Embodied conversational agents put a “human” touch on intelligent tutoring systems by using conversation to support learning. When considering instruction in interpersonal domains, such as intercultural negotiation, the development of an interpersonal relationship with one’s pedagogical agent may play a significant role in learning. However, there is conflicting evidence in the literature both regarding the ability of agents to cultivate social relationships with humans, and their effect on learning. In this dissertation, I present a model of social dialog designed to affect learners’ interpersonal relations with virtual agents, a development process for creating social dialog, and empirical studies showing that this dialog has significant effects on learners’ perceptions of the agents and negotiation performance. In early work, I explicitly prompted learners to have social goals for the interaction. I found that while students who reported social goals for interacting with the agents had significantly higher learning gains, explicit prompting was not effective at inducing these goals. I thus focused on implicit influence of learner goals, developing a model of social instructional dialog (SID) that integrates conversational strategies that are theorized to produce interpersonal effects on relationships. In two subsequent studies, an agent with the SID model engendered greater feelings of entitativity, shared perspective, and trust, suggesting that the model improved learner social relationships with the agent. Importantly, these effects transferred to other agents encountered later in the environment. The social dialog condition also made fewer errors and achieved more negotiation objectives in a subsequent negotiation than a control group, evidence that the improved social relationship lead to better negotiation performance. These findings regarding interpersonal relationships with agents contribute to the literature on learner-agent interactions, and can guide the future development of agents in social environments.

Today, as we live longer, dementia diseases are becoming more prevalent around the world. Thus, further knowledge of how to maintain levels of cognitive functioning in old age and how to identify factors that postpone the onset of dementia are of acute interest. Lifestyle patterns and social life are important aspects to consider in this regard. This thesis includes three studies. Study I investigated the association between participation in various leisure activities in old age (≥65 years) and risk of incident all-cause dementia. Analyses of the total follow-up time period (15 years) showed that higher levels of “Social” and “Total” leisure activity were associated with decreased risk of dementia. In Study II, the aim was to investigate the association between various aspects of social relationships in old age (≥65 years) and risk of incidents of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Results showed that over the total follow-up period (16 years) higher values on the relationship index were associated with reduced risk of both dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Visiting/visits of friends and acquaintances more than once a week was related to decreased risk for all-cause dementia, but not for Alzheimer's disease. However, in neither Study I nor II did any of these factors alter the risk of all-cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease when near-onset dementias were removed from the analyses (Study I, up to five years; Study II, up to three years). In Study III the aim was to investigate the association between social network size and cognitive ability in a middle-aged (40–60 years) sample. The idea was that if social network size can moderate negative age-related influence on memory functions, it might also put an individual on a cognitive trajectory that is beneficial in old age. Results from longitudinal analyses showed that baseline network size was positively related to five-year changes in semantic memory and with changes in both semantic and episodic memory at the ten-year follow-up. Social network size was unrelated to changes in visuospatial performance. Taken together, enrichment factors measured in old age (≥ 65 years) did not alter the risk of all-cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease when near-onset dementias were removed from the analyses. These results might reflect protective short-term effects or reverse causality, meaning that in the prodromal phase of dementia individuals tend to withdraw from activity. Social network size in middle age (40-60 years), however, appears to have beneficial long-term effects on cognitive functioning. The results highlight the importance of long follow-up periods and the need to adjust for the influences of reverse causality when investigating the impact of a socially and mentally active life on cognitive functioning.

