This study analyzes and reports on the characteristics of writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences and explores some possible factors that can bring about such moments. Three basic questions were explored: Can writing trigger peak experience and other positive human experiences? How are writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences best described? What factors influence the occurrence of writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences? Participants were asked to write about their happiest moment in writing. The sample consisted of 270 students enrolled in undergraduate writing classes at a major southwestern university. Of 270 participants, 119(44%) reported having had at least one peak experience or similar positive human experience as a result of writing. Protocols reporting peak experience and other positive human experiences in writing were analyzed for content, yielding a total of 14 descriptive attributes. The participants described their writing experiences as flow of the words, the process of writing is its own reward, peak performance, clarity, disappearance of negative states of mind, and enhanced sense of power and personal worth. Content analysis also yielded 13 possible triggers of peak experience and other positive human experiences including self-expression, realization, free writing, use of writing for introspection, and creative and inspirational writing. In addition, personal orientation was explored as a possible trigger of peak experience and other positive human experiences using a 16-item questionnaire. Factor analysis results yielded four factors: (1) aesthetic creative expressive writing, (2) writing as a thinking and problem solving tool (3) self-discovery, and (4) not interested in writing. Factor one accounted for the highest variance (37%). The common elements in this factor were expressive writing, self-related writing and creative poetic writing with poetic and creative writing having the highest loading.

Bakgrund: Motivation är viktigt för att driva en till handling vilket alla har erfarenheter av. Oavsett vad det är för handling så ligger där alltid någon form av drivkraft bakom denna. Vi fann motivationsfaktorer inom den offentliga sektorn som mycket intressant och då främst polisyrket med deras unika arbetsuppgifter. Detta gjorde att vi ville undersöka vad poliser motiveras av.   Problemformulering: Vilka motivationsfaktorer driver nyexaminerade poliser?   Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att söka en förståelse vad det är som motiverar nyexaminerade poliser.   Metod: Studien som gjorts är genomförd med en kvalitativ forskningsdesign. Insamlingen av material har gjorts genom semi-strukturerade telefonintervjuer. Respondenterna bestod av nyexaminerade poliser.   Resultat och slutsatser: Studien visade på att de interna tillsammans med externa drivkrafterna bidrar till den högsta motivationen. Poliserna drevs i större grad av att hjälpa individer och samhället i stort, snarare än för sin egen vinning. Den externa motivationsfaktorn som efterfrågades mest var erkännande och uppskattning från kollegor och ledning. / Background: Motivation is important to push you to action which is something that everybody has experienced. Regardless what kind of action it is, there is always some kind of driving force behind it. We found motivation factors in the public sector as very interesting and especially within the police force, with their unique job assignments. This resulted in that we wanted to examine what motivates policemen.   Research question: What motivation factors instigate newly graduated policemen?   Purpose: The purpose with this study is to seek an understanding of what motivates newly graduated policemen.   Methodology: The study that has been done is performed with a qualitative research design. The received material has been conducted through semi-structured telephone interviews. The respondents consisted of newly graduated policemen.   Results and Conclusions: The study illustrates that intrinsic together with extrinsic driving forces contributes to the highest motivation effect. The policemen were driven in a higher degree when they helped individuals and the society as a hole rather than for their own interest. The extrinsic motivation factor that was most demanded was recognition and appreciation from their colleagues and by their management.

The past decade has witnessed students with disabilities attending university in everincreasing numbers. In particular, many countries, including Australia, now report that students with so-called 'invisible disabilities' comprise the vast majority of those seeking support from Student Disability Services at university. Despite this increase, relatively few researchers have investigated the processes involved in the university education of students with disabilities, particularly during their crucial first year, when the highest rate of student attrition occurs across the board. The substantial body of research which has investigated the 'first year experience' for university students in Australia and the United States of America has ignored the issues unique to students with disabilities during this critical period. At the same time, some researchers, predominantly in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, have studied the tertiary education of students with disabilities. However, the subject has received less attention in Australia. Also, certain categories of university students with disabilities have been overlooked. In particular, university students diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) appear to be one of the groups that have attracted little attention worldwide, despite the vast body of research that exists on children and, increasingly, on adults with the diagnosis. These students constituted the focus of the study reported in this thesis. The aim of this study was to develop substantive theory about how university students who are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) deal with their first year. The study is conceptualised within the social theory of symbolic interactionism. A central research question and a series of related guiding questions were used as the starting point for data collection. Data collection was conducted largely through in-depth, individual, face-to-face semistructured interviews, and participant observation consistent with the interpretivist qualitative research tradition. In addition, informal interviews, telephone interviews and documents provided supplementary data for the study. Data analysis, which occurred concurrently with data collection, employed the open coding method consistent with the grounded theory model and the development and testing of propositions. The central proposition of the substantive theory generated from this study is that students diagnosed with AD/HD experience a sense of developing empowerment as they progress through three stages in their first year at university. The first stage in the theory of developing empowerment is entitled the development of empowerment through realising a dream. The second stage is entitled the development of empowerment through becoming proactive. The final stage is entitled the development of empowerment through the feeling of belonging. The theory of developing empowerment provides a new perspective on how university students with a diagnosis of AD/HD deal with their first year of study. A number of implications for further theory development, policy and practice are drawn from it. There are also several recommendations for further research.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Hons.)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2000. / "A thesis for the degree of Master in Applied Science" Bibliography : leaves 209-219.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-249).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2007. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Social Ecology). Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 194-208).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-249).

The aim of this research is to show theoretical similarities between emotional intelligence and self-actualisation. The empirical results give evidence of the relationship between these two concepts. An assessment battery consisting of the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (BarOn EQ-i), an emotional intelligence instrument and the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI), a self-actualisation instrument was used to measure the concepts of emotional intelligence and self-actualisation. A sample of 71 employees was assessed using psychometric tests and a biographical questionnaire. The data was collected over a period of four months. The statistical methods used in this research focus on quantitative measurement. Calculations are mainly done with t-tests and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. The empirical results of this research give partial evidence of the correlation between emotional intelligence and self-actualisation. Positive relationships between various factors of emotional intelligence and self-actualisation were found. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A.(Industrial Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution Edu-K can make to the way that people are able to actualise themselves. Two literature studies were done. The first literature study dealt with the existing theories on self actualisation. After this study a list was drawn up that consisted of the characteristics of the actualiser. The second literature study dealt with the Seven Dimensions of Intelligence, as described by Edu-K. A connection was drawn between the characteristics of the actualiser and the Seven Dimensions. A clear connection was drawn theoretically between the characteristics of the actualiser and the seven dimensions. The empirical study also shows an improvement in the academical performance as well as the characteristics of the actualiser. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om te bepaal watter bydrae Edu-Kinesiologie (Edu-K) kan lewer tot die bereiking van selfaktualisering, veral op akademiese gebied Vir die verkenning is twee literatuurstudies gedoen. Die eerste literatuurstudie het gehandel oor die teoriee wat bestaan oor selfaktualisering. Na hierdie studie is 'n vraelys oor eienskappe wat kenmerkend van selfaktualiseerders is, saamgestel. Die tweede literatuurstudie het gegaan oor die Sewe Dimensies van lntelligensie wat deur Edu-K beskryf word, en daar is 'n verband getrek tussen die Sewe Dimensies en die eienskappe van selfaktualisering. Daar is teoreties 'n duidelike verband getrek tussen selfaktualisering en die Sewe Dimensies van lntelligensie. Die empiriese studie het ook aan die lig gebring dat daar 'n verbetering in akademiese prestasie, sowel as eienskappe van selfaktualisering is na terapie. / M. Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)