This study compared the differential influence of reframing, self-control, and neutral counselor interventions on high and low trait-anxious subjects' self -descriptions as measured by the Adjective Check List. Reframing was predicted to be superior to self-control and neutral interventions in eliciting more favorable self-descriptions. An interaction was also predicted between counselor intervention and trait anxiety such that, in the reframing condition, low trait-anxious subjects would describe themselves more positively than high trait-anxious subjects.

Traditional economic theory assumes that individuals are self-interested. They only care about their own well-being and disregard the impact of their actions on the others. However, the assumption of selfish individuals is unable to explain a number of important phenomena and puzzles. Individuals frequently engage in actions that are costly to themselves with no<p>apparent reward. Behavioural economics provides plausible explanations for these actions.<p>Individuals can be “boundedly rational" (Simon, 1955, and Kahneman et al. 1982) and/or can be driven by altruistic, equity and reciprocity considerations (see for an overview Fehr<p>and Schmidt, 2006). Over the past decade, researchers have applied behavioural economics<p>models to the study of organisations and how contracts should be designed in the presence<p>of non-standard preferences and asymmetric information or incomplete contracts (see for<p>an overview of the literature Köszegi, 2014).<p>In my current research, I try to be at the forefront of these new behavioural economics<p>applications into traditional industrial organisation and contract theory themes. The usual prescriptions of standard models can be misleading if potential differences in the agents' preferences are overlooked. Behavioural economics can make great progress if it takes into proper accountmarket and organisational features. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The influence of cognitive organization, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive "subtype" on the perceptions of negative life events is explored. BDI scores are used to delineate symptomatic and non-symptomatic groups. Construct content (sociotropic versus autonomous, as first defined by Beck) is used to identify predominant schema-type. Subjects completed a Problematic Situations Questionnaire with Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale. Results indicate that depressed individuals display more dysfunctional attitudes and negative affect in all types of negative situations; further the endorsement of dysfunctional attitudes is significantly more likely to occur in the context of schema-congruent situations. Findings are discussed a) in terms of the utility of personal constructs in the assessment of schema-type and b) in accordance with a person-event interactional model of depression.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Communication Management / MPhil / Unrestricted

L’estimation du Nombre Minimum d’Individus (NMI) constitue une étape essentielle de l’étude des ensembles osseux, à la fois en contexte funéraire et médico-légal. En anthropologie funéraire, cette estimation va permettre d’affiner les profils paléodémographiques mais aussi de proposer de meilleures hypothèses quant à la gestion et l’utilisation de l’espace funéraire, tandis qu’en anthropologie médico-légale, elle revêt un intérêt majeur en vue de l’identification des victimes et des implications judiciaires qui en résultent.Les méthodes actuellement connues permettant d’estimer le NMI possèdent certaines limites dépendantes de la subjectivité des critères utilisés. Considérant ces limites, nous proposons une nouvelle méthode mise en place via une approche biométrique basée sur le principe de l’allométrie. A partir d’une sélection de 136 mesures ostéométriques, nous avons calculé les paramètres de 18360 équations de régressions linéaires permettant d’obtenir la prédiction d’une mesure biométrique à partir d’une autre ainsi que les bornes de l’intervalle de prédiction individuelle à 99% associé.Nous avons élaboré un outil informatique de tests itératifs permettant d’obtenir, à partir de l’exclusion très hautement probable d’appartenance des os à un même individu, une estimation du NMI.Les résultats du NMI par exclusions obtenus dans diverses applications montrent que ce NMI se révèle être particulièrement performant dans de nombreux cas.Au final, nous proposons une nouvelle méthode, objective et fiable, d’estimation du Nombre Minimum d’Individus - le NMI par exclusions - pouvant être utilisée aussi bien en contexte funéraire que dans un cadre médico-légal. / Estimation of the Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) constitutes an essential stage of the study of commingled remains, both in physical and forensic anthropology. In physical anthropology, this estimation allow to improve paleodemographic profiles but also to propose better hypotheses as for the management and the use of the funeral space, whereas in forensic anthropology, it takes a major interest in identification procedures of victims and in the judicial involvement which result from it.Nowadays used methods estimating the MNI possess certain limits dependent on the subjectivity of the used criteria. Considering these limits, we propose a new method organized through a biometric approach based on the allometric principle. From a selection of 136 osteometric measures, we calculated the parameters of 18360 equations of linear regressions allowing us to obtain the prediction of a biometric measure from another one as well as the borders of the interval of individual prediction at 99 %.We elaborated a computer tool of iterative tests allowing to obtain, from the very highly likely exclusion from membership of bones in the same individual, an estimation of the MNI.The results of the MNI by exclusions obtained in different applications show that this NMI is particularly successful in numerous cases.In the final, we propose a new method, objective and reliable, of estimation of the Minimum Number of Individuals - the MNI by exclusions - useful as well in archaeological and forensic context.

Why do ordinary individuals participate in mass violence perpetrated against civilians? That is the question I will attempt to answer in the following paper. I consider these men ordinary to the extent that the majority was not socially deviant. Looking at the case of Nazi Germany, two groups stand out as good case studies: the SS Einsatzgruppen and the SS cadres in the Death camps. The following analysis will focus on the motivations of these men to commit mass murder. I argue for a causal sequence of action, beginning with the onset of Nazi ideology, further followed by the dehumanization of the victim and the brutalization of the perpetrator. I will demonstrate how the ideology present during German interwar society influenced these men into participation. Dehumanization and brutalization are complimentary factors that push these men into action.

