This study examines the differences in the beliefs of primary (elementary) class teachers about the role of expression in visual arts education. The focus is on the relationship between primary teachers implicit theories, and expression in their visual arts lessons. Expression here, refers to the manifestation of an individual students interests or views through visual images. Students' expression of their personal responses through visual images, is a central intended outcome of the visual arts curriculum in Western Australia (Curriculum Council, 1998).

Implicit theories play an important role in the structure and maintenance of people’s sense of meaning, and violations to one’s theory can create significant distress. Using electroencephalography (EEG), this study examined the neural correlates of implicit theory violation. Participants were primed with one of two implicit theories of success attainment and were then shown a series of words that either confirmed or violated that theory. Analyses revealed that compared to implicit theory confirmations, implicit theory violations produced greater N400 amplitudes, which is a brain wave associated with “semantic violations,” or violations of meaning. Current literature on the N400 has been limited to language-specific semantic violations. Therefore, these results represent a novel extension of the N400 to include violations of complex lay theories of human behavior. Furthermore, these data suggest that implicit theories represent a fundamental type of semantic knowledge that helps perceivers to generate predictions about the social world.

Implicit theories play an important role in the structure and maintenance of people’s sense of meaning, and violations to one’s theory can create significant distress. Using electroencephalography (EEG), this study examined the neural correlates of implicit theory violation. Participants were primed with one of two implicit theories of success attainment and were then shown a series of words that either confirmed or violated that theory. Analyses revealed that compared to implicit theory confirmations, implicit theory violations produced greater N400 amplitudes, which is a brain wave associated with “semantic violations,” or violations of meaning. Current literature on the N400 has been limited to language-specific semantic violations. Therefore, these results represent a novel extension of the N400 to include violations of complex lay theories of human behavior. Furthermore, these data suggest that implicit theories represent a fundamental type of semantic knowledge that helps perceivers to generate predictions about the social world.

To date, there is a dearth of research examining the relationship between cognitive and affective aspects of prejudice and their ability to predict overt and covert homonegative behaviours. Research in this area is important as many gay men and lesbian women are the target of homonegative acts, and it is these behaviours that are important to understand. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to examine: 1) if modern homonegativity related to explicit affective measures; 2) if modern homonegativity related to implicit affective measures; 3) whether modern homonegativity related to implicit cognitive measures; 4) which measure was the best predictor of covert behaviour; and 5) which measure was the best predictor of overt behaviour. The four measures used as potential predictors were: 1) the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS), an explicit, cognitive measure; 2) the Implicit Association Test (IAT), an implicit, cognitive measure; 3) a feeling thermometer, an explicit, affective measure; and 4) facial electromyographic reactions, an implicit affective measure. This study consisted of three phases: in Phase I, 171 male undergraduates completed an online survey consisting of explicit measures of homonegativity. Fifty-five participants were recalled to participate in Phases II and III, which consisted of a behavioural component and the facial EMG and IAT components. Results indicated that modern homonegativity was associated with implicit cognitive measures as well as explicit measures of affect. However, modern homonegativity was not associated with implicit measures of affect. Additionally, positive affect in the form of cheek activity and negative affect toward images of couples kissing in the form of brow activity, measured through facial EMG, were associated with covert behaviour, with cheek activity being the better predictor. Brow activity toward images of gay couples kissing, indicative of negative affect, was the only measure associated with overt behaviour. Limitations and potential future directions for conducting research using implicit measures of homonegativity are discussed.

Although explicit attitudes have traditionally been used in predictive models of health behaviour, recent theorizing suggests that implicit attitudes might be more useful in predicting socially undesirable or addictive behaviours. In Studies 1 through 3, smokers’ explicit and implicit attitudes were examined to compare the predictive utility of each. Results confirmed that implicit attitudes are better at predicting impulse-driven behaviours, such as smoking consumption. Consequently, implicit attitudes also predict whether a quit attempt will be successful. In contrast, explicit attitudes are better at predicting deliberative outcomes, such as having intentions to quit, and making planned quit attempts. Extending these findings, in Studies 4 and 5, the effectiveness of a novel affirmation intervention designed to break the association between smoking and stress-reduction is evaluated. Preliminary results demonstrate that an affirmation intervention designed to break the smokers’ reliance on smoking as a means of coping with stress can have beneficial and sustainable effects in cessation outcomes. The impact on smokers’ implicit attitudes as a possible mediating role is discussed. Implications for more effective health interventions are also discussed.

