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- Title
- Gender Performance in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
- Creator
-
Lee, Amanda, Listengarten, Julia, Snyder, Tara, Ingram, Kate, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Cross-dressing is a recurrent theme in Shakespeare's comedies, and the theatrical trend of gender bending casting has added an extra layer of complexity to performing his work. How does the gender of the actor affect the performance of a role in Shakespeare? How does it affect the perception of the role, and how can an actor utilize that perception to connect more fully with the audience? How does the female perspective illuminate hitherto unexplored elements of Shakespeare's text and...
Show moreCross-dressing is a recurrent theme in Shakespeare's comedies, and the theatrical trend of gender bending casting has added an extra layer of complexity to performing his work. How does the gender of the actor affect the performance of a role in Shakespeare? How does it affect the perception of the role, and how can an actor utilize that perception to connect more fully with the audience? How does the female perspective illuminate hitherto unexplored elements of Shakespeare's text and characters? I was inspired by Orlando Shakes' all male production of Twelfth Night to research gender theory in relation to classical texts. I was largely inspired by Judith Butler's theories of gender performance, and herein use feminist and gender theory as a lens to view Shakespeare's work. I put on my own production of an All-Female Twelfth Night in which I played Viola. This thesis is an exploration of my process as a scholar, actor, and activist in the context of that production. It follows the journey from page to praxis, as I attempt to apply academic theories to live theatre. It is my intent that this will serve as a possible roadmap for future gender bending in Shakespeare productions, and to empower female theatre makers in that process.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007484, ucf:52660
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007484
- Title
- Lithium polysulfide battery with improved capacity and cycle performance using carbon black coated free-standing carbon cloth.
- Creator
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Wei, Zhen, Kushima, Akihiro, Yang, Yang, Feng, Xiaofeng, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been used in various applications such as portable electronics, grid storages, and electric vehicles (EVs). Despite its commercial success, further advancement of the battery is necessary to satisfy the increasing demands for low-cost and high- performance energy storage devices as LIB is reaching its theoretical limits. Lithium sulfur battery (LSB) is one of the promising candidates for the next generation energy storage technologies. LSB uses sulfur cathode...
Show moreLithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been used in various applications such as portable electronics, grid storages, and electric vehicles (EVs). Despite its commercial success, further advancement of the battery is necessary to satisfy the increasing demands for low-cost and high- performance energy storage devices as LIB is reaching its theoretical limits. Lithium sulfur battery (LSB) is one of the promising candidates for the next generation energy storage technologies. LSB uses sulfur cathode which is a low-cost and earth abundant material with an extremely high theoretical capacity of 2600 Wh kg-1. Although there have been numerous researches aiming to establish the LSB technology, it is still in a development stage. Some of the major challenges are; low-electric conductivity, dissolution of the intermediate lithium-polysulfide reactants, and the low Coulombic efficiency. These issues must be overcome before LSBs can become practical.The objective of this work is to develop an LSB cathode that solves the above issues and contributes to advancing the development of the LSB technology. We focus on improving the electrical conductivity while reducing the shuttle effect, a parasitic reaction of the polysulfides at the anode lithium surface. To achieve this goal, we developed a carbon black coated free-standing carbon cloth. It is infiltrated with a Li2S8-containing catholyte as an active material, and its carbon framework serves as an entrapment of the polysulfides. The electrode composite enabled high- sulfur-loading, and its high surface area increased the reaction sites allowing the effective utilization of the sulfur that lead to the high capacity. It also showed high capacity retention by successfully trapping the polysulfides within the electrode. This facile and low-cost solution contributes to the realization of the LSBs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007873, ucf:52791
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007873
- Title
- Diverse 3rd Grade Non-School Activity Participation: Associations With Social Competence and Reading Performance.
- Creator
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Mahone, Robert, Hoffman, Bobby, Crevecoeur, Edwidge, Biraimah, Karen, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study examined indicators of 3rd Grade students' non-school activity participation (NSAP) for associations with measures of social competence and reading performance. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), representative of a 1999 kindergarten cohort of more than 14,000 students was used. The study constructed social competence composites from responses provided by students, parents and teachers. Principal component analysis and iterative bivariate correlations were utilized to...
Show moreThis study examined indicators of 3rd Grade students' non-school activity participation (NSAP) for associations with measures of social competence and reading performance. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), representative of a 1999 kindergarten cohort of more than 14,000 students was used. The study constructed social competence composites from responses provided by students, parents and teachers. Principal component analysis and iterative bivariate correlations were utilized to derive the most robust composite for use in tests of the main hypotheses of the study. Results confirmed prior research findings that social competence has strong positive associations with academic performance. Thereafter, the social competence composite and ECLS Reading IRT Scale Score were used as alternative outcome measures in the bivariate analyses and linear regressions on non-school activity participation (NSAP) and breadth of non-school activity participation (BNSAP) scores.Cluster and multiple regression analyses combined in the study and brought demographic and cognitive controls to bear on iterations of five distinct views of the independent variables. Results indicated that girls influenced the association strengths observed for NSAP, and boys seemed to drive the direction and strength of BNSAP associations. Although regression betas for total samples were nominal, when viewed by demographic cluster samples the values were appreciatively improved. The use of the cluster distinctions provided views of significant associations that were otherwise dissolved into nominal aggregates. The results of these analyses support the construct validity of applying the aggregate scoring metric of EAP research to NSAP. Regression results prompted a call for future inquiries into student self-selection.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004132, ucf:49123
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004132
- Title
- Searching for Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology: A Study of Cardiovascular Disease Care in Veterans General Hospitals.
- Creator
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Thaldorf, Carey, Wan, Thomas, Fottler, Myron, Liberman, Aaron, Campbell, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The cost of healthcare in the United States is on an upward trajectory towards an unsustainable level. In order to address this, Congress and the Obama Administration passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to begin the process of controlling these costs. Within the ARRA is the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) section which creates financial incentives to invest in Health Information Technology (HIT) and to develop a means to...
Show moreThe cost of healthcare in the United States is on an upward trajectory towards an unsustainable level. In order to address this, Congress and the Obama Administration passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to begin the process of controlling these costs. Within the ARRA is the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) section which creates financial incentives to invest in Health Information Technology (HIT) and to develop a means to measure the Meaningful Use of specific functions of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This research examines the widely used Joint Commission datasets to determine their suitability as a basis of meeting the government mandated measuring of Meaningful Use. The datasets used for this study consists of hospital level performance measures with a sample size of 370 hospital samples of HIT Use Intensity and Cardiovascular Performance attained from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). An Organizational Network Theoretical approach was applied to the data in a non-experimental, sample-resample design to data collected in 2007. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was built to test for the strength of the correlation between HIT Use Intensity and Cardiovascular Performance and a Latent Growth Curve Model (LGM) was built to examine the effect of the trajectory of HIT Use Intensity on the trajectory of Cardiovascular Performance. The SEM found a weak (.18) correlation between HIT Use Intensity and Cardiovascular Performance and the model only captured 12 percent of the variance. The LGM found no convergence between the trajectories of HIT Use Intensity and Cardiovascular Performance. This may have been the result of the data being non-normally distributed and heavily skewed to the high end of the scale. The policy implications of this study indicate that while Joint Commission data capture only a small amount of the variance attributed to HIT Use it does show a weak but positive correlation between increases in HIT Use Intensity and Increases in Cardiovascular Performance at the hospital level. Future research into adjustments to Joint Commission data measures (or others) may prove to be valuable in measuring the Meaningful Use of HIT systems in order to help hospitals make educated decisions on which HIT systems to purchase and the potential benefits associated with them.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004488, ucf:49319
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004488
- Title
- The use of video game achievements to enhance player performance, self-efficacy, and motivation.
- Creator
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Blair, Lucas, Bowers, Clint, Cannon-Bowers, Janis, McDaniel, Rudy, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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A taxonomy of achievement design features that exist currently in video game systems was created in order to evaluate the current the state of the art in achievement design. From the taxonomy of design features multiple mechanisms of action that influence player behavior were identified. These mechanisms lead to a predictive model that can guide the designs of achievements in order to improve performance, self-efficacy and motivation in players.Expected, unexpected, and incremental...
Show moreA taxonomy of achievement design features that exist currently in video game systems was created in order to evaluate the current the state of the art in achievement design. From the taxonomy of design features multiple mechanisms of action that influence player behavior were identified. These mechanisms lead to a predictive model that can guide the designs of achievements in order to improve performance, self-efficacy and motivation in players.Expected, unexpected, and incremental achievements were tested. Notifications occurring before and after earning an achievement were also tested. In addition to testing individual mechanisms of action a (")combined achievement(") was created with multiple mechanisms added that were hand-picked. For testing purposes the model was applied to achievements that were inserted into an instructional game. The results of the study revealed that individual mechanisms of action had little effect on players while multiple mechanisms in a combined achievement caused significant improvements in several categories. The limitations of the current study, as well as, plans for future study are also discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004471, ucf:49297
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004471
- Title
- MYSTERY SHOPPER MOTIVATIONS AND THE PRESENCE OF MOTIVATION CROWDING.
- Creator
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Allison, Pamela, Severt, Denver, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Mystery shopping is used in a variety of service industries to measure service performance, as a training tool for employees, and to ensure the safety and security of the product offered. The persons performing this activity, mystery shoppers, experience various motivations, some of which are similar to employees and/or volunteers. These motivations can be intrinsic, where the performance of the activity is a reward itself, or extrinsic, meaning performance of the activity is a method for...
