published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Baigiamajame darbe yra išnagrinėti dažniausiai pasaulyje naudojami eismo įvykių sukeltos ekonominės žalos vertinimo metodai, aprašytos žmogaus gyvybės vertinimo metodikos, pateiktos skirtingose šalyse apskaičiuotos eismo įvykio sukeltos ekonominės žalos reikšmės. Naudojant dvi skirtingas eismo įvykio sukeltos žalos vertinimo metodikas bei naudojant 2009 metų statistinius duomenis apskaičiuotos tais metais Lietuvoje eismo įvykių padarytos ekonominės žalos reikšmės. Yra apskaičiuotos vieno eismo įvykio vidutinė žalos reikšmė bei visų eismo įvykių, kuriuose žuvo arba nukentėjo žmonės žalos reikšmės. Darbo pabaigoje yra padarytos išvados dėl išnagrinėtų metodikų tinkamumo Lietuvai bei pateikti pasiūlymai kur šios metodikos galėtų būti panaudotos. / In the graduation dissertation methods, that are the most frequently used over the world, for estimating road accident economic losses are overviewed, methods for evaluation of human life are described and also there are given road accident economic losses monetary values in different countries. Using two different methods for an economic evaluation of road accident losses and using 2009 statistics monetary values of economic losses, which occurred during that year because of road accidents, were calculated. An average cost of a single road accident and also the cost of all road accidents, where people were killed or injured, were calculated. In the end of the dissertation conclusions are made about the suitability of the researched methods for Lithuania and also there are given proposals where these methods could be applied.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Social Work and Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study compares the instructional, academic support, and student services needs of international and American students at Portland State University (PSU), Portland, Oregon. Variables measured include the perceived importance of university-related services, and the level of satisfaction with services received. A questionnaire with 26 background questions and 41 service-related items for ranking and discussion was mailed to 225 undergraduate international students and 225 undergraduate American students, with a response rate of 52%. Responses were tabulated to ascertain demographic profile of PSU students, importance of university services to international students at PSU, current level of satisfaction of international students in regards to university services received, importance of the various university services to U.S. students at PSU, current level of satisfaction of U.S. students in regards to these university services, if U.S. and international students at PSU differ in the importance they assign to university services, if U.S. and international students differ in their level of satisfaction with services at PSU, relationship between perceived importance and level of satisfaction for U.S. and international students, relationship between perceived importance and level of satisfaction for international students, perceived reasons for dissatisfaction concerning service quality for U.S. and international students, and any suggestions these students have for improving the quality of services. Respondents' descriptive characteristics were reported and tabulated as background information. Frequency distribution, the chi square test of significance, and means were calculated using responses to queries about the service-quality items, and responses of international and American students were compared. Major findings included that there are many areas of agreement between international and American students. However, significant differences were found: 2 "need" items under instruction, 5 "need" items under academic support, and 13 "need" items under student services. Focus group interviews were also conducted. Researchers can use this additional data to develop theories about answers given; university administrators could use this information to develop programs to ameliorate perceived problems, or make changes in the quality or delivery of existing student services.

This qualitative case study explored with a sample of first-generation students the factors that aided or impeded their pursuit of a degree before the pandemic, factors that impacted them during the crisis and any differences in their experiences at elite vs. non-elite schools. The rationale for the study was based on the researcher’s objective to uncover ways to help these students navigate through higher education. The researcher assumed increased understanding of the reality of a first-generation student during the pandemic would help universities design better supports to meet these students’ needs. The sample was composed of 27 first-generation undergraduates who attended 15 public and private universities across the U.S. The data collection methods were interviews and a focus group, including demographic and statistical data supplied by the participants. The data from the interviews and focus group was coded and organized according to the research questions. Analysis, interpretation and synthesis of the findings were organized by 2 analytic categories based on the conceptual framework: a) supports and barriers influencing first-generation students’ pursuit of a degree before the crisis and b) the relationship between first-generation students’ needs and their ability to pursue a degree during the pandemic. This research revealed that factors, such as how they prepared for college, environmental influences after enrollment and personal traits, either enabled or impeded first-generation students’ pursuit of a college degree before the pandemic. During the crisis, these students reflected on the value of a degree, in relation to the availability of college support services and their level of satisfaction with online education. Therefore, many participants reported their struggles during the pandemic helped them learn how to succeed. Finally, selectivity of the universities and availability of public funding had no material impact on how they met the needs of first-generation students during the pandemic. Recommendations are offered for universities and education policy makers to provide advisory services over 4 years, family workshops and mentors to assist with social supports. Recommendations for students and their families include guidelines for how students can achieve more effective two-way communication with their universities. Recommendations for future research are also included.

