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This study examined the relations between cognitive ability, socioemotional competency (SEC), and achievement in gifted children. Data were collected on children between the ages of 8 and 15 years (n = 124). Children were assessed via teacher reports of SEC, standardized cognitive assessment, and standardized achievement assessment. Composite achievement significantly

This study examined the relations between cognitive ability, socioemotional competency (SEC), and achievement in gifted children. Data were collected on children between the ages of 8 and 15 years (n = 124). Children were assessed via teacher reports of SEC, standardized cognitive assessment, and standardized achievement assessment. Composite achievement significantly correlated with all areas of SEC on the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). Cognitive ability significantly correlated with all areas of SEC as well. Composite cognitive ability significantly correlated with all composite achievement, as well as with achievement in all subject areas assessed. Achievement scores tended to be higher in older age groups in comparison to younger age groups. When gender differences were found (in some areas of SEC and in language achievement), they tended to be higher in females. Gender moderated the relation between SEC and composite achievement. The areas of SEC that best predicted achievement, over-and-above other SEC scales, were Optimistic Thinking, Self-Awareness, and Relationship Skills. While cognitive scores did not significantly predict achievement when controlling for SEC, SEC did significantly predict achievement over-and-above cognitive ability scores. Overall findings suggest that SEC may be important in children's school achievement; thus it is important for schools and families to promote the development of SEC in gifted children, especially in the areas of optimism and self-awareness.
ContributorsKong, Tiffany (Author) / Caterino, Linda (Thesis advisor) / Naglieri, Jack (Committee member) / Brulles, Dina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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Description
In this thesis, the application of pixel-based vertical axes used within parallel coordinate plots is explored in an attempt to improve how existing tools can explain complex multivariate interactions across temporal data. Several promising visualization techniques are combined, such as: visual boosting to allow for quicker consumption of large data

In this thesis, the application of pixel-based vertical axes used within parallel coordinate plots is explored in an attempt to improve how existing tools can explain complex multivariate interactions across temporal data. Several promising visualization techniques are combined, such as: visual boosting to allow for quicker consumption of large data sets, the bond energy algorithm to find finer patterns and anomalies through contrast, multi-dimensional scaling, flow lines, user guided clustering, and row-column ordering. User input is applied on precomputed data sets to provide for real time interaction. General applicability of the techniques are tested against industrial trade, social networking, financial, and sparse data sets of varying dimensionality.
ContributorsHayden, Thomas (Author) / Maciejewski, Ross (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Yalin (Committee member) / Runger, George C. (Committee member) / Mack, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) evidence has been shown to have a strong effect on juror decision-making when presented in court. While DNA evidence has been shown to be extremely reliable, fingerprint evidence, and the way it is presented in court, has come under much scrutiny. Forensic fingerprint experts have been working

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) evidence has been shown to have a strong effect on juror decision-making when presented in court. While DNA evidence has been shown to be extremely reliable, fingerprint evidence, and the way it is presented in court, has come under much scrutiny. Forensic fingerprint experts have been working on a uniformed way to present fingerprint evidence in court. The most promising has been the Probabilistic Based Fingerprint Evidence (PBFE) created by Forensic Science Services (FSS) (G. Langenburg, personal communication, April 16, 2011). The current study examined how the presence and strength of DNA evidence influenced jurors' interpretation of probabilistic fingerprint evidence. Mock jurors read a summary of a murder case that included fingerprint evidence and testimony from a fingerprint expert and, in some conditions, DNA evidence and testimony from a DNA expert. Results showed that when DNA evidence was found at the crime scene and matched the defendant other evidence and the overall case was rated as stronger than when no DNA was present. Fingerprint evidence did not cause a stronger rating of other evidence and the overall case. Fingerprint evidence was underrated in some cases, and jurors generally weighed all the different strengths of fingerprint testimony to the same degree.
ContributorsArthurs, Shavonne (Author) / McQuiston, Dawn (Thesis advisor) / Hall, Deborah (Committee member) / Schweitzer, Nicholas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
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Description
Prevailing models describing coping with chronic pain posit that it is a complex day-to-day process that can involve psychosocial factors, including cognitive appraisals about pain, interpersonal challenges such as distressed social relationships, and reduced engagement in enjoyable experiences. Few studies, however, have applied a process-oriented approach to elaborate the relations