Show moreMystery shopping is used in a variety of service industries to measure service performance, as a training tool for employees, and to ensure the safety and security of the product offered. The persons performing this activity, mystery shoppers, experience various motivations, some of which are similar to employees and/or volunteers. These motivations can be intrinsic, where the performance of the activity is a reward itself, or extrinsic, meaning performance of the activity is a method for attaining a reward. The dominance of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation can shift within the individual, which is termed motivation crowding. Individuals can crowd in when intrinsic motivations are supplemented and supported by extrinsic motivations, or crowd out if extrinsic motivations become the dominant factor, devaluing the activity and reducing intrinsic motivation. This study examines the motivations of mystery shoppers and examines whether the tenets of motivation crowding are supported using a mixed methods research design. The objectives for the study were to identify, classify, and measure mystery shopping motivations using motivational theory to test for the presence of motivation crowding, as reflected in the initial two hypotheses: H1: There are salient dimensions of motivation influencing individual participation in mystery shopping activities. H2: Mystery shoppers experience motivation "crowding in" after initial performance of mystery shopping activities, with intrinsic motivations increasing. To address the first hypothesis, the study began with a qualitative research approach utilizing semi-structured interviews with current mystery shoppers. Through qualitative analysis, 14 constructs of mystery shopper motivations were identified. The constructs were then utilized to develop the Mystery Shopper Motivation Scale, following the eight-step scale development process defined by DeVellis (2003). The scale was then refined through pre-testing and pilot testing, and was used in a survey administration to 323 current mystery shoppers. Through factor analysis, the motivations identified were quantitatively supported, and then dependent t-tests indicated the presence of motivation crowding affecting mystery shoppers. However, unanticipated increases in extrinsic motivations prompted further analysis of motivations based on mystery shopping experience levels, resulting in the addition of a third hypothesis: H3: The direction of motivation crowding is dependent on the mystery shopper's level of experience. H3a: Mystery shoppers who have performed less than 10 mystery shops will crowd in, with an increase in intrinsic motivations and a decrease in extrinsic motivations. H3b: Mystery shoppers who have performed between 10-24 mystery shops will crowd in, with an increase in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and intrinsic motivations remaining the dominant factor. H3c: Mystery shoppers who have performed 25 or more mystery shops will crowd in, with an increase in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, but extrinsic motivations becoming the dominant factor. Results supported motivation crowding as dependent on the experience level of the mystery shopper, prompting the categorization of three distinct mystery shopping phases of activity: the novelty phase, the exploratory phase, and the career phase. Empirical results of the survey were then compared to a subsequent round of qualitative analysis of mystery shopper online forums. Recommendations for future research include longitudinal studies of novelty phase mystery shoppers, examination of the effects motivation crowding may have on mystery shopper behavioral intentions, and incorporation of the perceived costs associated with mystery shopping.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002588, ucf:48290
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002588
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF ETHNIC DIVERSITY, PERCEIVED SIMILARITY, AND TRUST ON COLLABORATIVE BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE.
- Creator
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Wildman, Jessica, Salas, Eduardo, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Recent issues such as global economic crises, terrorism, and conservation efforts are making international collaboration a critical topic. While cultural diversity often brings with it new perspectives and innovative solutions, diversity in collaborative settings can also lead to misunderstandings and interaction problems. Therefore, there is a pressing need to understand the processes and influences of intercultural collaboration and how to manage the collaborative process to result in the...
Show moreRecent issues such as global economic crises, terrorism, and conservation efforts are making international collaboration a critical topic. While cultural diversity often brings with it new perspectives and innovative solutions, diversity in collaborative settings can also lead to misunderstandings and interaction problems. Therefore, there is a pressing need to understand the processes and influences of intercultural collaboration and how to manage the collaborative process to result in the most effective outcomes possible. In order to address this need, the current study examines the effect of ethnic diversity, perceived deep-level similarity, trust, and distrust on collaborative behavior and performance in decision-making dyads. Participants were assigned to either same-ethnicity or different-ethnicity dyads and worked together on a political simulation game in which they had to make complex decisions to solve societal problems and increase their popularity. The results of this study indicate that ethnically similar dyads reported higher levels of perceived deep-level similarity than ethnically dissimilar dyads, and that this perceived deep-level similarity served as the mediating mechanism between objective differences in ethnic diversity and trust and distrust, respectively. The findings also suggest that trust and distrust attitudes, when considered together as a multiple mediation model, mediate the positive relationship between perceived deep-level similarity and collaborative behavior. Finally, results show that collaborative behavior significantly predicts objective performance on the political decision-making simulation. The implications of this study for theory and practice are discussed along with the study limitations and several suggestions for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003102, ucf:48299
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003102
- Title
- Pioneer of Self: An Intimate Retrospective.
- Creator
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Diienno, Juliet, Buyssens, Ryan, Mills, Lisa, Price, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Reality is ever changing, and as we gain experience, our perceptions of it transform. Plato's allegory of the cave addresses the way one person's journey from darkness into daylight transforms his reality. My own body of work can be described through this extended metaphor, similarly benefiting from effects of education, self-reflection, and experience dramatically altering my perceptions of myself and my artwork. As projected by Plato, I was forced through an arduous confrontation with my...
Show moreReality is ever changing, and as we gain experience, our perceptions of it transform. Plato's allegory of the cave addresses the way one person's journey from darkness into daylight transforms his reality. My own body of work can be described through this extended metaphor, similarly benefiting from effects of education, self-reflection, and experience dramatically altering my perceptions of myself and my artwork. As projected by Plato, I was forced through an arduous confrontation with my lack of understanding of the human condition, reshaping my ideas to comprehend and adapt to the metaphorical daylight. With new understanding, I return to give a secondary assessment of my identity and previous body of work.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006585, ucf:51260
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006585
- Title
- The effect of Baldrige performance excellence program on organization's innovation/dynamic capabilities.
- Creator
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Alomairy, Mohammed, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Rabelo, Luis, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Porter, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation investigated the effect of Baldrige performance excellence program on organization's innovation/dynamic capabilities improvement. According to the literature, there is little or no practical method for building dynamic/innovation capabilities within organizations. The study hypothesizes that Baldrige performance excellence program helps organizations to systematically develop the required dynamic/innovation capabilities for innovation.Twenty-four organizations that had...
