The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate auditors' judgments and decisions in the presence of an explicitly stated client preference. This investigation considers two factors. First, the temporal placement (i.e., timing) of the client preference is varied to allow for an examination of differential effects associated with the receipt of an early client preference and a late client preference. Second, client trustworthiness is varied so that participants may have a basis upon which to evaluate the client's representations (i.e., preferences). Practicing auditors, who were either managers or senior managers at a national accounting firm, participated in the study by completing two audit tasks in which the two factors were manipulated. Findings indicate that explicitly stated client preferences resulted in significantly different decision processes, but did not significantly influence auditors' judgment processes. However, further analysis indicated that there was no significant client preference (CP) effect observed for auditors' final decisions. Therefore, it appears that the influence of the client's preference was transitory. Taken together, these findings suggest that the CP did not result in a loss of auditors' objectivity. Auditors' judgments and decisions were sensitive to the client's relative trustworthiness. This finding suggests that auditors are responsive to a client's credibility when evaluating the client's representations. This result is expected given since generally accepted auditing standards require auditors to consider a source's credibility. However, it is surprising that auditors' evidence evaluation efforts were not differentially sensitive to the client's trustworthiness. Such a finding may indicate that the participating auditors' evidence evaluation efforts are more influenced by firm policy than individual judgment. / Ph. D.

The present study sought to identify the effects that derived relational training had on simulated gambling behavior with slot machines. Prior to conducting any relational training procedures, participants' relational responses in each contextual condition was probed. Each of the four backgrounds/conditions (red, blue, green, yellow) were presented with various stimuli from differing stimulus classes. Twenty trials were presented with no feedback for correct responding. Upon completion of the probes, pretest preference assessments were administered with blue and red slot machines being concurrently available for twenty trials then green and yellow slot machines doing the same. Following the pretest preference assessment, relational training began, here stimuli from each of the stimulus classes were presented on screen for three of the contextual conditions with the blue contextual condition left out to assess for possible derived relational responses. After completion, the second set of relational probes and posttest preference assessments began to assess if relational training altered the response allocation of slot machines and accuracy of responding during probes. After relational training, all participants showed an increase in response allocation to the red slot machine and a decrease to the blue. The yellow slot machine was selected increasingly with three participants while green was selected more often with one individual, one staying at the same number, and two selecting it less than in the pretest.

Insecticidal neonicotinoid seed treatments in agriculture is a common insect pest management strategy. Seed treatments have systemic and residual toxicity, which are effective against target insect pests. However, effects on other arthropod pests is less straightforward. We evaluated the effects of a neonicotinoid seed treatment, thiamethoxam, on two soybean pests, herbivorous two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch) and an omnivore and facultative predator of spider mite eggs, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande). We used greenhouse and laboratory experiments to evaluate thiamethoxam soybean seed treatments on spider mite densities and thrips omnivorous feeding behavior. Our results suggest seed treatment may encourage spider mite reproduction and influence thrips herbivory over egg predation when both resources are available. Implications of this study highlight the use of thiamethoxam soybean seed treatment as a potential contributor to increased spider mite populations, thrips reduced role as spider mite predator, and increased role as herbivorous pest.

