The purpose of this research was to investigate certain value orientations of adult women of low socio-economic status in Dallas, Texas. Central to the approach to values relied upon in this research project was a concern for cultural integration and change. Of interest was a partial description of the degree of cultural integration and an partial description of strains that exist within the social systems under analysis: a group of 50 Negro women and a group of 50 white women.

The purpose of this study was to determine the criteria used by foundation directors in assessing the effectiveness of contribution programs in company sponsored foundations. Quinn and Rohrbaugh's Competing Values Approach of organizational effectiveness was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The Competing Values Approach is an integrative effectiveness model which clusters eight criteria of effectiveness into four theoretical models of organizational effectiveness.

This study is concerned with the assessment of the values held by elementary and secondary teachers. The values measured are those which underlie the American democratic culture. In addition, the effects of intelligence, temperament and sex upon the subject's system of values, will be ascertained. The values measured in this study are the traditional concepts of American democracy and are embodied in the Constitution. The following phrases illustrate these concepts: Belief in human rights; Freedom of choice; Equality of opportunity; Respect for the individual; Individual initiative as opposed to the status quo; Flexibility--the ability to adapt to permit further development in the light of new discoveries; Belief in law; Sovereignty of people; Allowance of differing attitudes and philosophies.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Un mot de données (resp. un arbre de données) est un mot (resp. arbre) fini, dont chaque position est étiquetée avec une lettre d'un alphabet fini et une donnée d'un domaine infini. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions des automates et des logiques sur des mots et des arbres de données ayant des propriétés décidables: nous nous concentrons sur le problème du test du vide dans le cas des automates, et sur le problème de la satisfaisabilité dans le cas des logiques. Sur les mots de données, nous présentons une extension décidable du modèle d'automate alternant avec registre étudié par Demri et Lazic. En outre, nous montrons la décidabilité du problème de satisfaisabilité pour la logique du temps linéaire sur les mots de données LTL(X,F,U) (étudié par Demri et Lazic) étendue avec une quantification sur des données. Nous montrons aussi que la borne inférieure de non-récursivité primitive montré par Demri et Lazic pour LTL(X,F) est déjà valable pour LTL(F). Sur les arbres de données, nous considérons trois modèles décidables d'automates avec des caractéristiques différentes. Nous commençons par introduire l'automate avec donnée ``downward'' (automates DD). Son exécution consiste en une transduction ré-étiquetant la partie finie de l'étiquetage de l'arbre, et une vérification des propriétés des données de chaque sous-arbre de l'arbre résultant de la transduction. Ce modèle est clos par les opérations booléennes, mais les tests autorisés sur l'ordre des noeuds ayant le même père sont très limités. Son problème du vide est dans 2ExpTime. Au contraire, les deux autres modèles d'automates que nous introduisons ont un problème du vide avec une complexité non récursive primitive, et sont clos par intersection et union, mais par par complémentation. Ils ont tous les deux un contrôle alternant ainsi qu'un registre pour stocker et comparer les données. La classe des automates ATRA(guess,spread) généralise le modèle d'automate top-down ATRA de Jurdzinski et Lazic. Nous introduisons des extensions décidables similaires à celles que nous avons étudiées dans le cas de mots de données. Cette classe d'automates généralise la notion de langage rationnel d'arbre, ---contrairement aux automates DD. Enfin, nous considérons un modèle d'automate bottom-up avec un contrôle alternant et un registre (appelé