Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Cognitive appraisal model'

The purpose of the current research was to integrate multiple theories of stress appraisals and to empirically test two separate transactional cognitive-appraisal models. It was predicted that the core self-evaluation personality characteristics and motivation orientation would moderate the relationship between challenge and hindrance stressors and coping style. Furthermore, it was predicted that coping would buffer the adverse effects of stress on domain performance and satisfaction. A series of multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the predicted moderators. Results suggest that core self-evaluations moderate the relationship between challenge stress and problem-focused coping as predicted in the challenge model but not for the hindrance stress model. Coping style did not significantly buffer the negative effects of stress on performance or satisfaction. Overall, the results provide partial support for the challenge-hindrance framework within the transactional appraisal model of stress.

This study aimed to examine the role of secondary appraisal of the event, cognitive appraisal of the situation, emotions experienced and coping styles used after a real life stressful event that university students experienced. Five hundred and sixty students (271 females and 289 males) from Middle East Technical University voluntarily participated in the study. A pilot study which consisted of two stages, interviews and survey was conducted before the main study in order to test the appropriateness and applicability of the appraisal and emotion measures. Cognitive Appraisal of the Situation Scale (CASS), Emotions Checklist, Cognitive Appraisal of the Emotion Scale (CAES) and Coping Styles Scale (CSS) were used to assess cognitive appraisals, emotions and coping styles. Stress level, harm/loss and threat appraisals of the stressful events, cognitive appraisal of situation, emotions experienced by the individuals after the stressful event, cognitive appraisal of the emotions and coping strategies used by the participants were the variables used in the structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the analysis revealed that, problem focused coping was predicted by positive emotions and cognitive iv appraisal of emotion. Emotion focused coping was predicted by negative emotions, stress level and secondary appraisal. The results also yielded that cognitive appraisal of emotion was a moderator variable between positive emotions and problem focused coping. Findings of the research were discussed in the framework of Cognitive Theory of Emotions and Interactional Model of Stress and Coping.

The benefits of new IT-induced organisational changes, such as new organisational information systems (IS), depend on the degree that system users adapt by proactively changing themselves, their work routines, and even the technology itself in order to reap its strategic capabilities and advantages. However, researchers are increasingly concerned that IS research has provided very little indication about how IS users’ IT adaptive strategies are formed and evolved over time and how such adaptive behaviours employed by IS users influence subsequent IT use and individual-level performance outcomes. This thesis investigates in-depth the evolution of IT adaptation behaviours towards disruptive IT events in the case study of a Medical Clinic attached to one of Iran’s elite Oil and Gas industry companies. The case study investigated the individual coping behaviours of the employees of this Medical Centre as a consequence of the introduction of a mandatory Work System Computerisation (WSC) initiative. Work System Computerisation project refers to both the replacement of manual work processes with computers as well as modernisation of the existing out-dated computerised work systems in the medical centre under investigation. According to the case study, each of the seven sub-units of the Medical Centre implemented a different WSC scheme and the consequences of the introduction of the scheme resulted in differing outcomes among the employees of those sub-units, such outcomes being related to a complex interplay of the individuals’ coping behaviours, appraisals and emotional responses and the environment. The term ‘Disruptive IT event’ in this study refers to any enhanced or completely new information technology in different units within the medical centre (i.e. Work System Computerisation schemes) that replaced