Each year millions of people face the medical decision-making cycle that comes with a diagnosis of cancer. For patients and their families, this can be a rollercoaster of confusion and fear. Researchers have indicated that the complexity of the decision-making process is underrepresented in the current approach of informed decision-making. The purpose of this study was to add to scientifically-validated research expanding the identification of factors that influence decision-making for individuals diagnosed with cancer. Fuzzy trace theory (FTT) is the dual process memory theory used as the framework for this study. Qualitative data were collected using semistructured interviews with 10 participants. The sampling strategy included purposeful sampling and snowball or chain sampling. The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Software tools were used to aid in the creation of word mapping and clusters and a naming structure emerged. A comprehensive thematic analysis was completed. Participants detailed experiences with family and social dynamics, psychological or emotional stress, external influencing factors to the decision-making process, and experiences with cancer advertising. This research can create positive social change through the advancement of scientifically-validated research to support patients during the decision-making process.

This diploma thesis deals with the topic of individual differences in susceptibility to framing effects. While some people respond sensitively to changes in the wording of decision problems, other people remain consistent in their decision-making regardless of a problem formulation. The goal of this thesis is to describe the current state of research evidence about these differences. The thesis first introduces main theoretical concepts of framing effect, focusing particularly on Prospect Theory, Dual-Process Theory and Fuzzy-Trace Theory. The thesis also elaborates on a framing effect typology, describes the main moderators of the effect, and summarizes the most important meta-analyses and replication studies. In the next part, the thesis introduces the main empirically described predictors of resistance to framing among cognitive styles, cognitive abilities, numeracy, personality dispositions and developmental factors. In the empirical part of the thesis, a pre- registered quantitative online study on a convenience sample from a Czech adult population (N = 584) was conducted with the goal of testing whether numeracy predicts resistance to framing above and beyond fluid intelligence, need for cognition and faith in intuition. For the purpose of the study, adapted two-factor Resistance to Framing scale and...

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This dissertation describes the credibility judgment process using social psychological theories of dual-processing, which state that information processing outcomes are the result of an interaction “between a fast, associative information- processing mode based on low-effort heuristics, and a slow, rule-based information processing mode based on high-effort systematic reasoning” (Chaiken & Trope, 1999, p. ix). Further, this interaction is illustrated by describing credibility judgments as a choice between examining easily identified peripheral cues (the messenger) and content (the message), leading to different evaluations in different settings. The focus here is on the domain of the Web, where ambiguous authorship, peer- produced content, and the lack of gatekeepers create an environment where credibility judgments are a necessary routine in triaging information. It reviews the relevant literature on existing credibility frameworks and the component factors that affect credibility judgments. The online encyclopedia (instantiated as Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica) is then proposed as a canonical form to examine the credibility judgment process. The two main claims advanced here are (1) that information sources are composed of both message (the content) and messenger (the way the message is delivered), and that the messenger impacts perceived credibility; and (2) that perceived credibility is tempered by information need (individual engagement). These claims were framed by the models proposed by Wathen & Burkell (2002) and Chaiken (1980) to forward a composite dual process theory of credibility judgments, which was tested by two experimental studies. The independent variables of interest were: media format (print or electronic); reputation of source (Wikipedia or Britannica); and the participant’s individual involvement in the research task (high or low). The results of these studies encourage a more nuanced understanding of the credibility judgment process by framing it as a dual-process model, and showing that certain mediating variables can affect the relative use of low-effort evaluation and high- effort reasoning when forming a perception of credibility. Finally, the results support the importance of messenger effects on perceived credibility, implying that credibility judgments, especially in the online environment, and especially in cases of low individual engagement, are based on peripheral cues rather than an informed evaluation of content. / text

