abstract: Most people are experts in some area of information; however, they may not be knowledgeable about other closely related areas. How knowledge is generalized to hierarchically related categories was explored. Past work has found little to no generalization to categories closely related to learned categories. These results do not fit well with other work focusing on attention during and after category learning. The current work attempted to merge these two areas of by creating a category structure with the best chance to detect generalization. Participants learned order level bird categories and family level wading bird categories. Then participants completed multiple measures to test generalization to old wading bird categories, new wading bird categories, owl and raptor categories, and lizard categories. As expected, the generalization measures converged on a single overall pattern of generalization. No generalization was found, except for already learned categories. This pattern fits well with past work on generalization within a hierarchy, but do not fit well with theories of dimensional attention. Reasons why these findings do not match are discussed, as well as directions for future research. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Psychology 2013

<p> A response conditioned to a specific stimulus will generalize to similar stimuli. Various reports have indicated that the slope of the gradient of generalization changes over a period of time. The experiments reported here investigated the generalization of an emotional response, originally conditioned to an 80 db. white noise to a 60 db. white noise. In different groups the tests for generalization were begun immediately after conditioning or after a 4 day waiting period. In further groups the animals' time during the delay period was variously taken up with bar pressing sessions; new conditioning trials with a light CS; unsignalled shock presentations, or they merely stayed in their home cages.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 B34 / Master of Science

This study aims to explore GET learners’ mathematical (algebraic) reasoning when generalizing from number patterns. Data was collected in a former model C school in greater Johannesburg area by means of a questionnaire based task involving number patterns. The mathematical reasoning of the grade 9 participants when generalizing from number patterns was examined within a commognitive framework. According to this perspective, thinking is a special activity of communication in which a participant of a discourse engages. The participants’ responses to questions in the questionnaire based task were classified according to particular aspects of the discourse they used, specifically routines (strategies) and visual mediators. The participants’ generalization routines were further classified into one of the three main categories; numeric, figural and pragmatic generalizations. The analysis focused on how the learners’ derived rules for the nth term and their justifications for their responses. The results of this study strongly support the notion that students’ algebraic reasoning when generalizing in number patterns is intertwined with their choices of routines and mediators. Most learners used recursive routines while a few used explicit routines (classified and categorized as numeric routines) and number-mediators. Also, most participants found it easier to informally verbalize their generalizations. However participants’ spoken justifications of their written and spoken responses often did not match their use of routines and visual mediators. As such, an awareness and appreciation (by teachers) of students’ diverse use of routines and mediators when generalizing from number patterns could have direct pedagogical implications in the mathematics classrooms.