People with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions are commonly exposed to human rights violations within the mental health care system and the general community. The negative consequences of such violations have been widely documented but attempts to change the status quo have met with little success. The present dissertation aims to challenge this situation and advance the human rights-based global agenda for mental health by promoting a change within the mental health care system and the general community. Chapter 2 is a scoping review that comprehensively examines the literature on interventions that apply a human rights-based approach to promote the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions in health settings and the general community. Chapter 3 is an empirical paper that evaluates the psychometric properties of three instruments that can be used to assess the effect of future interventions aiming to promote the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions. Chapter 4 is an empirical paper that assesses the efficacy of the WHO QualityRights e-training, a new intervention to promote the human rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions. The scoping review indicated that there is a growing body of literature on interventions that apply a human rights-based approach to promote the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions. However, many of the studies evaluating these interventions are currently low-quality and there is urgent need for additional and methodologically robust research on this topic. Additionally, our findings showed that worldwide there are many promising practices and interventions that are currently unexamined or insufficiently evaluated. The psychometric analyses in Chapter 3 indicated that the three instruments developed to assess the knowledge about the rights of persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities (WHO QualityRights Knowledge), the attitudes towards them and their role as rights holders (WHO QualityRights Attitudes), and mental health professionals’ practices related to substitute decision-making and coercion (WHO QualityRights Practices) are sufficiently valid and reliable and could be used in future research. Finally, the data analyzed in Chapter 4 demonstrated that the WHO QualityRights e-training, compared with a placebo intervention, is effective in improving mental health professionals’ knowledge about human rights and attitudes towards people with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions and their role as rights-holders. Furthermore, these improvements are maintained over time. The WHO QualityRights e-training was also effective in reducing self-reported practices related to substitute-decision making and restraint both at 3 and 6 months. Given the impact that human rights violations have on the health and wellbeing of persons with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions, more efforts are needed to develop new interventions and carry out methodologically strong research in this area. This dissertation is a right step in this direction.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:17:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leidiany Cristina da Silva.pdf: 1113662 bytes, checksum: b81d8b935f301e8dfc65b235d5afe7f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-10 / This work is comprised of two studies. The first one (Study 1) aimed at investigating psychology school books directed to teachers. The objective was analyzing whether the teaching proposals of radical behaviorism were precisely described in the books, and what kind of behavior analysts bibliographical production was used as the basis for the teaching descriptions. Three books were analyzed. Each book was analyzed as regards three aspects: references to Skinner s works, references to the works of other behavior analysts and the descriptive texts about the radical behaviorism approach s on teaching. All kinds of references were analyzed direct and/or indirect quotes and/or final bibliographies. It was observed that the three books had at least one reference to works by behavior analysts. When it was observed the largest number of references to behavior analysts works, there was also a sounder and more up to date theoretical-conceptual description about the radical behaviorism approach. Two books used a small number of references, when compared to the number of references used in the description of other approaches, which indicates little familiarity with the works of behavior analysts. The analysis of the radical behaviorism s approach on teaching has considered five dimensions about skinnerian approach on the subject (what is to teach?, the teacher s role, how to teach, what to teach), and also critics on the skinnerian approach. It was found that being an expert on the approach could be related to producing more complete descriptions as well as exploring the inter-relationships between the different subject matters worked upon. The Study 2 was proposed in order to identify criteria for publishing books as well as understanding the reasons behind the imprecisions. In order to identify the criteria, this Study was based upon the literature, in the criteria for the evaluation of graduate programs, in interviews with professionals involved in books editoring, and with the authors of the books analyzed on Study 1. It was possible to systematize eight criteria for school books' evaluation: the work as the product of graduate programs; the book as a product of inter-institutionality; the peer evaluation; the author s compromise with the discussion and reformulation asked by the evaluator; the potential impact; the novelty in the field; conceptual precision; applicability of the skinnerian concepts in the learning situation. In order to apply the criteria, two of the books cited on Study 1 were selected, and their authors were interviewed. The book 1 has complied five of the criteria, and the book 2 has complied two of them. The main criterion that was identified was the theoretical-conceptual precision. Given the imprecisions cited in the Study 1, it can be concluded that some of these books and their responsibles have not considered the most fundamental aspect to publishing a book. It is discussed some actions that could revert this negligence with the description of the approach / O presente trabalho realizou dois estudos. O Estudo 1 teve como objetivo investigar livros didáticos de psicologia dirigidos a professores. Buscou-se analisar se a proposta de ensino do behaviorismo radical foi precisamente descrita nos livros e que material bibliográfico de analistas do comportamento foi utilizado como suporte para as descrições de ensino. Foram analisados três livros. Buscou-se em cada livro informações com base em três fontes: referências às obras de Skinner, referências às obras de outros analistas do comportamento e textos descritivos da abordagem sobre o ensino. Analisaram-se todos os tipos de referência - citações diretas e/ou indiretas e/ou bibliografia ao final do texto. Constatou-se que os três livros utilizaram, pelo menos, uma referência a obras de analistas do comportamento. Quando ocorreu maior número de referências de analistas do comportamento, também houve uma descrição teórico-conceitual mais fundamentada e atualizada sobre a abordagem. Dois livros utilizaram número reduzido de referências, comparativamente ao número de referências utilizadas na descrição de outras abordagens, indicando pouca familiaridade com a publicação de analistas do comportamento. A análise da descrição da abordagem considerou cinco dimensões sobre a visão skinneriana de ensino (o que é ensinar, o papel do professor, como ensinar, o que ensinar e para que ensinar) e críticas sobre a abordagem. Constatou-se que ser especialista na abordagem produziu descrições mais completas e inter relação entre os diferentes aspectos abordados. O Estudo 2 foi proposto para identificar critérios para publicação de livros e compreender as razões de imprecisões. Para a identificação dos critérios, este Estudo baseou-se: na literatura, nos critérios de avaliação de programas de pós-graduação, em entrevistas realizadas com diferentes profissionais envolvidos na editoração de livros e com os envolvidos na autoria dos livros analisados no Estudo 1. Foi possível sistematizar oito critérios de avaliação de livros didáticos: obra como produto de programas de pós-graduação; o livro como um produto da interinstitucionalidade; a avaliação por pares; o compromisso do autor - pesquisador com a discussão e a reformulação solicitada no parecer; a potencialidade de impacto; novidade da publicação sobre o tema; a precisão conceitual; aplicabilidade dos conceitos (abordagem) na situação de ensino. Considerou-se para aplicação dos critérios identificados dois dos livros analisados no Estudo 1,cujos autores foram entrevistados. O livro 1 atendeu a cinco dos critérios e o livro 2 a dois. O critério principal identificado foi a precisão teórico-conceitual. Dadas as imprecisões arroladas no Estudo 1, pode-se concluir que alguns destes Livros e seus responsáveis desconsideraram o critério mais fundamental para publicação. Discutem-se ações que revertam essa negligência com a descrição da abordagem

