Theses and Dissertations

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    Exploring mothers’ experiences of perinatal mental distress in rural Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa
    (Massey University, 2025) Thiele, Natalie
    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified perinatal mental distress as a global health priority, estimating that one in five mothers experiences some form of mental health difficulty during this period (World Health Organisation, 2022). In Aotearoa New Zealand, this concern is particularly acute, with suicide now recognised as the leading cause of maternal death. Perinatal mental distress, spanning conception through the first 12 months postpartum, affects mood and daily functioning, with consequences that can perpetuate cycles of distress across generations. Despite the seriousness of this issue, there remains a lack of qualitative research in Aotearoa New Zealand that includes the voices of mothers and situates their experiences within the country’s unique sociocultural context. This study employed an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with five mothers in Central Otago who had experienced perinatal mental distress. Findings and analysis revealed three superordinate themes: Identity: The Fragmented and Reformed Self, Psychological: The Storm and Calm Inside, and Sociocultural: The Weight of Expectation and Strength in Numbers. Each theme comprised several subordinate themes, which together traced a journey from hardship to healing. The findings highlight the need for a more inclusive understanding of perinatal mental distress, one that acknowledges the full emotional spectrum of mothers’ experiences and situates them within both individual and sociocultural contexts.
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    Essays on corporate social responsibility : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Finance, School of Accountancy, Economics and Finance, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2025-09-18) Zhang, Xiaochi
    This thesis comprises three essays advancing the literature on workplace safety, an important component of corporate social responsibility. The first essay examines how generalist CEOs with transferable managerial skills enhance workplace safety. These executives improve safety by optimizing labor investments, reducing employee workloads, and ensuring higher information quality. The relation is more pronounced among firms facing financing constraints or intense market competition. The study also shows that workplace injuries and illnesses reduce innovation, productivity, and firm value. The second essay explores the impact of shareholder distraction on workplace safety. Distracted shareholders are linked to higher rates of work-related injuries, especially in firms with weak governance and high competition risks. Our findings suggest that reduced monitoring by distracted shareholders leads to lower safety investments, increased workloads, and greater earnings management, resulting in a poorer safety environment. The third essay investigates how the inclusion of general counsel in top management improves employee safety. Firms with general counsel in senior leadership are associated with lower injury and illness rates. The relation is more pronounced for firms with better information quality, more efficient labor investment, leadership by lawyer CEOs, weaker governance structures, and heightened agency problems. Overall, these essays provide new insights into how corporate leadership and governance influence workplace safety. The thesis offers contributions to the literature on workplace safety by addressing critical gaps in existing research. This work extends theoretical frameworks such as upper echelon theory by applying it to the domain of workplace safety. It also underscores the practical implications of aligning leadership capabilities and governance mechanisms to safeguard human capital, ultimately driving sustainable firm performance.
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    Applying structured decision making for large-scale wildlife management programmes : Project Janszoon as a case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-11-30) Kenup, Caio
    Managing threatened populations is challenging due to the delicate balance between urgency and uncertainty. While swift action is often needed to prevent further decline or extinction, significant uncertainty frequently surrounds the effectiveness of various management strategies and the future trajectory of populations. This uncertainty complicates the identification of the most effective course of action, especially when resources are limited. Structured decision making (SDM) is an approach that supports informed decision making in the face of uncertainty in conservation projects. The primary aim of this thesis is to develop a decision making framework for Project Janszoon’s bird translocations, guiding management and monitoring decisions to maximise establishment and persistence probabilities for the kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and pāteke (Anas chlorotis). This framework can serve as a blueprint for implementing SDM and adaptive management (AM), promoting their broader use in conservation initiatives within New Zealand and beyond. In Chapter 2, I discuss expert elicitation techniques for generating predictions from expert knowledge while accounting for epistemic uncertainty. Numerical improvements in handling elicited data are proposed, focusing on aggregating and transforming expert-provided values while maintaining their associated uncertainty. Preserving this uncertainty is critical to avoid generating overconfident predictions from expert judgment. In Chapter 3, I explore which uncertainties are worth reducing and to what degree. Value of information (VOI) analysis offers a way to understand how reducing uncertainty affects decision making and conservation outcomes. A key insight from this chapter is that while monitoring is valuable for reducing uncertainty, such reductions do not always improve conservation outcomes. Beyond a certain point, further reductions in uncertainty do not alter decision making. Practitioners must estimate the optimal level of monitoring for each conservation challenge. In Chapter 4, I outline a passive adaptive management framework to reduce uncertainty as management actions are implemented and monitored. The framework’s extendable nature makes it adaptable to other management problems. The tools and concepts presented here are valuable assets for effective decision making for managed populations under uncertainty.
