By asking, “Is Circle (also known as “council”) an effective methodology for environmental education?”, this thesis explores the significance of creating Circles of learning as a communication process with implications for environmental education and personal transformation. From a phenomenological perspective, I have positioned my research as an autobiographical narrative of what it is to be both researcher (observer) and research instrument (facilitator & participant) as well as creating the conditions for a case study of Circle participants. Further, I held interviews with Circle practitioners and instructors. The premise of Circle is to create an intentional listening space for each person to have a voice and be witnessed as they tell their stories. This paper provides some insight here, and explores how Circle can become an effective means of exploring ecological identity, self-awareness, relationship-building, a sense of community, emotional connections to nature and a sense of wonder within the process.

Comparative research on event memory has typically focused on the binding of spatial and temporal information in memory, but much less is known about how animals remember information about the source of their memories (i.e., whether the event is something they performed themselves or whether they observed it). The purpose of the present study was to examine how rhesus monkeys (n = 8) and 3- to 4- year-old children (n = 20) remember this information along with other relevant event features (object identity, spatial location, temporal properties and contextual features) in working memory. In Experiment 1, rhesus monkeys completed five different delayed matching-to-sample tasks to assess independent encoding of these five event components. In Experiment 2, the monkeys either performed or observed an event and then had to respond to a randomly selected pair of memory tests used in the previous experiment. In Experiment 3, children were presented with the same memory task, but were given a brief demonstration to learn how to perform the task. Both children and monkeys responded to these tests using photos and shapes (for the identity and spatial tests) and icons (for the temporal, agency and context tests). The monkeys demonstrated significantly above-chance performance on the identity, spatial, temporal and agency tasks. The children were above chance on the one component the monkeys had difficulty with (context), but conversely demonstrated difficulty on the temporal memory test. There was evidence of feature integration in both monkeys and children. Specifically, the children were significantly more likely to respond correctly to the second memory test if they had also been correct on the first memory test. Two of five rhesus monkeys also showed this effect, indicating that for these individuals, the features were integrated in working memory. Implications of this research are discussed in relation to self-awareness and episodic memory research in children and nonhuman species.

Šiame darbe analizuojama profesinės savižinos gilinimo reikšmė psichikos sveikatos priežiūros srities socialinių darbuotojų kasdieninėje veikloje ir jų profesiniam tobulėjimui. Pagrindiniai tyrimo tikslai – išsiaiškinti, kokią reikšmę psichikos sveikatos priežiūros paslaugas teikiantys socialiniai darbuotojai skiria asmeninei profesinei savižinai, kiek jie yra įsitraukę į jos gilinimą. Tyrimo metodai: I. Mokslinės literatūros, mokslinių tyrimų analizė, siekiant išsiaiškinti, kas veikia žmogaus profesinę orientaciją ir motyvaciją, kas gali jam padėti „pažinti save“ ir kodėl tai svarbu siekiant asmeninio profesinio augimo. II. Kiekybinis tyrimo metodas pasirinktas, siekiant empyriškai patvirtinti ar atmesti prieš tyrimą išsikeltas hipotezes. Vykdyta anketinė apklausa. III. Kokybiniu tyrimo metodu buvo siekiama papildyti anketinės apklausos metu gautą informaciją. Naudojant pusiau struktūruoto interviu metodą, gautas išsamesnis profesinės savižinos gilinimo reikšmės socialiniame darbe supratimas. Respondentai galėjo išsakyti nuomonę apie tai, kas jiems trukdo naudoti profesinės savižinos gilinimo metodus, kokios priežastys lemia susidomėjimą jais, kokią socialinio darbo ateities viziją jie turi ir kt. Tyrimo dalyviai: Tyrime dalyvavo 45 respondentai. 