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<p>Temporal order judgment (TOJ) refers to one’s ability to successively report the temporal order of two tactile stimuli delivered to independent skin sites. The brain regions involved in processing TOJ remain unclear. Research has shown that TOJ performance can be impaired with a conditioning background stimuli and this phenomenon, known as TOJ synchronization (TOJ-S), is suggested to be mediated by inhibitory neural mechanisms within the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) that create perceptual binding across the two skin sites. Continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) over SI impairs tactile spatial and temporal acuity. This dissertation examines the effects of cTBS on TOJ and TOJ-S performance on the hand. In Experiment 1, TOJ and TOJ-S were measured from the right hand before and for up to 34 minutes following 50 Hz cTBS over SI. In Experiment 2, same measurements were obtained bilaterally for up to 42 minutes following 30 Hz cTBS over SI. Compared to pre-cTBS values, TOJ was impaired for up to 42 minutes on the right hand following 30 Hz cTBS. TOJ-S performance was improved for up to 18 minutes on the right hand following 50 Hz cTBS. These experiments reveal two major findings. First, cTBS act upon different inhibitory circuits that are suggested to mediate TOJ and TOJ-S. Second, cTBS parameters may dictate cTBS effects over SI excitability. The findings of this work not only emphasize the significant contributions of SI on tactile temporal perception, it provides novel insight of the underlying neural mechanisms of cTBS effects on SI cortical excitability.</p> / Master of Science in Kinesiology

Several studies have seemingly demonstrated that artificial surveillance cues, such as images of watching eyes, increase prosocial behaviour. One of these studies investigated the effect of observation cues on moral judgment (Bourrat et al., 2011). Participants rated the moral acceptability of two misdeeds: falsifying information on a resume and keeping the cash found in a lost wallet. The moral acceptability ratings were lower for participants who were presented with an image of watching eyes than they were for participants exposed to a control image of flowers. The authors suggested that false cues of being watched triggered evolved cognitive mechanisms for recognizing when one is being observed. These mechanisms may have driven the cued participants to behave in a way that would have protected their reputations if they really had been watched; that is, by expressing disapproval of immoral behaviour. Inspired by Bourrat et al., I conducted an experiment investigating the effect of surveillance cues on self-rated positive traits, religiosity, and moral judgment. I found no evidence for an effect on any of these variables, including moral judgment. I conducted 3 more experiments, each increasingly similar in design to Bourrat et al., to determine the reason for the discrepancy in our results. None of my experiments replicated the surveillance cue effect. I suggest the most likely explanation is that Bourrat et al. obtained a false positive. My experimental results call into question the effect of surveillance cues on moral judgment; thus, it is appropriate to be skeptical of surveillance cues generally. I conducted a meta-analysis of studies investigating the effect of surveillance cues on generosity. The resulting funnel plot is consistent with publication bias in favour of significant results; it may also indicate that the surveillance cue effect on generosity, though perhaps a real phenomenon, is smaller than the literature implies. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Given that children who have academic and/or mental health issues exhibit underachievement, measures completed by teachers become a primary source of information for school psychologists (DuPaul & Stoner, 2003; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Sherman, Rasmussen, & Baydala, 2008). However, teacher measures have been called into question because of the discrepancies between teacher academic ratings and student scores on direct (Feinberg & Shapiro, 2009; Hamilton & Shinn, 2003) and norm referenced measures (Eaves et al., 1994). The objective of this study was to examine the validity of the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES; DiPerna & Elliott, 1999), a teacher academic measure, used on a Latino population referred for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Further, the current study explored whether teachers' ratings of their Latino students' academic competence were related to the parents' acculturation and/or students' characteristics, such as language proficiency, grade retenti / School Psychology

