abstract: In recent years, southern Africa has figured prominently in the modern human origins debate due to increasing evidence for precocious behaviors considered to be unique to our species. These significant findings have included bone tools, shell beads, engraved ostrich eggshell, and heavily ground and engraved ochre fragments. The presence of ochre in Middle Stone Age (MSA, ~250-40kya) archaeological sites in southern Africa is often proposed as indirect evidence for the emergence of symbolic or artistic behavior, a uniquely modern human trait. However, there is no remaining artwork from this period and there is significant debate about what the ochre may have been used for. With a few exceptions, ochre has gone largely unstudied. This project tested competing models for ochre use within the Pinnacle Point (PP), South Africa research area. Combined results from characterization and sourcing analyses, color classification, heat treatment analysis, and hafting experiments suggest MSA ochre is tied to early symbolic or ritual behavior. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Anthropology 2012

No description available.

Orientador: Antonio Bathoccio / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T16:23:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mendes_MariadasGracasCorrea_M.pdf: 2913386 bytes, checksum: 9c0ba1dacf9c763d742d30801cf8ec6c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Resumo: Os impactos das novas tecnologias no comportamento dos recursos humanos identifica-se e analisa-se, através de um estudo de caso, a implantação das novas tecnologias na empresa Alumar-MA, no processo de refinamento e redução de aluminio. Verificam-se os impactos causados nos trabalhadores das áreas de refinaria e redução e como foram administrados. Tratase de uma pesquisa de campo ¿in loco¿ orientada por roteiro semi-estruturado, com aplicação de entrevistas. Evidencia-se, através dos resultados, que a tecnologia de informação é um fator de produtividade e competitividade, provocando uma revolução nas áreas de implantação, nos relacionamento e nas formas de trabalho, necessários para a empresa / Abstract: The impacts of the new technologies in the behavior of the human resources. He/she identifies and it is analyzed, through a case study, the implantation of the new technologies in the company Alumar-MA, in the refinement process and reduction of I aluminize and aluminum. The impacts are verified caused in the workers of the refinery areas and reduction and as they were administered. It is a field research " in loco" guided by semi-structured itinerary, with application of interviews. It is evidenced, through the results, that the technology of information is a productivity factor and competitiveness, proving a revolution in the implantation areas, in the relationship and in the necessary work forms for the company / Mestrado / Planejamento e Gestão Estrategica da Manufatura / Mestre em Mecanica

Information is a vitally important asset to organizations and the information should be protected to sustain the value it provides to the organization. Information is transferred via different mediums in these organizations. An example would be Terrestrial Trunked Radio or TETRA, which is utilized within organizations to provide a technically very secure form of digital radio communication. TETRA is a communications technology that is currently being successfully used throughout the world for secure, reliable and robust critical communication. TETRA is used by Public Safety and Security (PSS) and transportation sectors, amongst others. PSS includes police officers, fire marshals and emergency medical units who require protected and accurate information that could influence decisions that could make difference between life and death. The TETRA educational programme offered by the TETRA Academy at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), educates TETRA users in various aspects of the TETRA standard. TETRA is viewed as a technically very secure communication standard, as it utilizes security features such as mutual authentication, air interface encryption, end-to-end encryption, jamming detection and ambience listening, amongst other security techniques to ensure that the information traversing through the network is kept secure. The TETRA educational programme material includes many physical and technical controls to assist TETRA users in protecting information. However, to what extent does the TETRA educational programme address operational controls? Operational controls address what is often referred to as the weakest link in information security – human behavioural issues. Humans can be exploited through human manipulation attacks, which include social engineering and bribery. Therefore, this study argues towards adapting the TETRA educational programme offered at the NMMU to address these human behavioural issues.

The question addressed is the relationship between intellectual understanding of social processes and behaviour: Does intellectual understanding of social psychological principles change social behaviour? Gergen (1973) raised this question and answered in the affirmative. He posited an "enlightenment effect" as a result of sophistication as to psychological principles. The first study reported here subjects were exposed to an enlightenment effect experimental manipulation. Volunteers who demonstrated understanding of Milgram's (1963) behavioural study of obedience were subsequently asked to participate in an experiment that in fact embodied the same principles as Milgram's. The subjects, though they understood the reasons for the teachers' behaviour in Milgram's study, nonetheless behaved in a strikingly similar fashion, coercing a supposedly distressed person (actually a confederate) to continue an upsetting task for the sake of a scientific understanding. Subject's demonstrated scant ability to bring their prior intellectual grasp of the dynamics of obedience and compliance to bear on their current situation or to even consider that it might be appropriate to do so. Two more studies explored the reasons for this failure of an enlightenment effect. In the second study observers watched a video-taped simulation of the first study. Observers in one condition believed that they were watching a tape of real events as they had occurred to the people involved. Observers in the other condition were told that they were watching actors role-play a hypothetical situation. This manipulation produced differential arousal and significant difference in observers' ability to comprehend that the ^subjects in the first study were engaging in behaviours parallel to those of. the teachers. A third study investigated the hypothesis that cognitive attention is captured by situational meanings that are made salient. This study brings together two lines of reasoning. Taylor & Fiske's (1975; 1978) focus-of-attention effect and the. frame-of-reference work of Eiser (1971), Alexander (1970) and Schutz (1970). Observers were again placed in one of two conditions. In one observers were sensitized to the possibility of multiple meanings in a situation and given what Goffman (1972) has called the dramaturgical standpoint. From this perspective they read about and viewed the video-tape of the; first experiment. Observers in the other condition were given a perspective and task that directed their attention to minute behavioural details of the same. The hypothesis was that observers in the multiple perspective condition would be able to take into account many- more levels of meaning and therefore be able to view the, first experiment from the point of view of the investigator. The dependent variable was the ability to surmise the experimental hypothesis of the first experiment. It was hypothesized that subjects in the other condition would have their attention so riveted on details of the experiment that they would not be able to easily re-orient to the more global analysis required. Both of these hypotheses were corroborated. The conclusion from these studies is that an enlightenment effect is a cognitive accomplishment whose achievement depends upon a frame of reference that is defined by the question "what's going on here". Whether or not individuals will bring their intellectual understanding to bear on their behaviour depends on the perceived salience, and availability, of that understanding at the time of the behaviour. Many situational aspects conspire to make an enlightenment effect a difficult task. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

