title: Measuring procrastination: A delay discounting approach within a New Zealand academic domain

authors: Paterson, Karissa

subjects: delay discounting

abstract: Delay discounting is often used to measure impulsiveness and has contributed to the development of interventions within the scopes of gambling, eating disorders, and drug addiction. Procrastination is the opposite of impulsiveness and, therefore, can be measured using delay discounting tools, as shown in previous research on scalloping behaviour. Procrastination is a common issue faced within academia, with research detailing the impacts on student grades and mental wellbeing. I aimed to assess the validity of an academic discounting task (ADT) in measuring procrastination within a cohort of university students while assessing if procrastination impacts students’ grades. Other measures of procrastination were used to analyse the validity of the k values produced by the ADT, such as the latency with which assignments were submitted by students, the number of late submissions, and the level of engagement within the paper. Forty-nine participants enrolled in a 3rd-year university paper completed an online questionnaire on Qualtrics that included the ADT. Additional data on student marks and engagement were collected through Moodle and Panopto. The k values produced from the ADT were not related to student marks or any other measure of procrastination. However, a relationship was identified between student overall marks and measures of procrastination such as latency of submission, number of late submissions and engagement scores, while scallop behaviour was also apparent within the cohort, but varying between tests and assignments. The findings of a relationship between the non-ADT measures of procrastination and overall marks suggests student procrastination behaviour does impact overall marks and therefore the ADT k values were not measuring procrastination and future research is needed with amendments to the ADT to make it a valid measure of procrastination. The variance in scallop behaviour between tests and assignments suggested that the scallop behaviour may not necessarily be always under control by the closeness of the reinforcer and can also be impacted by other variables.

text: Measuring procrastination: A delay discounting approach within a New Zealand academic domain Delay discounting is often used to measure impulsiveness and has contributed to the development of interventions within the scopes of gambling, eating disorders, and drug addiction. Procrastination is the opposite of impulsiveness and, therefore, can be measured using delay discounting tools, as shown in previous research on scalloping behaviour. Procrastination is a common issue faced within academia, with research detailing the impacts on student grades and mental wellbeing. I aimed to assess the validity of an academic discounting task (ADT) in measuring procrastination within a cohort of university students while assessing if procrastination impacts students’ grades. Other measures of procrastination were used to analyse the validity of the k values produced by the ADT, such as the latency with which assignments were submitted by students, the number of late submissions, and the level of engagement within the paper. Forty-nine participants enrolled in a 3rd-year university paper completed an online questionnaire on Qualtrics that included the ADT. Additional data on student marks and engagement were collected through Moodle and Panopto. The k values produced from the ADT were not related to student marks or any other measure of procrastination. However, a relationship was identified between student overall marks and measures of procrastination such as latency of submission, number of late submissions and engagement scores, while scallop behaviour was also apparent within the cohort, but varying between tests and assignments. The findings of a relationship between the non-ADT measures of procrastination and overall marks suggests student procrastination behaviour does impact overall marks and therefore the ADT k values were not measuring procrastination and future research is needed with amendments to the ADT to make it a valid measure of procrastination. The variance in scallop behaviour between tests and assignments suggested that the scallop behaviour may not necessarily be always under control by the closeness of the reinforcer and can also be impacted by other variables.

year: 2024

title: Sites of excess: The spatial politics of touch for drag queens in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Johnston, Lynda

subjects: touch

abstract: This paper explores the role of touch for drag queens. I examine the ways in which touch – being touched, touching others, and feelings associated with touch – is an important component of sexualised subjectivities and places. The first part of the paper reviews the recent literature called ‘haptic geographies’. I highlight why sexualised touch has, for the most part, been absent from this literature before bringing together the limited references made to touch, feelings, sexuality and place. In the second part of the paper I draw on various media, my involvement as a member of the queer community group Hamilton Pride Incorporated and in-depth interviews to examine the role of touch and feelings associated with touch for drag queens in Aotearoa New Zealand. I pay attention to the complex politics and performances of drag queens in order to highlight the co-construction of haptic geographies and sexualised subjectivities. I argue that drag queens’ bodies and spaces may be understood as sites of excess where the pleasures and pains of touch may form and break bodily and spatial boundaries associated with hetero/homo and masculine/feminine subjectivities. A focus on drag queens and touch queers our understandings of embodiment and haptic geographies further.

