This thesis is a study of public spaces with a focus on personal safety and human behavior in public spaces. It establishes literature in the realm of public spaces, safety standards, and behavioral research and aims to identify common ground or conflicts between people behavior in public spaces and safety standards of public spaces. Research is supported through detailed on-site analysis and various techniques of behavioral research of two plazas in a campus setting. The first part of the research focuses on literature to understand origin of public space, importance of safety, and evolution of safety standards in the context of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). The later part of this thesis is based on preliminary site investigations, which help in identifying two public plazas on the Virginia Tech campus to provide a platform to conduct research and help identify common grounds or conflicts between safety standards and human behavior. The research also aims to help revise techniques of safety evaluation of public spaces, based on human needs and behavior. The research is primarily qualitative in nature supported with a concise quantitative data analysis to ascertain participant demographics and social needs. / Master of Landscape Architecture

This dissertation consists of three research papers in Applied Microeconomics. Each paper uses an econometric technique to analyze a problem related to human behavior. The first paper examines the separate effects of time and location of the School Breakfast Program on participation and consumption of breakfast by elementary school children in northern Nevada. Controlling for potential selection bias and unobserved individual fixed effects with a panel version of the Heckman sample selection model, it is shown that extra time allowed for breakfast leads to an approximately 20% increase in average participation, and the transition from cafeteria to classroom adds another 40% for the typical student. The second paper uses the Hedonic Property Valuation Method to quantify the willingness-to-pay of residents in the Dan River region for three dimensions of an improved food environment---availability, accessibility, and acceptability of food. This paper accounts for potential omitted variables issue in the hedonic analysis by applying a spatial-lag model, and finds an overall negative or null preference of residents in this region for an improved food environment. The third paper investigates the effects of characteristics of human interpreters and images on the accuracy of cloud interpretation for satellite images in an online experiment, using a fractional logit model. The results indicate that an image with higher cloud coverage and/or larger brightness is more likely to receive higher accuracy, and the more time spent on the image and more image completed are also beneficial for improving the accuracy. This paper also uses a logistic regression model to compare the performance of human interpreters to that of an automated algorithm, and finds that human interpreters outperform the automated algorithm for an average satellite image out of our twelve selected images. / Ph. D. / This dissertation consists of three research papers with each focusing on a problem related to human economic behavior. The first paper examines the separate effects of time and location of the School Breakfast Program on participation and consumption of breakfast by elementary school children in northern Nevada. The School Breakfast Program is a national food assistance program that provides subsidized breakfast to children from low-income families at participating institutions. It is shown that extra time allowed for breakfast leads to an approximately 20% increase in average participation, and the transition from cafeteria to classroom adds another 40% for the typical student. The second paper quantifies the preferences of residents in the Dan River region for three dimensions of an improved food environment—availability, accessibility, and acceptability of food. The results suggest an overall negative or null preference of residents in this region for an improved food environment. This is consistent with the focus group findings with local residents showing a desire for high fat and high energy-dense “comfort foods” and little social/cultural norms around healthful foods. The third paper investigates the effects of characteristics of human interpreters and images on the accuracy of cloud interpretation for satellite images in an online experiment. The results indicate that an image with higher cloud coverage and/or larger brightness is more likely to receive higher accuracy, and the more time spent on the image and more image completed are also beneficial for improving the accuracy. This paper also compares the performance of human interpreters to that of an automated algorithm, and finds that human interpreters outperform the automated algorithm for an average satellite image out of our twelve selected images.

This study used Michelson's (1976) Intersystems Congruence Model and Hall's (1966) theories of proxemic zones to guide in the investigation of illumination level's influence on proxemic behavior. This study attempted to determine potential influence of the effect of bright or dim lighting conditions on the personal space requirements within the behavioral setting of waiting/reception areas. Both a quantitative approach and qualitative approach were taken with this investigation. To control for various cultural, social, environmental and situational variables as possible, illuminated scale-models were constructed of three waiting/reception area scenarios and a homogenous sample of Americans participated in the study. Subjects interacted with these models by placing scale-figures within them, and answered a series of both quantitative and open-ended questions. Proxemic recordings of scale-figure placements were performed and statistically analyzed. The quantitative results showed that under general ambient bright and dim lighting conditions, there were no significant differences in personal space requirements in the waiting/receptions area behavioral setting. Thus, lighting does not appear to be a determining factor in achieving adequate personal space. The qualitative analysis agreed with these results, noting other factors as being more important, such as, the proximity to others, presence of tables (assuming they hold reading materials), and a view of the entire space. This phenomenon means ambient illumination level does not play a large role in determining proxemic distances between individuals in waiting area settings. / Master of Science

