It is widely acknowledged that under situations of heightened pressure, many expert athletes suffer from performance decrements. This phenomenon has been termed ‘choking under pressure’ and has been the subject of extensive research in sport psychology. Despite this attention, gaps in the literature remain leaving opportunities for further advancements in knowledge about the phenomenon, particularly in relation to its underlying processes and the development of appropriate interventions that can be adopted in order to alleviate, or even prevent choking. The present programme of research, in general terms, aimed to develop and test the efficacy of an intervention tool, based on priming, to alleviate choking under pressure. It was acknowledged that such a tool should be matched to the mechanisms that underlie the choking process and although an abundance of research has provided valuable information about these mechanisms, it was identified that there still remains a lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate explanatory theory. Therefore the initial study in this thesis aimed to provide further insight into the processes that govern choking by examining accounts from elite international swimmers of their experiences of performing under high levels of pressure. The results provided further support for the postulation that choking under pressure occurs as a result of a combination of conscious processing hypothesis (Masters, 1992) and processing efficiency theory (Eysenck & Calvo, 1992) and that an optimum level of skill-focused attention is beneficial to performance. The following studies utilised this information as well as that of the existent theories of choking, to develop and examine an effective priming based intervention tool (a scrambled sentence task). Specifically, Studies 2, 3 and 4 examined the amount of residual working memory available after activation of the prime, the optimisation of the priming task and the efficacy of the tool in promoting performance under high pressure respectively. Results revealed support for the efficacy of the tool in reducing online skill-focused attention and promoting performance under both low- and high-pressure conditions. Finally, the general themes that emerged throughout the whole programme of study are discussed, as well as the limitations and recommendations for future research. Implications for coaches, athletes and practitioners are also presented.

A dominant theory in the anxiety-working memory literature is the Processing Efficiency Theory (Eysenck & Calvo, 1992). According to this theory, worry - the cognitive component of state anxiety - pre-empts capacity in the central executive and phonological loop components within Baddeley and Hitch's (1974) fixed-capacity working memory system. Central to the Processing Efficiency Theory is the distinction between performance effectiveness (i.e. quality of performance) and processing efficiency (i.e. performance effectiveness divided by effort), with anxiety proposed to impair efficiency to a greater extent than it does effectiveness. The existing literature has provided support for this theory, although there exist factors that complicate the findings, including the nature of the working memory tasks utilised, comorbid depression, and the distinction between trait and state anxiety. Clarification of the limiting factors in the anxiety-working memory literature was sought over a series of initial methodological studies. The first study was an initial step in addressing the issue of comorbid depression, identifying measures that maximised the distinction between anxiety and depression. The second study identified verbal and spatial span tasks suitable for examining the various working memory systems. The third study considered a possible role for somatic anxiety in the anxiety-working memory relationship, and additionally addressed the state/trait anxiety distinction. These three initial studies culminated in the fourth study which formally addressed the predictions of the Processing Efficiency Theory, and explored the cognitive/somatic anxiety distinction more fully. For the third and fourth studies, high and low trait anxious individuals underwent either cognitive (ego threat instruction) or somatic (anxious music) stress manipulations, and completed a series of span tasks assessing all components of the working memory system. Unexpectedly, the fourth study yielded a notable absence of robust effects in support of the Processing Efficiency Theory. A consideration of the research into the fractionation of central executive processes, together with an examination of tasks utilised in the existing literature, suggested that anxiety might not affect all central executive processes equally. Specifically, the tasks utilised in this programme of research predominantly invoke the process of updating, and it has recently been suggested that anxiety may not actually impair this process (Dutke & Stober, 2001). This queried whether the current conceptualisation of the central executive component as a unified working memory system within the PET was adequate or if greater specification of this component was necessary. One central executive process identified as possibly mediating the anxiety-working memory relationship is that of inhibition, and the focus of the fifth study thus shifted to clarifying this more complex relationship. In addition to one of the verbal span tasks utilised in the third and fourth studies, the reading span task (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980) and a grammatical reasoning task (MacLeod & Donnellan, 1993) were also included. Inhibitory processing was measured using the directed ignoring task (Hopko, Ashcraft, Gute, Ruggerio, & Lewis, 1998). This study established that inhibition was affected by a cognitive stress manipulation and inhibition also played a part in the anxiety-working memory link. However other central executive processes were also implicated, suggesting a need for greater specification of the central executive component of working memory within the PET. A finding that also emerged from this, and the third and fourth studies, was that situational stress, rather than trait or state anxiety, was predominantly responsible for impairments in working memory. Finally, a theoretical analysis placing the anxiety-working memory relationship within a wider context was pursued, specifically examining how the Processing Efficiency Theory is nested within other accounts examining the relationship between mood and working memory. In particular, similarities between the theoretical accounts of the relationships between anxiety and working memory, and depression and working memory, suggest the operation of similar mechanisms in the way each mood impacts on performance. Despite the similarities, potential distinctions between the impact each has on performance are identified, and recommendations for future research are made.

Previous literature has stated that few mergers are successful and many fail to meet the set expectations. This study aims to compare cross-border mergers, between corporations from Sweden and from the United States of America, with in-border mergers between Swedish corporations to explore possible differences in synergy gains. The synergy gains are proxied by abnormal returns 80 trading-days post the merger completion date. The results in this study are not statistically significant, however it indicates that cross-border mergers have a negative average cumulative abnormal return while in-border mergers have a positive average cumulative abnormal return. Therefore, this study argues that the result could be a consequence of greater cultural differences for cross-border mergers than in-border mergers and imply that in-border mergers could be the better alternative for Swedish corporations in comparison to cross-border mergers. Additionally, cultural differences should be investigated before a merger decision is taken. Future research should investigate how cultural differences affect synergy gains with a larger sample and include corporations from more nations.

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<p>Problem:   What are the most useful techniques to indicate the stocks that will outperform the market 12 month post the recession period?  Purpose:  The purpose is to find out which method(s): P/B, EV/EBIT, level of debt and so on, will offer investors the highest returns on the investments post the recession period based on the example of the IT crisis of 2000/2001.  Method:  Quantitative study, covering the Swedish OMX Index from 2001 until December 2002.  Conclusions:  Three variables should be reconsidered when making an investment decision post the recession period. These variables were earlier 12 months returns, dividend yield and P/E ratios. However, it is crucial to understand that these three tools should not be viewed all together.</p><p> </p>

Problem:   What are the most useful techniques to indicate the stocks that will outperform the market 12 month post the recession period?  Purpose:  The purpose is to find out which method(s): P/B, EV/EBIT, level of debt and so on, will offer investors the highest returns on the investments post the recession period based on the example of the IT crisis of 2000/2001.  Method:  Quantitative study, covering the Swedish OMX Index from 2001 until December 2002.  Conclusions:  Three variables should be reconsidered when making an investment decision post the recession period. These variables were earlier 12 months returns, dividend yield and P/E ratios. However, it is crucial to understand that these three tools should not be viewed all together.

Nigeria, like all other rice consuming nations, has experienced a surge in domestic demand for rice since 1970. However, local rice production has not been sufficient to meet local demand, leading to this demand continually being filled by imports. The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated subsidies programs intended to improve Nigerian rice farmers' technical and cost efficiency levels. This quantitative study evaluated the impact of these policies on the technical and cost efficiency levels of paddy rice farm households in Nigeria. Farrell's (1957) efficiency theory and production theory served as the theoretical frameworks. Data were collected from a cross-section of 300 paddy rice farmers drawn from 3 states in Nigeria. The study used 2 estimation techniques: parametric technique (SF) and the non-parametric technique (DEA). The results showed that paddy rice production in Nigeria was still profitable but low and the estimated average technical and cost efficiency levels from the DEA approach were 0.721 and 0.295, respectively. Evidence suggests that the formulation and implementation of subsidy programs on farm inputs were relevant in the variations of technical and cost efficiency levels across the rice farm households. The study findings support the continuity of the subsidy policies to encourage increased rice production; they also suggest that governments should address the issues of post-harvest losses, degrading irrigation facilities, and ineffective rural development policies. The positive social change implications of this research include providing information to inform government policy changes designed to more effectively address rice importation and pricing, positively impacting the standard of living for rural farmers and communities in Nigeria.

