The purpose of this study was to determine if a preference exists for recorded acoustic music or music using sound sampled timbre, and if that preference is influenced by age or gender. Participants were divided into two groups, 10 to 15 year olds (n=97), and 50-91 year olds (n=99). Each participant listened to a CD which presented 17 pairs of excerpts from classical music. Each pair contained both a recorded acoustic and sound sampled example of the following timbres: trumpet, flute, trombone, oboe, and tuba. A survey form was used to record the participants’ preferences. Results indicated that preference exists for both music using recorded acoustic timbre and music using sound sampled timbre, with youths preferring recorded acoustic and adults preferring sound sampled. A 2x2 factorial design disclosed that there was a significant difference between the age groups. Gender demonstrated no significant effect nor was there significant interaction between age and gender. Conclusions pointed to the influence of music heard in the public school environment. With increased availability and exposure to sound sampling, consumption of music using this timbre will increase. Music educators need to recognize that the presentation of timbre used in the classroom may reinforce preferences for acoustic music. / Master of Arts

Civil War images are important visual records that captured and depict the realities endured by the American people during the Civil War. These images are a powerful visual platform that depicts the vivid representation of past history. Images of Civil War are frequently used as interpretive media, particularly at historic battlefields to enhance the visitor experience and understanding. However, empirical studies of the characteristics of Civil War images that can influence visitors\' experience are limited. Using historic images of Civil War landscapes, this study identified visitors\' preferences and attitudes for Civil War images at five different American Civil War battlefields: Chickamauga and Chattanooga Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Shiloh National Military Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Antietam National Battlefield, and Gettysburg National Military Park. For this study, the Content Identifying Method (CIM) and eye-tracking technology were used in understanding visitors\' preferences. The results indicate that visitors at historic battlefields prefer images that have a strong sense of active military activities and battle-related action. In addition visitors also preferred images that exhibit a high sense of mystery and are visually complex. The study also revealed that visitor background variables such as gender, age group, and ancestors who fought in the Civil War significantly influence visitor preference for Civil War images. Motivation variables such as interest in learning about "the people," "the military elements," "physical artifacts of the Civil War," and distance travelled to historic battlefields also significantly influence visitor preferences. In term of visitor attitudes towards gruesome images, the majority of the participants believe that these types of images are important visual media that can influence their visitation experience at historic battlefields. Eye-tracking technology was useful in revealing the content that attracted participant attention in some of the images, but not in other images. This study provides information that will be useful to park managers and interpretive designers regarding the characteristics of Civil War images that are important in developing interpretive media for the public and factors that may help in the process of customizing the visitor experience at historic battlefields. / Ph. D.

The present study used a laboratory setting to explore the criterion-related validity of non-cognitive measures as related to personnel selection. The focal study investigated psychological processes resulting from situational causes of motivation to distort item responses. In particular, I investigated whether differences in the motivation to distort item responses interacted with self-consistency in the prediction of performance on a clerical task. Findings suggested that despite range restriction and the existence of faking behavior, a positive correlation between conscientiousness and performance exists. Variation of selection ratio (SR) and monetary incentives successfully produced faking behaviors, and the existence of faking behaviors was found in selection setting. Results partially supported the proposed hypothesis that there are positive and negative effects of faking behaviors. Implications of the present study were further discussed. / Master of Science

Auditors regularly make judgments regarding whether a client’s chosen accounting policy is appropriate and in accordance with generally accepted accounting Principles (GAAP). However, to form this judgment, auditors must either possess adequate topic-specific knowledge or must gain such knowledge through information search. This search is subject to numerous biases, including a bias toward confirmation of a client’s preference. It is important to further our understanding of bias in auditors’ information search to identify its causes and effects. Furthering our understanding is necessary to provide a basis for recommending and evaluating a potential debiaser, such as accountability. the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) annually inspects the audit files of selected engagements, which introduces a new form of accountability within the auditing profession. This new form of accountability has come at great cost, however, there is little empirical evidence regarding its effects on auditors’ processes. As such, it is important to understand whether the presence of accountability from the PCAOB is effective in modifying auditors’ search behaviors to diminish confirmation bias. Using an online experiment, I manipulate client preference (unknown vs. known) and PCAOB accountability pressure (low vs. high) and measure search type (information –focus or decision-focus), search depth (shallow or deep) and documentation quality. I investigate whether auditors’ information search behaviors differ based on knowledge of client’s preference and in the presence of accountability from an expected PCAOB inspection. I also investigate whether differences in auditors’ information search behaviors influence documentation quality, which is the outcome of greatest concern to the PCAOB. I hypothesize and find a client preference effect on information search type such that auditors with knowledge of the client preference consider guidance associated with the client’s preference longer than those without knowledge of the client’s preference. Contrary to expectations, PCAOB accountability pressure does not influence information search depth. with respect to documentation quality, I find that auditors engaged in a more information-focused search have higher documentation quality. Further, as expected, auditors who initially engage in a decision-focus and deep search have higher documentation quality than those auditors who initially engaged in a decision-focused but shallow search.

