This study is based on discussions with three focus groups on the issue of individuals' views on environmental responsibility in everyday life. Responsibility is the red thread that emerged from the empirical material from the focus groups and the theoretical framework. The discussions have been focused on whether the problems from household related environmental issues are caused by individual or structural reasons and whether they should be resolved through changes in individuals' behavior or helping structures. Car usage has been a particular focus, since from all household activities that is the one causing the greatest environmental impact (SCB 2015b). Objectively speaking, most participants argued that environmental problems are or should be easy to solve and that the solutions should involve influencing individuals' values ​​and norms, thus referring to internal factors. Based on the individual's own situation, however, most participants indicated mainly external factors as obstacles from living out environmental responsibility in the way that they felt they should. Tendencies of various psychological and sociological defense mechanisms could be distinguished, which is an expected impact of the cognitive dissonance that many apparently are experiencing regarding environmental responsibility. Working for enabling structures is an important conclusion from this study. Regarding the car's role it is likely that it is about finding more ways of helping individuals to change their travel mode since the environmental impact of car usage is something that most people are aware of, but feel unable to change. Solutions must therefore involve external factors. / Denna uppsats bygger på samtal med tre fokusgrupper i frågan om individers syn på miljöansvar i vardagen. Ansvar är den röda tråd som vuxit fram mellan det empiriska materialet från fokusgrupperna och det teoretiska ramverket. Det har handlat om huruvida problem kopplade till hushållsrelaterade miljöfrågor är orsakade av individuella eller strukturella anledningar och om de bör lösas genom förändringar i individers beteenden eller hjälpande strukturer. Bilanvändningen har getts ett särskilt fokus, då det av hushållens olika aktiviteter är den som orsakar allra störst miljöpåverkan (SCB 2015b). Rent objektivt konstaterade de flesta deltagarna att miljöproblem är eller borde vara enkla att lösa, att lösningarna handlar om att påverka individers värderingar och normer, alltså inre faktorer. Utifrån individernas egen situation angavs dock främst yttre faktorer som hinder från att leva ut det miljöansvar på de sätt som de kände att de borde. Tendenser till olika psykologiska och sociologiska försvarsmekanismer kunde skönjas, vilka är väntade effekter av den kognitiva dissonans som många tycks uppleva i fråga om miljöansvar. Att arbeta för möjliggörande strukturer är därför en viktig slutsats. Gällande bilens roll, kan förmodas att det även här handlar om att hitta fler hjälpande sätt för individer att ändra färdsätt, då miljöeffekterna av bilanvändningen är något som de flesta är medvetna om men själva känner sig oförmögna att förändra. Lösningarna måste därför handla om yttre faktorer. / <p>Alternativ svensk titel:</p><p>Ingen kan inte göra allt, men alla kan göra något? - En komparativ studie om hur individer resonerar kring miljöansvar i vardagen</p>

This dissertation investigates vocal behavior, measured using standard acoustic and commercial vocal analysis software, as it occurs naturally while lying, experiencing cognitive dissonance, or receiving a security interview conducted by an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA).In study one, vocal analysis software used for credibility assessment was investigated experimentally. Using a repeated measures design, 96 participants lied and told the truth during a multiple question interview. The vocal analysis software's built-in deception classifier performed at the chance level. When the vocal measurements were analyzed independent of the software's interface, the variables FMain (Stress), AVJ (Cognitive Effort), and SOS (Fear) significantly differentiated between truth and deception. Using these measurements, a logistic regression and machine learning algorithms predicted deception with accuracy up to 62.8%. Using standard acoustic measures, vocal pitch and voice quality was predicted by deception and stress.In study two, deceptive vocal and linguistic behaviors were investigated using a direct manipulation of arousal, affect, and cognitive difficulty by inducing cognitive dissonance. Participants (N=52) made verbal counter-attitudinal arguments out loud that were subjected to vocal and linguistic analysis. Participants experiencing cognitive dissonance spoke with higher vocal pitch, response latency, linguistic Quantity, and Certainty and lower Specificity. Linguistic Specificity mediated the dissonance and attitude change. Commercial vocal analysis software revealed that cognitive dissonance induced participants exhibited higher initial levels of Say or Stop (SOS), a measurement of fear.Study three investigated the use of the voice to predict trust. Participants (N=88) received a screening interview from an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) and reported their perceptions of the ECA. A growth model was developed that predicted trust during the interaction using the voice, time, and demographics.In study four, border guards participants were randomly assigned into either the Bomb Maker (N = 16) or Control (N = 13) condition. Participants either did or did not assemble a realistic, but non-operational, improvised explosive device (IED) to smuggle past an ECA security interviewer. Participants in the Bomb Maker condition had 25.34% more variation in their vocal pitch than the control condition participants.This research provides support that the voice is potentially a reliable and valid measurement of emotion and deception suitable for integration into future technologies such as automated security screenings and advanced human-computer interactions.

