For purposes of this background study, previous research findings relating to the development of the concept of field dependence - independence may be traced in five clearly distinct and logical stages: Stage 1: The Determination of the Factors Responsible for the Maintenance of Proper Orientation to the Upright. Stage 11: The Investigation of Individual Differences in the Manner of Establishing the Upright. Stage III: The Consideration of Possible Hypotheses to Account for Consistent Individual Differences in this Mode of Perception. Stage IV: An Investigation of the Relationship Between an Individual's Characteristic Way of Perceiving and his General Personality Organisation Stage V: The Ultimate Extension and Elaboration of this Work into the Construct of Psychological Differentiation which proposes that individuals are likely to function at a more differentiated or less differentiated level in many areas of behaviour. Some discussion of these stages is necessary to provide background for the present study. Chapter 1, p. 1.

This is an exploratory study to compare the vocational interests of Black and White school-leaving boys in South Africa. The aim of the study is, first, to test the hypothesis that the samples hold similar stereotypes of vocations and that they structure interest fields in a similar way; and, second. to test the hypothesis that the vocational interests of the samples are different. The samples comprise four hundred and ten matriculants from schools in Johannesburg and Soweto. The methodological requirements for conducting cross-cultural research are adhered to as far is practically possible. The main findings provide general support for the hypotheses. It is found that the Black and White samples have similar vocational stereotypes and that they structure interest fields similarly, and in a way which closely approximates the reported structures characteristically found in Western culture. The Black and White samples differ in their vocational interests, although there are also similarities.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / This study examined associations between two domain-specific manifestations of perceived psychologically controlling parenting (i.e., dependency oriented and achievement-oriented), dimensions of personality vulnerability to depression (i.e., dependency and self-criticism), and depressive symptoms in Peruvian late adolescents (N = 292, 60 % female). Structural equation modeling showed that perceived dependency-oriented psychological control was related specifically to dependency and that perceived achievement-oriented psychological control was related specifically to self-criticism. Both dimensions of personality vulnerability played an intervening role in associations between the domains of psychologically controlling parenting and depressive symptoms. In addition, dependency-oriented psychological control interacted with perceived parental responsiveness in the prediction of depressive symptoms, such that responsiveness exacerbated effects of psychological control on depressive symptoms. Results were similar across maternal and paternal ratings of parenting. Findings are interpreted in light of the debate about the cross cultural generalization of the effects of psychologically controlling parenting. / Revisión por pares

This study investigates refusals of requests and offers utilised by speakers of Iraqi Arabic and British English, as well as by Iraqi learners of English. It aims to identify the strategies of refusal employed by these three groups of speakers, as well as any differences between them. 60 subjects participated in this study. 20 Iraqi Arabic Speakers (IAs), 20 Iraqi Learners of English (ILEs), and 20 British English Speakers (BEs). The elicitation method adopted for the data collection consisted of a discourse completion test (DCT) and a series of open-ended role plays. In both cases, the scenarios employed varied systematically along the following parameters: social status, social distance, rank of imposition and gender. The data obtained by both methods were categorised into a number of strategies. An attempt was made to provide a comprehensive description of the nature of refusal strategies used by the subjects. The strategies identified were categorised following the Beebe et al (1990) scheme of refusals. In addition, they were classified according to the (im)politeness superstrategies posited by Brown and Levinson (1987) and Culpeper (1996). The results indicate that the choice of refusal strategies reflects characteristics of Iraqi versus British English culture. These results are as follows: 1. Although both groups of subjects displayed sensitivity to the social factors referred to above, the relative influence of each factor differed from one group to another. Thus, Iraqi Arabic Speakers (IAs) and Iraqi Learners of English (ILEs) varied their refusal strategies mainly according to status and distance, while British English Speakers (BEs) did so mainly according to status and gender. Besides, the responses of the three groups were influenced by the degree of imposition.2. The application of refusals employed by the three groups differed according to the eliciting method, namely, the DCT and the Role-Play. Consequently, various refusal strategies collected via the Role Play did not appear in the data collected by the DCT and vice versa. 3. Certain strategies employed by Iraqi speakers of Arabic were nonexistent in the data of British English speakers and vice versa. 4. The study of the interlanguage of Iraqi learners of English as a foreign language also confirmed the hypothesis that there is evidence for pragmatic transfer in the order, the frequency and the content of semantic formulae used.