The purpose of this study was to show the effect of creativity on adults as a means of coming to terms with parental rejection experienced in childhood. The study was done according to a practical theological interpretation of the three-phase hermeneutical model of Ricoeur, namely: ? understanding according to Scriptural perspectives (basis-theoretical), as well as on a metatheoretical level by means of a literature study; ? interpreting by means of an empirical research in the form of interviews with respondents; ? change by means of practical theoretical guidelines for the creative adult who processed parental rejection experienced in childhood by the pursuing of person-directed creativity. Understanding on the basis-theoretical level showed the following: With the fall in paradise, man rejected God and tried to fulfil his / her own needs independently. The arts were also contaminated and artists moved away from God, the Creator and Source of their creativity, to pursue their art in a self-centred and arrogant way. Creativity is being used with wrong motives as a method of selfhealing to process unresolved pain from the past. The honour which God deserves is lost and without Him mankind, as well as art, deteriorates. Art does show therapeutic value if it is directed towards God, but otherwise the success is temporary and superficial. The literature study of ten well known creative individuals showed that the therapeutic effect of the pursuit of creativity to process parental rejection in childhood, failed sadly and ended in disillusionment for all of them. Their lives were a continuous search for healing and wholeness, as well as peace, meaning and happiness, whereas their personal relationships were destructive and / or broken and unhappy. The empirical research with creative adults who experienced parental rejection in childhood, and used their creativity as a means of processing it, provided an explanation for the effect of this on these creative adults. Their creativity was directed at the self instead of at God and failed to process the hurt of childhood, as well as bringing about inner peace for a healthy relationship with God, the self and others, especially loved ones.. To effect change, practical theoretical guidelines were established to guide the creative man or woman, who experienced parental rejection in childhood, by the use of their creative medium, to embark on the road to recovery and healing with God?s help. The main goal of the practical guidelines is bringing redemption to the creative person through Jesus Christ so that he / she will use his or her creativity in future to honour and praise God, as well as to serve the fellowman. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The purpose of this study was to show the effect of creativity on adults as a means of coming to terms with parental rejection experienced in childhood. The study was done according to a practical theological interpretation of the three-phase hermeneutical model of Ricoeur, namely: ? understanding according to Scriptural perspectives (basis-theoretical), as well as on a metatheoretical level by means of a literature study; ? interpreting by means of an empirical research in the form of interviews with respondents; ? change by means of practical theoretical guidelines for the creative adult who processed parental rejection experienced in childhood by the pursuing of person-directed creativity. Understanding on the basis-theoretical level showed the following: With the fall in paradise, man rejected God and tried to fulfil his / her own needs independently. The arts were also contaminated and artists moved away from God, the Creator and Source of their creativity, to pursue their art in a self-centred and arrogant way. Creativity is being used with wrong motives as a method of selfhealing to process unresolved pain from the past. The honour which God deserves is lost and without Him mankind, as well as art, deteriorates. Art does show therapeutic value if it is directed towards God, but otherwise the success is temporary and superficial. The literature study of ten well known creative individuals showed that the therapeutic effect of the pursuit of creativity to process parental rejection in childhood, failed sadly and ended in disillusionment for all of them. Their lives were a continuous search for healing and wholeness, as well as peace, meaning and happiness, whereas their personal relationships were destructive and / or broken and unhappy. The empirical research with creative adults who experienced parental rejection in childhood, and used their creativity as a means of processing it, provided an explanation for the effect of this on these creative adults. Their creativity was directed at the self instead of at God and failed to process the hurt of childhood, as well as bringing about inner peace for a healthy relationship with God, the self and others, especially loved ones.. To effect change, practical theoretical guidelines were established to guide the creative man or woman, who experienced parental rejection in childhood, by the use of their creative medium, to embark on the road to recovery and healing with God?s help. The main goal of the practical guidelines is bringing redemption to the creative person through Jesus Christ so that he / she will use his or her creativity in future to honour and praise God, as well as to serve the fellowman. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The social aspects of older adults lives are strongly linked to well-being outcomes. Social relationships in older adulthood are rewarding, but also complex, and to maintain a positive social environment, older adults must reconcile long relationships histories, negotiate changing roles, and deal with increasing dependencies. Older adults are known to be particularly effective at regulating their social environments under these circumstances to maximize satisfaction, but some are more successful than others. Older adults manage their social environments through processes of relationship regulation, where individuals actively work towards social goals to customize their social environments and close relationships to meet developmental and emotional needs. Importantly, relationship regulation is embedded in older adults’ social environments, which are not only an outcome, but also the context that inspires, motivates, and hinders efforts to change the social environment. Within the proximal social environment older adults may experience support, hindrance, and satisfying contact with close social partners. Although supportive social environments are related to health and well-being in old age, and evidence suggests that older adults regulate their relationships, little is known about how these goals are worked towards and achieved on a daily basis and within the context of older adults' daily lives. The current study had two distinct aims: (a) to understand the intraindividual processes of regulating social goals within daily context of the social environment; and (b) to examine how interindividual differences predict between-person differences in social regulatory processes. Specifically, this study investigated the degree to which older adults depend on daily support and contact with a close social partner to make progress towards a meaningful social goal, and also the extent to which perceptions of social hindrance impede goal progress. On an interindividual level, this study examined how differences in the proximal social environment and goal orientation are linked to differences in social regulatory processes. Data from the Personal Understanding of Life and Social Experiences (PULSE) project, a 100-day, internet-based microlongitudinal study of 100 Oregon residents age 52 to 88 (M = 63.13, SD = 7.8), were used to explore processes of relationship regulation. At the beginning of the study, participants created a meaningful social goal, and mapped their social convoy. Participants then tracked their daily goal progress and feelings of social support, hindrance and satisfaction over a 100-day time period. Analysis was conducted using multilevel random coefficient models, and was structured to examine within person processes. Daily experiences of goal progress were positively related to social support and contact satisfaction, and negatively related with social hindrance. Importantly, these associations varied greatly between participants, in part as a function of convoy composition and goal orientations. The results from this study suggest that relationship regulation is (a) embedded in the social context of daily life; (b) differs based on the structure of the proximal social environment; (c) contingent on regulatory strategies selected by older adults to work towards their goals; and (d) differentiated by mean tendencies. The linkages between support, hindrance and contact satisfaction with daily goal progress found in this study suggest that the process of working towards a social goal is dependent on older adults' daily social contexts. This has implications for populations with varying access to social support and exposure to social hindrance. Further, individual differences in social regulatory processes were only partially explained by convoy structure and goal orientation. Future research is needed to search for the mechanisms that drive these between person differences in social regulatory processes. / Graduation date: 2012

Healthy dietary changes would be beneficial for society, as the economic burden of diet-related diseases is massive, and for the individual, who would reduce their risk of ill health. However, it is not easy to change dietary habits. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to better understand dietary change, focusing on the barriers to and facilitators of healthy dietary change by i) examining changes in food choices when dietary change is imposed by a medical diagnosis, ii) examining experiences related to dietary change and its sustainability after participation in a study where healthy dietary changes were required, and iii) examining diet cost in relation to healthiness of the diet. Methods Eighty children aged 13 who were diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) by a screening study reported their food intake in a food frequency questionnaire before and 1,5 years after commencing a gluten-free diet. Changes in food intake and the healthiness of the diet were examined, controlling for societal changes through the use of an age- and sex-matched control group. Diet healthiness was assessed using the National Food Administration’s (NFA) food index and the Diet Quality Index-Swedish Nutritional Recommendations. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 individuals who participated in an intervention study five years earlier where they had been randomly selected to adhere to a Mediterranean-like diet for three months. Analyses of the transcribed interviews focused on their experiences of barriers to and facilitators of dietary change and its sustainability. The costs related to healthy diets were examined by comparing consumer food prices with dietary intake data collected in two separate studies. The first study collected dietary intake data through a diet history interview with participants who had been randomized to either a Mediterranean-like diet or to continue their normal diet. The second study collected dietary intake data from 4-, 8-, and 11-year-old children by means of food diaries and was conducted by the NFA. Diet healthiness was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index 2005. Results The screened CD group made relatively few changes to their diets. They decreased their intake of certain gluten-containing products, including pizza, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and pastries. There were no changes in the healthiness of their diet. The narratives of the individuals changing their diets showed that social relationships were the main barrier to sustainability. Social relationships within the household were especially troublesome, and various coping strategies were required on an everyday basis. Dietary change also increased the burden of food work (e.g., planning, shopping, cooking), which was another major barrier to dietary change. Comparisons between consumer costs of healthy and less healthy diets showed that those consuming the healthier diets also had consumed more expensive diets. Conclusion More barriers to healthy dietary changes were found than facilitators of these transitions. For instance, the impact of social relationships on sustainability of dietary change was found to be high, indicating the importance of participation of other household members when dietary changes are implemented. The higher cost of the healthier diets may be another barrier for healthy dietary changes, especially for those with limited resources. Even though it is possible to eat healthily at a lower cost, such a diet would likely require both cooking skills and time, thus making the task more difficult. However, the finding that children diagnosed with CD only made minor changes in their consumption of, for instance, bread and pasta, indicates that one way of increasing the healthiness of a diet is to substitute healthier alternatives within the same food group for less healthy food items.

