Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2009 May 31

xv, 145 p. : ill. (some col.) / This dissertation examines the role of affect in consumer judgments in two essays. The first essay explores the use of affect as a heuristic basis for judgments of the risks and benefits associated with new products. Current perspectives regarding the processes by which consumers make decisions about the adoption of innovations maintain that it is largely a cognitive process. However, the four studies that make up the first essay suggest that consumer assessments of the risks and benefits associated with product innovations are often inversely related and affectively congruent with evaluations of those innovations. The results support and extend previous research that has investigated the affect heuristic in the context of social hazards. The findings further indicate that more affectively extreme evaluations are associated with increasingly disparate assessments of risk and benefit. The results indicate that this relationship is consistent across a variety of products and product categories. Together, these findings challenge traditional conceptualizations of innovation adoption decision making and suggest that cognitive models alone are insufficient to explain innovation adoption decisions. The second essay investigates if processing fluency - the difficulty associated with processing information - may serve as an input to the affect heuristic and subsequent judgments of risk and benefit. Recently, Song and Schwarz investigated the relationship between differences in fluency and perceptions of risk. Their results suggested that fluency experiences influence risk perception through differences in familiarity and not as the result of fluency-elicited affect. The three studies included in the second essay re-examine those results in an effort to clarify the role of affect as a basis for perceptions of risk. The findings document a previously unreported reversal in preference for less fluent stimuli and suggest that fluency-elicited affect can explain the relationship between processing experiences and perceptions of risk. The results have important theoretical implications for our understanding of how people derive meaning from fluency experiences and for the role of fluency-elicited affect as a basis for judgments of risk and benefit. / Committee in charge: David Boush, Chairperson; Robert Madrigal, Member; Joan Giese, Member; Paul Slovic, Outside Member

Orientador: Jorge Sidney Coli Júnior / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T16:21:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marins_DirceuCarlos_D.pdf: 12469254 bytes, checksum: a5f688b813a1ecb14cc07ff2da39c473 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A partir dos filmes dirigidos pelo cineasta norte-americano Clint Eastwood, a pesquisa procura estabelecer uma apreciação dessa produção audiovisual através da paisagem. As relações indiciárias encontradas traçam motivos estéticos que se tomou por um estilo flutuante. A tese central é a de como os afetos e as locações/paisagens compõem efeitos poéticos e actanciais dentro desse estilo. Esses recursos são observados em suas modulações e efeitos recorrentes, ao longo de toda a filmografia do cineasta. A paisagem nos filmes - tomada aqui como os cenários naturais e naturados, tanto geográficos quanto meteorológicos - é estudada como elemento narrativo e, ao mesmo tempo, iconográfico. As modulações de suas aparições são tecidas a par de personagens outsiders e seus afetos no cinema do diretor, através da seleção de fotogramas/frames (cenas, sequências e planos sequência) de alguns de seus filmes. Assim, a pesquisa se apresenta em duas partes principais: I) filmografia completa, com detalhes técnicos e indicações do comportamento das tramas e das paisagens (na maior parte das obras); II) recortes específicos de algumas obras e de suas paisagens, por tópicos que conversam por entre diferentes filmes e períodos da filmografia do diretor. Relações com a pintura e outros diretores estabelecem, também, uma moldura de recursos estilísticos que atravessam essas composições audiovisuais / Abstract: By directed films of northamerican filmmaker Clint Eastwood the tesis accomplished an appreciation of this audiovisual production through landscape. The clues relations found marks esthetical motives that take it for a floating style. The central thesis is how the affections and the locations/landscapes compound poeticals and actancials effects into this style. This resources are watching in his modulations and recurring effects toward all filmography by the filmmaker. The landscape in the movies - take it here like the natural and naturated scenarios, also geographical and meteorological - is studied like narrative element and, at the same time, iconographical. The modulations of his appearance are tailoring by the side of outsiders characters and his affections in the cinema of the director, by selected frames (scenes, sequences and plan-sequences) of some of his movies. Thus the research shows in two principal parts: I) complete filmography with technical details and indications of the behavior of plots and the landscapes (in most of the works); II) specific cuttings of some of this works and his landscapes by topics that talk between different movies and periods of the filmography of the director. Relationships with the painting and other directors establishes too a frame of stylistic resources that crossing this audiovisuals compositions / Doutorado / Historia da Arte / Doutor em História

M.Ed. (Subject Didactics of Mathematics) / The phenomenon commonly known as 'mathematics anxiety' has been discovered by researchers endeavouring to determine the cause of problems with mathematics, the antagonism against it, and the deliberate avoidance of the subject. The way in which we view and experience mathematics has a radical influence on our decision-making. Mathematics anxiety is a dominant factor in the decisionmaking process of pupils in a wide spectrum of situations, and research has confirmed that mathematics anxiety invariably has a negative, hampering effect. The development of mathematics anxiety is a gradual process which can commence at any stage of a pupil's school career. By means of a questionnaire it has been established that the problem regarding mathematics anxiety stems primarily from the very nature and structure of the subject. Secondary factors such as the language of mathematics, textbooks, personality, society, the curriculum, evaluation, time limitation and problem solving have been identified empirically as variables in the development of mathematics anxiety. Since mathematics anxiety is an emotional and not an intellectual problem, it can be overcome. Early intervention can prevent the establishment of a negative attitude. Affordable individual tuition and more confidence are according to the responses received, the most important means by which mathematics anxiety can be reduced. It is essential to develop the mathematical reading skills of mathematics anxious pupils. Once skilled, pupils can fill the gaps in their pre-knowledge by using study manuals which are carefully structured for self-study purposes...

