M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A number of lifestyle merchandising and advertising strategies are being used in the home furnishings industry. However, there is limited research regarding the effectiveness of these strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore consumers' attitudes toward the lifestyle concept. Analyses of several consumer behavior variables and descriptors offered noteworthy findings for the home furnishings industry. This study found that although lifestyle orientation is a valuable tool for delineating consumer markets, these segmentations were not significant determinates of consumers' preference for elements of the lifestyle construct. Retailers and manufacturers are not simply creating home furnishing collections that target the needs of specific psychographic segment, but rather creating lifestyles being aspired to obtain. Although respondents scored the attitude variables neutral, the current market environment offers many examples of successfully home furnishing implementations of the lifestyle concept. These success stories coupled with additional findings indicate consumers' positive response to lifestyle merchandising.

L’autoritarisme de droite (Right Wing Authoritarianism ; RWA) est une co-variation du conservatisme social, du traditionalisme et de l’autoritarisme. Une des caractéristiques du RWA est une moindre malléabilité des attitudes dans le temps. Cependant, ce lien entre RWA et rigidité des attitudes a été très majoritairement observé dans le cadre de l’étude des relations inter-groupes. Ces études se concentrent sur le lien entre le RWA et le changement d’attitude envers des groupes réels. Si l’intérêt de ces travaux est indéniable, il n’est pas possible d’y examiner la formation et le changement d’attitude de manière contrôlée. En effet, l’étude des groupes sociaux réels implique des effets de contexte ou des préconceptions sociales dans la formation et le changement d’attitude. Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à la compréhension du RWA dans le changement d’attitude au sein d’un cadre standardisé et contrôlé : le conditionnement-contre-conditionnement évaluatif. À travers 11 expériences, nous avons testé si le RWA prédisait un plus faible changement d’attitude envers des stimuli nouveaux et artificiels. Nous avons alors pu observer que le RWA est négativement associé à la sensibilité au contre-conditionnement. Cet effet, présent dans la grande majorité de nos expériences, a été modulé en fonction des caractéristiques du conditionnement-contre-conditionnement. Plus précisément, la quantité d’informations contre-attitudinales disponibles, la présence d’instructions ou encore la diminution des ressources attentionnelles modulent le lien entre RWA et changement d’attitude. Dans l’ensemble, ces résultats corroborent l’hypothèse d’un plus faible changement d’attitude lié au RWA pour des stimuli nouveaux et artificiels. / Right wing authoritarianism (RWA) is a co-variation of social conserva- tism, traditionalism, and authoritarianism. One of the characteristics of RWA is a less malleability of attitudes over time. However, the linkbetween RWA and rigidity of attitudes has mainly been observed in inter- group relation contexts. Such studies focus on the relationship between RWA and attitude change towards real groups. While the value of this work is unde- niable, it is not possible to examine attitude formation and attitude change in a controlled manner. Indeed, studying real social groups implies context effects or social preconceptions on the attitude formation and on attitude change. In this thesis, we are interested in the understanding of RWA in attitude change within a standardized and controlled framework, the evaluative conditioning- counter-conditioning paradigm. Across 11 experiments, we tested whether RWA predicts a lower change of attitude towards new artificial stimuli. We observed that RWA was negatively associated with sensitivity to counter- conditioning. This effect, present in the great majority of our experiments, has been modulated by the characteristics of conditioning-counter-conditioning. More specifically, the amount of counter-attitudinal information available, the presence of instructions, and the decrease in attentional resources were shown to modulate the link between RWA and attitude change. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that a smaller change in attitude is related to RWA even with novel artificial stimuli.

The relationships between gender, gender role attitudes, and participants' anticipation of future life roles (career, marriage, family, and homecare) were examined. Participants consisted of 297 single college students between the ages of 17-29 years (M = 20). Females reported significantly (p< .01) more egalitarian gender role attitudes than males. Significant results were found for the relationship between gender and anticipated life roles (p< .01) as well as between gender role attitudes and anticipated life roles (career role value, r = .14 and marital role value, r = - .18). The study findings suggest a possible gender conflict for females with more egalitarian gender role attitudes and behavior intentions and their male counterparts.

Touch--both touching another and being touched--is a primary form of communication. By old age, both the need and the desire for specific amounts and kinds of touching are well established for the individual. The present study was designed to obtain information about what elderly women in nursing and retirement homes report to be liked and disliked types of touching. Participants who volunteered for this study were 32 ambulatory females 65 years of age or older who were living in nursing or retirement homes. Each participant was shown a set of 20 photos and sketches depicting a staff person touching an elderly woman in various ways, and asked to rate their liking for the particular type of touching on a one to five scale ranging from "like very much" to "dislike very much." The set of photos and sketches included ten comparable scenes with one-half showing a male staff member and the other half showing a female staff member touching an elderly woman. Scenes included: foot massage, helping to stand, back rub, brushing hair, arm around shoulder, holding hand, helping to dress, stroking cheek, helping with toileting, and helping with a shower.

