Zugl.: Köln, Univ., Diss., 2008

Judgments of Learning (JOL) that are made after a delay, instead of immediately after study, are more accurate in terms of predicting later recall (the delayed JOL effect). The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (SFP) theory explains the delayed JOL effect as the result of a testing effect. In the current study we tested the prediction that performing delayed JOLs leads to a memory improvement. During learning, 79 participants studied Swahili-Swedish word pairs, immediately followed by a cued recall test, and then made either one single or three repeated, spaced JOLs. A final cued recall test was given after either 5 minutes or 1 week. Making repeated JOLs did not increase memory performance compared to the single JOL condition, hence lending no support to the SFP theory. However, making repeated JOLs did improve their relative accuracy, which suggests that the delayed JOL effect mainly concerns memory monitoring and not performance.

Sensitivity to rejection is a tendency to anxiously or angrily expect, readily perceive, and then overreact to rejection in interpersonal relationships (Downey & Feldman, 1996). This thesis examined the potential associations between rejection sensitivity and romantic relationships in an adult population. I hypothesized that rejection sensitivity will negatively influence perceived quality of romantic relationship, including these relational factors: viability, intimacy, passion, care, satisfaction, conflict, maintenance and commitment. In the research participated 296 respondents (i.e. 148 couples), which individually completed Sensitivity to rejection scale and Relationship rating form (both measures used in Czech translation). On the basis of individual analysis of all respondents (i.e. the whole sample) were found most significant negative correlations with the viability factor and care factor. Furthermore, also the low negative correlation between sensitivity to rejection and satisfaction and commitment factors. At the level of couples were not confirmed either one statistically significant result. Although hypothesis about the influence of sensitivity to rejection on the romantic relationship were confirmed only at the individuals, and not at the individual couples, this study suggest the...

In the 21st Century, many Americans continue to fight battles for men of color who are at the forefront of criminal injustice, unemployment, and low matriculation. With great dominion and urgency, our Nation must ensure all men, regardless of the adversity can succeed and build legacies in their families, communities, and the economy. In this action research study, an ecological system theory was used to analyze the stakeholders who have implemented the following public polices under the Obama Administration: 21st Century Policing, My Brother's Keeper, and Race to the Top. This research answers the question how stakeholders are able to impact positive social change through implementing polices that focus on academia, criminal justice, and employment for African-American and Latino males living in Los Angeles County. Data was retrieved from 16 non-profit organizations; a target population was then sampled resulting in 25 participants that have expertise in working with men of color. Participant's answered 10 interview questions and their short answers were inductively coded, which revealed significant themes. Daily mentorship was identified as the leading tool to garner success in working with men color, while ecological influences, limited funding, policy misalignment, and stereotypical threats have been recurring barriers. Key findings recommended: mixed-method data, stakeholder collaborations, training programs, and creative marketing. Furthermore, this study closes the gap towards aligning with public polices that will create supportive services for men of color and offering stakeholders -'the what, and the how' towards implementing social change.

Die Dissertation untersucht Leistungserwartungen von Lehrkräften. Teilstudie 1 und 2 gehen der Frage nach, welche Merkmale von Schüler*innen Lehrkräfte in ihre Erwartungen an die Leistungen von Lernenden einbeziehen. Teilstudie 3 untersucht, welche Bedeutung inakkurat hohe oder niedrige Leistungserwartungen von Lehrkräften für ihr unterrichtliches Handeln und für die Leistungsentwicklungen der Lernenden haben. Die Analysen basieren auf Daten der Längsschnittstudie „Kompetenzerwerb und Lernvoraussetzungen“, an der im Schuljahr 2013/2014 insgesamt 1065 Schüler*innen aus 64 ersten Grundschulklassen teilgenommen haben. Teilstudie 1 ergab, dass Erwartungen von Lehrkräften an die sprachlichen und mathematischen Leistungen von Erstklässler*innen in Abhängigkeit vom ethnischen Hintergrund, sozialen Hintergrund und Geschlecht der Lernenden variieren. Diese Unterschiede blieben zum Teil auch nach Kontrolle der Ausgangsfähigkeiten und selbsteingeschätzten Motivation der Schüler*innen bestehen und kennzeichnen daher Verzerrungen. Den Ergebnissen von Teilstudie 2 zufolge gehen solche sozialen und geschlechtsbezogenen Verzerrungen zum Teil auf Lehrkrafteinschätzungen der Motivation und des Arbeitsverhaltens zurück. Ethnische Verzerrungen bestanden hingegen unabhängig von diesen Lehrkrafteinschätzungen. Dass inakkurat hohe oder niedrige Leistungserwartungen die Leistungsentwicklung von Lernenden bereits im ersten Grundschuljahr beeinflussen können, zeigten die Ergebnisse der Teilstudie 3. Die zugehörige Videostudie ergab, dass sich inakkurate Leistungserwartungen von Lehrkräften in ihrem Feedbackverhalten niederschlagen. Eine bedeutsame Mediation der Erwartungseffekte durch das Feedback ließ sich aber nicht nachweisen. Die Befunde der Dissertation sind für die pädagogische Praxis sehr relevant. Sie sprechen einerseits für den Vorteil hoher Erwartungen und sensibilisieren andererseits für das Risiko verzerrender Einflüsse von Hintergrundmerkmalen der Schüler*innen. / The dissertation deals with teacher expectations for student achievement. The first two studies investigate student characteristics teachers rely on when forming their achievement expectations. Study 3 investigates the associations of inaccurately high or low teacher expectations with their teaching behavior and students’ subsequent achievement development. The analyses are based on data from the longitudinal research project “competence acquisition and learning preconditions” in which 1065 students from 64 first grade classes participated in the school year 2013/2014. Study 1 revealed that teachers’ expectations for students’ language and mathematics achievement differed depending on students’ ethnic background, social background and gender. These differences partly persisted even after controlling for students’ actual achievement, general cognitive abilities and motivation, and therefore indicate biased expectations. The results of study 2 showed that social bias and gender bias in teacher expectations were partly due to differences in teachers’ perceptions of students’ motivation and learning behavior. Ethnic bias, however, appeared independent of these teacher perceptions. The results of study 3 support the assumption that inaccurately high or low teacher expectations may result in self-fulfilling prophecies and influence students’ achievement development as early as in the first school grade. The video study of study 3 further revealed that inaccurately high or low teacher expectations may result in different teacher feedback for the students. Teacher feedback, however, did not substantially mediate teacher expectancy effects on student achievement. The results of the present dissertation are of great relevance for educational practice. First, they highlight the advantages of high expectations and, second, they sensitize for biasing influences of student background characteristics.

