Factors contributing to viewing automobile commuting as a waste of time

Many commuters view their commute as a waste of time. Although there is an ample amount of research on commuting, there is limited research on what negatively impacts the commuting experience. The current study sought to evaluate the relationship between commuters and their everyday commute. The following factors (i.e., gender identity, age, length, unpredictability, delays, time pressures, and congestion) were evaluated to predict seeing one’s commute as a waste of time. We hypothesized that men and younger commuters, as well as those who were unsatisfied with the length, unpredictability, delays, time pressures, and congestion during the commute, would find their commutes more of a waste of time. We also predicted that those who used their commute productively would not see it as a waste of time. For this study, 490 participants took an online survey. Using hierarchical multiple regressions, we found that gender identity, length, unpredictability, and time pressures predicted seeing one’s commute to work as a waste of time. The same predictors, except for time pressures, that were significant for commuting to work were also significant predictors from work. However, delays and congestion were additional predictors. Women reported that they viewed their commute to and from work as more of a waste of time. Limitations and future directions are discussed

Potential for United States participation in the European Union’s Digital Services Act

The regulation or lack thereof of social media has become a hot-button issue in the majority of the Western world. Although the United States has made several attempts to pass widespread regulation of misinformation online, they have seen little success. Contrastingly, the European Union\u27s recently passed Digital Services Act has already seen some success and is shaping up to be an effective piece of legislation. As such, it is worth exploring the possibility of the United States adopting this legislation, and examining how a potential partnership could aid both the United States and the European Union in furthering their goals and shaping the future of internet legislation

Understanding the experience of immigrant workers: A qualitative examination of the work demands, resources and barriers to achieve optimal wellbeing

The proposed research aimed to identify known and understudied demands, resources, and barriers Latino immigrants experienced performing manual labor. The sample was composed of 24 first-generation Latino immigrants, which participated in 5 different focus groups with 4 to 8 participants each. Using a deductive and inductive approach to code the data, and after conducting a thematic analysis, it was found 27 demands and barriers and 13 resources. Some of the most common demands and barriers to achieve optimal well-being I discrimination, workload, learned helplessness, and lack of safety training. Among the resources found, building self-efficacy, immigration readiness, and resilience I commonly mentioned. Although these demands might not be unique to immigrant workers, it might be harder for them to engage in a recovery process from strain, given a lack of availability of resources. Future research and practical recommendations are outlined in this research by the participants and the researcher

Body dissatisfaction in college students: Which sociocultural pressure best predicts drive for thinness?

Previous literature has suggested that family pressure is the main predictor of drive for thinness (Palladino Green & Pritchard, 2003). Given the growth of social media where thin beauty is glamorized, we wanted to test if this remains true while including multiple factors that may have been disregarded in body-centric studies. Consequently, we asked which sociocultural pressure—family, peers, or media—relates the strongest with body shame, body surveillance, and drive for thinness. A sample of 1,049 undergraduate psychology students, ages 18-29, were surveyed to better understand body dissatisfaction in college students. We predicted that each sociocultural pressure would correlate with body shame, body surveillance, and drive for thinness, with family pressure being the main predictor for each. Results revealed a moderate correlation between all variables, with media pressure being the main predictor of drive for thinness. Similar to Wang and others (2020), the increase in online appearance conversations that develop into body shame supports these correlations. It is imperative that young adults are aware of how online appearance conversations could develop into body dissatisfaction. Future studies should explore other factors that contribute to the drive for thinness

Take a hike: a documentary following first time hikers

There is a substantial body of research showing that spending time exercising in nature can improve college students\u27 mental health. Mental illness diagnoses are on the rise, and yet many students don\u27t seek time outside. This documentary seeks to bridge the gap between research and people\u27s lifestyles and habits. The documentary features five first time hikers on a four mile hike. The purpose of the documentary is to show viewers the benefits of exercising outdoors. The documentary was filmed over the course of two months, with each participant hiking individually. The hope is that this documentary will encourage others to go hiking

Investigations into the role of entropy-selected RF-DNA fingerprint features on ID-verification performance in the presence of rogue emitters

