Elements of Creativity: A Study of the Dimensions that Make for an Effective Advertisement

The advertising world is made up of many facets, such as creativity, networking, and thought leadership. At the center of these processes lies advertising creativity, a term used to describe an ad or element of an ad that is particularly novel and noteworthy. The contents of this thesis address the challenges academics and professionals have with establishing criteria to measure creativity, while considering the value of evaluating creative ability through a variety of processes. To do this, three case studies of award-winning advertisements were conducted in order to develop a profile of an effective ad. Results indicate that successfully creative ads contain elements of cognitive dissonance, relevancy, and clear communication. These techniques can maximize an advertisement’s creative potential in the marketplace. By implementing these characteristics, advertisers have the potential to gauge the effectiveness of an ad prior to publication and optimize the results of their campaign

Compare Healthcare Utilization in the First Three Years of Life for Infants with Prenatal Opioid Exposure Based on Type of Neonatal Care Received

Purpose/Background: Infants with prenatal opioid and other drug exposure often experience withdrawal symptoms known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Some hospitals have modified clinical environments to promote recovery (reduced stimulation, nursery-like rooms, permitting rooming-in). While existing research has demonstrated efficacy of lower-stimulation environment, there is no known research evaluating longer-term implications of clinical environment on infant health beyond immediate neonatal period in states disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic with diverse urban-rural populations such as Alaska. Materials & Methods: The goal of this project is to determine whether supportive care decreases the likelihood of foster care placement from birth to age three by the type of neonatal care received using linked administrative health data from Alaska Medicaid and the Alaska Office· of Children\u27s Services (OCS) for infants born between 201O and 2017, in the State of Alaska. Data sourced from Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Medicaid database was linked with data from Vital Statistics (birth and death records), and OCS data. Demographic data (e.g., age of mother, urban and rural residence (based on census classification)) was extracted from Vital Statistics database. Reports of child maltreatment, duration of foster care placement, rates of adoption, and return to the biological family among infants placed in foster care based on NAS status and the type of neonatal care received sourced from OCS data. Regression was used to assess likelihood of infants removed to foster care at birth being returned to their mother by one year, Poisson or negative binomial regression to determine if there are significant differences foster care days and rates of adoption by infants with NAS based on receipt of neonatal supportive care. Results: Based on interim analysis, infants with NAS who have been treated in a supportive care setting (e.g. Alaska Regional NEST) that uses rooming-in and a family oriented approach will have fewer days in foster care. This may be due to increased education and support provided to mothers and infants in lower-stimulation environment. Discussion/Conclusion: Further study is necessary to understand the impact of supportive care interventions on the health outcomes of infants with NAS

Mande Cultural Expression in the Work of Female Potters

For centuries, Mande women of West Africa have been creating ceramics through traditional methods passed down from one generation of women to the next. Mande ceramics, created by skilled female artists, function not only as a means of making money, but also represent broader Mande concepts of social organization and spirituality. The process by which ceramics are created and the forms of the vessels represent ideas of Mande culture, and show how Mande ideas have spread throughout West Africa and remained constant over time. The potters themselves, known as numumuso, use hand building techniques to create ceramic vessels from clay they harvest which are then fired communally. These vessels are then sold, primarily to women to bring into a marriage and use in the household. Ceramic techniques are passed down from mother to daughter, as the position of numumuso is inherited matrilineally. Numumuso do not just create ceramics for practical purposes, however. The taboos associated with pottery production, and the roles of numumuso outside of ceramics, indicate a broader cultural significance for the vessels they create. Numumuso function as midwives and are involved in rituals that show their spiritual power in the community, which are further evidenced in the techniques and significance of the ceramic vessels they create

Designing with LED

This presentation focuses on the recently adopted changes in the way highway lighting systems are designed, with emphasis on how the approved list of solid state–based luminaires is integrated into the design process. Progress made on the approved list and experiences in developing it will also be shared

1st Place Essay: Leadership: Fulfilling the Purpose of Art

In response to the essay prompt: Leadership is more art than science. “Leadership is more art than science” is a bold statement. It implies that leadership does not follow a set of rules nor is it based on experimental results, but rather, it comes from the creative and skilled mind of the leader. I believe that God has ingrained creativity and potential for leadership in every human being when He created us “in His image.” Without the divine inspiration of God, the success of his leadership will rarely be complete or long-lasting. The best leaders listen to God’s leading and utilize their creativity and skills as not just art, but worship

Civic Service Worldwide: Defining a Field, Building a Knowledge Base.

In this article, the authors summarize results of a global assessment of civic service. Searching by country and using information from organizational memberships, publications, and the Internet, 210 civic service programs were identified in 57 countries

Theory of Mind and Deception Ability

Social based strategies such as deception may require a theory of mind. Individuals with developmental disorders have deficits in deception that may be related to deficits in ToM. Individuals in the general population may have similar deficits. Participants were asked to rate the believability of videotaped actors. We found an inverse relationship between autistic and schizotypal tendencies and deception detection. Increased self-awareness scores were related to increased confidence when determining the believability of an actor. Results suggest deception detection is related to both self-awareness and Theory of mind

The Transitional Generation: Faculty Sensemaking of Higher Education Reform in Ecuador

In response to public sector criticism, higher education reform in Ecuador over the past decade has created a nation-wide transformation of faculty roles. The literature from researchers in Ecuador concerning reform and the role of faculty discusses the desired impact of these new expectations; however, very little is known regarding the substantive reality of faculty navigating new roles and work. This study explored faculty sense making of national reforms relating to their role and work at universities and sought to understand how faculty are navigating both policy and implementation of new work expectations ten years after government top-down reform efforts. The qualitative, cross-case comparison was framed through the perspective of the model of policy reaction. Interviews were conducted with 15 full-time Ecuadorian faculty participants representing hard and social sciences from five case universities located throughout the country. Data analysis resulted in five major findings: a) faculty negotiating uncertainty around work expectations and policy implementation; b) faculty building networks in order to meet expectations and develop research capacity; c) faculty understanding practices to legitimize their work as distrustful and inefficient; d) faculty perceiving policies as constraints to their academic autonomy, and; e) faculty making sense of themselves as a transitional generation building capacity and sustainability for future university stakeholders. The findings for this study will assist future policy-makers and university authorities in planning and managing change efforts to ensure that faculty stakeholders are involved in the policy-making and implementation processes