Yes / The choice of career and speciality can be a complex process. It is unclear what influences career decisions within undergraduate radiographers and whether the curriculum provides sufficient support. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken. All undergraduate diagnostic radiography students within one UK higher education institution were invited to participate. Questions were related to anticipated career choice, motivational factors and influences. Results: The response rate was 67.6% (90/133). The most popular specialist area for career preference was general radiography. The top three motivational factors were work life balance, career development and job satisfaction. The most influential factors on career choice were clinical placements, radiographers on placements and formal teaching. Career guidance was predominantly sourced from the personal academic tutor and was informed by role models. Conclusion: Radiography academic teams and clinical placement providers must work together to ensure that students have access to high quality placements across specialities. The experiences received during undergraduate training are important in specialty choice. Implications for practice: Career guidance is essential and should begin as early as possible. Clinical and academic radiographers need to appreciate the influence they have on students future career plans. / The form of the authors names on the accepted manuscript are: Hackett, Kayleigh and Snaith, Beverly.

The aim of this research was to construct a freight mode choice model, from the perspective of New Zealand freight shippers, identifying the possibility of mode substitution effects. Shipper’s freight modal choice depends on freight demand and infrastructure as well as the quality of service characteristics of alternative modes, such as transport cost, delivery time, reliability, damage and loss and frequency of service. Freight logistics characteristics, such as the attributes of the shipper, the attributes of the commodities to be transported, and the spatial attributes of shipments, strongly influence modal choice. In New Zealand, due to the heterogeneity of firms and issues of confidentiality and reliability of data, relatively little research has been done on modelling freight mode choice. This research involved revealed preference (RP) and stated preference (SP) surveys of representative freight shippers and agents. User-specific data make it possible to better identify the dependence between shipper’s mode shift behaviour and freight logistics in New Zealand circumstances. Moreover, by applying a discrete choice approach, the possibility of mode substitution effects was investigated. This research approach was prompted by substantial changes in New Zealand’s freight transport patterns due to the increasing use of logistic processes, and previously developed models using a four-stage approach fail to model elements of firms’ characteristics (i.e. size of shipments, delivery distance, export volume, product shelf-life, size and location of firm, number of road fleets, and relationship with contracted carriers). The outcomes of this research have shown that many of the operational and logistical influences that affect mode choice vary with the shipper and the industry. As a result, public policy makers should recognize that effective policy must consider both the needs of the transportation service provider and user. In particular, the public policy maker should recognize that freight transport mode choice results from an array of interactions among transportation characteristics, logistics characteristics and product characteristics.

The goal of the thesis is first to find available information about user preferences, user feedback and their acquisition, processing, storing etc. The collected information is then used for making suggestions / advices for the creating an recommender system for the web shops (with special emphasis on implicit feedback). The following chapters introduces UPComp - our solution of the recommender system for the web shops. The UPComp is written in the programming language PHP and uses MySQL database. The thesis also includes testing of the UPComp on real-user web shop sites slantour.cz and antikvariat-ichtys.cz.

<p>The aim of the present study was to determine the distributions of and correlations between hand preference, visual acuity and eye preference through a series of tests in 50 males 50 females aged between 17 and 39 years. Handedness was determined through the Edinburgh handedness inventory questionnaire. The handedness distribution was: right-handed 90%, left-handed 1 %, and ambidextrous 9%. I found that 30 % had better visual acuity with their right eye, 39 % had better visual acuity with their left eye, and 31% had the same visual acuity with both eyes. 75.2% on average used their right eye in the battery of tests and 24.8% on average used their left eye. There were no statistically significant differences between the sexes or age groups with any of the measures. No correlation was found between eye preference and visual acuity or eye preference and hand preference among all subjects. No statistically significance between the sexes was found.</p>

The aim of the present study was to determine the distributions of and correlations between hand preference, visual acuity and eye preference through a series of tests in 50 males 50 females aged between 17 and 39 years. Handedness was determined through the Edinburgh handedness inventory questionnaire. The handedness distribution was: right-handed 90%, left-handed 1 %, and ambidextrous 9%. I found that 30 % had better visual acuity with their right eye, 39 % had better visual acuity with their left eye, and 31% had the same visual acuity with both eyes. 75.2% on average used their right eye in the battery of tests and 24.8% on average used their left eye. There were no statistically significant differences between the sexes or age groups with any of the measures. No correlation was found between eye preference and visual acuity or eye preference and hand preference among all subjects. No statistically significance between the sexes was found.

In Syrian hamsters, sexual preference requires integration of chemosensory and steroid cues. Although data suggest that separate pathways within the brain process these two signals, the functional significance of this separation is not well understood. Within the medial amygdala, the anterior region (MEa) receives input from the olfactory bulbs, whereas the posterodorsal region (MEpd) is sensitive to steroid hormones. Lesions of either the MEa or MEpd eliminated preference to investigate female over male odors. Importantly, males with MEpd lesions displayed decreased attraction toward female odors, suggesting a decrease in sexual motivation. In contrast, males with MEa lesions displayed high levels of investigation of both female and male odors, suggesting an inability to categorize the relevance of the odor stimuli. These results suggest that both the MEa and MEpd are critical for the expression of opposite-sex odor preference, although they appear to mediate distinct aspects of this behavior.