Nous observons depuis plusieurs décennies, un désintérêt généralisé pour la politique, qui est particulièrement marqué chez les jeunes (Bakker & de Vreese, 2011; Pasek, Kenski, Romer & Jamieson, 2006; Putnam, 2000; Yang, 2009) et qui se traduit, dans le contexte canadien, notamment par la diminution du taux de participation aux élections canadiennes (Hudon, Poirier & Yates, 2008; Statistique Canada, 2011). Notre recherche s’inscrit dans un cadre théorique soutenant que les industries culturelles tendent à détourner les citoyens des enjeux civiques et politiques qu’exige toute vie en société. En effet, il est permis de penser que les émissions de téléréalité, comme formes relativement nouvelles d’industries culturelles, du moins dans leur composante interactive (Dupont, 2007a; Ruel, 2008), sont au cœur de la problématique du désintérêt marqué des jeunes pour la vie politique, désintérêt qui se traduit par un désengagement. La réflexion est d’autant plus pertinente que certaines émissions de téléréalité sous-tendent justement des modèles de participation (par vote), et ce sont précisément ces dernières qui seront ciblées dans le cadre de cette recherche. Ce faisant, le but de la présente recherche est de déterminer s’il existe un lien de concomitance entre la fréquence de consommation des émissions de téléréalité (exigeant un mode de participation) et le désengagement politique des jeunes universitaires, âgés de 18 à 29 ans. Pour ce faire, nous avons procédé par voie de questionnaires auto-administrés à des étudiants universitaires, sélectionnés de manière aléatoire (par grappes). Un total de 138 participants ont complété le questionnaire et les résultats d’analyses statistiques révèlent que le désengagement politique chez les universitaires n’est pas significativement lié à leur consommation d’émissions de téléréalité, mais, par exemple, que le champ d’étude est lié à l’aspect des conversations politiques. Ces résultats sont discutés dans leur implication pratique comme théorique.

Considerable resources in U.S. legal studies are devoted to determining the precise meaning of contested terms specifically in statutory interpretation. Traditional judicial approaches have defined meaning using dictionaries. This reliance has led to Mouritsen’s (2010) observation that "the judicial conception of lexical meaning—i.e., what judges think about what words mean … is often [subjectively] outcome determinative." Beginning with Mouritsen’s (2010) article, a movement in U.S. legal scholarship offers corpus linguistics as a more objective method to resolving contested meaning (Lee and Mouritsen, 2018). However, I assert that weaknesses still exist in contemporary applications of corpus linguistics to legal interpretation. I first review methodological differences in two corpus-based projects that attempt to resolve the meaning of the contested term, "emoluments," a high-profile Supreme Court-bound contemporary issue related to the legitimacy of the Trump presidency (Phillips and White, 2018; Cunningham and Egbert, 2019). Unfortunately, the results of these two studies are in conflict. Based upon a critique of these projects, I advocate for a more objective method of interpreting the results of corpus analyses using multiple human coders following rater reliability research models often used in sociolinguistics and second language acquisition research. In order to test our assumptions, I apply this approach to utilizing corpus linguistics to define the meaning of "sex" in two highly charged cases pending in the U.S. Supreme Court within the context of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination "because of. . . sex" (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1). The first case, Harris Funeral Home v. EEOC, questions if "sex" encompasses "gender identity;" while the second, Altitude v. Zarda, asks if the meaning of "sex" includes "sexual orientation." I discuss results of this research model and its implications to further corpus linguistic applications to the law.

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Les déficits cognitifs sont présents chez les patients atteints de cancer. Les tests cognitifs tels que le Montreal Cognitive Assessment se sont révélés peu spécifiques, incapables de détecter des déficits légers et ne sont pas linéaires. Pour suppléer à ces limitations nous avons développé un questionnaire cognitif simple, bref et adapté aux dimensions cognitives atteintes chez les patients avec un cancer, le FaCE « The Fast Cognitif Evaluation », en utilisant la modélisation Rasch (MR). La MR est une méthode mathématique probabiliste qui détermine les conditions pour qu’un outil soit considéré une échelle de mesure et elle est indépendante de l’échantillon. Si les résultats s’ajustent au modèle, l’échelle de mesure est linéaire avec des intervalles égaux. Les réponses sont basées sur la capacité des sujets et la difficulté des items. La carte des items permet de sélectionner les items les plus adaptés pour l’évaluation de chaque aspect cognitif et d’en réduire le nombre au minimum. L’analyse de l’unidimensionnalité évalue si l’outil mesure une autre dimension que celle attendue. Les résultats d’analyses, conduites sur 165 patients, montrent que le FaCE distingue avec une excellente fiabilité et des niveaux suffisamment différents les compétences des patients (person-reliability-index=0.86; person-separation-index=2.51). La taille de la population et le nombre d’items sont suffisants pour que les items aient une hiérarchisation fiable et précise (item-reliability=0.99; item-séparation-index=8.75). La carte des items montre une bonne dispersion de ceux-ci et une linéarité du score sans effet plafond. Enfin, l’unidimensionnalité est respectée et le temps d’accomplissement moyen est d’environ 6 minutes. Par définition la MR permet d’assurer la linéarité et la continuité de l’échelle de mesure. Nous avons réussi à développer un questionnaire bref, simple, rapide et adapté aux déficits cognitifs des patients avec un cancer. Le FaCE pourrait, aussi, servir de mesure de référence pour les futures recherches dans le domaine. / Cognitive deficits are prevalent in patient with cancer all along their trajectory. Specifics cognitive functions are affected in this population. Several questionnaires are used to assess the cognitive impairment but they are not adapted for this population. In order to provide a reliable tool, we developed an adapted, simple and fast questionnaire, the Fast Cognitive Evaluation (FaCE) by exploring its psychometric properties using the Rasch analysis. The Rasch model (RM) is a psychometric mathematical method that establishes the conditions that a measurement tool has to satisfy to be considered a rating scale. Unlike traditional psychometric analysis, RM has the advantage of being sample independent. If the results fit the RM the numerical scale is linear with equal interval. RM response is based on the person-abilities and the item-difficulty. The item-map allows the selection of the best item that measures each cognitive aspect to reduce the number to the minimum. The dimensionality analysis estimates the possibility of measuring a secondary factor. The analysis performed on 165 participants (49% male, median-age=64) show that the FaCE has a person-separation index=2.51 and a person-reliability=0.86 (the FaCE distinguish between high and low performers with enough levels). An item-separation index=8.75, an item-reliability=0.99 (the sample is large enough to confirm the item difficulty hierarchy with precisely located items). The map shows no considerable gap and no ceiling effect and the data fit the RM. Finally the unidemensionality was clinically respected. By definition the RM ensures the linearity of the scale and allows us to generalize the results. We succeeded in developing a simple and fast questionnaire that takes less than 6 minutes to assess the cognitive failure from major to mild impairment. The FaCE could be used in all oncology departments to improve treatment or in future research that examines cognitive disorders in a population with cancer.