M.Ed. / This study investigates the process of structural family therapy with a family from a collective consciousness background. The aim was to explore, describe and explain key-elements that played a prominent part in the process. The rationale for the investigation is derived from changes caused in the South African family by an evolving South African society. These changes influence the effective functioning of families with a collective consciousness regarding traditional social roles and the family's autocratic authority structure. It is therefore imperative that psychologists will be able to adequately counsel these families. Minuchin's structural family therapy approach can address this problem, as its principles are congruent with the world view of collective consciousness. This model, developed in the United States of America, must be researched within the collective consciousness context. Such research will contribute to the adjustment of the approach in order for it to be legitimately used with families with collective consciousness. The report of the study commences with a theoretical framework in which structural family therapy is explained. The development of family therapy, taking into consideration the relationship between family therapy and structural family therapy, is addressed. Basic principles and processes of structural family therapy are discussed. During these processes the family structure and patterns of interaction are explored and analysed. The family is encouraged to change dysfunctional patterns of interaction. The focus then moves to an overview of the South African family with collective consciousness. The family's particular world view with it's characteristics and difficulties are discussed. The theoretical framework is complemented by a chapter on the design of the research, proving the rationale for the choice of format and methods of data collection and analysis. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive case study of a family with collective consciousness undergoing structural family therapy, was conducted for two months. The establishment of a trust relationship and the exploration of the family structure were key issues. This was inhibited by language differences, participation of the family and ineffective translation, but was rectified by the culturally sensitive approach of the therapist and cooperation from the family. The use of metaphors, especially graphic and projective family drawings, use of space and concrete family sculpting contributed to problem exploration and the modification of dysfunctional interaction patterns. The success of structural family therapy with a family of collective consciousness is indicated by the acceptance of the therapist as a confidant and friend of the family. Finally, conclusions and recommendations were made regarding the use of structural family therapy with a family from a collective consciousness background.

M.Litt. et Phil. (Clinical Psychology) / People are deeply influenced by what they believe. Their basic epistemology is embodied in everything they create, material or otherwise. Thus, for example, every person's epistemology is reflected in his behaviour. Psychology is more and more aware of this aspect and there are studies and literature investigating the presuppositions of individuals as possible sources of pathology. There are further studies investigating the prejudices of psychological theories in an effort to expose their suppositions. The possibility of these theories contributing to the creation of pathology is investigated. Furthermore there are studies that describe the general intellectual spirit of an epoch. This time-spirit can influence people living in the same era to the extent that they can look, think, feel and act in a similar way. This study tries to identify the present general time-spirit that would contribute the most to the creation of a certain epistemology in the broad life-attitude of the man on street. The spirit of the Reasonable and Scientific Enlightenment is identified as the most prevalent force and influence in the life of western man. The specific presuppositions of this school of thought are described. It is then indicated to what extent these prejudices generate certain pathological effects. Furthermore it is seen how these suppositions facilitate a particular cognitive style, namely exclusive dualistic conceptualisation, and how it can create anxiety. An attempt is made to identify the so-called new and Post-Modernistic time-spirit that is developing in other disciplines and which is opposing the spirit of the Enlightenment. This study suggests that the prejudices of the ecosystemic and interactional models in Psychology can be reconciled with the presuppositions of Post-Modernism. The possibility that the epistemology of Post-Modernism can have a healing effect on the .symptomatic behaviour facilitated by the spirit of the Enlightenment, is put forward.

