Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 4, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-47).

Thesis (Master of Arts in Security Studies)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2009. / Thesis Advisor(s): Lawson, Letitia ; Miller, Alice. "December 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 28, 2010. Author(s) subject terms: U.S.-CHINA Competition, energy resources, economic interdependence, Africa. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-53). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2003. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (doctoral)--Oulun yliopisto, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic format.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009. / "Submitted to Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-91)

From politics to sports to business, people are quick to categorize those at a competitive disadvantage as underdogs. Moreover, there is ample anecdotal support that most people do not hesitate to align themselves with underdogs, a phenomenon called the underdog effect. A series of studies were conducted to examine the scope and limitations of the underdog effect. The first study explored the extent of the underdog effect and determined that resources play a crucial role in forming alliances with those whom we perceive to have the lower chance to succeed. A second series of experiments assessed whether participants, who demonstrated the underdog effect, did truly support those at a competitive disadvantage or merely rooted against the favorite. The first experiment in this series framed questions in terms of either losing or winning, thus forcing the responders to pick the more salient of their perceptions of a novel competition scenario. Support for the underdog was found to be more extreme than rooting against the top-dog. The next experiment in this series explored the human perception under spoiler condition, when the underdog does not have much to gain from winning the competition, but the stakes are high for the top dog due to possible adverse repercussions above and beyond of the present competition. Spoilers were not supported more than non-spoilers. Finally, the last series of studies used memory as an indirect measure of focus of attention. Some evidence for rooting against top dogs was found.

The serious consequences and high prevalence rates of eating disorders among women have been well documented (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Birmingham, Su, Hlynasky, Goldner, & Gao, 2005; Crow, Praus, & Thuras, 1999; Steinhausen, 2009). Factors linked to the development of an eating disorder include competitiveness and group membership (Basow, Foran ,& Bookwala, 2007; Striegel-Moore, Silberstein, Grunberg, & Rodin, 1990). The purpose of this study was to further examine risk factors associated with eating disorder symptomatology by examining the role of sorority membership, different forms of competition, and relational aggression. Sorority membership was hypothesized to impact a participant’s eating disorder symptomatology, competitiveness, and relational aggression. Additionally, this study looked at three different forms of competition (Hypercompetition, Female Competition for mates, and Female Competition for status) and sought to understand which form of competitiveness best predicts eating disorder symptomatology. Female Competition for mates was hypothesized to best predict disordered eating. Lastly, relational aggression was expected to moderate the relationship between competition among women and eating disorder behaviors. An increase in relational aggression was hypothesized to strengthen the relationship between competition among women and eating disorder symptomatology. The reasoning for this relationship was based on an evolutionary framework that proposes aggression is needed to drive competition (Shuster, 1983). Participants included 407 undergraduate women, with a split of 211 sorority members and 196 non-sorority women. Measures included four subscales from the Eating Disorder Inventory (Garner et al., 1983), the Hypercompetitive Attitudes Scale (Ryckman et al., 1996), the Female Competition for mates scale, the Female Competition for status scale (Faer et al., 2005), and the Indirect Aggression Scale (Forrest et al., 2005). Separate regression analyses were conducted to answer each research question. Participants also answered qualitative questions after completing the surveys. Analyses revealed sorority membership significantly predicted a participant’s Female Competition for status. Female Competition for mates was found to best predict both body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness such that the higher a participant’s competition for mates score, the lower these eating disorder symptoms. No moderating effects of relational aggression were found in the model. Additionally, social desirability was included in the regressions as a means of controlling for a participant’s tendency to self-report desirably. An important surprise finding was that social desirability was a significant predictor of eating disorder symptomatology, competition, and relational aggression. Exploratory qualitative analyses suggested women’s acceptance of their bodies, while their conversations with friends included self-deprecating ways of discussing their appearance. Findings also suggest sorority membership predicts higher female competition for mates and status. Results reveal a relationship between competition and disordered eating which suggests important considerations for clinicians to explore with clients who may experience eating disorder symptomatology. / text

Since late 1990s, the four pillars industries of Hong Kong, i.e. financial services, trading and logistics, tourism and producer and professional services, have been shrinking. The Task Force on Economic Challenges established and chaired by the Chief Executive in 2009 proposed to develop the Six Potential Industries viz testing and certification, medical services, innovation and technology, cultural and creative industries, environmental industry and education services, so as to enhance the competitiveness of the city. The main focus of this dissertation is to study the policy making process of the competitiveness policy in Hong Kong. By applying different policy making theories, we will know what is the social problem and how the “competitiveness of Hong Kong” be considered as a social problem. Then we will need to know how this social problem get onto the social agenda, government agenda and so as to the policy agenda. The next step is formulating solutions among many different alternatives. We will get to know what factors are affecting the selection of alternatives and how to come up with solutions. In taking forward these solutions, we are particularly interested in the selection of institutional means for policy implementation in the case of the “Six Potential Industries”. This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of policymaking process for the competitiveness policy in Hong Kong and the labyrinthine interactions among the political actors. / published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Background. Previous literature had examined how the adoption of cooperative, competitive and individualistic goal structures in academic tasks influence students’ altruistic behaviors. However, little research has investigated the relationship between goal structures in non-academic activities and children’s affective outcomes. Moreover, the specific differentiation of friends from ordinary acquaintances was seldom considered. Aims. This study compares the immediate effect of different goal structures in a non-academic task on children’s mutual liking. Sample. The participants were 116 fourth and fifth grade students in Hong Kong. Methods. Participants were paired to form friend and non-friend dyads and the dyads were randomly assigned into one of three experimental conditions: cooperative, competitive and individualistic. In all the three conditions, dyads were asked to do a photo-hunt task twice, but the content of instructions and the basis of reward were different. Results. In the cooperative condition, participants’ liking towards their partners had significantly increased, and the average rating was significantly higher than that in the competitive condition. Specifically, the increase in liking between non-friend dyads was greater than that in friend dyads. In competitive condition, the liking between friend dyads had significantly decreased, but the change in liking between non-friend dyads was not significant. No meaningful change was observed in the individualist condition. Conclusion. The findings suggested that children’s liking towards their peers would increase when they were given chance to cooperate with each other; and the liking might decline when they participated in activities that required competition. Implications for activity-planning and group composition are discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences