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In this study it is argued that quality of health is predominantly influenced by health behaviour and health-risk behaviour. Self-regulation as an important factor in health and health-risk behaviour was operationalised by three phases, namely goal establishment, goal execution and self-reflection and adjustment. In addition, mindfulness is an important metacognitive skill applied throughout the process of self-regulation. The lack of research on self-regulation and health behaviour, especially with reference to South African youth and young adolescents is surprising. Health programmes seem to pay insufficient attention to the enhancement of self-regulatory skills in preventing health risk behaviour. Another limitation is the lack of qualitative data regarding self-regulation research. 'This study aims to explore the self-regulation of health-related goals in a group of young adults. Insight to this process could contribute to the development of more appropriate health promoting programmes. A qualitative research design with content analysis as data analysis technique was applied. An availability sample of 92 participants, aged between 18 and 30, completed self-compiled questionnaires on health-risk behaviour and self-regulation. Results indicate a high prevalence of health risk behaviour, supporting other South African findings. Various differences were found between participants engaging in high risk behaviour and those with low risk behaviour with reference to the phases and processes of self-regulation. The high risk group's goal setting seems to be problematic as it does not address identified high risk behaviours. This may be as a result of insufficient mindfulness in that they are ignorant of their health risk behaviour and its implication or alternatively, that they attempt to avoid the risk of failure. In addition, the high risk group is more dependent on external motivation regarding health-related goals and is, therefore, more influenced by controlled regulation. In contrast, the low risk group more often relies on individual personal resources as a source of motivation for their health related goals. Furthermore, the high risk group experiences regulatory non-fit as 'their actions were more often inappropriate. No major differences were found between the groups concerning stumbling blocks and self-observation. Participants in the high risk group evaluate their performance less favourably and are more likely to experience negative emotions in the face of failure compared to participants in the low risk group. When taking the whole self-regulation process into account, it can thus be concluded that participants of the high risk group have poor self-regulation in relation to participants in the low risk group. In general, the findings of this study support the findings of other researchers, confirming the importance of self-regulation in health and health-risk behaviour. The main implication is that there should be a much stronger emphasis on self-regulatory skills in health promotion and illness prevention programmes. Certain limitations of this study were also taken into account. Future studies should consider the role of individuals' risk perceptions with regard to the goal establishment phases as well as the manner in which individuals deal with stumbling blocks in the action phase. Finally, the way in which self-regulation as a dynamic process should be accurately assessed is still not clear. As this study is one of the first to explore self-regulation from a qualitative perspective, future studies could shed more light on the usefulness of other qualitative and even mixed method designs. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Denna studies syfte var att erhålla en bättre förståelse om träning av dynamiskt mindset hoselever på gymnasiet ledde till bättre problemlösningsförmåga i matematik och om elevernaanvände sig av lärandemål i större utsträckning. Följande forskningsfrågor har undersöktsempiriskt: I vilken grad förstärks elevernas dynamiska mindset genom ett fåtal aktioner i litengrupp? Hur starkt är sambandet mellan dynamiskt mindset och matematisk problemlösningsförmåga?I vilken grad förändras elevernas lärandemål av träning av dynamiskt mindset? Studienbyggde på en kvantitativ interventionsmetod med en kontroll- respektive interventionsgrupp,med test av dynamiskt mindset, achievement goals och problemlösningsförmåga innan och efterintervention med gymnasieelever i en klass på ett teoretiskt program. Praktiskt genomfördes dettamed undervisning om dynamiskt mindset och genom praktiska moment där eleven fick erfara attdenne kunde förändra sin förmåga. Studiens resultat visade på att vissa aspekter av dynamisktmindset kunde förstärkas med små medel under kort tid med en liten grupp elever, men attkorrelationer kopplade till dynamiskt mindset, lärandemål och matematisk problemlösningsförmågaverkade svaga. För att mer ingående förstå konsekvenserna av dynamiskt mindsetspåverkan på lärandemål och matematisk problemlösningsförmåga krävs ytterligare studier.

