The aim of this study was to investigate the role of self-compassion, self-criticism and brooding as mediators between insecure attachment and depression in a multimediational model. Additional aims were to investigate whether self-compassion and self-criticism were independent predictors of depression and whether self compassion could protect against depression through reducing self-criticism and brooding. Three hundred and fifty six participants selected through convenience sampling completed measures of attachment, self-criticism, self-compassion, brooding and depression as part of an online survey. Multiple regression showed self-criticism and self-compassion independently predicted depression. Multimediational analysis found that the relationship between anxious attachment and depression was fully mediated by self-criticism, brooding and self compassion. The relationship between avoidant attachment and depression was partially mediated by hated self-criticism and brooding. Hated self-criticism and brooding partially mediated between self-compassion and depression. This study linked the related areas of self-compassion and attachment, the findings add to evidence supporting the potential value of compassion-focused therapies and further clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.

The aim of this study was to explore the phenomenon of feeling unsure as viewed from the humanbecoming school of thought. From the humanbecoming perspective feeling unsure is a universal lived experience of health and quality of life. The purposes of this study were to understand the lived experience of feeling unsure from the humanbecoming perspective, to enhance understanding of the lived experience of feeling unsure as an essence of health and quality of life, to discover the structure of the lived experience of feeling unsure, to add to the body of knowledge on the phenomenon of feeling unsure, and to contribute to expand the theory of humanbecoming. The Parse research methodology was used to guide this study and answer the question: Whqt is the structure of the lived experience of feeling unsure? Ten persons living in community accepted to participate in this study. The processes of dialogical engagement, extraction-synthesis, and heuristic interpretation we re used for data gathering and analysis. The central finding of this study is Feeling unsure is wavering irresolutely with discerning ponderings arising in venturing with trepidations, while revering alliances. The findings of this study emerged as new knowledge that extend the theory of humanbecoming and enhance the understanding of the lived experience of feeling unsure.

The research focuses on solutions to problems experienced in distinguishing between tragedy and pathos. The tragic is always characterised by emotions, and 'narrative can only be regarded as tragic through its tragic theme' (Steiner, 1961:16). Aristotle was the first to define tragedy he regards dramas/narratives as tragic if the protagonists die at the end, and the emotions of pity and fear are aroused. The tragedies Aristotle refers to all display emotional intensity, but are quite dissimilar. In some, the central emotions are evoked by the death of the protagonist, but in others there are events that are more intensely emotive than the death itself. In this study, the researcher provides an in-depth definition of the key concept 'tragedy', the different tragic emotions experienced and related concepts. Phatudi'sTladi wa Dikgati (1958) and Rammala's Lukas Mot helet hele (1963) prove clearly that there are two different types of tragedies, one of which contains pathos and the other contains tragedy. The research emphasises that these Sepedi narratives contain tragedy rather than mere pathos. The focus of this study is Sepedi tragic narratives, which have not previously been investigated in depth (Mohatlane, 2002:17). Only M.L. Bopape, P.M. Makgamatha and P.S.M. Mokgobu concentrated on tragic narratives, and P.M. Kgatla and P.S. Groenewald commented briefly on tragic narratives. The adopted narratological model employed in this research focuses plot and language usage, which are only briefly touched on in this research, as they have already been dealt with by prior theorists whose explanations of these narrative levels assist in understading the arrangement of the plot in tragic narratives. The research methodologies employed in analysing the structure of Sepedi tragic narratives/pathos to distinguish tragedy from pathos are descriptive, discussive and comperative. The researcher found few narratives containing pathos and tragedy in African languages, especially in Sepedi. The discussion of tragedy focuses on an analysis of the foundations, description, types and main characters (protagonists) of tragedy. Sepedi tragic narratives and pathos were influenced by Western culture; for example, Serudu's drama aka la peloga le tlale (1990) and G.H. Frans's Maaberone (1940) were influenced by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In this study, pathos is defined as related to societal sympathy. Holman (1936:166) explains that the 'emotional events in pathos affect the main character, his/her family and relatives, and they are left alone in those miseries and are expected to solve those problems without help from society'. In texts containing pathos, the main character is neither a villain nor a model of perfection, but basically good and decent. Even though the protagonist is great, he dies, but not because of moral blindness or error. He receives empathy because of his good character. The research concludes that in a text containing pathos, the protagonist is portrayed as simple and perfect. The events are so tragic that they induce pity and fear, more than death itself. Concerning tragic narratives, the investigation focuses on narratives of morality and ethics. Groenewald (1993:37) lists seven types of moral narratives, including tragedy and pathos. The two books that were the focus for this study were Rammala's Lukas Mot helet hele and Phatudi's Tladi wa Dikgati. The discussion of Lukas Mot helet hele focuses on the concepts of the (a) topic, (b) characters, (c) protagonists/antagonists as the most distinctive elements in tragic narratives and pathos. Authors organise their work in line with themes, which also control the main ideas and supporting ideas of the plot from beginning to end, and the protagonist, who dies at the end. This character is a great person who dies because of flaws (pride, jealousy and failure to take advice from others). The mistake is not easily recognised, it is hidden; it arouses emotions of pity and fear in the spectators. The analysis of Lukas Mot helet hele looks at (a) love, (b) segregation and hatred, (c) the hooliganism of Lukas Junior, (d) the emotional pain of the wife of Lukas (senior), and (e) the character Albi. The literary style (writing techniques) is analysed. Phala (1999:78) describes technique as 'the elements of writing and other concerns of the development of the plot, message and narrative' which are noted after the theme/message. Phatudi's novella Tladi wa Dikgati is analysed focusing on the protagonists and events that make it a tragic novella. The summary exposes the theme, characters, events, and place. The emphasis is on characters and events as central to tragic narrative. Analysis of Tladi wa Dikgati focuses on the theme, techniques, plot and writing style. The arrangement of events depends on the aim of the author and his objectives. It was found that this type of narrative reveals the emotions of fear, and depicts tragedy, and that the protagonist arouses pain or pity in the reader through attraction and suspense as the main techniques. Events are arranged and language is used to evoke a sense of tragedy and pity. / Thesis (DLitt)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / African Languages / DLitt / Unrestricted