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    ‘Through hybrid eyes : empathetic entanglement as a lens for human to animal metamorphosis in Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation’ and ‘Becoming Amphibian’ : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Creative Writing at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 10th November 2027
    (Massey University, 2025) Smith, Ryan
    This thesis comprises two sections: a 13,000-word critical exegesis of Annihilation (2014), a novel by Jeff VanderMeer, and a 27,000-word creative excerpt from an original speculative horror novella, Becoming Amphibian. In the critical portion of this thesis, I conduct a close reading of Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation in which I ask, how does empathetic entanglement provide a lens through which to look at human to animal metamorphosis in fiction? I investigate the human-animal metamorphosis of the unnamed biologist protagonist in Annihilation, particularly considering how her metamorphosis transforms the biologist’s perception of the nonhuman world, her relationships with nonhuman animals, and the benefits and challenges of expressing her new nonhuman abilities and agency. I argue that the biologist’s metamorphosis is an embodiment of philosopher Lori Gruen’s concept of ‘empathetic entanglement’ – a form of human-nonhuman cohabitation where human and nonhuman agency are valued more equally. I assert that the biologist’s unique Nagelian hybrid view of the world can be used as a lens to envision this empathetic entanglement. I also draw on ecocritical researcher Jack Dudley’s idea that actively embracing the trauma of transformation towards ecocentric relationships with animals is ultimately beneficial, and preferable to passively enduring Earth’s slow apocalypse. I further argue that VanderMeer’s fictional pristine ecosystem Area X – in which the bulk of Annihilation is set – could be read as a representation of ecofeminist theorist Donna Haraway’s Chthulucene, her suggested alternative to the current human-centred Anthropocene era. The creative portion of my thesis is an excerpt of an original speculative horror fiction novella called Becoming Amphibian. The narrative is centred around a human protagonist’s metamorphosis into an amphibian, and the metamorphosis of a mid-range clothes shop in the Wellington central business district into a swampland. My story picks up on similar contemporary animal studies research that is present in Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation – in particular, a push back against the human gaze; the value of nonhuman animal agency and behaviours in fictional depictions; and human-nonhuman entanglement. Becoming Amphibian also explores interspecies cooperation, as outlined in research by Donna Haraway, and Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.
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    Investigating canine colour preference through a free choice preference test : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Soanes, Jody
    Dogs are one of the most common pets worldwide, and promoting their welfare is a key concern for many owners. Numerous studies have been performed investigating dogs’ cognitive and sensory capabilities, from which we know that they have poorer vision than humans, including dichromatic vision and red–green colour blindness. Instead, they rely heavily on their other sensory modalities, such as olfaction and low-light detection. Little research has investigated whether dogs show preferences for less dominant sensory cues, such as colour vision, and how this may be integrated into their environment to enhance welfare. This study aimed to investigate whether dogs display a colour preference when presented with three different coloured stimuli in a free-choice preference test based on their visual spectrum. Sixteen domestic dogs were included in this study. Of these, two were used in the pilot study, one was excluded due to a lack of habituation prior to testing, and thirteen were included in the main study. Three coloured bowls containing food (red, blue, and yellow) were presented simultaneously in fixed locations (left, middle, right) over three testing days and a total of 18 trials. Behaviours measured included first bowl visited, number of visits, duration of visits, percentage of time spent interacting with each bowl, latency to approach each bowl, and the first bowl visited in each trial. Data were analysed using either chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, ANOVA, or Poisson regression, with dogs as either a repeated measure or fixed effect, to assess both individual and population preferences. No significant effect of colour was observed at either the population or individual level. Some individuals showed a tendency to prefer red, and overall, dogs approached the red bowl faster than others. However, there was a strong preference for the right-sided location at both the individual and population levels. This location preference became more prominent over repeated trials, possibly overriding any potential colour preferences. The presence of some weak individual colour preferences indicates that colour may play a role in decision-making for some dogs, warranting further research, including more trials and a larger sample size. These findings highlight that while dogs are capable of discriminating colours, it may not be a primary driver of canine choice behaviour. Understanding these patterns has practical implications for promoting canine welfare. Colour alone may not be useful to enhance welfare, but it may still be incorporated alongside other sensory features to support positive experiences.
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    Patterns of nest attendance during the breeding season of the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Yap, Emily Juet Yen
    Understanding the breeding behaviour of Little Penguins is essential to gauge reproductive success. This study is the first to examine Little Penguins from Port Tarakohe in the Tasman District of New Zealand, focusing on colony attendance during the 2022 breeding season. Daily nestbox monitoring was utilised for the first time in New Zealand to investigate nest attendance and breeding stages of the Little Penguin. The first analytical chapter is a colony-level investigation, identifying patterns and cycles of nestbox attendance in various categories, including males and females, breeding pairs, and breeding and non-breeding birds. The lunar cycle is also examined as a potential influence on attendance behaviour. The second analytical chapter assesses the nestbox attendance of individual breeding pairs within the Port Tarakohe colony, as the breeding season progresses through its stages. Observations from the first chapter include that pairs of Little Penguins synchronised their colony attendance over multiple months of the breeding season, corresponding to the stages of courtship, incubation and guard. Courtship and egg-laying were found to occur approximately four weeks apart, in multiple distinct waves. Male and female members of separate breeding pairs were found to synchronise their nestbox attendance during the incubation and guard phases. The nestbox attendance of non-breeding birds was found to vary cyclically over a four-week period and appeared to increase close to the time of the full moon although this was not significant. The second chapter reveals that average incubation period and guard period lengths are consistent with those reported from other colonies. Mean nestbox attendance during the incubation periods of breeding pairs was observed to be equal between different sexes. Incubation spell length was observed to rise and fall predictably over the incubation periods of different breeding pairs. One-chick clutches were observed to be guarded for longer than two-chick clutches. These findings complement, contrast with, and extend previous observations on colony attendance made at other Little Penguin colonies, and serve as a base for future research on the Port Tarakohe colony.
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    Impacts of pregnancy shearing ewes on lamb performance : a systematic review, meta-analysis and narrative synthesis of birth-, weaning- and survival-related outcomes : submitted in partial fulfilment of a Master of Science in Animal Science, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Zhang, Kailun
    The sale of lamb is now the largest income driver for New Zealand sheep farmers. Therefore, improving lamb pre-weaning survival and weaning weight are important for driving profitability. A management option that has been shown in many studies to result in increased lamb birth weights is shearing ewes during pregnancy. Many studies have also investigated the effects of mid-pregnancy shearing on lamb performance to weaning. This wealth of data can, therefore, provide data to conduct a meta-analysis to quantitatively summarize the effects of pregnancy shearing on both lamb birth and weaning weight. A meta-analysis is a systematic and quantitative literature review method that uses statistical methods to bring together data from existing research to provide a more objective overall conclusion than a purely narrative review. The meta-analysis showed that overall, pregnancy shearing significantly (p < 0.05) increased lamb birth weight by an average of 0.50 standard deviations (Hedge’s d = 0.52), with greater increases observed when shearing occurred between days 42 and 100 of gestation (β = 0.63–0.70). The positive effect of shearing was not present when shearing was conducted after 100 days of pregnancy. The single predictor of “timing of shearing” explained 65% of the variation across trials (I²total = 77.5%). In contrast, the pregnancy shearing effect on weaning weight was non-significant (d = 0.09, p >0.05). A qualitative review of the literature indicated that in addition to the timing of shearing, parameters potentially related to the lamb birthweight response included: the type of comb used increased gestation length, level of ewe nutrition offered in pregnancy, increased ewe intake, increased maternal glucose and elevated thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), enhanced placental development and whether the dam had the potential to deliver otherwise lightweight lambs (i.e. giving birth to multiples) and had the capacity and/or adequate body reserves at time of shearing. Pregnancy shearing under either housed or pasture grazing conditions has on some occasions resulted in higher perinatal lamb survival rates. In addition, some reports on lamb behaviour have shown that pregnancy shearing can improve behaviours relating to survival and the establish lamb-ewe relationships. Pregnancy shearing, however, had little to no effect on lamb wool characteristics. Pregnancy shearing has an effect on ewe behaviour, increasing their comfort behaviour and maternal behaviour, and resulted in increased ewe milk yield, higher milk protein and fat percentages, but had little or no effect on ewe wool traits. In summary for farmers to get a consistent birth weight response to pregnancy shearing there are clear management plans they should follow. Ewes should be shorn between 42 and 100 days of gestation, have a minimum BCS of 2.5, be shorn with cover/winter comb, be offered pasture covers of a minimum of 1300 kg DM/ha and be provided with shelter post shearing.
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    Comparing methods of identifying plants visited by pollinators through morphological and genetic techniques : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology, School of Food Technology and Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Hobbs, Jasper
    Interest in bumblebee pollination is increasing as honeybee populations appear insufficient to meet agricultural pollination demand. Effective use of non-honeybee pollinators like bumblebees will also save farmers money, compared to managing commercial honeybees. Potentially, bumblebee populations can be increased by providing supplementary sources of nutrients (plants that blossom outside of crop flowering) on farms. To identify the most beneficial plant species, three methods were proposed that had been used to answer similar questions previously: (1) Using morphology of intentionally and unintentionally collected external pollen from the bumblebees to identify the plants they visited. (2) Using amplicon DNA sequencing (metabarcoding) on DNA extracted from pollen from bees to identify the plants they visited by comparing sequences against reference databases. (3) Using the same amplicon DNA sequencing method on the DNA extracted from bee stomach contents to identify the plants they visited. These methods were compared using five bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), two native bees (Leioproctus monticola) and one honeybee (Apis mellifera). For method-1. 3627 individual pollen granules were counted and identified to 10 plant genera. For method-2 & 3 the target amplification region used for was the choloroplast gene trnL. 2,631,048 reads were obtained from seven pollen samples and for method-3. 916,868 reads were obtained from eight stomach DNA samples. 732 unique cpDNA sequences were recorded, however many of these referenced to the same genera, or to non-viridiplantae genera or did not reliably match at all (low match and coverage). After the bioinformatics, 35 New Zealand plant genera were identified although 13 represented pollen and stomach exclusive genera, which contained only one genus with >1% which was 1.7%. These findings resulted in the claim that the plant genera visited for pollen does match the plant genera visited for nectar. The main outcome of this study is that pollen DNA amplicon method was the most effective in terms of time and quality, and can be trusted to be representative of the species bumblebees feed on, as the third main finding showed using pollen did not exclude any significant genera only found in the stomach, or include significant genera that bumblebees do not consume. However, the failure of the metabarcoding approach to detect wild radish pollen suggests this approach is not perfect.
