17504 research outputs found
Sort by
Sustainability Information and Food Choices: The Role of Self-Efficacy, Climate Change Attitudes, and Price
No full textExisting research on the use of sustainability information in food choices often relies on self-report data. Research that uses direct product choice methodology provides information on sustainability through product attributes associated with quality rather than direct environmental impact. These studies find that specific attributes such as organic status and country of origin affect consumer choice, but participants prioritize price and other quality information (Meise et al., 2014; Tait et al., 2019). By clearly indicating sustainability in a product choice task while varying price, the present study attempted to address these shortcomings and assess the relationship between price and sustainable food purchases. The role of other factors influencing sustainable product choices, including climate change beliefs and individual efficacy, was explored. Two hundred US adult participants completed a survey assessing cereal product choice based on sustainability information alongside climate change beliefs, product preferences, and demographic variables. Results revealed that participants who reported higher individual efficacy and those whose preferred price matched their assigned price condition were more likely to choose the sustainable product. However, no significant relationships were found between sustainable product choice and demographic variables such as age, education, political affiliation, or income. These findings suggest that price and individuals\u27 perceived ability to make a difference are more significant in sustainable choices than their demographic characteristics and beliefs in climate change
Playground to Portfolio: Uncovering the Potential for Investment-Grade Returns in Collectible Sports and Pokémon Cards
No full textOn August 28, 2022, a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million. High price sales such as these sparked interest into the investment capabilities of collectible trading cards. Current literature suggests that collectible investments are unlikely to be competitive with traditional assets, such as stocks and bonds. Furthermore, existing investment literature fails to address the continually growing trading card market. This thesis explores the sports and non-sports card market to see if there is potential for investment-grade returns. We use card sales data scraped from PriceCharting.com from Jan 2021 to Dec 2023, covering the baseball, basketball, football, and Pokémon card market. We then compare returns between collectible cards and the S&P 500 and a risk-free bond index. We also use linear regressions to demonstrate which card characteristics correlate with higher return in the short- and long-run. We constructed portfolios of collectibles and show that they underperformed the S&P. For example, a portfolio of all sports cards returned -0.39% annually while the portfolio of all Pokémon cards returned -4.72% annually. In the short-term, only card age correlates with an increase in portfolio value, with all other card characteristics showing little affect. In the long-term, the oldest or newest rookie cards of the best players have the highest return. These results coincide with the consensus on the card market that cards, as collectibles, are not normally a good investment. However, some cards are worth the money
Investigating Theory of Spelling Performance
No full textThe current study focused on how orthographical training may be used to help college students spell difficult words. There are many different strategies that helps people strengthen their orthography to help students learn to spell. More specifically, a spelling pronunciation procedure was used to train students to hear difficult-to-spell phonemes. I manipulated difficult versus easy-to-spell words, as well as whether participants studied or took a pretest on spelling pronunciation. Participants studied words while hearing the correct pronunciation, the spelling pronunciation, and then they studied the words again or completed a pretest of the spelling pronunciation. A final test for all participants measured overall word accuracy, total letters correct, correctly placed schwa vowels, silent letters, and double letters. The results showed no statical significance for the testing manipulation. Performance across all dependent measures was better for easy than difficult words. Future studies could have participants complete the final spelling test after a week-long delay to more closely replicate procedures that show significant testing effects. Future efforts should also instruct participants to speak aloud the spelling pronunciations to more closely replicate the work within the spelling literature
The Russo-Ukraine War and How Crimea, Mercenaries, and Drones are Impacting the War
No full textCurrently as the war rages on in Ukraine, I have found three main factors have which have impacted how the war was being fought. This paper will primarily focus on the Ukraine war but will also take a look into recent events within Ukraine prior to the outbreak of war to put each topic in context of why they are important to the war. In my introduction the long history between Ukraine and Russia are talked on which provide context as to their complex relationship as well as Russian desires for the territory. The Crimean Peninsula is the main topic for the first chapter covering its role in Russo-Ukrainian relations as well as how it has impacted the war due to its strategic importance for both nations. The second chapter covers mercenaries, why Russia uses private military companies, and how their overreliance on private military companies almost created a disaster for Putin. Drones are the topic of the final chapter where their current use in the war is actively shaping how the war is being fought. It will also cover how the Russo-Ukraine war could spark the mass use and innovation of drones and become a major changing point in how war is fought. Before reading this paper I must contextualize the time period this was written in, which was between September 2023 and March 2024. Any ideas covered here should be taken within the context of the timeframe and that they could become irrelevant or outdated since my topic is still occurring and could easily change