<p>The sex ratio at birth in China has been increasingly skewed in favor of males since 1980 when the government implemented the one-child policy to control population growth. Existing studies commonly point to economic factors and their weakening effect on the Confucian tradition of son preference to understand the male-biased sex ratio at birth; however, a perspective that heavily focuses on economic factors is limited. In this dissertation, I argue that bringing in religion – a key factor shaping individual attitudes and decisions related to son preference – can shed important light upon sex ratio at birth patterns in China.</p><p>This dissertation is divided into three empirical chapters. The first study explores religious effects on county-level sex ratios at birth using data from the 2000 China Population Census and the 2004 China Economic Census. Findings reveal that greater Daoist presence is associated with more imbalanced sex ratios in the county, while the presence of Islamic and Buddhist places of worship helps mitigate male-biased sex ratios. Study two askes how religious groups vary in their preferences for sons and sex selection decisions using data from the 2010 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). Findings suggest that Christians stand out for their weak son preference and refrain from sex selection, while Daoists hold strong son preference and more likely to practice sex selection to have many sons. The last study uses the CGSS data to explore whether religion shapes abortion attitudes among Chinese people. It shows that Islam and Christianity have a strong influence on the disapproval of abortion, and while affiliating with Daoism does not affect one’s approval of abortion, living in a neighborhood with more Daoists significantly reduces one’s approval of abortion.</p><div><p>These studies together demonstrate that religion is an important factor shaping not only individual attitudes and behaviors but also demographic trends in society. This dissertation serves as the first study that investigates the linkage between religion and demographic trends by examining how religion – both individual religious affiliation and religious context in a locality – affects the sex ratio at birth via shaping individual son preferences, sex selection decisions, and abortion attitudes. By highlighting religion – a factor that has been overlooked in demographic studies of China – this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of imbalanced sex ratios and its determinants.</p></div><p></p>

Orientation: For decades, organisations have implemented performance management systems in order to promote an environment focused on performance enhancement and employee development. Performance appraisals have consistently been at the centre of performance management systems. However, they are often perceived as being ineffective or unsatisfactory, resulting in dissatisfaction and contributing to financial and time losses. Performance Appraisal Satisfaction (PAS) amongst employees is, therefore, vital if organisations want to achieve desired outcomes. Limited research was found that explained or described methods which organisations can utilise to increase PAS amongst employees. Research rationale and objectives: As organisations become more global, innovative and employee-focused, the need to cater to individual needs and desires has significantly increased. This study aimed to investigate ways in which PAS can be increased through the individualisation of three performance appraisal aspects namely; number of raters; method of feedback and frequency of feedback. In terms of the individualisation factors, this study has focused on; level of perceived self-efficacy and the Big Five personality dimensions. Research approach: Given the limited pre-existing literature on this topic, the present study used an exploratory research approach to engage with the results in an in-depth manner. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from employees and Human Resource practitioners in order to establish performance appraisal preferences and the viability of implementing individualised performance appraisals. Composite questionnaires consisting of Likert-type questions, choice-based conjoint tasks and open-ended questions, were distributed utilising a convenient and snowball methodology. Completed questionnaires were analysed by means of descriptive and inferential and statistics, conjoint analysis, as well as by means of a thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Human Resource practitioners and analysed using a thematic analysis. Main findings: Results from the descriptive and inferential statistics indicate that the level of self-efficacy and personality-type are significant in predicting certain performance appraisal preferences. For example, respondents with increased levels of perceived self-efficacy significantly preferred face-to-face feedback from a manager (p < .05) while respondents with low levels of perceived self-efficacy significantly preferred impersonal feedback (p < .05). Results from the composite questionnaire’s open-ended items indicated that employees prefer performance appraisals which considered their personality type and level of self-efficacy. However, the thematic analysis conducted on the HR practitioner interviews revealed that HR practitioners are hesitant to implement a novel performance appraisal system for reasons including; gaining top-management support and the additional time and administrative burden it would likely impose on the HR practitioners themselves.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第17988号 / 農博第2035号 / 新制||農||1019(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H26||N4813(農学部図書室) / 80832 / 京都大学大学院農学研究科食品生物科学専攻 / (主査)教授 伏木 亨, 教授 保川 清, 教授 安達 修二 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第21310号 / 農博第2295号 / 新制||農||1063(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H30||N5144(農学部図書室) / 京都大学大学院農学研究科農学専攻 / (主査)教授 松村 康生, 教授 丸山 伸之, 教授 谷 史人 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

The term soundscape, used for the first time at the end of 1970s, refers to the sum of the sounds that can be heard and perceived by people in a specific environment. The concept of soundscape has recently received attention in planning and design disciplines. Recent studies on soundscape have shown that the acoustic environment plays an important role for the comfort of site users. Hence, this research investigates how objective measurement of soundscape might be different from subjective perceptions of users in the Mississippi State University Campus as a public open space due to demographic and climatic variations. The public open spaces studied in the Mississippi State University Campus include four locations: the Mitchell Memorial Library, the Colvard Student Union, the Bell Island, and the Sanderson Center. These locations were evaluated through objective measurement, and subjective evaluation.