Exerting cognitive self-control leads to subsequent decrements in muscular and cardiovascular endurance performance. According to the Process Model of self-control, affective feeling states may account for later self-control impairments. Affective feeling states are sensitive to exercise and show a pronounced negative shift in valence at the ventilatory threshold (VT). The purpose of this study was to investigate feeling states in response to a challenging cognitive control task (stop-signal task; SST) followed by a graded exercise task to exhaustion (GXT). Recreationally active participants (N = 20; Mage = 20.25) completed two testing sessions separated by one week. Sessions were counterbalanced, with either a control (SST-C) or experimental (SST-E) task performed prior to each GXT. Feeling states were measured using the Feeling Scale (FS) and Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) throughout both tasks. Time to exhaustion on the GXT was significantly shorter following the SST-E than the SST-C (p < .05; d = .49). Repeated measures MANOVA showed similar within-task changes in FS in both conditions, but no significant differences between conditions during the SST tasks; however, FAS scores were significantly higher during the SST-E compared to the SST-C (p < .01). There were no significant differences in feeling states prior to, or upon completion of, the GXTs. However, FS was significantly less positive at iso-time corresponding to predicted VT in the SST-E condition (p < .05). Results show feeling states during exercise are altered by prior cognitive control exertion. Decreases in positive valence in concert with increased activation may prime a negative shift in affect as exercise becomes more strenuous and thereby reduce self-control (exercise tolerance), as predicted by the Process Model. Alternatively, shifts in affect may reflect responses to physiological manifestations of fatigue that carry over from cognitive to physical tasks and become salient at moderate exercise intensities. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Improviserad musik är något jag länge fascinerats av men inte utövat själv speciellt mycket. Med mina musikaliska rötter i den klassiska musiken vill jag utforska något främmande och utvecklas som musiker. I studien utforskas min livsvärld och hur den förändras när jag tar mig utanför min comfort zone och lär mig improvisera. Syftet är att utforska fenomenet improvisation genom att studera den egna lärandeprocessen vid lärandet av en jazzblues på altsaxofon. Den metod jag använt mig av i studien är loggboksskrivning där jag antecknat efter varje övningspass. Studien gjordes utifrån ett livsvärldsperspektiv som tillhör den fenomenologiska rörelsen. Analysen av denna instuderingsprocess har fokus på mina egna reflektioner och slutsatser när jag övar improvisation utifrån min livsvärld. Resultatet visar olika aspekter kring positiv och negativ utvärdering i studien samt tänkbara slutsatser kring detta. I resultatet visas också vad jag valt att öva på i studien, likheter i progression av olika övningar samt skillnader i de övningsstrategier som visas. Min egen nyfikenhet och fantasi utforskas då jag tar mig utanför min comfort zone, går på främmande mark och övar på att improvisera. Avslutningsvis diskuterar jag resultatet i förhållande till litteratur och tidigare forskning inom området och tar upp egna reflektioner kring studien och min fortsatta forskning inom området improvisation. / I have been fascinated by improvised music for a long time, despite my lack of experience in this area. With my roots firmly set in classical music, I would like to expand and develop myself as a musician. The study examines my life-world and how it is affected when I am outside my comfort zone and studying the phenomenon of improvisation. The purpose of this study is to ascertain which practice strategies I use when learning a jazz blues on the alto saxophone. The method applied is the log book, in which I record my observations after each practice session. The study was based on a life-world perspective that belongs to the phenomenological movement. The analysis of the rehearsal process focuses on my own reflections and conclusions when practicing improvisation based on my life-world. The results show different aspects of positive and negative evaluation in the study as well as possible conclusions from this. The result further indicates what I have chosen to practice in the study, similarities in the progression of various exercises as well as the differences in the practice strategies that are listed. My own curiosity and imagination are explored when I am taken outside my comfort zone, explore uncharted ground, and practice improvisation. Finally, I discuss the results in relation to literature and previous research in the field and consider my own reflections on the study and my continued research in the field of improvisation.

