People are increasingly turning to online communities for entertainment, information, and social support, among other uses and gratifications. Online communities include traditional online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook but also specialized online health communities (OHCs) where people go specifically to seek social support for various health conditions. OHCs have obvious health ramifications but the use of OSNs can also influence people's mental health and health behaviors. The use of online communities has been widely studied but in the health context their exploration has been more limited. Not only are online communities being extensively used for health purposes, but there is also increasing concern that the use of online communities can itself affect health. Therefore, there is a need to better understand how such technologies influence people's health and health behaviors. The research in this dissertation centers on examining how online community use influences health and health behaviors. There are three studies in this dissertation. The first study develops a conceptual model to explain the process whereby the characteristics of a request from an OHC user for social support is answered by a wounded healer, who is a person leveraging their own experiences with health challenges to help others. The second study investigates how algorithmic fairness, accountability, and transparency of an OSN newsfeed algorithm influence the users' attitudes and beliefs about childhood vaccines and ultimately their vaccine hesitancy. The third study examines how OSN social overload, through OSN use, can lead to psychological distress and received social support. The research contributes theoretical and practical insights to the literature on the use of online communities in the health context. / Doctor of Philosophy / People use online communities to socialize and to seek out information and help. Online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook are large communities on which people segregate into smaller groups to discuss joint interests. Some online communities cater to specific needs, such as online health communities (OHCs), which provide platforms for people to talk about the health challenges they or their loved ones are facing. Online communities do not intentionally seek controversy, but because they welcome all perspectives, they have contributed to phenomena such as vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, social overload from the use of OSNs can have both positive and negative psychological effects on users. This dissertation examines the intersection of online communities and health. The first study explains how the interaction of the characteristics of a request for social support made by an OHC user and the characteristics of the wounded healer drive the provision of social support. The model that is developed shows the paths through which the empathy of the wounded healer and the characteristics of the request lead to motivation to provide help to those in need on an OHC. In the second study, the role of characteristics of a newsfeed algorithm, specifically fairness, accountability, and transparency (FAT), in the development of childhood vaccine hesitancy is examined. The findings show that people's perceptions of the newsfeed algorithm's FAT increase their negative attitudes toward vaccination and their perceived behavioral control over vaccination. The third study examines how different uses of OSNs can influence the relationships between social overload and psychological distress and received social support. The findings show how OSN use can be tailored to decrease negative and increase positive psychological consequences without discontinuing use.

At the outset of the Phaedrus, Plato tells us that Socrates’ knows himself (228a). This statement is then followed up by Socrates’ claim that he is not able to obey the Delphic imperative and know himself (229e-230b). This apparent contradiction has given rise to an interesting debate concerning what kind of knowledge we are dealing with here. While the debate is complex a few main positions can be identified. One group of scholars, hereafter referred to as the practitioners, argue that the self-knowledge Socrates here talks about is a life-guiding term. The practitioners argue that when striving toward what is true about oneself and acknowledging one’s limits, one turns away from chaos towards a well structured life. Another group of scholars, referred to as the mystics, argue that self-knowledge is something Socrates’ possesses when contemplating over his own epistemic limits as well as his soul and its connection to the Forms. Finally, the unitarian view explains the content of self-knowledge, namely that it includes dispositional and cognitive knowledge of oneself. Even if these views are helpful to explain the different parts of self-knowledge, they fail to explain Socrates’ apparently contradictory answers regarding self-knowledge. What is lacking, and what this thesis will try to provide, is an account of how Socrates both can say that he knows and does not know himself. The thesis will help explain how Socrates can be said to have self-knowledge. However, Socrates does not yet have absolute self-knowledge and acknowledges, with his denial of self-knowledge, that a deepened self-knowledge can be gained gradually. On the view that this thesis will test and defend, Socratic self-knowledge is a continuum, that is to say, a coherent yet dynamic knowledge. This can help to explain how Socrates can claim to both know and not yet know himself.