Expectations about interpersonal distance during social encounters (distance schemata) and body orientation (orientation schemata) were investigated among White English-speakers and Xhosa groups which included illiterate traditionalists (Reds), poorly educated urban dwellers, and highly literate students and nurses. In a series of six experiments a doll placement task was used in which subjects represented dyadic encounters by placing pairs of standing dolls. For each situation represented the responses of each group of subjects were summarised in the form of a profile which showed the mean of the distance and three angle measures (IPOS profile). Independent variables included culture of subject, type of situation represented (friendly encounter, quarrel, accusation and denial, request) and the sex, age or relationship of the persons represented. In the culminating experiment (Experiment 6), females from three Xhosa groups (Reds or XR, poorly educated urban or XU, and urban nurses or XN) made twenty-three placements. In some respects the schemata of the four groups were very similar, while in others both distance and orientation schemata were a function of cultural group. The experiments allowed an assessment of the validity of the doll placement method to be made, and results were discussed in terms of the effects on interpersonal distance and body orientation of cultural norms concerning the showing of respect and the nature and strength of the emotions present in the various types of situation. It was concluded that with cultural movement away from the traditionalist pattern the schemata of the urban Xhosa showed a transition towards those found among the Whites in some respects. However, while the schemata of the XN group showed features of both those of the XR and White groups, those of the XU group showed features found in neither which seemed to reflect the insecurity of the cultural milieu of the urban poor.

This study examines commonalities and differences in leadership choices preferred by female leaders in Kazakhstan, Sweden and the United States of America. The results of the study show that all respondents (1) value the same leadership traits; (2) recognize the importance of mentorship; (3) share the same opinion about what is the most common mistake that can derail a leader's career and (4) face the same challenges at the workplace. The study revealed differences in following categories: (1) family-work balance issue; (2) conflicts at the workplace; (3) leadership development practices; (4) choosing among equally - qualified candidates. Since the entire Central Asian region is largely overlooked in cultural analysis of managerial styles, I also suggest an original cultural metaphor for Kazakhstan and an original dimensional analysis of Kazakh culture. I also argue that leadership choices develop and transform over the time adjusting to the changes of the social reality.

There is strong research support for the effectiveness and feasibility of family-centered, evidence-based programs (EBPs) to prevent the developmental and negative effects of youth problem behaviors. Despite this support, there is a relatively low rate of disseminating existing EBPs to diverse nations and cultures, and there is even less research being conducted to evaluate the existing efforts towards dissemination and uptake. Youth problem behavior prevention is a burgeoning area of psychological study in Spain, yet Spanish psychologists do not currently utilize evidence-based prevention approaches. This study aimed to fill gaps in the research related to understanding best practices in disseminating and evaluating the dissemination of EBPs to international settings and to evaluating the uptake of a family-centered EBPs for use in Spain to prevent problem behavior in adolescence and adulthood. The current study utilized a pretest/posttest with a follow-up, randomized control design to conduct a pilot feasibility and effectiveness trial of a family-centered EBP proven to effectively prevent problem behavior during adolescence. Seventeen pre-adolescents (ages 9-12) and their parents from the Seville metropolitan area in Spain were randomly assigned to receive the Family Check-Up intervention (FCU) or waitlist-control condition. This study used a multimodal, multi-agent approach to (1) examine intervention feasibility and uptake, (2) measure trends in youth adjustment and family management practices in the study sample, (3) examine differences in youth behavior and internalizing problems, and positive parenting, limit setting, and monitoring based on intervention group assignment, and (4) measure motivation to change based on random assignment to the intervention condition. Results from mixed effects repeated analysis of variance analyses indicated that the intervention group made significant improvements in conduct and internalizing problems and in parental limit setting, positive parenting, and family problem solving. These quantitative findings coupled with confirmatory qualitative themes suggest that the intervention was both effective in reducing youth adjustment problems and enhancing parenting skills and feasible when applied within the Spanish cultural context. Implications of culturally sensitive, community-based methods of intervention dissemination are discussed.