Master of Science / Department of Psychological Sciences / Richard J. Harris / To date, no research has been conducted to establish the discourse goals accomplished through social movie quoting. In this thesis four studies were conducted to learn what discourse goals are accomplished through social movie quoting and if Roberts and Kreuz’ (1994) discourse goal taxonomy for figurative language would be a suitable theoretical framework for the study of the social movie quoting phenomenon. Study 1 examined movie quoting without being tied to any specific movie quotes. Demographic variables were correlated with common movie viewing preferences, behaviors, and attitudinal responses. Study 2 had participants generate a realistic movie quote they would actually use for accomplishing each of several specific discourse goals in conversation. Study 3 had participants generate a plain English interpretation of the movie quotes selected from Study 2. Study 4 participants rated the movie quotes and plain English equivalents generated in studies 2 and 3 for aptness and likelihood for use in conversation with the knowledge (Condition 1) and without the knowledge (Condition 2) of the underlying discourse goal. Quotes were randomized and counterbalanced so that half the participants in each condition received all movie quotes first (Group 1) and half the plain English first (Group 2). Results indicated that movie quotes were used to accomplish a set of discourse goals most similar to the traditional figures of speech of hyperbole, understatement, metaphor, and simile. The most common purposes of social movie quoting were to compare similarities and either downplay or exaggerate these similarities. Knowledge of the underlying discourse goal significantly increased the aptness and likelihood of both quote types for several discourse goals. The order of presentation did not significantly affect participants’ ratings. The aptness of the quote was strongly related to participants’ likelihood of using a particular quote, regardless of quote type. Future research should focus on capturing naturally occurring language to further increase the ecological validity of these results. It appears that the act of quoting movie lines in conversation is heavily dependent on individual preferences and a method should be developed to capture movie quoting in such a way. Suggestions for enhanced selection of movie quotes is discussed.

Over one million youth (age 14-24) experience homelessness each year in the United States, about 5-8% of all youth. For homeless youth to become independent and avoid cycling through public services, consistent income is necessary. Barriers to gaining employment and subsequent income often stem from lack of education. Defining the educational goals of homeless youth and barriers in reaching them are crucial steps in the development of relevant and effective educational interventions. Using data obtained from surveys of homeless youth in an urban Western city, this study found large discrepancies between the educational goals of homeless youth and actual academic attainment. Becoming homeless before the age of 18 and having fewer lifetime parents or guardians were predictive of lacking a diploma or GED. Implications of this research for informing educational interventions for homeless youth are discussed.

This thesis bridges a gap in extant research by examining key factors that play a role in behavioral grocery shopping routines following minor and major disruptions. The present research involves two interrelated investigations incorporating mixed methodologies (Cresswell, 2003). Study 1 involves semi-structured in-depth interviews seeking to establish how goal-directed grocery shopping routines are developed over time. Utilizing a laddering approach of questioning (Gutman, 1997), respondents are probed on their routines (Brotherton, 2001) and goals, including end goals as described in the List of Values (Kahle & Kennedy, 1988). Three participants were interviewed on three occasions over an eight week period, until theoretical saturation was achieved. A significant contribution of Study 1 lies in the development of a conceptual framework for understanding factors associated with grocery shopping routines. This model reflects a working definition characterizing routines as goal-driven and value-guided heuristic strategies. It is proposed that routines are repetitive patterns of personal and private behavioral activities dependent upon situational and temporal contexts, and utilized for instrumental reasons. Risk-taking attitudes and personal values also shape goal-directed behaviors. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures (Jöreskog & Sörbom, 1993), Study 2, an online experiment, aims to test and build upon the conceptual model emanating from Study 1. This study also investigates the impact of minor and major disruptions on routinized grocery shopping behavior. 612 participants were allocated across three experimental groups: situational contexts, anticipated temporal conditions, and repetitive value. Cohorts were assessed at baseline levels and received unique minor and major disruptions appropriate to their circumstance. Study 2 contributes through the large-scale SEM testing of a model of grocery shopping routinization. Overall, sound structural model fit demonstrates that the present model of grocery shopping routinization is explained by six distinct components including routinized behavior, goal-centeredness, situational contexts, anticipated temporal conditions, repetitive value, and risk-taking attitudes; and three dimensions of personal values: maturity, self-direction/achievement, and enjoyment. In terms of disruptions, findings indicate that routine strength is dependent on degree of situational, temporal, and instrumental interruptions. Disruptions can both facilitate and impede routines. Results demonstrate that regardless of goal stability, routines change when model components are disrupted. Findings suggest theoretical, research, and practical implications. This thesis expands decision making theory (Betsch, Fiedler, & Brinkmann, 1998) by demonstrating that, despite unwavering goals, new contexts arising from disruptions influence new behavioral deliberations. In relation to research implications, this thesis develops then subsequently tests a model of grocery shopping routinization. Despite routines becoming subconscious over time (Aarts & Dijksterhuis, 2000a), this study asserts that routines are intentional and involve goal-directed strategies for dealing with the environment. From an applied perspective, practitioners should be aware that routine-disrupted consumers remain goal-driven. Consumers are unlikely to forego focal goals (e.g., shop for weekly household meals) if these goals are non-negotiable. Present results suggest that consumers esteem maturity-related personal values, such as fostering and maintaining warm relationships with others and sense of belonging, when grocery sho pping.

