Forskning visar på att arbetstillfredsställelse leder till ökad arbetsprestation och flera studier har visat att feedback samt autonomi predicerar arbetstillfredsställelse. Syftet med denna kvantitativa studie är därför att undersöka samvariationen mellan arbetstillfredsställelse, positiv feedback och autonomi. Studien genomfördes genom att distribuera en enkätundersökning via sociala medier. Enkäten innehöll totalt 36 items och var uppdelad i tre delar, arbetstillfredsställelse, feedback samt autonomi. Några demografiska frågor inledde enkäten. Totalt deltog 123 personer i studien. Mätinstrumenten som användes var Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire för att mäta arbetstillfredsställelse, för att mäta autonomi användes en dimension, bestående av sex items, från Barrick och Mount (1993) och slutligen användes Feedback Environment Scale (FES) för att mäta feedback. Resultatet visar på positiva samband mellan variablerna arbetstillfredsställelse, positiv feedback och autonomi, samt att feedback predicerar arbetstillfredsställelse bättre än autonomi. / Studies have shown that feedback as well as autonomy predicts job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study is therefore to investigate the correlation between job satisfaction, positive feedback and autonomy. The study was conducted by distributing a survey through social media. The survey contained a total of 36 items and was divided into three parts, job satisfaction, feedback and autonomy. Some demographic questions began the survey. A total of 123 people participated in the study. The measuring instruments used were the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire for measuring job satisfaction, for measuring autonomy, a dimension consisting of six items, from Barrick and Mount (1993), was used, and the Feedback Environment Scale (FES) was used to measure feedback. The result shows positive relationships between the job satisfaction, positive feedback and autonomy variables, and feedback predicts job satisfaction better than autonomy.

ESL writing teachers face the challenge of providing written feedback that is both effective and motivating to students. Thus, many end up making use of praise (or positive feedback) before offering criticism. Past research, however, has not put enough emphasis in how students receive praise. In fact, Hyland and Hyland’s (2001) article is one of the few and most recent works to focus on praise above other types of feedback. Yet, they have not accounted for the possibility of different types of praise as Kamins and Dweck (1999) have suggested. In our study, two types of praise (person and performance) have been considered as well as cultural background and L2 proficiency. An original survey was developed in order to analyze these three variants and understand how L2 learners perceive and attribute value to praise in written feedback. A total of 106 participants rated six different samples of praise based on how clear, helpful, valuable, encouraging to revision, kind, and motivating the comment of praise is. In the conclusion, praise type seems to be the most significant variant as participants showed preference to performance over person praise.

What do investors' searches for public information reveal about their subsequent trading strategies? Does their search for information support the hypothesis of market efficiency or does it lend support to the idea that investors have behavioral biases. Using Google Trends, we find that the volume of Google searches about feeder cattle is associated with re-enforcement of momentum trading in a manner consistent with a positive feedback mechanism. Further, we find evidence that search volume for "cattle" is associated with higher volatility and thus amplifies the positive feedback trading mechanism, while the search volume for "corn", a major input to cattle production, is associated with a reduction in volatility.

What do investors' searches for public information reveal about their subsequent trading strategies? Does their search for information support the hypothesis of market efficiency or does it lend support to the idea that investors have behavioral biases. Using Google Trends, we find that the volume of Google searches about feeder cattle is associated with re-enforcement of momentum trading in a manner consistent with a positive feedback mechanism. Further, we find evidence that search volume for "cattle" is associated with higher volatility and thus amplifies the positive feedback trading mechanism, while the search volume for "corn", a major input to cattle production, is associated with a reduction in volatility.

On the 24th of February 2022, interstate war on a scale unseen since World War II returned to Europe, causing devastating suffering and loss of human life. As of writing, Ukraine’s ability to demonstrate battlefield success is frequently cited as key to sustain Western political willpower to send military aid. This study aims to test presumptions of a positive feedback loop between military assistance and its successful implementation with a mixed-method approach. Regression models analyze time-series data tracking a year of 33 countries’ military aid commitments to Ukraine using random effects (RE) to control for unobserved, country-specific and varying mediating variables. Based on German aversiveness to military solutions, a least-likely case debate analysis analyzes three Bundestag debates to uncover lawmakers’ justifications for approving or rejecting military aid proposals. Applying a theory-generating analysis framework, battlefield successes are confirmed as recurring arguments used to enforce pro-aid narratives, but do not necessarily overcome factors constraining military aid commitments. The RE regression finds a statistically significant positive relationship between Ukrainian battlefield success and military aid commitments. This raises immense implications for Ukrainian decisionmakers, who may be compelled to prioritize short-term military gains to secure future Western support.