In my Diploma Thesis, I focused on quality and quantity of the social contacts of elderly persons above 70 years of age. This Diploma Thesis is divided into two parts. Part one is a theoretical application of terms age and aging, demographical aging of the current population, age conditioned changes, needs of elderly, socio-psychological aspects of age, social substance of age and the important meaning of elderly life. And last but not least is elderly welfare and social security scheme. The second part is practical. Another target of my thesis is to ascertain elderly above 70 years of age suppositions to establish social contacts and relationships, and what are the contact?s quantity and quality in their surroundings and how are they satisfied with those contacts. I have compared results in three different environments in which the elderly live. To achieve set targets I chose qualitative research. This research had three sections: identification questions, questions in accordance with WHO DAS II scale and open questioning. Elemental company made a group of thirty elderly persons between 70 ? 85 years of age. I approached those seniors in their common environment, in a nursing home or home for the elderly. The research results showed that social contacts are fully dependent on family functionality and friendly contacts. A senior who has lost his or her life partner often loses even many social contacts. This fact may even contribute to social isolation, which significantly affects the individual's state of health. Elderly are also insufficiently informed about opportunities to establish social contacts. This fact also negatively affects their socialization.

The aim of this work was to study the display of parental care of their offspring in the group of white-faced saki in Jihlava ZOO. Furthermore, the socially and sexually conditioned relations and their development in time were studied. The study focused on the effect of the young birth on the relationships among the group members. The study also includes the discussion on the observed results and information from other breeding groups and from the wild.

Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro / A influências das relações sociais na saúde vem sendo largamente investigada em diferentes contextos. No que concerne a influência das relações sociais na atividade física de lazer (AFL) e na obesidade, abordagens multidimensionais e longitudinais, são escassas. O primeiro artigo objetivou investigar o efeito de quatro dimensões do apoio social no engajamento, manutenção, tipo e tempo gasto na prática de AFL em adultos durante um período de dois anos de seguimento (1999-2001). Enquanto que o segundo artigo visou investigar o efeito de cinco indicadores das relações sociais sobre a obesidade e potenciais diferenças de sexo nesta associação, após nove anos de seguimento (1991-2000). Para o primeiro artigo, foram analisados dados longitudinais obtidos através de questionários autopreenchidos aplicados em 3.253 funcionários de uma universidade no Rio de Janeiro (Estudo Pró-Saúde). Enquanto que para o segundo artigo, dados longitudinais do Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) foram utilizados. Os resultados do primeiro artigo mostraram associações estatisticamente significativas (p<0,05) entre as dimensões de apoio social e AFL coletiva no grupo de engajamento. Além disso, a dimensão emocional/informação associou-se com o tempo em AFL (OR=2,0; IC95% 1,2-3,9). No grupo de manutenção, o apoio material associou-se com AFL coletiva (OR=1,8; IC95% 1,1-3,1) e a dimensão interação social positiva foi associado com o tempo gasto em AFL (OR=1,65; IC95% 1,1-2,7). Os resultados do segundo artigo mostraram que após o ajuste por fatores de confusão, a falta de apoio emocional (RR = 1,98; 95% IC 1,1-3,8) associou-se à incidência de obesidade entre os homens. Além disso, homens no nível mais baixo de IRS (índice de relações sociais) tiveram risco aumentado de desenvolver obesidade (RR = 2,22; 95% IC 1,1-4,4). Entre as mulheres o IRS não esteve significativamente associado com a obesidade. Contudo, um efeito protetor na obesidade para as mulheres que mudaram o estado civil de casada para nãocasada tenha sido encontrado (RR = 0,39; 95% IC 0,2-0,9). Ao que tange o primeiro artigo, conclui-se que todas as dimensões de apoio social influenciaram o tipo ou o tempo gasto em atividade física de lazer. No entanto, nossos resultados sugerem que o apoio social é mais importante no engajamento do que na situação de manutenção. Esse achado é importante, pois sugere que a manutenção da AFL deve estar associada a outros fatores além do nível individual de apoio social, como um ambiente adequado e políticas de saúde/sociais voltadas para a prática da AFL. Em relação ao segundo artigo, o presente estudo fornece evidências de uma associação inversa entre as relações sociais e a incidência de obesidade, evidenciando diferenças de sexo. Além disso, foi sugerido que preocupações com a imagem corporal entre mulheres poderia ser uma explicação para as diferenças de sexo. / The influences of social relations in health is being widely investigated in different contexts. Regarding the influence of social relationships in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and obesity, longitudinal multidimensional approaches are scarce. The first paper aim to investigate how four dimensions of social support affect LTPA engagement, maintenance, type, and time spent by adults during a two-year follow-up (1999-2001). While the second paper aim to investigate the effect of