This pilot study examined the effects of single sessions of music therapy on the level of anxiety in older persons with psychiatric disorders. The studied intervention was a 30 minute music therapy group and the control intervention was a verbal therapeutic intervention in the form of a reminiscence group. Participants acted as their own control. The measurement tool was the state part of a “State Trait Anxiety Inventory”. It was administered a total of four times, pre- and post- the music therapy intervention and preand post- the reminiscence therapy (control) group. A total of 9 participants were recruited for the study. The results indicated that single sessions of music therapy significantly reduced the level of anxiety for older persons with psychiatric disorders [t(8)=4.626, p<0.0017] as compared to the control intervention as measured by the state part of the “State Trait Anxiety Inventory”. There was no evidence for a significant carryover effect since the baselines prior to each intervention did not differ significantly (p=0.55). These results can be considered to be a part of a pilot study and early inquiry into this field since methodological difficulties and the time limitation of the research resulted in some necessary deviations from the original protocol. A major limitation of the study was the choice of a measurement tool, which required the client to be cognitively high functioning. Thus these results are limited to cognitively able clients, which is a relatively small proportion of this client group that could potentially benefit from music therapy. It is suggested that for future research with this client group the measured variable be physical relaxation, rather than anxiety.

Drama has been the slowest of the arts to develop an authentic New Zealand 'voice.' This thesis focuses on the work of five playwrights: Bruce Mason, James K. Baxter, Mervyn Thompson, Renée and Robert Lord, all of whom have set out to identify such a 'voice' and in so doing have brought about a metamorphosis in the nature of New Zealand drama. New Zealand has traditionally been regarded as being on 'the margin' in relation to the dominant culture of the colonizer (the Eurocentre). Before Bruce Mason began to challenge this 'centre' of power in the early 1950s, New Zealand playwrights were so intimidated by the Eurocentre that they usually set their plays in Europe, particularly in England, in order to make them acceptable to their audiences. Mason proposed that 'the margin' of New Zealand, rather than being seen as inferior, should be redefined as a fertile place capable of nurturing a new individual dramatic form quite distinct from colonial norms. All of my chosen playwrights have insisted upon the intrinsic value of a two-tiered concept of 'the margin.' By setting their plays (wherever possible) in the country of their birth, highlighting New Zealand social issues and in the process persuading theatre-going audiences that plays about this country are worth watching, they have given new life to 'the margin' (the culture of New Zealand as a whole). At the same time all of these five playwrights have recognized that minority groups - 'voices' from 'the outer margin' in relation to the Pakeha 'inner margin' of power - have been largely unrepresented or misrepresented in New Zealand plays. They have advocated the vital importance of women's 'voices,' Māori 'voices' and gay 'voices,' for example, in their exploration of a more sophisticated and inclusive understanding of what constitutes our national identity. Moreover, in a period of less than forty years, they have helped to facilitate the transition of New Zealand theatre from amateur to professional status and have been instrumental in providing the practical framework whereby future New Zealand playwrights may find an outlet for their work.

Accompanying workbook not available in digital format / Both empirical and anecdotal evidence indicates that visual communication1 design practices implemented by designers with full colour vision often disadvantage, and sometimes endanger, colour-blind people. The thesis The Machine postulates that colour-blind people – comprising approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females (Lewis et al., 1990) – are marginalized by such practices. It argues that this group could benefit from a design strategy that enhances the communicative potential and visibility of colour. The proposed strategy involves embedding pattern into potentially confusing colours such as red and green. The embedded pattern would function for colour-blind people as an additional clue to the identity of these colours. The thesis contends that while colour alone can be confusing for colour-blind people, patterned colour could offer a solution with a wide range of possible applications. The research aims of The Machine include: developing a system of patterned colour; creating a wordless picture book that demonstrates the effectiveness of the system; constructing a narrative around the condition of red-green colourblindness; and employing visual rhetoric2 to increase awareness of and sensitivity to colour-blindness among those with full colour vision. The design of the thesis is supported by research in a number of interrelated areas. These include the history of pattern post-1850, particularly in Western culture; precedents for patterned colour; and visual rhetoric in story-telling. The research also incorporates an analysis of the defining characteristics of ten late twentieth-century and early twenty-first-century wordless picture books. The thesis is further supported by applied research into patterned colour and visual rhetoric. The Machine aims to benefit colour-blind people, a significant minority group whose visual needs are currently inadequately met. In addition, it proposes broadening the cultural role and significance of pattern. Moreover, by incorporating informative elements usually associated with pedagogic material, it aspires to extend the boundaries of the fantasy picture book genre. 1 Visual communication (n): communication that relies on vision (Wordnet, 2006). 2 Visual rhetoric: the use of visual techniques, such as the creation of visually ‘engaging’ characters, as a means of persuading a target audience