Assessing the Impact of International Experience on Cultural Flexibility: Investigating the Mediating Role of Norms and Values
No full textIn the vast landscape of higher education, imagine the journey of an international student stepping into a new academic environment, thousands of miles away from home. They are not only adapting to a new educational system, but also navigating a maze of an unfamiliar culture. International students’ experiences are therefore multifaceted. Beyond adjusting to academic rigors, students grapple with differing social norms and cultural expectations. This complex process raises crucial questions: How do international students adjust to this new cultural environment? How does their ability to adapt, or their cultural flexibility, evolve through this process? And crucially, to what extent does alignment with their home culture\u27s norms and values act as a mediator in this journey? These are the issues I aim to explore in my paper
Exploring the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence through Approaches of Chatbot Models
No full textThis study will focus on the types and variations of chatbots in the field of artificial intelligence. In the study, there are three different chatbot models that are created and examined. The models are tested and thoroughly analyzed based upon their ability to handle data, respond to certain prompts or instructions, and other factors that enable user-to-machine interactions. Throughout the study, various concepts will be explained to enable the reader to obtain a more in-depth understanding and to also appreciate the historical context and reasoning of these concepts. These ideas along with the chatbot models are the components that represent and highlight the important landmarks of artificial intelligence technology and its development
Developing WoOral : A Full Stack Web Application for Streamlined Thesis Defense Scheduling with User Interface Design Focus
No full textThe academic landscape, particularly in higher education, has long been characterized by a blend of tradition and innovation. One of the enduring traditions is the thesis defense—a key moment in a student\u27s academic journey. At The College of Wooster, scheduling these defenses has traditionally been inefficient, managed manually or via Excel spreadsheets. This study introduces WoOral, a web application designed to streamline this process through modern user interface design principles and full-stack development technologies. WoOral was developed using the XAMPP stack, which includes Apache (web server), PHP (server-side processing), and MariaDB with phpMyAdmin (database management), along with HTML, CSS, jQuery, and Bootstrap for client-side development. The application emphasizes key UI design principles such as discoverability, feedback, conceptual models, affordances, signifiers, mapping, constraints, and error prevention. By adhering to well-researched design principles and focusing on user needs we developed an effective scheduling system designed for people, with people in mind
Exploring Swarm Behavior for Artistic Rendering: From Abstract Art to Targeted Image Rendition
No full textSwarm Intelligence (SI) or Multi-agent systems is a collective behavior of decentral- ized and self-organized systems. I have developed a non-photorealistic renderer of target images using swarm behavior and was inspired by the human swarm experiment conducted by Dr.Daniel Palmer. In my research, developed a simulation where agents leave trails of various widths and colors as the agents move around the screen. The first phase of the research dwells on creating abstract art using my own variation of the human swarm experiment. Finally, the second phase focuses on rendering a target image using both non-swarm and swarm behavior. The paper compares various variables that can impact the working of agents in the swarm and hence the rendered image. The swarm-based approach sees speed-ups, but also different kinds of renditions resulting from the agent interactions
An Integrated Library System that Focuses on Collaboration: Bringing Books and Computers Together
No full textIntegrated Library Systems (ILS) are means by which library databases organize metadata relating to the books in their possession, whether physical or digital. Using preexisting systems in conjunction with elements of collaboration, we can create an ILS that focuses on collaboration in an educational environment. This software incorporates folksonomy and other user-generated information into an ILS for use in academic libraries, while keeping in mind user experience. To ensure a good user interface, a usability study was conducted. From this usability study, we can identify changes to make to enhance user experience on the site. Based on the results of our usability study, we made improvements to some signifiers used in the software. Future work on this project includes the addition of login functionality and updating records in the database