14589 research outputs found
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Gamified assessments vs interviews for individuals with ASD
Get PDF1 online resource (104 pages) : colour illustrations, graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 66-78).Pagination error. Page numbers 34, 35, 36 are repeated.In the workplace, a substantial portion of life is dedicated to work, offering sustenance, social connections, and individual identity. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face significant underemployment globally despite possessing various skills. Traditional interview-based selection methods often create systematic bias against ASD individuals due to social skill deficits and heightened anxiety. This study contrasts three assessment approaches: asynchronous video interviews (AVI), video conference interviews (VCI), and game-based assessments (GBA). The primary aim is to mitigate bias using GBA. Anxiety levels were measured with an adapted version of the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Interviews (MASI). A mixed ANOVA assessed performance and anxiety differences between ASD and non-ASD groups across the three assessment types. Results showed no significant differences in anxiety levels across assessment types for both groups. Performance results indicated individuals with ASD performed significantly lower in VCIs compared to non-ASD individuals but better in AVIs and GBAs
2024-03-15 Senate Minutes and Agendas
No full textMinutes and agenda for the March 15th, 2024 meeting of Saint Mary’s University Senate
Edge effects on shrub height
Get PDF1 online resource (34, 3 unnumbered pages) : maps, graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 28-30).Forest edges are transitional zones between two ecosystems which mark the boundary where forests meet their adjacent environments. Their influence can vary depending on edge type, age, and other factors. Understanding the dynamics of shrub height along forest edges is important to expand our knowledge on ecological processes governing these transitional zones. This thesis investigates the influence of forest edges on shrub heights in boreal forests of Alberta and Quebec, Canada. I examined the influence of edge type, age, species-specific responses and region on shrub height patterns through systematic transect sampling of forest edges in boreal forest ecosystems from previous research. The results revealed that forest edges generally did not significantly impact shrub height across species and edge types with a few exceptions highlighting regional
variations and the importance of considering species-specific responses. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of how forest edges influence shrub height dynamics alongside emphasizing the need for further research to unravel the impacts of environmental variables on these ecosystems
Dark Future at Work – Scale Adaptation and Validation
Get PDF1 online resource (65 pages)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 53-59).Research on Time Perspectives dates back over 70 years, playing an integral role in clinical psychology, encapsulating how the individual views and evaluates their life. Future Time Perspectives are a critical part of clinical psychology as how the individual evaluates their future can substantially affect individual mental health. Despite this, application of this topic to the workplace has been extremely limited with Occupational Future Time Perspectives (OFTP’s) specifically being a sparsely studied topic. In an attempt to bridge this gap, I created an adapted version of The Dark Future scale (Zaleski et al., 2019), attempting to measure highly negative OFTP’s through the “Dark Future at Work”. Results show a 2-factor structure, comprising Future Job Anxiety, and Fear of Failure at work. Initial outcomes of the Dark Future at Work scale show positive relationships with measures of depression, State/Trait Hopelessness, Burnout, Turnover Intentions, and Work Neglect/Partial Absenteeism. Contrary to predictions, perceived organizational support did not moderate these associations. Finally, theoretical applications of the scale, as well as limitations and future research directions are discussed
The biogeochemical interaction and alteration of hydrocarbons in shallow sediments of the Scotian Slope, Nova Scotia
Get PDF1 online resource (x, 138 pages) : colour illustrations, colour maps, colour charts, colour graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 24-33, 66-69, 100-104, 107, 137-138).This thesis presents findings from a study on headspace gas and methane clumped isotopic data obtained from various core samples along the Scotian Slope of Nova Scotia. The research aimed to quantify i) gas loss during sample storage, ii) evaluate the effectiveness of frozen sediment cores in identifying the sulfate methane transition zones, and iii) understand the origins and mechanisms of hydrocarbon gases at deep marine, cold seep sites. Results indicated an average of 75% gas loss for Isojars during the first nine months of storage, emphasizing the importance of proper preservation techniques. Optimal conditions for sample analysis were established, aiding in methane core profile construction for identifying shallow sediment, geochemical transition zones. Methane clumped isotopologue analysis revealed a deep biosphere approximately one kilometer
below the seabed, sustained by microbial gas production, supporting seep sites near salt diapirs. This study highlights the significance of direct seep gas samples and provides insights into methane dynamics in marine environments and how deep biosphere methane gas production can impact ocean floor community ecology in diapir controlled cold seep localities
An assessment of nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) and ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) distribution in Edmonton, Canada employing remote sensing data (2018 – 2023)
