The experiments presented and analyzed in this dissertation concern two well-established phenomena in behavioral economics: that human decision makers hold biased beliefs about probability and that free-form communication between economic agents promotes cooperation far in excess of what standard theory predicts. First, Chapter 2 studies subjective probability, focusing on the well-established existence of both the Hot Hand and Gambler's Fallacies — the false expectation of positive and negative autocorrelation, respectively. Both biases are prevalent throughout a wide variety of real-world contexts; what causes a person to favor one over the other? We conduct an experiment in which we observe fully informed subjects switching between the Hot Hand and Gambler's Fallacies when predicting future outcomes of mathematically identical sequences. Subjects exhibit the Gambler's Fallacy when predicting single outcomes but favor the Hot Hand when asked explicitly to estimate probabilities. Connecting our results to existing theory suggests that very subtle changes in framing lead decision makers to employ substantially different approaches to form predictions. The remainder of this dissertation studies cheap talk communication between human subjects playing incentivised trust games. In Chapter 3, we study free-form communication using a dataset of over 1000 messages sent between participants in a laboratory Trust game. We employ Natural Language Processing to systematically generate meaningful partitions of the messages space which we can then examine with established regression approaches. Our investigation reveals features correlated with trust that have not previously been considered. Most notably, highly detailed, specific promises establish trust more effectively than other messages which signal the same intended action. Additionally, we observe that the most and least trusted messages in our dataset differ starkly in their quality. Highly trusted messages are longer, more detailed, and contain fewer grammatical errors whereas the least trusted messages tend to be brief and prone to errors. In Chapter 4, we examine whether the difference is message quality affects trust by acting as a signal of effort. We report the results of an experiment designed to test whether promises which require higher levels of effort result in greater trust from their recipients. We find that more costly promises lead recipients to trust more frequently. However, there is no corresponding, significant difference in the trustworthiness of their senders. Further, when asked their beliefs explicitly, recipients do not believe that higher cost promises are more likely to be trustworthy. This presents a potential challenge to our understanding of trust between economic decision makers. If effort increases trust without altering receivers' beliefs, receivers must be concerned with factors other than their own payoff maximization. We conclude by presenting a follow-up experiment where varying effort cost cannot convey the sender's intentions, however, the results are inconclusive. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation presents three projects in which we examine how human decision makers' choices differ from those predicted by standard economic theory. The experiments we conduct cover two broad topics: the way humans estimate the probability of random events and how communication leads to greater cooperation between agents with potentially conflicting monetary interests. It is well established that humans often hold distorted beliefs about probability. Depending on the direction of their bias, these beliefs are consistent with either the Hot Hand or Gambler's Fallacy. In Chapter 2, we examine the factors which may cause people to change the direction of their bias. Subjects exhibit the Gambler's Fallacy when predicting single outcomes, but favor the Hot Hand when asked explicitly to estimate probabilities. Chapters 3 and 4 study cheap talk communication between decision makers — messages which carry with them no commitment mechanism. It is no surprise to the average person that communication may enhance cooperation and trust between people. Experimental economists have verified this intuition in laboratory experiments and found that free-form communication is particularly effective. However, the precise mechanism through which free-form communication enhances cooperation is unclear. In Chapter 3, we collect a large dataset of free-form messages transmitted between players of an investment game. We then employ Natural Language Processing tools, novel to the Economics laboratory, to parse the unstructured data and identify message features associated with changes in trust and trustworthiness. Chapter 4 continues to examine communication, investigating whether the effort required to a promise affects its perceived or actual trustworthiness. We find that higher effort promises lead to greater trust, but find no corresponding increase in trustworthiness.

The aim of this intervention study is to investigate the use of concept maps as a pedagogical tool to promote discussions around subject-specific concepts in history education. Additionally, the study seeks to explore students' experiences with using concept maps. The intervention study is implemented with fourth-grade pupils.   This study answers the following questions:  ·      In what ways can concept maps facilitate discussions around subject-specific concepts? ·      How do pupils experience the work with concept maps? ·      What is the relationship between the collected material and pupils' experiences? The intervention study employs a Lesson Study approach and incorporates two qualitative methods: observations, group interviews, and analysis of both first and second text-talk sessions between nine pupils in two groups. The study's theoretical framework is based on concept maps, participation, and interaction. Participation has been divided into three different levels based on the collected material to facilitate the analysis. The levels of participation in the study are categorized as follows: at the first level, pupils remain silent and passively attend the conversation, offering no personal input or opinions. Moving to the second level, pupils engage to varying degrees, sometimes affirming others' ideas without expressing their own. Finally, at the third level, pupils actively contribute to the discussion by sharing their own thoughts, expanding on others' ideas, and engaging in reciprocal dialogue. The results showed that integration of concept maps increased the students' understanding and discussion around subject-specific concepts. They could connect different concepts and analyze their relationships, indicating an improvement in their conceptual understanding and knowledge. The pupils' enhanced engagement, supported by positive experiences with concept maps, is further confirmed by discussion observations. This correlation between student experiences and collected material supports the study's credibility.This underscores the significance of concept maps as a pedagogical tool for advancing understanding of subject-specific concepts in history education.

