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The Effect of Photographs on the Narrative Believability of Positively and Negatively Framed Stories
Get PDFCountless news articles are published in print or digital form each day, creating a need to understand what makes stories attractive and believable. Salacious, oftentimes negative, news stories tend to effectively grab readers’ attention (Entman, 1993; Serani, 2011), and when the news stories are accompanied by photographs, readers’ interest in the articles is promoted (Knobloch et al., 2003). However, the extent to which negatively framed stories are perceived as believable is largely unknown. The current study examined whether a story’s valence (i.e., positive or negative) affects the believability of news articles, particularly in the presence of a photograph. It was hypothesized that the inclusion of a photograph within a negatively valenced story would increase believability. A total of 103 participants were recruited for the study, which was conducted as a 2 (Photograph: Present or Absent) x 2 (Overall Story Valence: Positive or Negative) between-subjects experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the study’s four conditions, where they read a positively or negatively valenced news article about an immigrant’s experience with Customs Border Patrol. The article was either accompanied or not accompanied by a photograph. Participants then completed a measure of narrative believability (Yale, 2013). Results revealed that negatively valenced stories were perceived as more believable than positively valenced stories, and this effect did not change with the presence or absence of a photograph. Findings have implications for how the news media should present (accurate) information to promote believability of content and further improve reader interest and engagement
Incorporating in situ measurements of energy into a designed method of detection of radiation induced degradation in embedded systems
Get PDFAn embedded system, or a system-on-chip (SOC), is a miniaturized computer that combines hardware and software to accomplish a certain purpose. Embedded systems are used in various applications from household appliances to the automobile industry. Additionally, SOCs are used in space environments where the surroundings consist of radiation and extreme temperatures. In these harsh conditions, embedded systems must operate properly through the effects of radiation such as total ionizing dose (TID). Because embedded systems are filled with various components and modules, and since the internal signals of the system are often inaccessible, methods to locate which specific parts of the system are affected due to radiation are archaic and inefficient. The most common method of analyzing TID in SOC consists of a pass-fail strategy where the effects of TID are only known after the system is unable to communicate with the user. This thesis describes a novel method to identify the specific modules being affected by TID radiation through in situ power and energy measurements of the system and the performance of the components. The experimental methodology is demonstrated through measurement of radiation effects in the MSP430FR6989 microcontroller from Texas Instruments’ and the EnergyTrace program that is installed in the system
Topological analysis of microtubules during cell division
Get PDFCells are complex biological systems, composed by many biopolymers, which undergo morphological changes during cell division. Microtubules are biopolymers essential for functions in the cell. Understanding the role of microtubules in cell division requires characterizing their conformations during this process. In this thesis, we model the microtubules by mathematical curves in space and use methods from Knot Theory to characterize the single and multi-chain topological complexity of such systems. We create computational methods for analyzing the topology of microtubules obtained through large electron tomography data. Our results show that the geometry/topology and entanglement of microtubules changes throughout cell division and it depends on the length of the microtubules and their locations. We also detect change in twisting of the microtubules which is associated to the motion of the chromosomes. Using Braid theory, we find that there is no correlation between multi-chain entanglement and oriented random walks in confinemen
When the goal is to be less stressed: a naturalistic investigation of academic and self-care goal completion
Get PDFThe demands of college are synonymous with stress for many students, with stress generally being related to academic success and posing a challenge for academic goals and self-care behaviors. Individual difference factors such as resilience and need for cognition may impact this stress experience as well as academic and self-care behaviors. Prior to the current study, self-care had yet to be studied in the same context as academic goal completion. The results of the present research revealed that students were significantly better at completing academic goals versus self-care goals and that self-care goal completion predicted completion of academic goals. Further, I found greater self-care goal completion was associated with lower perceived stress following the goal completion period. These findings have implications related to student wellbeing, as this knowledge of the benefits of setting and completing self-care goals could provide justification for students to prioritize these types of tasks
Analyzing the survival rate of clinically pathogenic bacteria on occupational therapy devices used during full hip replacement rehabilitation
Get PDFAn increasing concern of the healthcare system has been that of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). HAIs currently account for approximately 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths per year in United States hospitals. HAI’s (formerly called nosocomial infections) are defined as infections that develop in patients who have been in residence in a healthcare facility (i.e., in-patient clinics) for 48 hours or longer and who previously had no evidence of infection prior to admission. Consequences of HAIs include increased length of hospital stay, exposure to high frequency antibiotics, sepsis, and in unfortunate cases, death. In out-patient environments where patients are receiving rehabilitative care, such as OT, they are often benefiting from the use of readily available therapy instruments. Instruments used in the outpatient setting are often shared between numerous patients, hopefully being disinfected between uses with disinfectant wipes. Although these rehabilitative instruments should be disinfected between uses, it is unknown to what extent bacteria may survive with or without proper disinfection. The objective of this study is to help provide baseline statistics for the potential of bacterial survivability in multiple places on reachers and sock aids, both of which are common OT instruments. The study focused on the survivability of three bacterial species: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus, all of which are frequent pathogens associated with HAIs in clinical settings. After application of known quantities of these bacteria to the devices, surviving cells were enumerated as long as 48 hours after inoculation. Data generated here should help establish the need for more focused disinfection protocols for these OT devices