4 iš jų papildomai apklausti interviu metu. Visi tyrimo dalyviai buvo atrinkti iš Vilniaus mieste ir rajone veikiančių psichikos sveikatos centrų, gydymo įstaigų, valstybinių, ar savivaldybės, ir nevyriausybinių organizacijų dienos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This study discusses importance of professional self-awareness in mental health social workers every day work and to their professional grow. Main subjects of research – to find out, mental health social workers’ attitude towards expanding of their professional self-awareness and their involvement in it. Methods: I. The study of nonfiction, other researches, to find out theoretical basis and reasons, why people choose social work profession, what helps „knowing themselves“ and why it is important for social workers professional development and etc. II. Quantitative data-gathering method used on purpose to sustain or discard theoretical hypothesis empirically. Survey was pursued with the help of standardized questionnaire. III. Qualitative analysis method used on purpose to bring information up-to-date quantitative material, of getting the most possible and complementary, more detailed information about the importance of professional self-awareness in social work field and other important issues. Survey was pursued with the help of half-standardized interview method. Participants: During research investigated 45 mental health social workers. In addition, 4 of them were asked during the interview. All participants work in Vilnius and this region mental health care, government and NGO day care and psychosocial-rehabilitation centers. Main findings: 1.Mental health social workers’ professional orientation and motivation influence internal and external forces. 2. Most of mental... [to full text]

As explicações centradas em discursos sobre o cérebro ganham cada vez mais espaço em nosso coletivo, produzindo uma multiplicação no prefixo “neuro” nas mais diversas áreas, como neuropsicologia, neurolinguística ou neuroeducação. A prevalência das explicações neurocientíficas sobre outras perspectivas parece estar relacionada à criação de um plano biológico capaz de conectar objetos das Ciências Humanas e das Ciências Naturais produzindo um apagamento das fronteiras entre as duas através de uma sobreposião do Natural. Essa tese se insere no debate das relações entre psicologia e neurociências cognitivas. Nosso objetivo é propor através de conceito de políticas cognitivas uma forma de discutir as relações entre psicologia e neurociências evitando uma hierarquia pré-definida. Divimos a tese em duas partes. A primeira opera uma discussão histórica a respeito da temporalidade moderna e do progresso como forma de pensar a relação entre teorias, bem como discute a institucionalização das ciências da cognição. Sugerimos bifurcação e acontecimento como conceitos que nos permitem pensar a trajetória científica em outros termos, assim como mostramos que como campo multidisciplinar as ciências cognitivas só foram possíveis por uma oscilação entre a unidade e a multiplicidade da cognição. A segunda parte desenvolve o conceito de políticas cognitivas e o contraste com outras formas de pensar a multidisciplinaridade nas ciências da cognição e em seguida, apresenta diferentes políticas que se organizam ao redor da consciência de si, considerando por fim, como a relação entre essas políticas não precisa se estabelecer a partir da objetividade. Nas conclusões propomos algumas condições para relacionar diferentes políticas, bem como sugerimos uma postura ética necessária para a discussão. / Explanations centered on concepts about the brain gain more and more space in our collective, producing a multiplication in the prefix "neuro" in the most diverse areas, such as neuropsychology, neurolinguistics or neuroeducation. The prevalence of neuroscientific explanations over other perspectives seems to be related to the creation of a biological speech capable of connecting objects of the Human Sciences and Natural Sciences producing a blurring of the boundaries between the two through an overlap of the Natural. This thesis is inserted in the debate of the relations between cognitive psychology and cognitive neurosciences. Our objective is to propose through concept of cognitive politics a way of discussing the relations between psychology and neurosciences avoiding a pre-defined hierarchy. We divided the thesis into two parts. The first operates a historical discussion on modern temporality and progress as a way of thinking the relation between theories, as well as discusses the institutionalization of the cognitive sciences. We suggest bifurcation and event as concepts that allow us to think the scientific trajectory in other terms, just as we showed that as a multidisciplinary field the cognitive sciences were only possible by an oscillation between the unity and multiplicity of cognition. The second part develops the concept of cognitive politics and the contrast with other ways of thinking the multidisciplinarity in the sciences of cognition and then presents different politics that are organized around the self-awareness, considering finally how the relationship between these politics need not be established from objectivity. In the conclusions we propose some conditions to relate different politics, as well as we suggest a necessary ethical stance for the discussion.