Vários são os fatores que influenciam as interações entre plantas e visitantes florais, como variações abióticas, bióticas e a forma e intensidade de amostragem. Através de análises de redes, alguns padrões têm sido reconhecidos nessas comunidades interativas, como a estrutura aninhada, a baixa conectância da rede, o maior grau de conectividade de plantas em relação aos visitantes florais e a forma de distribuição desses graus. Neste trabalho, procurou-se avaliar a estabilidade das métricas das redes de interação entre plantas e visitantes florais com relação às variações de esforço amostral, ao aumento da área amostrada, e influência de fitofisionomias do cerrado (campo cerrado e campo sujo). Também foi avaliada se a forma de obtenção de dados para construção das matrizes de interação (se a partir de observação de campo C, a partir de análises palinológicas P, ou junção de ambas as formas - CP) altera essas métricas. Para isso, foram analisadas matrizes de interação entre plantas e visitantes obtidas em 6 parcelas de tamanhos diferentes (100, 400, 900 m2), sendo três em cada fitofisionomia, na Estação Ecológica de Itirapina, Itirapina, SP. Os resultados indicam que, embora as métricas riqueza de espécies de plantas, de visitantes Apoidea, riqueza de interações observadas e possíveis, sejam sensíveis ao tamanho da área amostrada e ao esforço amostral, a generalização das redes (medida por conectância), das espécies de plantas e visitantes (medidas pela média de interações em cada rede) e os graus de aninhamento (NODF) são bastante robustos. A fitofisionomia não influenciou em nenhuma dessas métricas. A forma de obtenção dos dados, por sua vez, indica que há um forte viés com relação à forma de obtenção dos dados no número de espécies de plantas (C<[P=CP] ), número de interações possíveis ([C=P]<CP); interações observadas ([C=P]< CP ); conectância ([C=CP] < P ); grau médio de interações das espécies de plantas (P<[C=CP]); dos visitantes ([P=CP] < C); e grau de aninhamento medido por NODF ([C=CP] < P). Não houve influência da forma de obtenção dos dados na centralização das redes. Estes resultados indicam que embora algumas dessas métricas sejam robustas com relação ao esforço amostral e tamanho da área amostrada, há um forte viés ligado à forma de obtenção dos dados para a construção das matrizes de dados, que pode ser balanceado com a adição de informações palinológicas obtidas através dos visitantes coletados, pois elas ajudam a identificar interações efetuadas por eles antes da sua captura. / Several factors can influence plant-visitors interactions, such as abiotic and biotic changes, and type and intensity of sampling. Through network analysis, some patterns have been recognized in these interactive communities, as nested structure, low connectance network, the greater degree of connectivity of plants in relation to flower visitors and the distribution of these degrees. In this study, we sought to evaluate the stability of the networks topology metrics with respect to variations in sampling effort, increase of the sampling area, and the influence of cerrado phytophysiognomies (campo cerrado and campo sujo). We also assessed if the way of obtaining data for constructing the interaction matrices (up from field observations - C, from pollen analysis - P, or joining both ways - CP) alters these metrics. For this we analysed matrices of interaction between plants and visitors obtained in six plots of different sizes (100, 400, 900 m2), three in each vegetation type at the Ecological Station Itirapina Itirapina, SP. The results indicate that while the metrics of plant species richness, Apoidea visitors, richness of observed and possible interactions, are sensitive to the size of the sampled area and sampling effort, networks generalization (measured by connectance), plant and visitors species generalization (as measured by the average of interactions in each network) and nestedness degree (NODF) are quite robust. Phytophysiognomy did not influence in any of these metrics. The way data were obtained, in turn, indicates that there is a strong bias with respect to the number of plant species (C <[P = CP]), number of possible interactions ([C = P ] < CP), number of observed interactions ([C = P] <CP), connectance ([C = CP] < P), average degree of plant species (P <[C = CP]) and visitors ([ P = CP] <C) interactions and nestedness degree, measured by NODF ([C = CP] < P). There was no influence of the means of acquiring data in network centralization. These results indicate that although some of these metrics are robust with respect to sampling effort and size of sampled area, there is a strong bias linked to how data were obtained for the construction of the data matrices that can be balanced with the addition of pollen information obtained from the visitors collected, because they help identify interactions made by them before their capture.

We analyze a pair of nonlinear PDEs describing viscoelastic fluid flow in one dimension. We give a summary of the physical derivation and nondimensionlize the PDE system. Based on the boundary conditions and parameters, we are able to classify three different categories of traveling wave solutions, consistent with the results in [?]. We extend this work by analyzing the stability of the traveling waves. We thoroughly describe the numerical schemes and software program, VISCO, that were designed specifically to analyze the model we study in this paper. Our simulations lead us to conjecture that the traveling wave solutions found in [?] are globally stable for all sets of initial conditions with the appropriate asymptotic boundary conditions. We are able give some analytical evidence in support of this hypothesis but are unsuccessful in providing a complete proof.

