In order to better manage progress toward improved human welfare, governments and organizations around the world have begun to report on more comprehensive indicators of environmental, social, and economic conditions. The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) has proven useful as a measure of economic welfare by incorporating changes in environmental conditions, resource stocks, social capital, income distribution, and other non-marketed economic activity. Studies at the local scale have also found the GPI to be an effective tool for informing debate and stimulating questions about the nature of the economic development process. In this study, the GPI methodology is applied to Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Maryland in order to explore how sustainable economic welfare in the Baltimore region has changed from 1950-2005. A comparison among per capita GPI trends in four US cities shows Baltimore to have the highest average annual growth rate over the study period. Comparisons are made between per capita GPI and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the most widely recognized measure of national economic performance. Analysis of the trends at all three scales show that GDP growth does not correlate well with changes in welfare as measure by GPI. This implies that Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Maryland could be in a period of uneconomic growth, when the social and environmental costs of further economic growth outweigh the benefits of such growth. However, the underlying methods used in sub-national applications of the GPI inevitably lead toward certain results, giving rise to an indicator framework that favors particular policy and development outcomes. This situation is defined as indicator bias. Since indicator bias can inadvertently lead society toward undesirable conditions, key assumptions that contribute to indicator bias in the GPI are tested for how they influence the final GPI results. The costs of crime, long-term environmental damage, and depletion of non-renewable natural resources categories are explored in more depth. GPI is found to be an imperfect measure of true progress, but it is believed to be an improvement over GDP for guiding modern society towards a more sustainable and desirable future. More work is needed to incorporate uncertainty, fine-tune the underlying GPI methodology, and build broad consensus about how to measure economic performance and social progress. By providing information about social, ecological, and economic conditions of the region, though, the Baltimore GPI does inform citizens and decision-makers about a wide range of impacts resulting from the modern ‘GDP growth’ paradigm

This thesis describes a program of research that investigated the sensitivity of healthy young adults, healthy older adults and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to happiness, sadness and fear emotion specified in facial expressions. In particular, the research investigated the sensitivity of these individuals to the distinctions between spontaneous expressions of emotional experience (genuine expressions) and deliberate, simulated expressions of emotional experience (posed expressions). The specific focus was to examine whether aging and/or AD effects sensitivity to the target emotions. Emotion-categorization and priming tasks were completed by all participants. The tasks employed an original set of cologically valid facial displays generated specifically for the present research. The categorization task (Experiments 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) required participants to judge whether targets were, or were not showing and feeling each target emotion. The results showed that all 3 groups identified a genuine expression as both showing and feeling the target emotion whilst a posed expression was identified more frequently as showing than feeling the emotion. Signal detection analysis demonstrated that all 3 groups were sensitive to the expression of emotion, reliably differentiating expressions of experienced emotion (genuine expression) from expressions unrelated to emotional experience (posed and neutral expressions). In addition, both healthy young and older adults could reliably differentiate between posed and genuine expressions of happiness and sadness, whereas, individuals with AD could not. Sensitivity to emotion specified in facial expressions was found to be emotion specific and to be independent of both the level of general cognitive functioning and of specific cognitive functions. The priming task (Experiments 1b, 2b, 3b,4b) employed the facial expressions as primes in a word valence task in order to investigate spontaneous attention to facial expression. Healthy young adults only showed an emotion-congruency priming effect for genuine expressions. Healthy older adults and individuals with AD showed no priming effects. Results are discussed in terms of the understanding of the recognition of emotional states in others and the impact of aging and AD on the recognition of emotional states. Consideration is given to how these findings might influence the care and management of individuals with AD.

Through evaluating Hilary Bok’s argument from her essay Freedom and Practical Reason, I hope to shed light on the overall question of whether we can have free will if determinism is true. In the first two chapters I will fully explain and break down Bok’s argument for genuine epistemic alternatives. In chapter three I will evaluate the success of Bok’s arguments. Specifically, I will offer a variety of intuitive examples to show that epistemic unpredictability is not enough to make our alternatives genuine. I will then use more examples to consider the relative importance of unpredictability and endorsement to free will.

