偏見不只影響遭受者的身心健康，也違背社會正義，為了改善這樣的狀況，研究者們致力於發展降低偏見的方案。不過這些降低偏見的方案通常針對種族或性別群體，卻甚少關心肥胖者與愛滋感染者。肥胖者、愛滋感染者不僅受研究社群忽視，他們在生活中亦不受重視（如醫療體系），因此本論文著眼降低人們對肥胖者、愛滋感染者的偏見。研究一發展降低偏見方案，透過撰寫支持肥胖者或愛滋感染者的短文，引發人們言行不一的認知失調感，可能進而改變其原本對肥胖者或愛滋感染者的偏見。研究一的結果顯示，只有撰寫愛滋主題的參與者其愛滋偏見分數低於其他組別，也就是說他們的行為違反本身對愛滋感染者的既有態度而產生認知失調，透過降低愛滋偏見來化解認知失調之不適感。不過，撰寫肥胖主題的參與者，其肥胖偏見分數則與各組無異，也就是說這種降低偏見的方案對肥胖者的偏見無影響。預試二發現，相對於愛滋感染者，肥胖者通常被視為較可控制自己身屬於該社會群體的命運（可控制性），且其較需為自己的遭遇負責。為了檢視人們認為肥胖者與愛滋感染者可控制性的差異，是否影響偏見方案的效果，研究二除了改良研究一的降低偏見方案外，更操弄可控制性的高低。研究二發現可控制性會調節降低偏見方案的效果－當人們認為成為愛滋感染者是自己可以控制時，降低偏見方案的效果較弱；反之，若人們認為成為愛滋感染者是自己不能控制的，則降低偏見的效果較強。不過，撰寫肥胖主題文章的參與者則無此效果。這樣的差異或許是因為人們對肥胖者與愛滋感染者的熟悉程度有所不同。相較於愛滋感染者，人們對肥胖者較為熟悉，對其態度不容易改變，不論是接受高可控或低可控的訊息操弄，都無法改變人們對肥胖者的想法。根據本論文結果，認知失調適合降低人們較不熟悉與視其較為不可控的社會群體，如愛滋感染者，不適合應用在人們較熟悉的社會群體，如肥胖者。本論文進一步討論降低偏見方案執行困難的原因，並提出可能的建議與後續的研究方向。 / Prejudice and discrimination may have negative consequences on subordinate group members’ physical and mental health, and prejudice and discrimination also violate social justice. To deal with these problems, researchers have dedicated to develop various interventions to counter prejudice and discrimination. However, most of these interventions focus on racial and gender minorities, and researchers largely ignore people with obesity and people with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an intervention that could reduce prejudice against people with obesity, as well as to reduce prejudice against people with HIV/AIDS. According to cognitive dissonance theory, when people’s attitudes and behavior are inconsistent, they feel uncomfortable and in turn change their attitudes to eliminate the inconsistency (Festinger, 1957). Following the basic ideas in cognitive dissonance theory, in Study 1, I randomly assigned participants to write presumably counter-attitudinal essays, in which they write about people with obesity or people with HIV/AIDS (to advocate allocating more resources to them), or school policy change (a control group). The results showed that after writing about people with HIV/AIDS, participants displayed significantly lower prejudice against people with HIV/AIDS than participants in other conditions. However, after writing about people with obesity, participants’ prejudice against people with obesity remained at similar levels as participants in other conditions. According to findings in the second pilot study, the diverging findings in Study 1 may be due to that people with obesity were considered having more controllability and responsibility than people with HIV/AIDS. To further explore the effects of levels of controllability on intervention, I revised Study 1’s intervention and added a manipulation of controllability on people with obesity or on people with HIV/AIDS. The findings showed that controllability manipulation moderated the intervention effect on people with HIV/AIDS, but had no effect on people with obesity. Because participants were more familiar with people with obesity than with people with HIV/AIDS, it is possible that attitudes toward a familiar social group are more difficult to be changed than the attitudes toward an unfamiliar social group, The results suggested that interventions based on cognitive dissonance principle have effects on unfamiliar social groups, such as people with HIV/AIDS. Obstacles with prejudice reduction interventions were further discussed; suggestions and future research directions were offered.