The current study investigated whether there were age-related differences in episodic feeling-of-knowing (FOK) accuracy and whether accuracy was influenced by when the FOK judgments were made. Younger and older participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions that manipulated the timing of the FOK in relation to cued-recall and recognition. Age-related differences in FOK accuracy were not reliable either when the FOK was immediate or when it was delayed. Moreover, FOK accuracy was above chance for both age groups. Remember/Know (RK) judgments correlated reliably with FOKs for unrecalled words for both age groups and did not vary by FOK timing. Verbal ability, but not education, health, or perceptual speed, correlated with FOK accuracy. These results suggest that rather than a general age-related deficit in episodic FOK accuracy, the presence of age-related differences in resolution might be influenced by individual differences in such factors as verbal ability and frontal functioning.

Couple distress is common and associated with mental and physical health difficulties. Adult attachment insecurity has been associated with couple distress, but the mechanisms of this association need further investigation. This study investigated whether self-compassion and partner compassion mediated this association. 342 individuals and 75 couples completed an online questionnaire assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, self- and partner compassion, and relationship quality and satisfaction. Partner compassion mediated the association between attachment avoidance and relationship quality and satisfaction. Self-compassion did not emerge as a direct mediator, but mediated between attachment insecurity and relationship measures through partner compassion. Self-compassion and partner compassion might play a role in relationship functioning. Interventions aiming to enhance compassion might be helpful in reducing couple distress.

Due to competing claims in the literature regarding the relationship between self-esteem and being ‘looked-after’, and the implicated ethical and clinical issues, a systematic review of the literature was carried out. Ten articles met inclusion criteria for review. The majority of studies made a limited contribution to the review due to poor study quality, and the ethical, clinical and research implications of this are discussed. In addition, anecdotal evidence suggests that young people in care do not want to be made to feel different to others but there appears to be an absence of empirical research confirming this. Interviews were carried out with nine 12-16 year olds currently residing in foster care to explore their representations of ‘feeling the same or feeling different’. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) guided how data was analysed, and resulting super-ordinate themes were identified. The research paper reports on one of these themes: ‘difference’, which is explored through four sub-ordinate themes. These relate to participants not wanting others to know they were in care, feeling alienated due to their foster care status, perceiving that others viewed them differently and, at times, noticing differences themselves. Findings are considered in relation to the extant literature on foster care and identity development and practice and research implications are discussed. A second super-ordinate theme: ‘making sense’ is presented in the ‘extended results’ which is explored through five subordinate themes. Representations involved participants making sense of why their birth parents could not care for them, conflicting feelings towards both birth parents and foster parents, and a desire to feel a sense of agency in their lives.

Title: Airlines experiential marketing: gaining and retaining customers Research Question: How do airlines use the experiential marketing to gain and retain consumers? Supervisor: Venilton Reinert Course: Strategic Marketing with Independent Project Keywords: Airlines, experiential marketing, experience, loyalty, sense, emotions, feelings Purpose: The aim of this research is to understand how airlines’ users can be acquired and kept thanks to experiential marketing. This study allows analysing the news consumers’ expectations and how companies adapt their strategies to meet customers’ needs thanks to experiential marketing. All airlines mentioned in this study are European. Methodology: A qualitative research has been used for this paper. The authors of the thesis proceed choosing five European airlines: British Airways, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Easy Jet and Scandinavian Airlines System. The case studies have been used to describe, thanks to a number of Internet tools, how companies use the experience and feelings in marketing to urge consumers to purchase and be loyal. Then, authors used Schmitt theory to collect data. Finally, a number of frameworks have been used to analyse data. Conclusion: Airlines want to carry the customer to think and act through the experience. A successful experiential marketing occurs when the customer behaves thanks to his emotions. So, airlines’ marketers create competition, challenge, and game to remind customers. The interaction with public and internet users is necessary used in each experiential marketing event by airlines to promote the event and permeated to the customer share its experience, meet people and identify him in a group. If customers experience unique and perfectly experiential event, they will remember the service, and consequently the brand in the long-term as remarkable. In this way, the brand gain or retain customers.

Laimė sociologijoje dar nėra labai plačiai plėtojama ar įterpiama moksliniuose tyrimuose. Tačiau laimės samprata pasireiškia daugelyje aspektų ir neturi vienareikšmio apibrėžimo. O kiekviena mokslinė sritis pateikia savas sampratas. Taip pat aktualus lieka visuomenėje ir socialinis konstravimas, kuris parodo, kad laimės samprata taip pat yra socialiai konstruojama. Todėl iškeltas probleminis klausimas: Kaip konstruojama laimės samprata Lietuvos žiniasklaidoje? Tikslas: Išanalizuoti laimės sampratos konstravimą Lietuvos žiniasklaidoje. Pasiekiant tikslą, atskleidžiama sociologinė laimės samprata ir jos komponentai, apibūdinamas lietuvių laimingumas/nelaimingumas, apibūdinama konstruktyvistinė laimės samprata, analizuojama ir atskleidžiama Lietuvos žiniasklaidoje konstruojama laimės samprata. Taikyta mokslinės literatūros ir antrinių duomenų analizė, žiniasklaidos kiekybinė ir kokybinė turinio analizė. Tyrimo rezultatai: Laimės samprata Lietuvos internetinėje žiniasklaidoje yra konstruojama pateikiant gyvenimo istorijas, aprašant patarimus kaip siekti laimės, naudojant duomenis ir jas interpretuojant, pateiktus kitų šaltinių ar mokslinių tyrimų. Pateikiami laimės komponentai, kurie yra įvairūs, jų yra daug ir jie gali būti kintami. Kadangi tai, kas tinka vieniems yra nurodoma, bet tai nėra tinkama visiems. Kiekvienas individas taip pat turi savo laimės komponentus ar tikslus kaip jos siekti. Todėl laimė nors ir yra socialiai konstruojamas procesas, bet ji priklauso nuo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Happiness in sociology hasn’t been developed or integrated in academic researches. However, a concept of happiness is reflected in several aspects and can’t be defined unambiguously. Each academic branch introduces its concepts. Moreover, social constructing stays relevant as well as it shows that a concept of happiness could be socially constructed, too. Problematic question: Happiness concept construction in Lithuanian media. Aim: to analyze happiness concept construction in Lithuanian media. In order to achieve the aim, a sociological concept of happiness is been revealed together with its components, also feeling being happy/unhappy in Lithuanians, a constructive happiness concept have been defined, a concept of happiness, constructed in Lithuanian media has been analyzed and revealed. Methods: analysis of academic and secondary data source, media quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Results: the concept of happiness in Lithuanian Internet media is constructed by introducing life stories, explaining how to gain happiness, using and interpreting data from other sources and academic researches. The presented components of happiness differ, change and their number is rather high, as ones, presented as suitable for one group, do not suit for everybody. Each person has his/her own happiness components and ways to achieve it, so despite the fact, happiness is a socially constructed process, it depends on goals and their implementation, demands and freedom of choice... [to full text]