D.Ed. / According to Victor Frankl each person determines his own destiny by making choices and each individual is responsible for his own self-actualization (Frankl, 1975:101 ). Individuals should therefore be made aware of their own potential and what they should be able to accomplish (Frankl, 1975:95). Goleman stated that not all people will develop or reach their full potential and not all people are emotionally literate. He stated that programmes in emotional development should be presented in order for individuals to become more self-aware, more motivated, less impulsive and to understand others and themselves better (Goleman, 1996:284). Learners should also take note of their values, perceptions, attitudes, temperaments and personalities so that they can develop. Adolescents are neither children nor grown-ups and are in search of their own identities. They should be accompanied by grown-ups to develop their full potential (Garbers, 1983:3). According to Louw (1990:424) adolescents are sensitive to problems, missing elements and disharmony and it is therefore the appropriate time to use developmental programs. In this research project the researcher used a focus group as case study. Eleven adolescents between the ages of ten and fourteen, participated. The program was divided into three main categories, namely intra-personal functioning; interpersonal functioning and change. Under the first part, intra-personal funct;oning, the themes: self-knowledge, self-acceptance, internal dialogue and realistic expectations were discussed. Under the second part, interpersonal functioning, the themes that were discussed were: empathy, trust, respect, understanding, consideration, helpfulness, conflict, self-assertiveness and leadership. The last part dealt with change and life-long self-actualization. Ten sessions of ninety minutes each were held and constructivistic principles were taken into account. A variety of learning activities occurred and selfreflection was done. After the completion of the program, learners were interviewed and learning outcomes were discussed with parents. The research methodology used by the researcher comprised qualitative, explorative and phenomenological descriptive methodology within an educational context. Evaluation was based on learners' workbooks, selfreflection forms, field notes, group participation and posters. According to the evaluated data that was received, the program in affective development for adolescents was successful. A new conceptual framework was developed to facilitate affective development of adolescents.

There were two major goals of this study - to examine validity of scores for the Boholst Life Position Scale and to examine potential associations between life positions and affective traits. Two hundred seventy-seven students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes at a large university volunteered for the study. Concurrent validity of scores for the life position scale was supported based on two compared instruments. Pearson product-moment correlations for the comparisons were -.765 and .617, both statistically significant at the p < .001 level. Factor analysis demonstrated that the scale could accurately be conceptualized as consisting of two factors - an "I" factor and a "You" factor. MANOVA, ANOVA, multiple linear regression, and canonical correlation analysis were used to examine associations between life positions and the affective traits of angry, sad, glad, social anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life. Subjects were catagorized into four groups representing their life position: "I'm OK, you're OK," "I'm OK, you're not OK," "I'm not OK, you're OK," and "I'm not OK, you're not OK." A MANOVA employing life position as the independent variable with four levels and the six affective traits as the dependent variables demonstrated statistical significance (p < .001 level) and h2 was .505. All six separate ANOVAs, with life position as the independent variable and each separate affective trait as the dependent variable, revealed statistical significance (p < .001) and h2 varied from a high of .396 for the sadness variable to a low of .116 for social anxiety. Six separate multiple linear regression equations using two independent variables, a measure of self-esteem and a measure of the perceived OK-ness of others, and each separate affective trait as the dependent variable, showed statistical significance (p < .001). The average Adjusted R2 was .475. Both canonical correlation functions were statistically significant (Rc12 = .77 and Rc22 = .21). In summary, life positions were strongly associated with specific affective traits.

Play is a significant part of childhood. Typically developing children exhibit a wide range of interests within their play behavior, but children with autism do not. The purpose of this study was to design and implement an assessment tool that will capture the constellation of behaviors indicating play interests in young children. The Early Play Interests Assessment (EPIA) includes categories of play behavior and their components behaviors. Additionally, measures of child affect were built into the EPIA. All behaviors were observed under various environmental conditions. The results show that the EPIA was useful in observing toddlers' play behavior within behavioral categories and components and in assessing the interactions among these measures of play interests. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of creating observational systems to quantify play interests in typical and atypical children and for establishing a link between the information gathered in assessment and the planning and implementation of autism interventions.