Exploration of job satisfaction - cognitive, affective and behavioral components (With focus on personality aspects) PhD theses abstract Charles University in Prague Faculty of Arts Department of psychology Author Ivo Půda MA Supervisor PhDr. David Michalík PhD. February 2016 Abstract Dissertation examines the cognitive, affective and behavioral components of job satisfaction with emphasis on the psychological characteristics of personality. It monitors important trends in relation to this issue (economic cycles, emergence of new generations, pressure on performance and innovation, introduction of technology and data analytics, defending of his/her own position, changes in organization of work), provides an overview of the theories of job satisfaction and reflects the historical development of various theoretical and practical approaches trying to describe the complex relationship of personality, work and experience. For better orientation it monitors the development of two strong paradigms (dispositional and situational), which gradually merges into an interactive approach. Mapping psychological characteristics, which undeniably moderating job satisfaction (neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, positive and negative affectivity, locus of control, emotional stability, defensive tendencies,...

This master´s thesis deals with the issue of the building from a clay. It is focused on defects and rehabilitations of these constructions. The introductory parts concerns with probable defects especially of clay buildings, furthermore with causes of the creation of defects, its depictions and the relevance. In the following part the methods of rehabilitation not only of clay buildings are presented. In this part the rehabilitative methods of foundation, vertical and wood constructions, which create mainly the structural support of the buildings, are described. In the second part, the structural and technical research of the current structure with farm part – barn is executed. The part of research is creation of the drawing documentation, description of disposition and structural and constructional solution of building, structural calculation of a part of construction, assessment of actual state of structure and prospective plan of proceeding and rehabilitation.

Объектом исследования являются смысложизненные ориентации в среднем и пожилом возрасте. Предметом исследования стали различия в уровне выраженности и характере взаимосвязей смысложизненных ориентаций, жизнестойкости и диспозиционного оптимизма у людей среднего и пожилого возраста. Магистерская диссертация состоит из введения, двух глав, заключения, списка литературы (61 источник) и приложений (2 приложения), включающих в себя бланки применявшихся методик и результаты статистических расчетов. Объем магистерской диссертации 99 страниц, на которых размещены 11 рисунков и 20 таблиц. Во введении раскрывается актуальность проблемы исследования, разработанность проблематики, ставятся цель и задачи исследования, определяются объект и предмет исследования, формулируются гипотезы, указываются методы и эмпирическая база, а также этапы проведения исследования, научная новизна, теоретическая и практическая значимость работы. В первой главе рассмотрен феномен смысложизненных ориентаций в работах отечественных и зарубежных авторов разных времен, проанализированы психологические особенности представителей средней и пожилой возрастных групп, представлены результаты исследований современных авторов. Выводы по первой главе представляют собой итоги по изучению теоретического материала. Вторая глава посвящена эмпирической части исследования. В ней представлено описание организации и методов проведенного исследования и результатов, полученных по всем использованным методикам: тесту смысложизненных ориентаций (в адаптации Д.А. Леонтьева), тесту жизнестойкости (в адаптации Е.Н. Осина, Е.И. Рассказовой), тесту диспозиционного оптимизма (в адаптации Т.О. Гордеевой, О.А. Сычева, Е.А. Осина). Также в главе представлен дескриптивный, сравнительный и корреляционный анализ результатов исследования. Выводы по главе 2 включают в себя основные результаты эмпирического исследования. В заключении в обобщенном виде изложены результаты теоретической и эмпирической частей работы, а также выводы по выдвинутым гипотезам, обоснована практическая значимость исследования и описаны возможные перспективы дальнейшей разработки данной проблематики. / The object of the study is the meaning of life orientations on average and old age. The subject of the study was differences in the level of expression and the nature of the interrelationships of life orientations, resilience and dispositional optimism in middle-aged and elderly people. The master's thesis consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a list of references (61 sources) and appendices (2 appendices), including forms of the applied methods and the results of statistical calculations. The volume of the master's thesis is 99 pages, which contain 11 figures and 20 tables. The introduction reveals the relevance of the research problem, the elaboration of the problem, sets the purpose and objectives of the study, defines the object and subject of the study, formulates hypotheses, specifies methods and empirical base, as well as the stages of research, scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance of the work. The first chapter examines the phenomenon of life-meaning orientations in the works of domestic and foreign authors of different times, analyzes the psychological characteristics of representatives of the middle and elderly age groups, and presents the results of research by modern authors. The conclusions of the first chapter represent the results of the study of theoretical material. The second chapter is devoted to the empirical part of the study. It describes the organization and methods of the conducted research and the results obtained using all the methods used: the test of life orientations (adapted by D.A. Leontiev), the test of resilience (adapted by E.N. Osin, E.I. Rasskazova), the test of dispositional optimism (adapted by T.O. Gordeeva, O.A. Sycheva, E.A. Osin). The chapter also presents a descriptive, comparative and correlation analysis of the research results. The conclusions of Chapter 2 include the main results of an empirical study. In conclusion, the results of the theoretical and empirical parts of the work are summarized, as well as conclusions on the hypotheses put forward, the practical significance of the study is substantiated and possible prospects for further development of this issue are described.