BUDA). Bien que les BUDA soient bottom-up, ils peuvent tester des propriétés sur les données en navigant dans l'arbre dans les deux directions: vers le haut et vers le bas. Au contraire de ATRA(guess,spread), ce modèle d'automate ne peut pas tester de propriétés sur la séquence des noeuds ayant le même père (comme, par exemple, l'ordre dans lequel apparaissent leurs étiquettes). Ces trois modèles d'automates ont des liens avec la logique XPath---une logique conçue pour les documents XML, qui peuvent être vus comme des arbres de données. En utilisant les automates que nous avons mentionnés ci-dessus, nous montrons que la satisfaisabilité de trois fragments naturels de XPath sont décidables. Ces fragments sont: downward XPath, où la navigation ne peut se faire que via les axes child et descendant- forward XPath, où la navigation permet également les axes next sibling ainsi que sa clôture transitive, et vertical XPath, dont la navigation est limitée aux axes child, descendant, parent et ancestor. Alors que downward XPath est ExpTime-complet, les fragments forward et vertical de XPath ont une borne inférieure de non-récursivité primitive. / A data word (resp. a data tree) is a &#64257-nite word (resp. tree) whose every position carries a letter from a &#64257-nite alphabet and a datum form an in&#64257-nite domain. In this thesis we investigate automata and logics for data words and data trees with decidable reasoning problems: we focus on the emptiness problem in the case of automata, and the satis&#64257-ability problem in the case of logics. On data words, we present a decidable extension of the model of alternating register automata studied by Demri and Lazi´c. Further, we show the decidability of the satis&#64257-ability problem for the linear-time temporal logic on data words LTL_\downarrow (X, F, U) (studied by Demri and Lazi´c) with quanti&#64257-cation over data values. We also prove that the lower bounds of non-primitive recursiveness shown by Demri and Lazi´c for LTL&#8595- (X, F) carry over to LTL&#8595- (F). On data trees, we consider three decidable automata models with di&#64256-erent characteristics. We &#64257-rst introduce the Downward Data automaton (DD automata). Its execution consists in a transduction of the &#64257-nite labeling of the tree, and a veri&#64257-cation of data properties for every subtree of the transduced tree. This model is closed under boolean operations, but the tests it can make on the order of the siblings is very limited. Its emptiness problem is 2ExpTime. On the contrary, the other two automata models we introduce have an emptiness problem with a non-primitive recursive complexity, and are closed under intersection and union, but not complementation. They are both alternating automata with one register to store and compare data values. The automata class ATRA(guess, spread) extends the top-down automata ATRA of Jurdzinski and Lazic. We exhibit similar decidable extensions as the one showed in the case of data words. This class can test for any tree regular language—in contrast to DD automata. Finally, we consider a bottom-up alternating tree automaton with one register (called BUDA). Although the BUDA class is one-way, it has features that allow to test data properties by navigating the tree in both directions: upward and downward. In opposition to ATRA(guess, spread), this automaton cannot test for properties on the the sequence of siblings (like, for example, the order in which labels appear). All these three models have connections with the logic XPath—a logic conceived for xml documents, which can be seen as data trees. Through the aforementioned automata we show that the satis&#64257-ability of three natural fragments of XPath are decidable. These fragments are: downward XPath, where navigation can only be done by child and descendant axes- forward XPath, where navigation also contains the next sibling axis and its transitive closure- and vertical XPath, whose navigation consists in the child, descendant, parent and ancestor axes. Whereas downward XPath is ExpTime-complete, forward and vertical XPath have non-primitive recursive lower bounds.

This thesis deals with values in fairy tale movies. Its aim is to explore the possibilities of tracking values in fairy tale movies, because fairy tales serve as an important source of values for a child in the process of socialization. The theoretical part presents basic concepts of values, approaches to film research from a psychological point of view and observes the importance of fairy tales for a child. These topics are connected by socialization of a child and the role of media in adopting of values. Original research consists of content analysis of selected sample of Czech and Czechoslovak fairy tale movies. Certain characteristics, on which we can think about the values expressed in selected movies, are described. The research results indicate a trend of decreasing amount of contained values in fairy tale movies over time. Qualitative analysis examines various tales and describes value characteristics of particular characters in selected movies. Diploma project represents a contribution to the psychology of media and embraces media research as an important part of the socialization process.

There were two purposes set out in this study, first to identify the principal associations with educational performance of Scottish students as reported in the 2007 wave of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS2007), and second to evaluate methods of data analysis where sample surveys use plausible value (PV) methodology. Four sets of data were used for the secondary analysis of TIMSS2007, with student's responses to cognitive items and questionnaire data emanating from two stages (G$ and G*) that each addressed two disciplines (mathematics and science). Explanatory models for each stage and discipline were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling techniques to accommodate the cluster sample design of the survey. Guided by existing literature in STEM education the study examined elements of students' learning experiences that fell within a social constructivist theory of learning to ascertain whether the empirical data supported current claims on effective practice. A number of control variables were included in the analyses, some well-established constructs and others derived from background questionnaires. Overall, the results showed that selected background characteristics were consistently related to mathematics and science achievement. The strength of association with home resources, and although girls were generally associated with lower achievement scores, that gender association was strongest in G4 mathematics achievement. The findings suggest there is limited support for current claims in respect of a reform agenda that privileges discussion and collaborative group work. Other policy initiatives on assessment for learning and using technologies in class are not supported in the data, with either no evidence of association or a significant negative effect in the models of mathematics and science achievement. Aspects of practical work and scientific enquiry are positively associated with G4 science achievement, with particular credence given to 'doing' and 'watching' experiments or investigations, buy there is no association with achievement scores at G8 for any of planning, watching or conducting experiments. This latter finding provides empirical evidence of difference across stages on an aspect of practice that is heavily debated. The primary method of analysis utilised a four-level structure, with PV as the unit of analysis. Substantive findings were compared with alternative methods: first making the dependent variable an average of the five PVs; second using one PV as the response variable; and third computing statistics from all five PVs and merging results using Rubin's Rules for combining multilevel method underestimates standard errors in the model in the same way as witnessed for the average of PVs. This leads to the conclusion that the only valid route to analysing imputed data is through Rubin's method of combining results from all five PVs.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Kevin Dhuyvetter / Land accounts for more than 75% of a farm operation’s total assets and thus knowledge of land values are very important to landowners. However, many other parties, including lenders, appraisers, investors, and researchers also have significant interest in land markets. Over the past few decades, land prices in Kansas have increased significantly for many different reasons. The main objective of this research is to estimate the impact of various factors on Kansas land values using a hedonic regression model. In cooperation with the Property Valuation Department (PVD) of the Kansas Department of Revenue, farmland market transactions from 1986 to 2009 were obtained for this study. Hedonic models were estimated using Ordinary Least Squares to determine the impact of interest rates, urban areas, location, parcel size, and income on nominal and real Kansas land values. The estimated nominal and real models explained 24.1% and 17.2% of the variation in land prices, respectively, and the results from this study are generally consistent with previous research. This research went further into investigating the relationship between PVD data and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) surveyed data. Results from this study indicate that USDA surveys significantly underestimate the true market for land prices across Kansas.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agricultural Economics / John A. (Sean) Fox / The objective of this thesis is to investigate three design issues in experimental auctions: 1) the effects of allowing negative bids for a privately valued good, 2) the effects of introducing additional alternatives (substitutes) for the auctioned good in an endowment auction, and 3) respondent behavior in acquiring information. The thesis consists of three papers examining those issues. The first paper examines participants’ bidding behavior when negative bids are allowed for privately valued goods in an experimental auction. We focus on two questions: i) whether subjects with negative values tend to bid strategically – either overbidding or underbidding in an effort to enhancing earnings, and ii) the performance of random nth and 5th price auctions. We find that: a) WTP bids are demand revealing, b) subjects tend to underbid WTA values, c) controlling for risk attitude partially explains the bias in WTA bids, and d) negative values from random nth auctions tend to be below those from 5th price auctions. In the second paper we 1) investigate the effect of the availability of varying numbers of alternatives (substitutes) for a privately valued good on participants’ bidding behavior, and 2) identify whether the availability of additional alternatives: a) impacts the value of product information, and b) impacts the effect of new information on product valuations. We find that: a) allowing additional alternatives in a private value auction does not significantly decrease subjects’ bids, and b) the presence of additional alternatives in the auction decreases both the value and effect of product information. The third paper examines the effect of acquired information on auction participants’ bidding behavior. We focus on three questions: i) how subjects choose/value different types of information, ii) whether the value of acquired information about a product influences the subsequent valuation of the product itself, and iii) whether the effects of acquired information differ from those of exogenously provided information. We find that: a) subjects’ behaviors of acquiring different types of information about the product are influenced by their heterogeneous characteristics (i.e. prior beliefs, risk attitudes, prior knowledge, etc.), b) subjects place more weight on acquired information than on provided information in their decision-making process, and c) individual subjects have different values of information which caused different impacts on product valuation.

D.Phil. / Schools are sites of values education. This thesis argues that teachers need to be prepared systematically in a programme for the infusion of values into the curriculum. The inquiry investigated such a programme of teacher development in which teachers‘ participation was examined with a view of examining the design of the programme and to make recommendations for revision and refinement of the programme. The main research question that guided this inquiry was, ―How do teachers engage with the ACE programme and how is this engagement1 made visible in their practice and their discourse?‖ This research question addresses both teachers‘ understanding (personal meaning making) or ―internalisation‖ in Vygotskian parlance (Vygotsky, 1986), their transfer from their own understanding to action in learning environments and the activation of specific values that they hold dear. Ultimately this research question pertains to how design principles are activated in the programme for teacher development and also how they may need to be amended as a result of the understanding that comes from the inquiry. The object of the inquiry was thus the teachers and their interaction with this ACE programme, the design principles of which were the elements of the ACE programme that were ultimately examined as they played out in the teachers‘ learning and practice. I employed a design-based research process, using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The sources of data included questionnaires, observations, interviews, journals and photographs.