The main aim of this essay is to examine the extent to which journalists choose certain emotional words in order to influence public opinion in a certain political direction. A number of headlines about the nuclear accident in Fukushima on 11th March 2011 in three British broadsheets with different political alignment form the basis of my analysis. To identify emotional language, I have used a method developed by Professor Friedrich Ungerer: the “emotional inferencing system”. There are emotional triggers in all the broadsheets. In most cases, the triggers in the different broadsheets are quite similar. There seem to be no clear connections between emotions, or the strength of emotions, and the political alignment of the newspapers. A larger corpus or a corpus on a different issue would possibly imply a different result.

The intention of the project is to determine whether political elites have to discuss an issue using a specific emotional tone before the public and other political elites consider that issue a problem. Research has not yet demonstrated under what conditions elite rhetorical cues can heighten issue attention. Past studies have suggested that an increase in the absolute intensity of elite issue discussion can heighten perceptions of an issue as a problem. The problem with this notion is that within that absolute issue discussion, elites might simply be repeatedly saying conditions related to an issue are stable. They might also be presenting basic factual background information about an issue, a type of discussion unlikely to capture the interest of many in the political system. There has to be a specific type of cue that elites can offer to compel others in the political system to reconsider their outlook on issue salience. Derived from dual systems theories of emotion, the dissertation predicts that issue discussion that heightens feelings of anxiety increases the likelihood of an altered outlook on issue salience. To evaluate this prediction, time series statistical techniques are employed. The time series models evaluate whether prior change in the level of anxietybased cues by the president and the media predict changes in the level of attention the public offers to that issue. The same types of models evaluate whether this form of issue discussion by the president predicts issue dynamics of the media, and vice-versa. The several issues studied are crime, health care, poverty, and the environment. Information spanning thirty years is collected from presidential papers, general and ideological media newspaper coverage, and multiple public survey organizations. The findings suggest anxiety-based issue discussion does have the potential to guide issue attention. Prior changes in anxiety-based cues do predict future levels of attention the public provides to issues. A positive shift in anxiety cues by elites appears to have the capacity to increase public attention to issues. This increase though appears to be very small and abbreviated, suggesting limited effects. Elites do not appear to influence each other through anxiety cues.

Over the past decades, there has been growing interest in whether the language people use (e.g., in social media) can reflect their well-being (WB) and ill-being (IB). However, little is known about how the content of spontaneous thoughts and experiences (e.g., reports of night-time dreams and daydreams) reflects WB and IB. The present thesis investigated whether emotional language use in dream and mind-wandering (MW; or daydreaming) reports reflects WB and IB. To this end, 1755 dream reports from 172 healthy adults and 1508 MW reports from 153 healthy adults were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) text analysis software. Robust multiple linear regressions revealed that self-reported negative emotions over the past two weeks, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, predicted negative emotional language use in MW, but not dream, reports. Overall, anxiety accounted for the largest amount of variance in negative emotional language use. The findings carry theoretical implications regarding the nature as well as the function of spontaneous thoughts and experiences, while also paving the way for new diagnostic and prognostic tools in clinical contexts. Additional research is required to confirm the observed relationships and establish their causal direction.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to identify factors that affect the language choices and patterns of language use of multilingual speakers in the Western Cape, focusing particularly on emotional language. It is an exploratory study, taking a purely quantitative methodological approach. Data was collected by means of a web-based Multilingualism and Emotions Questionnaire available online for six months. The questionnaire was based on Dewaele and Pavlenko‟s Bilingualism and Emotions Questionnaire (see Pavlenko, 2005) and included multiple choice and Likert scale questions regarding participants‟ language use preferences, as well as their perceptions of each of their languages. Data analysis was split into two stages: firstly the response data was illustrated by means of frequency tables, and secondly the statistical method of Correspondence Analysis was used to show the patterns of variation among the factors investigated. Two hypotheses were proposed, based on previous research: firstly, that the sociolinguistic factors would play a bigger role than the socio-demographic factors in determining language choices and patterns of use, and secondly that there may be differences in patterns of use for speakers of African languages versus speakers of Western languages. The analysis confirmed both hypotheses, while also showing some deviation from the results of previous research, which is attributed to the context in which this study was conducted. The main findings of this study were that English was generally the preferred language even when not the L1, and also that Xhosa tended to follow an entirely different pattern of use in comparison with most other languages in the sample. These findings are attributed to the unique language contact situation in the Western Cape, showing that the widely accepted L1-primacy ideology does not quite hold true across all contexts. An English-bias in the implementation of the language and education policy is also identified as a possible contributing factor to the patterns of language use and language attitudes revealed in this study, hence it is suggested that methodological and practical changes to the language and education policy could lead to a realization of the true multilingual and multicultural potential of South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie handel oor die identifisering van faktore wat die taalgebruikspatrone en keuses van veeltaliges in die Wes-Kaap affekteer. Die fokus is hoofsaaklik op emosionele taalgebruik. Die studie is verkennend, en volg „n suiwer kwantitatiewe benadering. Data is ingesamel deur die gebruik van „n web-gebaseerde Veeltaligheid en Emosies Vraelys wat ongeveer ses maande op die internet beskikbaar was. Die vraelys is gebaseer op dié van Dewaele en Pavlenko (verwys na Pavlenko, 2005) en sluit in veelvoudigekeuse- en Likertskaal-vrae oor die deelnemers se taalgebruik keuses asook hul taal-persepsies. Data-analise is in twee verskillende fases voltooi: eerstens is die data deur die gebruik van frekwensie tabelle geïllustreer, en tweedens is die patrone van variasie onder die faktore getoon deur die gebruik van die statistiese metode van Korrespondensie Ontleding. Twee hipoteses is voorgestel, gebaseer op vorige navorsing; eerstens, dat sosiolinguistiese faktore „n groter rol as sosio-demografiese faktore sou speel in die bepaling van taal-keuses en gebruikpatrone; en tweedens dat daar dalk verskille sou wees tussen Afrika-taal sprekers en Westerse-taal sprekers in verband met patrone van taalgebruik. Beide van die hipoteses is deur die analise bevestig, terwyl daar ook afwyking was van die bevindings van vorige navorsing, waarvoor die konteks waarin hierdie studie plaasvind as rede voorgestel is. Die studie se hoofbevindings dui daarop dat Engels oor die algemeen die voorgekeurde taal is, selfs wanneer dit nie die eerstetaal is nie, en ook dat Xhosa „n gebruikspatroon volg wat van die ander tale in die studie verskil. Hierdie bevindings word toegeskryf aan die uniekheid van die taal-kontak situasie in die Wes-Kaap, en dui daarop dat die algemeen aanvaarde ideologie van die eerste-taal-voorrang nie noodwendig van toepassing is op alle kontekste nie. „n Vooroordeel ten gunste van Engels in die implementering van die taal- en onderwysbeleid word ook uitgewys as „n moontlike bydraende faktor tot die patrone van taalgebruik en taalhoudings wat in hierdie studie ontdek is. Daar word gevolglik voorgestel dat metodologiese- en praktiese- veranderinge aan die taal- en onderwysbeleid groot bydrae sal kan lewer tot die vervulling van Suid-Afrika se volle veeltalige en multikulturele potensiaal.