De uppgifter som revisorn presenterar i sin revisionsberättelse bör intressenter och företag ha förtroende för. Revisorn ska vara en oberoende länk mellan intressenter och företag. Läsaren förväntar sig finna eventuella ekonomiska problem i årsredovisningen. Detta är dock inte alltid fallet. Det är viktigt att revisorerna kan göra en pålitlig bedömning över företagets möjligheter till fortsatt drift. Beslut om going concern-varning måste grunda sig på oberoende och god kunskap om företagets situation. En felaktig going concern-varning kan orsaka problem och intäktsbortfall för både företaget och revisionsbyrån. Intressenterna kan förlora förtroendet för företaget och företaget kan i sin tur byta revisor. Studien fokuserar på huruvida revisorerna kan vara sparsamma med att utge going concern-varning för att inte riskera att förlora företaget som klient och därmed förlora revisionsintäkter. Därför undersöker studien om det finns ett samband mellan förlorade revisionsarvoden och utfärdandet av en första going concern-varning bland svenska företag. Studien vill också visa ifall en going concern- varning ökar sannolikheten för konkurs den s.k. självuppfyllande profetian. Ett bidrag till tidigare forskning är att studien beaktar revisionsuppdragets längd i förhållande till going concern-varning. Från databasen Affärsdata har 432 företag selekterats ut från bokslutsåret 2009. Av dessa hade 216 erhållit en going concern- varning. Denna testgrupp har sedan jämförts med en kontrollgrupp med samma antal som varit finansiellt stressade men inte erhållit någon varning. Studien har använt SPSS som statistiskt program för att kunna göra önskade beräkningar. Studiens resultat visar at det finns ett samband mellan en första going concern-varning och revisorbyte. Studien visar också att längden på revisionsuppdraget påverkar benägenheten att ge en going concern-varning. Däremot finner undersökningen inte något belägg för den s.k. självuppfyllande profetian. / The information that the auditor provides in their audit report should be valid in the eyes of the stakeholders of the company. The auditor should be the independent link between the company and its stakeholders. When reading the audit report, one expects to find all the possible economic problems identified in it, however this is not always the case. It is crucial that the audit of a company’s going concern is reliable. Decisions regarding going concern-modified opinions should be independent and be based on valid information regarding the company’s economic situation. One faulty going concern-modified opinion can set off a whole range of issues and revenue loss for both the company and the audit firm. Consequently stakeholders can lose their trust in the company resulting in a change of audit firm. This thesis is focused on whether or not auditors might be reluctant to hand out going concern-modified opinions in fear of losing a client and the revenue associated with it. Therefore, the thesis investigates whether or not there is a relationship between lost revenue and the first instance of issuing a going concern-modified opinion for Swedish companies. This thesis is also investigating whether the issuance of a going concern-modified opinion will increase the possibility of the company going bankrupt, the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy. A contribution to the previous research regarding the going concern issue is the consideration of audit tenure. We have used 432 companies with fiscal year 2009 extracted from the database Affärsdata. Out of this selection, 216 had been issued a going concern-modified opinion. This test group is then compared to the control group with the same number of companies that were identified as financially distressed but without receiving a going concern- modified opinion. The thesis has used the statistical program SPSS to complete the calculations needed to complete the analysis. The result shows a positive relationship between the first going concern-modified opinion and the change of audit firms. The period of time the auditing requires also effects the predisposition to issue a going concern-modified opinion. However the study was unable to find any statistical evidence for the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy.