1,369 research outputs found

    Attitudinal Effects on Numerical Anchoring: A Mere Exposure Approach

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    Recent research suggests that an attitude change perspective on anchoring offers important supplementation to existing theories of anchoring. Past data has shown that people are more influenced by anchors when they are directionally consistent with their attitudes. This could be a result of individuals seeking information that is consistent with their attitude. This effect could also arise from differences in knowledge about the anchor. The present research aims to distinguish between these two possibilities by manipulating attitude without changing knowledge about the anchoring target. Experiment 1 established subliminal mere exposure of fictional brand names as a successful means of manipulating participants’ attitudes toward generic objects. Experiment 2 revealed that participants assigned higher price evaluations to objects with previously exposed brand names. Experiments 3a and 3b aimed to investigate the relationship between anchoring patterns and anchor-attitude consistency. Data analysis for Experiments 3a and 3b only showed a main effect for anchoring. Thus, a paradigm adjustment may be needed to document simultaneous effects of both mere exposure and numeric anchors in the future.URO Summer Research Fellowship- Department of PsychologyNo embargoAcademic Major: Psycholog

    Hick and Saints: Is Saint-Production a Valid Test?

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    Designing a mobile application interface to support mid-career professionals in creating better financial futures

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    South Africans borrow more and save less than other nations (Discovery Bank, 2018). One reason is a lack of financial knowledge. If a mobile application could guide individuals to modify their financial habits slightly by spending less and saving more, they could dramatically improve their financial future. When designing visualisation systems such as a mobile application interface, users' qualitative design feedback and quantitative usability evaluation are both important and complementary. The benefit of usability feedback in software development is undisputed. The importance of qualitative design feedback from users however, seems to be controversial in Science. Gathering users' qualitative design feedback, ahead of usability evaluation, can have a substantial impact on downstream development costs. The researcher used design as a tool for thinking (imagining new possibilities) and communicating (sharing ideas). The purpose was to clarify ways in which a mobile application interface could support users in making better financial decisions and creating better financial futures for themselves and consequently for society. A user centred design (UCD) approach was followed, emphasising design before development, with a strong focus on user involvement in all three phases, namely requirements gathering, design and evaluation. A primary client archetype for mid-career professionals was developed, split into two personas, Alan and Zoe, based on personality and self-rated motivational attributes which were used in an unconventional way to inspire two parallel, diverse designs. In early design stages, before an idea is well formed, producing multiple contrasting designs in parallel and qualitative design feedback from users is beneficial to establishing utility (solving the right problem), tapping into users' domain knowledge, improving the quality of the design and reducing fixation on one idea. Once the concept has been socialised and evolved sufficiently with users' input, converging on one final design and testing usability (solving the problem in the right way) become more important. This research offers two refinements of the UCD process guidelines for the benefit of researchers and practitioners

    An analysis of the 4th year '' system management and integration'' course, using individual reflections on working in multidisciplinary groups

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    A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Industrial Engineering to the Faculty of Science, School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018It is a requirement of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) that all tertiary education institutions ascertain whether their current courses meet the ECSA Exit Level Outcomes (ELO), as identified by the institution themselves. The course project for MECN4020 – Systems Engineering and Management – at the University of the Witwatersrand is required to meet the requirement of the ECSA ELO 8, as prescribed. Students are instructed to reflect on the experience. Qualitative research is used to both induct emergent themes from the student reflections, as well as deduct, whether the ECSA ELO 8 requirements are met by the project. Emergent themes from inductive analysis result in emergent themes, which are then compared to the pilot study conducted. Deductive analysis identifies the inference that may be placed on the student population, so that the ECSA ELO 8 requirements are identified as met or not met. ECSA ELO 8 requirements that are considered to be met by the group project for MECN4020 are “The Candidate Makes Individual Contributions”, “The Candidate Enhances the Work of Fellow Team Members”, “The Candidate Benefits from the Support of Team Members”, “The Candidate Communicates Effectively With Team Members”, “The Candidate Acquires a Working Knowledge of a Co-Workers Discipline”, “The Candidate Communicates Across a Disciplinary Boundary” and “The Candidate Uses a Systems Approach”. Emergent themes and extant literature as used to develop recommendations, so that the MECN4020 project may meet the ECSA ELO 8 requirement. Suggestions for improvement are given using a framework consistent with the design of multidisciplinary education design.MT 201

    Dr. Nikola Laktić, M. D. Ph. D.

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    UKSG Transfer Project: Two Years of Work to Produce a Three-page Document

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    Third Time’s the Charm: Will Basel III Have a Measurable Impact on Limiting Future Financial Turmoil?

