The aim of this study was to validate the use of a virtual environment (VE) for psychological research. A study made by Maslow and Mintz (1956) in which they found that a room’s aesthetic affects how participants estimate pictures of people was replicated using a VE. A picture of a beautiful room and a picture of an ugly room were projected on an angled screen measuring 185 cm in height and 405 cm in width as to attempt to replicate the effect found in the original study. A total of 31 participants were tested in either the beautiful or the ugly environment. A t-test revealed no significant difference between the groups on the total score given on the pictures. However, a mixed-model ANOVA revealed several significant differences and interaction effects. The results of this study suggest that VE’s could be valid for psychological research, in particular environmental psychological experiments, but that more investigations are needed in order to understand this instrument better.

The diploma thesis investigates 24 Caprices for Solo Violin op. 1 by Nicolo Paganini in great detail. It also includes a brief biography of the famous performer and composer but mainly focuses on 24 caprices op. 1. The author of this work addresses circumstances of their creation, their main features and methodology problems. He further looks into interpretation options and compares recordings of Ruggiero Ricci, Ivan Kawaciuk, Itzhak Perlman and Shlomo Mintz. The aim of the work is to offer violinists who study any of the capricies recommendation regarding technic and interpretation problems.