan. The purposes of this study were to translate and psychometrically validate the Chinese versions of the CATS (CATS-C). The purposes for this study were accomplished in two major phases. Phase I focused on translating the CATS and evaluating the psychometric equivalency of the original English and translated CATS-C. First, the CATS was translated into Chinese and semantic equivalence was determined by three different kinds of evaluations during the translation process. Then, the semantic equivalence of the translated CATS-C was empirically tested with 25 6th grade bilingual students. The results of the paired sample t-test and the Pearson correlation indicated congruence between the two versions of the CATS on the semantic equivalence. In order to evaluate each item’s relevance in Taiwanese culture, a Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated among the ratings of the five Taiwanese elementary school teachers. The CVI was .88 for the entire CATS and were .66 to 1.0 for the four subscales. One additional item, “personal hygiene”, was included at the suggestion of the experts. ii Phase II focused on evaluating the psychometric properties of the CATS-C. The 33-item adapted CATS-C was tested on a sample of 343 4th through 6th grade Taiwanese students to determine its psychometric properties. Construct validity was assessed through PCA with Varimax rotation. Reliability was tested through the analysis of internal consistency. The results showed that five-component solution was the most appropriate and interpretable solution for the 29-item CATS-C after deleting four items. Cronbach’s alpha was .91 for the total CATS-C scale and were .73 - .83 for the five CATS-C subscales. The 29-item CATS-C with five components is a culturally appropriate instrument which has potential for determining Taiwanese students at high risk from teasing. Further studies are recommended to test the reliability and validity of the CATS-C. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2008. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

This thesis contributes to the field of research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and explores the underresearched phenomenon of CSR innovation. It sheds light on this phenomenon by comparing CSR innovation in two nations with differing degrees of economic development, namely the UK and India. An interpretive, multicase study approach was chosen to compare CSR initiatives of British and Indian retailers. Data were collected through interviews, archival research, and observation. The research used sensemaking theory as a theoretical lens to examine how actors made sense of CSR innovation and communicated it to others. Data analysis was guided by a conceptual framework focussing on the triggers of sensemaking for CSR initiatives, formalisation as a key sensemaking process for CSR innovations, and the legitimation strategies employed by the case companies. The analysis shows that CSR leaders, close followers, and aspirants think differently about CSR; it also points to broader patterns of CSR innovation in the UK and India. CSR innovations were identified in both the British and Indian retail industries, contextual differences between the innovations in the two countries were observed, and the complex nature and role of these innovations were illustrated. CSR innovation was seen as involving complex constellations of continuity and newness. The British companies studied engaged in deliberate CSR leadership, actively tried to change CSR practises, and communicated these efforts externally. In contrast, the Indian companies mainly discussed CSR initiatives within the business, experimented with nonphilanthropic CSR, and tried to determine the role of CSR in the emerging Indian retail industry. The observed differences were traced back to country-specific regulatory and market environments and differences in field level conditions were highlighted. The study also examined the impact of environmental uncertainty on the management of CSR innovation and discussed strategies that the case companies use to deal with challenges related to CSR innovation.

In the past decade a rapid increase has been seen in the number of organizations using sport as a development tool in majority world communities. Specifically, Sport for Development programs have been promoted as a means to promote peace, a forum for social mobilization efforts and health initiatives, and a tool for sustainable community development (SDP IWG, 2008; UNIATF, 2003). Often, a fundamental goal of such programs is community capacity building. However, despite this increase in attention, data regarding benefits of these programs remains anecdotal, without a strong body of reliable evidence on the impact of Sport for Development programs on community capacity building. Informed by this context, the purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of a Sport for Development program in community capacity building in a refugee camp in Tanzania.<p> The research was accomplished using a qualitative case study approach with 12 key stakeholders involved in the program. The principal method of data collection was a participatory workshop methodology using Laveracks (1999) nine domains to assess community capacity. This qualitative workshop methodology also employed a quantitative tool vis-à-vis Laveracks nine domains which acted as a participatory guide to evaluate the level of community capacity in the program. An initial workshop held with key stakeholders assessed current status, which was followed by the development and implementation of strategic plans for action by stakeholders based on the workshop assessment. A second workshop was held one year later to re-assess community capacity. Additional methods of data collection included individual interviews, observations, and field notes. Member checking, a prolonged time in the field, and triangulation were the primary procedures for verifying the accuracy of the findings.<p> The results showed that community capacity was increased in eight of the nine domains. Specifically, these eight were community participation, local leadership, organizational structures, problem assessment capacities, resource mobilization, ability to ask why, role of outside agents, and program management. The findings from this study demonstrate that a Sport for Development program can be effective in increasing community capacity; this was attributed to the specific participatory methodology used to assess community capacity, structural changes in the program, and a change in approach to programming by project coordinators.

