Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Frederick Burrack / The purpose of this research is to discover influences that guide practice habits of collegiate instrumental music students, explore student self-discovery of practice needs, and create strategies that can be used to improve the quality of students’ individual music practice. To best address these intentions, three unique yet sequential studies were implemented. The Discovery study focused on the uncovering prior experiences that shaped students’ practice habits before entering college to get an idea of how current practice habits were formed. The Video Self-Confrontation study had participants watch a video recording of a practice sessions to address possible gaps between their perception and the reality of their practice habits. The video self-confrontation prompted discussion about possibilities for enhanced practice skills. The Intervention study expanded upon information from previous studies to develop and administer personalized interventions designed to address weaknesses and identify effect on participants’ practice habits. Independent practice, the time after instruction when a student works toward mastery of skills or concepts, is widely recognized as a critical component of improvement in the performance music. These studies aim to help bridge the gap between practice theories and optimal experiences. These studies explored elements related to practice behavior. Because each person had unique experiences and diverse ways to describe their experiences, a methodology for each study was required that allowed for structured data collection and organization. As such, the constructivist paradigm supported these studies.

L’ambition de ce travail est de dégager une vision critique du champ de la communication et de la consommation de masse, au croisement du double parcours de recherche et de pratique professionnelle de l’auteur. L’approche sémiotique, enrichie des éclairages disciplinaires des sciences de la communication, de la stratégie, de l’interaction, de l’anthropologie, permet d’ébaucher une théorie stratégique du champ de la communication. En envisageant cette dernière comme un espace stratégique d’actualisation d’enjeux pour les actants, régi par la confrontation et la rivalité, on se donne les moyens de prendre la juste mesure de ce champ et des phénomènes qui le structurent. Cette approche croisée, unifiée par l’appareil conceptuel et méthodologique de la sémiotique greimassienne, dégage une vision globale de ce champ en prenant appui essentiellement sur trois niveaux de pertinence sémiotique, qui révèlent la cohérence et la transversalité des phénomènes de signification observés : les formes discursives, les formes stratégiques et les formes d’interaction. La vision proposée, à travers le cadre général ainsi que les différents travaux présentés, met en évidence les dysfonctionnements du modèle de communication de masse « mécaniste » fondé sur la maitrise et la programmation, et défini les bases et les conditions de l’émergence d’un nouveau modèle de communication. Ce nouveau modèle fait basculer la communication d’un pur régime de simulacres discursifs à un véritable régime d’interaction où l’articulation du cognitif et du sensible favorise la co-construction du sens par l’énonciataire dans des dispositifs communicationnels d’un nouveau genre. Ce travail est enfin une mise à l’épreuve et un questionnement sur les apports de la praxis sémiotique à la construction d’un champ de la communication pertinent et opératoire. On y montre ainsi qu’elle n’est pas seulement un outil d’analyse mais une méthode d’aide à la génération des formes signifiantes et stratégiques. Enfin, dans un incessant va-et-vient entre le particulier et le général, elle rend possible l’intégration des formes sémiotiques en circulation dans des schématisations plus vastes qui font apparaitre l’architecture des grands phénomènes de signification à l’œuvre dans ce champ. / The purpose of this work is to highlight a critical view on communication field and mass consumption, at the crossroad of a double path bridging academic research and professional practice of the author. The semiotics approach, enriched with the light of disciplines like communication sciences, strategy, interaction, anthropology, enables to draft a theory of strategy in the communication field. By considering the latter as a strategic space of actualization of stakes for the actants, ruled by confrontation and rivalry, we bring ourselves the opportunity to consider this field and the phenomenon that are structuring it at its right level. This multiple approach unified by the conceptual and methodological background of semiotics brings out a global vision of this field by essentially leaning on three levels of semiotic relevance, that are revealing coherency and transversality of signification phenomenon observed : discursive forms, strategic forms et interaction forms. The proposed vision, through the general frame and diverse works presented, is highlighting malfunctionings of “mechanical” mass communication model based on control and programmation and is defining the basis and conditions of an emerging new communication model. This new model is making communication switching from a pure system of discursive simulacrum to a true system of interaction where the combination of cognitive and sensitive rationality enables co-construction of meaning by enunciate in communicational systems of a new kind. Finally this work putting to the test and questioning what semiotic praxis is bringing to the building of a relevant and operative communciation field. We show there that semiotics not only is a tool of analysis but a method supporting signifying and strategic forms generation. Then through permanent back and forth between particular and general semiotic approach is making possible the integration of circulating semiotic forms in broader schemes that are revealing the architecture of main signification phenomenon structuring this field.

