Thesis (M.S. in architecture)--Washington State University, December 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Jan. 11, 2010). "School of Architecture and Construction Management." Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-58).

Thesis (PhD (Psychotherapy))--University of Pretoria, 2003.

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Bibliography: leaves 347-361 / xv, 428 leaves (some folded) : ill ; 30 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, 1985

Philosophy(PhD) / Interaction with the natural environment has a vital role in human well-being - physical, social, spiritual and psychological - and yet in the twenty-first century many people lead a way of life totally separated from natural environments. Built environments and the increasing complexity of technological tasks necessitate increased demands for attention and a constant processing of information. Adaptation to such demands can result in depletion of psychological resources leading to stress and mental fatigue. Psychological resources must then be “restored” as they are critical for effective functioning. A review of restorative environments literature suggests there is further scope for enhancing restorative opportunities. A hypothetical model of enhanced restoration is proposed. It posits that an individual assuming a more active role, through raised cognitive awareness and physical encounter in the person-natural environment interaction will experience enhanced restoration in terms of restoration of directed attention and reduction of stress. The research hypotheses are tested using a quantitative field-based pretest-posttest experimental design with a sample of 100 volunteers. Data is collected through computerised objective and subjective measurement scales of attention and affect. Data is analysed through ANOVA. The major finding is that posttest scores improved compared to pretest scores in all 3 attention tests, 2 subjective attention scores and both affect measures, averaged over all 4 intervention groups. This means that the participants’ directed attention improved and they considered themselves to be less stressed regardless of the allocated experimental intervention group. Therefore, the most effective intervention in improving directed attention fatigue and reducing stress was raising an individual’s level of physical encounter with the natural environment. Further research is warranted, into the contribution that an individual can make to enhance the restorative process, and the need for education to raise awareness of the importance of the natural environment as a valuable (health-care) resource.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-80). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-138).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2007. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Dennis Aig. Includes DVD. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-37).

The purpose of this research was to explore four social contexts and determine the kinds of events that specify information for interactive possibilities. Subjects' descriptions of their own videotaped interaction were analyzed for two types of convergence: agreement on the selection of the most important events and similar interpretations of the functional meaning of these events. These were compared to descriptions from independent observers. Critics of a hypothetico-deductive paradigm, particularly in social psychology, claim that experimental controls have eliminated most of what is social in experiments concerned with social interaction. The methodological principles of Kurt Lewin (1943/51) are here suggested as a possible solution to the design problems of abstraction, categorization and interpretation, and form the basis of this research design. In addition, the concept of "affordance", coined by Gibson (1979) to refer to the complementarity of an animal and its environment is adopted in this dissertation. The dynamic relations referred to by the concept of affordance make it well-suited to describe the reciprocal relations in social interaction. Gibson's ecological view can be extended to the social environment and integrated with the sociogenetic theories of Mead (1934) and Vygotsky (1978). The main conceptual hypotheses are as follows: (1) In social interaction, behaviour, gestures and speech constitute events that specify perceptual information for interactive possibilities. The concept affordance encompasses the reciprocal relations as well as the functional meaning of these events. (2) Situations that appear to be different on the surface have dynamic structures that are invariant. These structures or events are perceived by interactants and used to coordinate their interaction. (3) Social relations have been internalized such that the above perceived events have a functional meaning and operate as "signs" of that meaning. Results indicated that there are main events in a social interaction which are more meaningful to interactants than others, and, that there is convergence, both on which events these are, and their general meaning. Also, independent observers shown two of the dyads, identified the same main events as important and described them in a similar way as the original interactants. The conceptual and practical implications of an ecological approach, a Lewinian methodology and the ability of subjects to consistently report on the function and meaning of their own behaviour are discussed. / Graduate

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