Orientador: Orly Zucatto Mantovani de Assis / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T00:44:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Freitas_MariaLuisadeLaraUzunde_M.pdf: 28803238 bytes, checksum: 637e161d01927b8294f7cf69d894747f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Ao fundamentar-se na teoria de Jean Piaget, este trabalho investiga o uso das condutas de representação da função simbólica, que a criança manifesta no estágio de desenvolvimento pré-operatório, como um meio de avaliação e intervenção em atendimentos psicopedagógicos de crianças. Foi realizado um estudo de caso, entre o período de maio de 2005 e março de 2006, com um participante de cinco anos de idade (GIL), cujos objetivos delineados foram: propiciar a manifestação das condutas de representação da criança; verificar quais condutas de representação são manifestadas pela criança; classificar e analisar as condutas de representação quanto à estrutura e o tipo de representação; realizar a avaliação do desenvolvimento cognitivo e afetivo e realizar intervenções visando favorecer o desencadeamento do processo de equilibração cognitiva e o desenvolvimento afetivo da criança. Quanto aos resultados obtidos, observou-se que o material diversificado, utilizado no ambiente de atendimento, propiciou a manifestação das condutas de representação, as quais ocorreram por meio do jogo simbólico, linguagem e desenho. As representações estruturaram-se por meio de temáticas e uso de materiais que respeitaram certa regularidade, além de se manifestaram por meio de idéias ordenadas e coerentes, que indicam uma organização simbólica. Quanto à avaliação cognitiva, GIL demonstrou possuir as noções de espaço, tempo e causalidade condizentes com o estágio de desenvolvimento em que se encontra. Na avaliação afetiva, verificou-se que os estados afetivos de GIL, quanto aos acontecimentos de sua vida, transpareceram por meio das condutas de representação, ao extravasar seus sentimentos e, ao mesmo tempo, ao demonstrar sua motivação, curiosidade e criatividade. Em relação às intervenções, verificou-se que as mesmas favoreceram o desencadeamento do processo de equilibração cognitiva e o desenvolvimento afetivo de GIL. Isso pode ser observado nos resultados obtidos nas provas piagetianas de diagnóstico do comportamento operatório e em avaliações elaboradas pelos pais e pela escola de GIL / Abstract: Based on Jean Piaget¿s theory, this work is focused on the use of the representation conducts of the symbolic function, which a child presents in his or her preoperational stage of development, as a means to evaluate and to intervene in infants psycho-pedagogical consulting. A case study with a five years old child (hereby called GIL) was conducted between March 2005 and March 2006. The pursued objectives were: to facilitate the occurrence of the child representation conducts; to verify which representation conducts were presented by him or her; to classify and to analyze the representation conducts regarding to their structure and type of representation; to evaluate the child affective and cognitive development; and to intervene aiming at facilitating the cognitive equilibration process and the affective development arousing. Regarding to the obtained results, it could be noted that the varied material used in the attendance environment allowed the occurrence of the representation conducts, which occurred through symbolic games, language, and drawing. The presented representations were structured through themes and through the use of materials which kept a certain regularity, besides through ordered and coherent ideas, which pointed out a symbolic organization. Regarding to the cognitive evaluation, GIL organized his representations from time, space, and causality notions, presenting results which are consistent with his development stage. Concerning to GIL affective evaluation, the affective states linked to his life events were shown through the representation conducts, when demonstrating his feelings and, at the same time, when presenting motivation, curiosity, and creativity. Concerning to interventions, they facilitated GIL cognitive equilibration process and his affective development. This can be observed in the results obtained in Piagetian operational behavior diagnosis proofs, and in evaluations produced by his parents and school members / Mestrado / Psicologia, Desenvolvimento Humano e Educação / Mestre em Educação

That odors play a significant role in subhuman intraspecies communication is a generally accepted fact explained in part by the production and reception of species specific pheromones. Recently the effects of human produced odors on human communication have received research attention, particularly in the communication of such biological phenomena as menstruation onset and gender assignment. Again pheromones have been posited as the explanatory mechanism. Whether a pheromone-like odor cued process exists in the communication of human emotions is unknown, though a number of anecdotal accounts of odor-emotion interactions suggest that such may be the case. It was the purpose of the present study to investigate a possible odor-emotion interaction by determining whether humans could differentially detect other humans' odor collected under varying emotional conditions.

Dance is an enjoyable activity that children can engage in across the lifespan. Many children with autism have limited leisure activity, such as dance, and also have challenges in terms of overall health related to physical activity. Previous research suggests that there are both immediate and prolonged benefits of exercise. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a group dance period on on-task behavior, social attending, affect, stereotypic behavior, and disruptive behavior of three girls diagnosed with autism. The experimenter employed a reversal to evaluate the effects of a "dance party" on a range of behaviors over time. During dance activities, staff and children danced as a group and were observed before and after the dance period. During baseline there was no dance party. While no differences were found across measures, the children did have high levels of favorable affect during the dance party. The results are discussed in the context of previous literature and directions for future studies.