As explicações centradas em discursos sobre o cérebro ganham cada vez mais espaço em nosso coletivo, produzindo uma multiplicação no prefixo “neuro” nas mais diversas áreas, como neuropsicologia, neurolinguística ou neuroeducação. A prevalência das explicações neurocientíficas sobre outras perspectivas parece estar relacionada à criação de um plano biológico capaz de conectar objetos das Ciências Humanas e das Ciências Naturais produzindo um apagamento das fronteiras entre as duas através de uma sobreposião do Natural. Essa tese se insere no debate das relações entre psicologia e neurociências cognitivas. Nosso objetivo é propor através de conceito de políticas cognitivas uma forma de discutir as relações entre psicologia e neurociências evitando uma hierarquia pré-definida. Divimos a tese em duas partes. A primeira opera uma discussão histórica a respeito da temporalidade moderna e do progresso como forma de pensar a relação entre teorias, bem como discute a institucionalização das ciências da cognição. Sugerimos bifurcação e acontecimento como conceitos que nos permitem pensar a trajetória científica em outros termos, assim como mostramos que como campo multidisciplinar as ciências cognitivas só foram possíveis por uma oscilação entre a unidade e a multiplicidade da cognição. A segunda parte desenvolve o conceito de políticas cognitivas e o contraste com outras formas de pensar a multidisciplinaridade nas ciências da cognição e em seguida, apresenta diferentes políticas que se organizam ao redor da consciência de si, considerando por fim, como a relação entre essas políticas não precisa se estabelecer a partir da objetividade. Nas conclusões propomos algumas condições para relacionar diferentes políticas, bem como sugerimos uma postura ética necessária para a discussão. / Explanations centered on concepts about the brain gain more and more space in our collective, producing a multiplication in the prefix "neuro" in the most diverse areas, such as neuropsychology, neurolinguistics or neuroeducation. The prevalence of neuroscientific explanations over other perspectives seems to be related to the creation of a biological speech capable of connecting objects of the Human Sciences and Natural Sciences producing a blurring of the boundaries between the two through an overlap of the Natural. This thesis is inserted in the debate of the relations between cognitive psychology and cognitive neurosciences. Our objective is to propose through concept of cognitive politics a way of discussing the relations between psychology and neurosciences avoiding a pre-defined hierarchy. We divided the thesis into two parts. The first operates a historical discussion on modern temporality and progress as a way of thinking the relation between theories, as well as discusses the institutionalization of the cognitive sciences. We suggest bifurcation and event as concepts that allow us to think the scientific trajectory in other terms, just as we showed that as a multidisciplinary field the cognitive sciences were only possible by an oscillation between the unity and multiplicity of cognition. The second part develops the concept of cognitive politics and the contrast with other ways of thinking the multidisciplinarity in the sciences of cognition and then presents different politics that are organized around the self-awareness, considering finally how the relationship between these politics need not be established from objectivity. In the conclusions we propose some conditions to relate different politics, as well as we suggest a necessary ethical stance for the discussion.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:56:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alessandra_ valerio.pdf: 1828536 bytes, checksum: 89dd3fd7694f358de4b3ff9ec3267ef3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-06 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The research presented here is intended to address the literary phenomenon of metafiction and its performance, in particular, from the set of aesthetic and political principles that are conventionally designated by postmodernism, which is assigned the crucial condition descriptor of contemporary culture. From the survey of gaps and critical contradictions of other approaches to the same object, the proposal is to make our own conceptual construction of this fictional model, reminiscent of an important philosophical and literary tradition, articulated around the cognitive and aesthetic development of self-awareness and modern self-reflexivity (GUMBRECHT, 1998). Given that most of the studies of metafiction, until then, tends to exhaust the characteristics of a single object (author, work), exempting to establish wider connections between different self-conscious manifestations and self-reflexive and the epistemic lines in general, which are the forms of contemporary thought, this research seeks to build an interpretive system that integrates these discontinuities in a larger set of self-conscious cultural experiences. It is a connection line between modern literary self-consciousness (CERVANTES, STERNE, JOYCE) and postmodern metafiction, giving evidence of the main differences and connections between forms of activities of self-referential models in each context. To this end, the