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Three essays on information and behavioral economics
Full text linkThis thesis comprises three essays that explore the interplay between strategic behavior, information transmission, and welfare-enhancing policy interventions.
The first chapter develops a multi-receiver incomplete information coordination game with unbiased and biased agents. Unbiased agents aim to align with the underlying state of nature and coordinate with others, while biased agents favor a specific collective outcome. A randomly selected sender observes the state and communicates strategically to the group. I show that truthful communication and full social learning can be sustained in equilibrium provided the degree of conformity among unbiased agents does not exceed one-half and the share of biased agents remains below fifty percent.
The second chapter examines rumor propagation on networks by modifying the communication–coordination game introduced in the previous chapter so that conformity depends on local interactions only. I demonstrate that introducing a small degree of conformity enlarges the parameter space in which truthful communication occurs, thereby relaxing the constraints on biased participation compared to existing models.
The third chapter shifts focus to consumer behavior and welfare by analyzing optimal taxation of sin goods under self-control problems. Using the temptation model of Gul and Pesendorfer (2001) in a monopoly setting, I characterize an endogenous quality–price ceiling and derive welfare-maximizing tax policies. I show that optimal ad valorem taxes decline with market size, potentially turning into subsidies, while specific taxes are not optimal for domestically produced goods. By contrast, for imported goods, both ad valorem and specific taxes improve welfare, with ad valorem taxes yielding substantially larger gains
Police adoption of body-worn video technology in England and Wales: a socio-technical analysis of change
Full text linkUsing qualitative methods in the context of policing in England and Wales, this doctoral research examines how police and body-worn video (BWV) technology shape one another. It explores the impact of the technology, the technology as a product, and the process of interaction between police and BWV systems. The research responds to both the rapid development of BWV technology systems and their widespread adoption across UK policing organisations since their first trial in 2005.
Most studies on police adoption of BWV technology have been conducted in the United States, are quantitative and experimental in design, and focus primarily on behavioural outcomes (Lum et al., 2019; O’Neill et al., 2024). Consequently, there remains a need for qualitative inquiry into how BWV technology adoption has influenced policing in England and Wales, at organisational and potentially regional levels. As Flight (2020) notes, when it comes to body-worn video and policing, technology matters. It is therefore necessary to identify and understand significant shifts in BWV technology development and use within policing organisations, including potential diffusion (Rogers, 2003) to new users and function creep into new applications shaped by these technological developments. Moreover, the design and functionality of BWV systems, and their patterns of police use, have broader implications for public interaction, institutional arrangements, and academic research on police technology adoption (Fan, 2017; 2018a; 2018b).
To address these questions, the research combines qualitative data collection with secondary sources to examine the impact of BWV technology adoption and to describe the mutual shaping process between police organisations and BWV technology in England and Wales. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of police organisations, a BWV technology vendor, and a third-sector organisation, complemented by field observations of officers responding to emergency calls. Data were analysed thematically using a socio-technical analytic framework to describe how BWV technology and police organisations influence one another and to examine the implications that may result for society.
Given that technical components (materiality) of BWV technology have been largely neglected in prior research (Flight, 2020; see also Ariel et al., 2016; Willis, 2022), a socio-technical analytic framework was adopted to give equal consideration to social arrangements and technical systems. A dual-nature view of technology (treating it as both a product and process) was used to ensure that the technical components were examined in theory and in practice. Recognising that analytic approaches grounded in relational ontologies, such as actor-network theory and ‘new’ materialism, tend to focus narrowly on the process of organisational technology use (Roberts and Grabowski, 1999), this research integrates insider interview data, BWV guidance documents, and policy analysis to extend the focus by examining impact. In so doing, this research describe shifts within policing organisations and, where relevant, in regional policing more broadly.
