Previous work on conveyed musical emotion has often focused on experimentally composed and manipulated music, or multi-lined music selected to express overt emotions. This highly controlled approach may overlook some aspects of the complex relationship between composers, performers, and listeners in transmitting emotional messages. My PhD research focuses on how listeners perceive emotion in music, specifically, how listeners interpret musical features such as timing, mode and pitch in complex musical stimuli. I also demonstrate how listeners with musical expertise use cues differently to perceive emotion and the effect of performer interpretation on this communication process. Throughout this dissertation I use a dimensional approach capturing perceived valence and arousal to assess complex musical stimuli. I adapted a technique used in other domains to music, affording an opportunity to explore nuanced relationships between cues and listener ratings of emotion. In Chapter 1 I show that musically untrained adults mainly use cues of timing and mode when rating emotional valence, mirroring previously reported. Additionally, I show that although pitch information emerges as a significant predictor of listener’s valence ratings, listeners use it less than cues such as timing and mode. Further, I demonstrate that neither mode nor pitch information help listeners rate perceived arousal. Finally, in Chapter 4, I show differences in performer interpretation mediate the strength of individual cues, as well as the distribution of emotional ratings across each album. In Chapter 3, I demonstrate that listeners with musical training use cues differently than untrained listeners, with more reliance on information communicated through mode when making judgements of emotional valence. Altogether these findings corroborate previous evidence suggesting timing and mode cues are of the greatest importance in conveying /perceiving emotion, this process is further mediated by individual differences in both pianist (interpretation) and listener (musical training)—underscoring the complex relationship between composer, performer, and audience. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Musical performers and composers express emotions through the selection and use of various musical features, or cues. Studies exploring how listeners perceive emotion in music have identified several cues important to this process—often using tightly controlled (and constrained) tone sequences crafted for experimental purposes. More work is needed to examine how listeners decode communicated emotion in unaltered passages created by renowned composers—the kind of music routinely performed and enjoyed by audiences for generations. Here in three sets of experiments I apply a novel stimulus set and analysis to determine the relative importance of three musical features. Additionally, I explore the role of the listener’s level of expertise as well as the importance of performers’ interpretative decisions. My work offers a new way to understand the relationship between musical features and emotional messages, helping to clarify one of music’s most mysterious and powerful capabilities.

During and following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident in 2010, concerns about air and seafood quality were paramount. Though individual perceptions varied, many people in coastal communities in southeast Louisiana felt they had been exposed to oil- and dispersant-related compounds. We hypothesized that implementation of a Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) project would promote a more transparent and mutually beneficial relationship between researchers and the community. We conducted both in-home and community-based assessments (n=198) in culturally diverse populations most impacted by the DWH event, including the Vietnamese in New Orleans East and the residents of the Bayou communities. Levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paired indoor/outdoor air samples and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seafood samples were determined with chemical analysis. Data were collected from multiple self-administered surveys regarding environmental awareness and impact of the DWH event, access to, and trusted sources of, information, perceptions about safety, and selected behavioral and socio-demographic variables. In an effort to enhance public understanding of the interconnectedness of their health with the Gulf ecosystem, we disseminated the information directly to the participants as well as the larger communities at risk. Through post-dissemination follow-up surveys, we explored the effectiveness of our environmental CBPR research strategy with our primary goals being to improve risk communication and promote informed decision-making among our coastal populations. / Jessi Howard

In the West African country Ghana, which has a history of poor natural resource management, discovery of offshore petroleum resources in 2007 and subsequent commercial production in 2010 (with British multinational Tullow Oil as lead operator) is a potential source of potential wealth and inequality. Using the Cultural Theory of Risk, Social Amplification of Risk Framework, and the Corporate Sustainability Framework — a proposed model—as theoretical foundations, this dissertation examines corporate sustainability practices, communication, and their implications for local residents’ risk perceptions, corporate reputation, and risk management. The study also assesses how cultural worldviews and informational networks (e.g., an environmental group, opinion leaders, and media) amplify or attenuate residents’ risks perceptions. Data were collected via interviews with key actors including a non-governmental organization (NGO), a survey of a representative sample of Half Assini residents in one of the six coastal districts that adjoin Ghana’s offshore petroleum region, and analyses of Tullow’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and other communication texts. Extant worldview and corporate reputation measures were also developed/adapted and tested. The study finds support for the view that cultural worldview and affect are associated with public risk perceptions. Thus, individuals who (a) do not subscribe to the worldview that government ought to regulate corporate behaviors, (b) show a relatively high sense of attachment to their communities, (c) rate the images associated with Ghana’s offshore oil production favorably, and (d) rate the images associated with Tullow Oil positively are more likely to be worried that Ghana’s offshore oil production poses significant risks for the country and their local communities. Regarding corporate sustainability communication, the study observes that Tullow uses a predominantly technical, expert-driven approach, which seeks to discursively position it as an aspirational, engaged, and responsible organization. While critiquing Tullow’s corporate sustainability and communication approach, the research also argues that corporate sustainability (CSR and risk) communication has the potential to constitute desirable corporate practices and could ultimately culminate in meaningful social change. Theoretical contributions to risk perception, risk management/communication, corporate reputation, and CSR communication are discussed. Practical implications for advocacy, corporate practices, and public participation in environmental decision-making are discussed.

This diploma thesis deals with the communication mix of Garnier, one of the most famous global brands of the cosmetic company L'Oréal. The goals are to analyze brand's communication , especially TV advertisments and their effects. The main goal is to find out more about consumer perception of the ads and brand as such. The thesis also contains my own marketing research on the main topics mensioned above, which basically means revealing the communication effects of the TV ads.

OF THE THESIS The topic of this thesis is to study the cognitive processes (especially perception, imagination and thinking) of blind pupils through experiments with geometric objects. Tools of the experiment are four tasks (two for one pupil, two for a pair of pupils) that are recorded, transcribed into written protocols and analysed. An overview of the involved cognitive functions or naming of missing cognitive functions has been complied on basis of the specialised literature as a theoretical solution of analysis. Findings of psychology of mathematics didactic were other important theoretical starting points. The ones which are devoted to the tactile perception (of geometrical objects), stages of Piaget operation developments, cognitive mechanisms in mathematics and importance of communication in mathematics or geometry teaching are involved in the theses. Analysis of the experiments involves observations of the tactile perception, imaginations, thinking, cognitive processes, speech and communication, and other occurrences essential for specific tasks.

Effective communication between automated vehicles (AVs) and human road users (HRU) in mixed traffic is essential for ensuring safety, trust and acceptance. However, existing research on external Human-Machine Interfaces (eHMI) for AVs often overlooks design factors and their interconnections, leading to suboptimal designs. This article presents a comprehensive framework of Human-Machine Interaction in mixed traffic, integrating different relevant stakeholders, influencing factors, and relationships. By visualizing the interactions during communication and with the surrounding environment, the framework serves as a valuable tool for research and development of eHMI, maintaining a comprehensive perspective. Key challenges include determining optimal design features, such as message transmission methods and integration into the vehicle exterior design, and considering diverse human factors, such as age, culture, and cognitive abilities. By addressing these challenges, future eHMI designs can enhance user acceptance and trust in AVs, contributing to safer and more efficient mixed traffic environments. Further research will delve into the detailed examination of design factors and the interaction between interior and exterior vehicle interfaces.