Browsing by Subject "Values"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    African American girls using individual values, experiences, and text to discuss social issues.
    (2010-07) Ross, Sherise Eunique Jean
    This study investigates readers‟ use of text and discussion to understand unjust topics. In this study, four African American girls who have experienced the effects of Hurricane Katrina, read and discuss The watson’s go to birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. The participants engage in independent reading and journal writing, followed by a group discussion to share their responses. Topics such as discrimination, racism, economic status, and violence are included in the text, prompting several types of responses. A shared response among the girls is text to life connections; other individual responses include their use of morals, values, and background knowledge.
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    Descriptive Practices and Values in Endocrine Disruption Research
    (2016-08) Powers, John
    This work is a philosophical analysis of descriptive practices and values in endocrine disruption research. Chapter 1 provides an accessible overview. In Chapter 2, I develop a nonreductionist epistemology of research into the endocrine disrupting properties of the herbicide atrazine. I argue that criteria of adequacy governing descriptive practices in atrazine research serve to help organize and coordinate the activities and contributions of researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. In Chapter 3, I examine the influence of non-epistemic values on terminology choice in endocrine disruption research. Researchers face choices about whether or not to use gendered language to describe the harmful effects of atrazine. I argue that such choices are locations of “inductive risk.” In Chapter 4, I examine traditional “global demarcation” approaches for recognizing science that is problematically value-laden. I argue that global demarcation projects as currently undertaken are unlikely to meet their aims and suggest an alternative approach. This alternative approach reinterprets global demarcation projects as providing prima facie principles of good science. The prima facie principles resulting from such modest demarcation projects are to be integrated with appeals to local criteria of adequacy for scientific practices, and principles of inference for illicit influences of values in science. I illustrate this approach using a case of industry funded pesticide research. In Chapter 5, I argue that choices about whether to be a monist or pluralist about scientific terms depend on the epistemic and nonepistemic goals and values of debate participants. I illustrate by analyzing monism and pluralism about the terms ‘potency’ and ‘endocrine disruptor’ in recent endocrine disruption debates.
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    An entirely new interest has been taken by the school:" meanings, logistics, values, and evaluation in the American high school extracurriculum, 1905-1935
    (2014-06) Opsal, Christen Lynn
    This study uses educational writings from 1905-1935 (including sources discovered and analyzed using new digital technologies, such as HathiTrust digitization and full-text search) to describe the evolution of the terminology used to label the American high school extracurriculum during the early 20th century and the logistical arrangements under which it was carried out, elucidate the existence of the extracurricular values claimed by educators at the time, add contextual detail about the meaning and intentions behind those values, describe attempts to limit students' participation in these activities, and discuss contemporary concerns about the extent to which the desired values of extracurricular participation had been or could be attained.
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    An exploration of conservation decision making by farmers of the Red River Basin, Minnesota: the role of values, identity, and perceived behavioral control
    (2014-12) Perry, Vanessa Marie
    This study explores the relationship between values, identity, and perceived behavioral control and their influence on agricultural conservation decision making. Twenty-four qualitative interviews were conducted with farmers and agricultural landowners in two Minnesota sub-watersheds of the Red River Basin. Study findings reveal participants hold values and identities consistent with natural resource conservation. However, they also perceive an inability to act in accordance with their values and identities. This research builds on other farmer behavior studies by investigating perceived control as a moderator of conservation behavior. A better understanding of farmer decision making will enable land managers, resource professionals, and policy makers to enhance conservation initiatives and interventions by addressing constraints to conservation action. Programs and policies more closely aligned with farmer values and identities and providing a greater sense of control will be better received by farmers and agricultural producers.
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    Humanizing the Cold War campus: the battle for hearts and minds at MIT, 1945-1965.
    (2009-11) Kizilos-Clift, Peter Justin
    Abstract not available.
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    On the role of social norms in the expression of self-interest.