The present study examined the effect of Time Perspective (TP), i.e. cognitive arrangement of the human experiences into temporal dimensions, and Temporal Distance (TD), i.e. the perceived proximity of an event in time, on moral judgment. The study included 132 participants that completed the Swedish version of Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) and made moral judgments of transgression of ethical rules depicted in the near vs. distant future. A main effect of TP was revealed meaning that transgression of ethical rules, as predicted, was judged more immoral by Past-Positive and Future orientation compared to Present-Hedonistic and Past-Negative orientation. No main effect of TD was revealed. The interaction of TP x TD was significant and in the predicted direction, but only Present-Hedonistic orientation was significantly affected by TD: distant compared to near future scenarios were judged less immoral by this TP. Importance, limitations and elaborations of the present study were discussed. / I föreliggande studie undersöktes hur Tidsperspektiv (TP), d.v.s. kognitivt inordnande av mänskliga erfarenher i tidsmässiga dimensioner, och Tidmässigt Avstånd (TA), d.v.s. upplevd närhet av händelser i tid, påverkar moralisk bedömning. Studien omfattade 132 deltagare, vilka fyllde i den svenska versionen av Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) och gjorde moraliska bedömningar av överträdelser av etiska regler framställda i en nära vs. avlägsen framtid. En huvudeffekt av TP framkom, vilken innebar att överträdelse av etiska regler bedömdes som mer omoraliskt utifrån Positiv-Dåtidsorientering och Framtidsorientering jämfört med Hedonistisk-Nutidsorientering och Negativ-Dåtidsorientering. Ingen huvudeffekt av TA framkom. Interaktionen mellan TP och TA var signifikant och i linje med prediktionerna även om endast Hedonistisk-Nutidsorientering påverkades signifikant av TA: tidsmässigt avlägsna vs. närliggande scenarion bedömdes som mindre omoraliska utifrån detta TP. Vikten av studien samt begränsningar och tänkbara uppföljningar av studien diskuteras också.

Death, Mortality and Consumer Decision Making: Two Essays Dwayne Scott McGraw ABSTRACT This dissertation presents two essays that address specific aspects of the broad domain of death, mortality and consumer decision making. Essay 1 examines how priming mortality salience (MS) and financial vulnerability (FV) influences insurance policy choices of young, middle aged and senior consumers. Essay 2 investigates how, in funeral planning contexts when consumer may be dealing with significant grief, manipulating choice architecture (via additive vs. subtractive framing of funeral package options) influences the composition and cost of the chosen funeral package. In Essay 1, we use a three-factor design: 2 (MS prime: present/absent) x 2 (FV prime: present/absent) x 3 (Age: Young/Middle-Aged/Senior) to examine how participants evaluate and choose among three hypothetical policies (premium/benefits: low, medium, and high). In a control group (neither prime present), the younger and middle age groups modally select the medium policy whereas the seniors select the high policy. However, the primes affect these choices. When MS alone is primed (FV prime absent), young adults move toward the low policy (assures death benefits at affordable cost). The middle-aged group moves toward the high policy. The seniors remain over-insured with the high policy. When FV is primed, the senior group seems to recognize that their strong financial situation and low obligation levels warrant the medium policy. Interestingly, sensitive to higher financial obligations, the middle-aged tend to buy the high policy. With both MS and FV primed, seniors continue to show affinity toward the medium policy (salience of lower FV tempers the MS effect). Sensitized to their financial situation, younger adults continue to favor the low policy. The middle-aged group remains with the higher policy: both primes have impact. These evaluation data are generally consistent with the choice data. The findings have significant implications for designing life insurance products attuned to the needs of consumers in various age groups. They provide insight into the factors that, if made salient at choice, may facilitate better consumer choices. The results also have important regulatory implications. In Essay 2, we examine if consumers are influenced by how funeral package options are presented at the time of choice. Specifically, we study these effects of choice architecture using manipulations of choice architecture (additive versus subtractive framing of package options). In study1, we examine how grief and related emotions surrounding death influence the effects of additive versus subtractive framing of items. In Study 2, we examine how these effects are moderated by when the funeral is pre-planned or planned at the time of death. These studies shed light on how options framing influence the choice of funeral packages and also the costs and benefits of preplanning funeral events and providing advanced directives for end-of-life care and death related expenses. / Doctor of Philosophy / Death, Mortality and Consumer Decision Making: Two Essays Dwayne Scott McGraw GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT This dissertation (titled Death, Mortality, and Consumer Decision Making: Two Essays) address specific aspects of the broad domain of death, mortality and consumer decision making. Essay 1 examines how priming mortality salience (MS) and financial vulnerability (FV) influences insurance policy choices of young, middle aged and senior consumers. Essay 2 investigates how, in funeral planning contexts when consumer may be dealing with significant grief, manipulating choice architecture (additive vs. subtractive framing of funeral package options) influences the composition and cost of the funeral package that is ultimately chosen. In Essay 1, we investigate how priming mortality salience (MS), and financial vulnerability (FV) influences the insurance policy choices of young, middle-aged, and senior consumers. These findings show that such priming affects makes the likelihood of death and associated financial needs salient, and differentially influences choice of policies with specific benefit/premium profiles in different age groups. The results provide significant insights for designing life insurance products tailored to the needs of consumers at different life stages and the factors that highlight may influence consumer choices of such products. The results also have regulatory implications. In Essay 2, we examine how coping with grief surrounding death and bereavement may influence consumers' choices of funeral packages. Specifically, we examine the effects of choice architecture (additive versus subtractive framing) on the funeral package that is finally chosen in such situations. In Study 1, we find that both option framing as well as grief and related emotions surrounding the death of a loved one affect the composition and cost of the funeral package that consumers choose. In Study 2, we assess how these effects are influenced by whether the funeral is pre-planned or arranged at the time of death. These studies shed light on how options framing influence the choice of funeral packages and also the costs and benefits of preplanning funeral events and providing advanced directives for end-of-life care and death related expense.

