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Excessive consumption of dietary fat is acknowledged to be a widespread problem linked to a range of medical conditions. Despite this, little is known about the specific sensory appeal held by fats and no previous published research exists concerning human perception of non-textural taste qualities in fats. This research aimed to address whether a taste component can be found in sensory perception of pure fats. It also examined whether individual differences existed in human taste responses to fat, using both aggregated data analysis methods and multidimensional scaling. Results indicated that individuals were able to detect both the primary taste qualities of sweet, salty, sour and bitter in pure processed oils and reliably ascribe their own individually-generated taste labels, suggested that a taste component may be present in human responses to fat. Individual variation appeared to exist, both in the perception of given taste qualities and in perceived intensity and preferences. A number of factors were examined in relation to such individual differences in taste perception, including age, gender, genetic sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil, body mass, dietary preferences and intake, dieting behaviours and restraint. Results revealed that, to varying extents, gender, age, sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil, dietary preferences, habitual dietary intake and restraint all appeared to be related to individual variation in taste responses to fat. However, in general, these differences appeared to exist in the form of differing preferences and levels of intensity with which taste qualities detected in fat were perceived, as opposed to the perception of specific taste qualities being associated with given traits or states. Equally, each of these factors appeared to exert only a limited influence upon variation in sensory responses and thus the potential for using taste responses to fats as a marker for issues such as over-consumption, obesity or eating disorder is at present limited.

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No description available.

In this thesis an investigation of Carl Gustav Jung's transcendent function will be undertaken in relation to women's processes of individuation. These processes will be examined through creative activity in the visual and literary arts. The work of a number of women artists and writers will be considered in order to understand better, the particular qualities of the transcendent function within creative practice and its importance to women's individuation. In the examination of the transcendent function within women's creative activity, the role of visual metaphor will be emphasised in its capacity to carry a specific articulation; feminine and phenomenological, which addresses issues of gender in women's individuation. In exploring the historical and contemporary context of the transcendent function as it relates to both the imaginary and rational capacity of the psyche, as Jung understood it, the early influence of Immanuel Kant's transcendent within the Critique of Judgement will be considered. This will include reference to contemporary revisions of Kant, undertaken by Luce Irigaray and Christine Battersby. An important development in the thesis will be the concept of phenomenological ecriture. With this concept we will re-visit the position of the mother in issues of women's individuation by considering a conscious, early rapport of the infant with the maternal face. This argument, supported by references to the earlier work of D.W Winnicott, Helene Cixous and Julia Kristeva, will be developed and expanded upon by the further consideration of what women's selfhood might entail if a retrieval of the maternal regard includes an archetypal component. Here, C.G Jung will be referred to again, as will James Hillman and the later work of Luce Irigaray. Throughout, and with reference to both Kant and Jung, the aesthetic and moral issues within the transcendent will be investigated in relation to women's exploration of self through creative forms of individuation. In considering the aesthetic, references will be made to the phenomenological philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and a number of particular references within the work of Walter Pater, Roland Barthes and Adrian Stokes. Using particular case studies in women's visual and literary practice, a further perspective is brought to bear on current issues within both Jung's concept of individuation as it relates to women, and within feminist aesthetics and its prevailing understanding of the language and forms of women's authentic articulation.

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No description available.

Categorical Perception (CP) is shown when stimuli that cross a category boundary are discriminated faster, more accurately or more easily than equivalently spaced stimuli from within a category. This thesis investigated the origin and nature of CP of color by asking three questions. First, is CP hardwired? Second, what is the effect of language on CP? Third, is CP really perceptual? These three questions were addressed in a series of experiments that took developmental and cross-cultural approaches. Category effects consistent with the CP model were shown in four-month old infants, toddlers and children across a range of boundaries, using a range of tasks. For the toddlers, there was no effect of colour term acquisition on the size of the category effect. Additionally, despite cross-cultural differences in naming, there were no cross-cultural differences in the size of the category effect in toddlers. There were cross-cultural differences in the category effect in children, although these differences could not easily be explained by differences in naming. The underlying mechanisms of the category effects were explored, certain mechanisms were ruled out, although the exact nature of the category effects in the infants, toddlers and children was unclear. Three conclusions were made. Firstly, it was concluded that the presence of categorical responding in infants may suggest that the category effect is hardwired, although it was also acknowledged that infant categories may be acquired. Secondly, it was concluded that language is not the origin of all category effects and that language does not modify the category effect in toddlers or in children. Finally, it was concluded that 'Categorical Perception' may actually be a range of effects, with a range of underlying mechanisms. Future research is suggested to investigate whether the category effects in infants are acquired, to investigate why effects of language on the category effect are found in adult but not toddler and child studies, and to investigate the exact nature of category effects found in infants, toddlers, children and adults.

Recent research has highlighted that the 'yips' in sport represents a continuum on which choking (anxiety related) and dystonia symptoms anchor the extremes (Smith et al., 2000). Previous research investigating the phenomenon has focussed on the 'yips' being a dystonia and has not considered the psychological experience of the problem in detail (McDaniel, Cummings & Shain, 1989; Sachdev, 1992). The primary aim of this thesis was to see if psychological mechanisms underpin the 'yips' experience and if so relate these to the choking model (Baumeister, 1984). The experimental studies established that individuals who have the 'yips' do experience similar underpinning mechanisms to those cited in Baumeister's (1984) model of choking. These factors included increased anxiety responses, increased self-awareness and attempts consciously to process skilled behaviour. However, the personality traits associated with Baumeister's (1984) model were not supported in this thesis. Baumeister's (1984) contention, that low self-conscious individuals would have a greater disposition towards choking, was not supported. Furthermore, the findings indicated that individuals who were dispositionally high in self-consciousness were more prone to performance decrements under pressure and could be more vulnerable to extreme forms of choking such as the 'yips'. The final aim of this thesis attempted to establish a psychological intervention package that could aid performers who experience the 'yips'. Individuals who experience the problem appear to be unable to image successful performances, and subsequently reinforce negative expectations whenever they attempt to focus on performing. Sufferers also attempt consciously to process their skilled behaviour when they experience stress (Masters, 1992), hence subsequent performances tend to be dominated by the analytical left hemisphere of the brain (Crews, 2001). The psychological intervention strategies were implemented to allow individuals to focus on positive performance expectations that could counteract conscious processing and could subsequently increase activity in the right hemisphere of the brain (Crews, 2001). The findings from these studies established that the use of external imagery and holistic trigger words could help counteract the negative effects of conscious processing and ensure a positive approach to performance. The findings within this thesis can be seen as an initial step towards an understanding of psychological components of the 'yips' experience. Future research should investigate the efficacy of psychological intervention strategies in a number of sports, and test these techniques in ecologically valid competitive conditions. Future research could also usefully examine the aetiology of the 'yips' and establish the relationship between dispositional self-consciousness and the development of the 'yips' in sport.