Browsing by Subject "Identification"

Now showing 1 - 15 of 15

A comparison of cognitive impacts of narrative and human-computer interaction as two sources of perceived realism in video games
(2019-07-08) Yang, Jiahua; Eastin, Matthew S.
Perceived realism in video games, indicating the degree game players perceive the game is realistic, influences game player’s cognitions. Previous research has explored the dimensional structure of perceived realism from two aspects. Adopted from traditional media, the first aspect narrative plays an important role in facilitating perceived game realism. Interactivity of video games enables the other source of perceived realism, which is human-computer interaction (HCI). This study examines the structure of perceived realism in video games, categorizing dimensions of perceived game realism into narrative or HCI, and comparing the influence of these two types on players’ cognitive outcomes, which are identification, immersion, and emotion. The results support the hypotheses that perceived HCI realism has stronger positive influence on people’s identification, immersion, and positive emotions compared to perceived narrative realism. Impact of each dimensions are also examined. Industry implications and future research directions are discussed
Among the coformers and cocrystals
(2023-12) Wilson, Ilham Zaky; Maniruzzaman, Mohammed; Cui, Zhengrong
Cocrystals have emerged as an exciting avenue for altering the behavior of drugs and creating new patents or intellectual properties in the pharmaceutical industry. However, the preparation of pharmaceutical cocrystals remains relatively uncommon, presenting a potential field for innovation. The advantage of cocrystals lies in their ability to preserve the molecular structures of the active pharmaceutical ingredients, thereby avoiding the need for complicated approval paperwork and clinical trials associated with new drug entities. In this study, our focus is on the development of cocrystals for Fleroxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic belonging to the quinolone antibiotic class. Fleroxacin exhibits versatility in treating various bacterial infections. Our approach involves cocrystallizing Fleroxacin with a few small molecule APIs and nutrients, namely nicotinamide, salicylamide, and acetaminophen. This combination of Fleroxacin with different coformers allows us to explore the potential for enhancing its chemical properties and therapeutic efficacy. To achieve cocrystal formation, we employed a novel catalyst, pure glacfial acetic acid, in conjunction with a ball milling machine. This methodology is particularly notable as it represents a first-time application of pure glacial acetic acid for cocrystallization and the cocrystallization of Fleroxacin. Also, prior to the synthesis, we ensured the absence of any undesirable reactions between the reactants and glacial acetic acid, thereby ensuring the integrity of the cocrystals formed (eliminating the possibilities of solvate and salt formations). Sample analysis and identification were done with physical examinations (e.g., visual appearance) and high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis at Argonne National Laboratory in addition to standard laboratory X-ray diffraction at The University of Texas Department of Chemistry and Texas Material Institute. The findings of this study contribute to the expanding body of knowledge on cocrystallization techniques and their potential applications in pharmaceutical development. Moreover, the successful synthesis and characterization of these Fleroxacin cocrystals with salicylamide, nicotinamide, and acetaminophen open up possibilities for further investigations into their chemical properties and potential therapeutic benefits.
The "Autism epidemic" and Texas public schools : economic, educational, and ethical considerations for public school superintendents
(2015-05) Brummet, Brent McKendree; Olivárez, Rubén; Pazey, Barbara; Sharpe, Edwin; Scheffler, Mark; Canada, Gloria
The purported existence of an “autism epidemic" has been vociferously debated both in the popular media and in academic research. One oft-cited study suggests that newly identified diagnoses of autism have increased 30% over the preceding decade to the point of potentially afflicting as many as 1 in 68 students (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). This influx merits close evaluation given existing research which postulates the existence of relationships between rates of ASD identification and ethnic and socioeconomic factors (Bhasin & Schendel, 2007). This potential disparity, coupled with ongoing budgetary constraints, the inherent ambiguity of existing litigation, and changing demographic projections, presents a number of financial, legal, and ethical impediments for public school superintendents in their ongoing efforts to ensure the efficacy and equity of services for students with ASD. Accordingly, this study analyzed the existence of any potential correlations between rates of ASD identification (expressed as a percentage of enrolled students whose primary Texas Education Agency special education eligibility criteria is "AU" or autism) and other ethnic and socioeconomic subpopulations evaluated in Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data. Prospective correlations were examined at both the campus level for each respective elementary campus in the case study district and at the district level for each Texas public school district which participated in a due process hearing predicated by an “AU” eligibility (or lack thereof) for the 2006-2007 through 2013-2014 academic years. Research questions were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Spearman's ρ Rank Order Correlation Coefficients. The magnitude of practical effect size was determined using the Cohen's d algorithm. This study returned the following selected results: 1. A statistically and practically significant positive relationship exists between percentage of campus "AU" enrollment and the percentage of campus enrollment for the White subpopulation. 2. Statistically and practically significant negative relationships exist between percentage of campus "AU" enrollment and the percentage of campus enrollment for the Hispanic and African-American subpopulations respectively. 3. Statistically and practically significant negative relationships exist between percentage of campus "AU" enrollment and the percentage of campus enrollment for the Economically Disadvantaged and At Risk subpopulations respectively.