text: Sites of excess: The spatial politics of touch for drag queens in Aotearoa New Zealand This paper explores the role of touch for drag queens. I examine the ways in which touch – being touched, touching others, and feelings associated with touch – is an important component of sexualised subjectivities and places. The first part of the paper reviews the recent literature called ‘haptic geographies’. I highlight why sexualised touch has, for the most part, been absent from this literature before bringing together the limited references made to touch, feelings, sexuality and place. In the second part of the paper I draw on various media, my involvement as a member of the queer community group Hamilton Pride Incorporated and in-depth interviews to examine the role of touch and feelings associated with touch for drag queens in Aotearoa New Zealand. I pay attention to the complex politics and performances of drag queens in order to highlight the co-construction of haptic geographies and sexualised subjectivities. I argue that drag queens’ bodies and spaces may be understood as sites of excess where the pleasures and pains of touch may form and break bodily and spatial boundaries associated with hetero/homo and masculine/feminine subjectivities. A focus on drag queens and touch queers our understandings of embodiment and haptic geographies further.

year: 2010

title: Re-examining the best interests of child principle. Can this help tamariki and rangatahi Māori achieve the highest attainable standard of mental health?

authors: Karunaratne, Kalupathirannehelage Dona Thilini Prathiba

abstract: This thesis explores how a re-examination of the best interests of the child principle can assist tamariki and
rangatahi Māori to achieve the highest attainable standard of mental health. Although New Zealand has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, which enshrines the “best interests of the child” principle, significant disparities in mental health outcomes remain between tamariki and
rangatahi Māori and non-Māori children and young people. Drawing on international human rights law, domestic legislation, case law, and Māori concepts of health and wellbeing, this thesis develops a theoretical
and practical framework for reducing these mental health disparities. It explores whether New Zealand can utilise the best interests principle in a way that recognises and incorporates the unique cultural identity and
collective rights of tamariki and rangatahi Māori. The flexible nature of the best interests principle is leveraged to integrate collective cultural rights and Māori worldviews into mental health law and policies. By doing so, it aims to facilitate greater recognition of Māori collective rights and practices within NewZealand's legal and healthcare systems.
This research proposes that a culturally-informed interpretation of the best interests principle, aligned with Māori worldviews and values, is important for fulfilling New Zealand’s international obligations and the achievement of the highest attainable standard of mental health for tamariki and rangatahi Māori. The thesis contends that decisions concerning the best interests of tamariki and rangatahi Māori in mental health
should be guided by a “by Māori, for Māori” approach, which informs and shapes the broader application of the best interests principle. Through this analysis, the thesis seeks to contribute to the improvement of mental health outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori.

text: Re-examining the best interests of child principle. Can this help tamariki and rangatahi Māori achieve the highest attainable standard of mental health? This thesis explores how a re-examination of the best interests of the child principle can assist tamariki and
rangatahi Māori to achieve the highest attainable standard of mental health. Although New Zealand has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, which enshrines the “best interests of the child” principle, significant disparities in mental health outcomes remain between tamariki and
rangatahi Māori and non-Māori children and young people. Drawing on international human rights law, domestic legislation, case law, and Māori concepts of health and wellbeing, this thesis develops a theoretical
and practical framework for reducing these mental health disparities. It explores whether New Zealand can utilise the best interests principle in a way that recognises and incorporates the unique cultural identity and
collective rights of tamariki and rangatahi Māori. The flexible nature of the best interests principle is leveraged to integrate collective cultural rights and Māori worldviews into mental health law and policies. By doing so, it aims to facilitate greater recognition of Māori collective rights and practices within NewZealand's legal and healthcare systems.
This research proposes that a culturally-informed interpretation of the best interests principle, aligned with Māori worldviews and values, is important for fulfilling New Zealand’s international obligations and the achievement of the highest attainable standard of mental health for tamariki and rangatahi Māori. The thesis contends that decisions concerning the best interests of tamariki and rangatahi Māori in mental health
should be guided by a “by Māori, for Māori” approach, which informs and shapes the broader application of the best interests principle. Through this analysis, the thesis seeks to contribute to the improvement of mental health outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori.

year: 2026