The data are analysed and the findings articulated to narrate the story of change arising from BWV technology adoption and to explain the mutual shaping of police organisations, officers, and the BWV technologies they select, implement, and use. Empirically, the research identifies shifts in policing in England and Wales relating to transparency, accountability, and police protection. Theoretically, it contributes by synthesizing and critically analysing existing BWV technology research to reveal conceptual and methodological imbalances, advancing criminological debates on the relationship between police and technology. It also introduces a conceptual toolkit that integrates socio-technical theory and dual-nature perspectives of technology, providing analytic categories for examining both the design and material components of BWV systems (technology as product) and the social arrangements that shape their use (technology as process). Central to this framework is the concept of (mis)alignment, which highlights how certain organisational practices and interpretations correspond more closely than others with the technology’s design and intended purpose. Together, these insights support future research on police technology adoption and the mutual development of technical and organisational systems
Exploring and modelling resilience in mothers of adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Thailand: multi-method approach
Full text linkThis thesis investigates the concept and experience of resilience among mothers of adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Thailand. This topic remains underexplored despite growing international attention to caregiver well-being. The caregiving journey for mothers of adolescents with ID is complex, particularly during adolescence, a developmental stage associated with increased behavioural challenges, emotional demands and growing concerns about the future. In Thailand, the cultural expectations of maternal caregiving, combined with limited disability support, intensify these challenges. This is the first known study to test McCubbin’s model of resilience in this population and context, contributing original insights into the factors that shape and sustain resilience among Thai mothers of adolescents with ID.
This study aims to understand how resilience is developed and sustained in this population, identify key factors that influence it, and provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen support mechanisms in the Thai context. Using McCubbin and McCubbin’s Resiliency Model as a guiding theoretical framework, this study employs a multi-method approach that combines a systematic review, a quantitative survey, and qualitative interviews. The framework informs both the study’s design and analysis, enabling a comprehensive exploration of resilience processes within this specific cultural and caregiving context.
This study comprises three methodologically distinct but conceptually related studies. The first component was a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature examining the factors associated with resilience in parents of children with ID. This review synthesised 27 studies, revealing that resilience is a multifaceted process influenced by both internal and external protective factors. Key factors include problem-solving, social support, self-efficacy, hope, parental health, educational socioeconomic stability, cultural beliefs, and religious faith. The findings emphasise that while adversity is a shared experience among parents of children with ID, Individuals’ adaptation and thriving are shaped by personal and environmental resources.
The second component of this thesis was a quantitative study that examined McCubbin’s model of resilience in Thai mothers of adolescents with ID. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from a sample of mothers at the Rajanukul Institute in Thailand. Standardised instruments were used to assess resilience through adaptation, perception of illness, perceived social support, coping, and caregiving burden. Statistical analyses, including Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), were used to examine the relationships among several key variables influencing maternal resilience. The results indicate that coping was associated with maternal resilience, suggesting that resilient mothers were more likely to adopt effective coping strategies. Social support was associated with maternal stress and resilience. Resilience was also associated with maternal stress. Debt and having a child with severe or profound ID significantly increased stress, highlighting socioeconomic and caregiving burdens as key sources of psychological strain. Furthermore, stress was positively associated with negative perceptions of ID, which also had a direct impact on coping and was influenced by the severity of the child’s disability. The model in this study provides a valuable framework for informing interventions to support maternal resilience.
The third and final component was a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 12 Thai mothers of adolescents with ID. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed six overarching themes: (1) Becoming a mother of a child with ID, (2) Finding my way, (3) Navigating through the challenges, (4) Support system, (5) Holding on to faith, and (6) Forward-thinking strategies. Many participants acknowledged the emotional hardship and stigma associated with raising a child with ID, but also shared stories of personal growth, increased patience, and strengthened family bonds. Importantly, the qualitative findings highlighted how resilience is not a trait but a process continually influenced by shifting circumstances, relationships, and external support.
The findings from the three studies highlight that a complex interplay of personal and contextual factors shapes maternal resilience in caring for adolescents with ID. While some mothers demonstrate or develop strong internal coping strategies, others remain vulnerable due to limited social support, financial difficulties, and insufficient access to services. In Thailand, where formal caregiving support is limited and caregiving roles are heavily gendered, mothers often shoulder the primary caregiving burden with limited external assistance.
