The present research addressed an assumption of Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which predicts that built scene content captures attention more strongly than natural content. Section І covers the findings of three pilot studies that were aimed at finding a suitable methodology for contrasting the saliency of natural and built content. An initial study in which use was made of a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) did not provide evidence for divergent saliency levels between natural and built scene categories. Hence, a Go/No-Go paradigm with shorter exposure times was used in later studies. A second pilot study was carried out in order to determine which scene category labels are both comprehensible and interpreted consistently across respondents. A third pilot study was aimed at filtering out boundary case scenes from the set of images pre-selected by the experimenter. Section ІІ covers four studies, which addressed two aims: (1) To test whether built content is more salient than natural scene content, and (2) to test the effect of inconsistent built and natural elements on saliency. These studies supported the claim of ART that built scenes are more salient than natural scenes. In addition, they provided evidence for the assumption that a built element increases the saliency of a natural scene more strongly than a natural element increases the saliency of a built scene. The relationship between saliency of content and restoration is explored in Section ІІІ. The findings provided mixed evidence in support of ART. Restoration of alerting attention was more complete following non-salient than salient scenes. However, previous research indicating stronger restoration of executive attention and working memory span in response to natural than built content exposures was not replicated. Furthermore, restoration of orienting attention was more complete following salient than non-salient scene presentations. It is concluded that saliency of scene content is predictive of psychological restoration, albeit not necessarily in the way as predicted by ART.

x, 262 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1974

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on November 1, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2004. / Härtill 3 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1974.

No description available.

The present investigation compared the effectiveness of an audible relaxation strategy and a subliminal suggestion strategy for lowering blood pressure in a normotensive population. These strategies were compared with each other and with a control group. Data were obtained from 108 females and 37 males on: 1) baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure; and 2) end of treatment systolic and diastolic blood pressure.It was anticipated that if there was a difference between group means on the dependent measures, the difference would occur between 1) the audible relaxation instruction and the control conditions, and 2) the subliminal suggestion and the control conditions. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine pretreatment equivalence of blood pressure in the three treatment groups. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to test for statistical significance on the end of treatment data.The findings revealed that neither treatment strategy was more effective than the other, nor more effective than the control group at the end of treatment. Even though there were slight reductions from pretreatment blood pressure to end of treatment blood pressure in each group, there were no significant differences among groups. The validity and generalizability of these findings were discussed in light of previous research. Recommendations were made for further research.

Most of the recent research in the area of subliminal perception has centered on the visual mode of stimulus presentation. The preponderance of that research is concerned with a technique that is hypothesized to stimulate the activation of an unconscious symbiotic merging fantasy which is purported to have an ameliorative effect on pathology. The present study explored the possibility of a merging-like fantasy activation through auditory subliminal means utilizing a population, of 30 VA inpatients with the diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. In a double blind procedure, the subjects received three successive treatments with scores analyzed for significance by multivariate and trend analysis. Dependent variables consisted of Form X-1 of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the physiological measure of skin temperature. It was hypothesized that the auditory mode of psychodynamic activation would prove effective and that there would be a significant reduction in state anxiety. The results of this study did not support the specific effectiveness of auditory subliminal psychodynamic activation for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Self-report of perceived state anxiety decreased significantly for both the treatment and control groups as measured by the STAI, and there was a significant trend in the temperature data for both groups. There were, however, no significant differences between the two groups.

Thesis (M.M.) Florida State University, 2007. / Advisor: Jayne Standley, Florida State University College of Music. Title and description form dissertation home page (viewed 4-6-2009). Document formatted into pages; contains 53 pages.

Thesis (M.A.)--Eastern Illinois University. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-101).