The current study examined the differences in perceptions of three types of microaggressions experienced by African Americans and Latino Americans. Additionally, this study addressed how the coping mechanism of confrontation may be perceived depending on the level of the microaggression. Finally, colorblind attitudes were examined as an individual difference variable in predicting responses to microaggressions. The study used a 2 (target ethnicity: African American and Latino American) x 3 (types of microaggression: microassault, microinsult, and microinvalidation) between subjects design. A sample of 304 White participants was obtained via MTurk. Participants first read a vignette showing an interaction between a White supervisor and a subordinate of color (African American or Latino American). After reading the vignette, participants were asked to complete the Microaggression Perception Scale, a course of action scale to assess their perception of what the target should have done after the microaggressive incident, the Color-Blind Racial Attitude Scale (COBRA), and a demographic survey. The data were analyzed using MANOVA and regression analyses and the results indicated five major findings. First, White participants were found to be able to perceive microaggressions as having occurred as they became more blatant (from microinvalidation to microinsult to microassault). Second, there were no significant differences in their perceptions of the types of microaggression between the African American and Latino American targets. However, they perceived microinvalidation when it occurred for the White target more clearly than they did the microinvalidation for the African American target. Third, color-blind racial attitudes were related to White individuals’ perception of microinsults and microassaults, but not microinvalidation, indicating those who identified more strongly with the colorblind racial attitude were less likely to perceive the microaggression as being biased even when the microaggression was blatant. Fourth, participants also recommended that individuals of color should take more drastic action for microassault and less drastic action for microinvalidation. This suggested that the microassaults were perceived as not acceptable behavior and that these behaviors should be reported in writing to upper administration in the organization. Finally, color-blind racial attitudes moderated the relationship between the perceptions of microinvalidations and microassaults, and the course of action to deal with aggression. Implications of the study are further discussed.

A qualitative document analysis is used to answer the aim of this thesis that is to find out if the relation between the European Union and Belarus has changed from confrontational to reparational in between the two parliamentary elections that was held in the country in the years of 2004 and 2008. The study focuses on debates from the European parliament in association to the elections in Belarus to see if the rhetoric used in the debates have changed. It is found that the rhetoric used in the European parliament after the 2004 election in Belarus are extremely confrontational and the members of the debate expresses their thoughts of Belarus in a rather harsh way. It has also been found that the rhetoric used in the European parliament after the 2008 election in Belarus are more diplomatic and have the tendencies of a warmer relation to Belarus although there are still some confrontational views among the members.

Although confronting prejudice can be effective in reducing bias, it is potentially costly to confronters. Research on confronting racism or sexism has shown confronters from the targeted group are viewed more negatively than confronters who are not. It is unknown whether confronting antigay bias produces similar reactions, particularly since group membership is concealable. In my research, participants read two male profiles followed by a scripted conversation which included an antigay comment. Profiles varied in their depiction of the confronting individual’s sexual orientation, and conversations either included a confrontation or not. I found that confronting antigay bias is double-edged. On the positive side, confrontation increased awareness that prejudice occurred, and this awareness mediated the relation between confrontation viewing and participants’ own intention to confront. On the negative, individuals may be deterred from confronting antigay prejudice because confronters were perceived as more gay (a stigmatized identity), regardless of actual orientation.

Although confronting prejudice can be effective in reducing bias, it is potentially costly to confronters. Research on confronting racism or sexism has shown confronters from the targeted group are viewed more negatively than confronters who are not. It is unknown whether confronting antigay bias produces similar reactions, particularly since group membership is concealable. In my research, participants read two male profiles followed by a scripted conversation which included an antigay comment. Profiles varied in their depiction of the confronting individual’s sexual orientation, and conversations either included a confrontation or not. I found that confronting antigay bias is double-edged. On the positive side, confrontation increased awareness that prejudice occurred, and this awareness mediated the relation between confrontation viewing and participants’ own intention to confront. On the negative, individuals may be deterred from confronting antigay prejudice because confronters were perceived as more gay (a stigmatized identity), regardless of actual orientation.

