Hurricanes strike the coast along the Gulf of Mexico and eastern seaboard of the United States annually. With each hurricane that makes landfall there is potential for significant damage and destruction with the majority of coastal devastation occurring from storm surge. It is accepted that hurricane strength, classified byt the Saffir-Simpson scale, and storm surge height are directly proportional. However, this scale my prove to be a false representation of surge height, especially according to location of landfall. This study will discuss the correlation between category 2, and greater, hurricanes and corresponding storm surge heights between the Gulf Coast and Atlantic coast. Through this research it shows that there is a variation in storm surge height between regions, concluding that the Gulf Coast is prone to higher surge heights than the Atlantic for like-category storms.

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Objective: To examine associations between neighborhood characteristics and diet and physical activity in those of differing socio-economic status. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among US adults living in a small Southeast community, including individuals at lower income levels. Physical activity was self-reported and objectively measured with a pedometer. Diet, self-efficacy, and perception of neighborhood friendliness were self-reported. Main outcome measures: Minutes of physical activity, self-efficacy towards physical activity, where residents exercised, and perception of neighborhood friendliness towards physical activity. Statistical Analysis Performed: Associations between where participants exercise and their minutes of daily exercise were analyzed by independent t-tests (p < 0.05). Income level and minutes of daily activity were analyzed with t-tests and later with UNIANOVA, controlling for age. Income and where participants exercise was analyzed using Chi square. Distance to the park and minutes of daily activity was analyzed with Pearson's correlation (two-sided, p < 0.05). Results: Income was not associated with daily minutes of physical activity or where a person chose to be active. Age was the biggest predictor of physical activity. Living on a street with a hill was positively correlated with self-efficacy for physical activity but negatively correlated with perception of neighborhood friendliness towards physical activity. Conclusion: Both high and low SES residents, within the same neighborhood, having access to the same recreational opportunities, did not differ in levels of physical activity. Both income groups met the current recommendations for physical activity suggesting access to parks with walking/biking trails, as well as other facilities, increases actual energy expenditure, independent of SES. Applications: Health officials and urban planners could work together in creating more recreational opportunities, especially in low SES neighborhoods, to increase national levels of physical activity. / Master of Science

This study presents a topical and chronological analysis of the published works of Fritz Perls with particular attention to specified theoretical continua. The theoretical continua specified are: 1. Determinism vs. Free Will, 2. Unconscious vs. Conscious, 3. Monism vs. Dualism, A. Physical vs. Mental, 5. Nativism vs. Environmental ism, 6. Elementalism vs. Holism, 7. Reactive vs. Proactive, 8. Subjective vs. Objective, 9. Responsibility vs. Helplessness, 10. Thinking vs. Feeling, and 11. Heterostasis vs. Homeostasis. Each continuum is analyzed in reference to Perls' published thought and his stated beliefs are described and reported. Large sections of the dissertation are devoted to the intellectual, philosophical, and emotional influences that led Perls to write the theory of Gestalt therapy. The dissertation concludes with the report of Perls' position on each defined continuum, with discussion of empirical studies, Gestalt therapy and other major theories of counseling that hold parallel theoretical positions, concluding with a discussion of the limitations of the theory of Gestalt therapy and of this dissertation.

This investigation uses the model proposed by Ferris et al.¡]1989¡^, the sample consisted of 802 employees selected from a big organizations in Taiwan. The data were analyzed by applying statistical methods, including factor analysis, reliability, correlation and multiple linear regressions. The process of study was divided into two stages and carry on real example analysis and accordance with the analysis result to offer management suggestions. In the first stage, studying the relationships among the perceptions of organizational politics , employee¡¦s personal influences¡Morganizational influences¡Mjob/work environment influences in T company. In the second stage, studying the relationships among the perceptions of organizational politics and organizational citizenship within T Company. The results of this study in summary are: 1. Personal factor has effects on POPs with respect to all its three dimensions. 2. Organizational factor has effects on POPs with respect to all its three dimensions. 3. POPs has effects on Organizational Citizenship Behavior with respect to all its three dimensions.

Abstract¡GThis investigation uses the model proposed by Ferris et al.,¡]1989¡^to study the relationships among the perceptions of organizational politics , employee¡¦s personal influences¡Morganizational influences¡M job/work environment influences in domestic enterprises. The sample consisted of 430 employee selected from five service organizations in Taiwan. The data were analyzed by applying statistical methods, including factor analysis, reliability, correlation and multiple linear regression. The major findings of this study are as fallow: Perceptions of organizational politics were found have a negative relationship with age¡Mtenure¡Meducation¡Mhierarchical level¡Morganizational formalization¡Mskill variety¡Mjob autonomy¡Mjob feedback¡Mrelationship with supervisor¡Mrelationship with coworker and a positive relationship with organizational centralization. Those employee with high Machiavellians¡Mtype A personality or external locus might feel higher perceptions of organizational politics.

Adolescent delinquent behavior accounts for many problems in society and is affected by numerous factors. Factors examined by the current study include parenting, peer influences, religious influences, ethnicity, and gender. Participants consisted of 438 students (males = 176, females = 262) enrolled at Mississippi State University. Participants were Caucasian (71.9%), African American (23.1%), Hispanic (2.1%), Asian (1.1%), and other (1.6%) ethnicities. Delinquent behavior was correlated positively with permissive parenting and negatively with parental warmth and authoritative parenting. Delinquent behavior was correlated negatively with peer trust, communication, and positively with friends’ delinquent behavior. Additionally, intrinsic religiosity and strength of religious faith were correlated negatively with delinquent behavior. With all factors examined simultaneously in a regression, friends’ delinquent behavior was the strongest predictor and maternal permissive parenting remained significant. These results suggest more attention should be given to the dynamics of the transmission of delinquent behavior within a youth’s group of friends.