Cafeteria Formosa
(2022-05-09) Chen, Hsiao-Wei, M.F.A.; Barreto, Raquel; Dawson, Kathryn M.; Buchanan, Jason B.
Taiwan, Formosa, has struggled with its identity in the past hundreds of years with multiple foreign sovereignties’ rule. This thesis project develops a conceptual framework that explores the writer’s identity as a Taiwanese and expands the research into an immersive performance with creative collaborators and audience members. It is a site-specific performance using reflective practitioner methods that document how both audience members and performers explore the nuances, complexities, and delights in an engaging, all-you-can eat food cart stop called Cafeteria Formosa.
The double-edged sword of corporate social responsibility campaigns : examining the effects of congruence and identification in product-failure and moral crises
(2011-08) Kim, Yoojung; Choi, Sejung Marina
As consumer expectations of corporate values and ethics increase, more and more companies are engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. While CSR in general is believed to play a positive role in consumer behavior, the implications of CSR in diverse situations that involve firms has not been studied in great detail. Specifically, little is known about how CSR activities influence consumer judgments in corporate crisis settings such as product-harm and ethical-misdeeds. Thus, in this dissertation, a series of experimental studies uncover the potential role of previous CSR engagement when a company is faced with a corporate crisis, and examine its impact on a consumer’s evaluation of the company. For a systematic and comprehensive understanding of this issue, two types of negative attributes in corporate scandals are distinguished: incompetence versus immorality. The results of the first experimental study suggest that prior CSR initiatives can more effectively protect consumer evaluation of the company when the company is faced with a competence-related negative event than a morality-related negative event. In addition, when the cause of CSR is directly congruent with the issue of the negative event, consumer responses were more negative than when there is no issue congruence between CSR and the negative event. The most interesting aspect is that the issue congruence effects were more negative for an immoral event versus an incompetent event. In other words, when a firm’s moral crisis is associated with a cause in a previously involved CSR initiative, consumers perceive that the firm’s intention of CSR initiative involvement was the least sincere and altruistic. The second study of this dissertation examines how consumer-company identification can protect the company from a corporate crisis in the context of an incompetent versus an immoral crisis situation. The findings of this study reveal that consumers strongly identified with the company perceive the company’s negative information less seriously than weak identifiers with the company regardless of the negative type – incompetence or immorality. Finally, the detailed theoretical and managerial implications of the dissertation and the role of CSR initiatives in crises are discussed.
Effects of displacement on identity
(2019-05) Greene, Kimberly Jean; McGlone, Matthew S., 1966-
The concepts of identity and identification are of enormous significance to millions of displaced people worldwide. Among the more than one billion people who lack any official form of identity are refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people. The United Nations, European Union, and several international state and humanitarian agencies provide aid and protection for those who qualify. Processes of qualification by means of identification and registration are often made difficult by the very circumstances of displacement. Identity and identification are intertwined throughout all phases of the refugee lifecycle, acting upon each other as subject, object, and, at times, both. On a psychological level, migrant identity is affected by several events and experiences, including the identification process itself, during all phases of the journey; resulting changes in identity likely influence participation in the identification process. Ultimately, aid-seeker fate is determined by questions of identity and identification, striking at the very heart of existence: Who am I?
Essays on nonparametric and semiparametric identification and estimation
(2021-04-30) Yang, Shenshen; Abrevaya, Jason; Han, Sukjin; Kline, Brendan A; Xu, Haiqing
This dissertation consists of three chapters in econometric theory, with a focus on identification and estimation of treatment effect in semi-parametric and nonparametric models, when there exists endogeneity problem. These methods are applied on policy and program evaluation in health and labor economics. \indent In the first chapter, I examine the common problem of multiple missing variables, which we refer to as multiple missingness, with non-monotone missing pattern and is usually caused by sub-sampling and a combination of different data sets. One example of this is missingness in both the endogenous treatment and outcome when two variables are collected via different stages of follow-up surveys. Two types of dependence assumptions for multiple missingness are proposed to identify the missing mechanism. The identified missing mechanisms are used later in an Augmented Inverse Propensity Weighted moment function, based on which a two-step semiparametric GMM estimator of the coefficients in the primary model is proposed. This estimator is consistent and more efficient than the previously used estimation methods because it includes incomplete observations. We demonstrate that robustness and asymptotic variances differ under two sets of identification assumptions, and we determine sufficient conditions when the proposed estimator can achieve the semiparametric efficiency bound. This method is applied to the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment and shows the significant effects of enrolling in the Oregon Health Plan on improving health-related outcomes and reducing out-of-pocket costs for medical care. The method proposed here provides unbiased and more efficient estimates. There is evidence that simply dropping the incomplete data creates downward biases for some of the chosen outcome variables. Moreover, the estimator proposed in this paper reduced standard errors by 6-24% of the estimated effects of the Oregon Health Plan. \indent The second chapter is a joint work with Sukjin Han. In this chapter, we consider how to extrapolate the general local treatment effect in a non-parametric setting, with endogenous self-selection problem and lack of external validity. For counterfactual policy evaluation, it is important to ensure that treatment parameters are relevant to the policies in question. This is especially challenging under unobserved heterogeneity, as is well featured in the definition of the local average treatment effect (LATE). Being intrinsically local, the LATE is known to lack external validity in counterfactual environments. This chapter investigates the possibility of extrapolating local treatment effects to different counterfactual settings when instrumental variables are only binary. We propose a novel framework to systematically calculate sharp nonparametric bounds on various policy-relevant treatment parameters that are defined as weighted averages of the marginal treatment effect (MTE). Our framework is flexible enough to incorporate a large menu of identifying assumptions beyond the shape restrictions on the MTE that have been considered in prior studies. We apply our method to understand the effects of medical insurance policies on the use of medical services. \indent In the third chapter, I investigate the partial identification bound for treatment effect in a dynamic setting. First, I develop the sharp partial identification bounds of dynamic treatment effect on conditional transition probabilities when the treatment is randomly assigned. Then I relax the randomization assumption and gives partial identification bounds, under a conditional mean independence assumption. Using MTR and MTS assumptions, this bound is further tightened. These bounds are used on estimating labor market return of college degree in a long term, with data from NLSY79.
Essays on nonparametric identification and production function estimation
(2024-02-07) Pan, Qingsong; Ackerberg, Daniel A.; Kline, Brendan; Xu , Haiqing; Ordin, Andrey
This dissertation consists of three chapters on applied econometrics and econometric theory. The first two chapters propose new estimating approaches to nonparametric production functions, and the third chapter studies the partial identification of treatment effects in a nonparametric setting. In the first chapter, we study the nonparametric identification of gross output production functions with a nonseparable productivity shock when output markets are perfectly competitive. Our nonseparable specification relaxes the traditional assumption of Hicks neutrality that has been shown to be inconsistent with a number of data sets. It can thus capture the bias in technical change, which recent research has found relevant to many important economic questions. We first generalize the identification approach of Gandhi et al. (2020) to nonseparable models and show the identification of output elasticities. To identify the entire production function, we then impose a homogeneity assumption, which is supported by the data. Given the fact that our nonseparable models nest Hicks-neutral models, we are able to document the misspecification bias of the latter. Using Chilean and Colombian plant-level data, our estimates suggest that Hicks-neutral models overestimate returns to scale, overestimate output elasticities of labor, and generate biased estimates of capital intensity. Our estimates also indicate that technological change is predominantly biased toward capital over labor and intermediate inputs. In the second chapter, we extend the identification approach in chapter 1 from perfect competition to imperfect competition. When physical quantities of output are observed, we follow Flynn et al. (2019) and replace the assumption of perfect competition with a constant-returns-to-scale (CRS) condition. When only revenue instead of physical output is observed, we follow Kasahara and Sugita (2020) and combine a first-order condition with a CRS condition to show identification of output elasticities and markups. In the third chapter, we derive a set of partial identification results for the mean treatment response and the average treatment effect when the μ-strong concavity assumption is combined with the monotone treatment response (MTR) assumption or the MTR-MTS (monotone treatment selection) assumption. μ-strong concavity is a generalization of the usual concavity assumption and the parameter μ can be seen as a measure of the strength of concavity. By tuning the value of the parameter μ, a practitioner can conduct sensitivity analyses with respect to the concavity assumption. We illustrate my findings by reanalyzing the return to schooling example of Manski and Pepper (2000).
