As online applications such as online newsgroups, internet game-rooms, online chat-rooms, and peer-to-peer (P2P) resources-sharing systems become popular, online community visualization became a hot research topic. Different forms and metaphors of visualizations focused on various aspects of online communities have been proposed. In this thesis, I propose one prototype of online community visualization which is designed to motivate user contributions in various aspects and stimulate users to participate in the online community more actively. The uneven participation is a well known problem in human society; according to the 80-20 rule, 20% of the people make 80% of contributions, for example, 20% of the employees in a company do 80% of the work. This problem exits in all kinds of online communities, e.g. newsgroups, chat-rooms, but it is particularly crucial for P2P online resources-sharing communities. Such communities do not have a central server and rely solely on the peers not just to provide contributions, but also to ensure the infrastructure. Large P2P file-sharing communities like KaZaA and Limewire can provide the redundancy of peers and resources needed to support the infrastructure and availability of resources. However, when an online community is small, for example, the students in a class, a research group, a department, or a school, the problem of lack of users it is hard to reach a critical mass of user participation, leading to poor service and resource availability, which reduces users interest in participating in the system. To attract users and motivate them to make more contributions into an online resources-sharing community, I propose to use motivational visualization of the community and the contributions of its members. The motivational effect of the visualization is grounded on two theories in social psychology which explain how individuals align their behaviour with each other and with their group (community). In this thesis, I discuss three stages in the design of the visualization and the subsequent redesigns following results from evaluation and user feedback.

As online applications such as online newsgroups, internet game-rooms, online chat-rooms, and peer-to-peer (P2P) resources-sharing systems become popular, online community visualization became a hot research topic. Different forms and metaphors of visualizations focused on various aspects of online communities have been proposed. In this thesis, I propose one prototype of online community visualization which is designed to motivate user contributions in various aspects and stimulate users to participate in the online community more actively. The uneven participation is a well known problem in human society; according to the 80-20 rule, 20% of the people make 80% of contributions, for example, 20% of the employees in a company do 80% of the work. This problem exits in all kinds of online communities, e.g. newsgroups, chat-rooms, but it is particularly crucial for P2P online resources-sharing communities. Such communities do not have a central server and rely solely on the peers not just to provide contributions, but also to ensure the infrastructure. Large P2P file-sharing communities like KaZaA and Limewire can provide the redundancy of peers and resources needed to support the infrastructure and availability of resources. However, when an online community is small, for example, the students in a class, a research group, a department, or a school, the problem of lack of users it is hard to reach a critical mass of user participation, leading to poor service and resource availability, which reduces users interest in participating in the system. To attract users and motivate them to make more contributions into an online resources-sharing community, I propose to use motivational visualization of the community and the contributions of its members. The motivational effect of the visualization is grounded on two theories in social psychology which explain how individuals align their behaviour with each other and with their group (community). In this thesis, I discuss three stages in the design of the visualization and the subsequent redesigns following results from evaluation and user feedback.

Organizational behavior literature has not typically viewed person-environment (PE) fit as an outcome of organizational change. Although organizations consider PE fit of their employees to be important to the success of both parties, the study of antecedents to individuals fit with their work environment has largely been restricted to the selection and socialization of newcomers. This study investigates effects of several change factors (e.g., the extent of change and how it was managed), as well as the cross-level interaction between the change factors and individual differences (e.g., motivational orientations) on PE fit of individuals who participated in various organizational changes. PE fit was evaluated along three dimensions (Person-Job, Person-Group, Person-Organization). Results show that change is a complex phenomenon and is best understood by interactions between the extent of change, characteristics of the change process, and differences in individuals motivational tendencies. Specifically, the study showed that the fairness of the change process was typically associated with PJ and PO fit, whereas management support for the change generally related to PJ and PG fit. In addition, limited support was found for hypothesized effects of motivational orientations. As expected, Mastery related positively with PE fit, while positive effects of Competitiveness (an externally cued Approach orientation) on PE fit depended on high levels of management support. Surprisingly, it was low Avoid individuals (not high) where the extent of change related negatively with aspects of PE fit. A discussion of the results, as well as limitations and implications of this study, is provided for consideration on future research in this area.

