abstract: Social media has been extensively researched, and its effects on well-being are well established. What is less studied, however, is how social media affects romantic relationships specifically. The few studies that have researched this have found mixed results. Some researchers have found social media to have a positive influence on relationship outcomes, while other have found social media to have a negative influence. In an attempt to reconcile these discrepancies, the current thesis study explored possible mediators between social media use and relationship health outcomes which, to my knowledge, has not been investigated in previous literature. Three moderators were explored: type of social media use (active use versus passive use), relationship-contingent self-esteem, and social comparison orientation. The baseline portion of the study had 547 individuals, recruited from Arizona State University’s SONA system as well as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, who were in a romantic relationship for at least three months; the follow-up portion of the study had 181 participants. Results suggest that women who passively use social media exhibit a negative association between hours per day of social media use and baseline relationship satisfaction. Men who passively use social media exhibited a negative association between hours per day of social media use and follow-up relationship satisfaction, as well as a negative association with baseline commitment. While relationship-contingent self-esteem did not moderate the association between hours per day of social media use and relationship health, it was positively related to both men and women’s baseline relationship satisfaction and baseline commitment. Social comparison orientation (SCO) produced minimal results; women low on SCO exhibited a negative association between social media use and baseline relationship satisfaction, and higher SCO for men was associated with lower baseline commitment. Finally, exploratory post-hoc mediation models revealed that relationship comparisons mediated the association between hours per day of social media use and baseline relationship, as well as baseline commitment, for both men and women. Previous research supports the findings regarding passive social media use, while the findings regarding relationship-contingent self-esteem and relationship comparisons add new findings to the romantic relationship literature. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2019

The intent of this thesis is to compare contingent valuation methods (CVM) and travel cost methods (TCM) to estimate consumer surplus for boaters and anglers in northern Utah. TCM results are about three times that of CVM. Several limitations are noted, specifically that CVM solicits given willingness to pay (WTP for specific reservoir sites. TCM analyzes aggregated trips to reservoirs with a wide array of site characteristics.

This Developmental Research study described the development of an interactive online graphing instructional application and the impact of the Analysis Design Development Implementation Evaluation (ADDIE) model on the development process. An optimal learning environment was produced by combining Programmed Instruction and Adaptive Instruction principles with a graphing simulator that implemented guided contingent practice. The development process entailed the creation and validation of three instruments measuring knowledge, skills, and attitudes, which were components of the instruction. The research questions were focused on the influence of the ADDIE model on the development process and the value of the LOGIS instructional application. The model had a significant effect on the development process and the effects were categorized by: Organization, Time, and Perspective. In terms of Organization, the model forced a high level of planning to occur and dictated the task sequence thereby reducing frustration. The model facilitated the definition of terminal states and made it easier to transition from completed tasks to new tasks. The model also forced the simultaneous consideration of global and local views of the development process. The model had a significant effect on Time and Perspective. With respect to Time, using the model resulted in increased development time. Perspectives were influenced because previously held assumptions about instructional design were exposed for critique. Also, the model facilitated post project reflection and problem diagnosis. LOGIS was more valuable in terms of the knowledge assessment than the skills and attitudes assessments. There was a statistically and educationally significant increase from the pretest to posttest on the knowledge assessment, but the overall posttest performance was below average. Overall performance on the skills assessment was also below average. Participants reported positive dispositions toward LOGIS and toward graphing, but no significant difference was found between the pre-instruction survey and the post-instruction survey. The value of LOGIS must be considered within the context that this study was the first iteration in the refinement of the LOGIS instructional application.

Since 1980, many convertible bonds have been issued by Swedish companies. Most of these issues have been aimed at the employees. The great number of these employee issues gave rise to a new tax law. This tax law made it necessary to obtain a value on a convertible bond certificate at issue. In the first part of the dissertation, the institutional setting for the issuing of convertible bonds in Sweden is discussed. The relevant tax laws and recommendations given by different organizations are described. Also other features related to the issues are described. Furthermore, an empirical study of convertible bonds issues to emplyees in listed companies is carried out. The main purpose of the study is to quantify the volume of convertible bond issues to employees which have defaulted. Issues with a nominal value of around 500 million Swedish Crowns have been involved in some form of default. In this study, several models are compared to investigate whether the choice of model for valuing convertible bonds is important. These models all fall within the framework of Contingent Claims Analysis. Contingent Claims Analysis is an option based technique for determining the value of a claim whose payoffs depend upon the development of one or several underlying variables. In the study, it is shown in great detail how to set up and use those models. It is shown that the choice of model is important for the value of a convertible bond in certain situations. Those situations are identified by an empirical study of Swedish convertible bonds and through sensitivity analysis. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 1993</p>