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Syfte och frågeställningar</p><p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka de målchanser som skapades under cupspelet i VM 2006 och analysera vilka som var mest effektiva, d.v.s. oftast resulterade i mål och varför.</p><p>För att besvara syftet användes följande frågeställning:</p><p>• Vilka typer av målchanser leder oftast till mål och är därmed mest effektiva?</p><p>Metod</p><p>Studiens datainsamlingsmetod har varit observation av 16 fotbollsmatcher från världsmästerskapen i fotboll 2006. Matcherna är inspelade på DVD från SVT:s och TV4:s TV-sändningar. Varje målchans har analyserats och kategoriserats och förts in i ett analysschema bestående av tio kategorier. Exempel på kategorier är försvarsmisstag (målchans som uppkommer efter misstag från det försvarande laget), individuell prestation (spelare som skapar en målchans på egen hand) och fast situation (målchans som uppkommer efter hörnspark, frispark, indirekt frispark, straffspark eller inkast.).</p><p>Resultat</p><p>Totalt skapades 366 målchanser varav 31 ledde till mål. Den målchans som oftast gav mål procentuellt sett var försvarsmisstag med 20 %. Individuell prestation gav mål i 14 % av fallen och fast situation 13 %.</p><p>Slutsats</p><p>De slutsatser som går att dra av studien är att försvarsmisstag, individuell prestation och fast situation, oftast leder till flest mål procentuellt räknat. Dessa typer av målchanser är därmed de mest effektiva.</p>

Sammanfattning Syfte och frågeställningar Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka de målchanser som skapades under cupspelet i VM 2006 och analysera vilka som var mest effektiva, d.v.s. oftast resulterade i mål och varför. För att besvara syftet användes följande frågeställning: • Vilka typer av målchanser leder oftast till mål och är därmed mest effektiva? Metod Studiens datainsamlingsmetod har varit observation av 16 fotbollsmatcher från världsmästerskapen i fotboll 2006. Matcherna är inspelade på DVD från SVT:s och TV4:s TV-sändningar. Varje målchans har analyserats och kategoriserats och förts in i ett analysschema bestående av tio kategorier. Exempel på kategorier är försvarsmisstag (målchans som uppkommer efter misstag från det försvarande laget), individuell prestation (spelare som skapar en målchans på egen hand) och fast situation (målchans som uppkommer efter hörnspark, frispark, indirekt frispark, straffspark eller inkast.). Resultat Totalt skapades 366 målchanser varav 31 ledde till mål. Den målchans som oftast gav mål procentuellt sett var försvarsmisstag med 20 %. Individuell prestation gav mål i 14 % av fallen och fast situation 13 %. Slutsats De slutsatser som går att dra av studien är att försvarsmisstag, individuell prestation och fast situation, oftast leder till flest mål procentuellt räknat. Dessa typer av målchanser är därmed de mest effektiva.

This dissertation examines whether a nonconscious goal can change preferences between binary options, one favoring a conscious goal (e.g., undiluted but non-healthy iced tea) and the other a nonconscious goal (e.g., diluted but healthy iced tea). Across four laboratory experiments, we demonstrate that when participants are only given a conscious goal (e.g., to choose the tastier drink), the majority of them seek the alternative that is more instrumental to this goal. However, when a nonconscious goal is also primed (e.g., to be healthy), their preferences can shift to the alternative that is perceived to be instrumental to this goal but is inferior from the conscious goal standpoint. We propose a two-stage model to explain these findings. In the first stage, when a nonconscious goal is primed, individuals attend to goal-relevant cues (e.g., health-signaling label) and automatically form a positive evaluation toward the option that facilitates the nonconscious goal relative to the option that does not satisfy the goal. In the second stage, the positive automatic evaluation is then used to distort perceptions of the option’s conscious goal instrumentality such that the option is perceived as having a more favorable taste compared to when the goal is not primed. While the positive automatic evaluation influences the option’s taste, it does not affect the evaluation of the option’s other attributes (e.g., scent, color). By manipulating the timing of nonconscious goal activation and by adopting an evaluative conditioning task, we find support for our conceptual model while ruling out alternative explanations and identifying a boundary condition of task difficulty. The findings of the experiments contribute to the literature on nonconscious goals 1) by showing that these goals can play a central role in decision making when choice options pit them against conscious goals, and 2) by identifying a mechanism (i.e., attribute distortion) that can resolve goal competition in choice.