Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 60--62).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 69 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 32-36).

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Mind-Mapping ist eine effiziente und universelle Kreativitätstechnik, die es ermöglicht, in einer Gruppe ein komplexes Thema aufzuschlüsseln. Dabei wird eine Assoziation verschiedener Schlüsselwörter, Notizen und Grafiken zu einem zentralen Begriff vorgenommen und dadurch eine Möglichkeit zur schrittweisen kompakten Visualisierung eines Themengebietes geschaffen. Große interaktive Display Walls erlauben durch ihre Fläche und ihre interaktiven Möglichkeiten das kollaborative Erstellen von Mind-Maps, so dass jeder Nutzer individuell Teile kreieren und der gemeinsamen Mind-Map beifügen kann. In dieser Ausarbeitung werden geeignete Interaktionskonzepte zur Erstellung von Mind-Maps an interaktiven Display Walls vorgestellt. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf den Möglichkeiten der Erkennung der Nutzerposition vor der Display Wall, um jedem Benutzer eine persönliche Linse und damit Zugriff auf persönliche Werkzeuge zu ermöglichen, sowie der Interaktion mittels Stift und Touch zum Zwecke der Erstellung und Platzierung von Mind-Map Elementen. Dafür werden zunächst verwandte Arbeiten aus den Bereichen: Mind-Maps, Kollaboration und Interaktion mit interaktiven Display Walls und Magische Linsen analysiert. Basierend auf einem Grundverständnis dieser drei Domänen wurden Konzepte zur kollaborativen Erstellung von Mind-Maps an interaktiven Display Walls mit persönlichen Linsen präsentiert. Ausgewählte Konzepte wurden dabei in einer prototypischen Implementierung umgesetzt und boten erste aussichtsreiche Einblicke, wie das Mind-Mapping der Zukunft erfolgen könnte. Dabei wurde insbesondere der Nutzen einer persönlichen Linse, als individuelle Visualisierungs- und Interaktions-Schnittstelle erkannt. / Mind-mapping is an effective and universal creativity technique, which allows to break down complex topics in a group activity. Therefore keywords, notes or images are being associated to a superordinate topic, in order to gradually create a compact visualization of a topic. Large interactive display walls allow the collaborative creation of mind-maps due to their size and options for interaction so that the users can individually create parts and integrate them into the collective mind-map. As part of this thesis, suitable concepts for the creation of mind-maps on interactive display walls are being presented. In this context, the emphasis is lying on the possibilities of using the position of the user in front the display wall, in order to offer every user a personal lens and thus access to personal tools, as well as the interaction with pen and touch in order to create and move mind-map-elements. Therefore related work of the topic areas: mind-maps, collaboration and interaction at interactive display walls and Magic Lenses will be analysed at first. Based on a fundamental understanding of these three domains, concepts for the collaborative creation of mind-maps on interactive display walls using personal lenses are being presented. Selected concepts were prototypically implemented and offered first promising insights on how the mind-mapping of the future could be done. In the process the particular benefit of a personal lens as an individual visualization- and interaction-interface has been recognized.

