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The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region is one of the fastest developing in the world, however, some of its countries are the slowest in implementing sustainable construction practices. One of these countries is Kuwait, which contributes one and a half times more global greenhouse gas emissions per capita than the U.S. The dissertation starts by identifying potential barriers to more sustainable design and construction practices among professionals in Kuwait. The barriers identified are not technological, but behavioral, related to perceptions of risk and awareness. Behavioral science offers potential solutions to address these barriers through a concept called choice architecture. Professionals who design and construct our built environment use decision tools such as rating systems to inform their design decision making. These tools are inherently embedded with choice architecture. More intentional choice architecture among rating systems that align individual preferences and beliefs may increase the pursuit of more environmentally sustainable design solutions. One form of choice architecture is called goal framing, which describes the outcome of a choice as either a positive consequence of engaging in a behavior or a negative consequence of not engaging in a behavior. Goal framing was applied to the Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure to emphasize how long-term sustainable outcomes align with decision makers immediate project needs, preferences, and values. Engineering professionals from the U.S. and Kuwait were randomly assigned either the original version of Envision or the goal framed version. The results indicate that goal framing the credits about people and finances, not just the impact on the environment, increased participants motivation and encouraged them to set higher goals for sustainable performance, specifically among professionals who hold a pro-social paradigm of the world. These findings have relevance to those who design, use, and mandate the use of rating systems during the design and construction process of buildings and infrastructure. Future research should continue to explore how engineering professionals make decisions and what choice architecture modifications can support design and engineering towards more sustainable outcomes. / Doctor of Philosophy / The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region is one of the fastest developing in the world, however, some of its countries are the slowest in implementing sustainable construction practices. One of these countries is Kuwait, which contributes one and a half times more global greenhouse gas emissions per capita than the U.S. The dissertation starts by identifying potential barriers to more sustainable design and construction practices among professionals in Kuwait. The barriers identified are not technological, but behavioral, related to perceptions of risk and awareness. Behavioral science offers potential solutions to address these barriers through a concept called choice architecture. Professionals who design and construct our built environment use decision tools such as rating systems to inform their design decision making. These tools are inherently embedded with choice architecture. More intentional choice architecture among rating systems that align individual preferences and beliefs may increase the pursuit of more environmentally sustainable design solutions. One form of choice architecture is called goal framing, which describes the outcome of a choice as either a positive consequence of engaging in a behavior or a negative consequence of not engaging in a behavior. Goal framing was applied to the Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure to emphasize how long-term sustainable outcomes align with decision makers immediate project needs, preferences, and values. Engineering professionals from the U.S. and Kuwait were randomly assigned either the original version of Envision or the goal framed version. The results indicate that goal framing the credits about people and finances, not just the impact on the environment, increased participants motivation and encouraged them to set higher goals for sustainable performance, specifically among professionals who hold a pro-social paradigm of the world. These findings have relevance to those who design, use, and mandate the use of rating systems during the design and construction process of buildings and infrastructure.

This building is about the moment. It is about the moment when the image and the viewer begin a dialogue of existence. It is about the moment when a photographer and a model begin a relationship that is as intimate as that between a mother and child. It is about the creation of space to house those moments. It is about the creation of the image from light to negative to print to viewer. This building is about light. it is about the way light is framed. It is about the way photographs are records of light. It is about how humans see light and experience light and live in the light. It is about controlling and channeling the power of light. It is about harnessing the awesome power of light. This building is about growth. It is about a place from my past growing into an idea for the future. It is about my own growth as a person - physically, intellectually, and professionally. It is about the growth of a passion for photography and architecture in a way that I can share. / Master of Architecture

In social science, reality is too frequently conceived of from the point of view of European or American white men. I intend to examine the perceived realities and world-view of a marginalized oppressed group, the Rastafarians. The contemporary social movement literature focuses heavily on framing processes, how movement members portray their grievances to potential sympathizers. Reggae music is the most popular vehicle for the Rastafarians to disperse their world-view. This study explores how reggae music serves certain social movement functions for the Rastafarian movement. I seek to show that reggae music is indeed political and draws heavily from Rastafarian ideology. I will perform a content analysis of the lyrics of reggae music and identify the diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing used by the reggae artists. / Master of Science

This study examined framing in two Bulgarian television stations and their web sites. Framing within the web sites' news coverage of the United States was examined during the one-month period immediately following the 2008 United States presidential election. The news articles gathered from the two web sites were examined for amount of coverage, frame presence and valence, as well as hyperlinks, in order to offer insight into the fields of gatekeeping, framing, and corporate ownership bias. Suggestions of bias were found in terms of the overall tone of the articles but not in the amount of coverage. There was a significant difference between the two web sites in the tone of coverage concerning individuals and events. / Master of Arts

In late March 2005, three Romanian journalists were kidnapped by an obscure group of Iraqi militants near Baghdad. Several unusual details about the circumstances of the kidnapping prompted the Romanian media to investigate the speculation regarding the authenticity and motives of this high profile case. This thesis project extends framing theory to incorporate macro-level frames such as cynicism, speculation and metacommunication as dominant reporting styles in this evolving democracy. A systematic content analysis was performed on 255 news stories spanning 75 days from Evenimentul Zilei and Jurnalul National. Additionally, 2,941 of their subsequent online reader discussion posts were content analyzed using the same categories as the news stories to serve as a point of comparison between media reports and public discussion about this bizarre case. Results support evidence of generic media framing and extend the theory to demonstrate media's reliance on speculation and metacommunication as overarching reporting styles. Online deliberation between readers in this evolving democracy demonstrates difficulties in citizens' abilities to emerge from the spiral of cynicism characteristic of the post-communist Romania. While media establish the issues for public dialogue, they do not appear responsible for setting the tone. / Master of Arts

This thesis explores the framing of coordinative experience in collocated computer-mediated communication. It highlights the importance of low- level coordinative properties through multifaceted examination of the transcript of the first minute of a constructed coordinative situation. In efforts to truly understand the culture we are creating and invoking by adding computers to people's activities in groups, and life in general. A lab study was conducted using a computer program that allows one or more users to solve a Sudoku puzzle together, each on their own separate computer. This allowed for an investigation of what happens when people and technology are located in the same place. How do people construct their situation, in terms of who goes next, what do they do and what constitutes the behavior framing. / Master of Science

This study looks at the coverage of the mifepristone abortion drug legislation that took place during the summer of 2023. Using framing theory, a qualitative content analysis was performed using 91 articles from local newspapers in various states to determine what frames are used in the coverage, and if frames used in the coverage are different based on whether the paper is in a politically red, blue, or swing state. Then, the study examines how reproductive rights and gender are reflected in the coverage of abortion, which is generally considered a "women's issue," rather than a human rights issue. This study identified six overarching frames: business-as-usual, the new norm, limit our suffering, combative opposition, beacon of hope, and actions speak louder. I found that the overall political climate of the states seemed to affect frames more than their geographic region and that states with anti-abortion legislation had more coverage than states that did not. My findings highlight that reproductive rights are still not considered rights by a large percentage of the population, they are considered a political issue, and that more diverse voices are needed in newspaper coverage, especially when it comes to the politics sections.