Show moreThis dissertation investigated the effect of Baldrige performance excellence program on organization's innovation/dynamic capabilities improvement. According to the literature, there is little or no practical method for building dynamic/innovation capabilities within organizations. The study hypothesizes that Baldrige performance excellence program helps organizations to systematically develop the required dynamic/innovation capabilities for innovation.Twenty-four organizations that had implemented Baldrige program over the past five years participated in this research study. Two types of data were measured/collected from these organizations; Performance excellence data and Innovation capabilities data. To avoid bias in the data collection, the two data were measured and collected at different time frames and using different tools and methods. The analysis confirmed positive correlation between Organizations' performance excellence improvement through Baldrige program and Innovation capabilities represented in the Six Building Blocks Innovation model used in this research study.The performance excellence data of the organizations were measured using three different assessment programs from Florida Sterling Council, the state approved version of the US National Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award Program. The three different assessment programs were designed to help organizations in various stages of their performance excellence journey. Challenge program; designed for new organizations that have no experience with Baldrige criteria and typically have low performance, requires a written application and a team of five experienced examiners to visit the organization and conduct thorough interviews with the all the employees. Governor Sterling Award (GSA) program; designed for more experienced organizations that want to further improve their performance using intensive assessment criteria, requires a written application and a team of eight experienced examiners to visit the organization and conduct intensive interviews with most of the the employees. And Governor Sustained program; designed for mature organizations that completed the GSA assessment in the past three years and want to continue sustain their performance, requires a written application and a team of three experienced examiners to visit the organization and conduct a thorough meetings and interviews with management level employees.ANOVA statistical tool was used to analyze the difference in performance among the organizations that participated in at least one of the three assessment programs. The result showed a statistical difference with challenge program being the control group. This confirms that organizations' can systematically improve their performance when implementing Baldrige performance excellence program.The innovation capabilities data of the participated organizations were measured/collected using a survey-based tool. The innovation capabilities survey covers six building blocks; Innovation Value, Innovation Behavior, Innovation Climate, Innovation Resources, Innovation Process, Innovation Success measures. The Overall innovation capabilities measured based on the average score of all the six innovation building blocks.ANOVA statistical tool was used to analyze the innovation capabilities of organizations from the three assessment programs. The result confirmed a statistical difference with challenge program being the control group. Regression analysis was also used to analyze the relationship between performance excellence and each of the six innovation building blocks. The outcome of the study shows a positive correlation between the implementation of Baldrige performance excellence and organizations' innovation capabilities. Which confirms that Baldrige performance excellence program can be used by organizations to systematically build the required dynamic/innovation capabilities for innovations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006068, ucf:50964
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006068
- Title
- From Tunnel Vision to Bird's-Eye View: The Development of a Broad Harassment Construct.
- Creator
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Dhanani, Lindsay, Joseph, Dana, Fritzsche, Barbara, Beus, Jeremy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Research on workplace harassment has increased in recent years, resulting in a large body of evidence suggesting that perceiving harassment at work leads to a host of negative outcomes (Jones, Peddie, Gilrane, King, (&) Gray, 2016; Pascoe (&) Richman, 2009; Triana, Jayasinghe, (&) Pieper, 2015; Willness, Steel, (&) Lee, 2007). However, despite calls to broaden the conceptualization of workplace harassment, the dominant approach in the literature has been to study a single, discrete form of...
Show moreResearch on workplace harassment has increased in recent years, resulting in a large body of evidence suggesting that perceiving harassment at work leads to a host of negative outcomes (Jones, Peddie, Gilrane, King, (&) Gray, 2016; Pascoe (&) Richman, 2009; Triana, Jayasinghe, (&) Pieper, 2015; Willness, Steel, (&) Lee, 2007). However, despite calls to broaden the conceptualization of workplace harassment, the dominant approach in the literature has been to study a single, discrete form of harassment in isolation. The current paper addresses this limitation by simultaneously assessing multiple forms of harassment (i.e., ethnic harassment, sexual harassment, age harassment, heterosexist harassment, and religious harassment) to determine if these constructs reflect a single latent harassment variable. Additionally, the current paper proposed and tested antecedents and outcomes thought to be shared across multiple forms of workplace harassment. Lastly, the current work considers whether harassment is more strongly related to outcomes when both are conceptualized broadly in comparison to when they are conceptualized narrowly. Data from three samples demonstrated support for conceptualizing and modeling workplace harassment more broadly. Results also suggest that multiple forms of workplace harassment share a common set of predictors and outcomes. Harassment was also found to have a stronger relationship with task performance and employee health consequences when a broader conceptualization of harassment was utilized. The findings of the current paper contribute to the development of an integrated theory of workplace harassment and highlight the need for organizational and legal interventions aimed at curtailing workplace harassment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006584, ucf:51319
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006584
- Title
- Understanding Human Performance and Social Presence: An Analysis of Vigilance and Social Facilitation.
- Creator
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Claypoole, Victoria, Szalma, James, Mouloua, Mustapha, Sims, Valerie, Hancock, Peter, Joseph, Dana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Social facilitation is characterized by improved performance on simple, or well-known, tasks and impaired performance on complex, or unfamiliar, tasks. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of social presence may improve performance on cognitive-based tasks that are relevant to many organizational contexts, such as vigilance. However, to date, there has not been consolidation of the research regarding the different implementations of social facilitation, or any analysis indicating...
Show moreSocial facilitation is characterized by improved performance on simple, or well-known, tasks and impaired performance on complex, or unfamiliar, tasks. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of social presence may improve performance on cognitive-based tasks that are relevant to many organizational contexts, such as vigilance. However, to date, there has not been consolidation of the research regarding the different implementations of social facilitation, or any analysis indicating which types of social presence are best under varying conditions. The present dissertation describes three experiments that seek to contribute to a taxonomic framework of social facilitation. Experiment One statistically established a difference in task difficulty between twoversions of a cognitive-based vigilance task by utilizing increasing increments of event rate in order to examine the first factor of the taxonomy (i.e., level of difficulty). Experiment Two explored the effects of two novel manipulations of social presence, electronic performance monitoring (i.e., EPM) and co-acting, in order to demonstrate that both novel forms of social presence could improve performance, and were worth examining further. Finally, ExperimentThree replicated and extended the results of Experiments One and Two by examining the interaction effects of levels of task difficulty and social presence through the use of ten conditions. Overall the results indicates that multiple forms of social presence can improve cognitive performance, however, this effect was not moderated by the level of task difficulty, as suggestedby the predominant theories of social facilitation. This suggests that future work should seek to replicate and extend this finding in order to determine if the level of task difficult is indeed a moderating variable of social facilitation. Additionally, the results demonstrated that social presence could be used in organizational settings in order to improve employee performance, while also sometimes reducing the perceived workload associated with the task.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006989, ucf:51631
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006989
- Title
- Same Fight, Different Player: An Insight into Culture, Information Sharing, and Team Performance.
- Creator
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McCoy, Cecily, Fritzsche, Barbara, Salas, Eduardo, Mouloua, Mustapha, Mangos, Phillip, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this study was to examine the relations among culture, information sharing, and performance among culturally-homogeneous NATO Officer teams. Forty-eight teams participated from five countries, namely, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Teams of four participants were randomly assigned to a role and the task was an interdependent computer-based mission using an adapted version of Neverwinter Nights(TM) (Bioware, 2003), where they had to communicate among teammates...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the relations among culture, information sharing, and performance among culturally-homogeneous NATO Officer teams. Forty-eight teams participated from five countries, namely, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Teams of four participants were randomly assigned to a role and the task was an interdependent computer-based mission using an adapted version of Neverwinter Nights(TM) (Bioware, 2003), where they had to communicate among teammates and with non-human players to find weapons caches and other mission objectives. Not one individual had all of the information needed to perform the tasks; thus, they needed to share information with each other. The results of the study suggested that total information sharing was related to both team performance and cultural values (Power Distance, Individualism, and Uncertainty Avoidance). Specifically, Situation Update was the information sharing dimension that was significantly related to team performance. In addition, culture moderated the relations between information sharing and team performance. Specifically, there were hypotheses regarding Individualism moderating the relations between (a) Supporting Behavior, (b) Information Exchange, and (c) Reinforcement / Punishment and team performance. The results were that for high Individualists, the more supporting behavior, the better the teams performed. For low Individualists, the more supporting behavior, the worse the teams performed (-)a finding that was in the opposite direction than hypothesized. In support of the hypotheses, for high Individualists, as Information Exchange and Reinforcement / Punishment increased, team performance also increased. Conversely, for low Individualists, as Information Exchange and Reinforcement / Punishment increased, team performance decreased. A Task Direction x Power Distance interaction was also hypothesized and supported. Task Direction was positively related to team performance for high-Power Distance teams. For low-Power Distance teams, an increase in task direction was associated with a decrease in team performance. In addition, the effective teams exchanged more information and communicated similarly during the beginning, middle, and end of the missions. Moreover, high-Individualist teams were more successful and spent more time communicating about Planning in the beginning, and Situation Update for both the middle and end of the task. In contrast, teams low on Individualism spent more time communicating about Planning for all three phases of the task. There were also interesting rank differences in Information Sharing between senior and junior Norwegian Officers that are noteworthy. Study limitations, contributions, and practical implications for military teams and similar career fields were discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004716, ucf:49806
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004716
- Title
- Employee Engagement, Job Attitudes, and Work Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Test of the Incremental Validity of Employee Engagement.
- Creator
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Koenig, Nick, Fritzsche, Barbara, Joseph, Dana, Bowers, Clint, Roth, Colin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Although the commercially-popular construct of employee engagement has gained attention in scholarly work in recent years, several questions about the construct remain unresolved. In the current paper, I addressed several issues with previous engagement research by (a) meta-analyzing the relationship between employee engagement, task performance, contextual performance, absenteeism, and turnover, (b) using these meta-analytic estimates to fit a series of models in which engagement predicts...
Show moreAlthough the commercially-popular construct of employee engagement has gained attention in scholarly work in recent years, several questions about the construct remain unresolved. In the current paper, I addressed several issues with previous engagement research by (a) meta-analyzing the relationship between employee engagement, task performance, contextual performance, absenteeism, and turnover, (b) using these meta-analytic estimates to fit a series of models in which engagement predicts both specific and broadly-defined work behaviors, and (c) estimating the unique predictive validity of engagement above and beyond job attitudes. Several regression equations and structural equation models were tested using a combination of previous meta-analytic correlations (k = 95) and original meta-analytic correlations (k = 12). Results of the study found that engagement does offer unique incremental validity over several work-related behaviors (task performance, ?R2 = .037; contextual performance, ?R2 = .025; turnover, ?R2 = .083), however this incremental validity has been over-stated in previous research. Results also found that the A-factor (higher order attitudinal construct) is strongly related to behavioral engagement (higher order behavioral construct) (? = .62) suggesting that when attitudes and behaviors are examined on the same level of specificity there is a strong predictive relationship between the two. These results suggest that although engagement may not be as unique as previous research has implied it does offer utility in the sense that it acts as a proxy for the A-factor.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004873, ucf:49656
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004873
- Title
- Almost Mirror Image: Exploring The Similarities And Dissimilarities Of Identical Twins In Theatrical Solo Performance.
