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The diminished ability to perform everyday tasks is a salient problem for individuals diagnosed with a dementia. Recent research suggest that dementia patients detect significantly fewer action errors than age-matched controls; however, very little is known about the derivation of their error monitoring difficulties. The primary aims of my dissertation were to evaluate a novel, task training action intervention (TT-NAT) designed to increase error monitoring in dementia patients, and to pinpoint the relation between error monitoring and neuropsychological processes in participants who receive the task training intervention. Results indicated that dementia participants in the TT-NAT condition produced fewer total errors and detected significantly more of their errors than individuals in the Standard condition (z = 3.0 and t = 3.36, respectively; p < . 05). Error detection in the TT-NAT condition was strongly related to the language/semantic knowledge composite index only (r = .57, p = .00), whereas it was moderately related to both the language and executive composite indices in the Standard condition. No differences in error correction rates were noted, although patients in all groups corrected the majority of errors detected. The findings suggest that the TT-NAT may be a promising intervention for error monitoring deficits in dementia patients, and have considerable implications for neuropsychological rehabilitation. / Psychology

Thesis advisor: Brinton Lykes / This study used a systematic meta-synthesis methodology to explore and expand upon the field of youth participatory action research (YPAR) through synthesizing findings for a change-oriented audience interested in how YPAR has been and can be leveraged to support youth outcomes reported in current and future YPAR academic literature. With that in mind, I screened, coded, and synthesized studies using both inductive and deductive processes to support my meta-synthesis. This included defining, and systematically searching databases for keywords, screening the academic literature, assessing the quality of the literature, and extracting and presenting the formal data before undergoing detailed thematic analysis and validation. Of the 153 non-duplicated English-language US-based YPAR sources read and analyzed for fit, 20 distinct studies were included in the final sample. These studies were coded for documented reports of youth-led research activities and youth-directed change. A description and analysis of YPAR principles, project and contextual characteristics, study methods, and reported youth outcomes are included. Analyses confirmed that this YPAR literature emphasized youth leadership in problem-posing and data collection contexts, with fewer studies involving youth in leading the data analysis and reporting the academic findings. Moreover, while thereare many studies that report a change as part of the desired action, there are fewer that explicitly explore how the youth understand the change as being aligned with their interests ‒ or that show the youth seeing the change through to the end of their involvement with the project. While most common outcomes associated with participation in YPAR were related to the discussion of youth leadership, followed by academic or social changes, interpersonal outcomes were also explored through discussions about the importance of youth involvement in YPAR. Additionally, more recent research has tended to emphasize the role of change (also called “action” or “impact”) and youth’s protagonism in exploring if the actions that the YPAR studies initiated are beneficial to the youth’s own goals, versus more general goals or outcomes. This meta-synthesis provided increasing support for the role of YPAR in fostering some of the skills and competencies youth wish to acquire and that their teachers, mentors, etc. seek for them. This dissertation offers a methodological discussion on YPAR that can provide greater evidence of YPAR’s contributions to youth outcomes, where youth’s protagonism is explored as a contributing factor for the shifts in intrapersonal, relational, and contextual outcomes. Throughout the dissertation, this meta-synthesis offers suggestions as to implications for research, practice, and policy. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

The use of digital technology can be seen in many aspects of daily lives. Once a symbol of business and the corporate world, digital devices such as computers and cell phones are now common artifacts to adults and children alike. While these devices become more practical and common, questions of their impact on behavior and interactions begin to arise. Digital Drumming is a series of three experiments that examined the impact of known computer participation as a partner in a dyadic creative, experience-driven task. The subjective processes associated with the task of rhythmic music production by inexperienced and experienced participants working collaboratively either with a human or computer partner to produce complex poly-rhythm sounds were investigated. Specifically, the research question asked is: How do inexperienced versus experienced drummers solve problems of what to produce when they have a human partner, versus a computer partner? This is a problem of cooperation, synchronization, and microcoordination (Lee, Tatar, & Harrison, 2010). Data was collected through self-reported questionnaires and audio transcriptions of the actual sessions. Behavioral data and subjective experience responses suggested that participants viewed a computer's role differently depending on their experience level. Participants demonstrated a propensity to simultaneous interaction, often sharing a common tempo with variable rhythmic patterns. The importance of partner, as well as the perception of leader were influenced by the partner type, and the experience level of the participant. This work identifies differ- ent perceptions and expectations that humans of varying prior experience levels have when interacting with and responding to technology, and suggests deeper investigation into how people view technology in creative activities. / Master of Science