Prevailing models describing coping with chronic pain posit that it is a complex day-to-day process that can involve psychosocial factors, including cognitive appraisals about pain, interpersonal challenges such as distressed social relationships, and reduced engagement in enjoyable experiences. Few studies, however, have applied a process-oriented approach to elaborate the relations between key pain-related appraisals, social environmental factors, and self-efficacy, a key self-appraisal for successful adaptation to chronic pain. This study used within-day daily diary methodology to test the following hypotheses: (a) increases in morning pain catastrophizing predict decreases in end of day pain self-efficacy; (b) increases in perceived stressfulness of interpersonal relations occurring during the day exacerbate the negative effects of morning catastrophizing on end-of-day pain self-efficacy; and (c) increases in perceived enjoyment of interpersonal relations occurring during the day mitigate the negative effects of morning pain catastrophizing on end of day pain self-efficacy. Within-day measures, including morning pain catastrophizing, afternoon interpersonal stress and enjoyment ratings, and end-of-day pain self-efficacy, were collected for 21 days via an automated phone system from 223 participants with widespread chronic pain. The use of diary data allowed for examination of time-varying processes related to pain adaptation. Results of multilevel regression models indicated that, consistent with prediction, increases in morning pain catastrophizing and predicted decreases in end-of-day pain self-efficacy. Contrary to prediction, changes in midday interpersonal enjoyment and stress did not moderate the within-day catastrophizing-efficacy relation. Rather increases in midday enjoyment and stable individual differences in enjoyment predicted end-of-day efficacy. Overall, findings suggest a within-day relation between pain cognition and social context and subsequent self-efficacy, and highlight potential targets for intervention in chronic pain.
ContributorsThummala, Kirti (Author) / Davis, Mary C. (Thesis advisor) / Zautra, Alex (Committee member) / Okun, Morris (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
The Western Continental United States has a rapidly changing and complex ecosystem that provides valuable resources to a large portion of the nation. Changes in social and environmental factors have been observed to be significantly correlated to usable ground and surface water levels. The assessment of water level changes and

The Western Continental United States has a rapidly changing and complex ecosystem that provides valuable resources to a large portion of the nation. Changes in social and environmental factors have been observed to be significantly correlated to usable ground and surface water levels. The assessment of water level changes and their influences on a semi-national level is needed to support planning and decision making for water resource management at local levels. Although many studies have been done in Ground and Surface Water (GSW) trend analysis, very few have attempted determine correlations with other factors. The number of studies done on correlation factors at a semi-national scale and near decadal temporal scale is even fewer. In this study, freshwater resources in GSW changes from 2004 to 2017 were quantified and used to determine if and how environmental and social variables are related to GSW changes using publicly available remotely sensed and census data. Results indicate that mean annual changes of GSW of the study period are significantly correlated with LULC changes related to deforestation, urbanization, environmental trends, as well as social variables. Further analysis indicates a strong correlation in the rate of change of GSW to LULC changes related to deforestation, environmental trends, as well as social variables. GSW slope trend analysis also reveals a negative trend in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. Whereas a positive GSW trend is evident in the northeast part of the study area. GSW trends were found to be somewhat consistent in the states of Utah, Idaho, and Colorado, implying that there was no GSW changes over time in these states.
ContributorsReynolds, Ryan (Author) / Myint, Soe (Thesis advisor) / Werth, Susanna (Committee member) / Brazel, Anthony (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
Virtual reality gives users the opportunity to immerse themselves in an accurately
simulated computer-generated environment. These environments are accurately simulated in that they provide the appearance of- and allow users to interact with- the simulated environment. Using head-mounted displays, controllers, and auditory feedback, virtual reality provides a convincing simulation of

Virtual reality gives users the opportunity to immerse themselves in an accurately
simulated computer-generated environment. These environments are accurately simulated in that they provide the appearance of- and allow users to interact with- the simulated environment. Using head-mounted displays, controllers, and auditory feedback, virtual reality provides a convincing simulation of interactable virtual worlds (Wikipedia, “Virtual reality”). The many worlds of virtual reality are often expansive, colorful, and detailed. However, there is one great flaw among them- an emotion evoked in many users through the exploration of such worlds-loneliness.
The content in these worlds is impressive, immersive, and entertaining. Without other people to share in these experiences, however, one can find themselves lonely. Users discover a feeling that no matter how many objects and colors surround them in countless virtual worlds, every world feels empty. As humans are social beings by nature, they feel lost without a sense of human connection and human interaction. Multiplayer experiences offer this missing element into the immersion of virtual reality worlds. Multiplayer offers users the opportunity to interact with other live people in a virtual simulation, which creates lasting memories and deeper, more meaningful immersion.
ContributorsJorgensen, Nicholas Keith (Co-author) / Jorgensen, Caitlin Nicole (Co-author) / Selgrad, Justin (Thesis director) / Ehgner, Arnaud (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Many expect renewable energy technologies to play a leading role in a sustainable energy supply system and to aid the shift away from an over-reliance on traditional hydrocarbon resources in the next few decades. This dissertation develops environmental, policy and social models to help understand various aspects of photovoltaic (PV)