- Creator
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Mignacca, Elizabeth, Boyd, Belinda, Ingram, Kate, McDonald, Holly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Almost Mirror Image: Exploring the Similarities and Dissimilarities of Identical Twins in Theatrical Solo Performance Is an exploration of the psyche of identical twins within the context of devised solo performance. The author, an identical twin herself, has long been interested in twins' ability to cultivate both highly independent personalities as well as intensely co-dependent tendencies during development. What can twins tell us about the way we create close relationships and how is...
Show moreAlmost Mirror Image: Exploring the Similarities and Dissimilarities of Identical Twins in Theatrical Solo Performance Is an exploration of the psyche of identical twins within the context of devised solo performance. The author, an identical twin herself, has long been interested in twins' ability to cultivate both highly independent personalities as well as intensely co-dependent tendencies during development. What can twins tell us about the way we create close relationships and how is their upbringing radically different from the majority of the world that is born alone? Equally intrigued by society's growing technological dependence, the author would like to delve into how the science and development of twins appears counterintuitive to the intra-personal technological world they grow up in by using personal, autobiographic solo performance as her research platform. The data collected from research sources such as Jo Bonney's Extreme Exposure and Michael Kearns' The Solo Performer's Journey, will provide fodder for the thesis document and the author's devised solo piece, entitled Teach me how to be Lonely. While devising her own solo performance, the author will compare and contrast her process with that of a few select solo performers such as Anna Deavere Smith and Rachel Rosenthal. The author will delve into various styles of solo work creation, including the testimony plays of Smith and the autobiographical style of Rosenthal, in order to view her own work with a self-reflective and identity-driven lens. Overall, the author hopes to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of her own experience as an identical twin through the facilitation of her solo work as well as explore how the creation of solo performance can offer artists in the 21st century more freedom of expression and identity than the performance of a standard play.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005668, ucf:50184
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005668
- Title
- A Program Manager's Dilemma: Measuring the Effect on Performance of Different Visual Modalities in Mixed Reality Aerial Door Gunnery.
- Creator
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Stevens, Jonathan, Kincaid, John, Shumaker, Randall, Karwowski, Waldemar, Mohammad, Syed, Sottilare, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The United States Army continues to develop new and effective ways to use simulation for training. One example is the Non-Rated Crew Member Manned Module (NCM3), a simulator designed to train helicopter crewmembers in critical, high risk tasks such as crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and sling load related tasks. The goal of this study was to evaluate visual modalities' effect on performance in mixed reality aerial door gunnery.There is a strong belief in the United States...
Show moreThe United States Army continues to develop new and effective ways to use simulation for training. One example is the Non-Rated Crew Member Manned Module (NCM3), a simulator designed to train helicopter crewmembers in critical, high risk tasks such as crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and sling load related tasks. The goal of this study was to evaluate visual modalities' effect on performance in mixed reality aerial door gunnery.There is a strong belief in the United States Army that the greater the degree of immersion in a virtual simulation, the more effective that simulation is. However, little scientific research exists that supports this notion. In fact, the true goal of training simulation is to optimize the degree of transfer to the trainee - not to create the most immersive experience possible. As a result, the Army Program Manager frequently faces trade-off dilemmas during the simulation design phase, balancing user desires with cost and schedule constraints. One of those trade-off predicaments, and the unscientific manner in which it was resolved, served as the motivation for this research.A review of the literature was conducted in order to investigate the benefits of simulation for training. The taxonomy of reality, as well as the training efficacy of virtual and mixed reality simulation, were examined. Major concepts, applications and components of virtual and mixed reality simulation training were studied. Prior visual modality research was reviewed and discussed. Two discrete groups of subjects, expert (n = 20) and novice (n = 76), were employed in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two visual modality treatments (Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) flat panel screen or Head-Mounted Display (HMD)) and executed three aerial door gunnery training scenarios in the NCM3. Independent variables were visual modality, trial, immersive tendency and simulator sickness questionnaire scores. Dependent variables included performance, presence and simulator sickness change scores. The results of the study indicate no main effect of visual modality on performance for the expert population while a main effect of visual modality on performance was discovered for the novice population. Both visual treatment groups experienced the same degree of presence and simulator sickness. No relationship between an individual's immersive tendency and their performance and level of presence was found. Results of this study's primary objective are conflicting, by expertise group, and thus both support and challenge the commonly held notion that higher immersive simulation leads to better performance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005422, ucf:50427
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005422
- Title
- Can mutual trust explain the diversity-performance relationship? A meta-analysis.
- Creator
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Feitosa Pereira, Jennifer, Salas, Eduardo, Joseph, Dana, Fritzsche, Barbara, Burke, Shawn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Trust is gaining attention for its benefits to both teams and organizations as a whole (Fulmer (&) Gelfand, 2012). The difficulty of building it in comparison to the ease of destroying it calls for a deeper understanding of trust, as well as its relationship with critical team outcomes (Colquitt, LePine, Piccolo, Zapata, (&) Rich, 2012). Unfortunately, current research has progressed in a disjointed manner that requires the integration of findings before a more parsimonious and descriptive...
