The present study was conducted to determine the effect of a possible selves intervention on self-regulatory efficacy and exercise behaviour. Participants were 19 men and 61 women (Mage= 21.43, SD = 3.28) who reported exercising less than 3 times per week. Participants were randomly assigned to a control condition, a hoped-for possible selves intervention condition, or a feared possible selves intervention condition. Participants in the hoped-for and feared possible selves conditions completed an activity where they imagined themselves in the future as either healthy, regular exercisers or unhealthy, inactive individuals, respectively. Participants in the control group completed a quiz about physical activity. Measures of self-regulatory efficacy (scheduling, planning, goal-setting, and barrier self-efficacy) were taken immediately before and after exposure to the intervention. Participants who received a possible selves intervention reported greater exercise behaviour 4 weeks post-intervention than participants in the control group (p = .05). Furthermore, planning self-efficacy was found to partially mediate the effect of the possible selves intervention on exercise behaviour. These findings suggest that possible selves may play a role in increasing exercise behaviour among inactive individuals. Future research is warranted to examine the role of possible selves interventions in increasing exercise behaviour and to determine which other variables may mediate this intervention-exercise behaviour relationship. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

<P>To examine the effects of purported fiber-type transformation following spinal cord injury (SCI), twitch contractile properties of the soleus, tibialis anterior (TA) and thenar muscles were examined in individuals with chronic (> 4 years) SCI. Furthermore, the force-frequency relationship, fatigue and posttetanic potentiation (PTP) of the paralyzed TA muscle were also evaluated. Nine adults with SCI (22-59 yrs; lesion level C3-T2) and 9 age-and gender-matched able-bodied controls (AB) participated in this study.</P><P>On the first visit to the laboratory, the maximum twitch response for all three muscles was determined by delivering a series of single stimuli with gradually increasing intensity. For evaluation of PTP, tetanic stimulation (100Hz) was applied to the TA for 5 seconds followed by single twitches delivered at 5 seconds after tetanus and then at 30-second intervals for 4 minutes posttetanus. On a second visit, the force-frequency relationship (FFR) and 15Hz fatigue of the TA was evaluated. One second bursts ranging from 1-1OOHz were delivered randomly with 2 minutes of rest in between each frequency for assessment of FFR. Following a 1 0-minute rest period, the first fatigue protocol was given, consisting of 1-minute of tetanic stimulation at 15Hz. At the third session, the 30Hz fatigue of the TA was performed, consisting of 1-minute of tetanic stimulation at 30Hz.</P><P>In the soleus muscle, the AB had a higher peak twitch torque (PT) and M-wave amplitude compared to.the SCI group (14.2 ± 3.9Nm vs. 8.9 ± 6.1Nm; p = 0.058, and 13.5 ± 5.3mV and 5.5 ± 4.0mV; p < 0.05, respectively). Contractile speed was not significantly different between groups. Time to peak torque (TPT) was longer in AB (111.5 ± 15.4ms) compared to the SCI (76.7 ± 25.0ms; p<0.05) due to the larger twitches; however, the rates of torque development (RTD) were similar between groups. In the TA muscle, AB and SCI had similar PT (2.8 ± 0.5Nm and 3.2 ± 1.2Nm, respectively). TA contractile properties were faster in SCI, as seen by significantly shorter TPT and faster RTD (p<0.05). M-wave amplitude of AB was significantly greater than the SCI group, 8.3 ± 2.6mV versus 4.2 ± 1.7mV, respectively (p<0.05). Finally, in the thenar muscle, PT appeared to be smaller in AB compared to SCI, 1.7 ± 0.8Nm versus 2.9 ± 1.3Nm, respectively (p = 0.094). The RTD was faster in the SCI group compared to AB (p<0.05).</P><P>Evaluation of FFR revealed that the curve of the SCI was shifted to the left of that of AB. The F50 (frequency required to elicit 50% of maximum peak torque) was significantly lower in the SCI compared to AB, 6.7 ± 3.4Hz and 16.7 ± 4.1Hz, respectively (p<0.05). Following the fatigue protocols, SCI group tended to fatigue more rapidly and to a greater extent than AB at both frequencies, however this was only significant at 15Hz. The M-wave declined with fatigue (30Hz) in both groups, but this decline tended to be more rapid in SCI.</P><P>For the assessment of PTP, both groups started off with similar baseline twitches in their TA muscle (2.7 ± 0.3Nm and 2.9 ± 0.8Nm, respectively). At 5 seconds following tetanus, PT was significantly greater in both groups, but the amount of potentiation was greater in SCI versus AB (p = 0.058). Over the 4-min recovery period, PT declined in both groups until it was no longer significantly greater than baseline by 3 minutes 30 seconds. The potentiated twitch of both groups was faster than at baseline. RTD increased significantly by an average of 56% in the AB group and 91% in the SCI group and was significantly greater in SCI compared with AB at 30-150 seconds post-tetanus (p<0.05). At 5 seconds post-tetanus, RTR was significantly faster in both groups and had increased by 77% and 53% in the AB and SCI groups, respectively. The recovery ofRTD and R TR over the 4 minutes occurred more rapidly in AB versus SCI.</P><P>In conclusion, changes in contractile properties following SCI differ between muscle groups; faster contractile properties indicative of fiber type transformation are more evident in TA and thenar muscle groups, compared with the soleus. The smaller M-waves seen in the lower extremities support the significant muscle atrophy following SCI. Furthermore, the predicted transformation towards a higher proportion of fast-twitch fibers following paralysis was supported by a trend for decreased fatigue resistance and significantly greater PTP in the SCI group. The FFR data, however, did not support this predicted fiber type transformation, shifting to the left instead of the right. This leftward shift of FFR has been reported in other paralyzed human muscle presenting with faster contractile speeds; the mechanisms behind this warrant further investigation.</P> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between professional characteristics and training of building level school administrators in Virginia and their knowledge of special education law. The research question was, to what extent and in what manner can school administrators' knowledge of special education law be explained based upon administrative position, school level, number of special education courses, number of school law courses, and experience? Knowledge of special education law was a total score on a survey instrument developed by Hines (1993) and updated to include eight areas of the 1997 Amendments to IDEA. A second part of the instrument collected information on professional characteristics and training. The survey was mailed to school building administrators throughout Virginia. The subjects in the study were randomly selected from Virginia public K-12 schools. Sampling was stratified by school level and wealth. The data were analyzed using a step-wise regression. Number of special education courses accounted for 4% of the variation in knowledge. Number of school law courses completed also entered into the analysis but had an inverse correlation with knowledge. The average knowledge score for administrators in this study was 18 or 56% correct. Identification of factors which have the greatest influence on principal knowledge of special education law can be used to plan effective preparation of school building administrators. School building administrators who are knowledgeable of special education law can ensure the protection of the rights of disabled students, build positive relationships within the community, and avoid costly litigation. / Ed. D.