Treatments for depression are not overly effective. Thus, aptitude-by-treatment interactions (ATIs), or interactions between particular treatments and client characteristics may be key to increasing treatment outcomes. Aptitudes of particular interest are 1) emotional and 2) etiological factors. Emotional factors related to positivity (i.e., fear of happiness, fear of positive evaluation, anticipatory anhedonia) are of practical interest due to recent increases in positivity-based treatments and of theoretical interest due to reward devaluation theory, which states that depressed individuals may be motivated to be fearful/avoidant of positivity. Etiological beliefs regarding causes of depression (i.e., physical, childhood, characterological) are of interest due to budding literature boasting the treatment benefits of matching relevant treatments to etiological beliefs. In the current study, participants were provided with four depression treatment descriptions and were asked about the personal fit, preference, and effectiveness of these treatments as well as completed an online battery of questionnaires. Emotional hypotheses supported reward devaluation theory, as individuals who were highly fearful of happiness and positivity were less interested in treatments specifically targeting positivity than other treatments, differing from the overall group preferences. Some evidence from etiological hypotheses also supported use of these beliefs in treatment planning, as individuals with childhood etiological beliefs were more interested in pastocused treatments, as well as those with characterological beliefs (after accounting for other clinical variables). Thus, incorporating emotional and etiological factors into treatment planning may allow for an enhanced discussion of why treatments in direct contrast with clients’ etiological beliefs or preferences may be the treatments that they need the most.

The term “kink” refers to a community of people and a practice of sexual activities that engage in power exchanges with their partner(s), pain, and/or restraint in a myriad of different contexts, that may or may not occur in an overt sexual context (Meyer & Chen, 2019). “Kink” can be used interchangeably with the acronym BDSM, which stands for bondage, dominance/discipline, sadism/submission, masochism. The overall purpose of this study was to learn more about those who are part of the kink community. This research is important because the current literature on those who engage in kink is relatively small and more information is needed on this population. Findings from this study may help therapists working with kink-oriented clients in the form of more understanding and in the provision of better care. Findings from this study may also contribute to the reduction of stigma associated with this population. I sought to answer the following questions: (1) Do kink members manifest symptoms of psychopathology more than non-kink individuals? And (2) Can interest in kink activities be predicted from variables related to psychopathology? Undergraduate students (n = 159; 110 females, 41 males, 2 trans, 2 “other”, 4 whom did not report their gender) completed questionnaires assessing: interest in kink, maladjustment (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization), sadism, aggressiveness, antisocial behaviors, narcissism, histrionic behaviors, autonomous thinking, and empathy. Results indicated the following: Overall, there were no differences between members of the kink community versus non-kink members on study variables. Additional regression analyses revealed that those interested and open to kink activities tend to be autonomous (or independent) thinkers, less self-centered (i.e., narcissistic), and more concerned with ethics (e.g., obtaining consent for sex) than those not interested in kink activities. However, results also indicated that those interested in kink tend to enjoy attention (i.e., engage in histrionic behaviors). All considered, the data suggest that more individuals are open to, and have engaged in, kink-related sexual activities compared to those who openly self-identify as members of the kink community. Moreover, many of those who are open to and/or have engaged in kink are not necessarily any more pathological with respect to their psychological adjustment compared to non-kink people. With the exception of liking attention, these results suggest that kink members are more independently minded (i.e., concern themselves less for how others think or view them), less self-centered in some aspects, and recognize the importance of ethics, presumably as it relates to obtaining consent for sexual activities with others. Discussions of these results are provided.