Within these years, in order to effectively arrange the limited resource that the government has owned and been able to allocate, a detailed financial plan and a well-structured evaluation system for any project is essential. Normally the most research topics issued are related to the economic effect of natural resources. In Taiwan, the article about analyzing the economic effect about the tour schemes proposed for the development of National Scenic Area is few and only at the beginning stage and the cause mainly is because of the common property of such schemes, i.e. the involvement of different departments needed. At this situation, effected by the different control froces from a varity of government departments and varied industry structures and developing progress in different areas, it is difficult to clarify and analyze the achievement for each department. Owing to this character, the economic effect related to such development schemes is difficult to conclude and it is even harder to evaluate whether or not the economic benefit is definitely resulted from the improving projects. The research topic is going to comprehend the economic effect caused by the medium-range scheme launched by National Scenic Areas, then is able to propose some feasible items to evaluate the economic effect and collect the figures the Cost-Efficiency Evaluation relaed to the effect. As to the intangible benefit, it is assessed by the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). The study takes the case of Penghu National Scenic Area to predict the economic effect between 2008 to 2011. From the research, it shows that the figure of Willing To Pay (WPA) among the tourists already visited the Penghu National Scenic Area is NT$6,943 and within 2008 and 2011, after the development implemented, the amount is going to raise to NT$9,638. Based on this raise, the economic revenue would be NT$415,691,000 caculated from the Prediction equation in 2008, NT$428,984,000 in 2009, NT$442,397,000 in 2010 and NT$ 455,933,000 in 2011. Within 10 year of available analytic fixed number of years, the 4-year Net Present Value¡]NPV¡^ ¡]valuta of 2008 year ¡^ will be NT$1,766,586,000 based on the discount rate at 2% and the 4 year Benefit-Cost Ratio, B/C ratio is 3.05>1. From this result, the 2008-2011 development plan itself has demostrated its economic feasibility.

Bakgrund: Användningen av teknikkonsulter inom svensk industri har ökat kraftigt under 2000-talet. Trots detta finns det en brist i forskningen gällande vilka anledningar som ligger bakom och vilka konsekvenser som kan följa av användningen av teknikkonsulter. Vidare finns det teoretiska indikationer på att teknikkonsulter inte är tillräckligt integrerade för att skapa den helhetsförståelse och vilja att kommunicera över avdelningsgränser som krävs i produktutvecklingen inom stora svenska industriföretag. Denna problematik har legat till grund för studiens syfte. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att utreda vilka motiv och behov som ligger bakom ett svenskt industriföretags nyttjande av extern kunskap i form av teknikkonsulter samt vilka konsekvenser som användningen av teknikkonsulter kan medföra för företagets tvärfunktionella arbete. Definitioner: Teknikkonsulter är olika typer av ingenjörer som hyrs ut företag för att arbeta tillsammans med de fastanställda inom framförallt produktutveckling. Genomförande: En fallstudie har utförts på två sektioner inom Scania R&amp;D. Två representanter på chefsnivå inom varje sektion har intervjuats. Resultat: Studien har identifierat två motiv och fyra behov som är betydelsefulla för inhyrningen av teknikkonsulter i svenska industriföretag. De motiv som studien har funnit är rörlighet samt inflöde och utflöde av resurser. De fyra behov som har identifierats är; numerisk flexibilitet, snabb förstärkning samt kortsiktiga respektive långsiktiga resurser. Vidare visar studien att resultaten av tvärfunktionell produktutveckling inom stora svenska industriföretag påverkas negativt av en hög andel teknikkonsulter eftersom teknikkonsulter inte innehar en helhetsförståelse för företaget. / Background: The use of technical consultants in the Swedish industrial sector has increased heavily during the 21th century. In spite of this increase, there is a shortage of research regarding the reasons for, and which consequences that can follow from the use of technical consultants. Furthermore, there are theoretical indications that these consultants are not fully integrated to the degree that they can create an overall understanding and will to communicate across departments, which is necessary for the product development in big Swedish industrial enterprises. This problem is the basis for the aim of the study. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate which motives and needs that lie behind the the use of external knowledge in the form of technical consultants in Swedish industrial enterprises and which consequences that the use of technical consultants can bring to the cross-functional work of companies. Completion: A case study has been conducted at two sections within Scania R&amp;D. Two representatives on a managerial level from each section have been interviewed. Results: The study has identified two motives and four needs as significant for the use of technical consultants in Swedish industrial enterprises. The identified motives are mobility as well as inflow and outflow of resources. The four identified needs are; a numerical flexibility, rapid reinforcement as well as a short and long term resources. Furthermore, the study shows that the results of cross-functional product development within large Swedish industrial enterprises are negatively affected by a large share of technical consultants since they do not possess an overall understanding of the company. Key words: Technical consultant, cross-functional, contingent knowledge workers, flexible staffing arrangements, absorptive capacity.