five social relationships indicators on obesity and the potential sex differences in associations after nine years of follow-up (1991-2000). For the first paper were analysed a longitudinal data from 3,253 non-faculty public employees at a university in Rio de Janeiro (the Pró-Saúde study). While for the second paper, longitudinal data from the Swedish level of living Survey (LNU) were used. Results from the first paper found statistically significant associations (p<0.05) between dimensions of social support and group LTPA were found in the engagement group. Also, the emotional/information dimension was associated with time spent on LTPA (OR=2.01; 95% CI 1.2-3.9). In the maintenance group, material support was associated with group LTPA (OR=1.80; 95% CI; 1.1-3.1) and the positive social interaction dimension was associated with time spent on LTPA (OR=1.65; 95% CI; 1.1-2.7). Results from the second paper showed that after adjustment for confounders, lack of emotional support (RR=1.98; 95% CI, 1.1-4.6) influence the incidence of obesity among men. In addition, men with the lowest level of SRI (social relationships index) had an increased risk of being obese (RR=2.22; 95% CI, 1.1-4.4). Among women SRI was not significantly associated with obesity. However, a protective effect on obesity for women who changed their marital status from married to unmarried (RR=0.39; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9) was found. Regarding the first paper, all dimensions of social support influenced LTPA type or the time spent on the activity. However, our findings suggest that social support is more important in engagement than in maintenance. This finding is important, because it suggests that maintenance of LTPA must be associated with other factors beyond the individuals level of social support, such as a suitable environment and social/health policies directed towards the practice of LTPA. In relation to the second paper, the present study provides evidence of an inverse association between social relationships and the incidence of obesity, highlighting sex differences. Moreover, it was suggested that body image concerns among women could be an explanation for sex differences.

La socialité diverse des femelles primates reflète une combinaison de stratégies compétitives et coopératives. Différentes théories expliquent cette diversité. Les macaques sont un bon exemple de variation sociale. L’objectif de ma thèse est d’approfondir la connaissance des sociétés de macaques par l’étude d’une espèce peu connue, les macaques à crête, Macaca nigra, dans son milieu naturel, la réserve de Tangkoko à Sulawesi, Indonésie. 2600 heures de données comportementales ont été prises sur 42 femelles adultes d’Octobre 2008 à Juin 2010. En combinant une analyse compréhensive des variables comportementales, je confirme le style social tolérant des femelles. En examinant la fonction des interactions post-agression par l’analyse des liens entre agression, anxiété, caractéristiques des conflits et de celles des dyades impliquées et les interactions post-agression, je détermine que celles-ci ne servent pas à réduire l’anxiété ou à “raccommoder” les relations sociales mais fonctionnent plutôt pour signaler l’intention pacifique ou pour réaffirmer le statut social. En étudiant l’influence des relations de dominance et de parenté sur les interactions sociales, je détermine que la force des liens sociaux n’est pas forcement liée a la dominance ou la parenté et que les coalitions sont formées entre femelles proches en dominance, mais pas entre apparentées ou proches affiliées. Ces résultats contrastent avec d’autres sociétés animales et mettent en évidence la complexité des sociétés tolérantes. Ma thèse apporte de nouvelles bases empiriques sur la variation sociale dans une perspective comparative et apporte un nouveau cadre théorique sur l’évolution des sociétés animales. / The diversity in female primate sociality reflects a combination of competitive and cooperative strategies. Different frameworks explain such diversity. The genus Macaca is a good example of social variation. The aim of my thesis is to foster our understanding of macaque societies by studying one little-known species, the crested macaque, Macaca nigra, under natural conditions, the Tangkoko Reserve, in Sulawesi Indonesia. From October 2008 to June 2010, I gathered 2600 hours of behavioural data on 42 adult females. By quantifying a comprehensive set of behaviours, I confirm the females’ tolerant social style. I investigate the function of post-conflict interactions by analysing the relationship between aggression, anxiety, characteristics of conflicts, of dyads involved in conflicts, and the occurrence of post-conflict interactions. Post-conflict interactions did not serve to reduce stress or to “repair” relationships but function as a signal of benign intent or to reassert social status. I analyse the hierarchical and nepotistic influence on social relationships and show that social bonds are not entirely shaped by kinship or dominance. Coalitionary support occurred amongst females close in rank but not amongst close kin or strong affiliates. These patterns represent meaningful contrasts to other animal species and highlight the complexity of social life in tolerant societies. By combining behavioural and genetic data, my thesis brings an empirical basis to theoretical frameworks on the evolution of social diversity, reflects on the interplay between different factors in a comparative perspective and provides a general framework for the evolution of animal societies.