This study examined the effects of source expertise and social learning in mainstream food television on viewers’ attitudes, confidence, and behavioural intentions related to food. Following a 2X2 between-subjects design, participants (240) were exposed to two videos, each from a different food television program. Preceding each video, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire measuring the three dependent variables. Using ANOVA, results of this study indicated that exposure to positive social reinforcement can positively affect consumer attitude toward food, while exposure to low source expertise can positively increase consumer confidence in cooking abilities. Social learning and source expertise interacted in their effect on attitude and confidence, while an interaction between gender of the viewer and social learning had an effect on attitude, confidence, and intention. Marketers may use this knowledge when selecting an appropriate medium to advertise food products, and television producers may consider these findings when aiming to increase interest in particular television programs. Other practical implications and contributions are further discussed.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF CHARLES ALAN PAYNE II, for the Masters of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, presented on April 29, 2016, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: DOES SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY PREDICT DELINQUNECY DIFFERENTLY ACROSS URBAN, RURAL, AND SUBURBAN AREAS? MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. GEORGE BURRUSS The purpose of this study is to examine whether social learning theory predicts delinquency differently across urban, rural, and suburban areas. The lack of research in this area is problematic because while there are known differences between urban, rural, and suburban offending patterns, there is a lack of evidence to suggest why these patterns occur. The results of the study show that differential association, definitions, and differential reinforcement were significant across all three geographic locations. However, when analyzed by geographic location, differential reinforcement was only significant in suburban areas. In fact, differential reinforcement was the strongest predictor of delinquency in suburban areas, when differential association was the strongest in urban and rural.

Published Article / The paper reports on the findings of a study that investigated the impact of leadership and management on the construction of professional identity of teacher trainees. The writer argues that the overall leadership and management of the host schools, where student teachers do experiential training (teaching practice), has an impact on the construction of their professional identity. The host schools provide different learning experiences (environment) which may either enhance or hinder the development of a positive professional identity. A questionnaire comprising of open-ended questions was administered to 40 teacher trainees at the School of Teacher Education, Central University of Technology, Free State. The students had just return from a six-month period of experiential training. The aim of the questionnaire was to examine their views on their experiences and expectations of the teaching practice, and whether or not the leadership and management of the school has had an impact on the construction of their professional identity. The findings revealed that a supportive and enabling environment within the host school provided a good learning experience and consequently enhanced the development of a positive professional identity whereas a non-welcoming and threatening environment had the opposite effect. Suggestions and recommendations for providing a supportive and enabling environment for all students are made.

The dramatic rise in childhood obesity is a major concern nationwide. Unprecedented media exposure, drastically decreased time spent interacting as a family, and the consumption of calorie-dense foods are all heated topics of discussion with ties to weight gain. In this research, possible associations are examined between media, social groups and a favorite fast-food restaurant among children: McDonald's. Q methodology was used to analyze the various factors that draw children to McDonald's. With a theoretical background in social learning theory, this study had 29 children rank-order 30 photographs depicting elements of the McDonald's experience. Pictures included the most and least popular food items, social events like birthday parties and eating with family, physical aspects of McDonald's, such as the Playplace and dining area, famous McDonald's characters and celebrities, promotional events and giveaways, like the monopoly game, food coupons and Happy Meal toys. The participants then took part in an interview. Results of the study resemble existing research into what motivates children to go to McDonald's, including the food and Playplace. However, this study also reveals three new factors contributing to the restaurant's popularity for kids: their need to be with friends and family, frequenting the restaurant as a sort of comfortable rite or tradition, and the fame with which McDonald's is associated. The findings suggest the importance of social education about food habits from parents, in spite of an increased dependence on media and peers for information.

Educational response to climate change is one of the measures to prepare people to combat climate change. This thesis explores the lived experiences of secondary Science teachers from Kathmandu Valley on the perception of climate change, the way they handled climate change issues in the classroom setting, the problems and challenges they came across in climate change communication in the classrooms and the relevance of existing secondary Science curriculum in relation to climate change. The thesis is built upon the study of secondary Science curriculum, relevant literature on climate change education and the interviews with secondary Science teachers, teaching Science at secondary level in different schools of Kathmandu Valley.  The results showed that the teachers were convinced and concerned on the ongoing climate change and stressed on knowledge for climate change actions; they were found to introduce climate change issues contextually and relating to the topics like greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion they teach; lack of resources, exclusion of climate change in the secondary Science curriculum, their own limited knowledge on climate change, the unpractical theory and marks oriented educational system, and shifting of the responsibilities by the students hindered effective climate change communication in the classroom settings. The findings have been discussed in relation to social learning theory and relevant literature.

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As the title reveals this is a study of female college students alcohol habits in Kalmar,Sweden. During the spring of 2012 a total of 118 female students at Linnaeus universityanswered a survey about their alcohol habits. The survey reveled that as many as 67%percent of the answering female students (according to Audit) have risky drinking habits.The drinking habits are explained using Albert Banduras social learning theory in contextto the Scandinavian drinking pattern. The study concludes that female alcohol habits needeven further research. Furthermore the study shows that student initiation have an impacton the female drinking habits and that expectations of that students drink are to some extentimportant to the development of hazardous drinking habits.

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Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Tobacco smoking remains the largest preventable behavioural cause of chronic disease and premature death. Many people continue to engage in this behaviour, despite the well-known negative health consequences. The most common form of smoking is cigarette smoking, which is a type of risk-taking behaviour that is becoming increasingly prevalent among adolescents. Cigarette consumption rates are increasing among adolescents in various parts of the world; each year nearly a million adolescents start to smoke. This behaviour, if continued into adulthood, may lead to a range of debilitating diseases of lifestyle. In an effort to contribute to the success of adolescent smoking cessation programmes in South Africa, this study looks at the factors that motivate and support adolescents‘ decision to start and continue with their cigarette smoking behaviour. Utilising a qualitative framework, individual interviews were carried out with six boys and six girls from an English-medium high school within Cape Town. The participants‘ ages ranged from 16-18 years. Through the use of thematic analysis, the results show that adolescents smoking are not determined by knowledge, beliefs and attitudes alone, but by social and environmental influences as well. Risk and protective factors for adolescent smoking was identified on a psychological, physical, social/environmental level cross-cuttingly on the different stages of the smoking cycle. Of importance was the adolescents‘ common misinterpretation of 'smoking out of habit‘ for 'addiction‘. Essentially, this study focused on the importance of adolescent health and how it is affected by factors associated with tobacco use in South Africa. Therefore, a key recommendation of this study would be for these underlying risk and protective factors needs to be integrated to strengthen current smoking cessation programmes.

abstract: Social media has become a significant aspect of American life and culture. Criminal groups including extremists of various ideological milieus have found social media useful in their recruitment efforts. Further, these online spaces allow extremists to easily interact with one another, reinforcing each other’s radical perspectives. Little research has examined social media’s role in radicalization and fewer studies have tested the differences between the radicalization processes of individuals espousing disparate ideologies. Using Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States, a data set of 804 extremist men, this study sets out to determine whether the role of social media in the radicalization process varies between Islamist and far right extremists using social learning as a theoretical framework. The results indicate no significant difference regarding the role of social media in radicalization between Islamists and far rightists. Additionally, the odds of having radical friends and family were much lower for Islamists than far rightists, suggesting only partial support for social learning theory as an explanation of radicalization. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2019