This study intends to investigate the influence of age, education, gender, degree of religiosity, income, type of residence, interest in public affairs, social and political trust, and employment status on attitudes toward and interpretations of democracy among 1200 Egyptians living in urban and rural areas who participated in Afrobarometer survey in 2013. The author uses principle component and regression analyses to test hypotheses about the state of political culture in Egypt after the Arab Spring of 2011 and before the military coup. The variables age, gender, employment status, residence type, and social trust have not been found significant in any of the observed models. Higher income individuals, compared to those with lower incomes valued democratic principles less - instead preferring unlimited control by one party or President - and were more likely to access the term democracy negatively. More educated citizens tend to positively evaluate occupational gender and rejection of one party-one man rule, while less educated prefer material rights over free and fair elections and freedom of speech. Religious citizens tend to show more support for lawful actions imposed by executive governmental bodies on ordinary citizens than less religious people. Higher levels of political trust is positively associated with attitudes toward the term democracy and one-party and one-man rule. Finally, people interested in public affairs vs. those who are not interested tend to possess negative attitudes toward the term democracy. / Master of Science

Yes / We describe a method for deriving the linear cortical magnification factor from positional error across the visual field. We compared magnification obtained from this method between normally sighted individuals and amblyopic individuals, who receive atypical visual input during development. The cortical magnification factor was derived for each subject from positional error at 32 locations in the visual field, using an established model of conformal mapping between retinal and cortical coordinates. Magnification of the normally sighted group matched estimates from previous physiological and neuroimaging studies in humans, confirming the validity of the approach. The estimate of magnification for the amblyopic group was significantly lower than the normal group: by 4.4 mm deg 1 at 18 eccentricity, assuming a constant scaling factor for both groups. These estimates, if correct, suggest a role for early visual experience in establishing retinotopic mapping in cortex. We discuss the implications of altered cortical magnification for cortical size, and consider other neural changes that may account for the amblyopic results.