L’objectif de cette dissertation est d'analyser des interactions sexistes afin de comprendre les processus influençant la réaction des femmes dans ces situations. Parmi ces stratégies, la confrontation consiste a ̀ exprimer son insatisfaction par rapport a ̀ un comportement discriminatoire face l’auteur de ce comportement. Les recherches précédentes se sont centrées soit sur les processus cognitifs et motivationnels (évaluation des coûts et des bénéfices liés aux stratégies de réponse), soit sur les processus émotionnels facilitant ou entravant la confrontation. Nos études ont intégré ces différents facteurs. Une première série d’études, par entretiens ou questionnaires, nous ont permis d’identifier les comportements jugés sexistes par les participantes, les émotions ressenties face a ̀ ces incidents, leur évaluation du rapport coûts/bénéfices et leur stratégie pour y faire face. La seconde série d’études nous a permis d'étudier les réactions de femmes face aux remarques sexistes exprimées par un homme via une vidéo, en faisant varier le contexte et le type de sexisme. Enfin, lors de la dernière étude, des interactions réelles entre un complice et une participante nous ont permis d’approfondir les résultats obtenus dans les études précédentes tout en augmentant la validité écologique. / Doctorat en Sciences psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

<p>  </p> <p>Interpersonal confrontations are a powerful prejudice reduction strategy. However, they often come with social costs, or negative interpersonal consequences, for the confronter (e.g., dislike; Czopp et al., 2006). Across three studies, the present research examines whether and how interpersonal trust reduces the social costs typically associated with confrontation. Study 1 showed that the more participants trusted their confronter, the less negative their evaluations of their partner. Negative other-directed affect mediated this effect. Study 2 provided causal evidence that trust buffered confrontation’s social costs: Participants who underwent a trust-building exercise with their confronter reported fewer social costs than participants who did not. Finally, Study 3 showed that the effect of trust on social costs extends to an ecologically valid context: Confrontees reported fewer social costs in dyads with greater pre-existing trust (i.e., friends) than dyads with less pre-existing trust (i.e., strangers). The effect of trust on social costs was again mediated by negative other-directed affect. Overall, the present research integrates the confrontation and close relationship literatures to provide theoretically-novel and practically-important insight on how to reduce confrontation-related social costs.</p>

This study focuses on confrontational behavior patterns exhibited by Japanese and U.S. college students in the Portland Metropolitan area. Four questions are addressed: 1) is there a difference Japanese and U.S. confrontation styles? 2) do Japanese use differing confrontation styles depending upon whom they are interacting with? 3) do U.S. individuals use differing confrontation styles depending upon whom they are interacting with? and 4) is there a significant gender difference between Japanese and U.S. confrontation styles? In addition, correlations between the Japanese and U.S. reported confrontation styles and their demographic data are examined.

