The increasing use of the Internet over recent years has forced governments and individuals to utilise Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in the form of electronic government (e-government), more specifically Public Sector Online Services (PSOS) as a subset of egovernment. However, the success of PSOS delivery is dependent on usage and on the growing concerns about the perceived information and service quality of PSOS and their influence on self-efficacy, satisfaction and personal outcome expectation towards ‘continuance intention’ to use the PSOS systems. Retaining current PSOS users is crucial to ensure better utilisation of ICT investments through a regulated process that considers citizens’ personal factors while using PSOS. If the level of PSOS quality is low, citizens are likely to revert to using traditional systems, leaving the new ICT systems underutilised. Few studies have investigated the influences of information and service quality on personal factors, such as self-efficacy, personal outcome expectation and satisfaction, towards intention to continuing to use PSOS. To fill this gap, the present study develops a PSOS quality model by associating it with citizens’ self-efficacy, satisfaction, personal outcome expectation, social influence, prior experience, and continuance intention. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the salient factors influencing citizens’ intention in the context of PSOS use. A research model of eight constructs is developed by integrating Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), the DeLone and McLean IS success model, and E-S-QUAL. To validate the model, a quantitative-positivist approach methodology is used as the research paradigm; it employs a cross-sectional survey design as well as componentbased structural equation modelling (SEM) by using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) as the data analysis technique. In total, 471 self-administrated questionnaires were found usable for data analysis and 17 hypotheses were formulated and tested. Overall, the modelling demonstrates a good fit with the observed data. The findings show that prior experience, social influence, information quality and services quality are significant predictors of citizens’ intention to use PSOS if these latent constructs are regulated through selfefficacy. The results exhibit positive relationships with the other constructs in the model except social influence and information quality towards personal outcome expectation and satisfaction. Further, the results show that service quality is the most influential variable in the present model. This highlights the vital role of service quality while delivering PSOS. Theoretically, the present study extends the roles of pre-adoption and post-adoption by offering a self-regulating process through self-efficacy as a physical ability. Further, the study reveals the importance of personal outcome expectation (internal stimuli) as well as satisfaction (external stimuli) as cognitive factors that represent personal goal assessments. Practically, the current study offers managers a mechanism in how to deal with end-users on a continuance basis while delivering online service through short- and long-term strategies. In summary, the present study marks a significant contribution in better understanding the utilisation of egovernment systems and can serve to better self-regulate outcomes for both citizens and government. Keywords: electronic service, e-service, electronic government, eGovernment, e-government, service quality, information quality, social influence, self-efficacy, personal outcome expectation, satisfaction, continuance intention.

American students no longer lead the world in quantitative skills. This decline in mathematical ability has potentially significant negative national and personal consequences. Math anxiety, low self-efficacy in relation to math, and a sense of hopelessness about math are all possible barriers to being successful in learning and using math, not only in school but ultimately in many aspects of adult life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between hope, expectation, math anxiety (positive and negative affect related components), and students’ final course scores in College Algebra within the context of an instructional strategy intended to improve student achievement and reduce math anxiety. Data were collected from 214 College Algebra students in 12 different classrooms, taught by five instructors using this strategy. These data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Within the context of the study, the scores students hoped to earn and pre-course negative affect related math anxiety subscores did not significantly influence their final course scores. However, the scores students expected to earn and positive affect related math anxiety subscores did impact final course scores. Scores students hoped to earn at the beginning of the course were significantly related to total math anxiety as well as positive and negative affect related math anxiety subscores at the end of the course. Classroom average attitudes, including averages of scores students hoped to earn, scores students expected to earn, and math anxiety scores were significantly related to post-course positive and negative affect related math anxiety subscores and total post-course math anxiety. The number of students indicating that they enjoyed math and would like to take more math classes in the future was higher at the end of the course than at the beginning. Fewer students disagreed with every negative affect related item on the instrument at the end of the course than did at the beginning, indicating improving affect. Instructional strategies similar to the one used in this study may provide a rich context for supporting student achievement and improving attitudes towards math in College Algebra. The results of this study may help inform the work of practitioners through improved understanding of the impact and interactions of hope, expectation, math anxiety, classroom attitudes, and achievement.

Aim: Research on close relationships demonstrates that dyadic convergence, or two people becoming more concordant in their experiences and/or beliefs over time, is commonplace and adaptive. As psychotherapy involves a close relationship, patient–therapist convergence processes may influence treatment-specific outcomes. Although prior research supports that patients and therapists tend to converge on their alliance perspectives over time, which associates with subsequent patient improvement, no research has similarly examined belief convergence during therapy. Accordingly, this study focused on patient–therapist convergence in their outcome expectation (OE), a belief variable associated with patient improvement when measured from individual participant perspectives. I predicted both that significant OE convergence would occur and relate to better posttreatment outcome. Method: Data derived from a trial of naturalistic psychotherapy. Patients and therapists repeatedly rated their respective OE through treatment, and patients rated their symptom/functional outcomes at posttreatment. For dyads (N = 154) with the requisite OE data, I tested my questions using multilevel structural equation modeling. Results: There was no discernable OE convergence pattern over treatment (g100 = 0.02, SE = 0.04, p = .275) and OE convergence was unrelated to outcome at the between-dyad (b02k = 1.86, SD = 10.08, p = .406) and between-therapist (g002 = -0.06, SD = 3.54, p = .473) levels. However, higher early patient OE was significantly associated with better outcome at the between-dyad level (b05k = -0.04, SD = 0.01, p < .001). Discussion: Results suggest that OE may be more of a facilitative patient versus relational process factor.

