Why did a gradualist transition approach achieve different performances among socialist economies in the 1980s? Why did some socialist economies never try a gradualist approach to economic liberalization? This paper develops a model to show that the liberalization of a socialist economy has two opposite effects on the rent captured by government. The initial economic condition determines the relative strength of the two effects, and consequently the transition path and performance. In addition, a gradualist reform strategy adopted by a rent-seeking government cannot finish the transition toward a complete market economy. To achieve that goal, a new constitutional order and the rule of law are necessary.

Research in the area of feedback seeking behaviors (Ashford & Cummings, 1983) has failed to examine the impact of a supervisor's feedback style on a subordinate's subsequent feedback seeking. This is an important area for investigation due to the positive relationship between feedback seeking and performance. Deci and Ryan's cognitive evaluation theory suggests that intrinsic motivation may be an important mediator between feedback style and FSB in that feedback style impacts an individuals desire for mastery of his or her environment which is related to feedback seeking in Ashford and Cumming's model. It is hypothesized that a controlling, in contrast to an informational, feedback style will decrease feedback seeking. It was found that feedback style, while it did impact intrinsic motivation, did not have an effect on feedback seeking behaviors. The valence of the feedback also impacted intrinsic motivation but only had a marginally significant effect on feedback seeking from the experimenter and no effect on feedback seeking from the task itself. Feedback style and valence did not interact to effect level of intrinsic motivation or FSB. In only one case, the effect of feedback valence on feedback seeking from the experimenter, did it appear that intrinsic motivation acted as a mediator. Possible explanations for the results are discussed, including the nature of the task itself. / Master of Science

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No description available.

No description available.

Large classes are becoming inevitable at large research Universities. The sociology department at Virginia Tech University routinely offers a course with approximately 600 students. Each year approximately a sixth of those students fail the first exam. To increase the performance of at-risk students a mentoring program was created, but many did not participate. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that contribute to at-risk students choosing not to take advantage of the academic mentoring program offered in their class. A survey was received from sixty-eight students who failed the first exam, in which only thirty-seven students participated in the tutorial program. The analysis will focus on eight domains and nineteen hypotheses that might be associated with help seeking. The domains are: classroom behavior; students' self-perception; classroom practices and institutional policies; general perceptions of help seeking; history with mentors; time commitment; college demographics; and respondent demographics. Some of the major findings suggest that students' self perception; time commitment; and college demographics are related to help seeking. Findings related to the classroom practices suggest that some students do feel that the different options (withdrawal rule, dropping the course, and dropping the lowest exam grade) led to their non-enrollment in the mentoring program. / Master of Science

Einleitung: Das Persönlichkeitsmerkmal Sensation Seeking (SS) zeichnet sich durch die Suche nach Spannung, Abwechslung und neuen Erlebnissen sowie der Vermeidung von Langeweile aus. In der Literatur wird diskutiert, dass sich unterschiedlich starke Ausprägungen darin auf einem individuellen optimalen Erregungsniveau begründen, das ständig angestrebt wird. Die körperliche Betätigung dient dabei als Möglichkeit, dieses Niveau zu erreichen. Ziel dieser Studie war die Untersuchung des Zusammenhangs zwischen SS und dem körperlichen Aktivitätslevel, welches mit einem Aktometer gemessen wurde. Methoden: Es wurden 51 körperlich und psychisch gesunde Probanden im Alter von 18 bis 59 Jahren untersucht. Zur Erfassung des Traits SS wurde das Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS) eingesetzt, welches keinerlei sport- bzw. aktivitätsspezifische Items beinhaltet und in die Subskalen Intensität und Neuigkeit unterteilt ist. Als objektives Maß der körperlichen Aktivität wurde der gesamte und aktive Energieumsatz benutzt, der anhand des Aktometers SenseWear PRO2 der Firma BodyMedia gemessen wurde und in Kalorien angegeben wird. Zur Berechnung des Zusammenhangs zwischen SS und körperlicher Aktivität wurden sowohl bivariate als auch partielle Korrelationen verwendet, wobei bei letzterem der BMI als Kontrollvariable diente. Zur Berechnung der AISS-Scores kamen für Alter und Geschlecht normierte T-Werte zum Einsatz. Ergebnisse: Signifikante Werte fanden sich bei beiden Korrelationsanalysen zwischen dem gesamten Energieumsatz und der Gesamtskala des AISS (partiell: r = 0,279; p < 0,05) sowie der Subskala Intensität (partiell: r = 0,363; p < 0,009). Der aktive Energieumsatz zeigte keinen signifikanten Zusammenhang zu SS. Diskussion: Die Ergebnisse stimmen mit den Aussagen vorangegangener Studien überein, die bereits Zusammenhänge zwischen SS und sportlicher Aktivität berichteten. SS scheint also nicht nur mit riskanten Sportarten assoziiert zu sein, sondern vielmehr mit einem generell erhöhten Aktivitätsniveau. Dieser Zusammenhang zeigt sich in der vorliegenden Studie vor allem im niedrigeren Aktivitätsbereich und deutet daher auf eine erhöhte Grundaktivität hin. Es konnte weiterhin gezeigt werden, dass der Zusammenhang nicht auf die Verwendung sport- bzw. aktivitätsspezifischer Items in den Fragebögen zurückzuführen ist. Kritisch anzumerken sei der geringe Stichprobenumfang der Studie von N = 51. Der Vorteil dieser Studie ist die in der SS-Forschung erstmalige Verwendung eines Aktometers zur Erhebung objektiver Aktivitätswerte.

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No description available.

The focus of the thesis is on how school leavers deal with the flood of information, advice and expectations that are directed towards them at a structurally induced turning point in their lives. With a departure point in Giddens’ claim that people select and interpret information on their own terms as a means of preserving coherent narratives of self-identity, stories of information seeking were examined as a means of gaining insight into how young people living in late modernity face its tensions and dilemmas in the ways in which they seek and use information. The theoretical framework of the study draws on Schutz’ ideas concerning the lifeworld and the social distribution of knowledge, on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus as well as on Giddens’ conceptualisation of the forming of self-identity in late modernity.The study is based on qualitative research interviews with twenty one school leavers during their last year at school and on a minor discourse oriented study of a selection of the information produced by major actors in the careers guidance system. Empirically, accounts of young people’s experiences of their information related activities in relation to study and occupational choice were examined using phenomenological narrative analysis. These accounts were set in relation to discourses in Swedish society concerning work and education.Four approaches to information seeking emerged from participants’ accounts: 1) They use information seeking as a tool in making connections between educational interests and the future labour market 2) They use information seeking both as a tool in finding pathways to occupations and as a means of orienting within an occupational domain 3) Study and career information seeking is put ‘on hold’, and information seeking is associated with planning extended transitions, and 4) Study and career information seeking is avoided as potentially threatening or as meaningless. By considering how approaches are related to the ‘new career’ discourse that comes to expression in study and career related information the study gives insights into the meaning of information for, and of its accessibility to, young people. A greater focus on the development of an information literacy is suggested as a means of better supporting young people in the process of making study and career decisions. / Akademisk avhandling som med tillstånd av samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten vid Göteborgs universitet för vinnande av doktorsexamen framläggs till offentlig granskning kl. 13.00 fredagen den 5 juni 2009 i sal M404, Högskolan i Borås.