Cette thèse se penche sur les mécanismes de surveillance et de contrôle à l’œuvre dans les talk-shows de l’intime produits par et pour les Tunisien·ne·s après le soulèvement populaire de 2010-2011. Combinant la lecture minutieuse à l’analyse de contenu, elle examine un corpus composé de 20 histoires tirées de cinq talk-shows de l’intime diffusées entre février 2019 et avril 2020, en dialecte arabe tunisien, sur des chaînes de télévision et de radio locales. À cela s’ajoute un corpus secondaire composé de 31 histoires et un corpus exploratoire d’une centaine d’épisodes englobant une période plus large (2011-2020). Souvent associées à l’ignominie (al-fadhiha) et à l’outrance, ces émissions mettent en scène des témoignages sur les intimités tunisiennes, dans un contexte marqué par une effervescence politique et identitaire, par la réforme et la privatisation de l’industrie médiatique, ainsi que par des revendications de la libre expression et d’al-soutrah. À travers le concept du pan-synoptique (Foucault, 1975 ; Mathiesen, 1997), ces programmes de télévision et de radio sont analysés comme des variations d’un dispositif de regard et d’écoute à travers lequel les individus sont simultanément surveillés et surveillants. Ils participent ainsi à la circonscription des intimités dans un champ d’observation médiatique. S’appuyant sur les critical intimacy studies et sur les feminist affect studies, cette thèse théorise l’intimité comme une « chose sauvage » prenant forme lorsque les corps s’orientent vers leurs objets d’attachement. Ces « orientations » (Ahmed, 2006) peuvent suivre les lignes droites prédéfinies ou emprunter des déviations éloignées des trajectoires normatives. Bien qu’elles soient distinctes des formes institutionnelles et normatives qu’elles peuvent prendre, les intimités sont orientées par des normes des valeurs, des idéaux et des discours qui peuvent varier selon les contextes (Berlant, 1998 ; Berlant et Warner, 1998). Dans cette optique, cette thèse explore comment ces programmes s’articulent (Hall, 1986) à un dispositif plus large, pour mettre les intimités tunisiennes en lumière et en discours. / The present thesis examines the mechanisms of surveillance and control at work in intimate talk-shows produced by and for Tunisians after the 2010–2011 insurrection. Combining close reading with content analysis, the thesis examines a corpus of 20 stories from the five intimate talk-shows that aired on local television and radio channels, in the Tunisian Arabic dialect, between February 2019 and April 2020. The thesis also examines a secondary corpus of 31 stories and an exploratory corpus of over one hundred episodes covering a broader period (2011–2020). Often associated with scandal (al-fadhiha) and trashiness, these shows stage testimonies of Tunisian intimacies within a context marked by political and identity tensions, the reform and privatization of the media industry, as well as demands of free expression and al-soutrah. Through the concept of the pan-synopticon (Foucault, 1975 ; Mathiesen, 1997), the thesis analyzes these television and radio programs as variations of a surveillance dispositif where the many watch the many. In this way, the thesis interrogates how these shows contribute to the shaping of Tunisian intimacies. Drawing on critical intimacy studies and feminist affect studies, the present thesis theorizes intimacy as a “wild thing” that takes shape when bodies move towards their objects of attachment. These “orientations” (Ahmed, 2006) may follow predefined lines or deviate from normative trajectories. Intimacies are oriented by norms, values, ideals, and discourses that can vary across contexts (Berlant, 1998; Berlant and Warner, 1998). From this perspective, the thesis explores how these programs articulate within a broader dispositif (Hall, 1986) to expose and talk about Tunisian intimacies.