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    The Great Recession of 2008 caused banking failures around the globe. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision responded swiftly to create new minimum capital requirements for financial institutions in hopes of preventing additional failures and warding off future crises. Although the new capital standards that Basel III proposes are a step in the right direction, those standards alone will not be sufficient to prevent future bank failures in times of economic decline. Rather, true financial sector stability requires adequate capitalization of all institutions in terms of quality and quantity of capital, a strong regulatory framework, and a limitation on the size of systemically important institutions. By analyzing the pre-Recession banking regulation of the varying economies Canada, Switzerland, and the European Union, and each economy\u27s resultant stability during the Great Recession, it becomes clear that minimum capital requirements for financial institutions do not directly correlate to financial sector longevity. This note considers the other factors that have an effect on the stability of financial sectors and proposes that Basel III capital minimum standards without strong banking regulations and reduction in the size of systemically important institutions will not prevent future financial turmoil

    Alien Registration- Pentz, Judson A. (Portland, Cumberland County)

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    https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/21259/thumbnail.jp

    An Optimization Approach Coupling Rockfall Simulation and Slope Stability Analysis for New Rock Cut Profiles

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    In this report investigation and identification of the elements of bench cut bedrock slopes that affect the rockfall characteristics was performed in order to create alternatives for highway bedrock cut slope design for the state of West Virginia. The scope of this research was to determine what geometric and material parameters effect rockfall on bench cut bedrock slopes and present design suggestions for increasing rockfall retention. Additionally as a means developing alternative slope designs a new design methodology involving slope stability and rockfall behavior was established.;In order to analyze rockfall behavior in West Virginia geology, a three dimensional version of Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP-3D) was selected to provide rockfall simulation. A field calibration workbook was developed in order to provide a systematic procedure for selecting and evaluating field sites as candidates for calibration of the rockfall modeling software. Using the data collected, the program was calibrated for two principal types of rockfall. These groups, Hard and Soft Rock, were defined to be directly correlated to preexisting West Virginia Design Directive 403 (WVDOH DD-403) rock classifications.;A parametric sensitivity analysis was conducted using WVDOH DD-403 geometric parameters for bench cut bedrock cut slopes. Using Oregon Department of Transportation specifications as a guideline, a threshold of ninety percent on-slope rockfall retention was imposed as a pass-fail criterion. Parametric analysis showed that if all benches located in a profile are designed as the primary means of rockfall catchment, benches widths should be designed to a minimum of 35 feet in order to provide adequate on slope catchment. As an attempt to increase rockfall retention, an alternate toe of slope geometry to that specified in the WVDOH DD-403 was implemented to the same parametric trails previously conducted. A Rockfall Catchment Area Design (RCAD) ditch was selected due to its widespread use by other state agencies. Results from modeling showed in the majority of iterations, the RCAD ditch was necessary in order to provide acceptable retention for the entire range of the slope parameters. Although the RCAD ditch equals or increases rockfall retention to the WVDOH toe of slope design in all cases, it did not yield total rockfall retention to the ninety percent threshold for all geometric profiles analyzed. Therefore, RCAD ditches should not be considered a complete design solution for toe of slope rockfall retention during profile design; other geometric parameters must be considered in order to facilitate a profile meeting rockfall retention requirements.;In order to assess the rockfall behavior of alternative geometric profiles to those currently specified by the WVDOH, a design methodology was developed for analyzing the effects of cut slope stability and the resulting rockfall retention. This process incorporated numerical stability modeling using the Hoek-Brown failure criterion coupled with General Limit Equilibrium analysis method. CRSP-3D provided rockfall analysis for each design profile. The analysis was performed on a section of U.S. 48 in Hardy County consisting primarily of hard rock material. . The results of the alternate design methodology showed that iterative reductions in the number of geotechnical benches in a slope profile can be performed as to meet stability and rockfall retention requirements, provided RCAD ditch design is diligently designed and modeled

    Overview of helical foil winding design for planar inductors : part 2 DC-filter inductors

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    Abstract: This paper further elaborates on the topic of conductor optimization for planar helical foil windings. Part 1 of this work briefly covers the classical design methods and new schemes suggested for ac-inductors supported by two case studies. Optimisation of the windings used in filter inductors, carrying both ac- and dc-currents simultaneously, are handled in Part 2 of the publication. Winding shaping techniques, formerly used for cylindrical conductor windings, are adapted for helical foil windings placed in gapped cores. The concept of varying conductor thickness is further used here to achieve substantial reduction in overall losses with the further advantage of drastically reducing the time needed for obtaining the optimal winding shape. The calorimetric methods used to verify results experimentally are also included in this part
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