Researchers in marketing have concluded that behavior intentions are not a very good predictor of behavior. It has been suggested that unexpected situations may be causing much of the inconsistency between intentions and behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which unexpected situations affect behavior intention - behavior inconsistency. Fifty seven housholds from Tucson, Arizona were studied. For each household, information concerning intended consumption of fifteen foods and beverages was collected. This information included: attitudes toward the foods, social norm effects, past behavior, and intended consumption over the next seven days. In addition, the expectation of thirteen situations occurring and their expected influence on consumption was measured. Seven days later, the subjects were asked to report their actual consumption of the fifteen food products and the actual occurrence and influence of the thirteen situations. In addition to self-reports, garbage analysis was used to measure past behavior and consumption during the seven day experimental period. Correlation and regression analyses were used to assess the extent to which unexpected situations influenced the inconsistency in behavior. The results indicated that unexpected situations do explain some of the inconsistency between intentions and behavior. Unexpected situations explained an average (across products) of between 5.8% and 14.1%, and as much as 53.5% of the variance in behavior inconsistency. However, the influence of situational variables was quite different for each product. In addition, it was found that the amount of inconsistency explained by the situational variables. An interesting findings was that the simple unexpected occurrence or nonoccurrence of a situation also exlained behavior inconsistency, indicating subjective effects of situations are not required to explain behavior. These results have several important implications. First, objectively based measures of situations can be used to explain some types of consumer behavior. This makes situational variables much easier for managers to monitor and control. Situational variables were also found to have generalizable effects across individuals, again indicating that situational variables may be easier for managers to use than was previously supposed. Finally, this research indicates that it would be useful to include situational variables into behavior intentions models, especially when intentions and behavior are not closely related.