and disrupted existing work processes/practices and had resulted in disruptive and unpredictable changes to users’ daily routines. The theoretical lens used in this study is the Coping Model of User Adaptation (CMUA) elaborated by Coping Theory, which also underpins the model. CMUA provides a useful theoretical basis for deeper understanding of users’ adaptive responses to a new work information system (IS) as well as direct analysis of the impact of such adaptive responses on system usage. The other theoretical concept used, which addresses issues not readily covered by the CMUA, was a typology of adaptive behaviours from Roth and Cohen (1986): avoidance vs. approach. This allows for further clarification of how different types of individual-level adaptation acts evolve over time and affect individual-level IT use outcomes. Furthermore, how these various adaptive acts enhance or hinder the extent to which the new IT is used can also be explained. The research questions guiding this thesis are as follows: (1) How do IS users’ adaptation tactics and strategies evolve over time when dealing with a disruptive IT event? (2) How do alterations in users’ coping strategies subsequently influence their IT use outcomes and overall performance? The study’s methodological approaches and underlying philosophical assumptions followed an interpretive research approach. A broadly interpretive approach was adopted in this study with the aim of understanding the complexity of human sense making and their IT adaptation behaviours as the situation emerges. The research was carried out in one state of Iran, Mashhad, and took place during the period of 2011-2012. The findings of this thesis have both theoretical and managerial implications. From a theoretical perspective, this study expands on the work of Beaudry and Pinsonneault (2005) who suggested that the process of user adaptation could be understood in light of coping theory. The results of this study and the additional identified perspectives and enhancements which are represented in the following ways could help to advance the field of user IT adaptation behaviours in IS research. This study contributes to the existing IT adaptation literature by providing rich insights into the phenomenon of user IT adaptation behaviours within the context of Iran. Adopting an interpretive approach through a longitudinal process-oriented perspective has provided a greater understanding of the patterns of user adaptation to IS, users’ psychological constructs, initial patterns of their coping strategies, the alterations in such coping efforts over time, and the consequences of these evolutions on IT use outcomes in different divisions within a healthcare environment. The appraisal of ‘challenge’ is an influential contributor to the users’ subsequent adaptation process that CMUA is mute about it. The findings indicate that since the challenge appraisal represents a ‘positive stress’, some levels of challenge are useful to mobilise IS users towards IT adoption and use. The correlated concerns identified in the research (i.e. a web of complex personal, social and technical concerns) play a vital role on users’ adaptation processes following the IT implementation and over time. This highlights the importance of feedback loop in the adaptation process (which represents users’ revaluation process), and how the direct and indirect impacts of such interventions affect users’ reassessments of the IT event and their subsequent efforts and outcomes.  The concept of emotion that is missing from CMUA is influential especially where non-IT savvy users’ behaviours toward significant IT events may be influenced by extreme emotions.  Outcomes of this study highlight the theoretical importance of preserving the distinction between approach-, and avoidance-oriented emotion-focused behaviours in exploring how emotion-focused behaviours may influence behavioural outcomes such as system usage. The consideration of parallel processes for users’ IS appraisal is another area of theoretical expansion. The findings also suggest implications for practice as well as directions for future research. Understanding how employees’ IS appraisals considerably affect coping efforts and ultimately their technology performance outcome is critical for successful IT implementations and use in work settings. The results could assist decision makers in assessing user adaptation concerns and the intensity of such apprehensions at each phase of the change process and hence address them more effectively.