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Malgré certaines recommandations du ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) à l'effet de mieux intégrer et servir la personne soignée, il reste que des clientèles socio-économiquement défavorisées sont identifiées comme des groupes vulnérables, difficiles à rejoindre. Ainsi, il s'avère difficile pour les intervenants de la santé de comprendre leur perception de la maladie et de leur réalité en milieu de pauvreté (Colin, Bibeau, Martin, & Laplante, 1990). La compréhension de la réalité de vie des personnes soignées peut influer sur notre approche et nos soins. À leur tour, ces derniers ont un impact sur les parcours de vie des personnes rencontrées. C'est pourquoi, comme le proposent Hesbeen (2002), Holmes et Perron (2006) et H. Laperrière (2006), il importe, en tant qu'infirmière, de s'engager dans une réflexion qui questionne notre pratique auprès de personnes qui vivent dans un contexte de pauvreté. Le but de la présente étude, qui privilégie l'approche anthropologique proposée par Collière (1982, 2001), est l'exploration des espaces d'intervention des infirmières du CLSC en contexte de pauvreté - vulnérabilité - HLM pour mieux comprendre l'impact de la parole et du regard sur les parcours de vie des personnes vulnérables. Dans cette étude qualitative d'inspiration ethnographique, les résultats ont été obtenus à l'aide d'entrevues individuelles semi-structurées auprès de sept résidents d'un HLM de Québec. L'analyse des données s'est effectuée selon les cinq premières étapes identifiées par Paillé (1994). L'analyse des verbatims a fait émerger deux grands thèmes qui renvoient à la perception des participants concernant l'impact de la parole et du regard des infirmières en CLSC sur leur parcours de vie. Ces thèmes sont: le dialogue au coeur des soins et l'intervention savante. Du premier thème se dégagent trois sous-thèmes: 1) l'établissement d'un lien significatif par la proximité; 2) une parole, un geste, une écoute qui vont au-delà des évidences; 3) une ouverture sur tous les possibles. En rapport avec le thème de l'intervention savante, deux sous-thèmes sont présentés : 1) laissé sans comprendre, ni être compris; 2) histoires de personnes soignées dans leur situation particulière de vie. La synthèse des résultats fait ressortir le fait que lorsque le dialogue est au coeur des soins, cela favorise le sens du pouvoir ± libérateur ¿ des soins. Par le respect, l'écoute et la confiance mutuelle, le dialogue favorise l'implication de la personne soignée afin de développer ses capacités et son autonomie (empowerment) (Zamaron, 2000). Prendre soin prend tout son sens véritable lorsque l'on prend le temps et les moyens de partager (proximité) le quotidien des personnes soignées. Chaque résident a son identité propre qui est le cumul progressif d'expériences de vie et de rencontres qui produisent un effet différent. Tous les résidents ont mentionné leur volonté de prendre la parole dans un contexte où ils seront entendus. Ils sont conscients que lorsque cet espace de dialogue est possible, ils peuvent exprimer la singularité de leur cas et que c'est à travers leur histoire que peut s'inscrire le soin. Des recommandations concernant la compréhension globale et continue de la personne vulnérable par les infirmières sont formulées.

Technological literacy is the goal of technology education and in order to attain this goal, students need to be able "to use, manage and understand technology" (ITEA, 2000/2002/2007). Students need to have positive attitudes towards technology and can engage in their technological world. Technological Literacy is an ever-increasing requirement in this 21st Century for students in order for people to engage in their technological world it may well be that we need students to be technologically literate so that we can address these up-and-coming issues. In teaching technology education at the primary level, it is essential to develop valid assessments that gauge student's attitudes about technology so that the results inform policy makers, educators, and curriculum writers to improve the schools' curriculum and advance the teaching of technology education. The purpose of this study was the validation of a modified version of the PATT-USA instrument called the Pupils' Attitudes Towards Technology – Grade 4 (PATT-G4) for use with 4th grade students to assess their attitudes and concepts toward contemporary technology. A literature review reviewing the theoretical frameworks for technology education, the educational shift towards technological literacy as well as best practices for measuring student attitudes and instrument development was conducted. This study was a non-experimental descriptive cross-sectional survey research design which included several statistical tests that were similarly used for the original PATT-USA instrument. Results from the data analysis indicated that students who were enrolled in a technology education program had more positive attitudes towards technology and technological concepts. Furthermore, both boys and girls had very strong attitudes towards the importance of technology. The conclusions and implications suggest that the PATT-G4 instrument should be administered to a larger sample size and different fourth grade populations. / Doctor of Philosophy / Technological literacy is the goal of technology education and in order to attain this goal, students need to be able "to use, manage and understand technology" (ITEA, 2000/2002/2007). Students need to have positive attitudes towards technology and can engage in their technological world. Technological Literacy is an ever-increasing requirement in this 21st Century for students in order for people to engage in their technological world it may well be that we need students to be technologically literate so that we can address these up-and-coming issues. In teaching technology education at the primary level, it is essential to develop valid assessments that gauge student's attitudes about technology so that the results inform policy makers, educators, and curriculum writers to improve the schools' curriculum and advance the teaching of technology education. The purpose of this study was the validation of a modified version of the PATT-USA instrument called the Pupils' Attitudes Towards Technology – Grade 4 (PATT-G4) for use with 4th grade students to assess their attitudes and concepts toward contemporary technology. The initial administration of this instrument was given to a sample of fourth grade students from three sub-urban elementary schools from a northeastern state. Findings indicated that students who were enrolled in a technology education program had more positive attitudes towards technology and technological concepts. Furthermore, both boys and girls had very strong attitudes towards the importance of technology. The conclusions and implications suggest that the PATT-G4 instrument should be administered to a larger sample size and different fourth grade populations.