It is a widely held belief that those who are attractive generally experience an easier life; that the door to success is opened by perfect bone structure and a sparkling white smile. However, this might not be the case. Attractiveness might play a far lesser role in individual’s achieving their objectives than has previously been thought. Is it possible that an individual’s qualifications may have a greater influence regarding the perceptions of managers who question the suitability of a candidate to fill the position of a Knowledge Worker? The main purpose of this research was not only to identify the existence of the so-called Beauty Premium in the Knowledge Economy but, to determine that if it does indeed exist, how to explore the influence of this aspect regarding the hiring decisions for which managers are responsible. A two-phased experimental design was followed that investigated the existence and strength of the Beauty Premium amongst a group of managers who were provided with fictitious resumes coupled with photographs of the applicants. These managers were requested to make a hiring decision based on the information in front of them. The results revealed the existence of a Beauty Premium but that is was relatively weak and that the qualification of an individual had a far greater influence on a manager’s perception of the suitability of a candidate to fill a position of a Knowledge Worker. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The incidence of overweight conditions among children and adolescents is a growing national concern. Although current literature suggests that parental health behaviors could influence health behaviors of children, studies have not explored the actual predictive relationships of parents' and their children's weight statuses and weight-related behaviors. In addition, current studies have not tested the influence of parental authority, family communication, or demographic characteristics on the relationships. This study first examines factors that contribute to overweight conditions among children and adolescents and the associated costs. Studies of interventions that target children's and adolescents' weight-related health are then reviewed and provide evidence that parental involvement contributes to intervention success. The theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory, social action theory, and systems theory are discussed and support the notion that parental influences contribute to the development of children's weight-related health behaviors. To test the relationships, 151 young adults and their parents were recruited and completed a series of questionnaires to describe their weight statuses, dietary behaviors, and physical activity behaviors. In addition, the young adult participants completed questionnaires to further describe their parents' parental authorities and their family communication environments during childhood and adolescence. Comparisons of body mass index, average daily energy consumption, average weekly energy expenditure, and physical activity enjoyment of young adult participants and their parents were conducted with correlation analyses and paired-samples t-tests. Further, multiple regression analyses were used to explore the influence of parental authority and family communication, and demographic characteristics were also considered. The empirical results of the current study indicate that, overall, parents' weight statuses and dietary behaviors help predict weight statuses and dietary behaviors of their young adult children. Further, parental authority scales interact with the relationships. At high levels of authoritarian and permissive parental authorities, young adults tend to have weight statuses that are opposite to those of their parents; at high levels of authoritarian parenting, young adults also tend to follow opposite dietary consumption patterns. The findings in this study have implications for professional practice, parenting practices, and the design of intervention activities. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Behavioral economics concepts can advance understanding, predicting, and controlling complex human behavior. Although there have been numerous attempts to apply behavioral economics concepts to applied settings, there are a limited number of experiments conducted in educational settings. The purpose of the studies in this paper is a to apply well-grounded scientific findings in behavioral economics to education to advance our understanding of teaching and learning and to develop cost-effective interventions. Study 1 (Kim et al., 2021) was a systematic review and meta-analysis on 24 token economy studies conducted in general and special education classrooms from kindergarten to 5th grade between 2000 and 2019. Eight token economy components and effect sizes were identified for each study and compared across different classroom types. The results showed that the token economy intervention yielded large effect sizes for both general and special education classroom types. There were differences in the usage of token components including backup reinforcer types, token production rate, and exchange production rate based on classroom types. In Study 2, the researchers conducted two experiments to develop a rapid, user-friendly assessment of delay discounting for educators interested in quantifying sensitivity to reward delays for school-aged children. The first experiment reanalyzed data collected by Reed and Martens (2011) and found that 1-month delay choices predicted student classroom behavior. The second experiment investigated the utility of the 1-month delay indifference point in predicting saving and spending behavior of second-grade students using token economies with two different token production schedules. Collectively, results showed that the 1-month delay indifference point predicted classroom behavior and children who discounted less and had greater self-regulation, accrued and saved more tokens. In Study 3, the researchers investigated the effects of a classwide progressive delay training procedure on students’ advantageous choice-making behavior, which is the behavior of selecting a larger, delayed outcome over a smaller, immediately available reinforcer. The intervention used progressive delay, which refers to incrementally increasing the temporal delay for a more delayed, advantageous outcome, and choice-making opportunities to promote second grade students’ choice of a larger reinforcer associated with a delay. The results showed mixed results – the intervention was effective at increasing advantageous choice-making behavior for students performing on and below grade-level for math, but the effects were not shown in students performing above grade-level. Study 4 further examined the educational importance of delayed consequences by determining the relationship between verbal behavior repertoires, delay discounting, and academic achievement. Specifically, the researchers used the degree of Incidental-Bidirectional Naming (Inc-BiN) for verbal behavior, degree of tolerance to delayed consequences using hypothetical binary choices involving money for delay discounting, and standardized math and reading scores for academic achievement. The results showed that participants with greater degree of Inc-BiN had significantly greater tolerance for delayed consequences. However, there was no relation found between academic achievement and delay discounting or Inc-BiN. Together, the four studies in this paper successfully (1) translated basic behavioral economics research findings to educational settings and (2) investigated methods that maximize efficiency and effectiveness of practices and tools used in classrooms.