As consumers or customers, when we go into a shop and buy a product or, these days, when we buy something online, we expect not only the product itself to be fit for purpose but we also expect that we, the customers, get good customer service. If we get good or excellent customer service, we leave the shop feeling satisfied and positive in some way. How do shops, online or otherwise, or any other organisations, such as banks, hospitals or universities help to ensure that their employees deliver the appropriate customer service? It is still the main challenge. Thus, there are instances when a customer does not get the service that they deserve, or believe that they deserve. A happy, satisfied customer may perhaps tell others and thus encourage others to buy or go to that particular shop or organisation thus benefiting the business (new customers, who will spend money). However, there is evidence that an angry, upset dissatisfied customer will almost certainly tell five, or perhaps more, people of their bad experience. This is, clearly, bad for the business in question. No wonder, then, that businesses want, and need, to ensure that they have happy, satisfied customers and not dissatisfied or grudgeholders. Given the importance of customer satisfaction to businesses/organisations, the literature in this area demonstrates that there is still much to further understand about not only customer satisfaction but, importantly, customer dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction can be short and easily forgotten and it might be argued that this might not negatively affect a business/organisation too much in terms of future business. However, if a customer experiences or believes that they have suffered a great deal of negative emotions such as anger, fear, disappointment, betrayal and/or disgust, as well as perhaps telling many people, potential future customers about their bad experience they may well, also, take more direct action in the form of either making a formal complaint to the business/organisation, or perhaps retaliating in some way either immediately or at the nearest opportunity. Such a customer may hold a grudge against the business/organisation which is not only bad for the customer for their mental health (holding a grudge is negative) but is also bad for the business/organisation, too. Unfortunately, despite vital advances in dissatisfaction and complaining behaviour research, the psychological cognitive-emotive process underlying consumers’ coping behaviour have been neglected in the literature, as major work on this issue did not take into account the different negative emotions responsible for grudge and their impact on the grudgeholding coping responses. Dealing with those customers who are more than dissatisfied is time consuming for a business/organisation. Time is money. It is therefore important that, if businesses/organisations are to better understand their customers’ feeling and thinking to be able to predict their behaviours in order to make them happy returners instead of angry revengers. Therefore, it is essential to understand the experiences of grudgeholding customers through a process model and to look closely at issues related to grudgeholding, including the wide range of retaliatory behaviours. These might well vary according to factors such as the cost of the product (dissatisfaction might be greater for a goods or service costing a lot of money compared to something costing very little) but it may also vary according to individual characteristics of the customers themselves. Gender also plays its part, perhaps, that is, men and women may possibly think, feel and behave differently when it comes to holding grudge or retaliating as always controversial disputes exist in terms of gender differences. For example, females complain and spread the word more aligning with their communal stereotypical nature, and males like bargains and shop to win according to their agentic stereotypical nature. There is a need to further explore the consumer grudgeholding behaviour and why emotion is an important factor when talking about grudgeholding, the behaviours undertaken by those who hold a grudge and the impact of grudges on businesses/organisations if businesses/organisations are to better deal with their customers. Therefore, a cognitive-emotive process model is developed based mainly on cognitive appraisal theory to better understand consumers grudgeholding through deeper insight on their cognitions and emotions. The model is designed due to the lack of attention to the role of emotion in the dissatisfying marketplace experience. The model presents cognitive appraisal as the key element in the evaluation of grudgeholding consumer stress and aggression. Stressful appraisal outcomes are posited to elicit emotive reactions that, in combination with cognitive appraisal, impact the type of coping strategy used by the grudgeholder. Two coping strategies (problem focused and emotion focused) are recognized and discussed. Key propositions are presented to answer some questions about consumer grudgeholding behaviours such as (causes of grudge, product or service involved, the cost, the emotions generated, the coping behaviours like complaining and word-of-mouth, the corrective actions, the current emotions, the purchase intentions and future behaviours). To achieve the aims of this study, the research described in this thesis adopts the positivist research, quantitative research approach. According to the exploratory nature of this research, self-administered questionnaires are used for data generation. Closed and open-ended questions (specifically propping questions) were both used in the research as a way of motivating the respondent’s memory to retrieve a previous experience and recall actions and behaviours. Using both closed and open-ended questions provides the research with expected and unexpected answers. The research used non-probability sampling; namely, convenience sampling consisted of 786 responses to undergraduates and postgraduates British students whose age groups range from 18 to 39.The survey data were subsequently edited, coded and entered in SPSS 20 for analysis. The ultimate contribution of this study stems from explaining the consumer grudgeholding phenomenon by designing a cognitive-emotive process model that takes the role of consumer’s emotion into account. The findings revealed that emotion made a critical difference, especially anger. Gender gap was relatively small between the young British males and females. Angry females shared their negative experiences with others more than angry males. Besides, females shop to love and males shop to win.