This thesis began as an artistic investigation into the politics of identity and sex/sexuality. The main ideas that run throughout this exegesis position themselves within Nicolas Bourriaud’s ideas in the book Postproduction, and also around a parafeminist ideology. Within this I focus on popular music culture, the body, video and performance art, and visual representations of the body. I pay particular attention to the female body, and look into ideas of conventional social norms and how people challenge these. I look into the work of several female artists who deal with the visual representation, and also look at figures within popular music culture. Within band culture I look into how the band can be used as a vehicle to disseminate ideas wider audience. Art and music culture have fed off of each other for generations and can provide valuable strategies within each context for thinking beyond social norms. The remix can be used as a tactic to decode forms and narratives in popular culture. This can be used to investigate representations of identity within a space that is in a constant state of flux. This is particularly useful as a parafeminist strategy because it allows a context in which to question, rather than answer. As a result of this study I have found that there are no concrete answers when it comes to identity and sexuality, but can conclude that conventional gender representations and signifiers of identity can be remixed into different scenarios and narratives that can challenge social norms.

This thesis began as an artistic investigation into the politics of identity and sex/sexuality. The main ideas that run throughout this exegesis position themselves within Nicolas Bourriaud’s ideas in the book Postproduction, and also around a parafeminist ideology. Within this I focus on popular music culture, the body, video and performance art, and visual representations of the body. I pay particular attention to the female body, and look into ideas of conventional social norms and how people challenge these. I look into the work of several female artists who deal with the visual representation, and also look at figures within popular music culture. Within band culture I look into how the band can be used as a vehicle to disseminate ideas wider audience. Art and music culture have fed off of each other for generations and can provide valuable strategies within each context for thinking beyond social norms. The remix can be used as a tactic to decode forms and narratives in popular culture. This can be used to investigate representations of identity within a space that is in a constant state of flux. This is particularly useful as a parafeminist strategy because it allows a context in which to question, rather than answer. As a result of this study I have found that there are no concrete answers when it comes to identity and sexuality, but can conclude that conventional gender representations and signifiers of identity can be remixed into different scenarios and narratives that can challenge social norms.

This study explores the theory of emotional contagion and then offers insights as to how communication designers could practically apply aspects of this theory to a communication campaign. Schoenewolf (1990) describes emotional contagion as “a process in which a person or group influences the emotions or behavior of another person or group through the conscious or unconscious induction of emotion states and behavioral attitudes” (p. 50). A significant aspect of this theory involves joint consumption. This suggests that an experience of an event differs when more than one person is involved. Ramanathan and McGill’s (2007) recent study suggests that a stronger positive or negative evaluation of a shared experience is achieved through the creation of emotional contagion. When considering this, an opportunity exists to establish recommendations for the design industry to employ in order to enhance an audience’s response. In order to be successful in constructing a pertinent strategy it is critical to consider the way in which people perceive experiences; central to this theme are the five senses. Research into the five senses which include sight, sound, smell, touch and taste, indicates the significant impact over an individuals’ emotions and decision making process. To date the human senses have been largely neglected within the design industry due to conventional use of mainstream media. Through using non-traditional media, participants could be connected on a more sensory level through means of interactive involvement. From a holistic perspective the overarching methodology will be that of research for design (Frayling, 1993, as cited in Downtown, 2003). The emphasis will therefore be on providing insights and ideas as to how the design industry could, through non-traditional media, embrace emotional contagion. Supporting methods will be a combination of the following: 1. Case studies. These will include an analysis of precedents 2. A self generated design campaign. The focus will be tourism. This has been chosen because of its experiential and shared nature.