Show moreTrust is gaining attention for its benefits to both teams and organizations as a whole (Fulmer (&) Gelfand, 2012). The difficulty of building it in comparison to the ease of destroying it calls for a deeper understanding of trust, as well as its relationship with critical team outcomes (Colquitt, LePine, Piccolo, Zapata, (&) Rich, 2012). Unfortunately, current research has progressed in a disjointed manner that requires the integration of findings before a more parsimonious and descriptive understanding of trust at the team-level can be developed. Beyond this basic understanding, research is needed to explore the nature of trust in teams comprised of diverse members, as multi-national, multi-cultural, and interdisciplinary teams are increasingly characterizing the modern landscape. Thus, this article uses meta-analytic techniques to examine the extent to which mutual trust can serve as an underlying mechanism that drives the diversity-team performance relationship. First, surface-level and deep-level diversity characteristics varied in their impact on trust. Value diversity emerged as the most detrimental, along with the moderating effect of time. Second, 95 independent samples comprising 5,721 teams emphasized the importance of trust to team performance with a moderate and positive relationship. Third, mediation analyses answered recent calls (e.g., van Knippenberg (&) Schippers, 2007) to examine underlying mechanisms that can explain the diversity-outcomes relationship. This showed age, gender, value, and function diversity to be related to performance through mutual trust. Furthermore, this study explores whether contextual (e.g., team distribution) as well as measurement (e.g., referent) issues pose systematic differences in the diversity-trust and trust-performance relationships. Surprisingly, the construct of trust at the team-level proved to be generalizable across a number of unique conditions. In addition to this extensive quantitative review, implications and future research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005792, ucf:50070
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005792
- Title
- Do Changes in Muscle Architecture Effect Post- Activation Potentiation.
- Creator
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Reardon, Danielle, Hoffman, Jay, Fragala, Maren, Stout, Jeffrey, Fukuda, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Purpose: To examine the effect of three muscle potentiation protocols on changes in muscle architecture and the subsequent effect on jump power performance. Methods: Maximal (1RM) squat strength (Mean SD=178.3 (&)#177; 36.6kg), vertical jump power, and muscle architecture were obtained in 12 resistance trained men (25.2(&)#177;3.6y; 90.67(&)#177;12.7kg). Participants randomly completed three squatting protocols at 75% (3 x 10 reps), 90% (3 x 3 reps) or 100% (1 x 1) of their 1RM, or no workout...
Show morePurpose: To examine the effect of three muscle potentiation protocols on changes in muscle architecture and the subsequent effect on jump power performance. Methods: Maximal (1RM) squat strength (Mean SD=178.3 (&)#177; 36.6kg), vertical jump power, and muscle architecture were obtained in 12 resistance trained men (25.2(&)#177;3.6y; 90.67(&)#177;12.7kg). Participants randomly completed three squatting protocols at 75% (3 x 10 reps), 90% (3 x 3 reps) or 100% (1 x 1) of their 1RM, or no workout (CON), with each protocol being separated by one week. During each testing session ultrasound and vertical jump testing were assessed at baseline (BL), 8min post (8P) and 20min post (20P) workout. Ultrasound measures of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles included; cross sectional area (CSA) and pennation angle (PNG). Following each ultrasound, peak (PVJP) and mean (MVJP) vertical jump power (using hands for maximum jump height) were measured using an accelerometer. Results: Magnitude based inferences analysis indicated that in comparison to CON, 75% resulted in a likely greater change in RF-CSA and VL-CSA (BL-8P and BL(-)20P), 90% resulted in a likely greater RF-CSA and VL-CSA (BL(-)20P), and 100% resulted in a very likely or likely decrease in VL-PNG at BL-8P and BL(-)20P, respectively). Meanwhile, changes in PVJP and MVJP for the 75% trial was likely decreased at BL-8P and BL(-)20P; and for the 90% trial MVJP was likely decreased at BL-8P and BL(-)20P. Analysis of the magnitude of the relationships indicated a likely negative relationship between VL-PNG and MVJP (r = -0.35; p (<) 0.018) at BL-8P, while at BL(-)20P, a negative relationship was observed between PVJP and RF-CSA (r = -0.37; p (<) 0.014). Conclusion: Acute increases in muscle size and acute decreases in pennation angle did not result in any potentiation in vertical jump power measures. Although the inverse relationships observed between muscle architecture variables and power suggests a potential effect, the change in position (i.e. movement from standing to supine for ultrasound measures) may negate, as a result of potential fluid shifts or muscle relaxation, the potentiating effects of the exercise. It is also possible that the fatiguing nature of the squat protocols in trained but not competitive participants may have also contributed to the results.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005048, ucf:49963
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005048
- Title
- Assessing Safety Culture among Pilots in Saudi Airlines: A Quantitative Study Approach.
- Creator
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Alsowayigh, Mohammad, Karwowski, Waldemar, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Hancock, Peter, Mikusinski, Piotr, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In high- risk industries, such as aviation, safety is a key for organization survivor. Most accidents involve human losses and bring substantial cost to organizations. Accidents can devastate the reputation and profitability of any organization. In aviation, more than 80% of aircraft accidents are related to human errors. Safety culture has substantial impact on the success of any organization. Employees' performance and behaviors are influenced by their perception of safety culture within...
