Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1980, Psychology

Sixty-six male and female subjects, divided into two groups of potential clients, were asked to rate the perceived therapeutic value of role-playing vs. covert modeling in assertiveness training. Each subject viewed a fifteen minute video tape of a counseling session where the counselor's primary technique was either role-playing or covert modeling training. After the viewing of the tapes, each subject was required to answer four instruments, a bio- graphical data sheet, the Assertiveness Inventory, The Value of Counseling Technique Questionnaire, and the Perceived Therapeutic Value Semantic Differential Scale. The results of The Perceived Therapeutic Value Semantic Differential Scale indicated a) that of the two counseling techniques, role-playing was perceived to be more therapeutically valuable in assertiveness training, b)the most important factor indicated by subjects that contributed to perceived therapeutic value was active participation, c) the least important factor contributing to perceived therapeutic value was counselor attractiveness.

Committee: Donald Dell (Advisor) Subjects:

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, 2023, Business Administration

This research explores the value of secondary packaging of luxury items and its impact on consumers' post-purchase experience. Using a mixed methods approach, this research employed three studies to better understand this topic. First, qualitative in-depth interviews were completed with Gen Z luxury consumers who had kept their packaging after acquiring a luxury brand item. From these interviews, three overarching themes of secondary packaging emerged: packaging is considered to be an extension of self and an art form, packaging tells a long-lasting story, and five types of actions (i.e., keep, display, store, reuse, and throw away) are taken by consumers when it comes to their luxury brand packaging. Next, several luxury and non-luxury brands were pre-tested to confirm that respondents viewed Dior and Prada as equally luxurious, and Old Navy as distinct (i.e., non-luxury). An online experiment with a hypothetical gifting scenario and a between-subjects design was employed (1) to measure price assessment of three layers of secondary packaging associated with luxury vs. non-luxury brands, (2) to determine the type of post-purchase actions with packaging, and (3) to discover the respondents' social media sharing behavior as pertaining to the different levels of secondary packaging. Moderating effects of luxury sensitivity, need for status, and product status consumption were also tested. Though the experiment found there was not a significant difference in dollar valuation among the three levels of secondary packaging, luxury secondary packaging did hold value for consumers. Consumers are more likely to post images of secondary packaging on social media for luxury brands than non-luxury brands. None of the moderating effects were found to have a significant effect between packaging layer and price. This research represents a start to understanding an important and understudied area of post purchase consumption of secondary packaging for luxury brands and how Gen Z lux (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Moumita Gyomlai (Advisor); Dr. Jessica Weeks (Advisor) Subjects: Business Administration; Marketing

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2019, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This paper analyzes the perceptions of pregnant women and families identified as high risk who receive evidence-based home visiting services through a state funded program. The focus is on the value that participants placed on the educational information offered by the home visitor at the end of the initial home visit. The experimental factor is the assumed level of education or profession the participant places on the home visitor based on the attire of the home visitor wearing a white coat or business casual clothing. Utilizing a post-test only control group experimental design, a standard survey measuring the value the participant placed on the education received during the initial home visit is the proposed outcome measure. All surveys were administered by the same various degreed, non-medical professionals. The findings of this study suggest no significant difference in the value placed on the home visit information, the utilization of the information provided or the home visitors, themselves, based on 190 completed participant surveys. The interviews with the home visitors involved in the study revealed a discussion around their perception of attire and its impact on families. They noted very few instances of clients acknowledging their attire and expressed they basically felt no different when wearing the coat. The results of this study may be utilized to gain an increased understanding of the professional qualifications that might be most valued by families when conducting home visiting and effecting positive change in the family dynamics.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Committee Chair); Steven Toepfer PhD (Committee Member); Daniel Keown PhD (Committee Member); John Hazy PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Research; Social Work