Depression is a highly debilitating illness for which there is currently sub-optimal treatment outcomes. Anhedonia (a loss of interest and pleasure) is a core symptom of depression that predicts poorer illness course and is currently not well repaired in psychological treatments. Acute and relapse prevention outcomes may be improved by clarifying which psychological mechanisms cause and maintain anhedonia, so that mechanisms can be systematically targeted in therapy. Mind wandering (a shift in contents of thoughts away from an ongoing task and/or events in the external environment to self-generated thoughts and feelings) has previously been linked to lower levels of happiness in the general population (e.g., Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010). However, it has yet to be established if mind wandering relates to reduced positive affect in the context of depression. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to further explore the role of mind wandering in driving anhedonic symptoms. This thesis employed different research designs in order to establish if mind wandering is a causal mechanism driving anhedonia. Studies used a triangulation of measures to first establish correlational support (e.g. using self-report questionnaire measures, laboratory and real life positive mood inductions). Following this, studies aimed to examine if a causal relationship between mind wandering and positive affect exists by manipulating levels of mind wandering in the laboratory, real-world settings and using an empirically tested clinical intervention (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy; MBCT). Using self-report measures of mindfulness and anhedonic symptoms, studies 1a and 1b found that the acting with awareness facet of mindfulness (a measure of trait mind wandering) was uniquely related to anhedonic depression symptoms in both a large community (n=440) and treatment-seeking previously depressed sample (n=409). These unique relationships remained significant when controlling for other facets of mindfulness and general depression symptoms. Study 2 (n=70) examined the relationship between mind wandering and reduced positive affect in both controlled laboratory and real world environments. Levels of mind wandering were found to be unrelated to emotional reactivity to positive laboratory mood induction tasks, but greater levels of mind wandering were significantly correlated with reduced happiness and increased sadness change to real world positive events. Next, two experimental studies were conducted on unselected samples which attempted to manipulate levels of mind wandering to observe the effect on emotional reactivity. In study 3 (n=90), a brief mindfulness manipulation of mind wandering proved unsuccessful, so it was not possible to determine how altering mind wandering impacted on positive reactivity. Analysis during the pre-manipulation mood induction revealed a significant correlation between greater spontaneous levels of mind wandering and lower self-reported happiness reactivity. In study 4 (n=95), participants followed audio prompts delivered via a smartphone application to manipulate mind wandering whilst completing everyday positive activities. This manipulation was successful but results revealed no significant condition differences in positive or negative emotional reactivity. Analysis during the pre-manipulation positive activity revealed greater mind wandering was trend correlated with reduced change in positive affect. A final empirical study (study 5; n=102) was designed to investigate the mediating role of mind wandering on the effect of MBCT on change in positive emotional experience. Recovered depressed participants undertaking MBCT were compared to recovered depressed participants in a no-intervention control group. Correlational analysis pre-intervention revealed no support for an association between mind wandering and positive reactivity to the mood induction tasks but mind wandering measured during everyday life (using experience sampling methodology; ESM) did relate to lower positive affect and higher negative affect. Participants in the MBCT group demonstrated a reduction in trait and ESM mind wandering, relative to participants in the control group. Furthermore, participants in the MBCT group demonstrated a significant decrease in anhedonic symptoms and increase in daily levels of positive affect. Change in trait mind wandering was found to mediate changes in self-reported anhedonic symptoms when controlling for change in other mindfulness facets, however change in ESM mind wandering did not mediate change in daily positive affect. MBCT also had no impact on emotional reactivity to positive mood induction tasks. Overall the findings from this thesis provide correlational support for the link between mind wandering and reduced positive affect in different testing environments. However, evidence of a causal relationship is currently limited. Consequently, a key recommendation from this thesis is to redirect attention to other driving mechanisms as targeting mind wandering in the treatment of anhedonic clients is unlikely to lead to large improvements. The theoretical, methodological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

In this thesis I address certain key issues in contemporary philosophy of mind and psychology via a study of Jerry Fodor's hugely important contributions to the discussion of those issues. The issues in question are: (i) the nature of scientific psychology; (ii) the individuation of psychological states for the purposes of scientific psychological explanation; and (iii) the project of naturalising mental content. I criticise many of Fodor's most significant and provocative claims but from within a framework of shared assumptions. I attempt to motivate and justify many of these shared assumptions. Chapter 1 constitutes an overview of the key themes in Fodor's philosophy of mind. In Chapter 2 an account of scientific psychology within the orthodox computationalist tradition is developed according to which that discipline is concerned with explaining intentionally characterised cognitive capacities. Such explanations attribute both semantic and syntactic properties to subpersonal representational states and processes. In Chapters 3 and 5 Fodor's various arguments for the conclusion that scientific psychology does (or should) individuate psychological states individualistically are criticised. I argue that there are pragmatic reasons why scientific psychology should sometimes attribute contents that are not locally supervenient. In Chapter 4 I consider Marr's theory of vision and conclude that the contents that Marr attributes to the states of the visual module are locally supervenient. Inconsistency is avoided by stressing the continuity of scientific psychological content with folk psychological content. In Chapter 6 I develop an account of the project of naturalising mental content that vindicates that project. In Chapter 7 I address the question of whether Fodor's theory of content constitutes a successful engagement in that project. I argue for a negative answer before drawing some morals as to how we should proceed in the light of the failure of Fodor's theory.

