Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-134).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-132).

Not available / text

O uso lesivo de bebidas alcoólicas é o terceiro maior fator mundial de risco de doenças e incapacitação. O álcool pode causar várias alterações no Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC), dentre elas, a diminuição do processamento de informações visuais. Alguns estudos avaliam as alterações nos processos perceptuais durante a Síndrome de Abstinência do Álcool (SAA) por meio da ilusão visual da máscara côncava. Essa ilusão exemplifica o fenômeno ilusório de inversão visual da profundidade de uma máscara humana oca, que é percebida como convexa. Foi encontrado um possível desequilíbrio entre os componentes bottom-up e top-down da percepção visual provocado pelo álcool, capaz de prejudicar a capacidade do indivíduo de perceber essa ilusão. Entretanto, a presente pesquisa investiga uma hipótese alternativa, e sugere que a redução na frequência de respostas de inversão pode resultar de mudanças de critérios para emitir as repostas e não em alterações perceptuais. Para isso, foram utilizados os parâmetros da Teoria da Detecção de Sinal (TDS) aplicada à psicofísica. Participaram da pesquisa 20 indivíduos saudáveis, 20 com SAA leve e 20 com SAA moderada. Eles realizaram duas tarefas experimentais de observação monocular dos lados côncavo e convexo, alternadamente, de uma máscara da face humana de tamanho reduzido. Na tarefa de confidence rating, foram julgadas a concavidade ou convexidade da máscara e o grau de certeza nas respostas, com certeza ou com dúvida. Na tarefa de escolha forçada entre duas alternativas (2AFC), as máscaras foram apresentadas aos pares alternados e o participante identificava o lado côncavo. A análise dos resultados revelou que os indivíduos com SAA moderada apresentaram maiores escores para os índices de sensibilidade R-index, Az, e da, na tarefa de confidence rating, apontando para uma capacidade significativamente maior de identificação e discriminação dos lados côncavo e convexo da máscara. Isto reflete um prejuízo significativo na capacidade destes indivíduos em perceber a ilusão da máscara côncava. Não houve diferença entre os grupos de indivíduos saudáveis e com SAA leve. Entretanto, os grupos com SAA apresentaram um maior grau de certeza em seus julgamentos comparativamente ao grupo controle. Resultados semelhantes para o grupo com SAA moderada foram encontrados na tarefa de escolha forçada para os índices d e taxa de acerto, indicando maior capacidade desses indivíduos em discriminar os dois lados da máscara. Todos os participantes apresentaram critérios de decisão moderados na tarefa de confidence rating. Os indivíduos saudáveis, na tarefa de escolha forçada, se mostraram tão capazes quanto os com SAA moderada na discriminação dos dois lados da máscara. Os indivíduos saudáveis, na tarefa de escolha forçada, se mostraram tão capazes quanto os com SAA moderada na discriminação dos dois lados da máscara. Entretanto, supõe-se que esses resultados foram provenientes de estratégias inesperadas por esses indivíduos em seus julgamentos, prejudicando a validade interna dos resultados; e representam um viés de pesquisa importante. As análises apontam para um possível desequilíbrio, já relatado em estudos anteriores, entre os componentes bottom-up e top-down da percepção visual, provocado pelo álcool, que impede o SNC de corrigir hipóteses perceptuais ambíguas. / The harmful use of alcoholic beverages is the third largest worldwide risk factor for illness and disability. Alcohol can cause several changes in the Central Nervous System (CNS), among them, the decrease in the processing of visual information. Some studies evaluate changes in perceptual processes during Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) through the hollow face illusion. Its exemplifies the illusory visual depth inversion of a hollow human mask, which is perceived as convex. A possible imbalance was found between the bottomup and top-down components of visual perception caused by alcohol, which could impair the individual\'s ability to perceive the illusion. However, the present research investigates an alternative hypothesis, and suggests that the reduction in the frequency of inversion responses may result from changes in the criteria to issue responses rather than on perceptual changes. The parameters of the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) applied to psychophysics allow this analysis. Twenty healthy subjects, 20 with mild AWS and 20 with moderate AWS participated in the study. They performed two experimental tasks of monocular observation of concave and convex sides, alternately, of a reduced size human face mask. In the task of confidence rating, the concavity or convexity of the mask and the degree of certainty in the answers were judged: certainly or with doubt. In the task of forced choice between two alternatives (2AFC), the masks were presented in alternating pairs and the participant identified the concave side. The analysis of the results revealed that individuals with moderate AWS presented higher scores for the sensitivity index scores R-index, Az, and da, pointing to a significantly greater capacity of identification and discrimination of the concave and convex sides of the mask. This reflects a significant impairment in the ability of these individuals to perceive the hollow face illusion. There was no difference between healthy individuals and with mild AWS. However, all groups with AWS presented a greater degree of certainty in their judgments compared to the control group. Similar results for the group with moderate AWS were found in the task of forced choice to the indices d and hit rate, indicating a greater ability of these individuals to discriminate both sides of the mask. Healthy subjects, on the task of forced choice, showed themselves to be as capable as those with moderate AWS in discriminating both sides of the mask. However, it supposed that these results were from unexpected strategies used by these individuals in their judgments, impairing the internal validity of the results, and represented an important research bias. The analyzes point to a possible imbalance, already reported in previous studies, between the bottom-up and top-down components of visual perception, caused by alcohol, which inhibits the CNS from correcting ambiguous perceptual hypotheses.

