Young adults account for over one in five new HIV diagnoses each year in the United States, and although the total incidence has been decreasing among most groups in recent years, diagnoses among young adults are increasing. To better understand the decision-making processes of young adults 18-24 years old at risk of contracting HIV, as well as the deterrent effect of the fear of HIV on their decision-making, a two-phase study was conducted. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with young adults (n=31) to gain a comprehensive understanding of their current HIV risk perceptions, decision-making processes, and risky behaviors to inform the second phase of study. The themes and ideas from Phase I, derived through thematic synthesis, were incorporated into a perceptual mapping survey to visually depict young adults’ HIV perceptions and related risk-taking behaviors. The Phase II survey was conducted online via Mechanical Turk to access a diverse sample of young adults (n=226) still at risk of contracting HIV. Both study phases were informed by Social Cognitive Theory and the psychometric paradigm. Results of descriptive analyses and perceptual mapping suggest that HIV is not a factor in young adults’ decision-making and resulting behaviors. Their lack of perceived risk of HIV is exhibited in their continued engagement in unprotected sex, casual sex, lack of sexual history discussion, and infrequent HIV testing. Perceived value of condoms, concerns of pregnancy, and perceptions of the sexual encounter itself, as well as sociodemographic and personality factors, were important factors in their decision-making instead. / Public Health

One of the key determinants of an organization’s success is its ability to adapt to marketplace change. Given this reality, how do organizations survive or even thrive in today’s dynamic markets? The answer to this question is highly related to the adaptability of one of the organization’s key resource: its employees. Indeed, the central component of an organization’s success will depend on its ability to drive changes in the mental models of individual employees. Moreover, a critical facilitator of that will be the development of decision support tools that support change of those mental models. In response to this need there has been a tremendous growth in business analytic decision support tools, estimated to reach almost $200 billion in sales by 2019. The premise of this research is that these decision support tools are ill-suited to support true mental model change because they have focused on a feedback-enabled view and generally lack a predictive (feedforward-enabled) view of the likely outcomes of the decision. The purpose of this research is to study how changes in mental models can be facilitated through this feedforward mechanisms within the DSS tool. This research used a mixed method approach, leveraging the strengths of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, to study this research question. The research showed that the feedforward-enabled DSS tool did create more mental model change and alignment (versus an ideal solution) compared to the control. The feedforward enabled tool also produced better alignment than the feedback-enabled decision support tool. In fact, the feedback-enabled decision support was shown to result in a poorer alignment with the ideal solution. This paper concludes by suggesting five areas for future research. / Business Administration/Management Information Systems

This study examined a music therapy technique designed according to a resource-oriented approach and involved the use of music listening with adults, called "Intentional Music Listening". This protocol consisted of four music listening techniques. An exploratory sequential design was used, with a quantitative data phase followed by a qualitative data phase. The quantitative phase employed a modified crossover design, with an experimental group and waitlist control group. Participants attended groups at which they were coached in the music listening techniques for at-home practice. Quantitative data was gathered using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) (Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988), and through completion of diary cards after each at-home listening protocol. The qualitative data phase consisted of semi-structured interviews following participation in the music listening protocol. Both the statistical data and the qualitative data give support for the Intentional Music Listening protocol as having a positive impact on the participants' perceived state of well-being, and as a viable set of techniques for use in wellness-based music therapy practice. / Music Therapy

The field of personal fitness training is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Historically, scholars, undergraduate institutions, and national certifying organizations that focused on the education of personal fitness trainers have given instructional priority to biological and exercise science content. However, more recent research has underscored the value of psychological and interpersonal skills in driving clients' health and fitness goal attainment. Consequently, the goal of the present study was to determine the impact of a five-hour exercise psychology experiential workshop on levels of perceived importance, confidence in knowledge, and content knowledge of key exercise psychology concepts and skills in a non-randomized sample of personal fitness trainers and students (n = 41). Through a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design, participants were assessed quantitatively pre-intervention and post-intervention. A qualitative follow-up assessment was conducted one-month post-intervention with a sub-set of participants (n = 17). The workshop produced significant improvements in self-reported measures of confidence in knowledge and perceptions of importance of key exercise psychology concepts and skills as well as content knowledge of the exercise psychology concepts covered in the workshop. Further quantitative analyses revealed that certain demographics, namely gender, age, and academic coursework had distinct associations with each of the outcome variables. Follow-up qualitative analyses suggested that participants rated the workshop highly and described their experience in predominately positive terms. Suggestions were provided on how to improve the workshop, particularly focusing on elements of its content and overall structure. Results from the current study highlight the need for increased exposure of personal fitness trainers to instruction in exercise psychology. Given the benefits of developing exercise psychology knowledge, skills, and abilities, the results of this research indicate that preparation for the personal fitness training profession can be enhanced through increased attention to exercise psychology. Limitations of the current study and future directions for outcome research and practice are discussed. / Kinesiology

