The purpose of this thesis is to empirically identify how pure-play fashion retailers can simulate attachment to their websites (through trust, loyalty and purchase intentions) by using different marketing communications media (static product presentation, moving product presentation, guidance and community) to overcome the intangible nature of the online sales environment.The word “simulating” in the title has been chosen due to the nature of the relationship which can exist between a consumer and a pure-play retailer. The word “simulate” means ‘imitate the appearance or character of’ and ‘pretend to have or feel (an emotion)’ (Google a, 2012). A computer facilitates the relationship between a consumer and the pure-play retailer and cannot feel; therefore the relationship cannot exist in a real way and only exists in the eyes of the consumer. Just as a simulator is used for pleasure rides, such as flights or rocket ships, the flight does not exist, but is simulated by a computer and a director who ensures the film starts simultaneously with motion. The same is true for the relationship between a pure-play retailer and a consumer, it is not real, and therefore it is appropriately “simulated”. Descriptive statistics set the scene for a following body of multivariate statistical analysis (EFA, CFA and SEM) using AMOS 16.0. 15 hypothesized relationships are tested after being generated from an extensive literature review. A sample of 688 female young fashion consumers from The University of Manchester participated in this study. There is clear variability in the build up of attachment when a consumer shops for products communicated via different marketing media. Different facets of attachment can be simulated by using static product presentation, moving product presentation and guidance. Community tools can be used to fuel product viewing in rich media and moving formats whilst acting as a discursive platform. Static product presentation has direct relationships with trust and purchase intention, whereas moving product presentations are related to building loyalty. Generalisation of results is limited due to the use of an exclusively female, student sample and the centrality on the UK fashion industry. Further development of the constructs used in this study is needed to further test the conceptual model. This study is one of the first to empirically study pure-play fashion retailing, providing insightful and pragmatic advice by identifying which communication mediums foster enduring relationships with young fashion consumers.

Fantasy play is when children explore and travel through time and space, to interpret experiences into stories and to act them out. Children love this kind of play and it is really important for developing skills which will be used later in life. Today, computers are increasingly present in children's lives, and the development of technology over recent decades has changed the way children play. This thesis explores the possibility of young children (aged 3-4) enacting their fantasy play in a virtual environment. Three different games were designed and implemented on a Mitsubishi DiamondTouch (DT) multi-touch interactive tabletop. Three evaluation studies were conducted and the performance of the children's fantasy play was examined. In each study, children were recruited from a local preschool class. The first study was designed to compare fantasy play in physical and virtual settings. Children from the preschool class in a state primary school were invited to play with both a real tree house and its virtual implementation on a Mitsubishi DiamondTouch (DT) multi-touch interactive tabletop. Overall, the children played quietly and alone. The results evinced several problems in the interaction with the tabletop as children struggled to drag the objects displayed on the table surface. Therefore, the study did not provide conclusive evidence of a distinction in fantasy in physical and virtual environments. The second study was concentrated on testing solutions for the interaction difficulties evinced in the first study. A new application named The Magic House was developed and implemented on a Mitsubishi DT multi-touch interactive tabletop and tested twice with the preschool children. The results showed that most of the interaction problems from Study 1 were eliminated; evidence of more fantasy play was captured, and children played more confidently in the second evaluation session. The third study was designed to investigate and to compare children's fantasy play in physical and virtual settings. A new physical setting and the virtual implementation on the Mitsubishi DT multi-touch interactive tabletop of materials named The Farm were designed and examined with a group of preschool children. The results revealed that high occurrence of fantasy play was observed in the virtual setting and several similarities and dissimilarities between the two settings was also highlighted. Overall, this thesis produced knowledge on how the application on the multi-touch interactive tabletop environment was designed and evaluated with preschool children. The thesis results demonstrate that appropriate interaction design of virtual environments could stimulate preschool children's fantasy play and the tabletop can be operated by children as young as three. This thesis also specified requirements for designing and facilitating tabletop environments for preschool children's fantasy play.