Though many studies have been conducted on bullying and ways to prevent it, there is still little evidence that bullying has been reduced (Bauman, 2008). Since bullying behaviors have become prevalent, incidences of negative outcomes for students who are bullies and victims have increased, hence more discussion of the topic is taking place at school, home, and in the media (Bauman, 2008; Kaiser & Raminsky, 2001; Salmon, James, & Smith, 1998). This study proposes to learn how students make sense of these multiple messages. Through an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith & Osborn, 2003), 8-10 year old students were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, in addition to student drawings and elaborations from the draw-and write-technique (Williams, Wetton, & Moon, 1989). These methods were used to explore student bullying experiences and the process in which they make sense of the education provided to them. The study is framed through Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 1994) ecological systems theory considering the multiple influences that individuals face through systems and their interactions. Data from the semi-structured interviews and the draw-and-write technique were analyzed through coding according to IPA guidelines, compared, and converged. Results showed that students confuse conflict with bullying, and receive conflicting messages about how bullying should be handled. Students are confused by what is the best reaction to a bullying situation due to conflicting messages from school and home, and the possibility of disappointment or trouble if they do not follow suggestions from one or the other. The media had minimal influence on children of this age in regards to bullying.

Tsang Mei Lan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-128). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Abstract --- p.iv / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1. --- Research Problem --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- Anthropological Background of Festivals --- p.4 / On Rituals / On Cultural Identity / Chapter 3. --- Theoretical Framework --- p.8 / On Hong Kong / On Festivals / Chapter 4. --- Methodology --- p.14 / Participant Observation and Ethnographic Interviews Written Materials and News Collecting / Chapter 5. --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.17 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Historical Background --- p.19 / Chapter 1. --- From Ethnic Conflict to Cultural Borrowing -- Christmas in Hong Kong --- p.19 / Chapter 2. --- Changes of Tradition --Hong Kong's Lunar New Year --- p.30 / Chapter 3. --- Creation of Local Identity in Hong Kong --- p.39 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Making Up Christmas in Hong Kong --- p.42 / Chapter 1. --- Christmas in The Air --- p.43 / Chapter 2. --- Constructing Via Consuming --- p.47 / Christmas Commodities / Christmas Activities / Chapter 3. --- Different Interpretation of Christmas --- p.56 / Consumption for Christmas / Social Relations in Christmas / Chapter 4. --- Cultural Analysis --- p.73 / Westerness / Dialectics in Constructing Christmas / Christmas - An Everlasting Process of Construction / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Inheritance of Lunar New Year in Hong Kong --- p.79 / Chapter 1. --- Lunar New Year in Life --- p.79 / Chapter 2. --- Constructing Via Customs and Myths --- p.82 / Rituals before New Year's Day / Rituals on and after New Year's Day / Chapter 3. --- Unified Meanings of Lunar New Year --- p.85 / A Family Festival / An Experience of Community / A Carnival of Customs / Chapter 4. --- Reconstructing Lunar New Year --- p.95 / Lost Traditions / Creation of Traditions / Boundless Traditions / Chapter 5. --- Lunar New Year - A Cultural Memory --- p.103 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- A Comparison of the Festivals --- p.107 / Chapter 1. --- Unspecification of Festivities --- p.107 / Chapter 2. --- Meaning for Festivals --- p.109 / Chapter 3. --- Cultural Imagination --- p.111 / Christmas - A Foreign Festival / Lunar New Year - A Traditional Festival / Chapter 4. --- Festivals as Social Process --- p.117 / Chapter 5. --- Festivals as Pools for Constructing Identity --- p.118 / References --- p.122 / Books and Journals / Newspaper and Magazines

Brand loyalty development is an important part of a company‘s marketing strategy. Empirical data on the influences of brand loyalty in the South African hospitality industry is non-existent. Moolla and Bisschoff developed an empirical tool for measuring twelve influences of brand loyalty in, originally, the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. The model has since been validated and the reliability of the data confirmed for various industries such as agri- business, banking and pharmaceutical industries. The twelve influences the model test are; customer satisfaction, culture, brand performance, brand relevance, relationship proneness, brand affect, repeat purchase, perceived value, commitment, involvement, switching cost and brand trust. An adapted Moolla and Bisschoff model is employed in the hospitality industry, and more specifically the hotel sector, which aims to determine the role each influence plays on brand loyalty. Questionnaires were distributed to guests at various branded hotels in South Africa of which 187 patrons responded positively. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure indicated sample adequacy and suitability for factor analysis, where after the questionnaire was validated and the data found to be reliable. According to the respondents‘ perceptions, customer satisfaction is regarded as the single most very important brand loyalty influence in the hospitality industry. Brand trust, repeat purchase, involvement, perceived value, relationship proneness, brand affect, brand relevance and brand performance can also be seen as important factors. Switching cost, commitment and culture were not considered to be very important brand influences. Sub-factors were identified for the influences of perceived value and relationship proneness. A new conceptual framework for brand loyalty in the hospitality industry was therefore suggested. The results of this study concluded that the adapted Moolla and Bisschoff model is indeed a valuable tool for measuring brand loyalty influences in the hospitality industry. This study also contributed to the knowledge base regarding brand loyalty of the South African hospitality industry in South Africa. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015