The purpose of this descriptive study is to examine how two Western women‟s NGOs represent women in the “Third World”. The examined cases are the progressive NGOs Kvinna till Kvinna (Sweden) and the American counterpart Women for Women International (US).Qualitative research methodology has been utilized throughout this study. This thesis is also based on the social theory of constructivism and its ontological assumptions. Since both Sweden and USA are said to be strong promoters of gender equality- a comparative study design, examining two progressive NGOs is one suitable way to analyze the specified research questions. The analysis is based upon the article “Under Western Eyes” (1986) in which Chandra Mohanty discusses Western feminists‟ representation of “Third World women”, summarized in six main stereotypes. Mohanty‟s six claims regarding Western representation of “Third World women” designed the framework that has been used to analyze the collected data, which consists of the two organization‟s own material that is available on their individual websites. The formulated research questions asks whether Kvinna till Kvinna and Women for Women International represent “Third World women” as a homogeneous group sharing a similar experience of oppression in the ways described by Mohanty and if there are any differences in the ways of representation when comparing Kvinna till Kvinna and Women for Women International.

Drawing from the vast literature on stigmas, theories of status generalizations and affect, this study employs a formal framework to delineate among different kinds of stigmas and different processes by which they might operate. This study then considers the case of a particular type of stigma, a behavioral stigma, a label that is obtained from past behavior. The formalization distinguishes how knowledge of a particular type of stigma operates through group members who then cast an “other” into a stigmatized role with special attention to affect and behavior of the stigmatized individual and the other group members. Additionally, I am able to study the developmental process of stigma because, in the particular theoretical case I consider, the stigmatized individual is initially unaware of the stigma. The findings indicate that stigma were created and did have an effect on individuals and groups. While the observable power and prestige effects were much more pronounced for measures of content versus measures of amount of interaction stigmatized groups were characterized by more disapproval, fewer agreements and more interruptions than were nonstigmatized groups. Further, those who were stigmatized had less influence than other group members. In terms of feelings, there was support for the hypotheses suggesting that stigmatized individuals rate both themselves and their groups more negatively than do nonstigmatized group members. Also, those who were not stigmatized rated the stigmatized person more negatively than others. While there were no significant differences between Stigmatized and Control groups relative to happiness or group cohesion and efficiency, those in the Control groups were more committed to their groups than were those in the Stigmatized groups. This study contributes to the large literature on stigma by examining one kind of stigma. It also contributes to several established literatures in social psychological theory. This study has implications for the power of the social construction of stigma and consequently for the power of social construction in the dismantling of stigma.

Drawing from the vast literature on stigmas, theories of status generalizations and affect, this study employs a formal framework to delineate among different kinds of stigmas and different processes by which they might operate. This study then considers the case of a particular type of stigma, a behavioral stigma, a label that is obtained from past behavior. The formalization distinguishes how knowledge of a particular type of stigma operates through group members who then cast an â otherâ into a stigmatized role with special attention to affect and behavior of the stigmatized individual and the other group members. Additionally, I am able to study the developmental process of stigma because, in the particular theoretical case I consider, the stigmatized individual is initially unaware of the stigma. The findings indicate that stigma were created and did have an effect on individuals and groups. While the observable power and prestige effects were much more pronounced for measures of content versus measures of amount of interaction stigmatized groups were characterized by more disapproval, fewer agreements and more interruptions than were nonstigmatized groups. Further, those who were stigmatized had less influence than other group members. In terms of feelings, there was support for the hypotheses suggesting that stigmatized individuals rate both themselves and their groups more negatively than do nonstigmatized group members. Also, those who were not stigmatized rated the stigmatized person more negatively than others. While there were no significant differences between Stigmatized and Control groups relative to happiness or group cohesion and efficiency, those in the Control groups were more committed to their groups than were those in the Stigmatized groups. This study contributes to the large literature on stigma by examining one kind of stigma. It also contributes to several established literatures in social psychological theory. This study has implications for the power of the social construction of stigma and consequently for the power of social construction in the dismantling of stigma.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 176-188). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.