La mort d'un enfant est considérée comme l'une des expériences les plus difficiles à laquelle une personne puisse faire face. Les cliniciens, les hôpitaux et plusieurs organismes ont pour objectif d’aider les parents endeuillés, mais leurs efforts sont compliqués par un manque de recherche dans le domaine du deuil parental. Cette thèse est composée de trois articles, soit deux revues de littérature et une étude empirique, qui tentent de combler cette lacune et d’informer les services en soins palliatifs pédiatriques et les services de soutien au deuil en particulier. Le premier article porte sur les besoins des patients recevant des soins palliatifs pédiatriques et de leurs familles. Par le biais d’un méta-résumé de la recherche descriptive et qualitative récente, 10 domaines de besoins ont été identifiés qui correspondent aux lignes directrices actuelles en soins palliatifs pédiatriques et de fin de vie. Ces besoins sont présentés de manière à être facilement applicables à la pratique. Cependant, les résultats mettent aussi en évidence plusieurs aspects des soins identifiés comme déficitaires ou problématiques qui mériteraient une attention particulière dans le cadre de politiques futures. Dans le deuxième article, l'objectif était de résumer une vaste littérature d'une manière utile aux cliniciens. À cette fin, une synthèse narrative a permis d’intégrer la recherche quantitative et qualitative dans le domaine du deuil parental. Les résultats mettent en évidence les éléments susceptibles de favoriser l’adaptation des parents au deuil, éléments qui suggèrent par le fait même des avenues possibles de soutien et d'intervention. Cette synthèse a cependant cerné dans la littérature certaines failles méthodologiques qui rendent l'applicabilité clinique des résultats difficile. L'objectif du troisième article était d'informer les services de suivi et de soutien au deuil auprès des parents en se renseignant directement auprès de parents endeuillés. À cette fin, 21 parents (dont 8 couples) et 7 membres du personnel impliqués dans des activités de suivi de deuil de 2 hôpitaux pédiatriques ont été interrogés dans le cadre d’une description interprétative, et l'application clinique des résultats a été vérifiée par le biais de réunions avec des collaborateurs de recherche et les décideurs des centres hospitaliers. Les résultats décrivent comment les parents ont fait face à leur détresse dans la phase précoce de leur deuil, ainsi que leurs points de vue sur la façon dont les divers services de suivi de deuil ont été aidants. Les résultats suggèrent que les parents gèrent leurs sentiments intenses de douleur par une alternance de stratégies axées soit sur leur deuil ou sur leur quotidien et que dans plusieurs cas leurs relations avec autrui les ont aidé. Cette étude a également permis d'élucider la façon dont divers services de soutien aide les parents à aborder leur deuil. Les implications cliniques de ces résultats sont discutées ainsi que des recommandations à l’intention de ceux qui sont impliqués dans la provision des services en deuil. / The death of a child is considered one of the most stressful and difficult experiences a person can face. Clinicians, hospitals, and other organizations want to help and support bereaved parents through their grief, but their efforts are hampered by a lack of research in the area of parental bereavement. This dissertation is comprised of two literature reviews and one empirical study that attempt to address this gap and inform services in paediatric palliative care in general, and in bereavement support in particular. The first article consists of an examination of the needs of patients receiving paediatric palliative care and their families. By metasummarizing the descriptive and qualitative research in the area, 10 need domains were found. The results were generally in agreement with current guidelines in paediatric palliative and end-of-life care; however, there were several aspects of care that were reported as lacking or problematic that are not addressed in these guidelines and that should be considered in future guideline and policy creation. In the second article, parents’ adaptation to their grief and elements found to influence their adaptation were examined. The aim was to synthesize the relevant literature in a way that could be useful to clinicians; to this end, a narrative synthesis method was employed in order to synthesize both quantitative and qualitative research in the area of parental bereavement. The results suggest important elements to keep in mind when assessing how parents adapt to their grief. The results also suggest aspects related to better adaptation, which could serve as potential avenues for support and intervention. However, this review also demonstrated certain methodological issues in the literature that hinder the synthesis and clinical applicability of the findings. The objective of the third article was to inform bereavement follow-up and support services through the use of an interpretive description methodology. To this end, 21 bereaved parents (including 5 parental couples) and 7 hospital staff involved in bereavement follow-up activities at two paediatric hospitals were interviewed, and the clinical applicability of the results verified through various meetings with project collaborators and service/program providers. The results of the study describe how parents coped with their grief in the early phase of their bereavement, as well as their perspectives on how various bereavement follow-up services helped them cope. We found that parents regulate their intense feelings of grief through either loss-oriented or restoration-oriented strategies, including attempts to reorganize their self-identity and connection to their deceased child; often parents’ relationships with others help them cope in these ways. The insights we gained from the respondents also allowed us to elucidate how various bereavement support and follow-up services were helpful. These results are discussed along with the clinical implications and how these findings can inform bereavement service providers.

「Wason選擇作業」是推理心理學領域中相當經典的作業，由於原版的 「Wason 選擇作業」正確率相當低，引發許多學者相繼投入研究，並形成了各種理論。例如「實用推理基模理論」、「社會契約理論」、「相配偏誤理論」、「訊息獲得量理論」、「關聯性理論」等等。歷經約四十年的研究，「Wason選擇作業」從經典的推理作業至今則被許多研究者質疑其成為研究推理歷程作業的 適當性，有些研究者則認為「Wason選擇作業」應被視為決策作業而非推理作業，並認為參與者在這個作業上不會表現出合於邏輯的推理能力。本研究重新以「規範性理性」的角度探究參與者在這個作業上的表現。研究一以「命題解讀作業」做為輔助，發現至少三成的參與者在傳統抽象型式的「Wason選擇作業」中的選擇行為是符合邏輯對應的，這樣的比例並不低於「命題解讀作業」本身的「正確」率。由於在傳統「Wason選擇作業」上要有「正確」表現須正確解讀命題且無其他形式誤解題意再加上符合邏輯的選擇歷程，低正確率可能僅是各歷程「正確」率相乘的效果，而非「選擇歷程」不具邏輯性所致。研究二則以「雙思考系統理論」的觀點設計有利於「系統二」(即分析性系統)歷程表現的評估型「Wason選擇作業」，實驗一與實驗二分別有約四成及五成七的參與者表現符合「規範性理性」的預期。本研究認為過去多數「Wason選擇作業」的研究著重在研究「系統一」(即聯結性系統)的歷程，故未能觀察到參與者高程度的邏輯表現。本研究結果顯示「規範性理性」在「Wason選擇作業」仍扮演重要角色。本研究最後提出新的研究取向並討論「理性爭議」的課題。

Behavioral adaptation and cognitive control are crucial for goal-reaching behaviors. Every creature is ubiquitously faced with choices between behavioral alternatives. Common sense suggests that errors are an important source of information in the regulation of such processes. Several theories exist regarding cognitive control and the processing of undesired outcomes. However, most of these models focus on the consequences of an error, and less attention has been paid to the mechanisms that underlie the commissioning of an error. In this article, we present an integrative review of neuro-cognitive models that detail the determinants of the occurrence of response errors. The factors that may determine the likelihood of committing errors are likely related to the stability of task-representations in prefrontal networks, attentional selection mechanisms and mechanisms of action selection in basal ganglia circuits. An important conclusion is that the likelihood of committing an error is not stable over time but rather changes depending on the interplay of different functional neuro-anatomical and neuro-biological systems. We describe factors that might determine the time-course of cognitive control and the need to adapt behavior following response errors. Finally, we outline the mechanisms that may proof useful for predicting the outcomes of cognitive control and the emergence of response errors in future research.

Introdução: A morte do cônjuge representa diversos desafios a serem enfrentados por mulheres, especialmente nos primeiros seis meses. O enfrentamento deste processo, comumente predispõe a declínios da saúde e impacta a vida cotidiana. Para sua compreensão, destaca-se o \"Modelo do Processo Dual do Luto\", o qual pressupõe que um dos fatores estressores que os viúvos precisam lidar são os orientados para a restauração. Estes incluem o engajamento em atividades cotidianas que não se relacionam diretamente à perda, sendo singular e dependente do significado atribuído pela pessoa a estas atividades. Objetivo: Conhecer os significados atribuídos às atividades cotidianas relacionadas ao enfrentamento orientado para a restauração de mulheres após a morte por câncer, em até seis meses, do cônjuge idoso. Metodologia: Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, do tipo exploratório e descritivo. Constitui-se como população alvo do estudo, viúvas: do sexo feminino; que mantinham relacionamento com o falecido por meio de casamento ou união estável; residentes no Estado de São Paulo; cujos cônjuges, falecidos de 2 a 6 meses em decorrência de câncer, tinham acima de 60 anos e foram atendidos pela equipe do Núcleo de Cuidados Paliativos do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, no período de maio a outubro de 2015. As viúvas que aceitaram participar do estudo foram convidadas para uma entrevista individual, que ocorreu entre outubro e dezembro de 2015. Para sua condução, foi utilizado um roteiro semi-estruturado que buscava conhecer se os participantes realizavam ou pensavam em realizar atividades cotidianas relacionadas ao enfrentamento orientado para a restauração, e quais os significados que atribuíam a seu desempenho. O conteúdo das entrevistas foi gravado, transcrito e posteriormente analisado pelo processo de codificação, gerando temas abrangentes. Resultados: Identificou-se um primeiro tema nos resultados que se relacionou aos fatores que influenciavam no significado das atividades cotidianas relacionadas ao enfrentamento orientado para a restauração, os quais foram: a) sofrimento decorrente da percepção da ausência do marido no cotidiano; b) desempenho do papel de cuidadora; c) percepção negativa sobre a qualidade do relacionamento prévio com o cônjuge; d) participação nas circunstâncias que envolveram o óbito e nos processos decisórios de tratamento no período de adoecimento do cônjuge; e) apoio da rede informal e a presença de animais de estimação; f) espiritualidade. O segundo tema que emergiu dos resultados se referiu ao relato das entrevistadas sobre sua participação nas entrevistas conduzidas nesta tese. Discussão: O reconhecimento dos fatores que influenciavam no significado das atividades cotidianas favorece a reflexão sobre o apoio prestado às viúvas após a morte do cônjuge, especialmente ao se considerar que as mulheres se beneficiam mais de intervenções com ênfase no enfrentamento orientado para restauração. Entende-se que estudos que utilizam entrevistas como procedimento de coleta de dados podem beneficiar o enfrentamento do processo de luto dos participantes, pois potencialmente os auxiliam a elaborarem as experiências vivenciadas. Conclusão: Acredita-se que esta tese represente avanços na compreensão acerca do engajamento em atividades cotidianas no processo de luto, o que favorece a abordagem em Cuidados Paliativos prestada aos familiares após o óbito do paciente / Introduction: The death of the spouse represents several challenges to be faced by bereaved widows, mainly during the first six months. It commonly predisposes to health decline with impact in daily life. To understand the grieving process the \"Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement\" is highlighted. To this theoretical model, one of the types of stressor that the widows have to deal with is the restoration-oriented. It includes the involvement in daily activities that are not related to loss. This involvement is unique depending on the meaning given by the person to daily activities. Objective: To know the meaning attributed to daily activities focused on restoration by women after the death of their elderly spouse due to cancer, up to six months after death. Method: It is a qualitative exploratory and descriptive study. Its target population is constituted by widows: a) female; b) who had a relationship with the deceased exclusively through marriage or stable union; c) residing in São Paulo state; d) whose spouses have died within the past 2-6 months due to cancer and were over the age of 60; e) and whose spouses had been attended by the Palliative Care Service of The Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo Medical School during the period May- October 2015. The spouses that agree to participate in the study were invited to a private interview, which occurred from October to December 2015. To its conduction a semi-structured guideline was used which aimed to know if the participants took part or thought about taking part in restoration-oriented daily activities, and the meaning they attribute to them. The content of the interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using the coding process. Comprehensive themes emerged from this process. Results: A first theme was identified on the results