Ostracism arouses negative affect. However, little is known about variables that influence the intensity of these negative affective responses. Two studies seek to fill this void by incorporating work on approach- and withdrawal-related emotional states and their associated cortical activations. Study 1 found that following ostracism, anger related directly to relative left frontal cortical activation. Study 2 used unilateral hand contractions to manipulate frontal cortical activity prior to an ostracizing event. Righthand contractions, compared to left-hand contractions, caused greater relative left frontal cortical activation during the hand contractions as well as during ostracism. Also, righthand contractions caused more self-reported anger in response to being ostracized. Within-condition correlations revealed patterns of associations between ostracisminduced frontal asymmetry and emotive responses to ostracism consistent with Study 1. Taken together, these results suggest that asymmetrical frontal cortical activity affects angry responses to ostracism, with greater relative left frontal cortical activity being associated with increased anger.

Reducing high lost ratio of voluntary interpreters can save cost of recruiting and retraining for Taroko National Park¡¦s headquarters. The subjects of the study are the 114 voluntary interpreters in Taroko National Park. The methodologies applied here are, questionnaire and observation. The purpose of the study is to understand the relationship between the motivation of the voluntary interpreters and the job satisfaction of the voluntary interpreters to salve the problem of high lost ratio of voluntary interpreters. The findings of the study are as follows: 1.the motivation is mainly "self-growth". 2.the motivation will be changed with personal character and time passing by. 3. the factors influencing the voluntary interpreters¡¦ job satisfaction are "show loving care and support", "communication and co-operation", "responsibility and training". These factors will effect total satisfaction of voluntary interpreters. According to the findings of the study, proposes the headquarters of Taroko National Park how to provide relative courses, rich the content of work, and pay close attention for voluntary interpreters.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2009. / Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until December 1, 2011. Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Eating disorders are defined by a complex interaction between emotional, cognitive and interpersonal challenges in addition to behaviours used to control weight or shape. One of the major challenges with the treatment of eating disorders is ambivalence, low motivation to engage in treatment, and a high treatment dropout rate. Motivational Interviewing is a therapeutic style that elicits intrinsic motivation from within the patient to drive behaviour change. The current study provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of the two pretreatment group motivation interventions delivered by the South Island Eating Disorder Service. Significant changes in motivational stage of change were observed in both the Motivation and Education Group and the pure Motivation Group. Significant improvements in patient readiness, confidence and importance to change as well as treatment attendance were identified in the pure Motivation Group. Recommendations for future treatment development are presented.

The efficacy of Motivational Interviewing (MI), like other evidence-based counselling interventions, relies on the skills of the practitioner. Therefore, it is imperative that such practitioners receive sufficient training in order to successfully implement the method. Hence, it is important to ensure a given training programme has been effective through the use of reliable and valid measures of knowledge and skill acquisition. The Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity code (MITI) is one such measure of MI skill attainment; however its use is labour intensive and requires the submission of in-session trainee audio recordings. Other measures of MI skill or knowledge also exist which may be more practical for evaluating training programmes. However, these measures are under researched and are therefore rarely utilised across the MI training literature. The present research is an investigation of the psychometric properties of the Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test (MIKAT), a test of MI knowledge and attitudes, and the Video Assessment of Simulated Encounters–Revised (VASE-R), a test of MI skill attainment through the use of video to simulate encounters with clients. The measures were administered during a training programme for staff of Child Youth and Family services (CYFs) New Zealand. The results suggest that the MIKAT and VASE-R are sensitive to the effects of training. However, it appeared both measures require refinement and possibly restructuring to make them more consistent with the most recent MI developments.