The dissertation is concerned with the values issue in the South African context, a multicultural education situation. South Africa is a pluralistic society. Being pluralistic, means that the country is rich in different cultures, belief- and value systems. Different cultures have different value systems. If an institution is practising multicultural education, the question is, which values are to be used? If we say the institution should use the values of the majority culture, will that not disadvantage minority cultures? If minority cultures are undermined by neglecting their cultures won't that cause conflict between minority cultures and the majority culture? Each society that is implementing multicultural education should consider that there are common human values and particular values. In multicultural education particular values are important because they show how a particular group behaves and what its beliefs and culture are. Common values develop from particular values and teachers must emphasise common values without neglecting particular values, to encourage tolerance and acceptance between different groups. / Psychology of Education / M.A. (Philosophy of Education)

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Delores H. Chambers / Although consumer emotions have recently become a popular research area in the sensory and consumer sciences, there remains a need for an approach designed to evaluate children’s food emotion experience. The objective of this research was to understand U.S. and Ghanaian children’s emotion responses to food, using words and emojis. In the first part of the research, focus groups were conducted to understand children’s use of emotion words and emojis in response to an array of food consumption experiences, both real and recalled. Through this study, a narrowed list of appropriate words and emojis was identified for further testing with children. This study also revealed that children readily use both emotion words and emojis to characterize their food experiences. The next phase of the research was conducted in three parts, which each included emotion assessments of children’s favorite and disliked foods, as well a common set of eight products selected to elicit a broad range of emotions. First, the emotion set identified in focus group testing was used by children in the United States to assess pictures of foods. The responses from this study were used to further narrow the list of appropriate emojis and emotion words. Second, the reduced emotion set was used by children in the U.S. to assess appearance and post-taste emotions for the products. Finally, a food image test with the reduced emotion set was conducted in Accra, Ghana with schoolchildren. Fielding in Ghana allowed for an exploration of the considerations sensory researchers must make when conducting cross-cultural research with children. Emotion word and emoji usage was similar between U.S. and Ghanaian participants, although some differences were observed. The U.S. studies were compared, revealing the influence of stimulus type on children’s reported emotions. Results from the actual food experiences (appearance, taste) were more positive compared to the evaluation of images. Finally, among Ghanaian and U.S. children, high frequencies of selection for positive emotion words and emojis aligned with a favorite food experience. Overall, this research introduces a new approach to consumer emotion research with children for use both domestically and abroad.

abstract: Today, in the internet-age with global communication every day, it is more important than ever to learn how best to communicate across cultures. However, a review of literature and localization research reveals no studies comparing written communication preferences between cultures using the English language. This gap in research led me to my question–How do localization needs or preferences differ between English-speakers in the U.S. and Canada? To answer my research question, I created a study focused on written communication using a quality measure after consulting the IBM rubric (Hofstede, 1984). I incorporated a demographics questionnaire, a sample document of an Alberta Government brochure, and a survey to measure participant perceptions of quality for use with the sample document. Participants for the study were recruited from Phoenix, Arizona and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. All participants reviewed the Canada-based sample document and answered the questions from the survey. The survey responses were designed to obtain data on culturally specific variables on contexting, which were critical in understanding cultural differences and communication preferences between the two groups. Results of the data analysis indicate differences in cultural preferences specific to language, the amount of text, and document organization. The results suggest that there may be more significant differences than previously assumed (Hall, 1976) between U.S. and Canadian English-speaking populations. Further research could include a similar study using a U.S.–based document and administering it to the same target population. Additionally, a quality-based measure could be applied as a way of understanding other cultures for localization needs, since inadequate localization can have an adverse impact on perceptions of quality. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Technical Communication 2018