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science

Aim: This thesis describes the development and initial validation of a questionnaire to measure Hayes, Strosahl and Wilson’s (1999) constructs of cognitive fusion and cognitive defusion. Within the literature there is currently no specific measure of these constructs. Design and Method: Principal Component Analysis was conducted on two independent samples (Study One n = 425 and Study Two n = 167). Reliability analyses were conducted for both Study One and Study Two and validation analyses were conducted in Study Two. All participants in both studies completed the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). Participants in Study Two completed additional measures related to their satisfaction with life, their beliefs about worry, mindful responding to unpleasant thoughts and images and levels of experiential avoidance. Results: The final solution revealed a two component fifteen item questionnaire accounting for 54% of the variance. Based on item content, the components were labelled fusion and defusion. The items within the questionnaire reflected Hayes et al. (1999) constructs of cognitive fusion and cognitive defusion. Internal consistencies as measured by Cronbach’s alpha were .91 (fusion), .71 (defusion) and .88 (total scale). The measure correlated moderately to highly and in the expected directions with questionnaires measuring individual beliefs about worry, mindful responding to unpleasant thoughts and images and levels of experiential avoidance. Similarly, there was a significant negative correlation between the current questionnaire and a measure related to satisfaction with life. Conclusions: The findings of the above research provide initial support for the CFQ. The results show support for the validity of the scale including content and convergent validity of the CFQ.

Introduction Symptoms are universally experienced and can be bothersome. There have been comparatively few studies of common symptoms in the UK general population. As a result, little is known about the current epidemiology of common symptoms in the UK. There are major methodological challenges to conducting an epidemiological study of common symptoms in the community. Current knowledge about the most appropriate methodological tools for collecting and interpreting data on symptoms is limited. A range of methods has been used in previous studies, but the most appropriate method is not known. An evaluation of the different methods that could be used for investigating common symptoms in the community was therefore required. Aims The overall aim of this study was to investigate and compare the use of different approaches to collecting epidemiological data on common symptoms, with a view to developing an evidence-base for the use of these different approaches. Methods A general review of methods used in epidemiological studies and a comprehensive review of methods used in previous epidemiological studies of symptoms were undertaken. The reviews informed the development of symptoms survey. Symptoms survey was conducted to collect epidemiological data on common symptoms in the community. A total of 1179 individuals was approached from four GP practices in the Aberdeen area and sent an invitation letter, information sheet and consent form. Potential participants were requested to select at least two data collection instruments from four options (postal questionnaire, diary, online questionnaire and telephone interview). All the instruments collected the same data (presence of symptoms, severity of symptoms, management of symptoms and quality of life). This allowed a direct comparison of the data collected by the various measures. Those agreeing to participate in the study were sent one of their chosen instruments in phase one of the study and a second (but different) one of their chosen instruments in phase two, which was conducted three weeks later.

CIVINS / The research literature suggests that GPA, along with previously taken college courses, is a better predictor of success of student graduation than any simple measure. The purpose of this casual comparative study was to investigate whether students with prior college experience selecting a military career were better prepared for challenges in military schools than those students who have had no previous college experience. The research was conducted at the Naval School of Health Sciences in San Diego, California, located on the grounds of Naval Medical Center San Diego, California from May 2004 to August 2005. The questionnaire required students to indicate their responses to three questions. Each student (N=50) from two different classes was administered the questionnaire. The return rate was 100%. The study found that there was no difference in grade point average (GPA) of military students with and without prior college experience who were enrolled in the Navy's Medical Laboratory Technician program from May 2004 to August 2005. It was concluded that Navy's policy on requiring students to have certain college prerequisites may not necessarily impact their success in the MLT program. / CIVINS / US Navy (USN) author

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M.A. (Research Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract