Major problems are identified with the use of survey methodology to examine the relationship between market orientation (MO) and firm performance. The research, as it is argued, tells us more about managers' sense-making processes and causal attributions than whether and under what conditions MO drives performance, yet one way causal interpretations are still prevalent in the literature. The psychological mechanisms underlying managers' perceptions are identified and alternative causal paths specified for interpreting prior research results are proposed that also account for otherwise troublesome results. An exploratory experiment is designed to calibrate the extent of managers' attribution biases which is the most important part of the sensemaking framework. Different levels of performance, MO and environmental turbulence are manipulated in case scenarios. The results confirm a culture-centered view of MO and a strong psychological impact of performance on perceived environment turbulence. A multi-method view of studying the MO-performance link is proposed in the final part of the paper.

Models of the neural basis of visually guided behavior suggest that the mammalian brain has two independent visual systems: one involved in pattern vision, and the other involved in orienting to visual stimuli. Orienting was measured in this series of studies by examining both the thirsty rat's ability to disrupt licking in response to the presentation of visual and auditory displays and the animal's head and postural responses to the displays. Habituation of orienting behavior with repeated presentation of a display, and dishabituation to the subsequent introduction of changes in it were also examined. The effect on this behavior of variously sized cortical and subcortical lesions of the visual system and the influence of extrinsic and intrinsic variables were assessed. The investigation revealed that lesions of the superior colliculus do not result in visual agnosia or the inability to perform the appropriate motor responses involved in orienting; rather, while the orienting response is available in the behavioral repertoire of the lesioned animal, it is not always emitted in response to the visual displays that the intact animals treat as less salient. The superior colliculus lesioned animals do orient to and localize visual displays which are more salient for the intact animal. Further, the deficit in orienting to the "less" salient stimulus displays can be reduced or eliminated by changing the degree of water deprivation prior to testing and they are capable of using this display as a signal of shock. Lesions restricted to a very small portion of the lateral edges of the deep layers of the superior colliculus and the dorsal tegmentum had the same consequences as superior colliculus lesions, while lesions which included only the superficial layers of the superior colliculus did not. Lesions of the striate and extrastriate cortex did not significantly affect orienting behavior. Rats with lesions of the superficial or deep layers of the superior colliculus and rats with lesions including area 7 of cortex as well as the striate and extrastriate cortex, did,however, habituate more quickly than intact animals to the repeated presentation of the visual displays, and generally did not dishabituate in response to the changes in the visual displays. These findings suggest a relationship-between the cortex, the superficial layers, and the deep layers of the superior colliculus and the ability of animals to shift attention within a stimulus modality. The deep layers of the superior colliculus may also be important for shifts of attention between stimulus modalities (Jane, Levey, & Carlson, 1972). Overall, these results were discussed with regard to a possible modulating role of the superior-colliculus and cortex in orienting behavior and in terms of the parameters of orienting which must be taken into account in the development of an adequate model of the neural basis of orienting behavior. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis supervisor: Shaun P. Vecera. Includes bibliographic references (p. 111-116).

No description available.

Thesis (M. Sc. ) -- University of Alberta, 2010. / "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta." Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on May 11, 2010) Includes bibliographical references.