Many expect renewable energy technologies to play a leading role in a sustainable energy supply system and to aid the shift away from an over-reliance on traditional hydrocarbon resources in the next few decades. This dissertation develops environmental, policy and social models to help understand various aspects of photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The first part of this dissertation advances the life cycle assessment (LCA) of PV systems by expanding the boundary of included processes using hybrid LCA and accounting for the technology-driven dynamics of environmental impacts. Hybrid LCA extends the traditional method combining bottom-up process-sum and top-down economic input-output (EIO) approaches. The embodied energy and carbon of multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic systems are assessed using hybrid LCA. From 2001 to 2010, the embodied energy and carbon fell substantially, indicating that technological progress is realizing reductions in environmental impacts in addition to lower module price. A variety of policies support renewable energy adoption, and it is critical to make them function cooperatively. To reveal the interrelationships among these policies, the second part of this dissertation proposes three tiers of policy architecture. This study develops a model to determine the specific subsidies required to support a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goal. The financial requirements are calculated (in two scenarios) and compared with predictable funds from public sources. A main result is that the expected investments to achieve the RPS goal far exceed the economic allocation for subsidy of distributed PV. Even with subsidies there are often challenges with social acceptance. The third part of this dissertation originally develops a fuzzy logic inference model to relate consumers' attitudes about the technology such as perceived cost, maintenance, and environmental concern to their adoption intention. Fuzzy logic inference model is a type of soft computing models. It has the advantage of dealing with imprecise and insufficient information and mimicking reasoning processes of human brains. This model is implemented in a case study of residential PV adoption using data through a survey of homeowners in Arizona. The output of this model is the purchasing probability of PV.
ContributorsZhai, Pei (Author) / Williams, Eric D. (Thesis advisor) / Allenby, Braden (Committee member) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
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Description
Speakshield.com will be a social networking site in the style of Twitter.com, but created for businesses that need a more secure way to communicate with their employees without compromising their organization's trade secrets and their employees' personal data. This website will be used by businesses to allow coworkers to collaborate

Speakshield.com will be a social networking site in the style of Twitter.com, but created for businesses that need a more secure way to communicate with their employees without compromising their organization's trade secrets and their employees' personal data. This website will be used by businesses to allow coworkers to collaborate on projects, communicate their ideas publicly to the company, and network with each other, without having that private information leak out to unintended recipients or be vulnerable in case of hacking incidents.
ContributorsKlepfish, Mikhail (Author) / Anderson, Dennis (Thesis director) / Happel, Stephen (Committee member) / Hensley, Matt (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)
Created2013-05
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Description
Previous findings from our lab have demonstrated that nicotine and social reward have synergistic effects when experienced together versus when experienced separately. The purpose of this experiment is to understand the neural mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect by quantifying Fos protein, a marker for neural activation, in various brain regions.

Previous findings from our lab have demonstrated that nicotine and social reward have synergistic effects when experienced together versus when experienced separately. The purpose of this experiment is to understand the neural mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect by quantifying Fos protein, a marker for neural activation, in various brain regions. We utilized the conditioning place preference (CPP) model to assess reward. Four groups of adolescent male rats (n=120) were given either nicotine (Nic) (0.1 mg/kg/mL) or saline (Sal) and were placed in the CPP apparatus either with a social partner (Soc) or alone (Iso). Thus, groups were: 1.)Sal+Iso, 2).Sal+Soc, 3).Nic+Iso, 4).Nic+Soc. Brains of some the rats (n=40) were collected for Fos staining 90 minutes after the last conditioning session to obtain Fos data in response to direct exposure to the stimuli. The following regions were analyzed for Fos expression: central amygdala (CeA), medial amygdala (MeA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), nucleus accumbens core (NAcCore), and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcShell). Place preference changes occurred in socially-conditioned groups reflecting social reward and in nicotine-conditioned groups reflecting nicotine reward. As expected, the Sal+Iso control group failed to display a preference change. Fos data revealed a significant increase in Fos expression in the CeA, MeA, NAcCore and NAcShell for socially-conditioned animals and a significant decrease in the NAcCore for nicotine-conditioned groups. Experiencing both social and nicotine rewards together appeared to produce greater activation in the BLA. However, there was an increase in Fos expression in the negative control group relative to Nic+Iso group. The results of CPP suggest that social, nicotine and their combination are rewarding. The combination of the nicotine and social reward could have been more rewarding than social and nicotine separately, but the test was not sensitive to reward magnitude. The increase in Fos expression in the negative control group in the BLA could be due to isolation stress. Overall, these results suggest that these brain regions had greater activation to social reward.
ContributorsGoenaga, Julianna Gloria (Author) / Neisewander, Janet (Thesis director) / Orchinik, Miles (Committee member) / Olive, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
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Description

Brundtland’s definition of sustainability is the ability to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (IISD, 2021). But what if there are no future generations? Social sustainability, the sector of sustainability that foregrounds the well-being and livelihoods of people (and

Brundtland’s definition of sustainability is the ability to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (IISD, 2021). But what if there are no future generations? Social sustainability, the sector of sustainability that foregrounds the well-being and livelihoods of people (and thereby continuation of humanity), is included in definitions within the sustainability field, but less developed in sustainability practice. In an effort to bridge this gap of knowledge, 14 U.S. cities and over 100 sustainability policies were analyzed for their social sustainability performance. An eight-item analytical framework that deals with differing areas of social equity guided the analysis. Results found that most cities’ sustainability departments fell short of truly addressing social sustainability concerns. Out of the eight items, the most frequently addressed were housing security and racial and gender equality whereas few, if any, cities addressed the more specific social concerns of immigration, technology and media, or arts/cultural preservation. Future research is recommended to gain a better understanding of the ways existing cities can improve in this area.

ContributorsTam, Joey (Co-author) / Weekes, Daniel (Co-author) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Keeler, Lauren (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05