related to the influencing factors upon the meaning of daily activities focused on restoration which were: a) distress resulting from the perception of the husband\'s absence in daily life; b) caretaker role performance; c) negative perception about the quality of the previous relationship with the spouse; d) participation in the circumstances that involved the spouse\'s death and in the decisionmaking procedures of treatment during his illness; e) support from the informal network and the presence of pet animals; f) spirituality. The second theme that emerged from the results referred to the interviewees\' report about their participation in the interviews conducted in this thesis. Discussion: The recognition of the influencing factors upon the meaning attributed to daily activities gives opportunity for reflection on the support given to widows after their spouses\' death, especially taken into account that women benefit more from interventions focused on restoration. It is understood that studies using interviews as data collecting procedure can benefit the participants facing the bereavement, since it can potentially help them to elaborate their experiences. Conclusion: It is believed that this thesis represents advances in the understanding about the involvement in daily activities during bereavement, what helps the Palliative Care provided to the family after the patient death

Hansen and Hansen (1988) found that angry targets in happy crowds were found more quickly and accurately than happy targets in angry crowds. This finding, they dubbed the Face-in-the-Crowd effect. Gilboa-Schechtman and colleagues (1999) found that high anxious participants show a greater enhancement of detecting angry versus happy targets. The purpose of the current studies was to replicate these findings, and to determine whether Rational and Experiential decision-making styles play a role in target detection (Study One) and crowd searching (Study Two), and if these decision-making styles interact with affective predisposition for both reaction time and galvanic skin response in the face-in-the-crowd task. In Study One, I replicated the anger superiority effect and the Anxiety x Target interaction. I also found that the Rational Group tended to be faster than the Experiential Group overall. I found that the High Trait Anxious group had higher GSR than the Low Trait Anxious group averaged over both target conditions. The Rational group had higher GSR when presented with happy targets than when presented with angry targets whereas the Experiential group did not show this difference. In Study Two, I failed to replicate the anger inferiority effect of crowd searching, but I did find that the Rational group tended to be faster than the Experiential group, especially for angry crowd searching. I also found that the Low-State-Anxious-Rational group had lower galvanic skin responses than all other groups across all analyses. The most exciting finding of these two studies was that he Rational Group demonstrated a facility for the face-in-the-crowd task, validating decision-making style as an important dimension to be considered in future face-in-the-crowd research. The research also provided support for network theories and it is hoped that future studies might endeavor to explore facial processing with this theoretical framework in mind.

Hansen and Hansen (1988) found that angry targets in happy crowds were found more quickly and accurately than happy targets in angry crowds. This finding, they dubbed the Face-in-the-Crowd effect. Gilboa-Schechtman and colleagues (1999) found that high anxious participants show a greater enhancement of detecting angry versus happy targets. The purpose of the current studies was to replicate these findings, and to determine whether Rational and Experiential decision-making styles play a role in target detection (Study One) and crowd searching (Study Two), and if these decision-making styles interact with affective predisposition for both reaction time and galvanic skin response in the face-in-the-crowd task. In Study One, I replicated the anger superiority effect and the Anxiety x Target interaction. I also found that the Rational Group tended to be faster than the Experiential Group overall. I found that the High Trait Anxious group had higher GSR than the Low Trait Anxious group averaged over both target conditions. The Rational group had higher GSR when presented with happy targets than when presented with angry targets whereas the Experiential group did not show this difference. In Study Two, I failed to replicate the anger inferiority effect of crowd searching, but I did find that the Rational group tended to be faster than the Experiential group, especially for angry crowd searching. I also found that the Low-State-Anxious-Rational group had lower galvanic skin responses than all other groups across all analyses. The most exciting finding of these two studies was that he Rational Group demonstrated a facility for the face-in-the-crowd task, validating decision-making style as an important dimension to be considered in future face-in-the-crowd research. The research also provided support for network theories and it is hoped that future studies might endeavor to explore facial processing with this theoretical framework in mind.