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2018, Leadership and Change

The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceived value of their community college experience and its relationship to other factors often related to student persistence in college, namely satisfaction, academic quality, service quality, and engagement. The research was guided by three focused questions: How do students describe and define perceived value of community college; what components emerge from exploratory factor analysis of items designed to measure perceived value; and how, if at all, is a student's perception of the value of a community college experience different from related measures such as satisfaction, engagement, or quality? Data were collected from students enrolled at, primarily, three Massachusetts community colleges, employing a three-phased, mixed methods exploratory sequential approach. Phase 1 consisted of focus group interviews with students from one of the participating colleges to identify the themes and language for developing the perceived value construct. Phase 2 consisted of an online survey targeting currently enrolled community college students. Factor analysis identified key components of the perceived value scale and multiple regression analysis determined the relationship between perceived value and other control variables. Phase 3 consisted of a virtual post survey focus group with voluntary survey participants from Massachusetts community colleges to discuss and clarify the quantitative results and narrative survey responses. The dominant theme emerging from the findings was that students described perceived value as “I am valued” by the college. Results also indicated that the perceived value construct was different from other measures and suggested promising ways for further exploring and measuring student persistence. As a result of the study's findings, a conceptual framework in the form of a Perceived Value Wheel was proposed with recommendations to community college leaders and practical contribution to higher (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jon Wergin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carol Baron Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ruth Slotnick Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Administration; Business Education; Community College Education; Community Colleges; Continuing Education; Education; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Educational Tests and Measurements; Educational Theory; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Management; Marketing; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Rural Sociology

In a relatively short period of time, hunting has progressed from an activity vital to human survival to a form of outdoor recreation that represents a net monetary loss for most participants. Hunting participation in the United States is in long term decline, but with occasional spikes in popularity. With declining participation, the importance of hunting as an economic activity has waned, and wildlife professionals and social scientists have struggled to find viable, predictable, cost effective ways to influence hunting initiation and continuation (also referred to as "recruitment" and "retention"). While early literature concerning hunting participation has certainly advanced from hunter tallies and animal harvests trends, gaps exist in understanding what factors influence hunting participation. A preliminary step in understanding these gaps is to situate the existing body of research on hunting participation within the social science disciplines of sociology, psychology, and social psychology. The goal is to trace how theory from these disciplines has been used to understand hunting participation and thereby identify biases and blind spots in the existing literature. Once the field has been situated two questions that speak to long-term trends in hunting participation can be examined. Specifically, (a) how increasingly popular support for alternative food impacts hunting participation, as well as (b) how do economic characteristics influence shifting value orientations presumed to affect attitudes toward hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation. The increasing popularity of alternative food ideologies has generated excitement among many wildlife professionals, who suspect alternative food supporters may be attracted to hunting due to perceived benefits of wild game meat, but little rigorous quantitative research exists on this subject. Similarly, though research on wildlife-related value orientations provided new avenues to examine hunting particip (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jeremy Bruskotter (Advisor); Jeff Sharp (Committee Co-Chair); Richard Moore (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Human Ecology: Fashion and Retail Studies

Previous studies have extensively illustrated that in order to obtain consumers' e-loyalty, online retailers need to provide their consumers with superior values (e.g., Levenburg, 2005; Rafiq, Fulford, & Lu, 2013). In an effort to understand how value can be enhanced in online retailing and to gain customers' e-loyalty, researchers have placed considerable importance on the concept of perceived value investigation and on the influence of perceived value on consumers' e-loyalty (Cronin, Brady, & Hult, 2000). Research findings have suggested that once perceived value is created, consumers will develop a favorable attitude towards online retailers leading to e-loyalty (Rafiq et al., 2013). However, the question of how consumers' perceived value is created has not been comprehended yet. Previous studies have investigated various psychological factors, such as perceived quality and perceived risk that serve antecedents of perceived value (e.g., Gounaris, Dimitriadis, & Stathakopoulos, 2010; Liong, Arif, Tat, Rasli, & Jusoh, 2011; Mishra & Mathew, 2013). However, business strategies that could directly drive consumers' perceived value have not been sufficiently demonstrated either in the traditional settings or within e-commerce context (Dong, Zhang, & Yang, 2009). Furthermore, perceived value as a single construct has been well defined and examined, but applying it as a multi-dimensional construct and investigating the strategy effectiveness for creating each dimension of the perceived value is an interesting question that remains unanswered (Chiu, Hsieh, & Li, 2005). This study aims to investigate the process of online retailers' bonding strategies and how these strategies have enhanced consumers' perceived values as well as the subsequent e-loyalty by introducing the social capital perspective. Three types of bonding strategies are investigated in this study: financial bonding, social bonding and structural bonding. Four dimensions of perceived value are examined; t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Kandampully (Advisor); Brian Turner (Committee Member); Robert Burnkrant (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Communication; Management; Marketing