This study makes several key contributions to the existing literature. First, it provides an integrated understanding of resilience among mothers of adolescents with ID, combining evidence from the global literature with data grounded in the Thai cultural context. Second, it offers a model of resilience that can inform early screening and the development of tailored support programs for mothers. Third, it provides rich qualitative insights that capture the lived experiences of mothers, offering a voice to a group that is often overlooked in research and policy discussions.
This study has important implications for nursing practice, mental health services, and policy development. In the future, interventions aimed at enhancing resilience in mothers of adolescents with ID must consider not only psychological strategies but also broader social and cultural determinants of resilience. Community-based support programs, caregiver education, and policies that promote inclusive health and education services can play a critical role in improving maternal well-being. Furthermore, acknowledging mothers' strengths and agency, rather than viewing them solely as vulnerable, can help build more respectful and effective support systems.
In conclusion, this thesis deepens the understanding of maternal resilience within Thailand’s unique cultural and socioeconomic context, underscoring the importance of holistic, culturally tailored interventions. It lays the foundation for future research and practical initiatives to support caregivers in low- and middle-income countries, where such knowledge is urgently needed
Functionalisation of high-valent metal-organic frameworks by direct and postsynthetic methods
No full textAbstract not currently available
An illustration and interrogation of the spectrum of Robert Burns's masculinity
Full text linkThis MPhil dissertation is an illustration and interrogation of the spectrum of Robert Burns's expressions of masculinity. Through a historicised approach, this study accounts for the eighteenth-century literary and social conditions which influenced Burns's understanding and subsequent enactment of masculinity. Surveying the influence of sentimentalism and Adam Smith’s notion of ‘sympathy’ on Burns’s life and work, the ‘spectrum of masculinity’ which is outlined begins with Burns’s significantly portrayal of himself as a 'Man of Feeling'. Furthermore, an examination of the social, cultural, and intellectual spheres which Burns produced writing for provides fruitful insight into the varied self-fashioning of his masculinity, which he tailors to his diverse audiences. Ultimately, this demonstrates that his unique access to multiple spheres produced a uniquely nuanced spectrum of masculine expressions. Notably, these spheres spanned socio-economic boundaries as Burns formed friendships with both economically struggling working men and men of a higher socioeconomic status. While this study has a central focus on homosocial spheres, it also addresses Burns's awareness of the discourse on women's rights which was contemporary to him with the publication of Mary Wollstonecraft's pioneering feminist work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). This is situated in a wider evaluation of Burns's interaction with the concept of masculine authority, which features his bawdy work which ostentatiously celebrates male sexuality – lying at the other end of the ‘spectrum’ which is laid out. Burns's attitude towards masculine authority was varied - he upheld that authority through his expression of dominance in his writing while he also critically engaged with the futility of male dominance in his narrative masterpiece ‘Tam o’ Shanter’. Overall, this study utilises Robert Burns's complex expressions of masculinity to address contemporary anxieties concerning its nature – demonstrating that, for the poet, masculinity encompasses a wide range of traits which result from a fusion of cultural, social and biographical factors
Impact of collagen architecture on breast cancer epithelial cell behaviour
No full textAbstract not currently available
Investigating professional development of content and language teachers in English Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts in China
Full text linkWith the global advancement of the internationalisation of higher education, English Medium Instruction (EMI) has gained momentum in non-Anglophone contexts such as China, where EMI programmes are surging to align with goals such as attracting government funding, enhancing university rankings, and improving students’ English proficiency and career prospects. However, a range of challenges faced by stakeholders (students and teachers) may jeopardise the realisation of these goals. While student-related issues have been widely recognised, challenges faced by teachers remain insufficiently explored. Specifically, content teachers often struggle linguistic and pedagogical challenges when teaching from L1 to English, while English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers face transitioning challenges from general English (EGP) to EAP.