This thesis describes a program of research that investigated the sensitivity of healthy young adults, healthy older adults and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to happiness, sadness and fear emotion specified in facial expressions. In particular, the research investigated the sensitivity of these individuals to the distinctions between spontaneous expressions of emotional experience (genuine expressions) and deliberate, simulated expressions of emotional experience (posed expressions). The specific focus was to examine whether aging and/or AD effects sensitivity to the target emotions. Emotion-categorization and priming tasks were completed by all participants. The tasks employed an original set of cologically valid facial displays generated specifically for the present research. The categorization task (Experiments 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) required participants to judge whether targets were, or were not showing and feeling each target emotion. The results showed that all 3 groups identified a genuine expression as both showing and feeling the target emotion whilst a posed expression was identified more frequently as showing than feeling the emotion. Signal detection analysis demonstrated that all 3 groups were sensitive to the expression of emotion, reliably differentiating expressions of experienced emotion (genuine expression) from expressions unrelated to emotional experience (posed and neutral expressions). In addition, both healthy young and older adults could reliably differentiate between posed and genuine expressions of happiness and sadness, whereas, individuals with AD could not. Sensitivity to emotion specified in facial expressions was found to be emotion specific and to be independent of both the level of general cognitive functioning and of specific cognitive functions. The priming task (Experiments 1b, 2b, 3b,4b) employed the facial expressions as primes in a word valence task in order to investigate spontaneous attention to facial expression. Healthy young adults only showed an emotion-congruency priming effect for genuine expressions. Healthy older adults and individuals with AD showed no priming effects. Results are discussed in terms of the understanding of the recognition of emotional states in others and the impact of aging and AD on the recognition of emotional states. Consideration is given to how these findings might influence the care and management of individuals with AD.

Yes / Understanding the detailed differences between posed and spontaneous smiles is an important topic with a range of applications such as in human-computer interaction, automatic facial emotion analysis and in awareness systems. During the past decade or so, there have been very promising solutions for accurate automatic recognition and detailed facial emotion analysis. To this end, many methods and techniques have been proposed for distinguishing between spontaneous and posed smiles. Our aim here is to go beyond the present state of the art in this field. Hence, in this work, we are concerned with understanding the exact distribution of a smile – both spontaneous and posed – across the face. To do this, we utilise a lightweight computational framework which we have developed to analyse the dynamics of human facial expressions. We utilise this framework to undertake a detailed study of the smile expression. Based on computing the optical flow across the face – especially across key parts of the face such as the mouth, the cheeks and around the eyes – we are able to accurately map the dynamic weight distribution of the smile expression. To validate our computational model, we utilise two publicly available datasets, namely the CK + dataset in which the subjects express posed smiles and the MUG dataset in which the subjects express genuine smiles. Our results not only confirm what already exists in the literature – i.e. that the spontaneous genuine smile is truly in the eyes – but it also gives further insight into the exact distribution of the smile across the face.

No / This chapter presents an application of computational smile analysis framework discussed earlier. Here we discuss how one could utilise a computational algorithm to distinguish between genuine and posed smiles. We utilise aspects of the computational framework discussed in Chap. 2 to process and analyse the smile expression looking for clues to determine the genuineness of it. Equally, we discuss how the exact distribution of a smile across the face, especially the distinction in the weight distribution between a genuine and a posed smile can be achieved.

The value of improv training extends beyond the stage. Improv has been successfully utilized and applied in a variety of ways in the workplace, school, and community. This study examines the connection between genuine dialogue and improv to determine if improv exhibits dialogic qualities. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of nineteen improv students. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the director of a hospital's Innovation Lab where improv is used in an organizational setting. The conditions for dialogue set by Gordon (2006) served as a guideline for analyzing data. Thematic analysis generated categories used to analyze data. The most prominent of Gordon's conditions for dialogue within improv were Imagination & Innovation, Vulnerability and Immediacy of Presence. The importance of this study, implications and future studies for the connection between improv and dialogue are examined.