In this study, Albanian migrants' choices to settle in the UK are addressed. The leading question is why they migrate from Albania and why they choose to enter the UK clandestinely instead of other European countries, where they can travel with a passport (do not need a Visa). The study also assesses their expectations of the UK and future intentions for residency. Data were gathered using a mixed-methods research design with a pragmatic approach by analyzing quantitative surveys, further supported by six qualitative follow-up interviews. The results indicated that the socioeconomic and political conditions in Albania were the primary factor pushing the migrants to migrate. The United Kingdom is chosen as a migration destination because of the general view of the country in terms of economic prospects and quality of life. The findings also revealed that social networks were an essential determinant in the decision of destination selection, shaping the image of the destination country. Thus, regardless of their undocumented status, most participants do not plan to return to their home country.

The majority of the forested land in New England is owned by private landowners, a large number of whom are at or above retirement age. In the coming decades these landowners are going to be making decisions about what happens to their land once they no longer own it. Female landowners specifically play a critical role in the long-term planning and decision-making process. Women generally have a longer life expectancy than men and assess their level of confidence and financial stability in ways that differ from men. This difference in perception influences the decisions they make about their land. Despite this, little is known about decisions female landowners are making and barriers they face to formulating informed decisions that are in line with their goals. In order to understand more about female landowners’ estate planning objectives, I conducted a mixed-methods study. Through a mail survey and subsequent qualitative interviews, I found that women were more likely than men to have lower confidence confidence in moving forward with plans for the land, lower certainty that their financial resources were adequate to move forward, and less certainty when it came to future decisions about their land. However, women who were certain about their estate planning objectives were more likely than men to have a conservation-based decision. The results of this mixed-methods study are applied to peer-to-peer network events and outcomes are discussed.

Thesis advisor: Christopher Higgins / The heightened use of “safe space” in educational settings has been the subject of polarizing contemporary controversy and protested by conservative and progressive camps alike, raising concerns about whether “safe space” remains an educationally viable concept. In response to claims that safety is conflated with “coddling” students, censoring unpopular speech, or reinforcing privilege, this dissertation argues that safe spaces signify enduring pursuits of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education that are too important to be abandoned. Instead, this interdisciplinary, mixed methods project considers how safe spaces can be rehabilitated to best serve subaltern undergraduate students. Informed by the experiences of six of my former students, I investigate how predominantly White institutions (PWI), like Boston College, can be rehabilitated as places where risky, transformative education is possible. By integrating situated educational philosophy and participatory design research (PDR) that features artistic and embodied methods of relationality (self-portraits, walks, and interactive workshops), I offer a spatial turn in the safe space debates that reveals the ideologically laden ‘normative geography’ of university campuses. Attuning to safe space controversies as spatial struggles uncovers who and what is positioned as “in place” or “out of place” on campus, as well as subaltern students’ transgressive acts of place-making—the quotidian tactics of making a hostile place more habitable for themselves. My dissertation therefore culminates by proposing a risky model of higher education, inspired by Judith Butler’s proposal of ethical formation, that insists on a collective responsibility for inclusive campus place-making. In this iterative framework, safety serves not as a barrier to risk, but as a crucial, co-constructed threshold condition that makes educative risk-taking possible for all students. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teaching, Curriculum, and Society.