In the past decade a rapid increase has been seen in the number of organizations using sport as a development tool in majority world communities. Specifically, Sport for Development programs have been promoted as a means to promote peace, a forum for social mobilization efforts and health initiatives, and a tool for sustainable community development (SDP IWG, 2008; UNIATF, 2003). Often, a fundamental goal of such programs is community capacity building. However, despite this increase in attention, data regarding benefits of these programs remains anecdotal, without a strong body of reliable evidence on the impact of Sport for Development programs on community capacity building. Informed by this context, the purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of a Sport for Development program in community capacity building in a refugee camp in Tanzania.<p> The research was accomplished using a qualitative case study approach with 12 key stakeholders involved in the program. The principal method of data collection was a participatory workshop methodology using Laveracks (1999) nine domains to assess community capacity. This qualitative workshop methodology also employed a quantitative tool vis-à-vis Laveracks nine domains which acted as a participatory guide to evaluate the level of community capacity in the program. An initial workshop held with key stakeholders assessed current status, which was followed by the development and implementation of strategic plans for action by stakeholders based on the workshop assessment. A second workshop was held one year later to re-assess community capacity. Additional methods of data collection included individual interviews, observations, and field notes. Member checking, a prolonged time in the field, and triangulation were the primary procedures for verifying the accuracy of the findings.<p> The results showed that community capacity was increased in eight of the nine domains. Specifically, these eight were community participation, local leadership, organizational structures, problem assessment capacities, resource mobilization, ability to ask why, role of outside agents, and program management. The findings from this study demonstrate that a Sport for Development program can be effective in increasing community capacity; this was attributed to the specific participatory methodology used to assess community capacity, structural changes in the program, and a change in approach to programming by project coordinators.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Delores H. Chambers / Although consumer emotions have recently become a popular research area in the sensory and consumer sciences, there remains a need for an approach designed to evaluate children’s food emotion experience. The objective of this research was to understand U.S. and Ghanaian children’s emotion responses to food, using words and emojis. In the first part of the research, focus groups were conducted to understand children’s use of emotion words and emojis in response to an array of food consumption experiences, both real and recalled. Through this study, a narrowed list of appropriate words and emojis was identified for further testing with children. This study also revealed that children readily use both emotion words and emojis to characterize their food experiences. The next phase of the research was conducted in three parts, which each included emotion assessments of children’s favorite and disliked foods, as well a common set of eight products selected to elicit a broad range of emotions. First, the emotion set identified in focus group testing was used by children in the United States to assess pictures of foods. The responses from this study were used to further narrow the list of appropriate emojis and emotion words. Second, the reduced emotion set was used by children in the U.S. to assess appearance and post-taste emotions for the products. Finally, a food image test with the reduced emotion set was conducted in Accra, Ghana with schoolchildren. Fielding in Ghana allowed for an exploration of the considerations sensory researchers must make when conducting cross-cultural research with children. Emotion word and emoji usage was similar between U.S. and Ghanaian participants, although some differences were observed. The U.S. studies were compared, revealing the influence of stimulus type on children’s reported emotions. Results from the actual food experiences (appearance, taste) were more positive compared to the evaluation of images. Finally, among Ghanaian and U.S. children, high frequencies of selection for positive emotion words and emojis aligned with a favorite food experience. Overall, this research introduces a new approach to consumer emotion research with children for use both domestically and abroad.