Historically, female representation in engineering and manufacturing trades has been underrepresented compared to their male counterparts. Given this trend, the scope of this paper is to analyze the motivational factors among females who are currently working in Engineering and Manufacturing related trades in the surrounding lower East Appalachian area. Literature research will support an analysis of the following focus: Females in Engineering and Manufacturing Trades. The study focuses on analyzing questionaries from thirty-two females based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory and its three components: “outcome expectations, career interest, and career self-efficacy”. The major findings of this study indicate that creating awareness early and building self-efficacy are important factors in leading females to a STEM career; discrimination was not a major factor in females choosing a STEM career in this region; and parent/teacher/community involvement is essential for recruiting females in STEM careers.

Die folgenden Fragen standen im Mittelpunkt der Dissertation: Wie handeln Grundschulkinder aus, wenn sie von ihren Peers ungerecht behandelt werden? Welche unmittelbaren Wirkungen hat ihr Vorgehen? In welchem Zusammenhang steht das Vorgehen in der Konfliktsituation mit der Stellung unter den Peers? Theoretische Grundlage waren die Entwicklungsmodelle zum Aushandeln von Yeates und Selman (1989) sowie Hawley (1999). Es nahmen 213 Dritt- und Fünftklässler an der Untersuchung teil. Eine Kombination qualitativer und quantitativer Methoden wurde verwendet. In einem individuellen Interview wurde erhoben, welche Taktiken (eine Handlungseinheit) sowie welche Strategien (Abfolge von Taktiken) die Kinder in einer hypothetischen Normbruchsituation einsetzen würden. Die Kinder wurden auch gefragt, welche unmittelbaren Wirkungen sie erwarten, wenn sie die vorgeschlagene Taktik einsetzen. Die Stellung der Kinder wurde sowohl bezüglich ihres Einflusses (Peerrating) als auch bezüglich ihrer Akzeptanz (Soziometrie) unter den Klassenkameraden erhoben. Die von den Kindern genannten Taktiken wurden vier übergeordneten Kategorien zugeordnet: Verhandeln, Erzwingen, Ausweichen und Aufgeben. Nach den Erwartungen der Kinder führen sowohl Verhandlungstaktiken als auch erzwingende Taktiken in um die Hälfte der Fälle zur Durchsetzung. Erzwingende Taktiken gehen jedoch häufig mit unfreundlichen Reaktionen einher. Einfluss und Akzeptanz der Kinder waren davon abhängig, welche Kombination und Sequenz von Taktiken (Strategie) sie wählten. Beispielsweise waren Kinder einflussreich und beliebt, die eine Reihe von Verhandlungstaktiken generierten oder die zunächst Verhandlungstaktiken vorschlugen und danach erzwingende Taktiken. Kinder, die sofort Zwang einsetzen würden, hatten wenig Einfluss und wurden abgelehnt. Außerdem fanden sich Geschlechts- und Altersunterschiede hinsichtlich des Vorgehens in der hypothetischen Normbruchsituation sowie der Zusammenhänge zwischen Taktiken und Stellung unter Peers. / The dissertation dealt with the following questions: How do children react, when a peer infringes upon their rights? What immediate outcomes are connected to their actions? What is the relation between the way children proceed in the conflict situation and their social standing among their peers? As a theoretical background served the modells about negotiations by Yeates and Selman (1989) as well as Hawley (1999). 213 third- and fifthgraders participated in the study. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. Children were individually interviewed to assess what tactics (unit of action) as well as what strategies (sequence of tactics) they would apply in a hypothetical conflict involving a rights infraction. Children were also asked what immediate outcomes they expected, using the proposed tactic. Children's social standing was assessed concerning their influence (peerrating) as well as their acceptance (sociometrie) among their classmates. The tactics propsed by the children were assigned to four superordinate categories: negotiate, coerce, get out of the way, give in. According to the expectations of the children both negotiation tactics and coercive tactics lead to assertion in about half of the cases. Coercive tactics however often evoque unfriendly responses. Children differed in their influence and acceptance depending on the combination and sequence of tactics (strategy) they chose. For example children, which generated a series of negotiation tactics and children, which proposed negotiation tactics in the beginning and coercion tactics later were both influental and liked. Children, which chose coercion allready in the beginning had little influence and were rejected. Also gender and age differences were found concerning the tactics chosen in the hypothetical conflict situation and the relation between tactics and social standing among peers.