This thesis is an investigation into the phenomenon which Shozo Ohmori (1921-1997) considered “a peculiar manner of awareness”, and to which he attributed the term ‘fancy’. The objective is to achieve an approximate understanding of Ohmori’s theory of ‘fancy’, as it relates to awareness of entities in three-dimensional space, and the extensions mentioned in his only publication in English: “Beyond Hume’s Fancy” (1974). This objective will be realized by asking three questions. The first question is how we are to understand the demarcation of the different phenomena of awareness which Ohmori identifies. The second question that this thesis asks is what applications that the phenomenon ‘fancy’ mentioned in Ohmori’s account have, as Ohmori saw it. Having answered these questions, I will then make an assessment of another salient consideration: how does Ohmori’s employment of the term ‘fancy’ relate to Hume’s employment of the same term (seeing as the name of Ohmori’s article makes such a reference). As we shall see, Ohmori is attempting to identify a more specific phenomenon than the widely discussed issue of thinking about something that is not currently perceivable in our perceptual field. The third and final question that this thesis asks is whether there are any salient issues with Ohmori’s theory of ‘fancy’ and, if so, whether those issues can be resolved. When we are aware of entities in three-dimensional space, we are subject to various mental processes. Our awareness, seemingly, uses different modes of interpretation and orientation. In other words, our ‘point of view’ (which is something that not only pertains to the use of our visual sensory organs) determines both our place and relation towards other entities. One salient issue when considering the notion of awareness is how and by which order awareness emerges. Impressions, as David Hume would call them, seemingly precede our ideas. Sense-data, as Shozo Ohmori phrased it, is unquestionably inseparable from conceptions. Our conceptions, in turn, seem to inform our perceptions with expectations and predictions of how things are. When we perceive an entity, we are ready to make judgements about its being at this moment. When we see the front of a desk, we are ready to claim awareness of said desk-front as part of a desk (which entails the ontology of a desk, namely, being a three-dimensional construction of a particular variety). In everyday situations we simply speak of such an awareness as ‘perception’ when in actuality, all we see (which constitutes the sense-data or content of a perception) is the front of a desk. It seems we cannot regard our awareness of a desk (a three-dimensional entity) as a perception simpliciter. Of course, by having a notion of what a desk is, our awareness is pregnant with a ‘conception’ in the form of an idea that is informing our awareness of said desk. But our conceptual understanding of the notion of something being a desk is not enough to explain what our awareness of a desk-at-this-moment is. At least, that is what Ohmori thought.

The research focused on constructing a psychological well-being profile for flourishing practices for junior leaders by establishing the relationship between junior leaders' dispositional attributes (emotional affect, career orientations, and organisational commitment) and the flourishing attribute (positive psychological functioning). A nonprobability purposive sampling quantitative method was applied to a sample of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel in Gauteng (N = 458) at junior leadership levels to explore the statistical relationship between their dispositional attributes (emotional affect, career orientations, and organisational commitment) and the flourishing attribute (positive psychological functioning) attribute. Multiple regression analyses indicated the dispositional attributes with the exception of emotional affect as significant predictors of the flourishing variable. The structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated a good fit of the data with the correlation-derived measurement model. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that age, race, gender and years of service as significant moderators of the relationship between the participants‘ dispositional attributes (emotional affect, career orientations and organisational commitment) and flourishing (positive psychological functioning) attribute. Tests for mean differences discovered that participants differed in terms of their age and race. The study made a significant contribution to the bulk of knowledge in the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology. On a theoretical level, the study deepened the understanding of the individual and cognitive, affective, conative and relations management dimensions of the hypothesised psychological well-being profile. On an empirical level, the study developed an empirically tested psychological well-being profile that informs flourishing practices for individual junior leaders and organisational levels. On a practical level, dispositional and flourishing practices that inform the dimensions of the psychological well-being profile were recommended. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Ph. D. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The diploma thesis was elaborated for as part of design documentation for new multifunctional building in Litovel. The building will be used for purposes of bus and train station, another way for administration purposes. The building contains the second and a third floor with a modern look suitably fits into the surrounding countryside. The significant emphasis was on both nice appearance of the building, so the correct process engineering and dispositional solution. The building is designed so that in terms of design and implementation easily accomplishable. Furthermore, to meet all the requirements for building physics and fire safety. During seminar work was solved problems of summer overheating of the room situated on the south side of the building. For the preparation of project documentation for construction was used CAD software and specialized software for structural calculations of statics and construction.

