Natural language is characterised by enormous linguistic variation (e.g., Fetzer (2003)). Such variation is not random, but is determined by a number of contextual factors. These factors encapsulate the socio-cultural conventions of a speech community and dictate the socially acceptable, i.e. polite, use of language. Producing polite language may not always be a trivial task. The ability to assess a situation with respect to a hearer’s social, cultural or emotional needs constitutes a crucial facet of a speaker’s social and linguistic competence. It is surprising then that it is also a facet which, to date, has received very little attention from researchers in the natural language generation community. Linguistic variation occurs in all linguistic sub-domains including the language of education (Person et al., 1995). Thanks to being relatively more constrained (and hence more predictable with respect to its intentional aspects than normal conversations), teachers’ language is taken in this thesis as a starting point for building a formal, computational model of language generation based on the theory of linguistic politeness. To date, the most formalised theory of linguistic politeness is that by Brown and Levinson (1987), in which face constitutes the central notion. With its two dimensions of Autonomy and Approval, face can be used to characterise different linguistic choices available to speakers in a systematic way. In this thesis, the basic idea of face is applied in the analysis of teachers’ corrective responses produced in real one-to-one and classroom dialogues, and it is redefined to suit the educational context. A computational model of selecting corrective responses is developed which demonstrates how the two dimensions of face can be derived from a situation and how they can be used to classify the many linguistic choices available to teachers. The model is fully implemented using a combination of naive Bayesian Networks and Case-Based Reasoning techniques. The evaluation of the model confirms the validity of the model, by demonstrating that politeness-based natural language generation in the context of teachers’ corrective responses can be used to model linguistic variation and that the resulting language is not singnificantly different from that produced by a human in identical situations.

The IEEE 802.16-2004 wireless standard is a robust, wireless, longhaul solution for connecting remotely located, forward operating bases. Proof of concept for this capability is the NPS OFDM testbed for the research and support of the communications and collaborative processes between tactical operators within a wireless network. This thesis will attempt to develop strategies for implementing network management, establish a performance baseline for the NPS testbed and define the acceptable metrics for QoS. Field experimentation scenarios, network performance management tools and modeling tools are the techniques that we are using to assess the operation of 802.16 NPS testbed for its quality requirements. A baseline is conducted to record the state of the network operation and investigate the operational guidelines and conditions for the network to support collaborative applications. The baseline provides good organization, status monitoring and planning capabilities that will help in troubleshooting future failures. Using OPNET Modeler ACE we examine the network traffic flow and diagnose performance issues for critical applications. Finally, we develop appropriate policies to fine-tune network behavior within a holistic ad hoc collaborative environment.

This was a study of the relationship of situational anxiety to vocal solo performances of college freshmen voice students.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2007.

This study explored the relationships among high school students‘ general interests, reading interests, and personality dimensions. Two hundred and fifty one 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students in a rural school district in east central Texas completed three questionnaires. General interests were determined by the Strong Interest Explorer, personality dimensions were determined by the Big Five Inventory, and book reading interests were determined by the Reading Interest Rating Scale. The reading interest scores were adjusted for reading ability based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) English/Language Arts scale scores. A factor analysis including six general interest variables, five personality variables, and four reading interest variables was conducted. The analysis yielded five factors. Factor 1 had the highest loadings from Holland‘s general interest types. Factor 2 was dominated by the book categories (Contemporary Fiction, Fact-based Literature, Poetry, and Modern Fantasy). Factors 3, 4, and 5 had the highest loadings from the personality dimensions. Factor 3 included Openness, Factor 4 included Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, and Factor 5 included Extraversion. Factor 3, which accounted for 11.67% of the variance, was the only factor where a personality variable (Openness), a general interest variable (Artistic), and a reading interest variable (Modern Fantasy) loaded moderately to highly together. In this particular case alone, teachers may help students select materials that match their personal needs and personalities (Lau & Cheung, 1988) by recommending texts in the modern fantasy genre to those who exhibit openness and value artistic expression. With the exception of Openness, none of the Big Five Personality Dimensions loaded with a book category. There was also only one strong book category and general interest loading. Reading interests appear to be exclusive of general life interests and personality dimensions. Based on the findings, it appears that text-based situational interest is evoked by topics or ideas that are universally appealing (Hidi & Anderson, 1992). Since text-based interest can be controlled by teachers to some degree (Krapp, Hidi, & Renninger, 1992; Schraw, Flowerday, & Lehman, 2001), promoting student independence and choice should broaden students‘ interests and help increase intrinsic motivation to read (Deci, 1992).

<p>Enterprise Modelling (EM) tools are an important part ofevery EM application project. Continuous evolution of modellingmethods therefore requires efficient EM tool support. Extensiveefforts have been devoted to developing new EM tools andmodelling techniques. Considerably less attention has been paidto the aspects of acquiring and introducing EM tools inorganisations. Our grounded theory study shows that thisprocess is far from simple. It is determined by theorganisation's intentions regarding EM and by the situation inthe EM user organisation. As a contribution to this, we presentan EM tool acquisition process, which focuses on selecting anappropriate EM tool acquisition scenario for an organisation.This process has the following stages - assessing theorganisation, choosing an EM tool acquisition strategy, andfollowing the EM tool acquisition strategy. We support theprocess of evaluating the situation at hand by providingguidelines for assessing intentional and situational factorsthat influence the use of EM tools.</p><p>We also outline EM itself, along with its applicationprocess, and describe possible sources for gathering therequirements for an EM tool-set. Major requirements categoriesare discussed and analysed with respect to the goals andproblems regarding EM tools. Each category of requirements canbe satisfied to a certain degree, depending on theorganisational needs and various situational factors.</p><p>This grounded theory study provides two main contributions.Firstly, it proposes a systematic approach for EM toolacquisition supported by a set of guidelines.The approachenables an organisation to assess its needs of EM tools and itsown appropriateness for EM tool usage. As a result, an EM userorganisation is able to choose an EM tool acquisition strategythat meets the situation it faces. This is a contribution tothe overall success of practical use of EM methods and tools.Secondly, it provides an important baseline for future researchand theory building within the area of EM tool adoption andapplication. It also gives valuable information andrequirements for development of new EM tools and relatedservices.</p>

Thesis (M.S. in Modeling, Virtual Environments, and Simulation (MOVES)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2009. / "June 2009." Thesis advisor: William Becker. Performed by Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.; sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, VIRTE Program. "Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Modeling, Virtual Environments, and Simulation (MOVES) from the Naval Postgraduate School, June 2009."--P. iii. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Dudley Knox Library Web site and the DTIC Online Web site.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-61).

This study examined the influence of mass media on students' perceptions of terrorism by applying the situational theory of publics (Grunig & Hunt, 1984). Behavior is the consequence of perception of reality. But perception of reality is not always consistent with the reality itself. Because of the important role of the media in shaping perceptions, terrorist organizations rely on it to spread fear and advance their political goals beyond the people directly affected by their attacks. The media not only spreads the news of an attack, it contributes significantly to formulating and disseminating the message of terrorist organizations. This study explores University of South Florida (USF) students' perceptions of terrorism, and the role of mass media in shaping such perceptions. It also examines assumptions, asks pertinent questions, and seeks answers by conducting a survey of college students. The findings of this study support the basic premise of the situational theory of publics and contribute to better understanding of how media influences perceptions of terrorism. The findings of this study and future studies on the same subject might be used to better educate students, and inform communication professionals about methods to increase awareness about the U.S. position on terrorism.