Show moreIn high- risk industries, such as aviation, safety is a key for organization survivor. Most accidents involve human losses and bring substantial cost to organizations. Accidents can devastate the reputation and profitability of any organization. In aviation, more than 80% of aircraft accidents are related to human errors. Safety culture has substantial impact on the success of any organization. Employees' performance and behaviors are influenced by their perception of safety culture within their organization. In the aviation industry, pilots are considered the last resort to prevent accidents or mishaps in the air or ground. The focus on pilots' perception of safety culture is vital to understand how the airline can influence pilots' behaviors in the flight deck, and provide opportunities to minimize risk or unsafe behavior in the future. The present study examined the effect of safety culture on safety performance among pilots of Saudi Airlines. Safety performance was measured by pilot attitude toward violations and pilot error behavior. The study further analyzed the mediating role of pilot commitment to the airline between safety culture and measures of safety performance. The study used a quantitative approach using survey questionnaire to collect the data. A total of 247 commercial airline pilots, captain and first officer, flying at Saudi Airlines voluntarily participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate each latent construct. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between all variables in the study using AMOS 22 software. The study results revealed that safety culture had a direct effect on pilot attitude toward violations and indirect effect on pilot error behavior. Moreover, safety culture had strong effect on enhancing pilot commitment to the airline. The mediating role of pilot commitment to the airline was not significant, and could not mediate the relationship between safety culture and measures of safety performance. The present research contributed to the current state of knowledge about the significant role of safety culture as a main predictor of safety performance in civil aviation. The present study contributes to aviation psychology by analyzing the effect of safety culture as a predictor for improving pilot commitment to the airline. In addition, this research analyzed the effect of safety culture on pilot attitude toward violations and pilot error behavior. Study findings can be used by airline management to better identify causes of unsafe behavior inside the cockpit. The outcomes of this research emphasize the role of management in shaping and affecting employees' behaviors and attitudes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005454, ucf:50371
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005454
- Title
- Effect of Acute L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (Sustamine) and Electrolyte Ingestion on Plasma Electrolytes, Physiologic Measures, and Neuromuscular Fatigue during Endurance Exercise.
- Creator
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McCormack, William, Hoffman, Jay, Stout, Jeffrey, Fragala, Maren, Virgets, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of two dose levels of L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine in a commercially available sports drink to the sports drink only on time to exhaustion,neuromuscular fatigue and physiological measures during prolonged endurance exercise. Twelve endurance-trained males (23.5(&)#177;3.7 yrs; 175.5(&)#177;5.4 cm; 70.7(&)#177;7.6 kg) performed four trials, each consisting of 1 hr treadmill runs at 75% of VO2peak followed by a run to exhaustion at 90% of VO2peak....
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of two dose levels of L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine in a commercially available sports drink to the sports drink only on time to exhaustion,neuromuscular fatigue and physiological measures during prolonged endurance exercise. Twelve endurance-trained males (23.5(&)#177;3.7 yrs; 175.5(&)#177;5.4 cm; 70.7(&)#177;7.6 kg) performed four trials, each consisting of 1 hr treadmill runs at 75% of VO2peak followed by a run to exhaustion at 90% of VO2peak. The trials differed in type of hydration. One trial consisted of no hydration (NHY),another required ingestion of only a sports drink (ET), and two trials required ingestion of a low dose (LD) (300 mg?500 ml-1) and high dose (HD) of L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (1 g?500 ml-1) mixedin the sports drink. During the fluid ingestion trials 250 ml were consumed every 15 min. Plasmaglutamine, glucose, electrolytes, and osmolality were measured prior to the run (PRE), and at 30, 45, and 60 min. VO2, RQ, and HR were measured every 15 min and surface electromyography (EMG) of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris were measured every 10 min during the 1 hr run. Time to exhaustion was significantly longer during the LD and HD trials compared with NHY. Plasma glutamine concentrations were significantly elevated at 45 min in LD and HD trials, and remained elevated at 60 min during HD. Sodium concentrations increased with the beginning of exercise and remained stable for the duration of the 1 hr run. At 60 min plasma sodium was significantly lower in all trials compared with NHY. The results from this study indicated that ingestion of the alanine-glutamine dipeptide at either the low or high dose significantly improved time to exhaustion during high intensity exercise compared to a no hydration trial. These differences were not noted between ET and NHY.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005209, ucf:50649
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005209
- Title
- Creating Art That Truly Reflects the Community: An Exploration Into Facilitation of Devised, Community-Engaged Performance.
- Creator
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Grile, Courtney, Weaver, Earl, Brown, James, McDonald, Holly, Kovac, Kim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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One purpose of community-engaged work is to build and reflect the community; to allow their voice to be heard. This research explores the relationship between the professional artist facilitator and participants in a community-engaged setting while applying devised theatre practices. The facilitating artist brings to the group their expertise in playmaking and storytelling. The research centers on how a facilitating artist might approach devising a community-engaged performance project with...
Show moreOne purpose of community-engaged work is to build and reflect the community; to allow their voice to be heard. This research explores the relationship between the professional artist facilitator and participants in a community-engaged setting while applying devised theatre practices. The facilitating artist brings to the group their expertise in playmaking and storytelling. The research centers on how a facilitating artist might approach devising a community-engaged performance project with awareness of his/her ability to influence the group. How can the facilitator channel their influence to provide productive guidance for the collective creativity in order to honor the community's intent and minimize the distortion created by the facilitator's perspective? Are there guidelines that can be established in order to ensure that the community's voice is undiluted? I begin by engaging in dialogue with established current practitioners in the field and examining literature published on the subject with this goal in mind. From this research a roadmap of perils and pitfalls, signs to look for that indicate tension or discomfort within the group, and techniques and tips for productively refocusing the group's work have been created. The objective of the research is to formulate a philosophy on facilitation that aligns with my artistic mission and values, ensuring the work truly builds and reflects the communities from which it is produced.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005095, ucf:50737
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005095