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The psychosocial effects of compensated turnout on dancers: a critical look at the leading cause of non-traumatic dance injuries
Get PDFDancers suffer from extremely high injury rates compared to the general population (Noh, Morris, & Anderson, 2003). Most of the injuries are overuse injuries (60-75%), as opposed to traumatic injuries (Thomas & Tarr, 2009). One of the most common overuse injuries is compensated, or forced, turnout (Negus, Hopper, & Briffa, 2005). Continual misplacement of turnout wears and tears on the body, leading to pain and injury. However, dancers feel the risk is worth it to stay relevant in a physically demanding career that has little-to-no off-season to heal (McEwen & Young, 2011). Dance companies typically have the mindset of pushing through the pain, because the show must go on, and there is always another dancer in the wing waiting to take someone’s role (Krasnow, Kerr, & Mainwaring, 1994). The pressure to compensate their turnout, and to ignore any pain or injury often leads to a more serious injury. Dancers also feel that they are unable to take time off, therefore those who do often experience psychological distress. They feel like they are weak, they will lose their spot in the company, lose income, and ultimately lose their identity (McEwen & Young, 2011). Therefore, the psychosocial pressures lead to physical ailments, which in turn add to the psychological distress (Williams & Anderson, 1998). This study combines research on compensated turnout injuries and the psychology of the dancer to determine why dancers have these high injury rates. By understanding the reason behind the injuries, dancers and healthcare professionals can work together to lower the rates of injury and improve self-esteem
An examination of the unanticipated outcomes of having a fun organizational culture
Get PDFFun organizational cultures break the social constructs of the traditional work environment. Fun organizational cultures have been gaining popularity over the past couple decades. Since fun cultures are gaining attractiveness due to reports focused primarily on the positive aspects of fun cultures, this study examined if there were any unanticipated negative outcomes of a having a fun organizational culture. Qualitative data was pulled from interviews conducted with various members of fun organizational cultures. This study focused on negative outcomes primarily in three areas: productivity, work-life balance, and relationships among members in the organization. The findings in this study did not reveal consistent negative outcomes from having a fun organizational culture. However, the study did reveal reports on uncertainty from management and policies, discrimination against people who lack social skills, and entitled behavior toward perks provided by the employer
Madness as The Divided Self in the works of American female authors
Get PDFWhen R.D. Laing wrote The Divided Self in 1960, his goal was “to make madness, and the process of going mad, comprehensible.” Laing argued that psychosis was, at its core, an existential problem, driven by a sense of disconnection from the world and in turn, a fragmentation of the self. This thesis uses Laing’s theory of “the divided self” as a framework for examining how madness is constructed in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper (1890), Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar (1963), and Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962). Each of these works offers a unique portrait of the “divided self” that both builds upon and enriches the understanding of Laing’s theory and uses that “divided self” to highlight the greater themes of the works. These narratives not only illuminate the complicated nature of madness and psychosis but also the ways that society and the larger world contribute to these conditions, particularly in the case of women. By analyzing the ways that Laing’s theory of the “divided self” functions within the texts of Gilman, Plath, and Jackson, I aim in this thesis to highlight the ability of each of these texts to confront issues of gender, social roles, and mental health while also unpacking the unique intricacies and implications of female madness in the early to mid-twentieth century
Characterization of metamorphic zones in the Tennessee Blue Ridge using GIS and Digital Imaging Processing
Get PDFThe origin of metamorphic zones of the Blue Ridge is attributed to metamorphic events that affected sedimentary rocks of debated age, leading the topic to be controversial and continuously studied. The present study seeks to refine the metamorphic isograds of the Tennessee Blue Ridge based on Barrovian index minerals in pelitic rocks and the texture patterns these pelitic rocks present. Methods used in the present study are supported by conventional petrography, powder X-ray diffraction, and by GIS and digital image processing. Metamorphic isograds in the Blue Ridge have been determined mainly by identification of index minerals using a polarizing petrographic microscope. Applications of GIS and digital image processing in geologic studies are countless, but few researchers have applied these technologies to study spatial relationships among minerals in a rock. The use of GIS and digital image processing in studying these minerals could provide a more efficient and precise means of mineral identification and determining the location of metamorphic isograds. A total of 8 samples of very low- to medium-grade metamorphosed pelitic rock have been collected along US HWY 64. The mineralogy of each sample was analyzed both by powder X-ray diffraction and in thin section, using a petrographic microscope. Photomicrographs were taken of each thin section under plane-polarized and cross-polarized light and were processed to study in GIS environments. Tools in ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine software were used to make reproducible measurements for comparison and quantification of different minerals in photomicrographs. Classification images were produced and thematically show mineral classes and rock fabrics. Reflectance values of Barrovian index minerals were identified. These techniques help refine the positions of isograds between the metamorphic zones and can be further explored and applied to other metamorphic rocks containing these minerals in the Blue Ridge
Don\u27t forget to remember: motivation and environmental cues affect prospective memory performance
Get PDFProspective memory (PM) refers to remembering to fulfill previously formed intentions. While some intentions are self-interested, others are prosocial, and both are influenced by motivational forces. This study examined these relationships using a monetary incentive to moderate motivation, and explored how metacognition was affected. College students (N = 75) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (i.e., prosocial, self-interested, or standard). Eye-tracking technology collected gaze data using a visual search task that incorporated a PM intention. Motivational orientation did not differentially influence PM performance. Metacognitive analyses indicated that while participants in the prosocial and standard conditions were underconfident, those in the self-interested condition accurately predicted their performance. Participants in the self-interested and standard conditions exhibited poor metacognitive awareness while those in the prosocial condition were accurate in gauging how well they actually did. These findings suggest that motivational states and incentives moderate metacognitive accuracy for PM intentions