In anticipation of a future social interaction, socially anxious individuals (SAIs) may imagine themselves appearing stupid or foolish and predict and exaggerate the probability and costs of conveying these undesirable social images both on oneself (e.g., “I will feel stupid”) and on others impressions of oneself (e.g., “Others will think I’m stupid”). However, there is a paucity of research examining the latter bias; moreover, research regarding SAIs estimates of the probability and costs of conveying a positive impression (e.g., “I will feel smart”) has typically been neglected. Thus, the a novel questionnaire was created in order to develop a more comprehensive model of SAIs estimates of probability and costs. We expected that positive and negative, self- and other-related judgments will represent four distinct, latent constructs that will be related to trait social anxiety indirectly through fears of positive and negative evaluation per the evolutionary model of social anxiety. Structural equation modeling was used to test study hypotheses. The final sample included four hounded and seventy-four college students (307 males and 167 females). Results generally supported study hypotheses. After minor theoretically justified modifications, the hypothesized model provided good fit to the data, χ2(94) = 151.78, CFI = .99, TLI = .99, RMSEA = .04. All social appraisals (or judgments) with the exception of other-negative appraisals were indirectly related to social anxiety through fears of positive and negative evaluation. Contrary to expectations, other-positive appraisals were negatively related to fear of negative evaluation and other-negative appraisals were uncorrelated with fear of positive evaluation, providing partial incremental validity of the novel questionnaire used in this study. Results provide preliminary evidence that suggests future research should extend evaluation of SAIs anticipatory social appraisals beyond negative, self-related social impact. Implications, limitations, and future directions of the research are be discussed.

Tese de Doutoramento apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário
Esta tese procura clarificar os processos subjacentes às discrepâncias entre a direcção da resposta de androgénios à competição encontrada em estudos empíricos e as predicções das teorias para a modulação social de androgénios. Sugerimos que estes resultados imprevistos podem resultar de interacções com variáveis cognitivas e elegemos especificamente a avaliação cognitiva como um forte candidato a moderador da resposta de testosterona (T) aos desafios sociais. Várias experiências foram realizadas para testar esta hipótese. No Capítulo II e III, testou-se o efeito da familiaridade do oponente e da avaliação do resultado da competição como ameaça/desafio, na resposta de T a uma competição contra um membro do mesmo sexo. Nas mulheres foi encontrado um maior aumento dos níveis de T quando eram derrotadas por um oponente não familiar e quando o resultado era avaliado como ameaçador. Este efeito de moderação não foi detectado para os homens. Continuou-se a investigação sobre os efeitos da familiaridade do oponente e avaliação de ameaça no Capítulo IV, mas com um ciclídeo. Num paradigma de repetidas invasões territoriais por machos estranhos e familiares, encontrou-se uma maior resposta de androgénios no macho residente para as intrusões realizadas por um estranho, comparada com as de um macho familiar. O efeito do componente de expectativas da avaliação cognitiva, na resposta de T à competição em mulheres, foi testado através da manipulação das expectativas dos participantes em relação ao resultado da competição antes da tarefa competitiva (Capítulo V). Os vencedores inesperados baixaram os níveis de T depois da competição, mostrando uma inversão da resposta predicta pelos modelos teóricos. No Capítulo VI, testou-se o efeito directo das alterações afectivas nos níveis de T usando excertos de filmes emocionais. Um decréscimo significativo de T foi observado nos participantes da condição de tristeza, numa direcção congruente com as predicções da literatura. Finalmente, no Capítulo VII, abordou-se a função adaptiva das mudanças de androgénios induzidas pela competição proposta pelos modelos teóricos. Especificamente, testou-se o efeito do resultado da competição e dos níveis pós-competitivos de T na capacidade do individuo detectar faces emocionais ameaçadoras. Os nossos resultados sugerem que os vencedores foram mais rápidos e melhores a discriminar faces de raiva do que os perdedores. A discriminação de raiva foi também melhorada quando os níveis de T pós-competição eram elevados. No geral, estes resultados apoiam a hipótese de uma moderação cognitiva da resposta de T em mulheres. As implicações destes resultados para as teorias de modulação social de andrógenios são discutidas numa perspectiva comparada e integrativa.