<p dir="ltr">The feeling of invisibility threatens fundamental needs and negatively affects mood. One could conclude from this research that more visibility should minimize need threats and negative moods. However, studies have also shown that, in some instances, experiences of hypervisibility are distressing. Social media is flooded with videos and articles of Black men and women feeling invisible in the medical fields and not receiving the treatment they deserve. Likewise, social media examples abound of Black individuals feeling monitored in retail situations or being killed by the police because of racial stereotypes. Researchers also found adverse experiences of invisibility or hypervisibility among Black individuals that appear to be contradictory at a phenomenological level. My research aims to assess how invisibility and hypervisibility are experienced qualitatively and how manipulations of invisibility and hypervisibility may cause different psychological effects. In Study 1, Black participants were asked to recall their experiences with both invisibility and hypervisibility. Participants had little difficulty reporting both experiences, in which strangers either dismissed, ignored, and excluded them or spotlighted them because of race-based stereotypes. Coding themes also showed that participants could recall positive events and emotions when asked about hypervisibility but not invisibility. In Study 2, I manipulated invisibility and hypervisibility using a novel method: comics. Results showed that Black participants experienced threatened needs when reading a comic about a Black child being invisible or hypervisible. However, their needs were more threatened when the child recalls an invisibility experience. Lastly, in Study 3, I replicated Study 2 but also added necessary control conditions. Additionally, I examined the impact of comic-induced invisibility and hypervisibility on cognitive interference using a Stroop test. The results of Study 2 were replicated, but there was no difference in cognitive interference between the conditions. In summary, although the present research shows that invisibility and hypervisibility are both aversive, invisibility leads Black individuals to feel worse and have lower need satisfaction. Additionally, invisibility and hypervisibility threaten the needs of self-esteem and control similarly, but invisibility leads to more threats to belonging and meaningful existence than does hypervisibility. Using an innovative method of comics, my research demonstrates the aversive psychological impact of invisibility as well as the aversive reactions to hypervisibility. Future research should focus on whether hypervisibility is primarily detrimental because the individual may feel that while their stereotypic physical or social features are highly noticed, their core attributes of what makes them a person are not.</p>

This study examined the policy letters and verbal testimony transcripts submitted by interest groups to the United States Department of Education (USDE) in response to the proposed regulations pertaining to the implementation of the 1997 reauthorization of P. L. 105-17, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Specifically, this study analyzed the emerging themes in the area of discipline. Responses were received from the following interest groups: (a) school administrators, (b) parents, (c) teachers, (d) state educational agencies (SEAs), (e) national educational organizations, and (f) members of the United States Congress. In addition to analyzing the emerging themes, the study compared these themes to ones found in the current literature and court cases.

Invandringen i Sverige är stor och medför kompetens som organisationer borde ta tillvara på. För att kunna ta tillvara på kompetensen som kommer med de nyanlända krävs en effektiv och lyckad integration. Syftet med undersökningen är att öka förståelsen för hur social integration går till samt vilka faktorer som påverkar den. Det finns tidigare forskning angående ämnet integration, där studiernas fokus främst ligger på individnivå. Studien är nödvändig för att öka förståelsen av integration på organisationsnivå. Studien är unik då den fokuserar på en integration mellan individer från olika kulturgemenskaper i Sverige. Forskningsansatsen är induktiv med deduktiva tendenser, med en kvalitativ flerfallstudie där undersökningen genomförts inom två organisationer där multikulturell integration pågår. Integrationen har undersökts genom 11 intervjuer, där empirsikt material har samlats in. Analysen av det empiriska materialet har gjorts med hjälp av utvalda teorier som har lett fram till följande slutsatser. En integration är en process i två steg. Det första steget innebär praktiska problem både när det kommer till organisation- och samhällsnivå. Det andra steget är något mer komplext då det innefattar personliga känslor angående delaktighet och samhörighet. Det är individens känsla som mäter hur nära klimax integrationen är vilket medför att graden av integration är svår att mäta. Då graden är svår att mäta medför det svårigheter att veta om full integration går att uppnå. Det finns många faktorer som påverkar integrationsprocessen bland annat: kommunikation, ömsesidighet, nationell eller internationell kultur i organisationen och ledaren. Ledaren i en organisation har ansvar att hjälpa den nyanlända. Vid kunskap om hur integrationsprocessen går till har ledare större möjlighet att agera rätt för effektiv och lyckad integration. En lyckad integration är viktig för multikulturella organisationer för att nyttja kompetens, verka ändamålsenligt och tillfredsställa den växande mångkulturella marknaden. / Immigration in Sweden is ongoing, therefore the relevance of this study is illustrated by Sweden’s modern political environment. Efficient, effective integration of immigrants involves applying an immigrant’s useful skills for the benefit of organizations and the community. The purpose of our study is to increase the understanding of how effective social integration works and also identifying important factors that influence the process. The study is unique in its focus on the social integration of Sweden’s growing immigrant population at the organizational level. The research approach is inductive with deductive tendencies. The integration process is a qualitative multiple case study that has been analyzed through 11 interviews within two organizations. Empirical data gathered in these interviews added to preexisting theories have led us to the following conclusions. Integration is a two-step process. The first involves practical problems both within the community and within the organization. The second step is more complex and includes individual feelings about the degree of participation and belonging. In the second step it’s difficult to measure the degree of integrational level . The complexity of the measurement makes it hard to know if full integration is possible to achieve. Some of the factors that affect integration process are: communication, reciprocity, national or international culture of the organization and the leader. A leader of an organization has a responsibility to help immigrants. With the knowledge about how the integration process works leaders have a bigger opportunity to act in a way that helps the process to become successful. Successful integration is essential for multi-cultural organizations to utilize the skills available to operate efficiently and satisfy the needs of a multicultural labor market.