This dissertation employs a mixed methods research design to examine the travel behavior of immigrants (individuals with an immigration background) in Vienna, Austria. Almost half of the city´s population has an immigration background. This study aims to understand the motivations, perceptions and attitudes influencing the travel behavior of individuals with an immigration background. The two main dependent variables in the analysis throughout the dissertation are mode choice and the satisfaction with six aspects of public transit: costs, travel time, equipment, connectivity, waiting times and safety. The first part of the dissertation will present a quantitative analysis of two datasets, one provided by Statistik Austria, and one self-conducted survey, in which overall trends and predicting factors of travel behavior in Vienna will be presented. The second part of the dissertation offers a qualitative view on travel behavior. 21 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with individuals with and without an immigration background to further the understanding of the underlying factors leading to their travel behavior. The quantitative analysis has shown that individuals with an immigration background from Turkey or former Yugoslavia in general drive more and ride public transit less than individuals without an immigration background. This effect is especially prevalent for work-trips. Individuals with an immigration background from Turkey or former Yugoslavia are also less satisfied with the majority of the six aspects of public transit. The interviews have shown that the rationale between driving more for individuals with an immigration background from Turkey or former Yugoslavia do not stem from transportation or land-use related factors, but rather from political attitudes and viewing the car as a status symbol. Policies set out by the government, such as introducing a cheap annual pass compared with most other cities, are seen negatively as a push to make people give up their cars and use public transit exclusively. The interviews have also found that perceptions of public transit for individuals with an immigration background are greatly influenced by previous experiences regarding public transit in other countries. This dissertation fills a methodological and substantial gap. First, it employs mixed-methods research design using phenomenology in the qualitative analysis to capture the experiences of the interview participants in an accurate way. Substantially, this research has shown, that policies which aim at incentivizing individuals to switch to public transit by offering affordable annual passes do not reach some individuals with an immigration background due to government skepticism. Cities employing transportation policies should not view transportation as a mere technical realm, but rather as a construct filled with social, cultural, and economic aspects. / Doctor of Philosophy / Most large cities in the world have large immigrant populations. However, there is not much scholarly research on how these people travel within these cities in daily life. Additionally, the perceptions of immigrants and non-immigrants regarding public transit will be examined. In this dissertation, there will be four main research topics. First, through statistical analysis, the differences of travelling within the city between immigrants and non-immigrants is analyzed. Second, the reasons and motivations behind these travel patterns will be investigated through interviews with immigrants and non-immigrants. Third, the differences in the perceptions of public transit between immigrants and non-immigrants will be understood. Finally, the underlying reasons behind the perceptions of public transit will be investigated. In this study, I am using statistical analysis as well as interviews to address the four research topics. The statistical analysis has shown that Turkish or former Yugoslavian immigrants are more likely to drive regularly, particularly when travelling for work-related purposes, compared to non-immigrants. The interviews have showed that the reason behind this travel behavior lies in a skeptical attitude towards public transit, which has primarily political reasons. Additionally, these immigrants see the car as a high-status symbol representing economic success

Grounded in sociocultural theory, peer feedback can help students engage in interaction and negotiation of meaning, which serve as a basis for the construction of knowledge (Vygotsky, 1978). It can also contribute to the development of self-regulation, as well as of reflection on one's own learning (Doolittle & Hicks, 2003). Its strategic incorporation into foreign language instruction can help students use the language they are in the process of acquiring to mediate language acquisition (Shrum & Glisan, 2005). Research shows that peer feedback can help students develop and advance their Zone of Proximal Development through their engagement in collaborative interaction with their peers (De Guerrero & Villamil, 1994, 2000; Donato, 2004; Lantolf, 2004; Lantolf & Thorne, 2006; Liu & Hansen, 2005). Peer feedback can also help students improve their writing proficiency, including organization of their texts and awareness of the mechanics of the language necessary for successful communication of the intended message (Kinsler, 1990; Hu, 2005; Williams, 2005). Framed within a sociocultural perspective on foreign language learning and development, and following a manuscript approach, this dissertation consists of a series of studies that aim to explore: (a) whether participation in a peer feedback experience has a positive impact on students’ foreign language writing proficiency; (b) whether guidelines plus training in how to provide meaningful feedback have a different impact on students’ foreign language writing proficiency than guidelines alone; (c) around what themes students focus the feedback they provide to their peers; and (d) what students’ perceptions of the peer feedback experience are. The results of the first the study, which consisted of a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design, showed that students significantly improved their writing proficiency after participating in a peer feedback experience, regardless of training. Further the results of this study indicated that, on average, trained and untrained students provided written peer feedback focused mainly on global aspects rather than local aspects. The results of the second study, which consisted of a mixed methods approach, showed that, on average, students had high perceptions of the peer feedback experience and that they perceived that their partner's feedback had helped them improve the global aspects of their composition more than the local aspects. Students expressed that what they liked the most about the experience was getting a different perspective on their writing, and what they liked the least was that they felt they were not proficient enough in the foreign language to provide meaningful feedback to their peers. / Ph. D.