This thesis that is supported by the research findings is as follows: In private law contact disputes between parents, greater weight should be attached to the statutory requirement to give children an opportunity to express their views, as well as to the statutory requirement to protect them from abuse, rather than assuming on-going contact with a both parents is essential for the promotion of a child’s welfare. Despite the acquisition of rights by women and children since the late 19th century, it is argued, they remain disempowered within private law legal process as the patria potestas (paternal power) once held by married fathers, has evolved into this assumption that a child’s welfare requires direct, regular contact with his or her biological father – whether the child wants this or not. Consequently, where children’s views are taken, but they express a view contrary to on-going contact with their biological father, their wishes are often overridden and they may be forced by the court into contact arrangements that distress them. This is particularly problematic as the majority of cases coming before the courts involve serious welfare concerns (including domestic violence and the abuse of substances) and children often have lucid reasons for not wishing to be left under the care and control of their non-resident parent. Yet, these children may sometimes be further victimised by the court system charged with their protection.

Aim The overall aim of this thesis is to create knowledge about caring and learning as an intertwining phenomenon at a Dedicated Education Unit and how it can be developed. Approach and method A lifeworld approach, based on the phenomenological philosophies foremost derived from Husserl and Merleau-Ponty was used and carried out in lifeworld interviews and with meaning-oriented analysis in accordance with reflective lifeworld research. The participants were: 13 student nurses (study I), 11 patients (study II), 8 supervisors (study III) all from the same DEU in orthopedic care and 10 managers from various DEUs (study IV). Main findings Intertwined caring and learning is most evident in genuine encounters between students and patients, supported by supervisors and managers. The intertwining is created in appealing challenges where students feel safe and ready. In the encounter with the patient they gain a sense of the whole where they can find their personal style. Patients, who feel invited to participate, could describe the encounter with students as genuine and a new dimension in nursing care. These encounters are characterized by closeness, thoroughness, accessibility, acknowledgement and sensitivity. When the encounter is less genuine, supervisors constitute an essential support for stabilizing the care.  Supervisors constantly move in order to either stay close to or stand back, adjusting to the students’ and patients’ needs. Their demanding task as reflective supervisors requires pauses in order to maintain motivation. The managers’ daily struggle in a stressful and challenging reality is influenced by them either having or taking responsibility. Differences in approaches are shown in terms of more or less involvement and commitment in caring environment and educational issues.  Conclusions Genuine encounters are characterized by the core of both caring and learning and will thereby benefit both the students and the patients. Identifying and supporting genuine encounters is necessary for students, supervisors and managers. It is time to find ways to develop a unified view of how caring and learning can be intertwined.

The use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the primary measure of economic progress has arguably led to unintended consequences of environmental degradation and socially skewed outcomes. The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) was designed to reveal the trade offs associated with conventional economic growth and to assess the broader impact of economic benefits and costs on sustainable human welfare. Although originally designed for use at the national scale, an interest has developed in the United States in a state-level uptake of the GPI to inform and guide policy. However, questions exist about the quality and legitimacy of the GPI as a composite indicator. These questions include concerns about the underlying assumptions, the monetary weights and variables used, statistical rigor, magnitude of data collection required, and lack of a transparent governance mechanism for the metric. This study aims to address these issues and explore the GPI through a design-thinking lens as both a design artifact and intervention. The leading paper in this dissertation offers the first GPI accounting for all 50 U.S. states. State GPI results are introduced and compared to Gross State Product (GSP). Then an analysis of the components to GPI reveals which drive the differences in outcomes, including examining the sustainability aspects of the state-level results. The second paper investigates the quality of the GPI as a composite indicator by testing its sensitivity to numerical assumptions and relative magnitudes of components, with particular attention to the possible unintended policy consequences of the design. The third paper seeks to answer the question of both efficiency (data parsimony) and effectiveness (comparatively to other indicators) by analysis of correlations between GPI components and with other state-level indicators such as the Gallup Well-Being Indicator, Ecological Footprint, and UN Human Development Index. To garner insight about possible GPI improvements, goals, and governance gaps in the informal U.S GPI network, the final paper dives into processes, outputs, and outcomes from the community of practice as revealed through a facilitated U.S. GPI workshop.