O uso lesivo de bebidas alcoólicas é o terceiro maior fator mundial de risco de doenças e incapacitação. O álcool pode causar várias alterações no Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC), dentre elas, a diminuição do processamento de informações visuais. Alguns estudos avaliam as alterações nos processos perceptuais durante a Síndrome de Abstinência do Álcool (SAA) por meio da ilusão visual da máscara côncava. Essa ilusão exemplifica o fenômeno ilusório de inversão visual da profundidade de uma máscara humana oca, que é percebida como convexa. Foi encontrado um possível desequilíbrio entre os componentes bottom-up e top-down da percepção visual provocado pelo álcool, capaz de prejudicar a capacidade do indivíduo de perceber essa ilusão. Entretanto, a presente pesquisa investiga uma hipótese alternativa, e sugere que a redução na frequência de respostas de inversão pode resultar de mudanças de critérios para emitir as repostas e não em alterações perceptuais. Para isso, foram utilizados os parâmetros da Teoria da Detecção de Sinal (TDS) aplicada à psicofísica. Participaram da pesquisa 20 indivíduos saudáveis, 20 com SAA leve e 20 com SAA moderada. Eles realizaram duas tarefas experimentais de observação monocular dos lados côncavo e convexo, alternadamente, de uma máscara da face humana de tamanho reduzido. Na tarefa de confidence rating, foram julgadas a concavidade ou convexidade da máscara e o grau de certeza nas respostas, com certeza ou com dúvida. Na tarefa de escolha forçada entre duas alternativas (2AFC), as máscaras foram apresentadas aos pares alternados e o participante identificava o lado côncavo. A análise dos resultados revelou que os indivíduos com SAA moderada apresentaram maiores escores para os índices de sensibilidade R-index, Az, e da, na tarefa de confidence rating, apontando para uma capacidade significativamente maior de identificação e discriminação dos lados côncavo e convexo da máscara. Isto reflete um prejuízo significativo na capacidade destes indivíduos em perceber a ilusão da máscara côncava. Não houve diferença entre os grupos de indivíduos saudáveis e com SAA leve. Entretanto, os grupos com SAA apresentaram um maior grau de certeza em seus julgamentos comparativamente ao grupo controle. Resultados semelhantes para o grupo com SAA moderada foram encontrados na tarefa de escolha forçada para os índices d e taxa de acerto, indicando maior capacidade desses indivíduos em discriminar os dois lados da máscara. Todos os participantes apresentaram critérios de decisão moderados na tarefa de confidence rating. Os indivíduos saudáveis, na tarefa de escolha forçada, se mostraram tão capazes quanto os com SAA moderada na discriminação dos dois lados da máscara. Os indivíduos saudáveis, na tarefa de escolha forçada, se mostraram tão capazes quanto os com SAA moderada na discriminação dos dois lados da máscara. Entretanto, supõe-se que esses resultados foram provenientes de estratégias inesperadas por esses indivíduos em seus julgamentos, prejudicando a validade interna dos resultados; e representam um viés de pesquisa importante. As análises apontam para um possível desequilíbrio, já relatado em estudos anteriores, entre os componentes bottom-up e top-down da percepção visual, provocado pelo álcool, que impede o SNC de corrigir hipóteses perceptuais ambíguas. / The harmful use of alcoholic beverages is the third largest worldwide risk factor for illness and disability. Alcohol can cause several changes in the Central Nervous System (CNS), among them, the decrease in the processing of visual information. Some studies evaluate changes in perceptual processes during Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) through the hollow face illusion. Its exemplifies the illusory visual depth inversion of a hollow human mask, which is perceived as convex. A possible imbalance was found between the bottomup and top-down components of visual perception caused by alcohol, which could impair the individual\'s ability to perceive the illusion. However, the present research investigates an alternative hypothesis, and suggests that the reduction in the frequency of inversion responses may result from changes in the criteria to issue responses rather than on perceptual changes. The parameters of the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) applied to psychophysics allow this analysis. Twenty healthy subjects, 20 with mild AWS and 20 with moderate AWS participated in the study. They performed two experimental tasks of monocular observation of concave and convex sides, alternately, of a reduced size human face mask. In the task of confidence rating, the concavity or convexity of the mask and the degree of certainty in the answers were judged: certainly or with doubt. In the task of forced choice between two alternatives (2AFC), the masks were presented in alternating pairs and the participant identified the concave side. The analysis of the results revealed that individuals with moderate AWS presented higher scores for the sensitivity index scores R-index, Az, and da, pointing to a significantly greater capacity of identification and discrimination of the concave and convex sides of the mask. This reflects a significant impairment in the ability of these individuals to perceive the hollow face illusion. There was no difference between healthy individuals and with mild AWS. However, all groups with AWS presented a greater degree of certainty in their judgments compared to the control group. Similar results for the group with moderate AWS were found in the task of forced choice to the indices d and hit rate, indicating a greater ability of these individuals to discriminate both sides of the mask. Healthy subjects, on the task of forced choice, showed themselves to be as capable as those with moderate AWS in discriminating both sides of the mask. However, it supposed that these results were from unexpected strategies used by these individuals in their judgments, impairing the internal validity of the results, and represented an important research bias. The analyzes point to a possible imbalance, already reported in previous studies, between the bottom-up and top-down components of visual perception, caused by alcohol, which inhibits the CNS from correcting ambiguous perceptual hypotheses.