ABSTRACT : This thesis aims to clarify the processes underlying the discrepancies between the direction of the androgen response to competition found in empirical studies and predictions of the theories for the social modulation of androgens. We suggest that these unpredicted results could result from interactions with cognitive variables and specifically select appraisal as a strong candidate to moderate the testosterone (T) response to social challenges. Several experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. On Chapter II and III, we have tested the effect of opponent familiarity and the evaluation of the competition outcome as a threat/challenge on the T response to a competition with a member of the same sex. We have found that women show greater increases in T levels when they were defeated by an unfamiliar opponent and evaluated the outcome as threat. This moderation effect was not detected for men. We have continued the research on the effects of opponent familiarity and threat assessment on Chapter IV, but this time using a cichlid fish. In a paradigm of repeated territorial intrusions by stranger and familiar males, the resident male’s androgen response was higher for the intrusions performed by a stranger compared to those performed by a familiar male. The effect of the expectations component of appraisal on the T response to competition in women was tested by manipulating the expectations of the participants on the outcome of the competition before the competitive task (Chapter V). We have found that the unexpected winners decreased their T levels, showing a reversal of response predicted by the theoretical models. On Chapter VI, we have tested the direct effect of affective changes on T levels using emotional film clips. T significantly decreased for those participants assigned to the sadness condition, a direction that is congruent with predictions of the literature. Finally, on Chapter VII, we have addressed the adaptive function of the androgen changes elicited by the competition, as proposed by the theoretical models. Specifically, we have tested the effect of the competition outcome and post-competition T levels on the individual’s capacity to detect threatening emotional faces. Our findings suggest that winners were faster and better in discriminating angry faces than losers. Anger discrimination was also enhanced when post-competition T levels were high. Together these findings support the hypothesis of a cognitive moderation of the T response to competition in women. Results are discussed in terms of their implication to the theories for the social modulation of androgens in a comparative and integrative perspective.

This study tested the relationship of the personality variable of hardiness to the organisational outcomes of job satisfaction, performance and intention to turnover. These relationships were also tested via two alternative transactional models, with a sequential and simultaneous structure for the appraisal and coping processes. Employees (N = 297) from a range of large New Zealand organisations completed a questionnaire on hardiness, appraisal, coping, affect and the three distal outcomes. Bivariate correlations revealed significant positive relationships between hardiness and job satisfaction, hardiness and performance, and a significant negative relationship with intention to turnover. Structural equation modelling results revealed that the direct relationship between hardiness and job satisfaction was the strongest path, which indicates that the higher an employees level of hardiness the higher their likely level of job satisfaction. The simultaneous model provided best fit to the data, revealing a positive path from hardiness through challenge appraisals to positive affect, and a negative path through threat appraisal and emotion-focused coping. This study concludes that higher levels of hardiness are associated with more positive situational appraisals and more effective coping responses.

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia
A ação de arbitrar pode ser gratificante ou desafiadora, mas também se pode tornar uma experiência associada a altos níveis de stress e burnout. Neste estudo, avaliou-se como os árbitros se adaptam às situações de stress desportivo a 24 a 48 horas antes de um jogo, analisando fontes de stress, avaliação cognitiva, emoções, burnout e perceção de rendimento individual. Participaram 394 árbitros de futebol do sexo masculino (92.6%%) e feminino (7.4%). Dos principais resultados, destaca-se que o jogo foi percecionado com pouco a moderado stress por 81.9% dos participantes e 2.1% relataram níveis elevados de burnout. Cometer erros foi a principal fonte de stress e a fadiga física foi o principal sintoma de burnout. Árbitros mais jovens relataram níveis de stress mais elevados e níveis inferiores de burnout. Níveis elevados de burnout foram explicados por níveis elevados de stress associado à vida familiar e pessoal, confrontação e perceção de ameaça, e níveis baixos de perceção de desafio e de confronto. Uma maior perceção de rendimento, foi explicada por níveis baixos de perceção de ameaça e níveis elevados de perceção de desafio e de confronto e, inesperadamente, de stress associado à carreira desportiva.