In this study the experiences, perceptions and challenges of being in a mixed-race relationship (M-R) were explored against the backdrop of previous South African pieces of legislation meant to keep the various race groups apart. The study was located within a conceptual framework predominantly informed by a constructivist approach, as well as some tenets from the social constructionist approach. This study focused only on M-R relationships consisting of black and white partners. The couples were recruited through the use of a snowball sampling method. In-depth interviews were used as the primary tool for collecting data. All participants were interviewed by the researcher either at their own homes or in the researcher's office. The collected information was later transcribed and qualitatively analysed. The results of the study indicate that individuals found their involvement in M-R relationships to be a positive experience, and thus resulting in a positive attitude change and a sense of personal growth. M-R couples and their extended families experienced cognitive dissonance which required them to discard their previously internalised racial stereotypes, using strategies such as cognitive differentiation, re-categorization and de-categorization, allowing shifts toward non-racial socially constructed categories. Most of the challenges of being in M-R relationships were experienced on interpersonal and inter-group levels. The losses, disadvantages, challenges, concerns and pains experienced by M-R couples were mainly related to family and social disapproval of the relationship as well as efforts to discourage race mixing. The study concludes that the non-conformist nature of M-R relationships requires from the participants a high level of self-differentiation and individuation that challenges racial norms and cultural collectivism. Albeit being a personal or private matter, a M-R relationship carries the burden of easily being the subject of public discourse. It is in this sense that M-R relationships cannot be understood without taking the socio-political context within which they occur into consideration. / Psychology / D.Phil. (Psychology)

No description available.

The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate why history textbooks are used the way they are and to identify possible reasons for the contradictions and dilemmas regarding the role of the textbook in history education. This thesis describes a case study of the history teaching at an upper secondary school class and investigates the attitudes of the pupils, teachers and textbook authors towards history, the teaching of history, textbooks and the use of textbooks. The study also investigates the textbook used in the history class and the attitudes that the authors expose in the textbook. The analyses are based on interviews with the pupils and teacher, the pupils’ responses in a questionnaire, lesson observations, parts of the textbook, and some other teaching materials used in the lessons. In addition to constituting research on attitudes, this study is also linked to cognitive dissonance theory since it highlights dissonance among the attitudes of the teachers, pupils and textbook authors. The study shows that one main dilemma is the fact that the textbook is frequently being used in the classroom, but many pupils find it dull and uninteresting. Other dilemmas are basically explanations for this and are discussed as such. The study also shows that the pupils prefer history lessons that follow certain strategies and that these strategies are only reflected in the textbook to a limited extent. However, these strategies are used to a large extent in the teaching and when other teaching materials are used instead of the textbook. Sometimes the language used in the textbook seems to prevent the pupils from being able to take in the content but they are not given any help to cope with this difficulty. However, the pupils are exposed to other teaching resources, such as films and lectures, which helps them to understand the subject matter and they appreciate such resources more than the textbook. Moreover, the use of this type of learning resources is combined with methodology that is popular among the pupils and they get help from each other and from the teacher when interpreting and working with these resources. The textbook is used primarily individually and some of the pupils find it difficult to understand. In addition, the textbook is used with teaching methodology that the pupils find dull. This could explain why films and lectures are the main focus of the history lessons while the textbook is used primarily as a supplementary factual resource. This may also be a reason why the pupils have a negative attitude towards the textbook.

Esta pesquisa investiga uma categoria de pessoas portadoras, principalmente, de deficiências mentais, associadas também a deficiências físicas, popularmente denominadas de bobos, que, embora em processo de desaparecimento, ainda moram na comunidade da Cidade de Goiás, Estado de Goiás. Estes bobos emergem de uma extensa rede complementar de papéis, participando do cotidiano da cidade há mais de cem anos. Vivem no interior das famílias, nas praças públicas, ou na única instituição que os abriga, o Asilo São Vicente de Paulo. Em sua grande maioria procederam de regiões vizinhas ou da zona rural, ainda que muitos provenham de famílias do lugar. Foram absorvidos de maneira indiscriminada e naturalizada na convivência cotidiana. Com eles foi estabelecido um tipo de relação social sustentado por costumes muito arraigados. Foram adotados e criados pelas famílias, que se valeram de suas deficiências mentais para submetêlos. Em troca de casa e comida prestaram toda sorte de serviços domésticos. Eram treinados para a execução de trabalhos árduos e mecânicos que a topografia da cidade e as