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In this thesis the opportunities for designing products that are less resource intensive during use, in different cultural contexts is investigated. The research was divided into four phases: an extensive literature review, an online scoping study, an intensive qualitative study on laundry behaviours, and an international design competition. The research drew on the background of design for sustainable behaviour, a relatively new field of enquiry concerned with reducing the social and environmental impacts of products during their use. Despite the increasing development of theories to change user behaviour through design, there is a lack of understanding of how different cultural contexts affect behaviour. An extensive literature review established the current thinking on culture, development, and behaviour. The diverse nature of everyday household behaviour from different cultures and the effect it has on household resource consumption was uncovered and was investigated further in an online scoping study. In the study, participants from the UK, Brazil and India answered questions related to the themes of food, water, energy, materials and government schemes. The findings helped to highlight the differences in household behaviours and led to more detailed investigation of laundry behaviours in three sites in the UK, Brazil and India using in-context interviews, observations and household tours. From these findings a series of culturally significant and culturally independent factors were established that can aid designers in understanding behaviours in a given context. A set of design guidelines were also created to facilitate the design of less resource intensive products during use. These were then tested with designers in an international design competition answering a brief to design a less resource intensive laundry process. The research suggested a range of benefits for designers studying other cultures. The guidelines and cultural factors created can help designers to build empathy with users in a given context and boost creative thinking for more sustainable solutions. The research also offered insights into the possibility of, and application for, transferring behaviours between contexts as well as a new understanding of the aspirations of consumers in emerging markets, which could support other theories of sustainable development, such as leapfrogging.

This is a year long in-depth, longitudinal case study of Noa, a six-year-old female in a bilingual first grade class which documents and analyzes her literacy development in a multilingual setting. Data collection for the study includes: written artifacts, anecdotal records, informal interviews with Noa, formal interviews with Noa's teachers, and videotapes. The research questions and their answers are summarized as: (1) What types of written genres does Noa develop? Noa developed 25 different written genres. The genres were categorized according to the distinction between language as an end in itself and language as a means toward an end, based on Halliday's ideas of learning about language and learning through language. (2) How does Noa use Hebrew, English and Spanish in her writing development? English was Noa's predominant written language. Only 10% of Noa's writings were written in languages other than English. (3) How does Noa use technology in her literacy development? Noa used the computer for two main reasons: as a stylistic device and as an ownership device. (4) What kind of questions does Noa ask about language learning? Noa wondered aloud about language intensively during the duration of the study. (5) What types of tensions influence Noa's writings? Three types of tensions were documented: Language learning: between invention and convention. The genres categorized as language as an end in itself did not show any development throughout the year. In the genres categorized as language as a means toward an end, the tension between inventions and conventions were obvious and gave a clear sense of Noa's literacy development. Settings: between home and school. The settings in which Noa wrote impacted her writings. All of the genres related to language as an end in itself were explored in the school setting only. Important relations between Noa's writing experiences at home and in the school were discussed. Editing: between teacher centered and student centered. Noa's editing provides insight about teacher centered and student centered editing. Noa's assimilation and accommodation of the teacher's editing behaviors and the student centered editing were discussed.

Technology acceptance research is a constantly developing field. The disciplines that contributed to its development are either beliefs focused or system focused. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) combined both. The current research model proposes an extension to the UTAUT that accounts for online usage behaviour. The proposed research model is tested in two countries (UK and Jordan) to investigate the viability of the unified model of technology acceptance in different boundaries as a model of individuals’ discretionary usage of Internet banking. The study also questions the roles of other determinants and moderators in this context. Results found support for the effect of the proposed extension, website quality perceptions, on usage behaviour in both countries’ models; the total effect of this extension exhibited website quality perceptions the most influential determinant of usage behaviour in both models and performance expectancy construct was second in effect. Social influence had no impact on the usage behaviour in both models, which is consistent with previous research that advocates a declining role of social influence under discretionary usage and increased experience conditions. Furthermore, the moderating role of performance expectancy previously established in TAM’s research was supported in the UTAUT model in both countries’ models. Moreover, both models reported a non-moderating effect of gender, which, is also in line with recent research findings that suggest declining gender differences under voluntary usage conditions and advanced experience. Education and income were moderators only for the UK model. Although the research findings demonstrated that both countries’ models were “configurally” similar with respect to model specifications, the models’ explanatory power for usage behaviour was dissimilar: the UK’s model explanatory power exceeded that of Jordan’s model presenting an opportunity for future research. The current research contributes to knowledge in the field of technology acceptance research. It demonstrated that website quality perceptions, as a multidimensional concept, play an important role in the online usage context. It also demonstrated that the unified model of technology acceptance established in the western culture can be transferred to a non-western culture although with varying degrees of explanation power.