This study examines discursive assessment practices in a special school for girls identified with a disability in an Arabian-Gulf country. The study is driven by a notable absence of research on girls with disability in the Arab world, and the need for analysing practices that shape their identities and future trajectories. To disclose the mechanisms, processes, and tools influencing the coconstruction of girls' identities by members of a multidisciplinary team, I developed an analytic framework that draws on three theories: systemic functional linguistics, critical genre analysis and sociocultural theory of discourse and identity production. The main data source is the audio-record of conversations that took place at case-conference meetings (CCMs). To describe the genre of a CCM and to disclose what went on, who was involved, and what outcomes were achieved, I constructed three narratives: 'The most relevant thing about us', 'Much ado about everything', and 'Not so great expectations'. These narratives revealed the object, goals, and the outcomes of talk. With respect to the object of talk, or the knowledge underpinning assessment practices, there was much focus on girls' diagnostic histories and scores in IQ tests; they were given a high priority and perceived as key to understanding the girls. Analysis also revealed a resistance to move beyond dichotomous thinking (i.e. girls are either trainable or educable). The goals of talk were to pass on information, to share assessment results, and to list objectives for intervention, each practitioner within her domain of expertise. This mode of passing on - rather than - discussing information and assessment results limited the prospect to benefit from the distributed knowledge of practitioners. The outcomes of talk were mediated by the two preceding discursive actions. A preoccupation with girls' medical diagnosis, and a focus on passing on rather than discussing assessment reinforced deficit thinking. Further, categories assigned to girls stood as self-fulfilling prophesies, and as predictors of girls' future performance. The space to create more positive identities was evident, however, where practitioners knew little about girls' genetic or developmental disabilities. The implications of these objectifying practices are serious with respect to Gulf-Arabian countries and to similar Muslim sociocultural contexts. Perceiving diagnosis as the absolute truth feeds fatalistic beliefs further and results in inactivity and invisibility. Implications are offered for policy and practice and for future research.

No description available.

In a study of psychological well-being, the researcher attempted to address the challenge of preventing mental illness and promoting mental health using an educational psychological perspective based on Unisa's Relations Theory. According to Relations Theory, humans are understood by the relationships they form. The intra-psychic interaction of the components of the intra-psychic structure (I/ego, self, identity and self-concept) is responsible for people's behaviour, with the essences (attachment of meaning, involvement, experience and self-actualising) and the prerequisites (the forming of relations , the life-world and climate) forming the basis of the structure. The researcher developed and administered a questionnaire on psychological well-being and conducted interviews, and on the basis of the findings reports that psychological well-being from an educational psychological perspective consists of a healthy and positive ego and self, clearly defined identities, positive thoughts and feelings, involvement in the life world, a positive and realistic self-concept and constructive self-talk, and self-realisation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This qualitative participatory action research project examined how the spiritual dimension in pastoral therapy served as a life-giving resource to facilitate healing and growth in the lives of three Christian female university students. A postmodern epistomology, social construction theory and a contextual feminist theology informed the praxis of pastoral narrative therapy. The themes of subjectivity, meaning, religious development and religious experience were the focus of this study. Narrative practices were engaged in to utilise spiritual talk in the co-construction of an alternative relational identity with the research participants. The theory of religious development is discussed from a social constructionist perspective with an accent on a personal relationship with God as central to the developmental process. The religious experiences of the participants contributed to a spiritual awareness of being connected, in a dynamic way, to God, that transformed the clients' perceptions of problems and ways of addressing problems in their lives. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

Anyone familiar with the Rastafari movement and its connection with the Bible is struck by the prevalence of I-locution found in them both. Because the phenomenon is important in the canonical Testaments, more so the New, this study seeks to investigate its significance in certain epistolary pieces (Romans 7 :14-25 ; 15 :14-33), the bio-Narratives and the Apocalypse, in their historical and cultural milieu. The next stage of the investigation then compares the findings of the aforementioned New Testament books with corresponding statements of the Rasta community to determine their relevance for the ongoing Anglophone theological discussion. In this connection, the following questions are addressed: (1) what are the inter-textual link(s) and function(s) of the `I' statements in Romans? (2) How do they relate to similar dominical sayings? And (3) can any parallel be established between the language of Rastafari and these? In sum, the study seeks to bring into critical dialogue the permutative `I' of the NT with the self-understanding of Rastafari. / NEW TESTAMENT / DTH (NEW TESTAMENT)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and to compare it with the self-concept of non-delinquent adolescents. The aspects of the self and their role in self-concept formation were outlined. Psychosocial and moral development were discussed, as well as factors that affect moral development. Juvenile delinquency was studied. Poverty and lack of parental care stood out as the main causes of juvenile delinquency. The South African juvenile justice system was also investigated. The Adolescent Self-concept Scale was administered to 20 delinquent and 20 nondelinquent adolescents. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and that of non-delinquents. The delinquent group was found to have a low general self-concept. In order to determine how delinquent behaviour influences the self-concept and vice versa, one respondent from the delinquent group was randomly selected and an indepth study was carried out. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

In 1971, radio station KGBS, Los Angeles, developed a format featuring a male host taking telephone calls from females only who discussed explicit sexual experiences over the air. Many other radio stations in the United States programmed this "sex-talk" format until 1973, when the Federal Communications Commission took steps to eliminate it. This study examines the origin, development, success, causes for eventual demise, and impact upon the broadcasting industry of the sex-talk format. The United States Congress pressured the FCC to act on the sex-talk format, and the study concludes that broadcasters would not have succumbed to government pressure if they had not feared governmental intrusion in programming and Congressional rejection of license renewal legislation.