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Submitted by Vitor Cavaliere Machado (vitorcavaliere@gmail.com) on 2017-12-19T13:58:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertation Final Version.pdf: 1024233 bytes, checksum: 843f4707f12f7d42ff5d5f1a1fba5c39 (MD5) / Rejected by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br), reason: Sr. Vitor, bom dia. Não estamos conseguindo visualizar a submissão digital da sua Dissertação. Favor fazer nova submissão. Aguardamos seu contato quando o senhor realizar essa nova submissão. Não será necessário trazer outro impresso. cordialmente. on 2017-12-27T12:34:46Z (GMT) / Submitted by Vitor Cavaliere Machado (vitorcavaliere@gmail.com) on 2017-12-27T14:23:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertation Final Version.pdf: 1024233 bytes, checksum: 843f4707f12f7d42ff5d5f1a1fba5c39 (MD5) / Rejected by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br), reason: Sr. Vitor. O arquivo que o senhor está submetendo à Biblioteca Digital, não está deixando que visualizemos as primeiras páginas (01 à 20). Por favor, peço que faca uma verificação no seu arquivo e proceda com nova submissão. Cordialmente, on 2017-12-27T16:00:31Z (GMT) / Submitted by Vitor Cavaliere Machado (vitorcavaliere@gmail.com) on 2018-01-02T11:39:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertation Final Version.pdf: 1024233 bytes, checksum: a5d5c7681101a55ac00c268a5e21c448 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2018-01-02T12:44:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertation Final Version.pdf: 1024233 bytes, checksum: a5d5c7681101a55ac00c268a5e21c448 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-09T16:37:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertation Final Version.pdf: 1024233 bytes, checksum: a5d5c7681101a55ac00c268a5e21c448 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-11-23 / É de grande relevância, tanto no meio acadêmico como para a sociedade como um todo a questão da fraude, um problema recorrente que atinge empresas e governos em diversas partes do mundo. Muitos casos recentes chamam a atenção para este assunto, porém, um em especial, o esquema de corrupção envolvendo práticas ilegais, como pagamentos de propina dentro da Petrobras e outras empresas brasileiras, descoberto após a deflagração da “Operação Lava-Jato”, conduzida pela Polícia Federal e pelo Ministério Público. Após a descoberta desse esquema, muitos envolvidos foram presos, alguns já investigados e condenados pela justiça brasileira. Porém, além dos desdobramentos na esfera criminal de pessoa-física, as práticas de corrupção tiveram outros desdobramentos jurídicos e financeiros no âmbito empresarial, principalmente relacionados a ações judiciais propostas por acionistas da empresa que alegam ter sofrido perdas em seus investimentos. Nesse sentido, dadas as questões financeiras e legais enfrentadas pela Petrobras e demais empresas brasileiras, propomos, através desta pesquisa, determinar como a detecção da fraude impacta no valor das empresas. Para atingir o objetivo final desta pesquisa, usei a metodologia de estudo do evento, proposta por MacKinlay (1997). A amostra deste estudo incluiu as cinco empresas brasileiras listadas na “New York Securities Exchange” (NYSE), que estavam sujeitas a ações de classe nos EUA, até o final de 2016. Os resultados gerais dos testes suportam a hipótese de que a fraude, uma vez divulgada ao mercado, gera reações negativas nos preços das ações, em linha com a literatura existente sobre a influência da fraude no valor das empresas e com a Teoria da Eficiência de Mercado. Nesse sentido, este estudo é capaz de contribuir de maneira significativa para aprofundar a discussão acadêmica relacionada à fraude no Brasil e incentivar as empresas brasileiras de capital aberto a se preocuparem cada vez mais com suas práticas de conformidade e combate à corrupção e se prevenirem em relação aos seus possíveis riscos, desdobramentos e impactos jurídico-financeiros. Além disso, esta pesquisa serve de insumo, não apenas para a gestão de patrimônio dos investidores dos EUA, mas também como um incentivo para aumentar o poder de barganha dos investidores pessoa-física no Brasil / It is of great importance, either for academia or society as a whole, the issue of fraud, a recurring problem that affects companies and governments around the world. Many recent cases draw attention to this issue, but one in particular: the corruption scheme involving illegal practices such as bribery payments inside Petrobras and other Brazilian firms, discovered after the outbreak of the so-called "Operação Lava-Jato" and “Operação Zelotes”, conducted by the Brazilian Federal Police and Federal Public Prosecutor. After the scheme became public, over a hundred people were arrested and many already investigated and condemned by the Brazilian justice, including some of the firm’s former and current employees. In addition to the developments on individual employee´s criminal sphere, once detected, the abovementioned corrupt practices have caused other legal and financial impacts to the firms, mainly related to lawsuits filled by shareholders who claim to have suffered losses on their investments. In this sense, given the financial and legal issues faced by Petrobras and the other Brazilian firms, we propose through this research to determine how disclosed fraud could have an impact on the value of firms. In order to achieve its final goals, this research uses the event study methodology, proposed by MacKinlay (1997). Firm sample includes the five Brazilian firms listed in the New York Securities Exchange (NYSE), which were subject to securities class action lawsuits in the US, as of the end of 2016. Overall test results support the hypothesis that fraud, once disclosed to the market, provides negative stock price reactions, in line with the existing literature on the influence of fraud on firms’ valuation and the Market Efficiency Theory. In this sense, this study is able to provide significant contribution to deepen the academic discussion related to fraud in Brazil and encourage Brazilian firms to increase their concerns about anticorruption and compliance practices and prevent themselves in relation to eventual legal and financial impacts of fraud. In addition, this research contributes, not only to U.S investors wealth management, but also as an incentive to increase the bargain power of individual investors in Brazil