Identification beyond the symbolic frame : Don DeLillo, David Foster Wallace, and the rhetorical logics of objects
(2012-08) King, Matt R.; Walker, Jeffrey, 1949-; Bremen, Brian A.
Rhetorics of identification traditionally address two questions: how does rhetoric work, who or what is involved in rhetorical relations, and how do these relations unfold and proceed, and how can and should we conduct ourselves in light of this state of things, what modes of engagement and response do we have available? Rhetoricians have drawn substantially on Kenneth Burke’s work on symbolic action in answering these questions, but this emphasis on the symbolic does not exhaust the range and nature of rhetorical relations, and other modes of relationality thus warrant our attention. My work aims to consider how our understanding of identification shifts when we move beyond the symbolic frame, when we attend to rhetorical relations without grounding our inquiry in considerations of representation, interpretation, understanding, dialectics, and epistemology. Drawing on conversations in nonrational rhetorics, object-oriented ontology, postmodernism and postmodern literature, digital rhetorics, writing studies, and video game studies, I attend to the material, affective, and singular nature of rhetorical relations. I also consider the modes of engagement this understanding of identification makes available with reference to writing pedagogy and the work of authors Don DeLillo and David Foster Wallace.
Loss of control and phenomenology in mental disorder
(2021-08-16) Evans, Amanda Lea; Montague, Michelle; Strawson, Galen; Sosa, Ernest David; Bayne, Tim; Pickard, Hanna
Any insights we can hope to gain with respect to what is going on with our mental lives and our agency will almost certainly require a close examination of the “worst-case scenarios”, since it is when things break down that the joints of the phenomena are revealed. This is a philosophical intuition of mine that pervades everything I work on, and the papers that make up this dissertation are no exception. In keeping with this guiding sentiment, this dissertation tackles three philosophical issues related to the so-called “loss of control” that occurs in mental disorder, and it does so in a way that places the phenomenology of agency at the forefront in some way or other. In my first paper on the sense of agency in anorexia nervosa (AN), I try to resolve an apparent discrepancy between the phenomenology of anorexics in the grip of their disorder and the psychological and neurological data that purport to describe what they are undergoing. I provide a solution to this apparent incongruency by offering an account of the sense of agency in AN that grants sincerity to anorexic testimony while also being able to explain why the relevant experiences of agency come to be illusory. Then, in my second paper, I broaden my scope to include not just AN but also substance use disorder (SUD). After outlining the debate surrounding the question of whether addiction ought to be categorized as a form of akrasia, I show that the phenomenon at issue is far more complex than either side has supposed. I then propose a “horseshoe model” of loss of control that is able to capture the complexity that is brought in by examining the similarities and differences between SUD and AN. Finally, in my third paper, I pursue a question that arises from the exposition of the horseshoe model introduced in the previous paper. The question is, roughly, “Why is one ‘half’ of the horseshoe model associated with the phenomenology of loss of control while the other “half” is associated with the phenomenology of extreme self-control?”. This line of inquiry ultimately leads to an understanding of how one’s pathological desires can be experienced quite differently depending on the content of one’s self-image. Taken together, it is my hope that these papers can contribute to the philosophical goal of unearthing the realities of our mental lives and our agency by examining the fault lines formed by psychopathology.
Managing multiple (dis)identifications : questioning the desirability and utility of identification in volunteer work
(2016-05) Ford, Jacob Stuart; Treem, Jeffrey W.; Browning, Larry D; Stephens, Keri K; Berkelaar Van Pelt, Brenda L; Garner, Johny T
Interest in organizational identification continues to expand alongside the growing options for organizational and member relationships. This dissertation examines the identification processes of volunteer workers at a non-profit organization and identifies the varied ways individuals aligned with or distanced themselves from different aspects of the organization. Drawing on data from interviews and observations of work at an animal shelter in the Southern U.S., this research reveals how individuals’ identifications were espoused and enacted in communication. The diverse and dynamic nature of the identifications of these workers, and the role of communication in the processes identified, challenge three common scholarly assumptions concerning identification and organizations. First, identification is typically perceived as a monolithic construct, meaning that most studies view an individuals’ relationship to work within an organization through a lens of organizational identification. The present study provides empirical support for the existence of multiple identifications within a singular organization, and considers the communicative distinctions between these identifications. Second, though research has also largely assumed that the opposite of identification is an absence of identification this dissertation argues that greater attention should be paid to disidentification as a distinct communicative process that describes how individuals actively construct identities separate from an organizational target. The final assumption in the literature presupposes that organizational identification leads to organizational benefits and should be sought by both organizations and individual workers. The findings of this work indicate that in a non-profit context it may not always be advantageous for members to develop organizational identification. Furthermore, the communication of the animal shelter workers revealed that the ability of individuals to hold multiple identifications or switch among identifications provided them a means to endure undesirable work conditions. By demonstrating the diverse and dynamic nature of identification among workers in a non-profit context, this work provides scholars a lens with which to broaden our understanding of identification as a communicative construct and invites scholars to explore (dis)identification in varied, and novel organizational forms.