It has been determined who the adolescent in the Wolmer community is. An investigation into the adolescent’s relationship with the resources in this area was also done. It was determined that this community has a long history of poverty and that a large percentage of the families living here experience a variety of problems. We refer to them as multi-problem families. It has also been confirmed that social services by various organizations have been delivered on an ongoing base over the past eight years. From the literature we have learned that the use of resource’s aid programmes as means of social support, focusing on families, primary and secondary school learners, should have an impact on the future expectations of the children involved. The aim of this study was to determine what the perception of the grade seven learners of their future expectations was. From this it would then be possible to derive what recommendations should be made with regard to social work programmes for the parents and children in the Wolmer community. Socio-economic problems that are not addressed cause bad school performance and as a result of this children tend to leave school at an early age. Leaving school at an early age evidently leads to conflict with the police, imprisonment and alcohol and drug abuse. These aspects tend to be a part of the life in Wolmer and ultimately have an influence on the child attaining his or her goals as well as on his or her future expectations. These will have to be addressed by appropriate school programmes. The researcher’s knowledge of this community leads her to the conclusion that the absence of parenting by the parents of these children, their lack of involvement, lack of skill to equip their children adequately for life, their own lack of adequate knowledge as well as lack of a proper value system tends to play a huge part in the behaviour and perception of the adolescent of their own future expectation. In the Wolmer community children that are sometimes advised by their parents not to leave school at an early age, question this because of parents leaving school at an early age in order to co-provide for their families. In cases where children do not have the cognitive ability to change their surroundings, they tend to too fall back in the vicious circle known to them and the generations before them. The child must be motivated and idealistic and be able to make realistic decisions. Because of this it is of the utmost importance that children that do not have the ability with regard to the abovementioned are assisted in doing so. Also that aid programs in future be focused on this in order to empower the new generation. Parents have a huge influence on the choices made by their children. Regardless of social standing and ability adolescents usually have higher ideals for themselves when their parents motivate them as well as give recognition to good work. The researcher unfortunately came to realize that the assistance by their parents, are a very rare phenomenon in this community. Out of the two focus groups being held with the adolescents, it seemed a lack of interest by the parents, lack of information on higher education as well as little financial resources, have a huge impact and influence on the future expectation of the adolescent in Wolmer. It would be the ideal situation if adolescents chose a career that suited their abilities, interests and personality and that would promote a higher self-esteem. Because of their circumstances this is not always possible for the adolescents in this community. These happen in vary rare cases because the parent’s expectations for their children usually fit their expectations for themselves, which is usually very low. Peer group pressure and peer group acceptance have a huge impact on taking responsibility and on the making of choices. In order to have future success individuals can use their problem-solving abilities, mobilise their social support system and become involved in skills that will promote their social capability. The above mentioned should be actively addressed by social workers in the development of programs that focuses on social support, problem-solving skills, peer group acceptance, school involvement and socio-economic adaptation off adolescents in die Wolmer community. By determining the future expectations of the youth, programs for the empowerment of them can be implemented in order to assist the adolescents to break away from the vicious circle of poverty and to reach their ideals. The researcher is of the opinion that is has become of the utmost importance for the resources in this community, to assess their role presently in the promoting of future expectations and as an outcome of this the promotion of economic-self sustainability. / Dissertation (MSW) (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted