Therapist Paraphrases and Common Factors: Evidence for Causality

Therapist paraphrases are integral to clinical interviewing and are believed to promote common-factor variables like empathy and congruence. However, few studies have used an experimental design to examine therapist paraphrases independent of other treatment components. The purpose of this study was to study the degree to which therapist paraphrases influence outcome expectancy, treatment credibility, empathy, congruence, and the working alliance compared to another verbal response type: the minimal encourager. Participants were assigned to hear two therapy interactions in a random order. These interactions contained different levels of therapist paraphrases and minimal encouragers. Multivariate analyses revealed that paraphrases generally resulted in more favorable perceptions of therapy interactions. Follow-up analyses revealed that paraphrases generally produced higher scores across all variables, but the difference was statistically significant only for empathy and congruence. These results provide evidence that paraphrases make therapists appear more empathetic and congruence, at least compared to using minimal encouragers alone

Application of Differential Scanning Calorimetry to Characterize Thin Film Deposition Processes

With the recent increase in awareness on the environmental impact of industrial coating processes, chromate-based coating processes have been elevated to the rank of the technologies targeted by the EPA for rapid replacement by environmentally friendly processes. Therefore, there is a clear need for advances in coating technologies to identify alternative industrial practices. This thesis characterizes a process developed at Cleveland State University as an alternative deposition technique to generate uniform coatings onto solid substrates. A kinetic analysis to extract scale up parameters involved in the reaction kinetics leading to high-performance coatings is demonstrated in this research. The work consists of thermal characterization of deposition experiments using Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimeter (MDSC), complemented with preliminary finite-element-modeling (FEM) of fluid flow and transport phenomena in the vicinity of the deposition assembly. MDSC is capable of using linear and modulated heating rates. Modulation over imposes a sinusoidal heating profile to a linear heating rate. Therefore, modulation combines two conventional DSC experiments into one. Modulation provides the ability to differentiate reversibility from irreversibility in transitions. This study intends to study both the advantages and disadvantages of the modulation compared to conventional DSC in the analysis of thin film deposition. A protocol to analyze deposition reaction kinetics using a conventional DSC was formulated in this research. While modulation was unable to produce results that could be compared to the conventional DSC, further in-depth studies need to be completed. This research outlines the experimental procedure to analyze deposition reactions via conventional DSC, and a kinetic analysis procedure to extract reaction kinetics is demonstrated. This research successfully demonstrated that the deposition mechanism can be characterized via DSC experiments. Further studies are anticipated to lead to scale-up criter

Policy evaluation and design in the light of rational expectations

This thesis examines certain key problems that the existence of forward rational expectations poses for policy analysis. The separate stages of estimating, testing and solving an econometric model are dealt with in turn. The main body of original work is in chapters four and six. In chapter four the problem of the existence of a continuum of solutions to a rational expectations model is addressed. We show that the existing practice of imposing terminal conditions is arbitrary and a procedure is advanced which in principle at least, can be used to estimate the solution jointly with the parameters. In chapter six analytical closed forms for the first order conditions of the likelihood function of the endogenous variables of a general rational expectations model are derived. We believe this is a major contribution to the literature because it opens the door to computationally efficient and cheap likelihood estimation, something not previously available. The first order conditions for a class of models with no predetermined variables has been programmed in Fortran IV and this has been used in chapter seven to estimate a model of financial asset demands. A likelihood ratio test of restrictions implied by rational expectations is comfortably passed so establishing empirical support for the hypothesis. Other original work in the thesis is contained in chapter five. Here we scrutinise the validity of a simulation technique advanced by Fair and Anderson which it is claimed solves a standard non rational model to yield an approximate rational expectations solution. The results of the chapter suggest the method is better in certain circumstances than in others and these circumstances pertain to the make up of the model in question. Finally, chapters two and three cast a critical eye over the policy analysis literature to which a minor contribution is made

Does Exposure and Receptivity to E-cigarette Advertisements Relate to E-cigarette and Conventional Cigarette Use Behaviors among Youth? Results from Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study

Background: E-cigarettes (EC) are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. Additionally, youth EC users are progressing to smoking conventional cigarettes (CC). Although known to target youth, there are no current restrictions in the US on EC marketing, including advertising. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between EC advertisements and youth EC and CC use behaviors. Methods: This study analyzed data from youth (12-17 years) aware of EC in Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study (n=12,199). Weighted logistic regression models assessed whether exposure and receptivity to any of five randomized EC ads (two TV and three print) were associated with the outcomes of EC and CC behaviors of ever use, current (past 30 day) use, and susceptibility to future use. Additional analyses determined whether EC advertising exposure and EC and CC behaviors associations were moderated by EC advertising receptivity. All models were adjusted for sociodemographics, other combustible tobacco product use, and parent smoking. Results: EC advertisement exposure was significantly associated to ever and current EC use as well as susceptibility to EC and CC (p Conclusion: These findings demonstrate exposure to EC advertisements are particularly associated with EC use behaviors, but could play a role in future CC use as well. Youth who are receptive to EC advertisements appear particularly vulnerable. Further studies should focus on the role of receptivity to EC advertisements among youth in order to support regulatory policy targeting EC advertising

The Relationship Between Cross-Cultural Psychological Capital and Organizational Commitment

For many organizations, the cultural demographics of the workforce reflect the growing diversity of the global workforce. Effective intercultural interactions require individuals to have several personal psychological resources, including cross-cultural psychological capital (PsyCap). Without such resources, employees may not have the ability to effectively work with individuals from other cultures, making working in these environments stressful. These stressful situations may negatively impact employee commitment levels, potentially increasing turnover rates. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence that employees’ cross-cultural PsyCap has on their organizational commitment (OC) as indicated by the three-component model of OC. To date, researchers have not explored the influential relationship between cross-cultural PsyCap and OC; this study aimed to fill that gap using health care employees. This quantitative study collected data from 382 participants through online surveys and used partial least squares, structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the cross-cultural PsyCap and OC relationships. After measurement and structural model evaluation, findings indicated statistically significant positive relationships between cross-cultural PsyCap and affective and normative commitment. Additionally, findings showed no significant difference in the relationship based on the employees’ type of employment. The results of this study may provide positive social change through insights to organizations concerning the positive organizational outcomes (i.e., OC) that organizations can achieve through increasing cross-cultural PsyCap through training and development sessions