Addressing smart city challenges utilizing machine learning: vehicular crash and public transportation fuel consumption prediction
Get PDFAccording to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 64% of the developing world and 86% of the developed world will be urbanized by 2050. This presents both new challenges and wonderful opportunities. Thanks to the fast, steady growth of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), and Internet of People, the process of collecting the data required to solve the challenges that urbanization brings forth has been alleviated; thus, improving the quality of life for the citizens of urban environments. This thesis focuses on solutions to two of the challenges facing urbanized areas: vehicular crashes and public transportation fuel consumption by utilizing innovative machine learning models. These solutions can assure the safety of citizens, assist with urban planning, emission reduction, smart city development, etc
Examining the intersections of art and science through photomicrography
Get PDFThis thesis explores the ways in which photomicrography is interdisciplinary, requiring the fields of both art and science. Three types of microscopy were used in this project, brightfield, epifluorescence, and confocality. The overall thesis is both, a body of artistic work and a narrative of my endeavor to understand the science and process behind photomicroscopy
The Relationship between Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior and Guilt versus Shame Proneness
Get PDFThis study examined the correlation between adolescent risk-taking behaviors and guilt versus shame proneness. The participants were given an adolescent risk-taking questionnaire that focused on negative high and low risk-taking behaviors and the TOSCA-3 questionnaire. The adolescent risk-taking questionnaire focused on the participants past behaviors from the ages of 13-18. The TOSCA-3 was used to determine if a participant was guilt-prone or shame-prone. The data collected from both instruments were analyzed for whether adolescent risk-taking behaviors were correlated with guilt proneness or shame proneness. The results of the Pearson r correlations indicated a significant negative correlation between adolescent risk-taking, shame and guilt. The results of the t Tests also indicated that those with a lower shame scores and lower guilt scores had significantly higher adolescent risk-taking scores. Overall, this means that adolescents who are less shame and guilt prone are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors
Exploring the Role of Emotional Stability and Remote Work as Resources in Detaching from Work
No full textThe sizable increase in remote jobs within the last two years has led researchers to question how remote and in-person workers recover differently and what organizations can do to best facilitate their recovery from work. Yet, few empirical studies identify which individual and situational characteristics assist or inhibit recovery from work. Using Sonnentag and Fritz’s (2015) stressor-detachment model as theoretical framework, the proposed study investigates attentional resources (i.e., work location) and personal resources (i.e., emotional stability) that moderate the relationship of job stressors and well-being which is mediated by psychological detachment from work during non-work hours. Specifically, one’s levels of emotional stability likely play a role in how stress is appraised at work, while work location likely impacts one’s ability to divert attention away from job stressors
Comparing major burnout measures: an analysis of predictive and incremental validity
Get PDFBurnout is an increasingly prominent topic both in industrial and organizational psychology and the public discourse. While the concept of burnout is well known, studies on its temporal relationships are rare and debate remains as to how to best measure it. Frequently used to assess burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) has received criticism for its dimensions, item wording, and cost relative to other measures. In response, several burnout measures have been created, notably the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM), the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and more recently the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). The proposed research would be the first to examine the incremental and predictive validity of these four major burnout measures regarding person- and job-related predictors and outcomes. On the person-related side, anxiety, depression, stress, and subjective well-being are prominent correlates to the burnout construct. This research will also investigate the role of personal resources such as resilience, self-efficacy, and optimism. On the job-related side, job performance, satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job engagement will be examined. In the proposed study, 300 full-time workers will be recruited via Prolific to take the MBI, SMBM, CBI, and BAT at three time points, along with the person- and job-related variables above. Using a cross-lagged panel design, regressions will be calculated to analyze the temporal relationships between the personal and job-related predictors and outcomes with each burnout measure. Multiple regressions will be conducted to examine the predictive and incremental validities of the four measures as regards the predictors and outcomes. Pilot data suggests that among the four measures, the BAT aligns best with the burnout construct. Therefore, it is expected to have the strongest relationships with the predictors and outcomes. This research will allow for a comparison among burnout measures regarding meaningful person- and job-related variables. A major contribution of the proposed research comes from its longitudinal design, which will allow for causal inferences. Additionally, this study can offer insight into the directionality of the burnout-strain relationship. For researchers, adding temporal data to existing knowledge of burnout’s nomological network will provide guidance regarding whether conservation of resources, effort recovery, or other theoretical models best fit the way burnout unfolds. For practitioners, burnout prevention and intervention efforts can be developed, implemented, and evaluated based on a more comprehensive understanding of burnout and can therefore be more targeted and effective