falhas estruturais dos serviços urbanos impuseram aos habitantes. A explicação e justificativa para sua existência e o tratamento que recebem se apoiam na formulação generalizada de que os bobos são fruto de relações consanguíneas, quando não incestuosas, que, neste trabalho, é denominada de consanguinidadecausa. Esta pesquisa converge elementos da psicologia social, psicanálise, antropologia, neurologia e genética para a análise desta explicação e justificativa. As vertentes destas disciplinas permitem a crítica das relações sociais no cotidiano, revelando suas origens, desvelando referenciais ideológicos, favorecendo a desmontagem de estereótipos e justificativas escamoteadoras das condutas de dominação e submissão que a comunidade pratica, de forma naturalizada, na relação com seus bobos. Este trabalho se alicerça, de um lado, em fontes documentais e bibliográficas e, de outro, em entrevistas realizadas no interior da comunidade, envolvendo os próprios bobos, as famílias que os abrigam, a instituição que os recolhe e figuras representativas da cidade. Caracterizandose como um Estudo de Caso, esta tese foi dividida em três partes temáticas, que se articulam, conferindolhe unidade analítica. A primeira intitulase Bobos de Goiás: reminiscências subjacentes; a segunda, Investigando os bobos da Cidade de Goiás, e a outra, O trabalho de campo na Cidade de Goiás / This research investigates a category of people with, mainly, mental disabilities, also associated to physical deficiencies, who are popularly known as bobos. Although they are becoming rarer, they can still be found in the community of Cidade de Goiás, in the State of Goiás. These bobos come from an extensive complementary network of roles, taking part in the everyday life of the town for over one hundred years. They live with host families, in the public squares, or in the only institution that gives them shelter, the São Vicente de Paulo Asylum. Most of them come from neighboring or from rural areas, but many come from families who live in town. They have been absorbed indiscriminately and incorporated into the community everyday life. A specific kind of social relationship supported by ingrained customs has been established with them. They were adopted and raised by families, who used their disabilities to assure their submission and the performance of all kinds of menial tasks, in exchange for room and board. They were trained to do the hard mechanical jobs that the topography of the town and the structural flaws in urban services imposed on its inhabitants. The explanation and justification for their existence and the kind of treatment they receive are based on a generalized concept that the bobos are the result of consanguineous relationships, when not incestuous, and in this work they are called consanguineouscause. This research combines elements of social psychology, psychoanalysis, anthropology, neurology and genetics to analyze the explanation and justification. The approach of these disciplines allows for a critique of everyday social relationships, revealing their origins, uncovering ideological references, favoring the deconstruction of stereotypes and the covering up of justifications for the conduct of domination and submission that is practiced in a naturalized way by the community in its relationship with its bobos. This work is based, on the one hand, on documents and bibliographical sources, and on the other, on interviews in the community with the bobos themselves, the families that took them in, the institution that shelters them, and with prominent members of the town. It may be characterized as a case study, and is divided in three thematic parts that articulate and confer an analytical unity. The first is entitled bobos from Goiás: underlying reminiscences; the second, investigating the bobos in Cidade de Goiás, and another, The field work at Cidade de Goiás.

Submitted by Marilene Donadel (marilene.donadel@unioeste.br) on 2018-10-26T17:11:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcel_Colling_2018.pdf: 3237401 bytes, checksum: 68655056331b4b1d08a0e7fce8b15c37 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-26T17:11:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcel_Colling_2018.pdf: 3237401 bytes, checksum: 68655056331b4b1d08a0e7fce8b15c37 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-14 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Behavioral economics has recently been gaining more space in academic studies. The theories based on the rationality of the actors have given place to studies that contemplate their cognitive systems, ways of thinking and emotions. In this context, recent studies in the area of knowledge economy have approached the behavioral framework to analyze the performance and influence of institutions in organizations and vice versa. It occurs that in the relations between different groups in a region, the cognitions of the actors are susceptible to dissonances between beliefs and attitudes. Such imbalances are mitigated by the use of cognitive biases. The influence of these dissonances and biases in the relations between groups in the regional development is the theme addressed in this work. In this perspective, the objective of this dissertation is to analyze the influence and impacts of cognitive dissonance in the relations between the groups of local actors represented by the Government, University and Companies in the Western Region of the State of Parana in view of the knowledge economy. The question that has been sought to answer is how these cognitive processes can represent barriers to a broader understanding by groups about their role in the region in a development context. In order to answer these questions, the present work has proposed to: characterize the Western Region of the State of Parana and the selected municipalities (Cascavel, Toledo, Foz do Iguaçu, Marechal Cândido Rondon, Palotina and Medianeira) according to the relational approaches of the knowledge economy; research the beliefs of local actors representing government, university, and business with a view to the occurrence of cognitive dissonances between beliefs; study the attitudes of each group of local actors regarding the relational aspects addressed by the knowledge economy in terms of cognitive biases and subcategories of dissonance; and explain the reduction or elimination of cognitive dissonance and the use of heuristics and biases in an integrated way by local actors when considering the relations between the different groups. The methodology used was quantitative and qualitative. Initially data were collected regarding Gross Added Value; Number of establishments per activity; Number of jobs per activity; Municipal expenses by function; HDI; Number of public universities; Number of enrollments and graduates in public higher education; Associations formed by groups; Municipal councils. Then, data obtained through questionnaires were analyzed using the methods of Mean Analysis, Pearson Correlations and Stepwise Regression. The next step was the analysis of qualitative data obtained by semi-structured interviews using discourse analysis according to subcategories of cognitive dissonance and cognitive bias. Finally, quantitative and qualitative data were systematically compared according to the subcategories of cognitive dissonance and cognitive bias. The research results showed that, in fact, there are a number of cognitive barriers caused by the heuristics and biases in the three groups. Such barriers prevent them from thinking about innovative ways of institutional action and relational environment so that it hinders the development of the West region of Parana oriented to the knowledge economy. / A economia comportamental recentemente vem ganhando mais espaço no meio acadêmico. As teorias pautadas na racionalidade dos atores têm dado lugar a estudos que contemplam seus sistemas cognitivos, formas de pensar e emoções. Nesse contexto, os recentes estudos na área da economia do conhecimento têm se aproximado do arcabouço comportamental para analisar a atuação e influência das instituições nas organizações e vice-versa. Ocorre que nas relações entre diferentes grupos em uma região, as cognições dos atores são suscetíveis a dissonâncias entre crenças e atitudes. Tais desequilíbrios são amenizados pela utilização de vieses cognitivos. A influência dessas dissonâncias e vieses nas relações entre grupos para o desenvolvimento regional é o tema tratado neste trabalho. Nessa perspectiva, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a influência e os impactos da dissonância cognitiva nas relações entre os atores locais dos grupos Governo, Universidade e Empresa na Região Oeste do Estado do Paraná tendo em vista a economia do conhecimento. A pergunta que se buscou responder é como esses processos cognitivos podem representar barreiras para uma compreensão mais ampla por parte dos grupos a respeito de seu papel na região em um contexto de desenvolvimento. A fim de responder a esses questionamentos, o presente trabalho se propôs a caracterizar a Região Oeste do Estado do Paraná e os municípios selecionados (Cascavel, Toledo, Foz do Iguaçu, Marechal Cândido Rondon, Palotina e Medianeira) de acordo com as abordagens relacionais da economia do conhecimento; pesquisar as crenças dos atores locais que representam governo, universidade e empresas com vistas à ocorrência de dissonâncias cognitivas entre crenças; estudar as atitudes de cada grupo de atores locais em relação aos aspectos relacionais abordados pela economia do conhecimento em termos de vieses cognitivos e subcategorias de dissonância; e explicar a redução ou eliminação da dissonância cognitiva e a utilização de heurísticas e vieses de maneira integrada por parte dos atores locais quando consideram as relações entre os diferentes grupos. A metodologia utilizada foi quantitativa e qualitativa. Inicialmente, foram levantados dados referentes ao Valor Adicionado Bruto; Quantidade de estabelecimentos por atividade; Quantidade de empregos por atividade; Despesas municipais por função; IDH; Total de universidades públicas; Quantidade de matrículas e de concluintes no ensino superior público; Associações formadas pelos grupos; Conselhos municipais. Em seguida, foram analisados dados obtidos por meio de questionários com os métodos de Análise de média, Correlações de Pearson e Regressão stepwise. O próximo passo foi a análise dos dados qualitativos levantados por entrevistas semiestruturadas utilizando análise de discurso de acordo com as subcategorias de dissonância cognitiva e vieses cognitivos. Por fim, os dados quantitativos e qualitativos foram comparados sistematicamente de acordo com as subcategorias de dissonância cognitiva e vieses cognitivos. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que, de fato, há uma série de barreiras cognitivas causadas pelas heurísticas e vieses presentes nos grupos. Tais barreiras os impedem de pensar em formas de inovação das instituições e do ambiente relacional para que o desenvolvimento da região Oeste do Paraná possa ser orientado para a economia do conhecimento.