Populations in developed and developing countries are becoming increasingly sedentary and the adverse health effects of relatively sedentary lifestyles, the so called lifestyle diseases, are now obvious. However, moderately vigorous physical activity is positively linked via a cause-and-effect relationship with a range of improved health outcomes. Broadly, current physical activity recommendations suggest that adults should achieve a total of at least 30 minutes a day of at least moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week; however, estimates suggest that the majority of adults in the Western World do not meet these recommendations. Many of the factors involved in the initiation and long-term maintenance of physical activity are not fully understood. Considering the rapid pace of technological development and the general move away from labour-based economies, it does appear that the required level of physical activity necessary for optimal health needs to come from leisure-time activity– specifically, planned, regular, moderately vigorous exercise and/or sport. Unfortunately, many people experience great difficulty in engaging with and maintaining a physically active lifestyle and typically there is a rather large gap between what people know to be healthy and what they actually do. The general aim of this project was to design, implement and evaluate the clinical, social and behavioural effectiveness of a buddy-Motivational Interviewing intervention (buddy-MI) in assisting relatively sedentary adults to adopt and maintain regular physical activity for the purpose of improving their cardio-respiratory fitness, health, and quality of life. Specific aims of the intervention included formally involving social support (via the self-selected motivational-buddy) and strengthening individuals’ motivation for and movement toward their physical activity goals. The experimental intervention specifically aimed to extend the MI treatment effect by enhancing participants’ commitment to physical activity over time via intra-treatment social support (support provided within treatment sessions) as well as extra-treatment social support (day-to-day support) provided by the motivational-buddy. A fundamental was to deliver the intervention in a format that could realistically be implemented within typical primary care settings, workplaces, schools or other similar setting: to work towards healthier more active communities and to potentially reduce health system resource utilisation. Using a repeated-measures pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, relatively sedentary adolescents and adults, in stable health, recruited from a university campus population were allocated to one of two interventions. In the experimental intervention, participants were supported by a self-selected motivational-buddy and they received 2-4 sessions of buddy-MI over a period of 12-months (participant determined schedule) as well as pro-active follow-up emails. The control intervention was standard care MI, and the same email follow-up as in the experimental group but without the additional support of a motivational-buddy. The main outcomes were self-reported physical activity, cardio-respiratory fitness and health related quality of life. These primary outcomes were measured at four time-points over the 12-months intervention and follow-up period and quantitative methods were used to analyse the data. Qualitative data were also analysed and presented in relation to the motivational-buddy component of the intervention. The study evaluated the feasibility and incremental effectiveness of motivational-buddy support compared to one-on-one MI in people who had expressed an interest in becoming more physically active. It used a novel intervention design incorporating self-selected motivational-buddies in an effort to mitigate the twin problems of poor adherence and behavioural regression that are commonly associated with physical activity promotion programmes. The intervention was found to have merit and the potential implications for the health-care system, and the wider community, are discussed.

Doctor of Clinical Psychology / Master of Science / Despite a number of different psychotherapeutic approaches having been examined for use with patients with eating disorders, there is still no established psychological treatment associated with acceptable levels of long-term recovery. These poor recovery rates are associated with the observation that eating disorder patients are often ambivalent, or even resistant, to treatment. As such, research has begun to explore the use of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), a treatment approach that aims to engage ambivalent and change resistant patients in the treatment process, with these individuals. Poor motivation to recover is particularly prominent within the inpatient eating disorder setting. However, no previous study has examined the use of MET to foster willingness to engage in treatment with this group of patients. The objectives of the current study were twofold. Firstly, an examination of the effectiveness of an inpatient eating disorders unit affiliated was undertaken in order to further the research base upon which future inpatient interventions can be built and compared. The second objective was to develop and evaluate a brief MET group program for inpatient eating disorder sufferers. The goal of the intervention was to enhance patients’ motivation to more effectively utilise the inpatient program and to hence positively impact upon their psychological, physical and behavioural functioning. Forty-two consecutive inpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for an eating disorder were recruited into the current study and sequentially allocated to groups. Twenty-three inpatients completed four MET groups in addition to routine hospital care. A control group of 19 participants in the standard hospital treatment program was also employed (TAU group). The inpatient unit was associated with significant improvements on a number of physical, behavioural and emotional outcome measures. Despite no significant differences between the MET and the TAU groups being found on the overall formal outcome measures, there were nevertheless differences between the groups. Specifically, the MET groups appeared to foster longer-term motivation and engagement, and to promote treatment continuation. This study hopes to start a constructive debate on the role of MET in the inpatient eating disorders unit.