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A music performance is an exciting environment for studying joint action and nonverbal communication. This thesis utilized music ensemble performances to study nonverbal communication occurring from two different perspectives. We examined bi-directional communication between co-performers and uni-directional communication of the musicians to the participants. The first paper (Chapter 2) used statistical measures (i.e., Granger causality analysis) to quantify head movements as a measure of joint action during a musical performance. We observed a change in direction and magnitude of information flow between co-performers based on the availability of visual and auditory cues. We wanted to extend this line of research to see how audience perception of the performances may change due to the auditory and visual manipulations of the performers. The second paper (Chapter 3) examines participant ratings of expression, cohesion, and general liking of the performance when presented with audio-visual, audio-only, and visual-only stimuli. These ratings not only show which sensory modality allows for the highest sensitivity to performer manipulations, but also provide insight into how musicians change their performances to communicate to the audience. My aim was to create a cohesive examination of co-performer communication and observer perception of musical performances. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The global food supply is being stressed by climate change, a growing population, and harmful diseases. One risk to vital cereal crops such as wheat and barley is Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Ascospores of the fungus are released from perithecia on the residues of corn and small grains and can be transported long distances (>500 m) through the atmosphere. The overall objective of this work was to assess the influence of meteorological conditions and perithecial maturity on ascospore release. The research focuses on F. graminearum because of its damaging impact to staple crops and the global ubiquity of FHB. The first specific objective was to apply state-of-the-science techniques to identify causal meteorological variables of ascospore release. We analyzed field measurements of airborne ascospores against meteorological conditions at Virginia Tech's Kentland Farm, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA and used convergent cross mapping and multivariate state space reconstruction to identify significant causal agents within this complicated natural and dynamic system. We identified relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, and air temperature as predictors of ascospore release. Our second research objective was to understand the impact of varying meteorological conditions on ascospore release under controlled environmental conditions. We assessed ascospore release in a chamber with controlled temperature (15°C and 25°C) and relative humidity (60%, 75%, and 95%). Ascospores released from ascospore-producing structures (perithecia) were captured on microscope slides placed inside of 3D-printed ascospore discharge devices. Results showed the sensitivity of ascospore release to relative humidity and temperature, with cool temperature and high relative humidity resulting in greater quantities of ascospores released. Our third research objective was to determine the relationship between the maturity, the number of ascospores, and the hardness of perithecia. A mechanical compression testing instrument was used to investigate the hardness of perithecia at various stages of maturity, producing a mean perithecium compression constant quantifying the uniaxial compression force required to rupture a perithecium. Results indicated that old perithecia contain the greatest amount of ascospores and exhibit increased resiliency, requiring greater forces to rupture, compared to young perithecia. This research has illustrated the complexities of F. graminearum ascospore release by describing the impact of several meteorological conditions and perithecial maturity on the timing and quantity of released ascospores. Collectively, our results may inform wheat growers on the nature and timing of ascospore release, which could help inform FHB management decisions in the future. / Ph. D.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) has been shown to provide useful indications on where the economy is heading (Afshar et al., 2007; Koenig, 2002; Harris, 1991). We examine the predictive abilities of PMI on stocks that are sensitive to business cycle movements by testing if the index can contribute to forecasting a group of Swedish industrial machinery stocks during 2012-2023. We approach this by employing pairwise Granger Causality tests, using PMI data from five countries, and stock performance data for 11 industrial machinery stocks included in the OMXS30. The results indicate that PMI cannot contribute to forecasting the stock performance. Instead, we find empirical evidence of a predictive relationship in the opposite direction, suggesting that the stock performance can forecast the PMI.

No / The relationship between exports and economic growth has been analysed by a number of recent empirical studies. This paper re-examines the sources of growth for the period 1971-2001 for India. It builds upon Feder's (1983) model to investigate empirically the relationship between export growth and GDP growth (the export led growth hypothesis), using recent data from the Reserve Bank of India, and by focusing on GDP growth and GDP growth net of exports. We investigate the following hypotheses: (i) whether exports, imports and GDP are cointegrated using the Johansen approach and Breitung's nonparametric cointegration test; (ii) whether export growth Granger causes GDP growth; (iii) and whether export growth Granger causes investment. Finally, a VAR is constructed and impulse response functions (IRFs) are employed to investigate the effects of macroeconomic shocks.

Yes / In this paper, we focus on the financial and fiscal stress transmission for the G5 economies. Using financial and fiscal stress indexes, we assess the spillovers within each economy, as well as the cross-sectional effects. Two supplementary methodologies, measuring the degree of interconnectedness, are employed. Our findings indicate that the interactions between these two kinds of distress are intensive, especially during and after the Global Financial Crisis outbreak. The above reiterates the necessity for coordinated macroprudential policies, as a means to confine the adverse effects of excessive financial and fiscal stress.

Inferência da força de interação nos fenômenos físicos/biológicos é objetivo comum a diversas áreas da ciência. Em particular, nas neurociências tem-se assistido a uma mudança no paradigma experimental em que a atenção tem-se voltado à compreensão da interação entre grupamentos neuronais. Em vista desta demanda surgiram naturalmente diversos métodos estatísticos de medida de dependência entre grupamentos neurais. Alguns foram desenhados para inferência de fluxo de informação, sem contudo precisar o que se entende por fluxo de informação, gerando consequentemente controvérsias na literatura. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é aplicar os conceitos da Teoria da Informação na análise de processos estacionários de segunda ordem para precisar as idéias de fluxo de informação utilizadas na literatura de forma ad hoc e obter um melhor entendimento da relação existente entre as diferentes medidas de dependência propostas. / We study the relationship between different measures of causality or information flow. We show that the concept of partial measures of dependence are related to the definition of inverse random variables.

Inferência da força de interação nos fenômenos físicos/biológicos é objetivo comum a diversas áreas da ciência. Em particular, nas neurociências tem-se assistido a uma mudança no paradigma experimental em que a atenção tem-se voltado à compreensão da interação entre grupamentos neuronais. Em vista desta demanda surgiram naturalmente diversos métodos estatísticos de medida de dependência entre grupamentos neurais. Alguns foram desenhados para inferência de fluxo de informação, sem contudo precisar o que se entende por fluxo de informação, gerando consequentemente controvérsias na literatura. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é aplicar os conceitos da Teoria da Informação na análise de processos estacionários de segunda ordem para precisar as idéias de fluxo de informação utilizadas na literatura de forma ad hoc e obter um melhor entendimento da relação existente entre as diferentes medidas de dependência propostas. / We study the relationship between different measures of causality or information flow. We show that the concept of partial measures of dependence are related to the definition of inverse random variables.

Varje år genomförs ungefär 3,5 miljoner personlighetsprofileringar med Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, MBTI ®. Det gör instrumentet till ett av de mest använda psykologiska testen i världen och det innebär att lika många människor får en etikett på sin personlighetstyp som kan användas på olika sätt. Det finns studier, till exempel av Carlyn, som talar för att MBTI är ett pålitligt instrument, men det finns också studier, till exempel av Pittenger, som hävdar motsatsen. James Michael menar att enbart MBTI ger en alltför inkomplett bild av en ledares beteende. Kanske är det klokt att komplettera MBTI med andra testinstrument för att få en komplettare bild av en individ.En modell som skulle kunna komplettera MBTI är motivationsteorin Self-Determination Theory, SDT, och tillhörande delteori General Causality Orientation, GCO. I denna studie jämförs MBTI med GCO och resultatet indikerar att autonomi orientation i GCO saknar kausala samband med MBTI medan controlled orientation och impersonal orientation har viss överlappning. Slutsatsen blir att de två modellerna mäter olika aspekter av personlighet och att de därför kan komplettera varandra. / Every year about 3.5 million personality profiles are made with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ®, MBTI ®. This should make the instrument one of the most widely used psychological tests in the world and it means that a lot of people get a description of their personality type that can be used in different ways. Some studies, for example by Carlyn, suggest that the MBTI is a reliable instrument, but there are also studies, for example by Pittenger, that claim otherwise. James Michael says that MBTI alone give an incomplete assessment of a leader's behavior. Perhaps it is wise to complete the MBTI with other test instruments to get a more complete profile of an individual.A model that could complement MBTI is Self-Determination Theory, SDT, and the related sub theory General Causality Orientation, GCO. This study compares MBTI with GCO and the results indicate that autonomy orientation in GCO has no causality with MBTI whereas controlled orientation and impersonal orientation has some overlapping. The conclusion is that the two models measure different aspects of personality and therefore they can complement each other.

This research study investigated preschoolers' naive theory of the human body in understanding the cause of death. The empirical investigation showed that urban and suburban preschoolers (ages 5 and 6) have an understanding of a naive theory of the human body and that some do make reference to a 'vitalistic causality' in explaining organ function. Furthermore, most of the participants gave an external explanation for the cause of death (e.g. gunshots, poison, sticks), but those participants who gave an internal (biological) explanation for the cause of death were well-informed about the biological teleology of body organs. These findings conclude that education, socio-economic factors and culture influence the acquisition of a naive theory of biology. The need for guidance to educators, in explaining the concept of death to preschoolers, was further emphasised. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)