Personality Traits, Political Ideology, and Candidate Preference in the Deep South
Get PDFPrevious studies have shown that disgust sensitivity (DS), right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), religious fundamentalism (RF), and belief in a just world (BJW) are associated with social conservatism and religious questioning (QUEST) is associated with social liberalism. The current study was designed determine whether these personality traits would predict who the student planned to vote for in the 2016 U.S. Presidential primary. Consistent with previous research, DS, RWA, RF, and BJW were positively correlated with social conservatism and QUEST was negatively correlated. Students who were highest on RWA, RF, and lowest on QUEST were most likely to vote for one of the Republican candidates. In contrast, students who were at the opposite end of the scales were most likely to vote for Bernie Sanders, with Hillary Clinton supporters in the middle. There were no differences in DS and few differences in BJW with regard to preferred candidate
Inferences about the conservation utility of using unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct rapid assessments for basking freshwater turtles
Get PDFUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), an emerging technology, show promise in ecological research. In this comparative study, I compare UAVs to a traditional sampling method, observations using spotting scopes. UAVs have yet to be used successfully for sampling freshwater turtles; however, they have been used with mixed success for monitoring mammals and birds. Herein, I propose that the conservation utility of UAVs be formally assessed in the field prior to them being used to make adaptive conservation and management decisions. I quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the use of UAVs using a mixed methods approach in contrast to a proven field method as a means to elucidate our basic understanding of presence-absence. Being able to successfully use UAVs for ecological surveying would provide an easy, efficient, and less invasive way to study basking turtles
Use of PV/T panels to meet the building loads of light commercialized buildings
Get PDFThis thesis deals with the analysis of a Photo Voltaic Thermal (PV/T) panel that is capable of producing simultaneously electric power and low-grade heat energy by absorbing the solar energy striking on its surface. A simple mathematical model is developed to estimate the electric power and heat energy gained by the PV/T panel. A water-to-water heat pump is employed that operates by absorbing the low-grade heat energy obtained from PV/T panel, in its evaporator, in order to produce high temperature hot water in its condenser. The high temperature hot water thus produced can be employed to meet the winter heating and summer cooling of the associated building loads. The heat energy gained from the condenser at high temperature can be sufficient to power the absorption chiller. Based on the results of the computer simulations using hourly weather data, it is found that the proposed system is very effective in meeting the building loads and the estimated value of the payback period (4.62 years) is encouraging for future testing and eventual commercialization, for the similar buildings subjected to weather patterns in the Chattanooga, region. Use of desiccant wheel in combination with heat wheel and evaporative coolers may have a significant impact on the size of the panels and the total economic costs of the system
Development and Validation of Behaviors toward Gays and Lesbians on Campus Scale
Get PDFIn the literature, there have been many studies measuring homophobic attitudes of heterosexual people. However, there is limited research on behavioral aspects of homophobia. We attempted to develop a new scale measuring homophobic behaviors of heterosexual students toward gay and lesbian individuals on campus life. We developed BGLC (Behaviors toward Gays and Lesbians on Campus) Scale and validated the scale by comparing it with Age Universal I-E Scale, Homophobic Behaviors of Students Scale (HBSS) and Future Engagement in Activities Concerning Homosexual People (FEACHP) in order to study discriminant, convergent and criterion validity, respectively
Usage of Credit Information in the Selection Process: A Unique Contribution
Get PDFUsing credit information for employee selection began around 1988, after polygraph tests for such purposes were banned. Organizations sought other methods that predicted employees’ behavior and gave insight into their honesty, responsibility and integrity. Since the early 1990s, credit information’s influence on hiring decisions has increased significantly. As of 2010, 47% of organizations use credit information for specific jobs, and 13% use them for all jobs (Bryan & Palmer, 2012). The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that organizations screen for negative credit histories and use that information to impact their hiring decisions (Bryan & Palmer, 2012). Many organizations anecdotally believe credit information indicates responsibility, honesty and accountability. This belief has face validity in the financial industry. Credit information has face validity in two ways during employee selection at financial institutions: 1) financial history relates to an ability to handle financial accounts, and 2) the opportunity to steal is greater at financial institutions (Nielson & Kuhn, 2009). While there may be face validity in the financial industry, most industries are relying on credit information to measure candidates’ conscientiousness and honesty. The assumption is that poor credit information implies some level of irresponsibility, which has the potential for workplace dishonesty or fraud (Bryan & Palmer, 2012). A study at Eastern Kentucky University on the validity of credit reports in predicting performance appraisal ratings and termination found no correlation between credit history and performance ratings (Bryan & Palmer, 2012). The purpose of this study is to determine if credit information has any unique contribution to the selection process, or if it is made redundant through other methods such as background and criminal checks. Data from a large government organization will be used, along with their selection process methods, to determine how much overlap exists between the different variables used in their selection process. A bivariate regression will be run on individual selection variables and a multiple regression will be run on the selection variables collectively. This study hopes to provide a better understanding of the unique contribution credit information may provide to the selection process