1,870 research outputs found

    Undergraduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    An examination of the professional judgement and decision-making of strength and conditioning coaches

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    Athletic coaching is a complex profession, and coaches must perform a wide range of tasks in a variety of environments. In high-performance sporting environments, strength and conditioning coaches (SCCs) must fulfil a variety of roles that are growing in importance. Despite a recent broadening of the scope of SCC research beyond their knowledge, practical skills, experiences, and training preferences, a lack of attention continues to be paid to the professional judgement and decision-making (PJDM) of SCCs. First, in recognition of this lacuna in research, this thesis examined the thought processes of SCCs who possessed varying levels of experience and analysed the rationales that informed their approaches. Second, this thesis constructed and tested an intervention using the empirical findings of earlier investigations to enhance the PJDM of SCCs. This qualitative study employed a constructivist paradigm and was based on relativist ontology and interpretivist epistemology. The initial research used applied cognitive task analysis (ACTA) to examine the respective decision-making processes of participants who were engaged in training programme design and difficult common tasks. These studies, together with a focus group approach, used reflective thematic analysis (RTA) to engage with data sets and identify new patterns of meaning. The results indicated that the roles of SCCs require them to apply their theoretical knowledge and practical experiences to a wide range of tasks. An indication of the cognitive demands associated with these tasks were also generated as a consequence of the ACTA. Furthermore, clear contrasts in the PJDM of high-level and early-career SCCs were discussed. The analysis of the focus group results was used to construct a revised model of thinking processes regarding training programme design. Crucially, this stage of the analysis identified the variables of context, collaboration, and communication as providing depth and breadth to the perceived impact of each proposed stage of the training programme design process. Considering the difficult situations that must be managed within strength and conditioning (S&C) environments, the following three themes were identified as having the strongest impact on SCCs’ decision-making processes: situational awareness, improvisation, and metacognition. Both the ACTA and cognitive apprenticeship (CA) research enabled this study to make a unique contribution to the literature, as it provided empirical findings on the PJDM of SCCs with both high and low levels of experience. The application of a constructivist philosophy to the design and implementation of online S&C learning materials constitutes a novel contribution to existing traditional strategies for SCC preparation in the workplace. This CA study provides valuable preliminary findings that can be used by educators in the field to produce authentic, relevant materials for those aspiring to work in the S&C sector. Throughout this thesis, a case was developed that demonstrates the importance of experience for SCCs of all levels to be able to evaluate their thought processes and overall S&C coaching performance. Lastly, a platform for future research to build on was constructed

    Graduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Undergraduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Graduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Regulating ChatGPT and other Large Generative AI Models

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    Large generative AI models (LGAIMs), such as ChatGPT or Stable Diffusion, are rapidly transforming the way we communicate, illustrate, and create. However, AI regulation, in the EU and beyond, has primarily focused on conventional AI models, not LGAIMs. This paper will situate these new generative models in the current debate on trustworthy AI regulation, and ask how the law can be tailored to their capabilities. After laying technical foundations, the legal part of the paper proceeds in four steps, covering (1) direct regulation, (2) data protection, (3) content moderation, and (4) policy proposals. It suggests a novel terminology to capture the AI value chain in LGAIM settings by differentiating between LGAIM developers, deployers, professional and non-professional users, as well as recipients of LGAIM output. We tailor regulatory duties to these different actors along the value chain and suggest four strategies to ensure that LGAIMs are trustworthy and deployed for the benefit of society at large. Rules in the AI Act and other direct regulation must match the specificities of pre-trained models. In particular, regulation should focus on concrete high-risk applications, and not the pre-trained model itself, and should include (i) obligations regarding transparency and (ii) risk management. Non-discrimination provisions (iii) may, however, apply to LGAIM developers. Lastly, (iv) the core of the DSA content moderation rules should be expanded to cover LGAIMs. This includes notice and action mechanisms, and trusted flaggers. In all areas, regulators and lawmakers need to act fast to keep track with the dynamics of ChatGPT et al.Comment: under revie

    Personality-Driven Social Media Curation: How Personality Traits Affect Following Decisions on Twitter

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    As social media occupies an increasingly important place in people’s lives, new opportunities are presented for people to select and modify their online environments. On many platforms, users have significant control over what kind of information and experiences they are exposed to. For example, on Twitter, virtually everything users see is a function of their decisions about what accounts to follow. What drives those decisions? My dissertation explores the extent to which personality is reflected in our social media environment by examining the relationship between personality traits and the accounts that users follow on Twitter. Particularly, what features of accounts influence following decisions and how personality traits of users align with characteristics of Twitter accounts. Exploring the relationship between who we are and the decisions we make online provides a better understanding of how characteristics, such as personality traits, drive the curation of our social environments. Overall, findings indicate that personality does influence the decisions we make about which Twitter accounts to follow and in turn, how our social media environment is curated. The strength and stability of this relationship shows some heterogeneity across traits, though is generally comparable to the effect of some commonly used demographic variables. Personality traits of users also align with characteristics of Twitter accounts and moderate the effect of different Twitter profile features on our following decisions, highlighting potential psychological processes that drive following decisions. For example, extraverts want to feel connected to popular accounts and seek content on topics that lots of other people care about while Neuroticism is associated with following accounts that conform to gender and age norms. Perhaps most notably, these relationships demonstrate remarkable generalizability when tested on a set of real-world followed accounts. Though this research is a first step in exploring the influence of personality on the vast number behaviors that occur on social media, these findings establish foundational knowledge and inform future research