This thesis records an investigation of the issues that affect the utility of computer-based mapping applications - where a computer-based mapping application provides a computer-generated environment to facilitate the construction of concept maps. 'Concept map' is a term used to describe a graphical representation, the purpose of which is to informally express ideas and the associations between ideas, whilst facilitating the generation and sorting of ideas. The work reported is the first of its kind to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the different media with which concept maps can be constructed. The work is exploratory, combining investigation with software development. A brief overview of the content of the work completed is as follows: • The literature relating to concept mapping was reviewed to identify the likely needs of those engaged in mapping activities. • A significant sample of people was surveyed in order to ascertain the perceived needs of those engaged in mapping. • The software currently available to draw maps was surveyed in order to assess the utility of computer-based mapping applications, with respect to the perceived needs of mappers. • A prototype computer-based mapping application was developed to act as a focus for mappers' comments. • As a result of feedback from users of the prototype computer-based mapping application, it was discovered that the main way in which people create maps is to generate and sort a few ideas at a time. • The prototype software was further developed, as a result of feedback from mappers, . and in its final form has been made available in the public domain. • A glossary of terms was developed, by which the designers and users of computer-based mapping applications can assess the utility of any given piece of software, in the light of the tasks mappers wish to achieve.

This thesis centers on the question of how the representation of buildings opens up possibilities for investigating Can Xue's fiction as literature with universal concern about humanity. It explores the significance of Can Xue's employment of buildings in her works from three aspects. The first aspect regards buildings as the reflection of the structure of the soul. The second aspect situates buildings in their relationship with residents and explores the connection between the buildings/residents relationship and that of body and soul. The last aspect sees buildings as the microcosmic projection of Can Xue's fictional space. This study places textual constitution at the center of investigation through the approach of close textual analysis. It marks an attempt to reconsider the method of literary investigation in the field of modern Chinese literature which has been dominated by cultural and historical approaches.

The present set of experiments investigated three potential means of regulating mind-wandering and sustained attention: goals, feedback, and incentives. The experiments drew up goal-setting theory from industrial/organizational psychology, theories of vigilance and sustained attention, and recent experimental work examining mind-wandering and sustained attention. Experiment 1 investigated the role of goal-difficulty and goal-specificity. Providing a difficult goal for participants only improved sustained attention compared to a condition with no specific goal. Experiment 2 investigated the role of feedback in isolation and in combination with goals. Feedback improved sustained attention and reduced mind-wandering, but it did so regardless of whether or not the feedback was tied to a specific goal. Experiment 3 investigated how two different incentives – money and early release from the experiment – affected sustained attention and mind-wandering. The incentives had no effect on task performance, but participants in the early release condition reported being more motivated, more alert, and mind-wandered less throughout the task. I discuss the results of the experiments in light of predictions made by goal-setting theory as well as theories of vigilance and sustained attention.

abstract: Understanding sources of knowledge (e.g., seeing leads to knowing) is an important ability in young children’s theory of mind development. The research presented here measured if children were better at reporting their own versus another person’s knowledge states, which would indicate the presence of introspection. Children had to report when the person (self or other) had knowledge or ignorance after looking into one box and not looking into another box. In Study 1 (N = 66), 3- and 4-year-olds found the other-version of the task harder than the self-version whereas 5-year-olds performed near ceiling on both versions. This effect replicated in Study 2 (N = 43), which included familiarization trials to make sure children understood the question format. This finding is in support of the presence of introspection in preschool-aged children. In the same studies, children also showed evidence for theorizing about their own and others knowledge states in a guessing task (Study 1) and in true and false belief tasks (Study 2). These findings together indicate both introspection and theorizing are present during young children's theory of mind development. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2015