articulation of an expository approach to literary phenomenon that is not limited to the immanent aspect was necessary, much solidified position on some critical perspectives, but to consider the urgent need to understand literature as a complex communication system. As a result, the theoretical alternative that presented itself as the most productive in this case was the pragmatic approach of the literary act, announced some time ago by the Theory of Speech Acts of Austin and Searle, developed in the literary context by Derrida (1992), Culler (1999) and Maingueneau (1996). / A pesquisa ora apresentada tem por objetivo abordar o fenômeno literário da metaficção e sua atuação, em especial, a partir do conjunto de princípios estéticos e políticos que se convencionou designar por pós-modernismo, ao qual se atribui a condição crucial de descritor da cultura contemporânea. Partindo do levantamento das lacunas e contradições críticas de outras abordagens do mesmo objeto, a proposta é proceder a nossa própria construção conceitual sobre esse modelo ficcional, remanescente de uma importante tradição filosófica e literária, articulada em torno do desenvolvimento cognitivo e estético da autoconsciência e autorreflexividade modernas (GUMBRECHT, 1998). Tendo em vista que a maior parte dos estudos sobre a metaficção, até então, tende a exaurir as particularidades de um único objeto (autor, obra), eximindo-se de estabelecer conexões mais amplas entre as diferentes manifestações autoconscientes e autorreflexivas e as linhas epistêmicas gerais que constituem as formas de atuação do pensamento contemporâneo, a presente investigação procura construir um esquema interpretativo que integre essas descontinuidades em um conjunto maior de experiências culturais autoconscientes. Trata-se de estabelecer uma linha de conexão entre a autoconsciência literária moderna (CERVANTES, STERNE, JOYCE) e a metaficção pós-moderna, que evidencie as principais diferenças e articulações entre as formas de atuação dos modelos autorreferentes em cada contexto. Para tal, foi necessária a articulação de uma abordagem enunciativa do fenômeno literário que não se restringisse aos aspectos imanentes, postura muito solidificada em algumas perspectivas críticas, mas que considerasse a urgente necessidade de compreender a literatura como um sistema complexo de comunicação. Em virtude disso, a alternativa teórica que se apresentou como a mais producente para este caso foi a abordagem pragmática do ato literário, anunciada já há algum tempo pela Teoria dos Atos de Fala de Austin e Searle, desenvolvida no âmbito literário por Derrida (1992), Culler (1999) e Maingueneau (1996).

The evidence base for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is growing, but there is a lack of experimental validation among populations with acquired brain injuries (ABI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the acceptability and effectiveness of MBCT in fostering psychological recovery among adults with ABI. More specifically, this study was conducted to:(a) extend Finucane and Mercer’s (2006) study by applying MBCT to another population (i.e., adults with ABI); (b) corroborate the Bedard et al. (2008) finding of MBCT’s effectiveness in reducing depression in adults with TBI; (c) establish if empirical findings of the effectiveness of MBCT on depression and anxiety in the general population and in primary care patients with active symptoms of depression and anxiety extended to adults with ABI; and (d) explore the effect of MBCT treatment on measures of locus of control, satisfaction with life, self-awareness, and coping in adults with ABI. A mixed methods design was used and participants were recruited from two community-based brain injury programs. The final sample comprised 12 adults with mild, moderate, and severe injuries. Interview and self-report measures were administered pre- and post-treatment. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured focus groups following MBCT treatment. Depression, denial, and self-awareness among participants showed statistically significant improvements and participants’ demonstrated statistically significant increases in positive reframing and active coping. Focus group data confirmed MBCT as an acceptable and effective approach for adults with ABI, and also speak to implications for the use of MBCT in ABI populations specifically. The need for a larger replication study with a control group is discussed. / Graduate

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between leaders’ self-awareness and their effectiveness. The population included leaders with at least five years of experience in a leadership role. Participants were recruited by snowball sampling methods; the researcher used a diverse network of professionals to recruit other leaders from diverse industries. Each leader completed a 35-survey questionnaire along with demographic questions (gender, education, years in leadership role, industry), and was required to ask at least four direct reports to complete the 35 questions about observed behaviors of their leader. After removing incomplete responses, the final sample included N = 179 leaders, each with at least four direct reports (N = 761). Data were collected using three well-established, validated research