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    The influence of midsole properties and speed on running gait : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Health Science specialising in Sport and Exercise at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Walker, Stephanie Julie
    Background: Biomechanical research and footwear engineering have facilitated specific running shoe designs, with a particular focus on the shoe’s midsole. The primary aim of the midsole is to facilitate energy absorption (cushioning) from the initial impact of each step incurred during running, while recovering the maximum amount of energy. However, relatively few research articles report the pre-production foam properties or the postproduction capability of the shoes’ midsole in accordance with established in vitro industry standard testing. Moreover, parameters of running gait are often assessed in environments that do not replicate real-world overground running, whereby a limited number of steps are sampled, along with a lack of consideration for different speeds or changes in terrain, creating variation within in vivo test results. This highlights the nuanced understanding of how midsole cushioning interacts with the biomechanics of running. Aims: 1. Assess the in vitro mechanical properties of aliphatic thermoplastic polyether polyethylene (ATPU) foam midsoles with varying densities. 2. Evaluate the in vivo effects of midsole foam density, within geometrically identical running shoes, on parameters of gait (spatiotemporal, kinetic, and joint kinematics) across different running speeds, with a particular focus on vertical peak impact force and average loading during real-world overground running. Hypotheses: 1. In vitro testing will demonstrate the lower-density ATPU foam midsole to have greater energy absorption and energy recovery. 2. During in vivo experimental trials, parameters of running gait related to ground reaction force, specifically vertical peak impact force and average loading rate, will be reduced in the lower-density midsole. It is also expected that increases in running speed will influence spatiotemporal, kinetic, and joint kinematic parameters of gait. Methods: In vitro testing was performed using a modified industry standard test (ISO 20344:2021 (5.17)). The midsole was compressed with 2.2 kN of force, in the vertical direction at a deformation rate of 100 mm·min-¹. Following conditioning, five continuous cycles were performed while recording deformation (mm) and load (kN), from which the final cycle was extracted for analysis. In vivo trials consisted of 16 recreational to nationally competitive endurance runners. The experimental protocol consisted of shoes classified by the density of the foam’s midsole (high-ρ (0.17 g·cm-³) and mid-ρ (0.14 g·cm-³)) and three running speeds (12, 14, and 16 km·h-¹). Participants ran 360 m on tarmacadam, at each running speed, paced by a cyclist. LoadSol® insoles were used to collect spatiotemporal and kinetic parameters of running gait, while four AHRS-IMU’s attached to the sacrum and right lower limb (shank, femur, and foot) simultaneously recorded joint kinematics. Results: In vitro results demonstrated that the mid-ρ midsole absorbed significantly more energy than the high-ρ midsole (t (30) = 6.412, p < 0.0001), as well as recovering significantly more energy (t (30) = 9.052, p < 0.0001). In vivo trials showed that increases in running speed significantly increased vertical peak impact force (F ₂, ₃₀) = 32.24, p < 0.0001), average loading rate (F (₂, ₃₀) = 38.70, p < 0.0001), stance phase hip extension (F (₂, ₃₀) = 100.7, p < 0.0001), and swing phase hip flexion (F (₂, ₃₀) = 197.3, p < 0.0001), while decreasing stride duration (F (₂, ₃₀) = 34.95, p < 0.0001), ground contact time (F (₂, ₃₀) = 233.6, p<0.001), and impulse (F (₂, ₃₀) = 19.64, p<0.0001). There was no significant main effect of midsole density for vertical peak impact force (F (₁, ₁₅) = 0.01175, p = 0.915), average loading rate (F (₁, ₁₅) = 0.5649, p = 0.464), or any other parameter of running gait, along with no significant interactions. Conclusion: The ATPU foam materials differed in density and produced significant differences during in vitro testing when manufactured into midsoles; however, these differences were not substantial enough to elicit significant changes during the in vivo overground running trials. This suggests that a greater level of material difference may be required to produce observable changes in parameters of running gait. It is also plausible that runners adapt their movement patterns in response to variations of midsole cushioning. The practical implications of this study indicate that individuals may not experience changes in running performance solely due to subtle differences in midsole foam properties.
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    From invisible to visible : women’s accounts of continuous glucose monitoring with Type 1 diabetes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Psychology) at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2025) Northcott, Samantha
    Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) were designed to provide biomedical support to individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in managing their blood glucose levels, offering an increased sense of freedom in living with T1D on a daily basis. Yet, CGMs should not be understood in biomedical isolation, as they exist within dominant sociomaterial and sociocultural discourses of contemporary society (especially neoliberal ableism). Using a critical feminist disability framework underpinned by constructionist relativism, this study explored women with T1D’s embodied experiences managing glucose levels and daily living with a CGM. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women aged 18-30, and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed: (1) you’re taking a drug that makes your body store fat; (2) we always have to think about everything that goes in our mouth; (3) always visible; and (4) marked bodies. Across these themes, participants seemed to be taking up and resisting the subject position of the ‘postfeminist diabetic.’ This position is generated through biomedical norms to be the ‘perfect diabetic,’ and intersects with discourses of femininity that shape women’s experiences of external and internalised pressure to conform. The findings suggest that by rejecting dominant binaries, we can provide opportunities for women to be ‘both/and’: to support and care for their glucose levels while also challenging ableist and normative ideas.