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when someone engages in a counter-attitudinal behavior that has negative consequences. In the present study whether moderators such as self-monitoring and self-compassion impact the experience of dissonance. Specifically, high self-monitors should experience less dissonance than low self-monitors because of their propensity to alter their opinions based on the social cues around them and not be as attached to their opinions as low self-monitors. Self-compassion may also moderate the dissonance effect in that more self-compassionate individuals may handle the experience of dissonance with more self-kindness and subsequently experience less dissonance than participants with low self-compassion. Participants (N = 331, 76% women, Mage= 22.5) completed an online survey where they expressed their opinion on a variety of ethical issues on a 15 point scale. Participants were then asked to write a counter-attitudinal essay on the ethical issue of capital punishment. If participants indicated previously that they supported capital punishment then they were asked to write against capital punishment, and vice versa for those who initially indicated being against capital punishment. Perception of choice was manipulated such that participants were given no choice to write according to the instructions or participants had a perceived choice in their writing topic. They were then asked to respond to several dependent variable measures and predictor variables including the full self-monitoring and self-compassion scales. Overall, participants experienced cognitive dissonance from writing the essay, and self-monitoring moderated participants’ experience of cognitive dissonance. Self-compassion did not moderate the dissonance effect; however, self-compassion interacted with dissonance to impact participants’ endorsement of moral values. These findings suggest cognitive dissonance effects can be extended to moral attitudes, and self-monitoring may impact people’s individual dissonance experiences.

The presented master's thesis examines experiments on humans conducted in Nazi concentration camps during WWII and focuses on the conflict between the victims on one side and scientists on the other. In this conflict, which is centered around the fate of the data, both sides take a strong stand. The criteria for an ethical evaluation is to objectively articulate the main argumentation pillars from both sides and assess their validity in the contrast of two ethical theories which are virtue theory and the theory of consequentialism. To reach this objective, the thesis draws from available literal and audio-visual sources from the fields of history, philosophy, psychology, anthropology and bioethics. The paper is divided into three main parts. The first part is dedicated to terminology, technical execution, integrity, impact and logistics of the experiments. The second part analyzes victim testimonies and impact statements and arguments that had been put forward by the research community. The third part deals with the meaning of the term person's dignity/KAVOD, evaluates the argument points in the contrast of ethical theories, introduces the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance and deliberates the scientific community stance. Keywords Bioethics, cognitive dissonance, concentration camps,...

The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of how the social workers' self-images are affected by how they perceive public attitudes and news media's portrayal of their profession as well as understanding how they are coping with it. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), which focuses on how individuals experience a certain phenomenon, has been used as a method. One of IPA's theoretical underpinnings is symbolic interactionism and therefore experiences which have effect on a person's self-image is significant. The results show that social workers perceive public attitudes as mainly negative and that the media often portrays social workers in a negative way, which aligns with previous studies. Furthermore, there seems to be a dissonance between the social workers' view of their professional role and how they feel that others perceive them, which led to the use of cognitive dissonance as a theory to support the results in the analysis. The social workers use different strategies to lessen the discomfort that emerges from the dissonance. For instance they tend to avoid telling others what they work with. A successful reduction of the dissonance can help the social workers to maintain a positive self-image.

Holiday air travel behaviors are nowadays a significant issue in relation to climate change and sustainable tourism. Indeed, transportation, and especially air transportation, have a significant role in climate change. Hence, it is important that the tourism industry includes the transportation sector when developing solutions for sustainable tourism. As students are the future main target group of this industry, it is important to understand the reasons behind their choices. Until now, travel behaviors have been explained using single and specific theories, which did not include many factors explaining holiday air travel decisions. In this study, this concern is addressed by combining two theories in relation to behavior formation - the theory of planned behavior and the value-belief-norm theory - in order to understand all motivations and barriers behind students’ holiday air travel behaviors. The analysis of the findings shows that many internal and external factors affect students decisions in regards to flying during holidays, including values, beliefs, social and personal norms, as well as accessibility, country of origin, price, time, distance, and social influence. However, the analysis of the results also demonstrates two gaps between attitudes and behaviors within the student community, which link to the cognitive dissonance theory: an awareness-attitude behavior gap and a contextual gap. The paper argues that while the theory of planned behavior and the value-belief-norm theory can be used simultaneously in order to analyze decisions regarding holiday air transportation, they are not sufficient as these two gaps emerged. The study concludes suggesting destination developers and national governments to take into account the present factors behind students’ decisions in order to develop sustainable destinations.