    The Individual And Their World

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    Assessment of human factors as a main contributory factor to youth-related road fatalities, and countermeasures to address the problem

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    Abstract in English, Afrikaans and SepediRoad-related deaths contribute significantly to the death rate in South Africa (SA) and across the world, especially among the youth. The current study investigated road fatalities among the age group classified as youth, between the ages of 20 and 35 years, from the perception of traffic officers and crash investigators. In addition, the current study attempted to identify countermeasures to address this problem. The cross-sectional, quantitative study used a questionnaire for the collection of the data. The study found that the main human factors that contribute to fatalities among youth aged 20-35 years are drunken driving, speeding, disregard for traffic lights, overtaking and not wearing a seatbelt. The study found a strong correlation between speeding and drunken driving. The study also captured strategies that can be implemented, and key among those was the need for stricter requirements for obtaining a driver’s licence, increased visibility of traffic officers at high-accident zones, more traffic fine enforcement, and implementing road safety education as part of the school curriculum. The results of this study could assist policymakers to develop programmes aimed at this specific age group between 20 and 35 years and passing laws that can address the legislative-related gaps as identified in the current study.Padverwante sterftes dra aansienlik by tot die sterftesyfer in Suid-Afrika (SA) en regoor die wêreld, veral onder jeugdiges. Hierdie studie het padsterftes ondersoek onder die ouderdomsgroep wat as jeug geklassifiseer word – dit is persone tussen 20 en 35 jaar oud – vanuit die persepsie van verkeersbeamptes en ongelukondersoekers. Boonop het hierdie studie gepoog om teenmaatreëls te identifiseer om hierdie probleem op te los. Dié deursnee- kwantitatiewe studie het ’n vraelys gebruik om data in te samel. Die studie het bevind dat die belangrikste menslike faktore wat tot sterftes by jeugdiges tussen die ouderdomme van 20 en 35 jaar bydra, dronkbestuur, spoed, die minagting van verkeersligte, verbysteek en versuim om ’n sitplekgordel te dra, is. Die studie het ook ’n sterk korrelasie tussen spoed en dronkbestuur gevind. Die studie het ook strategieë uitgewys wat geïmplementeer kan word, met die volgende strategieë wat deurslaggewend was: die behoefte aan strenger vereistes om ’n rybewys te bekom, verhoogde sigbaarheid van verkeersbeamptes by hoë-ongeluksones, strenger afdwinging van verkeersboetes en die implementering van padveiligheidsonderrig as deel van die skoolkurrikulum. Die resultate van hierdie studie kan beleidmakers help om programme te ontwikkel wat op hierdie bepaalde ouderdomsgroep – persone tussen 20 en 35 jaar – gerig is en wette aanneem wat aandag sal gee aan die regsverwante leemtes wat in dié studie geïdentifiseer is.Mahu ao a hlolwago ke dikotsi tša mebileng ke sebakwakgolo go palomoka ya mahu ka Afrika Borwa le lefaseng ka bophara, kudukudu go baswa. Nyakišišo ye e sekasekile dikotsi tša mebileng go dihlopha tša baswa ba mengwaga ya magareng ga 20 le 35, go ya ka dipego tša bahlankedi ba mebila le banyakišiši ba dikotsi tša mebileng. Go tlaleletša mo, nyakišišo ye e laeditše magato ao a ka tšewago go šomana le bothata bjo. Nyakišišo e šomišitše mokgwa wa khwanthithethifi ka go šomiša mananeopotšišo go kgoboketša datha. Nyakišišo e hweditše gore mabaka ao a hlolago dikotsi go baswa ba mengwaga ye magareng ga 20 go ya go ye 35 ke go otlela ba nwele madila, go otlela ka lebelo, go hlokomologa melao ya mebileng (diroboto), go feta dinamelwa tše dingwe le go se apare mapanta a polokego. Nyakišišo e hweditše gore go na le tswalano e matla magareng ga go otlela ka lebelo le go otlela o nwele madila. Dipoelo tša nyakišišo di laeditše gore go na le tlhokego ya go bea melawana e thata ya go hwetša laesense ya go otlela, go oketša bahlankedi ba taolo ya sephethephethe mafelong ao go bago le dikotsi tše ntši, go oketša kotlo go bao ba tshelago melao ya mebileng le go akaretša thuto ya polokego ya mebileng go kharikhulamo ya sekolo. Dipoelo tša nyakišišo ye di ka thuša badiramelao go hlama mananeo ao ba ka a lebišago go sehlopha sa baswa ba mengwaga ya magareng ga 20 le 35 le go bea melao yeo e tla thibago tlhaelelo ye e utolotšwego ke nyakišišo yeOperations ManagementM. Com (Operations Management
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