instruments for this quantitative correlational study: the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) (Boyatzis, 2007), the Leadership Practices Inventory SELF (LPI-SELF) (Kouzes & Posner, 2013b) and the Leadership Practices Inventory OBSERVER (LPI-OBSERVER) (Kouzes & Posner, 2013a). LPI surveys provided five independent leadership competency scores: Modeling the Way, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Challenging the Process, Enabling Others to Act, and Encouraging the Heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Qualtrics, an approved third-party online survey platform, was used to collect and analyze study questions. The study measured direction and strength of leaders’ LPI scores and self-awareness, the direction and strength of how the direct reports’ rated their leaders’ LPI practices and the leaders’ self-awareness; it also measured if there were significant differences in how the leaders rated themselves based on gender, education and time in a leadership position. The results indicated a positive, but not strong relationship between leaders’ own LPI scores and self-awareness. The relationship of the direct reports’ observation of leaders and their self-awareness appeared positive and strong for each of the five competencies. The correlation of the five LPI-SELF competencies and self-awareness to gender did not appear significantly different. Results appeared different in four of the five leadership practices based on education. Only Challenging the Process was similar for all educational levels. Whereas, years as a leader appear similar in four of the five leadership practices, and only Modeling the Way showed different results.

The complexity of the sustainability challenge calls for participatory processes to support the large-scale collaboration across sectors and disciplines that is needed. Besides tools and methodologies to design these processes, the inner world of sustainability practitioners facilitating them is a key element for their success. This thesis focuses on the role of self- awareness for sustainability practitioners based on their stories of having to adapt their process design, their personal practices and advice they give. Using semi-structured interviews with facilitators who use Theory U and/or Art of Hosting methodologies to facilitate participatory processes for sustainable development, we found that self-awareness supports sustainability practitioners in practical terms on the spot, in their leadership development and in the effectiveness of their work. Moreover, through self-awareness, they recognize the importance of diversity and trust, essential elements for the adaptive capacity of the group. This recognition could contribute to more successful processes and outcomes, making practitioners' work and contribution to addressing the sustainability challenge more effective. The potential analogy between inner worlds and healthy social systems poses an interesting angle for further research. Is there such a thing as an inner dimension of sustainability? How does self-awareness relate to that?

Authenticity is a philosophical and psychological concept with origin in Greek philosophy that means being true to oneself. The twenty-first-century corporations' increased complexity and multiple cooperate scandals have created a demand for application of the concept of authenticity into leadership – resulting in the concept of authentic leadership. Authentic leadership is something leaders should strive for since it shows to have a significant impact on work engagement, team effectiveness, financial performance, and work satisfaction, to name a few. Due to the many advantages of authentic leadership, multiple measurement tools have been created to identify and measure the authenticity in leaders. The idea of authentic leadership to be a measurable concept has received criticism and acknowledgment within the research field. Even though research states that authentic leadership is gendered, there is no consideration of gender in the existing measurement tools for authentic leadership. Men and women meet different conditions in life, careers, and as leaders, and due to the long history of male leaders, the norm of leadership builds on the male gender. The purpose of this study is three folded: Firstly, the study aims to understand how authenticity in leaders can be identified. Secondly, the circumstances that affect authentic leadership development will be explored. And lastly, the relationship between gender and authentic leadership development will be investigated. To fulfill the purpose, mixed methods have been applied. Six qualitative interviews chosen with theoretical and snowball sampling have been performed. Based on the learnings from the literature review and interviews, a quantitative questionnaire has been sent out to 327 persons. The study's findings show that identifying authenticity can be accomplished by different approaches: Questionnaire, in-depth interviews, and through a feeling. The circumstances that affect authentic leadership development are dependent on the formations of the factors and a person's level of self-awareness. Lastly, authentic leadership is challenging for both men and women since the male prototype of leaders can hinder both genders.