Teacher professional development (PD) is therefore recommended to address these challenges. However, institutional support remains limited in practice, which may undermine the ultimate goal of EMI in ensuring students’ academic success (McKinley & Rose, 2022). Furthermore, collaboration between content and EAP teachers is suggested as a promising PD format (Lasagabaster, 2022; Ploettner, 2019), enabling content and EAP teachers to synergise disciplinary and linguistic expertise to better support student learning. However, collaboration remains largely at the pilot stage (Lasagabaster, 2018), with limited relevant research on its effectiveness, leaving multiple unaddressed issues in practice.
This study investigates the current state of PD opportunities and collaboration between content and EAP teachers across different types of EMI provisions (EMI university, EMI college and EMI programme) in China. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, data were collected through document analysis of PDrelated documents and interviews with content teachers (n = 20), EAP teachers (n = 20), and PD leads (n = 5). The study offers both objective and subjective insights into how PD and collaboration are perceived, structured, and experienced.
Key findings reveal institutional and individual factors influencing teachers’ PD and collaboration respectively, highlight significant variation across EMI provision types, and stress the need for structured mechanisms and leadership support to facilitate effective PD and also teacher collaboration. The study also underscores the critical role of EAP teachers in supporting students' academic English and calls for more equitable PD investment across teaching cohorts. It concludes by advocating for policy and institutional reforms to support more sustainable and collaborative PD practices. Ultimately, this study emphasises that the long-term success of EMI hinges on recognising teachers’ endeavours made for bettering EMI teaching quality and calls for a more holistic support system which ensures the empowerment of teachers and academic achievements of students
The factors impacting secondary school teachers’ continuance intention to use Madrasati platform in Saudi Arabia
Full text linkDuring the rapid outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries enforced stay-athome policies, which led to an increase in distance working. Accordingly, e-learning was utilised to replace face-to-face education, with many educational organisations across the world switching to online teaching and learning. In Saudi Arabia (SA), the option for elearning was not widely supported in public schools. The Ministry of Education (MoE) developed an online learning management system (LMS) named Madrasati to support the educational process during school closures. However, a large proportion of teachers chose to continue using Madrasati even after schools returned to face-to-face teaching, making it part of their post-pandemic approaches to teaching and learning. This study aims to investigate the reasons and motivations associated with the post-COVID-19 usage of Madrasati. This is of particular interest given that, internationally, LMSs such as Madrasati typically feature more prominently in further and higher education than they do in elementary and secondary school education.
To thoroughly address the research question, this study adopts an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, wherein both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in an organised sequence. First, a proposed model for a continued use of e-learning platforms was developed, primarily informed by the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) and other relevant e-learning studies. In the first phase, a large-scale survey was conducted with 304 secondary school teachers in SA, who completed an online questionnaire. At this stage, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to evaluate the proposed model, utilising two main techniques: the measurement model and the structural model. In the second phase, follow-up interviews were undertaken with 19 secondary school teachers, with a reflexive thematic analytical approach used to clarify the quantitative findings and to gain a deeper understanding of the rationale behind their decisions regarding the continuance of Madrasati use.
The obtained results confirmed that the proposed model demonstrated a good fit with the quantitative data, verifying the validity and reliability of its instruments. The survey findings identified significant factors influencing teachers’ intentions to continue using Madrasati, including learning content quality, perceived usefulness, social influence, and self-efficacy. Most teachers demonstrated favourable attitudes towards the platform, with social influence-particularly from peers and students—emerging as a strong predictor of continuance intention. In contrast, qualitative data from the interviews revealed some concerns that could hinder the platform’s continued use, such as insufficient professional training, limited technical support, and inadequate internet infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.
From an academic perspective, the proposed model may provide a useful tool for researchers in the field of technology adoption in education who wish to examine factors influencing the intention to adopt LMSs and technological platforms in diverse contexts. In addition, practical recommendations were presented to Saudi educational stakeholders and Madrasati’s developers to implement methods that could increase teachers’ motivation to continue using the platform
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