The main aim of this thesis is to analyze the approaches of identification of individuals in the Czech Republic. The next part of the thesis are the characteristics of personal data protection in the Czech Republic, an overview of legislative changes in the identification of individuals and in particular the analysis of the Regulation No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Based on the characteristics of the legislation identification in the Czech Republic , the analysis of the above mentioned Regulation and compared with the identification systems that are in place in other European Union states and several other countries around the world , is created draft a universal identifier for the Czech Republic as a vision of the future with specific recommended elements and their reasoning . The main contribution of this work is the analysis of legislation in the Czech Republic and its changes following the adoption of new EU legislation, as well as the inclusion of the new legislation in a model for the identification of individuals in the Czech Republic.

This thesis presents an overview of the cornerstones of the Czech private banking. Describes private banks according to various criteria, their approach to the client workload, an importance of private banker position, expectations and needs of the client in the context of marketing and Public relations, selected premium products and services and overlooks the private banking sector in the future.

The relationships between work and personal life have been on the public, business, and research agenda for about 35 years. Perspectives on these relationships have shifted from a work-family to work-life or work-personal life focus, from a conflict to a balance or enrichment view and, finally, from a segmentation to an integration perspective. This evolution, however, leads to a theoretical and practical impasse where neither integration nor segmentation can be seen as the absolute individual, organisational and societal value. This thesis takes the discussion one step further and focuses on individuals’ work/non-work experiences, calling for a humanistic case. The humanistic case urges placing individuals’ work/non-work experiences at the centre of human resources and at the centre of the work-life field. The aim of the thesis is to theorise individuals’ work/non-work experiences in their individual, organisational and societal contexts. To achieve the purpose, the thesis presents individuals’ work/non-work self-narratives. These self-narratives of six French middle-managers, three men and three women, underline how individuals experience their diverse life domains, namely the work, the family, the social and the private and their management. The self-narratives have been generated through in-depth qualitative interviews and diaries. The thesis explores and provides an understanding of individuals’ work/non-work experiences from a boundary perspective. Focusing on the processes behind individuals’ work/non-work experiences, the thesis reveals that work/non-work preferences for integration and/or segmentation are not sufficient to understand individuals’ experiences. It is essential to consider the preferences in relation to their level of explicitness and the development of work/non-work self-identity. Moreover, it is important to understand the roles of positive and negative work/non-work emotions emerging in the work/non-work process as a respective signal of individuals’ satisfaction or dissatisfaction in how their life domains are developed and managed. The thesis contributes to the work-life field, especially the boundary perspective on work and non-work by presenting a model of individuals’ work/non-work experiences. The model pursued is derived from 33 theoretical propositions. The study suggests a two-dimensional approach for life domain boundaries as a systematic combination of seven boundary types (spatial, temporal, human, cognitive, behavioural, emotional and psychosomatic) and their mental and concrete natures. It suggests a three-dimensional model for work/non-work preferences, revealing five major archetypes of work/non-work preferences between segmentation and integration, and stressing the emotional side of the work/non-work process. It shows that individuals value segmentation on a daily basis and integration on a long-term. This thesis concludes that segmenting and integrating is essential for the harmony of their life domains namely their work, their family, their social and their private.

This study was undertaken to investigate the major reasons behind the use of informal financial services by middle and high-income individuals in South Africa with specific reference to rotational savings and credit associations, locally known as stokvels. The ultimate aim was to recommend ways in which banks and other formal financial institutions could aptly address the financial needs of these individuals. The study was conducted in Pretoria, which is situated in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The data for this research was mainly gathered through two focus group discussion techniques, namely: the discussion guide and product attribute raking (PRA). Two mini questionnaires were also used to collect personal information from the participants. The research revealed three major categories of high-budget stokvels namely: the generic,targeted saving and investment stokvels. The main users of these stokvels are black males and females with a monthly income of R11 500 or more. They are typically individuals of 31 to 49 years of age. They are highly educated individuals holders of qualifications equivalent to a university degree or higher. Further analysis of the participants in this sample revealed a tendency for the stokvels to be formed along gender, workplace/colleague and kinship lines. The study shows that in addition to social fulfilment, the major financial need satisfied by these stokvels is saving to accumulate a lump sum for a birthday party, holiday or consumer goods and to take advantage of investment opportunities. The study identified the following specific reasons behind the participation in highbudget stokvels; to take advantage of collective/forced saving, avoid financial charges, low returns on small amounts of individual savings in banks and social fulfilment. The findings highlight the formal financial institutions¡¦ lack of awareness for the need to profile, design appropriate products and delivery systems for the black middle and highincome clients in South Africa. The study also shows that banks do not really understand this clientele. The study findings necessitate profile targeting, achievable through ongoing and comprehensive research in the product and service requirements of this clientele. The suggested research will enable formal financial institutions to improve service provision, as well as to identify and design products for this clientele. The study calls for the following changes in formal financial institutions: <ul> <li>Increased investment in self-service banking</li> <li>Bank staff should be trained to sensitise them to the financial, social needs and expectations of this clientele</li> <li>In addition, banks should strive to accelerate the employment of staff fluent in several indigenous languages and increase use of indigenous languages in formal financial institutions</li> <li>Banks and formal financial institutions in general, should endeavour to design products and product delivery systems that address the social needs of clients.</li> <li>Increased investment in social responsibility and visibility of formal financial institutions in black townships.</li> </ul> Finally, the study recommends that if formal financial providers are to participate in this lucrative market, it is imperative that they emulate the principles on which informal financial institutions such as high-budget stokvels operate. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / M Inst Agrar / unrestricted