Qualitative Methods for Classifying and Detecting Online Identity Deception

The overall aim of our research is to use qualitative methods to help understand online identity deception. In this position paper, two pilot studies are described. The first was designed to test the feasibility of using content analysis of online discussions to classify the perceptions of the ‘net generation’ regarding different levels of identity deception. Based on the classifications identified, the second follow-up study will use face-to-face focus groups to collect further thoughts on these classifications, and the new data will be presented at this CHI Workshop. It is hoped that the feedback at the Workshop will help to direct further research using qualitative methods to analyse naturally-occurring identity descriptions found on social networking sites. The overall outcome of the research programme is to produce a set of indicators to assist identity deception in online environments

A Change in the Frame: From Absenteeism to Attendance

School attendance is important for student long-term academic and career success. However, in the U.S., our current practice often disenfranchises more at-risk students than it helps. Students slated for suspension and expulsion are often recipients of these practices. This manuscript offers a recommended change in how we frame student absenteeism and attendance using attendance markers and conceptual information by identifying the discrepancies, proposing options, and recommending a new way to actively leverage attendance data (not absenteeism data) for proactive student support. Particular attention is paid to how excused and unexcused absences and in-school suspensions are treated. An emerging pivot program, the Evaluation and Support Program, engages students while they receive school services, community support, and complete consequences is discussed as a possible, promising intervention

Cholesterol Levels and Cardiovascular Health Indicator Changes in a Holistic Health Treatment Program: An Archival Study

Approximately 16.3% of the adult population in the United States maintains elevated levels of total cholesterol, and the components of the cholesterol profile—HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels, among others—are particular determinants of cardiovascular disease risk. High levels of LDL in particular are associated with coronary atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Conversely, high levels of HDL remove cholesterol from the blood and aid in metabolism. The HDL/LDL ratio is considered a marker of carotid plaque and is specifically used as an indicator for cardiovascular disease risk. Traditional cholesterol control treatment utilizes statin therapy and antihypertensive medication; however, recent trends toward alternative methods of treatment are making holistic cholesterol treatment programs more well-known. Using archival patient records at a holistic health cholesterol treatment program, this study investigates changes over the course of treatment in total cholesterol levels, the HDL/LDL ratio, and other cardiovascular health-related variables such as blood pressure, pulse rate, and weight. This study will provide a basis for future research investigating cardiovascular health from a holistic perspective, rather than examining these factors in isolation

Strategies to Improve Employee Engagement in the Hospitality Industry

More than 50% of the workforce in the United States is disengaged, costing U.S. organizations almost $355 billion annually. Engaged employees improve customer satisfaction, perform effectively, and are committed to organizational goals. Guided by Kahn\u27s personal engagement theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies business leaders in the hospitality industry used to improve employee engagement for increased productivity. A purposive sample of 1 business leader each from 6 organizations in South Korea shared their experiences with the phenomenon of employee engagement. Data were collected through face-to-face semi structured interviews and by reviewing company position descriptions and human resource policies. Yin\u27s data analysis method revealed prevalent themes of communication, recognition and rewards, and work environment. Leaders influence employee engagement through open communication, providing rewards or recognition as performance incentives, and creating a psychologically safe work environment. Implications of this study for social change include decreased physical and mental health costs for employees and organizations. Improving employee engagement in the hospitality industry can reduce absenteeism and increase organizational profitability, sustainability, and participation in community and social programs

A Study of Alternatives to the Home Management House Practicum at Morehead State University

An applied project presented to the Graduate Faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Specialist in Education by Carolyn Dotson Taylor on April 27, 1977

The relationship between elementary school foreign language study in grades three through five and academic achievement on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the fourth-grade Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21) Test

The passage of the federal educational legislation, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, established foreign languages as a core curricular content area. Nonetheless, educational policy makers at the state and local levels often opt to allocate greater resources and give instructional priority to content areas in which students, and ultimately the school systems themselves, are held accountable through high-stakes testing. Although foreign languages are designated as a core content area, instructional emphasis continues to be placed on curricular areas that factor into state educational accountability programs. The present study employed a mixed-methodology design. The primary goal was to explore quantitatively whether foreign language study on the part of first-year third-grade foreign language students who continue their foreign language study through and including the fifth-grade in Louisiana public schools contributes to their academic achievement in curricular areas tested on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21) test. Concurrently, a qualitative aim, using a survey and interviews, was to examine how foreign language teachers of students in the present study perceive that they link instruction to the reinforcement of English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies content standard skills. The findings of the present research indicate that foreign language students significantly outperformed their non-foreign language counterparts on every subtest of the LEAP 21 test and were more successful passing this test. Moreover, foreign language students significantly outperformed their non-language peers on the language portion of the fifth-grade ITBS

Big data and employee wellbeing: walking the tightrope between utopia and dystopia

This special issue was inspired by an Economic & Social Research Council funded seminar series that explored the possibilities for using Big Data and data analytics for assessing health and wellbeing risks within organisations. The aim of this special issue was to build on some of the themes developed in the seminar series and draw together and update some key insights from different disciplinary perspectives on the opportunities, challenges and lessons that could be applied in this area. This editorial, therefore, draws together the findings and themes from the submitted papers and interprets these in light of the findings from the seminar series

How Religious Priming Affects Attitudes about Immigration

Many world religions emphasize the importance of charity and hospitality towards those in need, so one may expect there to be greater levels of helpfulness towards immigrants among the religious. However, several social psychological perspectives, including Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), Coalitional Psychology (Navarrete & Fessler, 2005), and Terror Management Theory (Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 2000), have found that people are more willing to help in-group members than out-of-group members. Religious texts often vary in theme and research has found that biblical passages about a violent God led participants to be more aggressive, (Bushman. Ridge, Das, Key, & Busath, 2007), whereas having participants read peace-based passages from their religious texts reduced negative attitudes toward religious outgroup members (e.g., Christians and Muslims; Rothschild, Abdollahi, & Pyszczynski, 2009). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of priming religious texts on attitudes towards refugees in the United States. The study employs a 5 (religious prime) x 2 (immigrant religion) design. Undergraduate participants (N = 148) were first randomly assigned to one of five priming conditions (i.e., religious inclusion, religious exclusion, general religion, secular inclusion, or neutral). Then, they were randomly assigned to rate their attitudes toward Christians or Muslim refugees. We expect that our results will reveal that participants will demonstrate an in-group bias (e.g., Christian participants favoring Christian refugees) unless they are primed with religious inclusion, where they should demonstrate similar attitudes towards both Christian or Muslim refugees. This research helps us better understand how priming religious texts affects attitudes towards refugees in the United States. References: Bassett, J. F., & Cleveland, A, J. (2019). Identification with all humanity, support for refugees and for extreme counter-terrorism measures. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 7, 310–334, doi: https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v7i1.678 Marianne Millen Carlson, Stacey E. McElroy, Jamie D. Aten, Edward B. Davis, Daryl Van Tongeren, Joshua N. Hook & Don E. Davis (2019) We Welcome Refugees? Understanding the Relationship between Religious Orientation, Religious Commitment, Personality, and Prejudicial Attitudes toward Syrian Refugees. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 29, 94-107. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2019.158606