Yau, Sin Yee Christine. / "November 2010." / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-229). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledge --- p.iii / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Background: --- p.6 / What is Demeanor? --- p.6 / What is Resistance? --- p.8 / Who are they? --- p.9 / Chapter - --- Heunggongyahn --- p.9 / Chapter - --- Daaihlohkyahn --- p.10 / Chapter - --- Gwailou --- p.11 / Research Significance --- p.12 / Literature Review: --- p.13 / Demeanor: Cultural Knowledge --- p.14 / Demeanor: Embodiment and Presentation of Cultural Identities --- p.16 / Politicizing Demeanor: Struggling for Power and Conveying Messages --- p.17 / Hong Kong Identity: Its Shaping Process --- p.19 / Methodology: --- p.21 / Entering the Field: Daily Observation --- p.21 / Pilot Test --- p.22 / "In-depth, Semi-structured, and Structured Interviews" --- p.23 / Participant Observation --- p.24 / Organization of the Thesis --- p.25 / Informants' Details --- p.28 / Chapter 2. --- Heunggongyahn and Daaihlohkyahn --- p.30 / Introduction --- p.30 / "Pride: Certain Demeanor as ""Superior"" Prestige" --- p.31 / The Prestige in Not Disturbing Others --- p.32 / "The Prestige in Sitting ""Properly"": Preserving City's Image" --- p.34 / "The Prestige in Having Gungdaksam, Public Virtue" --- p.41 / The Prestige in Keeping some Distance from Strangers --- p.43 / The Prestige in Endurance and Keeping Quiet: Saving Face --- p.44 / "Prejudice: Certain Demeanor as ""Inferior"" Stigma" --- p.47 / The Stigma of Squatting --- p.48 / The Stigma of Public Excretion --- p.56 / The Stigma of Nose Picking --- p.62 / The Stigma of Spitting --- p.63 / Conclusion --- p.67 / Chapter 3. --- My Informants' Everyday Life --- p.69 / Introduction --- p.69 / "The Civilizing Process: Demeanor as a ""Linear Evolution""" --- p.70 / "Using Seat-Toilets ""Properly""" --- p.71 / Lining up --- p.76 / Demeanor as Capital --- p.81 / Cultural Capital --- p.81 / Symbolic Capital --- p.83 / Social Capital --- p.86 / "My Informants' Sense of ""Shame""" --- p.88 / """We are from Hong Kong""" --- p.89 / Cultural Identity is Presented: Conscious Performance --- p.92 / Cultural Identity is Embodied: the Practice of Eye Contacts --- p.98 / General Rule: Avoid Eye Contact --- p.98 / Complaints Conveyed: Be (睥)，Stare --- p.101 / Conclusion --- p.103 / Chapter 4. --- Hong Kong Cultural Identity --- p.105 / Introduction --- p.105 / Changing Relationships --- p.106 / Political Situation --- p.106 / Economic Situation --- p.113 / Social Situation --- p.118 / The Cultural Identity of Heunggongyahn --- p.123 / "Senses of ""Superiority"" and ""Inferiority"":" --- p.135 / Economic Differences --- p.136 / Levels of Corruption --- p.138 / Mass Media's Portrayals --- p.139 / Freedom and Rights --- p.140 / The Long Separation --- p.142 / "The ""Middle Class"" Mentality of Heunggongyahn" --- p.143 / The Return of Sovereignty: Double Colonization --- p.146 / "The Border in Our Heads: One Country, Two Castes" --- p.149 / Conclusion --- p.152 / Chapter 5. --- "Demeanor, Emotions and Resistance" --- p.154 / Introduction --- p.154 / Double/ Multiple Standards --- p.155 / Squatting Practiced by Non-Mainlanders --- p.155 / Nose Picking Practiced by Non-Mainlanders --- p.157 / Jumping the Queue Practiced by Non-Mainlanders --- p.159 / Complicated Emotions --- p.162 / Love --- p.163 / Anxiety --- p.165 / Hatred --- p.167 / Discontent --- p.168 / Demeanor as Social Marginalization: Mainlanders as Scapegoats --- p.170 / The Official Discrimination against Mainland Chinese --- p.170 / The Malignant Portrayal of Mainland Chinese --- p.172 / Vitriolic Criticisms towards Mainlanders --- p.174 / Consequence: Social Marginalization of Mainlanders --- p.177 / Fears and Concerns of Heunggongyahn: --- p.179 / 1949-1976 --- p.179 / After 1976 --- p.181 / "Identity, Emotions and Resistance" --- p.184 / "Demeanor as ""Weapons of the Weak""" --- p.187 / Demeanor as Symbolic Violence --- p.189 / Conclusion --- p.192 / Chapter 6. --- Conclusion --- p.194 / The Case of Hong Kong --- p.197 / """Mainlander"" as an Adjective" --- p.199 / "The ""Residue"" of Political Wants?" --- p.200 / Would the Repugnance Be Alleviated? --- p.201 / Power Struggle --- p.202 / Forms of Resistance --- p.203 / The Politics of Cultural Identity --- p.204 / Afterthoughts: The Reproduction of Cultural Identity --- p.205 / Appendix I --- p.207 / Appendix II --- p.208 / Glossary --- p.209 / Bibliography --- p.210

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One of the main challenges in the modeling and simulation community today is the study of human behavioral aspects, which are often not key considerations in traditional combat-oriented attrition-based models. In a martial law scenario, military or peacekeeping forces may be put in place to restore law and order and conduct a wide range of operations, such as setting up road blocks, imposing curfew, distributing food and manning checkpoints. This thesis focuses on the checkpoint operation and uses the agent-based modeling software PAX to assess the impacts of such a scenario on the population. Results indicate that civilians' level of anger and fear, needs and soldiers' rules of engagement play important roles in determining the success of peace support operations.

This study investigated adolescents' perception of parental behavior toward them and its relationship with sex, delinquency, and security. The subjects chosen for the study were sixty boys and sixty girls from eleventh grade English classes, and sixty boys and sixty girls from two institutions for juvenile delinquents. All subjects were white, they ranged in age from fifteen through eighteen years, and they had two living parents.

M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis. 1975. B.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / Bibliography: leaves 82-83. / B.S.