Political identity, persuasion, and public health : how identification to a political ideology informs the design of health communication messages
(2023-12) De Luca Sologaistoa, Daniela María; Mackert, Michael; Donovan, Erin; Kemp, Deena; Coleman, Renita; Love, Brad
Health communication is crucial to ensure audiences understand, process, and rely on accurate information to make health-related decisions. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the politicization of non-political matters permeated into other health-related contexts. While the processing and divulging of scientific evidence should not pertain to politics, the innate tendency for humans to let their identities influence their behavior can allow health communication experts to take advantage of political ideology identification to increase persuasion. Thus, through a 2x2 with a control group experimental design, followed by a series of in-depth interviews, this study investigated the use of politically-based cues in health-related messages and its impact on health-related message acceptance. Findings suggest that relying on political cues can increase the likelihood of persuasion if the cues are subtle and supportive of individuals’ political views. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Procedural identification : algorithmic role-playing in video games
(2017-06-23) Alexander, Benjamin Keith; Scott, Suzanne, 1979-
Video games and role-playing games both possess the ability to structure the player’s experience of themselves around their underlying and internal structures. Tabletop role-playing games do so through complex rules involving random dice rolls whereas video games do so through their basic algorithmic and software structure. This thesis investigates how the combination of properties from both media in the form of video role-playing games, or vRPGs, can impact and structure the player’s sense of identification with the player character. This thesis draws heavily on Wendy Chun, Alexander Galloway and Ian Bogost’s theories of procedurality in games as well as both modern and post-modern theories of identity and identification in order to argue that vRPGs have the ability to actively guide and construct the player’s identification. When looked at as procedural media, one quickly discovers that games are capable of interacting and responding to the player. I chose to call this quality of games “procedural identification”. This thesis also foregrounds the importance of the played aspect of games in order to highlight the fact that the sense of identification that comes from playing a game is both active and the result of the player’s interactions with the game’s programmatic interface. In essence, the meaning of a game emerges only during and after play. By structuring this play according to underlying algorithmic processes, games are capable of structure the player’s interaction and experience in unique and incredibly rich ways.
The purposes of workplace benefits : a qualitative study of workers’ perceptions of work perks in tech and non-tech industries
(2016-05) Schneider, Claire Marie; Berkelaar, Brenda; Treem, Jeffery W
The following study examines how tech workers justify work perk implementation as a standard practice across the tech industry and how workers struggle to resist the draw of work perks that act as control mechanisms. Participants (n=19) who identified themselves as “cool” tech industry, “traditional” tech industry, and “non-tech” industry were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol concerning their work perk usage. A thematic analysis was conducted to examine an array of evidence-based patterns. Two themes emerged using an abductive approach to coding the data. The first theme examined how organizations use work perks to signal industry and occupational identification. The second theme considered how participants were willing to pay a price for seemingly free work perks. The themes contributed to academic understanding and application of organizational identification theory and unobtrusive control.
Representation in action : an overview of the avatar/attribute relationship in sports-themed video games
(2020-08-07) LeMasters, William Norman; Fuller-Seeley, Kathryn
Representation in video games has thus far centered primarily on the aesthetics of a digital avatar. Using sports-themed video games, we can broaden the understanding of representation to include action or the ways athletes perform within any given game by analyzing attribute allocation, the primary method of avatar differentiation within the sports genre, and how digital bodies play a role in shaping an athlete’s real-world identity. Sports-themed video games are immensely popular with the big 3 franchises, Madden, FIFA and the NBA 2K series, routinely finishing among the best-selling video game titles year in and year out. Due to their popularity, scholars have turned some attention toward this genre of games although almost all articles pertain solely to the aesthetic representations of athlete avatars while comparatively few attempts have been made to breakdown the relationship between an athlete’s real statistics and how these statistics figure into the representation of their digitized body. My goal is to show why virtual athletes attributes matter by analyzing how an athlete’s digital body can play a role in their real-world identity by highlighting the cases of ex-NFL player Michael Vick and footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa.