The present study was an attempt to discover what relationship exists between an arrangement of coordinated laboratory experiences in art, music, and modern dance at the college freshman level and the development of four factors related to aesthetic experience. These factors were: (1) aesthetic perception as measured by A Test Aesthetic Perception; (2) aesthetic attitude as measured by A Test of Aesthetic Attitude; (3) physiological responsiveness to perceptual stimuli as measured by the Galvanometer; and (4) level of freedom from restraint as measured by a portion of the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey. An additional purpose of the study was to determine the persistence of significant changes in the experimental group, as measured over a period of five months.

Class of 2007 Abstract / Objectives: To design and assess a novel evaluation tool for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Methods: APPE students and faculty of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy (UA COP) completed an electronic survey assessing their level of agreement with nine questions regarding the evaluation tool’s format, content, and usefulness; they were also asked to select which of two grading systems, current (S, P, C, D, E) or alternate (pass/fail), they prefer. Results were compared with a 50% satisfaction benchmark using a Chi-square test (p<0.05). No identifying/demographic data was collected. Results: Surveys were completed by 48 of 107 eligible participants, giving a 45% response rate. The averaged response rank reflected agreement with all survey questions but number six. When compared to the benchmark, the results were significantly positive except for question number six (p=0.07). No significant difference existed between the current grading system group and the alternate group preferences (p=0.449). Conclusions: UA COP faculty and students should continue to use this evaluation tool to assess proficiency during the APPE portion of their college of pharmacy curriculum. The subjects responded positively to the evaluation, indicating that it is valuable to both faculty and students. Subjects, however, were reluctant to endorse that it facilitates communication between students and preceptors. Future changes to the adjectival scale, accessibility, and the grading system could be investigated.

Background: HIV and AIDS is a severe infectious disease. The first cases of AIDS were recorded amongst homosexual men in the United States. The disease has been found in more than 200 countries. There is a stigma surrounding the disease and patients are still being exposed to discrimination and indignity. Bad interactions between patients and healthcare personnel (HCP) caused concern and the patients avoided care to great extent. Aim: The aim was to increase the understanding of HIV and AIDS patients' experiences of the encounters with HCP in a medical context. Method: The method was grounded in analysis of qualitative research and was used to create an oversight of a specific phenomenon. Systematic searches in PubMed and Cinahl along with unsystematic searches resulted in 11 qualitative articles. The articles was analyzed and resulted in three main and six under themes. Results: The result indicated that the patients experienced both positive but mainly negative experiences. The experiences that was described was attributes among the HCP, actions in the meetings and feelings among the patients. The attitude towards the patients failed in healthcare situations and was uttered through discrimination and indignity. Confidentiality was breached and patients were denied care. Couclusion: The stigmatatism was widely figured in the healtcare system and had its core in the lack of knowledge about the disease. It is of fundamental importancy to increase the knowledge about the disease, for both HCP and the public.

Background: Telephone counseling is a multifaceted profession, which makes it possible to perform nursing care without meeting the care seeker physically. Nurses supports, assesses, guides and provides care seekers with self-care advice, which is of great importance to avoid health problems and complications for the care seekers. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe nurses' experiences of telephone counseling within health centers and 1177 Vårdguiden. Method: A method aimed to contribute to evidence-based care based on the analysis of qualitative research described by Friberg (2012), was used. Eleven articles were analysed and resulted in four categories, with fourteen sub-categories. Results: The four categories that emerged were; the importance of own knowledge and security, to face ethical dilemmas, stress and job demands and the use of decision support. The lack of visual contact requires specific knowledge by the nurses and communication with healthcare seekers from other cultures and with third parties to some extent created uncertainty. The nurses must be quick and do right in limited time. Decision support was perceived as both an obstacle and complement. Conclusion: Nurses´ experiences of working with telephone counseling was described as stressful, demanding but also positive and challenging. In order to best perform telephone counseling it required experience, vast competence and ability to apply knowledge. It was considered important to use oneself as a main asset and to be aware of strengths, weaknesses and reactions in different situations.

Detta examensarbete handlar om hur par upplever att vara infertila och deras längtan efter att bli föräldrar. Infertilitet väcker starka känslor hos paret och är någonting som de själva inte kan styra över. Arbetet baseras på tio vetenskapliga artiklar som funnits via sökningar i databaser som låg till grund för analysen. Av dessa artiklar delades deras resultat in i tre teman med tre underteman vardera. Dessa teman svarar på arbetets syfte i resultatdelen, det vill säga parets upplevelse av infertilitet. Resultatet visade att par upplevde infertiliteten som en omtumlande tid i livet då de kände sig maktlösa i situationen. Par försökte hitta en annan mening i vardagen och det var vanligt att istället satsa på karriär, utbildning, resor eller hobbys. Infertiliteten påverkade individen och paret i och med de känslor som uppkom. Detta medförde tankar på om relationen exempelvis skulle vara hållbar utan barn. Resultatet visade även att par upplevde ett tryck ifrån vänner och familj. De hade svårt att glädjas när vänner och syskon fick barn och kände skuld över att inte kunna erbjuda deras föräldrar barnbarn. Stöd i olika former efterfrågades där andra par i samma situation tycktes vara de enda som förstod vad de genomgick. Hälso- och sjukvården sågs som en viktig källa till information. Det är tydligt att infertilitet påverkar paret med många känslor och påfrestningar men i slutändan har det dock visats stärka paret på ett eller annat sätt. I våra slutsatser framkommer det att sjuksköterskan har en viktig roll i mötet med paret. Genom att sjuksköterskan tillämpar personcentrerad vård ges  örutsättningen att förhindra vårdlidande. / Background: Infertility is more common than many people think and can be due to various factors. The occurrence is equally common in both sexes and various treatment methods are available to take. Infertility rarely go unnoticed and couples affected more or less. Aim: The aim of the study was to highlight the heterosexual couple's experience of infertility. Method: A literature based study was done through a qualitative approach. The database Cinahl was used in the systematic searches. In total, the study is based on ten qualitative articles and the analysis resulted in three themes with three subthemes each. Results: The couples felt that their relationship was put to the test. They isolated themselves from family and friends because they constantly were reminded of their situation. Seeking support from others with infertility problems on Internet was common. Conclusion: The desire to become a parent was for all couples central but with the diagnosis life couldn’t take the way that was intended. The relationship was affected more or less, and support from various sources and of different types were needed. The importance of the nurse responds couple on a person-centered way highlighted. Person- centered care took advantage of the patient's resources and reduced suffering.

Bakgrund Varje år drabbas 17 miljoner människor av stroke, varav cirka 5 miljoner blir handikappade livet ut och behöver vård från bland annat anhöriga. Att vara anhörig till en strokedrabbad innebär ofta en stressig situation med både fysiska och psykiska konsekvenser. Syfte Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva erfarenheter av att vara anhörig till en närstående som drabbats av stroke som bor och vårdas hemma. Metod En litteraturstudie gjord med åtta kvalitativa studier. Sökningar har genomförts i Cinahl och Scopus. Studierna har blivit granskade, analyserade och har ställts samman till ett resultat. Resultat Resultatet presenterades i fem kategorier och 13 underkategorier och visar många beskrivningar av känslor och krav som tyngde anhöriga och påverkade deras hälsa både fysiskt och psykiskt. Förändrade relationer, mötet med vården och anpassningen till en ny vardag var något som anhöriga kämpade med. Konklusion Litteraturstudien visar att anhöriga kan ha stora behov av stöd och information för att kunna klara av vårdarrollen. Genom att arbeta utifrån familjefokuserad omvårdnad kan anhörigas behov och styrkor lyftas fram. Ytterligare forskning på anhöriga till närstående som drabbats av stroke utifrån ett genusperspektiv skulle vara intressant, bland annat eftersom den största delen anhörigvårdare är kvinnor. / Background Each year 17 million people suffer stroke worldwide, of these nearly 5 million are permanently disabled and in need of care from relatives among others. Being a relative of a stroke victim often means a stressful situation with both physical and psychological consequences. Aim The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of being a relative of a stroke victim living and cared for at home. Method A literature study with eight qualitative studies. Searches have been made inCinahl and Scopus. The studies have been reviewed, analyzed and compiled. Result The results were presented in five main categories and 13 subcategories. The relatives described many emotions and demands, which affected their health both physically and mentally. They struggled with changed relationships, the health care and adjustment to a new living. Conclusion This study shows that to be able to handle the caring role relatives may have a big need for support and information. The relatives’ needs and strengths can be highlighted by working from the basis of family-focused care. More research on relatives of a stroke victim from a gender perspective would be interesting, for instance since most caregivers are women.