The objective of this research is to demonstrate that co-creative sketching as a part of the participatory process has the potential to support the developmental nature of a visual communication tool used to promote the exchange of experience. The tool is intended to create an informative hub that influences a travellers experience of a location. Ethnographic research as reflective sketching was conducted in the Tongariro National Park. Within this setting reflective sketching located the kitchen and common area of traveller specific accommodation as an ideal collaborative environment to conduct participatory design research. In this collaborative environment snowboarders and skiers who are aged between 20-30 years are identified as the target audience. This specific audience participated in co-creative sessions throughout the design process, resulting in the participatory design of the tool. The design aim of the visual communication tool was to promote the exchange of experience between snowboarders and skiers about a specific location. This was achieved by adapting generative tools made up of a visual language which supported the word of mouth exchange and individual expression. The exchange of experiences was facilitated by co-creative sketching with the visual language during a state of play. Playful co-creative sketching supported word of mouth dialogue between the snowboarders and skiers in a way that co-created an informative visual representation of the dialogue or contextmap. The resulting contextmap represented an image for experience which was beyond an individuals conception and made individuals tacit-knowledge accessible to audiences within and outside the moment of exchange, creating an informative hub which influenced the specific audiences view of experience for a location. An action research methodology is used during the course of this research, informed by the approaches of co-creation, context-mapping and generative tools. These approaches constructed a theoretical framework for the participatory development and co-creative sketching of the communication tool. This supportive thesis discusses the context, the theoretical concepts and provides an in depth account on the research through design process; the week-by-week participatory process undertaken to develop the visual communication tool.

How can the reintroduction of colonial depictions of Maori women in early twentieth century postcards engage a modern audience in a dialogue concerning the aestheticisation of Maori women, both past and present? Drawing on questions incited by the visual representation of my own family, the constructs of photographic depictions of Maori women in early 1900’s postcards will be examined. The correlation between the past and present will be the focus of this essay as the research considers whether the romantic, ancient ideals imposed onto Maori women by male colonialist photographers are still apparent in the present.

At the commencement of this thesis I saw myself standing at the outer limits of my knowledge with my nose pressed against a wall of demarcation. This wall was built from my willingness to tolerate systems of control in silence and from my unwillingness to make my beliefs and personal convictions known. I set out at the start of this journey with two intentions. I want to raise my voice because I didn’t want to pretend about my faith anymore. And for the first time use my art practice as a mouthpiece to tell these truths.

With origins in skateboard and surfing culture, snowboarding has grown to become a mainstream recreational and professional sport, officially recognized in the Olympic Games. This popularity can be attributed to several factors, including the sub-culture of rebellion and self-expression it embodies and the daring, dynamic aerial maneuvers and stunts often portrayed in the media. However, the sport also exposes participants to a well-documented injury pattern, with injuries rates typically twice as frequent as those seen in skiing. While a number of studies have shown existing snowboarding safety products reduce the risk of injury, these readily available products are not widely used among participants who view them as “uncool” and “unnecessary”. Exploring how affective features and attributes can improve the desirability of a forecast snowboarding personal protective equipment (PPE) product, this thesis proposes that a primary requirement for these products must be desirability - to make attractive, to create a positive impression, to strengthen ones identity and engender appreciation. Responding to these emotional needs, this thesis presents a proposal for a product designed to enhance user-experience, challenging the current philosophy of safety products and their ‘uncool’ perceptions.