The United States and South Africa, exemplars of "archsegregation," have been constituted within an arc of historical racialized delineations which began with the centering, and subsequent overrepresentation, of European maleness and whiteness as the sole definition of Man. Globally present and persistent, these racialized delineations have been localized and spatially embedded through the tools of urban planning. This arc of racialized otherness, ineffectively erased, continues to inform the racially differentiated geospatial, health, social, and economic outcomes in contemporary urban form and functions for Black communities. It is within this historical arc, and against these differentiated outcomes, that contemporary urban discourse and contestation between individuals and institutions are situated. This historical othering provides not just a racialized geo-historical contextualization, but also works to preclude the recognition of the some of the most vulnerable urban community members. As urbanists and advocates strive to co-create urban space and place with municipalities, meeting the needs of these residents is imperative. In order to meet these needs, their lived experiences, and voices must be fully recognized and engaged in the processes and programs of urban co-creation, including in digital spaces and forums. Critical to achieving recognition acknowledging and situating contemporary digital discourses between local municipalities, Black residents, and Black networks within this historically racialized arc is necessary. In doing so, explore if, and how, race, specifically Blackness, is enacted in municipal digital discourse, whether these enactments serve to advance or impede resident recognition and participation, and how Black users, as residents and social network curators, engage and respond to these municipal discursive enactments. This exploratory research is a geographically and digitally multi-sited incorporated comparison of Chicago, Illinois, and Johannesburg South Africa. Using Twitter and ethnographic data collected between December 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, this research layers digital ethnographic mixed methods and qualitive mixed methods, including traditional ethnographic, digital ethnographic, grounded theory, social change and discourse analysis, and frame analysis to explore three research goals. First, explore the digital discursive practices and frames employed by municipalities to inform, communicate with, and engage Black communities, and, if and how, these frames are situated within a historically racialized arc. Second, identify the ways in which Black residents, in dual discursive engagements with local municipalities and their own social networks, interact and engage with the municipal frames centering on Blackness. Third, through ethnographic narratives, acknowledge the marginalized residents of the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa as "agents of knowledge," with critical and valuable knowledge claims which arise from their lived experiences anchored within racialized place and space. In doing so, support the efforts of these residents in recentering the validity of their knowledge claims in the co-creation of urban place and space. Additionally, in situating the city within a historically racialized arc develop novel frameworks, the racialized palimpsest city and syndemic segregation, through which to explore contemporary urban interactions and engagements. / Doctor of Philosophy / The United States and South Africa, exemplars of "archsegregation," have been constituted within an arc of historical racialized delineations which began with the centering, and subsequent overrepresentation, of European maleness and whiteness as the sole definition of Man. Globally present and persistent, these racialized delineations have been localized and spatially embedded through the tools of urban planning. This arc of racialized otherness, ineffectively erased, continues to inform the racially differentiated geospatial, health, social, and economic outcomes in contemporary urban form and functions for Black communities. It is within this historical arc, and against these differentiated outcomes, that contemporary urban discourse and contestation between individuals and institutions are situated. This historical othering provides not just a racialized geo-historical contextualization, but also works to preclude the recognition of the some of the most vulnerable urban community members. As urbanists and advocates strive to co-create urban space and place with municipalities, meeting the needs of these residents is imperative. In order to meet these needs, their lived experiences, and voices must be fully recognized and engaged in the processes and programs of urban co-creation, including in digital spaces and forums. Critical to achieving recognition acknowledging and situating contemporary digital discourses between local municipalities, Black residents, and Black networks within this historically racialized arc is necessary. In doing so, explore if, and how, race, specifically Blackness, is enacted in municipal digital discourse, whether these enactments serve to advance or impede resident recognition and participation, and how Black users, as residents and social network curators, engage and respond to these municipal discursive enactments. This exploratory research is a geographically and digitally multi-sited incorporated comparison of Chicago, Illinois, and Johannesburg South Africa. Using Twitter and ethnographic data collected between December 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, this research layers digital ethnographic mixed methods and qualitive mixed methods, including traditional ethnographic, digital ethnographic, grounded theory, social change and discourse analysis, and frame analysis to explore three research goals. First, explore the digital discursive practices and frames employed by municipalities to inform, communicate with, and engage Black communities, and, if and how, these frames are situated within a historically racialized arc. Second, identify the ways in which Black residents, in dual discursive engagements with local municipalities and their own social networks, interact and engage with the municipal frames centering on Blackness. Third, through ethnographic narratives, acknowledge the marginalized residents of the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa as "agents of knowledge," with critical and valuable knowledge claims which arise from their lived experiences anchored within racialized place and space. In doing so, support the efforts of these residents in recentering the validity of their knowledge claims in the co-creation of urban place and space. Additionally, in situating the city within a historically racialized arc develop novel frameworks, the racialized palimpsest city and syndemic segregation, through which to explore contemporary urban interactions and engagements.