International students at our institutions of higher education have educational and personal needs which extend beyond the classroom. These needs are supposedly provided for by student personnel services, but little data has been collected which examines how international students use student services, and if their use differs significantly from use by American students. If their perceptions of students services and use of these resources does differ, what does that signify? This study measures the use and perceptions of student services by international and American students at Southern Oregon State College. Twenty-one philosophical objectives were examined for levels of importance, effectiveness, and resultant need. A list of twenty resources at the College were compiled and respondents were asked to rate the helpfulness of each resource. Demographic data on students included residence, length of time on campus, involvement in extracurricular activities, and other characteristics and was compared to knowledge of student services resources. International students were asked to identify their English language proficiency and this was compared with their need for student services objectives. All three hypotheses that there would be no differences between American and international students; in their perceptions cf the;:, importance, effectiveness, and helpfulness of student services were rejected at the . 05 level of significance. International students found three objectives to be ineffective, and the focus of these objectives suggested that cultural differences may contribute to student problems. A correlation between self-reported English language proficiency and satisfaction of needs for student services objectives was noted, while no relationship between TOEFL score and satisfaction of needs was found. Southern Oregon State College may want to reconsider its orientation procedures in light of the number of "don't know'' responses from students when asked about a variety of student services. Awareness of student services and the effectiveness of those services for both American and international students are issues which this study aims to help the college address.

This research explores an approach to learning types of usability concerns considered useful for the management of Web sites and to identifying usability concerns based on these learned models. By having one or more Web site managers rate a subset of pages in a site based on a number of usability criteria, the approach builds models that determine what automatically measurable characteristics are correlated to issues identified. To test this, the approach collected usability assessments from twelve students pursuing advanced degrees in the area of computer-human interaction. These students were divided into two groups and given different scenarios of use of a Web site. They assessed the usability of Web pages from the site, and their data was divided into a training set, used to find models, and a prediction set, used to evaluate the relative quality of models. Results show that the learned models predicted remaining data for one scenario in more categories of usability than did the single model found under the alternate scenario. Results also show how systems may prioritize usability problems for Web site managers by probability of occurrence under context rather than by merely listing pages that break specific rules, as provided by some current tools.

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