610 research outputs found
Post-College Transition: A Study of Evangelical Spirituality in Emerging Adulthood
This thesis explores the question: How are the spiritual lives of evangelical Christian FIU graduates affected during the two to four years following their college graduation? In twenty mini-case studies participants describe their patterns in prayer life, devotion, community service outreach, and ways that they understand their own growth process as evangelical Christian emerging adults.
A total of twenty FIU alumni from the classes of 2009-2012 between the ages of 23 and 34 were interviewed in this study. The sample population of evangelical Christian FIU alumni was identified by the graduates’ previous membership in on-campus Christian organizations, including Campus Bible Fellowship, InterVarsity, Cru, and the Wesley Organization.
Emerging adults in this study saw changes in their community life, prayer life, Scripture reading, and their views of theology, yet overall they maintained a strong commitment to their evangelical Christian worldviews. Findings suggest types of support that evangelical Christians in this sample seek during emerging adulthood
Tackling student binge drinking: pairing incongruent messages and measures reduces alcohol consumption
Objectives: Excessive alcohol consumption is a persistent problem in Northern European cultures. Across a 2-week period, we tested the effect of varying message frames, message types, and response measures, in reducing alcohol consumption. Design: Three hundred and twenty-three respondents were allocated to a 2 (message frame: gain vs. loss) × 2 (message type: health vs. social) × 2 (response type: engaging vs. refraining) mixed design. Method: Binge drinking and units consumed were measured at Time 1 and Time 2 (2 weeks later). Participants read (following Time 1) a gain- or loss-framed message on binging emphasizing either social or health consequences and answered engaging in or refraining from drinking attitude measures. Results: No main effects were identified. The key finding was that gain-framed messages, when used in conjunction with engage response measures (an incongruous pairing), were highly effective in reducing alcohol consumption 2 weeks later compared with the other message frame/response measure combinations. Conclusions: We suggest that for prevention behaviours, gain-framed messages, when paired with engage response measures, initiate an inconsistency resolution process. Together, our findings emphasize the importance of message frame and response type when seeking to reduce alcohol consumption using persuasive health messages
Is virtual reality a valid tool for restorative environments research?
This study examines the validity of virtual reality for assessing the restorative quality of environments. In Study 1, participants (N = 23) visited a real natural and a real urban environment, after completing a task to induce mental fatigue (i.e., a Sudoku task). We found that perceived restorative characteristics, preference ratings, experienced pleasure and self-reported restoration were higher in a real natural environment compared to a real urban environment. Perceived restorative characteristics could predict pleasure and restoration for both the real natural and urban environments, as well as preference for the real natural environment. In Study 2, participants (N = 26) visited a virtual natural and a virtual urban environment, again following a mental fatigue induction. Findings showed that virtual simulations of a natural and urban environment elicit similar effects as real counterparts of these environments. Perceived restorative characteristics, preference, pleasure and restoration were higher in a virtual natural environment compared to a virtual urban environment. Additionally, perceived restorative characteristics could predict pleasure and restoration for both the virtual natural and urban environments, and preference for the virtual natural environment. We did not find significant differences in perceived restorative characteristics between the real and virtual butterfly garden. Moreover, similar restorative characteristics predicted preference, pleasure and restoration in the real butterfly garden and the virtual butterfly garden. These findings indicate that virtual reality can be a valid tool for restorative environments research
Level statistics of XXZ spin chains with a random magnetic field
The level-spacing distribution of a spin 1/2 XXZ chain is numerically studied
under random magnetic field. We show explicitly how the level statistics
depends on the lattice size L, the anisotropy parameter , and the mean
amplitude of the random magnetic field h. In the energy spectrum, quantum
integrability competes with nonintegrability derived from the randomness, where
the XXZ interaction is modified by the parameter . When ,
the level-spacing distribution mostly shows Wigner-like behavior, while when
=0, Poisson-like behavior appears although the system is nonintegrable
due to randomness. Poisson-like behavior also appears for in the
large h limit. Furthermore, the level-spacing distribution depends on the
lattice size L, particularly when the random field is weak.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Implemented Continuous Commissioning Measures for Schools, Hospitals, and Office Buildings in the U.S.
This study describes the development of the Perceived Restorative Characteristics Questionnaire (PRCQ), a measure of perceived restorative characteristics of zoo attractions. The questionnaire was administered in two zoo attractions. The hypothesized five factor structure of the PRCQ and relations between perceived restorative characteristics and experienced pleasure in and preference for the attractions were examined. In Study 1, 137 visitors of a Dutch zoo evaluated perceived restorative characteristics of a butterfly garden; In Study 2, 158 visitors evaluated those of a baboon attraction. In Study 1 three factors emerged (fascination, escape and coherence); In Study 2 four factors could be distinguished (fascination, novelty, escape, coherence). Compatibility did not appear as a separate factoring either study. Perceived fascination and escape were significant predictors of experienced pleasure and preference in both attractions. The implications of the findings are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Semiclassical theory for many-body Fermionic systems
We present a treatment of many-body Fermionic systems that facilitates an
expression of the well-known quantities in a series expansion of the Planck's
constant. The ensuing semiclassical result contains to a leading order of the
response function the classical time correlation function of the observable
followed by the Weyl-Wigner series, on top of these terms are the
periodic-orbit correction terms. The treatment given here starts from linear
response assumption of the many-body theory and in its connection with
semiclassical theory, it makes no assumption of the integrability of classical
dynamics underlying the one-body quantal system. Applications of the framework
are also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, Te
Suppression of level hybridization due to Coulomb interactions
We investigate an ensemble of systems formed by a ring enclosing a magnetic
flux. The ring is coupled to a side stub via a tunneling junction and via
Coulomb interaction. We generalize the notion of level hybridization due to the
hopping, which is naturally defined only for one-particle problems, to the
many-particle case, and we discuss the competition between the level
hybridization and the Coulomb interaction. It is shown that strong enough
Coulomb interactions can isolate the ring from the stub, thereby increasing the
persistent current. Our model describes a strictly canonical system (the number
of carriers is the same for all ensemble members). Nevertheless for small
Coulomb interactions and a long side stub the model exhibits a persistent
current typically associated with a grand canonical ensemble of rings and only
if the Coulomb interactions are sufficiently strong does the model exhibit a
persistent current which one expects from a canonical ensemble.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, uses iop style files, version as publishe
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