We begin by reviewing special and general relativity in such a way as to smoothly transition into current research. We present the variational formalism of general relativity as well as the extension into the palatini formalism. This allows us to develop a theory on a metric affine manifold rather than the standard manifold in general relativity. We present a generalized action intended to replace the Einstein Hilbert action in general relativity and derive some consequences thereof. The modified field equations are derived by varying this action using the Palatini approach. The corresponding differential equations are solved thereby establishing the equivalence between the modified action and the standard action with a cosmological constant. Furthermore the metric due to a spherically symmetric distribution of mass is found and applied in calculating the bending of light in the curved space. It is deduced that no difference between the modified action and the original Einstein Hilbert action is observed thereby implying that the experiment involving the bending of light around the sun in 1919 in no way distinguishes between our modification and the original approach by Einstein and Hilbert.

Yes / This article is based on a large-scale European Commission project on international perspectives on positive action measures. The paper presents an analysis of the perceptions of positive action held by respondents from all the countries participating in an international survey, focussing specifically upon differences across equality grounds, sector and organisation type. This paper will also provide examples of positive action being applied in European and non-European countries that participated in the study. The study adopted extensive literate and online survey to obtain data from designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at the European Commission, individual countries and organisational levels.

Yes / This paper highlights some ofthe methodological challenges which have arisen in collecting data for an international study on positive action measures. It will describe strategies employed to encourage participation in the study from as wide a range of organisations and individuals using a mixed method approach. The paper will also discuss the methodological and sensitive issues related to this type of research in organisations and strategies adopted by the research team to ameliorate any problems that have arisen whilst maintaining trustworthiness and rigour in the study.

Yes / Around the world, inequalities exist around boundaries of race, social class, gender, disability, religious beliefs and sexual orientation, often resulting from past and current discriminatory practices. Governments have taken certain measures, including enacting policies such as positive action, to remedy such discrimination. This paper provides a comparative analysis of perceptions of the impact of positive action in seven EU and three non-EU countries. The study adopted participatory methods including consensus workshops, interviews and policy analysis to obtain data from designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at the EC, individual countries and organisational levels.

No / Affirmative action policies in South Africa and other countries have been designed to address inequity and discrimination, and to manage a wide range of diversity in all spheres of life, particularly after the end of apartheid in 1994. Years after implementing affirmative action in South Africa, perceptions of its impact or even benefit seem to vary from person to person. This article presents the findings from a study utilizing different data sources including document review, interviews, and a consensus workshop on the perceptions of the impact of affirmative action in South Africa. It is part of a larger European Commission–funded comparative study of positive action measures across countries in North America, the European Union, and South Africa. Participants were drawn from different public and private organizational sectors, racial groups, genders, age groups, and people with disabilities. The analyzed data provided insight into how society might be perceiving and reacting to the operation of affirmative action in South Africa.

No / Positive action is a highly contested concept and its meaning varies across states. Law plays a key role in shaping the boundaries of positive action. This paper presents the findings of a comparative study of law and positive action both inside and outside the European Union. It sets out the approach to positive action within European Community (EC) law and, based on that, constructs a legal definition of positive action. It then turns to consider practice at domestic level and uncovers a broad diversity of approaches. The non-EU comparator countries (USA, Canada and South Africa) have been more willing to impose obligations on public and private bodies to engage in positive action than have been the EU Member States considered in this study. Notwithstanding the constraints deriving from EC legislation on positive action measures, there is some evidence of a trend towards duties to take positive action emerging within the EU Member States.