Bakgrund: Många nyblivna mödrar drabbas av olika former av depressioner direkt efter förlossningen. I de flesta fall är detta en kort övergående period av depression kopplad till förväntningar med den nya mödrarollen. I vissa fall kan depression för mödrarna bli bestående och sträcka sig över en längre tid, denna form av depression benämns postpartumdepression PPD. Beroende på hur länge denna form av depression pågår får den olika påverkan på den direkta anknytningen till barnen, därför är det viktigt att uppmärksamma detta på ett tidigt stadium för att det inte ska komma att påverka barnens kommande utveckling. Syftet: Syftet med studien var att sammanställa aktuell kunskap kring sambandet mellan mödrar med PPD och barnens utveckling. Metoden: Litteraturstudie med narrativ ansats. Resultatet: Resultatet påvisade att det fanns ett samband mellan postpartumdepression hos modern och barnens utveckling inom fyra olika områden: 1) Språkliga utvecklingen, 2) Motoriska utvecklingen, 3) Kognitiva utvecklingen och 4) Socioemotionella och Neuropsykologiska utveckling. Slutsats: Det finns samband mellan PPD hos mödrarna och barnens utveckling, det är därför viktigt att identifiera och behandla mödrarna för att främja god hälsa hos barnen / Background: Many new mothers suffer from various forms of depression immediately after childbirth. In most cases, this is a short transitory period of depression linked to expectations with the new maternal role. But in some cases, this depression can become extend over a longer period of time or become permanent. This form of depression is called postpartum depression PPD. Depending on how long this form of depression lasts, it has different effects on the direct attachment to the children, therefore it is important to pay attention to this at an early stage so that it does not affect the children's future development. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compile current knowledge about the connection between mothers with PPD and the children's development. The method: Literature study with a narrative approach. The result: The result showed that there was a connection between postpartum depression in the mother and the children's development in four different areas: 1) Language development, 2) Motor development, 3) Cognitive development and 4) Socio- emotional and Neuropsychological development. Conclusion: There is a connection between PPD in the mothers and the children's development, it is therefore important to identify and treat the mothers to promote good health in the children

Emotions and its effect on the individual’s general functioning are a key concept of humanity. The modern child is confronted with all kinds of emotional developmental tasks with direct influence on his ultimate figuration to adulthood. Emotion is an internal experience in contrast to the fact that various reactions are displayed externally as a result thereof. Children’s behavior demonstrates that which are experienced internally. It might also be a way to conceal especially those emotions. Emotional awareness manifests through demonstration or concealing of inner feelings. The child’s external reactions to inner feelings must be based on knowledge of what is being experienced. Behavior is mostly a reaction to ignorance of the inner experience which might manifest in anxiety attacks, anger and emotional episodes. Empowerment of the child to recognize and experience emotions enables him to gain insight of emotions as a natural part of human nature. This causes him to develop the ability to express emotion in a socially acceptable manner. The process of emotional awareness alerts the child to the fact those specific emotions results in specific bodily experiences. Emotional awareness is an indication of the child’s knowledge of emotions and its impact in emotional, physical and psychological reactions. It provides an explanation for anxieties and fears which enables the child to own these feelings and take control of it. The middle childhood phase is the period that follows the achievement of a mass of developmental skills like the mastery of language, control over bodily functions and cognitive abilities. These abilities are refined in this phase. Emotional awareness and especially concepts of self and the purpose of individuals in the systems that surrounds him evolves. Considerable part of the child’s day during this phase, is spent at school. Emotional wellbeing can thus efficiently be recognized and addressed by the educational system. The educator’s knowledge of emotional awareness will ensure meaningful emotional development of learners. Results obtained from questionaires completed by educators in primary education indicates a need for understanding of problem behavior in children. The need for education on emotional awareness and techniques for development of emotional awareness in learners is also expressed. The focus of this study is thus on the concept of educators regarding the emotional awareness of learners; the role of emotional awareness in the child’s development and the educators knowledge regarding development of emotional skills and promotion of emotional awareness. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / MSD / unrestricted