Evidence-based practice in ABA is a complex decision-making process involving frequent adjustments in goals and procedures as informed by science, client need, and clinical wisdom. Consistent with the science's foundations, incredible gains are possible for children with autism when practitioners are systematically trained to understand, produce, and be responsive to shifting conditions for change. However, minimal standards for training promote inflexibility and rule following, at the expense of frequent and responsive adjustments. Although research has demonstrated that well-trained staff can effectively implement flexible procedures using in-the-moment assessment and clinical judgment, minimal research has targeted and evaluated the development of these repertoires. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a staff training package, including an in-service training and in vivo training sessions, on staffs' ability to make responsive, goal-directed, and rationale-based decisions directed towards accelerating progress with vocal manding for children with autism. The evaluation was the second part of the larger Change AGENT Project. Results suggested the training was effective at producing socially validated progress across staff and child measures. In essence, the trainer, staff, and child acted as change agents for one another's behavior within the flexible paradigm. Implications, limitations, and future directions are further discussed.

This study examines the eschatology of issues related to African folk religion. It argues about the eschatological understanding of time with regard to the afterlife, ancestors and the afterlife, Christ the eschaton and the incarnation of Christ as redeeming of the ancestors. Such a model of local theology can result from a comprehensive reflection based on the Scriptures. As such, this study suggests some principles and praxis that appropriately address mission in the African context. This study also intends to challenge the church in Africa in particular, and cross-cultural workers in general, to redefine their missions and themselves in the face of theological issues, as well as social problems, which occur at all levels of African society. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Thesis (D. Th. (Missiology))

In this thesis, I discuss how the undergraduate computer scientist is trained, and how they learn what I am calling computational intuition. Computational intuition describes the methodology in which computer scientists approach their problems and solve them through the use of computers. Computational intuition is a series of skills and a way of thinking or approaching problems that students learn throughout their education. The main way that computational intuition is taught to students is through the experience they gain as they work on homework and classwork problems. To develop computational intuition, students learn explicit knowledge and techniques as well as knowledge that is tacit and harder to teach within the lectures of a classroom environment. Computational intuition includes concepts that professors and students discuss which include “computer science intuition,” “computational thinking,” general problem solving skills or heuristics, and trained judgement. This way of learning is often social, and I draw on the pedagogy of cognitive apprenticeship to understand the interactions between the professors, tutors, and other students help learners gain an understanding of the “computer science intuition.” It is this method of thinking that computer scientists at the Claremont Colleges have stated as being one of the most essential items that should be taught and gained throughout their education and signals a wider understanding of computer science as a field.