ABSTRACT APPLICATION OF NON-MARKET ECONOMIC VALUATION METHOD TO VALUE THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN MONETARY TERMS: A CASE STUDY IN YOZGAT PROVINCE Horasanli, Erol M.Sc., Department of Environmental Engineering Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Emre ALP December 2010, 100 pages Determining environmental economic benefits of geothermal energy is difficult since there is no market for all environmental goods and services related to it. In order to determine and measure the market price of non-market goods and services, non-market valuation methods are used. Since intangible benefits do not have monetary values, non-market valuation techniques are applied to estimate them. Non-market valuation methods are important tools for policy makers in the cost and benefit analysis and environmental impact assessment process to aid their final decision. In this study, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to determine the environmental benefits of using geothermal energy for house heating instead of fossil fuels and natural gas in Yozgat (center). The willingness to pay for geothermal energy of the Yozgat residents was determined and underlying motivations to use geothermal energy were assessed. The results showed that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for the usage of geothermal energy in house heating to increase air quality and mitigate the effects v of climate change is $50/person/month. The results also showed that respondents know the importance of the climate changes and they believe that geothermal energy usage will affect the mitigation of climate changes positively. The geothermal energy investment in the region will amortize itself in 3 years. Therefore, in the feasibility studies, geothermal energy investment seems feasible. During the regression analyses, climate change and air pollution parameters were the most significant parameters for the calculation of mean WTP. Since, decrease in air pollution using geothermal energy, will also mitigate the effect of climate changes, during the geothermal investment in the region, training activities and campaigns should be carried to cover the issues of climate change and global warming to emphasis that geothermal energy will serve for multi-dimensional environmental problems.

The aim of this dissertation was (1) to examine the work choice motivation for accepting the contingent employment in relation to various outcomes (job satisfaction, job involvement, and psychological contract) and the effect on work performance (obedience, and work expectation), and (2) to test whether workers¡¦ interaction may assist in explaining difference between the various outcome and the effect on work performance. The results of this study challenged earlier assumptions on the importance of volition in temporary work research. Analyses were based on a sample of 415 contingent workers from various organizations and types of the contingent employment. The most striking findings were that work choice motivation did not consistently associate with favorable outcomes and the effect on work performance, and that the relationship between work choice motivations related to work performance outcomes were non-significant. By way of contrast, self-fulfilling motive has positively effects on job satisfaction and job involvement, work-life balance motive and self-constrain motive have positive effect on psychological contract, and work control motive has negative effect on job involvement, and psychological contract. Also, this dissertation established that workers¡¦ interaction may have potential to improve the variations on predictions. The result showed that task-related interaction between standard and contingent workers has positive effect on job satisfaction, job involvement, work expectation, and obedience. Moreover, the non-task related interaction has negative effect on obedience. The interaction effects of work choice motivation and workers¡¦ interaction on job attitudes and work performance were also examined in this study. The result shows that the interaction between work-life balance motive and non-task related interaction has positive effect on psychological contract. Moreover, the interaction effect of self-constrain motive and non-task related interaction also has positive effect on psychological contract. The implications were also discussed in this study.

Ein Denken, welches sich mit möglichen Alternativen unseres Handelns beschäftigt tritt oft in unserem Alltag oft auf. Die Frage „was wäre geschehen, wenn ich…“ stellt sich jeder oft genug. Wir Menschen haben die Eigenschaft uns vielfach alternative Versionen von Ereignissen und Strukturen vorzustellen und uns mögliche Folgen einer veränderten Entscheidung in der Vergangenheit auszumalen. Wir spekulieren, indem wir die verschiedenen möglichen Konsequenzen unseres Tuns abwägen und eine Entscheidung treffen.1 Manchmal überlegen wir nicht und handeln gewissermaßen aus Affekt, später findet sich dann aber doch der Grund. Manchmal scheint es jedoch gar keinen Grund zu geben und wir produzieren etwas Zufälliges. Zufall und Kontingenz in der Strukturgeschichte, mit einem Fragezeichen wohlbemerkt, ist das Thema dieser Arbeit .

Abstract This experiment evaluated the effects of noncontingent and contingent access on relative preference for items identified through a series of preference assessments. Four typically developing children participated in multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessments to establish a relative hierarchy of preferred activities. Following the MSWO, the participants were exposed to contingent access or noncontingent access conditions that were separated by preference assessments to assess stability of the preference hierarchy. Results were discussed in terms of preference, preference shifts, and the response deprivation hypothesis.