The purpose of this study was to establish a predictive model of the factors that contribute to the decision-making process when purchasing denim by 13- to 19-year-old adolescents living in the U.S. The researcher created an online survey through Qualtrics and administered it to an opt-in panel of adolescents, through Centiment. There were 460 survey responses collected. Important denim attributes to respondents included comfort and fit, price, durability, and body perception. Significant predictors that increased respondents’ intention to purchase denim jeans included intrinsic attributes-appearance of fabric on the body, cognitive attributes, tighter fit, and purchased denim in the last three months. Significant predictors that decreased respondents’ intention to purchase denim jeans included if the price was increasingly more than $40 and gender. The information gathered in this study could help manufacturers focus on what adolescents consider important in denim jeans and adjust production and marketing strategy as needed. Future research should determine which attributes were contributing to the significance of intrinsic attributes-appearance of fabric on the body and cognitive attributes. Another future research study could conduct the research with physical examples of denim jeans present.

The spider communities of four stages of a successional sere leading to and including spruce forests were studied in northern Utah. Four seral stages were recognized. These include: meadows, aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands, subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) forest, and the climax Engelmann spruce (Pica engelmanii) forests. During the snow-free periods of 1976, 1977 and 1978, 15,987 spiders were collected by three methods including: pitfall traps, by beating vegetation, and with sweep-net samples. Additionally, 1600 15-second intervals of behavioral observations, and measurements of 182 web locations were made. Of 99 species collected, 44 were considered residents of the sere: criteria for assigning the spiders to foraging strategies (3) and guilds (9) are presented. Five spider communities were ostensively defined--one in the ground stratum of each of the stages and one in the tree stratum of the conifer stages. The data were used to compare the guild strategies of the spiders of the seral stages and to address various hypotheses about successional change in animal community characteristics. Increases with maturity as predicted were observed for 6 spider community parameters including: total biomass, species diversity--richness component, species diversity--equitability component, stratification and spatial heterogeneity, mean organism size, and temporal stratification. A life cycle hypothesis (i.e., short and simple life cycles in early stages, long and complex ones in mature stages) could not be tested because, depending on the life cycle type considered, I found diametrically opposed trends (semi-annual and biennial life cycle types both increased with maturity). The spider species of the ground-stratum meadow community were primarily dispersed in a time dimension (seasonal); the spiders of the tree-stratum community were primarily distributed in a spatial dimension (microhabitat). Spiders of the forest ground-strata communities were dispersed in spatial and temporal dimensions. No dimension was ascertained to be of fundamental importance. Distributions of ground-dwelling species with different foraging strategies, and the resident species of the ground-stratum communities were correlated canonically to 8 environmental variables. Spider species of the meadow community were correlated with a bare dirt variable. Spiders of the aspen community were correlated with 2 environmental variables including: grasses and forbs and a low foliage index. Hunting spiders were correlated with the meadow and aspen variables. Ambushing spiders, web-building spiders, and the spider species of the ground stratum spruce community were correlated with 5 environmental variables including: litter depth, canopy cover, tree basal area, dead leaves and needles, and logs.

Player response in the horror video game genre is primary to its success allowing players to experience emotional arousal through elaborate game design. This thesis aims to investigate how, specifically light mechanics, can help elicit responses in Amnesia: The DarkDescent to bring attention to the light techniques that can be used by game designers to elicit such emotional reactions. Observations, interviews, and emotional facial recognition software were used to investigate the various patterns of behavior that players had while playing Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Results showed that most participants used light attributes to benefit their emotional state and all participants used them to enhance their gameplay environment. The tools that derive from light mechanics were noticed both consciously and subconsciously. Further, each participant displayed shifts of emotion, such as surprise, fear, anger, and happiness. As well as players’ physical and in-game behavior patterns were found to be related to fear responses, in terms of events where they interacted with light attributes and were in the presence of danger. The results suggest that the usage and portrayal of light attributes are dependent on the players' perception of the valued use of light and the potential of danger. It was revealed that emotional value has a significant impact on how players perceive light mechanics. Nonetheless, the individuals were able to modulate their own emotional arousal through the attributes of light mechanics.

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Layered security systems pose significant challenges while attempting to monitor security related activities. The varying attributes embedded within each layer as well as the attribute interdependencies within and across layers takes measurement complexity to an exponential state. The many interdependencies at play in an interconnected infrastructure further exacerbates the ability to measure overall security assurance. Then enters the patient attacker who infiltrates one layer of this security system and waits for the opportune time to infiltrate another layer. The ability to simulate and understand risk with respect to time in this dynamic environment is critical to the decision maker who must work under time and cost constraints. This thesis seeks to improve methods for interdependent risk assessment particularly when a patient attacker is present.

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