Bakgrund: Cancer är en sjukdom som drabbar barn i hela världen. Det finns olika former av behandlingsmetoder som anpassas till individens behov. När ett barn diagnostiseras med cancer drabbas hela familjen, inte bara barnet. Relationen mellan syskon är en av de längsta relationerna en människa har under sin livstid. Händelser som till exempel cancer kan påverka relationen markant och kan komma att ha stor inverkan på det friska syskonets liv. Syfte: Att belysa upplevelsen av att vara syskon till ett barn med cancer. Metod: Litteraturstudie av 11 studier, som sammanställdes och analyserades med inspiration från Fribergs trestegsmodell. Resultat: Resultatet visar att det sker stora förändringar inom familjen när ett barn diagnostiseras med cancer. Syskon känner att cancern tar systern/brodern ifrån dem samt beskriver olika former av copingstrategier som de använder för att hantera upplevelsen. Slutsats: Litteraturstudien visar att syskon ofta känner sig bortglömda, övergivna och har ett behov av uppmärksamhet samt att få vara delaktiga. Nyckelord: Syskon, barncancer, upplevelse / Background: Cancer is a disease that affects children throughout the world. There are various forms of treatment methods that are adapted to the needs of the individual. When a child is diagnosed with cancer it affects the whole family, not just the child. The relationship between siblings is one of the longest relationships a human has during a lifetime. Events such as cancer and death can affect the relationship significantly, and can have a major impact on the healthy sibling's life. Aim: To illustrate the experience of being a sibling to a child with cancer Method: A review containing 11 studies which were analysed and put together with inspiration from Friberg's three-step-model Results: The results that emerged show that there are many changes within the family. Siblings feel that the cancer takes the child away from them and describe the various forms of coping strategies they use to cope with the experience. Conclusion: The review shows that siblings often feel forgotten, abandoned and have a need for attention and involvement. Keywords: Siblings, Childhood cancer, experience

Att presentera information eller påverka användarens upplevelser via ljudsättning av gränssnitt är lågt prioriterat inom systemutveckling. Design av gränssnitt håller den visuella presentationen av information central därtill sammankopplar detta främst med områden som exempelvis användbarhet eller funktionell form. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur ljud påverkar upplevelsen samt hur detta skulle kunna implementeras för att förbättra användares upplevelser av internetbaserade gränssnitt. Det vetenskapliga ramverket har sammanställts genom ett artikelunderlag vilket genererat en grundläggande kategorisering. Detta avsåg koppling till ”Estetik”, ”Sonification”, ”Att ljudsätta användardata” samt ”User experience och audio”. Arbetssättet byggde på en metodkombination där ett kvantitativt internetbaserat frågeformulär undersökte områden inom ramverkets kategorisering samt en kvalitativ ”Think-aloud” undersökning där två verksamma systemutvecklare testade en ljudsatt prototyp. Resultatet från den kvalitativa undersökningen visade hur ljudsättning initialt inte värdesatts vid interaktion med ett gränssnitt samtidigt som prototypens ljudsättning inte upplevdes störande eller negativ. Prototypen framkom som ”för” kreativt vinklat vilket återkopplar till ramverkets beskrivning gällande två estetiska huvudspår inom webbdesign. Den kvantitativa analysen framställer hur användbarhet och ordning värdesatts högre än kreativa upplevelser samt att information i gränssnitt inte sågs lämpligt att förmedla via ljud. Slutsatsen inom arbetet ligger vid att ljudsättning av gränssnitt genom ett balanserat formspråk och en bibehållen känsla av kontroll, kan och bör kopplas till användarens interaktion med gränssnittet. Detta kan trots ett viss motstånd användas för att påverka upplevelser, känslor och därtill uppfattad användbarhet inom ett system.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University / The purpose of this thesis, as the title indicates, is to examine Tillich's concept of religious experience in the light of the phenomenological method. Tillich follows St. Augustine in his approach to the problem of the knowledge of God, believing that one finds clues to the basic nature of religious experience in man himself rather than in nature or by rational deduction. For Tillich the key question is not, "Does God exist?" but what does the experience of God mean in terms of finite human experience. To carry out his analysis of the ontological nature of human existence as finite and as raising the question of God (that which can account for the fact that despite all the threats to the contingent order, this order persists and therefore must be grounded on something non-contingent and unconditional) Tillich finds the phenomenological method a valuable tool. He does not accept this method uncritically though he is greatly indebted to Husserl and Heidegger. Tillich feels that if phenomenology is to be an adequate tool for theology, it must be "corrected" by reference to final revelation (the New Being in Christ) as the criterion of the type of experience that needs to be subjected to a phenomenological analysis. What Tillich finds missing in Husserl's approach is any recognition of the importance of the experience selected as normative. Not only must phenomenology describe meanings, it must also indicate where and to whom the experience has occurred. Nonetheless, before we can understand the particular approach Tillich takes, we must have a general knowledge of what the phenomenological movement is, especially as found in the writings of the two phenomenologists who directly influenced Tillich: Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. Accordingly, the main body of the thesis begins with a chapter entitled "The Phenomenological Movement". This chapter begins with a general discussion of the principles and techniques of the phenomenological method. Here it is pointed out that one of the major tenets of the phenomenological method is to avoid pre-suppositional prejudices which would distort one's approach to the subject matter. The most common prejudice cited by the phenomenologists is that of the natural standpoint. This is discussed at some length by Husserl in Ideas as he wishes to point out that we do not primarily and basically experience the world as independent and "out there", somehow making impressions on a largely passive consciousness. Rather, our world is always permeated by certain valuations and perspective variations. This leads us to think that consciousness has a more active and formative role in the knowing process than common sense assumes. Therefore, to study objectively the world and thus make it possible for philosophy to be a "rigorous science" (Husserl), we must turn our gaze away from the natural objects to the structures of consciousness and concentrate on what it is that makes it possible for us to have the experiences that we do in the way that we do. In order to do this we must "bracket" (shut off) any references which assume the world as objectively given, and reduce what is presented to us until we are aware of their essences (what makes them what they are). One of the things we discover when we bracket the transcendent referents of consciousness (Husserl) is that we become aware that consciousness is intentional, i.e. it always has an object. In Heidegger, this concept is signifi• cant because it opens the possibility of discovering or becoming aware of Being, the goal of human existence and knowing. What intentionality reveals, for Heidegger, is the fundamental fact of the self's relatedness to the world. Man is Dasein, Being-in-the-world and an analysis of Being as manifest in this structure is our best means of access to the nature of Being. In Heidegger, then, phenomenology is changed from an abstract methodology (Husserl) to an existential hermeneutic. Tillich is indebted to both approaches. He is indebted to Husserl for his emphasis on the need to focus on what concepts mean, quite apart from their existential references, and he is indebted to Heidegger for his concept of phenomenology as the means by which one can discover Being (God in religious terms) as manifest in the human self. Therefore, the relation between Tillich and the phenomenologists is very close at key points. For example, Tillich's concern for the meaning of religious statements involves a bracketing of such questions as ''Does God exist?" which involve the "natural standpoint" assumption that there is a being "God", 'out there' somewhere and to whom one may choose to be related or not, or about whose existence one may argue. Tillich points out that unless what is meant by the word "God" is somehow present to man even in the very asking of the question and unless the question deals with a matter of threatening or saving one's being, we are not really dealing with a religious question at all. Granted that the experience of God is a reality to man before he becomes aware of it and makes explicit the question of God, how should we proceed to discover this fact? How may the "hidden" God of our experience be brought to awareness? Here Tillich relies on Heidegger and the use of phenomenology as an existential hermeneutic. If God is present to man even in his pre-reflective experience, and if what is meant by "God" is the Being or Reality which sustains the finite order and gives meaning to human life, then the kind of approach that must be taken is to analyze human experience in the attempt to see what is really given in that experience. What Tillich finds explicitly as the result of his ontological investigation by means of the phenomenological method is the amazing fact that despite the contingency and threat of nonbeing, experienced as anxiety, man still exists and can affirm his being. How is this possible? Only because, says Tillich, man experiences an unconditional power which gives him the courage to be and this power of being is what is meant by and pointed to by the religious symbol "God".

Thesis advisor: Frank Gollop / My doctoral dissertation consists of three essays on consumer behavior. The first chapter studies demand for experience goods. Consumers behave very differently when they do not have perfect information about all brands available on a shelf. This paper extends the benchmark discrete choice model of consumer demand to capture two distinct features of experience-goods markets: prior brand experience and shopping frequency. Although the current literature incorporates habit formation in consumer demand models, it has not considered a more fundamental question: how the first experience with a brand affects the consumer's choice. The model is estimated using data on purchases of ready-to-drink orange juice, which comes from a new consumer-level panel provided by a large supermarket chain in Brazil. The results show that for this product prior experience of a brand is more important for a consumer's choice than price. Furthermore, own- and cross-price elasticities change significantly when experience and shopping frequency are taken into account. The findings of this chapter have implications for both firms' strategies and for antitrust analysis related to experience-goods markets. The second chapter explores how umbrella branding can significantly decrease consumer's first-time experience cost. Multiproduct firms often market their products under the same brand name. When a firm launches a new product with the same brand name, consumers can pool their prior experience with the brand to infer a quality for the product. This strategy can be particularly useful when a firm decides to enter a market of experience goods, in which consumers face a cost for trying a new product. The main objective of this chapter is to study the process by which consumers' brand choices and first-time purchases for ready-to-drink orange juices are affected by their experience with the same brand in another category. The results are consistent with signaling theories of umbrella branding as they indicate that consumers' experience cost with a product decreases with experience of other products of the same brand. The third chapter is about a household's choice of retail formats. Thirty percent of households' food expenditure in the United States comes from clubstores, mass merchandisers, supercenters, drugstores and convenience stores. However, earlier work focused on consumers' shopping behavior mostly in grocery stores and has not examined consumers choice across different types of retail outlets. To address this gap a multinomial logit model is estimated on household-level scanner data for the United States to study how households' characteristics are related to their choice of retail outlets. The results show that income, household size and ethnicity significantly affect these choices. These findings are important for policies that target certain consumer groups. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.