Cultural differences in compliments were examined across five studies. The results are consistent with cultural differences in self-enhancement and self-criticism and suggest that compliment responses may reflect underlying differences in self-views. Asian golfers were less accepting and more rejecting of compliments about a tournament win than European golfers (Study 1). Cultural differences in responses to compliments about close others were found to mirror those about the self. Asian Canadian mothers were less accepting and more rejecting of compliments about their children than were European Canadian mothers (Study 2). Study 3 examined cultural differences in response to compliments that focus on natural ability (person-praise) versus those that focus on effort (process-praise). European Canadians were more accepting and less rejecting of person-praise compliments about their basketball shooting ability than Asian Canadians, whereas no differences were found in responses to process-praise compliments. Cultural differences in giving compliments were examined using both cultural artifacts (Study 4) and self-report (Study 5). The results are consistent with previous research on differences in implicit theories of ability. Chinese graduation cards contained more process- than person-praise compliments, whereas the reverse was true of American cards (Study 4). Chinese parents indicated that they would be more likely to select and Chinese students indicated that they would be more likely to receive graduation card messages containing process- versus person-praise compliments (Study 5). American parents and students showed no effects of type of compliment.

To date, there is a dearth of research examining the relationship between cognitive and affective aspects of prejudice and their ability to predict overt and covert homonegative behaviours. Research in this area is important as many gay men and lesbian women are the target of homonegative acts, and it is these behaviours that are important to understand. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to examine: 1) if modern homonegativity related to explicit affective measures; 2) if modern homonegativity related to implicit affective measures; 3) whether modern homonegativity related to implicit cognitive measures; 4) which measure was the best predictor of covert behaviour; and 5) which measure was the best predictor of overt behaviour. The four measures used as potential predictors were: 1) the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS), an explicit, cognitive measure; 2) the Implicit Association Test (IAT), an implicit, cognitive measure; 3) a feeling thermometer, an explicit, affective measure; and 4) facial electromyographic reactions, an implicit affective measure. This study consisted of three phases: in Phase I, 171 male undergraduates completed an online survey consisting of explicit measures of homonegativity. Fifty-five participants were recalled to participate in Phases II and III, which consisted of a behavioural component and the facial EMG and IAT components. Results indicated that modern homonegativity was associated with implicit cognitive measures as well as explicit measures of affect. However, modern homonegativity was not associated with implicit measures of affect. Additionally, positive affect in the form of cheek activity and negative affect toward images of couples kissing in the form of brow activity, measured through facial EMG, were associated with covert behaviour, with cheek activity being the better predictor. Brow activity toward images of gay couples kissing, indicative of negative affect, was the only measure associated with overt behaviour. Limitations and potential future directions for conducting research using implicit measures of homonegativity are discussed.

<p>Three studies examine individuals' implicit sensitivity to the absence of motivation perceived in others and how the nature of this sensitivity is moderated by individuals' own motivational states. Using a subliminal priming paradigm, Study 1 tested a direct perception-behavior link between perceiving indifference in others and applying such indifference towards one's own pursuits. Study 2 then examined how individuals who are primed in advance with a nonconscious achievement goal show automatic counteraction to the indifference perceived in others. Using a video-based priming paradigm, Study 3 then found that such goal-driven counteraction to indifference occurred only among individuals with higher action control--those who had the ability to sustain goal pursuit after the intention to pursue it has been formed. In contrast, individuals with lower action control in Study 3 were more susceptible to indifference than all other participants, particularly when an achievement goal was made highly active in memory. These influences were found in all three studies to occur largely without participants' conscious intent or awareness.</p> / Dissertation

In this thesis we develop a 3D soft object modeling system with implicit functions. Our system provides implicit functions including the primitive functions and blending functions to modeling soft object. The system satisfies some requirements, such as intuitive operating environment, the Model-View-Controller (MVC) system architecture, and extensibility, etc. The system consists of four major parts: (1) the graphical user interface (GUI); (2) the constructive tree viewing Subsystem; (3) the implicit function operating Subsystem; (4) the 3D scene graph rendering Subsystem. The GUI initializes the window frame and responds to the event messages dispatched from the OS or applications. The constructive tree viewing Subsystem presents the composition of the object modal with the tree structure. The implicit function operating system accomplishes the polygon tessellation, that is, it translates the blending tree with the implicit functions to polygon meshes. The 3D scene graph rendering system renders the polygon mesh and provides 3D scene graph manipulations.

Alliance has become a necessary part of firms¡¦ strategy due to fast-paced diffusion of technologies, rising costs and protectionism. While the forms of strategy alliances evolve from simple contracts into multiple cooperation modes, factors needed to be considered are also gaining amount. Different kinds of strategy alliances possess different kinds of pros and cons, and will have effect on integration of resources and techniques. This research aims at analyzing whether the property of knowledge, firms¡¦ capacity and partner relations had effect on the selection of the strategy alliance modes. This study also formed a questionnaire survey which empirically tested the hypotheses set up in the study with data from public offering electronic firms. The results are indicating that contractual alliances are more likely to be formed when the absorptive capacity and risks are high, which are supported by numerous papers. The reason is that the strategy alliance is a channel of knowledge transferring, and higher the potential of gaining knowledge, then easier the process would be ¡V no resource-committing equity alliances are needed. The risk part is talking similar story: while risks are high, firms tend to serve contract as a tool of controlling loses. The level of implicit and complexity of knowledge are also positively related with the preference of committing equity alliances. The reason is that these kinds of alliances would serve better for firms to cooperate with each others and to transfer complex and tacit knowledge easier