This study was designed to understand the meaning of the lived experiences of incarcerated male juveniles who had committed drug-related crimes and to suggest guidelines for their rehabilitation with specific reference to their health care needs. In order to achieve these objectives, the researcher used Parse’s (1998) Theory of Human Becoming as a theoretical framework for the study and Parse’s (1998, 2005) phenomenological-hermeneutic research method. This study was restricted to three juvenile correctional centres in the Gauteng province, Republic of South Africa (RSA). A sample of 15 male juveniles (5 at each of the three juvenile correctional centres) was used for the purpose of individual dialogical engagements with the participants. Focus group interview sessions were held with two groups (5 members per group) at two identified juvenile correctional centres. A qualitative content analysis according to methods recommended by Graneheim and Lundman (2004) was performed on the data that was collected from the individual dialogical-engagements and the focus group interviews. The researcher attempted to elucidate the meanings that the participants attached to their experiences of incarceration as narrated by them and analysed the data according to Parse’s (1998; 2005) phenomenological-hermeneutic method comprising of extraction-synthesis and heuristic interpretation. The findings of this research confirm that problems of drug abuse and criminal activity represent a multifaceted, complex and often intractable phenomenon. The research also confirmed that the participants suffer from a variety of emotional and psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, remorse, regret and a craving for the drugs that they had abused before their incarceration. It appears that the participants find it extremely difficult to deal effectively with these disorders on their own and that they are generally averse to asking for professional help and assistance. Interventions to alleviate these problems are crucial for the success of the current rehabilitation programmes being pursued in the correctional centres where the participants are accommodated. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

This study was designed to understand the meaning of the lived experiences of incarcerated male juveniles who had committed drug-related crimes and to suggest guidelines for their rehabilitation with specific reference to their health care needs. In order to achieve these objectives, the researcher used Parse’s (1998) Theory of Human Becoming as a theoretical framework for the study and Parse’s (1998, 2005) phenomenological-hermeneutic research method. This study was restricted to three juvenile correctional centres in the Gauteng province, Republic of South Africa (RSA). A sample of 15 male juveniles (5 at each of the three juvenile correctional centres) was used for the purpose of individual dialogical engagements with the participants. Focus group interview sessions were held with two groups (5 members per group) at two identified juvenile correctional centres. A qualitative content analysis according to methods recommended by Graneheim and Lundman (2004) was performed on the data that was collected from the individual dialogical-engagements and the focus group interviews. The researcher attempted to elucidate the meanings that the participants attached to their experiences of incarceration as narrated by them and analysed the data according to Parse’s (1998; 2005) phenomenological-hermeneutic method comprising of extraction-synthesis and heuristic interpretation. The findings of this research confirm that problems of drug abuse and criminal activity represent a multifaceted, complex and often intractable phenomenon. The research also confirmed that the participants suffer from a variety of emotional and psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, remorse, regret and a craving for the drugs that they had abused before their incarceration. It appears that the participants find it extremely difficult to deal effectively with these disorders on their own and that they are generally averse to asking for professional help and assistance. Interventions to alleviate these problems are crucial for the success of the current rehabilitation programmes being pursued in the correctional centres where the participants are accommodated. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)