Further analyses of comparing the creativity scores of the experimental groups also showed inconsistent results. Participants in the promotion cue condition scored significantly higher in uniqueness and unusualness of standardized assessment, and fluency and flexibility of creative problem solving than those in the prevention cue condition. The correlation between promotion focus and creativity was found significantly higher under the promotion cue condition than the prevention cue condition. But other mixed results showed that the control group scored significantly higher fluency and flexibility of standardized assessment than participants in the promotion cue condition. Participants' levels of promotion focus trait also had main effects on their creativity scores. Participants with higher trait of promotion focus tended to score higher in most of the creativity indicators. / In conclusion, the present study provided some limited evidence that promotion focus as a personality trait had weak but positive associations with creativity, and achievement goal as a weak mediator in affecting students' creativity. Students' promotion trait had stronger main effect on their creative performance than situational promotion focus. Ways to improve the manipulation effects and future direction on research had been suggested. / Results showed that the manipulation was relatively ineffective as reflected by the manipulation questions. Participants' promotion trait had, however, main effects on the manipulation items. Participants with high promotion trait scored significantly higher in all the checking items of promotion focus. Participants' prevention trait also had main effects on their perception of checking items of prevention focus. Participants with high prevention trait got higher scores of prevention situation than individuals with medium and low trait level. / Study 2 took a further step to examine the effects of regulatory focus on creativity in 490 Grade 7 students who had taken part in the previous study. Participants of 13 intact classes were randomly assigned to one of the conditions, namely promotion-framing condition (188 students from 5 classes), prevention-framing condition (149 students from 4 classes), and the control condition (153 students from 4 classes). Verbal and written instructions were provided with an intention to frame the regulatory focus of individual students. Participants completed a parallel item of the alternate use battery of the standardized creativity assessment, another item of creative problem solving, and six checking questions. Previous scores of achievement goals and regulatory foci were used as covariates in analysis of variance to examine the differences in the checking items. / The present study aimed at examining the influence of two motivational variables---achievement goal and regulatory focus on creativity. It was composed of two empirical studies. Study 1 was designed to investigate how achievement goal and regulatory focus affected creativity. A total of 824 Grade 7 students took part in completing a questionnaire which comprised an alternate use item of a standardized creativity assessment, a creative problem solving task, an instrument on achievement goal and two instruments on regulatory focus. Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to confirm the factor structures of achievement goals (mastery-approach goal, performance-approach goal, mastery-avoidance goal, and performance-avoidance goal) and regulatory foci (promotion focus and prevention focus). Results showed that these two variables were basically distinctive in nature. Positive but weak correlations were found between promotion focus and creativity, as well as prevention focus and creativity. Positive and weak correlations were also found between mastery-approach goal and creativity, performance-approach goal and creativity, as well as mastery-avoidance goal and creativity. Promotion focus had moderately high associations with both approach goals (mastery-approach and performance-approach) and avoidance goals (mastery-avoidance and performance-avoidance), and so had prevention focus. Regression analyses indicated that the strongest predictor for creativity was promotion focus. Performance-approach goal and mastery-avoidance goal served as weak mediators of regulatory focus on creativity. / Hui Na Na Anna. / "November 2006." / Adviser: P. C. Cheung. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3279. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 206-224). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

by Leo Li Kai-chung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Bibliography: leaves 55-56. / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction --- p.2 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Analytical Framework / Chapter (1) --- Conceptual Review --- p.5 / Chapter (2) --- Theoretical Relevance Individual Differences in Language Learning --- p.8 / Chapter (3) --- The Studies of Lambert and Gardner Integrative vs. Instrumental Orientation of Second Language Learning --- p.12 / Chapter (4) --- Anomalies Arising Out of Language Learning Attitude Studies Challenge To Lambert's & Gardner's Orientation Theories --- p.17 / Chapter (5) --- Politzer's Learning Behaviour Studies Alternative Explanation To Language Learning Proficiency --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Hypothesis & Data Collection Method --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Findings & Discussion / Chapter (A) --- Findings --- p.37 / Table 1: Personal Data & Background of English Learning Experience of Subjects --- p.39 / Table 2: Orientation by Proficiency --- p.43 / Table 3: Orientation & Proficiency by Low Language Learning Behaviour --- p.44 / Table 4: Orientation & Proficiency by High Language Learning Behaviour --- p.44 / Chapter (B) --- Discussion --- p.45 / Bibliography --- p.55 / Appendix --- p.57 / Questionnaires

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 1999. Graduate Programme in Biology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [105-109]). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ56182

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-98). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-42).