L’estime de soi joue un rôle central lorsqu’il est question de prédire les réactions des individus au feedback. En dépit de son influence indéniable sur les réactions des individus au feedback en contexte d’évaluation de potentiel, peu d’études se sont attardées aux facteurs pouvant en atténuer l’effet dans le cadre d’une telle démarche. Cette thèse vise à combler ce manque à travers deux articles empiriques répondant chacun à plusieurs objectifs de recherche. Dans cette optique, des données ont été amassées auprès de deux échantillons indépendants de candidats (étude 1, N = 111; étude 2, N = 153) ayant réalisé une évaluation de potentiel dans une firme-conseil spécialisée en psychologie industrielle. Le premier article vise à tester deux théories relatives à l’estime de soi s’affrontant lorsqu’il est question de prédire les réactions cognitives au feedback, la théorie de l’auto-valorisation et de l’auto-vérification. Pour mieux comprendre ce phénomène, l’influence de l’estime de soi et de la valence décisionnelle du feedback sur les deux composantes de l’appropriation cognitive du feedback en contexte d’évaluation, l’acceptation et la conscientisation, a été testé. Les résultats soutiennent les postulats de la théorie d’auto-valorisation lorsqu’il est question de prédire l’acceptation du feedback. En contrepartie, les résultats offrent peu de soutien à la théorie de l’auto-vérification dans la prédiction de la conscientisation à l’égard du feedback. Le second article vise à identifier des leviers modulables pour influencer favorablement les réactions des individus ayant une plus faible estime d’eux-mêmes. Pour ce faire, deux variables relatives à l’influence de la source ont été ciblées, la crédibilité perçue et les pratiques de confrontation constructive. Cet article comprend deux études, soit une première ayant pour objectif de valider un instrument mesurant la crédibilité perçue de la source et une seconde examinant les relations entre trois déterminants, soit l’estime de soi du candidat, la crédibilité perçue de la source et les pratiques de confrontation constructive, et deux réactions cognitives au feedback, l’acceptation et la conscientisation. Les analyses de la première étude font ressortir que l’échelle de crédibilité perçue présente des qualités psychométriques satisfaisantes et les résultats corroborent une structure unifactorielle. Les résultats de la seconde étude indiquent que les trois déterminants étudiés sont positivement reliés à l’acceptation et à la conscientisation. Les effets d’interaction significatifs font ressortir des conditions favorisant l’acceptation et la conscientisation chez les individus ayant une plus faible estime d’eux-mêmes. La crédibilité perçue atténue la relation entre l’estime de soi et l’acceptation alors que la confrontation constructive modère les relations entre l’estime de soi et, tant l’acceptation que la conscientisation. Enfin, la crédibilité perçue et la confrontation constructive interagissent dans la prédiction de la conscientisation, faisant ainsi ressortir l’importance d’établir sa crédibilité pour augmenter l’effet positif de la confrontation constructive. Les apports théorique et conceptuel de chacun des articles ainsi que les pistes d’intervention pratiques en découlant sont discutés séparément et repris dans une conclusion globale. Les retombées de cette thèse, tant sur le plan de la recherche que de l'intervention, sont également abordées dans cette dernière section. / Self-esteem plays a central role when it comes to predicting people's reactions to feedback. Despite its undeniable influence on people's reactions to feedback in the context of personnel selection and development, few studies have focused on the factors that may mitigate this effect. This thesis aims to fill this gap through two empirical articles each addressing several research objectives. To this end, data were collected from two independent samples of candidates (Study 1, N = 111; Study 2, N = 153) who underwent an assessment center in a consulting firm specializing in industrial psychology. The first paper aims to test two theories related to self-esteem that oppose each other in terms of predicting cognitive reactions to feedback, self-enhancement and self-verification theories. To better understand this phenomenon, the influence of self-esteem and the objective valence of feedback on the two components of cognitive appropriation of the feedback in assessment settings, acceptance and awareness, was tested. The results support the postulates of self-enhancement theory when it comes to predicting the acceptance of feedback. In contrast, the results offer little support for self-evaluation theory in the prediction of awareness with regard to feedback. The second article aims to identify levers that could be used to positively influence the reactions of individuals with low self-esteem. To do this, two variables related to the influence of the source were targeted: perceived credibility and practices of constructive confrontation. This article includes two studies, the first aimed at validating an instrument measuring the perceived credibility of the source and the second examining the relationship between three determinants, namely self-esteem of the candidate, the perceived credibility of the source, and the practice of constructive confrontation, and two cognitive reactions to feedback, acceptance and awareness. Results of the first study indicate that the perceived credibility scale has satisfactory psychometric properties and support a single-factor structure. The results of the second study suggest that the three determinants studied were positively related to acceptance and awareness. The results also show that perceived credibility attenuates the relationship between self-esteem and acceptance, and constructive confrontation moderates the relationship between self-esteem and both acceptance and awareness. Finally, perceived credibility and constructive confrontation interact in the prediction of awareness, thus emphasizing the importance of establishing credibility to increase the positive effect of constructive confrontation. The theoretical and conceptual contributions of each article, as well as practical implications, are discussed separately and included in an overall conclusion. The impact of this thesis on both research and intervention is also addressed in this final section.