San Diego State University

About: San Diego State University is a education organization based out in San Diego, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 12418 authors who have published 27950 publications receiving 1192375 citations. The organization is also known as: SDSU & San Diego State College.

Specific Efficacy Expectations Mediate Exercise Compliance in Patients with COPD

Abstract: Social learning theory has generated two different approaches for the assessment of expectancies. Bandura argues that expectancies are specific and do not generalize. Therefore, he prefers measures of specific efficacy expectations. Others endorse the role of generalized expectancies measured by locus of control scales. The present study examines specific versus generalized expectancies as mediators of changes in exercise behavior among 60 older adult patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The patients were given a prescription to increase exercise and randomly assigned to experimental groups or control groups. All groups received attention but only experimental groups received training to increase their exercise. After 3 months, groups given specific training for compliance with walking significantly increased their activity in comparison to the control group receiving only attention. These changes were mediated by changes in perceived efficacy for walking, with efficacy expectations for other behaviors changing as a function of their similarity to walking. A generalized health locus of control expectancy measure was less clearly associated with behavior change. The results are interpreted as supporting Bandura's version of social theory.

Research in Distance Education: A Status Report

Abstract: Since the 1950s and expansion of social science research, distance education has been studied in comparison to face-to-face or classroom instruction. Although researchers continue to conduct comparative studies, their usefulness in revealing more information has diminished over the years; invariably, they have returned a “no significant difference” result between various forms of instruction. In recent years, researchers have moved beyond atheoretical, experimental comparative studies and have introduced new methods, such as discourse analysis, and in-depth interview of learners. These new methods overcome many methodological and theoretical limitations of the physical science view of distance education. These studies have further revealed the complexity of distance education, indicating the many variables involved in the concept. Starting with the core issue of instructional interaction and grounded on the theory of transactional distance, a new strand of research using methods related to systems dynamics, hierarchy and complexity theories, promises a more comprehensive understanding.

Drivers’ willingness-to-pay to reduce travel time: evidence from the San Diego I-15 congestion pricing project

Abstract: The adoption of congestion pricing depends fundamentally upon drivers’ willingness to pay to reduce travel time during the congested morning peak period. Using revealed preference data from a congestion pricing demonstration project in San Diego, we estimate that willingness to pay to reduce congested travel time is higher than previous stated preference results. Our estimate of median willingness to pay to reduce commute time is roughly $30 per hour, although this may be biased upward by drivers’ perception that the toll facility provides safer driving conditions. Drivers also use the posted toll as an indicator of abnormal congestion and increase their usage of the toll facility when tolls are higher than normal.