Darbe atlikta teorinė pedagogo kompetencijos sampratos; pedagogo kompetencijos analizė jos rengimo kontekste; bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų SUP turinčių mokinių ugdymosi poreikių tenkinimo analizė. Anketinės apklausos metodu buvo atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas - atskleisti pedagogų kompetencijų struktūrą ir plėtojimo galimybes, ugdant specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčius vaikus. Atlikta statistinė duomenų analizė. Tyrime dalyvavo 203 Marijampolės apskrities pedagogai, dirbantys su specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčiais mokiniais. Empirinėje dalyje nagrinėjama pedagogo kompetencijos ypatumai, dirbant su specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčiais vaikais; pedagogų nuostatos į specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių vaikų ugdymą ir profesinį tobulėjimą šioje srityje. Svarbiausios empirinio tyrimo išvados: 1. Pastarųjų metų pasikeitimai visos Lietuvos gyvenime diktuoja ir naujus reikalavimus pedagogo kompetencijai. Pedagogų nuomone, nepakanka, kad tobulėtų žinios, mokėjimai ir įgūdžiai, reikia, kad jis pats gebėtų keistis: nuo orientacijos į teorines žinias į vyksmą ir veikimą darant poveikį, kartu mokantis ir kuriant. 2. Apibendrinant tyrimo duomenis galima teigti, kad apklaustųjų pedagogų nuomone, mokyklose kol kas nepakankama ugdymo kokybė, švietimo įstaigų aplinka nėra palanki mokymuisi nei fizine nei psichologine prasme. Švietimo finansavimo modeliai kol kas negarantuoja visiško specialiojo ugdymo paslaugų suteikimo kokybės, ypač bendrojo lavinimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Thesis includes theoretical analysis of educator‘s competence definition; analysis of educator‘s competence in the context of its training; analysis of meeting the requirements of educational needs of pupils with special needs at secondary school. Questionnaire survey method was used in the research with the aim to reveal the structure and development potential of teacher’s competencies in teaching children with special educational needs. There was done the statistical analysis of the data. The study involved 203 teachers in Marijampole County who work with children with special educational needs. Empirical chapter includes the discussions about characteristics of teacher competence; teachers‘ attitudes towards education of children with special educational needs and teachers‘ professional developement in this area. The main conclusions of the research: 1. Summary of the problems of teacher training highlights the fact that current changes in the life of the whole Lithuania bring new requirements for teacher competence. In their opinion, there is not enough to gain knowledge and to develope abilities and skills; teacher must be able to change from the orientation to theoretical knowledge into practical aktivities that affect the child and develope the ability to learn and to create. 2. Summary of the data of the research, according to the opinion of teachers who participated in the survey, shows the lack of education quality; the educational... [to full text]

Descriptions of obesity, cerebral palsy, and scoliosis were rank-ordered (from one to twenty) and rated on a five-point scale by 75 college students. The descriptions were of two types: with the appearance of an individual on five levels of severity of a disorder and with the appearance and level of functioning of an individual on five levels of severity of a disorder. The ranking data indicated males rank-ordered descriptions of obese individuals different from cerebral palsy (p < 0.01) and scoliosis (p < 0.05) . The ratings of the descriptions were analyzed in two studies with 2 x 2 x 2 x 5 ANOVA's. Three-way interactions of the level of severity, complexity of description, and type of disorder rated were discussed in terms of likeability of handicapped individuals .