The problem of this study was to determine through the use of taped media receptivity to dissonant or consonant information and to appraise those conditions which bring about change in attitude in light of dissonance theory.

One of the biggest challenges for the modern society is that of climate change. Despite the growing accumulation of scientific evidence that points towards a strong need for action to be made regarding anthropogenic (human made) climate change, there is a lack of unity in what actions are needed and an outspread passivity amongst both establishments and the public. The reason behind this is attributed to lack of belief in anthropogenic climate change, and lack of pro-environmental attitudes amongst the public. Furthermore, these issues have been found to relate to identity related beliefs and attitudes that conflict with pro-environmental beliefs and attitudes, where political orientation has proven to be a strong factor. One way of dealing with these issues could be through informational influences. By presenting people to information shaped in different ways, one could increase the belief in anthropogenic climate change and pro-environmental attitudes. This study examined the relationship between three different informational influences, and its potential effect on climate change beliefs and attitudes. Furthermore, this study examined the relationship between demographic factors such as age, gender and political orientation with regards to their potential effect on climate change beliefs and attitudes. 449 participants completed a survey with intent to measure the potential effects informational influences and demographic factors had on climate change beliefs and attitudes. Despite that indications where found, no significant results could be identified for the informational influences. All demographic factors had some significant effect on climate change beliefs or attitudes, where political orientation was the strongest influencing factor. This relates to earlier research and further implications were discussed for future studies.

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The aims of this research are to identify the elements of leader sensemaking which both promote and hinder mindset change. I Use a qualitative, ethnographic active participant research approach in three organisations and semi-structured interviews with leaders from other organisations. My research identifies the inter-related elements of leader sensemaking of an organisational change methodology which is influenced in its approach by postmodern thinking and which challenges current mindsets about leadership and organisation. By identifying and establishing the interrelationship between nine key elements of leader sensemaking my research provides academics and practitioners with a basis for facilitating leader mindset change. I also identify further research opportunities around issues of sustaining individual mindset change and embedding this in organisational culture, which I have identified as a result of my research. Nine key elements of sensemaking are identified and used to understand the sensemaking process of leaders. I identify the relationship between the elements and the impact they can have in both promoting and inhibiting mindset change. My research finds that current leader thinking about organisations, leadership and organisational change is largely modernist in perspective. When presented with a methodology that is influenced by a postmodern perspective all the elements shape and influence the sense the leaders make of the challenge to their mindset and their decision on whether or not to engage with the methodology. These elements are inter-related, each is essential but insufficient in isolation, and each influences, and is influenced by, all the others. My research explores the relationship between the sensemaking elements in a range of practical organisational settings. In so doing it provides insight into how those wishing to influence the mindsets of others can understand and recognise the dynamic of sensemaking, whilst highlighting that changing leader mindsets is not something that has easy ‘how to’ answers or which can be achieved by following simplistic cause and effect step models that are prevalent in the current literature which many practitioners are familiar with.

Denna undersöker hur ungdomars attityder till tobak påverkas av olika typer av exponering. Det finns idag specifika begränsningar och restriktioner för hur marknadsföring av tobak får se ut i Sverige men trots det exponeras vi dagligen på sociala medier, i affärer och liknande, ofta utan vidare medvetenhet. Vi ville genomföra en undersökning över hur ungdomars attityder till tobak skapas och påverkas av sociala, interna och externa påtryckningar. Genom våra två fokusgrupper har vi lyckats samla önskat material och där av kunnat klarlägga flera svar till hur olika typer av exponering påverkar ungdomars attityder till tobak.