    (2010-06) Kim, Anita
    The present studies are designed to enhance our understanding of the possible role that social norms play in the expression of self-interested or value-oriented thinking when evaluating social policies. The power of self-interest has long been afforded the front seat when explaining human behavior in a number of intellectual domains, but the direct effect(s) of self-interest on policy evaluations has been unclear. Previous work has examined the role of clarity and cognitive accessibility of self-interest in understanding how self-interest is expressed, and I introduce another variable that may play a role in the expression of self-interest: social norms. I hypothesized that the accessibility of social norms for how to think about a policy vary, inhibiting or facilitating the expression of self-interested thinking or value-oriented thinking. I also hypothesized that the perception of social norms has an independent effect on people's thoughts surrounding a policy, such that a norm of self-interest will cause people to behave in more self-interested ways, and a norm of values will cause people to behave in more value-oriented ways. Study 1 tested whether a perceived social norm causes people to express self-interest or value-oriented thinking in accordance with a manipulated norm. Results partially supported this hypothesis, with participants presenting more value-oriented comments when cues indicated value-oriented thinking was desirable, presenting more self-interested comments when cues indicated self-interested thinking was desirable, and participants rating themselves marginally more concerned about self-interest when the cue indicated self-interested thinking was desirable and participants believed they would share their answers with a fellow student. Study 2 tested the independent effects of cognitive priming and salience of social norms on participants' thoughts surrounding a fictitious policy proposal. Results were mixed, which was likely due to unexpected effects of the priming and cue manipulations in the chosen domain. Findings and implications are discussed, as is the existence of a norm of self-interest.
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    Predicting Local and State-Level Water Risk Perceptions in Minnesota
    (2020-01) Peplinski, Jaren
    Risk perception research in the field of natural resources science and management has come a long way since the publication of “Perception of Risk” by Paul Slovic in 1987, and some scientists have started attempting to predict risk perceptions. At the time of this writing, 40 percent of assessed waters in Minnesota are reported as impaired. However, resident water risk perceptions are not aligned with technical risk assessments conducted by water experts. To better understand the mechanisms that drive heightened or lowered water risk perceptions, a mail survey was distributed to Minnesota residents across the state. The questionnaire asked residents about their values, perceived community capacity to manage water problems, and perceived awareness of water quality issues in their local area to develop a model predicting perceptions of water risk at two levels: local and statewide. In the survey, an adaptation of the values constructs created by Steg et al. (2014) was employed, and several new value constructs were created for this survey. The multivariate regression model developed was moderately effective, explaining about a third of the variance in water risk perceptions for both local and statewide levels. Consistent with previous research in Minnesota, this study has found gaps between technical assessments of risks to water in Minnesota and public perceptions of this risk. The exploratory nature of this risk perception research suggests that future investigation into the predictors of water risk perceptions should examine the reliability of the measures used in this study.
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    Using the Expectancy-Value Theory to Understand Young Adult’s Financial Behavior and Financial Well-Being
    (2017-05) Burcher, Sarah
    The current study seeks to understand how young adults navigate the university-to-work transition while experiencing financial and employment instability. Using the Expectancy Value Theory (EVT) as a foundation, the purpose of this study is to examine the independent direct effects of both early parental and personal expectations and values on young adults’ later financial behaviors and in turn the concurrent association between financial behavior and financial wellbeing using longitudinal data. The study used data from a subset of participants (N=754) in the Arizona Pathways to Life Success (APLUS) project collected at two time points five years apart. Results from a series of hierarchical linear ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions showed that early personal expectations significantly predicted later financial behavior and financial well-being. Parental expectations remained important for financial well-being, but not for financial behavior. Additionally, the study also considered whether employment status moderated the relationship between financial behaviors and one’s perception of financial well-being. Although a significant predictor, employment status did not have a moderating effect on the association between financial behavior and financial well-being. Implications for further study and limitations are discussed.