No full text1 online resource (vi, 85 pages) : colour illustrations, colour maps, colour graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 75-84).This study analyzes the temporal and spatial distribution of satellite-observed NO2 and O3 concentrations in Edmonton, Canada, from July 2018 to June 2023. It explores the relationship of NO2 and O3 concentrations with elevation, temperature, road density, and population density. Results show higher NO2 concentrations during winter and lower in fall months; however, O3 concentrations remain relatively stable compared to NO2 during the study period. NO2 concentrations are highest in central Edmonton and lowest in surrounding suburban regions, while O3 shows higher concentrations in central and western Edmonton and lower in eastern and southern suburban areas. Higher NO2 concentrations are found on Wednesdays and lower on Sundays while O3 remains consistent throughout the week. The research methodology adopted in this study may help the scientific community understand the complex interactions between anthropogenic activities and air pollution. Furthermore, the findings may help guide urban planners and policy makers in prioritizing air pollution control in the hotspot areas identified in the study.</p
2024-11-08 Senate Minutes and Agendas
No full textMinutes and agenda for the November 8th, 2024 meeting of Saint Mary’s University Senate
The effects of novel mates and competitors on the courtship and aggression behaviour of Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Get PDF1 online resource (40 pages) : colour illustrations, graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 38-40).Mating with novel individuals is a beneficial strategy to cope with environmental instability and increases the probability of offspring fitness. Additionally, for males to mate successfully, they must appropriately allocate their limited mating energy towards courtship (intersexual) and aggression (intrasexual) behaviour. In male Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), previous research has shown that sex ratio influences both male and female behaviour. However, there remains a research gap in investigating how the identity, or the novelty, of the surrounding individuals affects this balance. The goal of this study is to measure the effects of mate and competitor novelty on the ratio of inter- and intrasexual behaviour of male Japanese medaka, as well as the effects of mate novelty on female reproductive output. Male behaviour, both aggression (chasing and hitting) and courtship (following and circling), was quantified by observing each male on two different days for two minutes each and the frequency of inter- and intrasexual behaviour was recorded. For males, these observations were collected for all four sex ratios in three scenarios: familiar mates and familiar competitors, novel mates and familiar competitors, and novel mates and novel competitors. I found that in response to both novel mates, and novel mates and competitors, males prioritized intersexual interactions by increasing
their allocation to courtship and following behaviour. I suggest that males use mate novelty as bet hedging strategy to increase offspring fitness in an unstable environment. In addition, female reproductive output, measured by the presence of eggs, was recorded daily in the first two scenarios (first with familiar and then with novel mates). I found that females decrease reproductive output in response to novel mates. I suggest that females are more receptive to familiar males because they take less risk relative to males with their limited gametes, and instead bet hedge with post-fertilization mechanisms
Young adults’ attitudes toward sex trafficking, its myths, and corresponding perceptions of personal safety
Get PDF1 online resource (85 pages) : graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-59).This thesis examined levels of knowledge, myth acceptance, and perceptions of personal safety around sex trafficking among Nova Scotian young adults. Violence condition and citizenship were manipulated in this vignette study to explore associations between blameworthiness, vignette believability, perceptions of safety, knowledge, and two covariates (commercial sexual involvement and victimization). Results revealed that less concern for personal safety was associated with less knowledge and less vignette believability. Participants ascribed less blame to the victim in the forceful trafficking depiction compared with a coercive condition. Participants reported any preventative action taken against the risk of sex trafficking. Responses indicated that most preventative action was not in line with most common coercive forms of trafficking, demonstrating a skewed knowledge of risk. Findings suggest that young adults are misguided in the realities of sex trafficking and education and prevention tactics should be adapted to combat myth acceptance and encourage more fulsome preventative actions
Performing diversity : Black bodies in Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions
Get PDF1 online resource (135 pages) : colour illustrationsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 121-135).This thesis argues that the Black student experience in Atlantic Canada is explicitly
limited by racist practices. Kuwodza further argues that Atlantic Canadian post-secondary
institutions are built on a legacy of systemic racism which sanctions the conscious performance of race. The research delves into the multifaceted issue of the exploitation of
Black bodies within Atlantic Canadian higher education through the student-athlete lens. The thesis traces the historical roots of exploitation, and analyzes how colonial legacies, racial biases, and economic disparities have contributed to the marginalization of Black individuals in Atlantic Canadian education and sport. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, Kuwodza draws on sports sociology, racial and literary theory, and cultural studies, to investigate how exploitative practices manifest at various levels of the Black post-secondary student experience