Questionner une personne sur un comportement rend ce dernier plus susceptible d’être réalisé. Trois types d’explications pour cet effet question-comportement ont été étudiées au cours de neuf expériences : une explication normative, une explication attitudinale et une explication motivationnelle. Une première série de quatre études a testé l’explication normative. Seule une étude a présenté des résultats laissant penser que questionner l’individu sur un comportement normatif le conduit à réaliser ce comportement afin de ne pas ressentir de dissonance cognitive. Trois autres expériences ont montré que le comportement cible est plus accessible chez l’individu questionné et que cette accessibilité médie la relation entre les questions et le comportement. De plus, l’attitude associée est déterminante dans l’adoption du comportement. Enfin, les deux dernières études expérimentales ont testé l’explication motivationnelle sans parvenir à collecter des résultats nets en sa faveur. Selon cette dernière explication, répondre à des questions sur un comportement active le but de réaliser ce comportement, ce qui engendre d’autres processus cognitifs (i.e., motivation implicite, accessibilité des informations liées au but). Les résultats sont synthétisés à l’aide de méta-analyses et discutés afin de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement de ce phénomène. / Questioning people toward a behavior makes this behavior more likely to be performed. Three possible explanations of this question-behavior effect have been investigated in nine experiments: a normative, an attitudinal and a motivational explanation. Four studies tested the normative explanation. Only one of them shows results attesting that people perform the target behavior after questions to avoid cognitive dissonance. Three more experiments brought results supporting the implication of an accessibility (mediator) process in the question-behavior effect. Moreover, the attitude was decisive in the occurrence of the effect. The motivational explanation has been tested with two experiments who did not provide the expected results. The assumption was that questioning activates the goal of performing the behavior with goal pursuit consequences (i.e., implicit motivation and accessibility of the goal-related information). Results have been summarized with meta-analysis and discussed with the aim of improving the understanding of the question-behavior effect.

The concept of critical consciousness centers on the capacity for involvement in social change efforts. Its development has been the aim of many recent social movements (e.g., the consciousness raising groups of the women's movement). In this work, critical consciousness is defined as the highest level of socio-political-cultural (SPC) consciousness development. SPC consciousness is characterized by the linking of the personal and the political so that structures and discourses of oppression are not only understood but also lead to critical action and transforming relations of domination. Additionally, critical consciousness includes the ability to tolerate ambivalence and conflict as well as the capacity to form group identifications that support critical reflection. While critical consciousness can develop in a variety of settings, it has a historical affinity with liberation education projects, particularly education projects that combine Critical Pedagogy and community engaged learning. Empirical inquiry on critical consciousness development is extremely limited. This dissertation addresses that gap, focusing specifically on the role of emotion and relationality in critical consciousness development. Further, the study offers a feminist critique of the literature, addressing as well the contribution of Community Psychology to conceptualizing critical consciousness. This dissertation analyzes data gathered through the Girl Power Senior Capstone, a course routinely taught at an urban Pacific Northwest public university. The six-hour course lasts for one quarter-term and integrates classroom time with community engagement. A central aim of the course is the development of critical consciousness. Specifically, the research was designed to address the following questions: 1) How are emotionally and relationally significant Girl Power experiences related to SPC consciousness development? 2) What tensions arise between the dominant culture and/or significant others' values and the values of the Girl Power capstone and how do these tensions move individuals toward or away from critical consciousness? The theoretical framework and interview schedule were guided by participant observation of the Girl Power course conducted over an academic term. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all consenting and available capstone participants (N=10) in the course where participant-observations were carried out. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed based on a modified version of Carol Gilligan's Listening Guide. Two primary themes emerged from the data analysis-- the processes of awakening and sources of dissonance. The first theme relates to the processes of transformation that participants undergo during and following the course. Participants discuss this process as coming to see the world in a new way though their emotional experiences and relations developed in the course. The second theme, sources of dissonance, addresses sources of conflict that emerge as participants undergo this process of awakening. Areas of tension that were particularly salient centered on relationships and experiences in the course. Participants identified experiences in the course that they perceived as contributing in key respects to SPC consciousness. Yet some aspects of change in the course seemed to reflect limiting capacities, including magical thinking, a limited range of critical action strategies, and lack of critical community post Girl Power. The findings from the dissertation can be used to inform the creation and implementation of future projects of critical consciousness development and social justice work more broadly.

<p>Individer har olika grad av Preference for consistency (PFC) och är en bidragande orsak till hur man uppfattar och agerar i konsumentsammanhang. Studien undersökte om höga PFC- individer var mer positiva till ”ett erbjudande” med hög konsekvenskänsla. Tre betingelser med varierande manipulationsgrad användes och data samlades in från 74 studenter. Ett frågeformulär med tillhörande erbjudande presenterades för deltagarna som fyllde i ett antal frågor och en PFC-B skala. Studien lyckades inte ge stöd åt hypotesen. Däremot förekom en illusion av osårbarhet och en tredjepersoneffekt. Studien lyckades troligtvis inte konstruera ett tillräckligt bra instrument som skapade rätt konsekventkänsla vilket bidrog till att deltagarna inte blev påverkade av erbjudandet i den grad som var förväntat.</p>