The Internet of Things (IoT) is projected to reach 30.9 billion devices by 2025. However, most lack adequate security measures against sophisticated threats. Specific Emitter Identification (SEI) is a crucial security approach for authenticating wireless emitters. This work integrates RF-DNA fingerprinting, a specialized form of SEI, with Deep Learning (DL) techniques to authenticate the identity of authorized emitters. This authentication becomes crucial in the presence of “rogue” emitters who deliberately impersonate authorized emitters using falsified digital credentials. The RF-DNA fingerprints are extracted from the entropy-selected regions within the TF representations of an emitter’s signals. The obtained results demonstrate the success of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in verifying the identities of all authorized emitters at an accuracy rate of 95% or higher. Additionally, the CNN effectively detects and rejects all twelve rogue attacks with an accuracy rate of 89% or better, at an SNR of 9 dB

Effects of age and gender on perceptions on victims of financial exploitation

A report by the Center for Victim Research shows that younger adults are more often victims of general and identity fraud (Irvin-Erickson & Ricks, 2019, p. 9); however, research conducted on financial exploitation focuses heavily on older adults. However, a recent study by Gunderson and colleagues (2021) found that older and younger adults are highly susceptible to financial exploitation. The purpose of the current study is to determine if perceptions of vulnerability to financial exploitation vary by the age of the victim. A sample of undergraduate participants will be recruited from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga through an online recruitment system called SONA. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four vignettes where gender and age have been manipulated and dichotomized: (1) 67-year-old older man victim, (2) 67-year-old older woman victim, (3) 20-year-old young man victim, and (4) 20-year-old young woman victim. Participants will be asked to respond to questions regarding the following: (1) perceptions of vulnerability and susceptibility, (2) perceptions of blame and accountability, and (3) perceptions of empathy and support. The hypothesis is that age and gender will interact such that older women will be perceived as more vulnerable and deserving of empathy and support. The results of this study will begin to lay the groundwork needed to understand how to decrease stigma to increase reporting, develop and market educational training to reduce financial exploitation that is targeted to adults across the lifespan, and improve training for legal and social service professionals

Reviving historic buildings - adaptive reuse of the Jazzy Building

In the face of rapid urbanization and modernization, the significance of historic preservation and adaptive reuse has gained prominence as a sustainable approach to development. There is an intricate relationship between historic preservation and adaptive reuse, delving into the principles, challenges, and benefits inherent in this practice as they apply to the Jazzy Building on 619/621 Market Street in Downtown Chattanooga Tennessee. A mixed-use approach for the Jazzy Building is optimal, as it addresses the pressing need for expanded housing amidst Chattanooga\u27s population growth, capitalizes on its potential as a tourist attraction, and aligns with the city\u27s strong environmentalist ethos

The competitive advantage of prioritizing human-centered design thinking in business

This thesis examines the impact of design thinking on promoting innovation within businesses. Design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach that solves problems using empathy, creativity, and iterative prototyping. The thesis commences by clearly defining design thinking and presenting its fundamental concepts, emphasizing how it differs from traditional business thinking. The thesis vividly illustrates the real-world impact of design thinking through compelling case studies from the consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, and entertainment industries. It showcases how design thinking fosters creativity and develops solutions that prioritize customers\u27 needs. The case studies show how companies gained a competitive advantage by deeply understanding and addressing consumer needs. The thesis also suggests an improved design thinking model that can be incorporated into future businesses to increase competitive advantage. Overall, the thesis provides a comprehensive overview of design thinking in the context of business innovation, offering insights into its principles, practices, and future directions

Understanding the influence of follower count on purchase behavior and consumer perception in influencer marketing

In recent years, influencer marketing has emerged as a popular strategy for brands to connect with consumers on social media. This study examines the impact of influencer follower count on consumer purchase behavior and perception of influencers in the context of influencer marketing. A qualitative research approach was employed, surveying 60 participants familiar with the concept. The findings suggest a relationship between influencer follower count and consumer perceptions of influencer attractiveness indicating that influencers with larger followings are more likely to be deemed attractive to social media users. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on influencer marketing and provides valuable insights for marketers seeking to optimize their influencer marketing strategies for maximum impact