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 2014, Psychology

This study investigated the different generations and the effects of perceived value dissimilarity on task and relationship conflict in work teams. Previous research suggests that each generation has its own set of values (Glass, 2007) and that may lead to perceived value dissimilarity (Hobman, Bordia, & Gallois, 2003). Furthermore, work teams have become increasingly popular organizational structures used to improve quality, increase efficiency, and ensure organizational sustainability (Tomlinson, 2005; Vangen & Huxhan, 2003). However, the examination of generational differences among employees is a critical and underdeveloped area in management research and can be a significant source of conflict in organizations (Westerman & Yamamura, 2007). Therefore, this study aims to further our understanding on deep-level dissimilarity by focusing on value dissimilarities in relation to generations and work teams. This study surveyed 192 people from three generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. Results showed there was not a significant relationship between the different generations and perceived value dissimilarity, suggesting that values may not actually be perceived as differently among each generation as previous literature might imply or, perceived value dissimilarity among generations may not cause members to view themselves differently from members in a different generation. In addition, results from the current study found a positive, significant relationship between perceived value dissimilarity and both task and relationship conflict. These findings imply that perceived value dissimilarity among team members is likely to lead to conflict, and therefore, is something for organizations to avoid in the workplace

Committee: Mark Nagy PhD. (Committee Chair); Morell Mullins PhD. (Committee Member); Dalia Diab PhD. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Occupational Psychology; Organizational Behavior; Psychology; Social Psychology

MFA, Kent State University, 2014, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This study is a study of small business owners and their perceptions on graphic design. The basis for this study was to gain an understanding of whether or not small businesses view professional graphic design as a beneficial service worth pursuing, and why or why not they are employing the services of professional designers. The design process itself is regarded as an important tool; in a study, firms that saw design as a process or used it to innovate increased their sales by 50% more than the norm. Design can also directly affect other areas of a business, such as the firm's image. A recent study suggested that firm image will benefit more from designer involvement in website development and corporate visual identity development if the firm adopts an innovative strategy to experiential design. While these large businesses see major benefits through the deliberate attention to funding for professional design, small businesses, unfortunately, may not have the opportunity to experience these benefits due to budgetary constraints. Small businesses also may fail to recognize the difference in the lesser value of inexpensive options versus the high value generated by professional designers (Holston, 2011). This thesis will be a comprehensive study on the perception of the value of design by small businesses. It will explore their understanding of design, the value it generates, what their metrics are for success within the business, and how design can directly affect those areas. The implications of this thesis will be the ability to start an informed conversation between professional designers and small business on the value of design. Designers will have a better idea of how to sell themselves and their services to small businesses, and those businesses will see the benefits professional design can bring to a company—such as an increased ROI and enhanced firm image. By gaining a deep understanding behind the motivations of a small business, designers can (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Visocky O'Grady Ken (Advisor) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Curriculum and Instruction Instructional Technology (Education)

The focus of this research was to determine the extent to which teachers in Ohio public high schools use computers in classroom instruction, and investigation of barriers to teachers' integration of computers into classroom instruction and learning. The analyses were based on a sample of 256 teachers randomly selected from 18 randomly selected high schools across the state. About 77% of the participants considered themselves well prepared, and 83% were proficient in computer technology integration. Although the majority of the participants had attained the necessary computer skills, teachers' use of computers for classroom learning was low and sporadic at best, averaging 1.8 times a week, a level equivalence of novice computer using teacher. Both computer proficiency and availability of computers in Ohio public high school classrooms greatly affected teachers' extent of computer technology use in classroom learning. Only 12% of the proficient teachers taught in classrooms with five or more computers, compared with 71% who taught in classrooms with one to four computers or had no computers at all on average. Overall, 12% of the teachers used computers for classroom learning three to four times per week or daily. At most, 4% of them taught in classrooms with an average of five to ten or more computers. The results suggested that lack of access to adequate computers in the classrooms severely curtails teachers' use of computers in classroom learning on a regular basis. Whereas classroom student-to-instructional computer ratio, teachers' attained level of computer technology proficiency, teachers' attitude towards computer use in classroom instruction, and perceived value of computers in instruction were predictors of the extent of teachers' computer use for classroom instruction in Ohio public high schools. Two of the other variables, resistance to change, and location of computers in the schools (except classroom) were not predictors of teachers' use of computers in c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Teresa J. Franklin Ph.D (Committee Chair); George Johanson Ed.D (Committee Member); David Richard Moore, Ph.D (Committee Member); Don Flournoy Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Teacher Education; Teaching; Technology