Uma das principais áreas de pesquisa em Biologia de Sistemas refere-se à descoberta de redes biológicas a partir de conjuntos de dados de microarrays. Estas redes consistem de um grande número de genes cujos níveis de expressão afetam os outros genes de vários modos. Nesta tese, apresenta-se uma nova maneira de analisar os conjuntos de dados de microarrays, com base nos diferentes tipos de ciclos encontrados entre os genes das redes de co-expressão construídas com dados quantificados obtidos a partir dos microarrays. A entrada do método de análise é formada pelos dados brutos, um conjunto de genes de interesse (por exemplo, genes de uma via conhecida) e uma função (ativador ou inibidor) destes genes. A saída do método é um conjunto de ciclos. Um ciclo é um caminho fechado com todos os vértices (exceto o primeiro e o último) distintos. Graças à nova forma de encontrar relações entre os genes, é possível uma interpretação mais robusta das correlações dos genes, porque os ciclos estão associados a mecanismos de feedback, que são muito comuns em redes biológicas. A hipótese é que feedbacks negativos permitem encontrar relações entre os genes que podem ajudar a explicar a estabilidade do processo regulatório dentro da célula. Ciclos de feedback positivo, por outro lado, podem mostrar a quantidade de desequilíbrio de uma determinada célula em um determinado momento. A análise baseada em ciclos permite identificar a relação estequiométrica entre os genes da rede. Esta metodologia proporciona uma melhor compreensão da biologia do tumor. Portanto, as principais contribuições desta tese são: (i) um novo método de análise baseada em ciclos; (ii) um novo método de classificação; (iii) e, finalmente, aplicação dos métodos e a obtenção de resultados práticos. A metodologia proposta foi utilizada para analisar os genes de quatro redes fortemente relacionadas com o câncer - apoptose, glicólise, ciclo celular e NF B - em tecidos do tipo mais agressivo de tumor cerebral (Gliobastoma multiforme - GBM) e em tecidos cerebrais saudáveis. A maioria dos pacientes com GBM morrem em menos de um ano, essencialmente nenhum paciente tem sobrevivência a longo prazo, por isso estes tumores têm atraído atenção significativa. Os principais resultados nesta tese mostram que a relação estequiométrica entre genes envolvidos na apoptose, glicólise, ciclo celular e NF B está desequilibrada em amostras de GBM em comparação as amostras de controle. Este desequilíbrio pode ser medido e explicado pela identificação de um percentual maior de ciclos positivos nas redes das primeiras amostras. Esta conclusão ajuda a entender mais sobre a biologia deste tipo de tumor. O método de classificação baseado no ciclo proposto obteve as mesmas métricas de desempenho como uma rede neural, um método clássico de classificação. No entanto, o método proposto tem uma vantagem significativa em relação às redes neurais. O método de classificação proposto não só classifica as amostras, fornecendo diagnóstico, mas também explica porque as amostras foram classificadas de uma certa maneira em termos dos mecanismos de feedback que estão presentes/ausentes. Desta forma, o método fornece dicas para bioquímicos sobre possíveis experiências laboratoriais, bem como sobre potenciais genes alvo de terapias. / One of the main research areas in Systems Biology concerns the discovery of biological networks from microarray datasets. These networks consist of a great number of genes whose expression levels affect each other in various ways. We present a new way of analyzing microarray datasets, based on the different kind of cycles found among genes of the co-expression networks constructed using quantized data obtained from the microarrays. The input of the analysis method is formed by raw data, a set of interest genes (for example, genes from a known pathway) and a function (activator or inhibitor) of these genes. The output of the method is a set of cycles. A cycle is a closed walk, in which all vertices (except the first and last) are distinct. Thanks to the new way of finding relations among genes, a more robust interpretation of gene correlations is possible, because cycles are associated with feedback mechanisms that are very common in biological networks. Our hypothesis is that negative feedbacks allow finding relations among genes that may help explaining the stability of the regulatory process within the cell. Positive feedback cycles, on the other hand, may show the amount of imbalance of a certain cell in a given time. The cycle-based analysis allows identifying the stoichiometric relationship between the genes of the network. This methodology provides a better understanding of the biology of tumors. As a consequence, it may enable the development of more effective treatment therapies. Furthermore, cycles help differentiate, measure and explain the phenomena identified in healthy and diseased tissues. Cycles may also be used as a new method for classification of samples of a microarray (cancer diagnosis). Compared to other classification methods, cycle-based classification provides a richer explanation of the proposed classification, that can give hints on the possible therapies. Therefore, the main contributions of this thesis are: (i) a new cycle-based analysis method; (ii) a new microarray samples classification method; (iii) and, finally, application and achievement of practical results. We use the proposed methodology to analyze the genes of four networks closely related with cancer - apoptosis, glucolysis, cell cycle and NF B - in tissues of the most aggressive type of brain tumor (Gliobastoma multiforme – GBM) and in healthy tissues. Because most patients with GBMs die in less than a year, and essentially no patient has long-term survival, these tumors have drawn significant attention. Our main results show that the stoichiometric relationship between genes involved in apoptosis, glucolysis, cell cycle and NF B pathways is unbalanced in GBM samples versus control samples. This dysregulation can be measured and explained by the identification of a higher percentage of positive cycles in these networks. This conclusion helps to understand more about the biology of this tumor type. The proposed cycle-based classification method achieved the same performance metrics as a neural network, a classical classification method. However, our method has a significant advantage with respect to neural networks. The proposed classification method not only classifies samples, providing diagnosis, but also explains why samples were classified in a certain way in terms of the feedback mechanisms that are present/absent. This way, the method provides hints to biochemists about possible laboratory experiments, as well as on potential drug target genes.

The purpose of this research is to understand the impacts of positive feedback from customers and managers and the extrinsic rewards and intrinsic rewards on job satisfaction. Furthermore, this research will examine how employees in the hospitality industry react to positive feedback and to explore whether this positive feedback has practical applications to help increase employee satisfaction. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, 339 valid surveys from respondents with experience working in the hospitality industry were returned. The results indicated that positive feedback from customers as well as summarized positive customer feedback delivered by managers have positive relationships with intrinsic reward, extrinsic reward, and job satisfaction. The findings suggested that positive feedback does influence employees’ Job satisfaction. And this study will provide suggestions on improving employees’ positive perception by applying positive feedback to increasing employees’ satisfaction and further development.

<p>Syftet med experimentet var att genom en beroende mätning undersöka om förnedrings-tv hade någon effekt på individers upplevda och självrapporterade empatiförmåga och sinnestämning. Vidare undersöktes också om det förelåg genusskillnader i empatiförmåga och sinnesstämning beroende på vilket filmgenus försökspersonerna fått se förnedras eller lovordas i filmsekvensen.</p><p>Undersökningen utfördes på 185 högskolestudenter med hjälp av enkät. Försökspersonerna fördelades över vilken typ av film de har sett. Filmeskvenserna delades in i fyra olika, där två var av positiv karaktär med filmgenus man och kvinna där filmpersonerna fick positiv feedback av en jury. Två var av negativ karaktär, med filmgenus man och kvinna där filmpersonerna fick förnedrande feedback av en jury. Detta tillsammans med försökspersonernas genus ger totalt åtta grupper att undersöka.</p><p>Resultatet visade att den totala empatin ökade när försökspersonerna fick se en kvinna få förnedrande feedback men minskade i de tre andra filmsekvenserna. Vidare ökade sinnesstämningarna glädje, skam och ilska efter att försökspersonerna såg filmsekvenserna med förnedring. En ökning i förvåning oavsett filmtyp uppmättes.</p>

Syftet med experimentet var att genom en beroende mätning undersöka om förnedrings-tv hade någon effekt på individers upplevda och självrapporterade empatiförmåga och sinnestämning. Vidare undersöktes också om det förelåg genusskillnader i empatiförmåga och sinnesstämning beroende på vilket filmgenus försökspersonerna fått se förnedras eller lovordas i filmsekvensen. Undersökningen utfördes på 185 högskolestudenter med hjälp av enkät. Försökspersonerna fördelades över vilken typ av film de har sett. Filmeskvenserna delades in i fyra olika, där två var av positiv karaktär med filmgenus man och kvinna där filmpersonerna fick positiv feedback av en jury. Två var av negativ karaktär, med filmgenus man och kvinna där filmpersonerna fick förnedrande feedback av en jury. Detta tillsammans med försökspersonernas genus ger totalt åtta grupper att undersöka. Resultatet visade att den totala empatin ökade när försökspersonerna fick se en kvinna få förnedrande feedback men minskade i de tre andra filmsekvenserna. Vidare ökade sinnesstämningarna glädje, skam och ilska efter att försökspersonerna såg filmsekvenserna med förnedring. En ökning i förvåning oavsett filmtyp uppmättes.

<p>This study deals with Swedish nuclear-energy politics from 1980 to 2006. The purpose is to trace and to explain change and stability in three political parties’ rhetoric concerning the phase-out of Swedish nuclear-energy and the Swedish government’s nuclear politics. Two hypotheses based on path dependency theory are tested to analyze if rhetoric and politics are developing in separate directions. The first hypothesis is based on the idea that earlier promises from the political parties affect what promises they can make later on. The second hypothesis is based on the idea that early investments in Swedish nuclear energy will affect what investments can be made at a later stage. The study shows that there are differences between the political parties’ promises and the government’s politics in the Swedish nuclear-energy debate. The two tested hypotheses seem to be possible explanations to why differences between party rhetoric and governmental politics have appeared. While party rhetoric is formed by a need to earn credibility by showing continuity in made promises, governmental politics is formed by a need to find practical solutions to welfare-, economic- and environmental problems.</p>