This study was designed to gather information about the nature and content of post-surgical play behaviour displayed by hospitalized pre-school children. Four questions were explored: Are common themes expressed in the play behaviour of hospitalized pre-school children after major surgery? Does the quality and intensity of the play behaviour demonstrated by pre-school children follow a similar pattern? Will pre-school children use play therapy as a medium through which to express fears and concerns about their hospital experience? Do children tend to act out their perceptions of what has happened to them in hospital? The population selected for the study were four girls and one boy between the ages of three and five years, who were admitted for major surgery on the heart or great vessels. During the recovery period after surgery each child had the opportunity to take part in at least five play therapy sessions lasting approximately one hour each. Play therapy took the form of situational play using real or simulated hospital equipment and various dolls representing children and adults. Each child chose the direction and content of play. The investigator took part in play as directed by the child. Parents could join in if they wished. The verbal and non-verbal behaviour displayed by each child during play therapy was recorded by audio tape and by process recordings. Four out of five children in the study participated actively in play therapy. In the course of play they expressed five common themes: intrusive procedures; re-enactment of procedures; testing reality; autonomy: regaining control; separation from home and family; and nurturing activities. The quality and intensity of the children's play behaviour followed a pattern from intense to more relaxed and from aggressive to more gentle play. During play each child expressed some individual fears and concerns about his hospitalization. Intrusive procedures were the most frequent topic of play for all the children. Finally, each child tended to act through specific procedures so that play behaviour became a factual account of the child's hospital experience. One child, the only boy in the study, did not want to participate in play therapy. The reasons for this were not investigated. It was concluded that play therapy is a useful technique which can assist nurses understand the pre-school child's perception of his hospital experience. Play therapy also has potential as a therapeutic intervention to help a child come to terms with the traumatic events of his hospitalization. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a play-based teacher consultation (PBTC) program on individual teachers’ interpersonal classroom behaviors and teacher-child relationships. The research questions addressed the application of child-centered play therapy principles and PBTC increasing teacher responsiveness, decreasing teacher criticism, and enhancing teachers‟ perceptions of the teacher-child relationship in elementary school classrooms. Single-case design was utilized to examine eight teachers‟ perceptions over 16 weeks. The sample included 8 White female teachers from three local elementary schools. Teacher ages ranged from 28 to 59 years old. There were 5 kindergarten, 1 first grade, and 2 second grade teachers. The teachers participated in one educational training session followed by play sessions with children of focus and interactive modeling sessions. Trained observers, blind to the study’s purpose, utilized the Interaction Analysis System in classroom observations of the teachers, three times per week, to examine teachers’ interpersonal skills. Additionally, the teachers completed the Student Teacher Relationship Scale for the children of focus before and after the play session phase to examine change in the teacher-child relationship. Visual analysis of the data indicated the PBTC’s overall positive impact. 5 out of 8 teachers demonstrated increases in teacher responding scores at mildly to very effective criteria levels. All 8 teachers demonstrated decreases teacher criticism at effective to very effective criteria levels. The teacher-child relationships indicated mixed results, with 5 out of 8 teachers indicating positive changes in teacher-child relationships. Discussion includes implications for future research regarding single-case design, measurement of teacher change, and modifications of the PBTC model.

The study reported here attempts to demonstrate the utility of group play therapy as a method of reducing aggression in preadolescent aged boys. Previous research has attempted to demonstrate the value of play therapy as a method of dealing with a variety of emotional and behavioral problems.

No description available.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OFAustin Harrison, for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, presented on April 10, 2020, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: DIVING INTO ONE’S PAINFUL PAST AND DARKEST INTERNAL FEARS: THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS OF THE THREAD THAT SNAPPEDMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Jacob Juntunen This thesis details the development of my full-length play The Thread That Snapped from its early conception in 2019 to full production at Southern Illinois University Department of Theatre’s Christian H. Moe Theatre’s space in March 2020. In writing The Thread That Snapped, I was inspired by traumatic chapters within my life that shaped me as a human. This play, therefore, examines the unpredictable ways in which an individual is driven to insanity and the delicate thread that separates sanity and insanity. From this play comes a study into the human condition and how society and relationships shape who we become n life. Chapter One includes a statement of the project, the origin, and development of the script, initial structure and plot considerations for the script, research that impacted the creation of the script, character development, and tools for self-evaluation. Chapter Two covers the pre-writing process, feedback from my writing partner, notes from my advisor, Jacob Juntunen, and the director, Susan Patrick Benson, about the script’s development and an overall description of the play’s progression through drafts. Chapter Three describes the design meetings held in preparation for the production of The Thread That Snapped. Chapter Four details the audition and casting process as well as rehearsals for the piece. Chapter Five evaluates The Thread That Snapped’s production, describes ideas for future productions of the piece as well as possible revisions. Chapter Six concludes the thesis by tracking my progression in the playwriting program over the past three years. It includes my writing growth in terms of structure and developing my artistic voice. It also discusses my professional development over the time in the program, as well as the evolution of my teaching practice. I have also included in the thesis the production script of The Thread That Snapped.

This thesis presents the results of a survey conducted to determine the need and benefits of a toy loan center.

No description available.

P. Bussan's thesis (M.F.A.)--Boston University, 1958.