The action of refeering can be a much rewarding or challenging one, but it can also become an experience associated with high levels of stress and burnout. In this study, the adaptation of referees to stressful sport situations was assessed 24 and 48 hours before a match, by analysing stress sources, cognitive appraisal, emotions, burnout and performance. 394 referees were involved, being 92,6% men and 7,4% women. The main results show that the match was perceived as a low to moderate stress event by 81,9% of the participants, with 2,1% reporting high levels of burnout. Making mistakes was reported to be the main source of stress, and physical fatigue as the main symptom of burnout. Younger referees mentioned higher levels of stress and lower levels of burnout. The high levels of burnout were explained by high amounts of stress related to personal and familiar life, confrontation and perception of menace, and low levels of perception of challenge and conflict. A higher perception of outcome/performance was explained by low levels of perception of menace and high levels of perception of challenge and conflict, and also, surprisingly, with stress related to the sports career.

The aims of the present study were to (a) evaluate and to compare the adequacy of a social psychological model and a cognitive appraisal model in predicting intention and action with respect to the adoption of protective health behaviours, (b) investigate the direction and strength of the path coefficients linking the predictor and criterion variables in each model in order to determine which predictor variables played a significant role in the (non)adoption of protective health behaviours, and (c) investigate the direct and indirect roles that gender role and SES play in determining the decision to adopt or not to adopt protective health behaviours. Existing knowledge about disease and illness makes it imperative for health researchers to understand the factors involved in reducing exposure to these endemic threats. Whilst extensive research has been carried out to investigate health beliefs and health threats, most of the results that have been obtained have been descriptive in nature. They say very little about how males and females internalise and conceptualise the identified social psychological and cognitive appraisal variables or how these variables influence the health decision-making process. Two theoretical models were developed to represent the decision-making process regarding the adoption of good health behaviours. A total of 550 males and 759 females (total n = 1,309) from Rockhampton and Gladstone in the State of Queensland, Australia, participated in the study by responding to one of three questionnaires designed to measure the study's critical variables. Whilst the overall findings generally supported the decision-making process represented by both models, the results indicated that the social psychological model represented a better predictor of the health decision-making process than the cognitive appraisal model. The findings also indicated that high masculinity combined with low femininity and a low SES directly decreased the motivation of males and females to adopt protective health behaviours when confronted by a health threat. Finally, for both models, the results indicated that the exogenous variables of gender role and SES had both direct and indirect influences on behavioural intention and action for males and females across the three disease dimensions. The implications of the findings with regards to differences in male and female health status are discussed.

Dissertação de mestrado em Estatística
Desde a década de 1970 que a investigação em saúde ocupacional tem vindo a destacar a mútua interferência Trabalho-Família como uma importante fonte de stresse. A dificuldade de conciliação da vida profissional com os papéis familiares tem demonstrado significativos efeitos negativos sobre a saúde emocional, mental e física de um indivíduo. Avaliar os mecanismos que podem explicar o aparecimento e desenvolvimento do stresse ocupacional torna-se essencial. Um desses mecanismos refere-se aos processos de avaliação cognitiva que indicam até que ponto uma dada situação de stresse é avaliada pelo próprio individuo e como esta avaliação influencia os níveis de conflito entre a vida familiar e a vida profissional. Neste trabalho aplicam-se Modelos com Equações Estruturais a um conjunto de dados reais da área da Psicologia, tendo como principais objetivos avaliar se um modelo teórico estabelecido a priori se ajusta aos dados e testar se a autoavaliação cognitiva que educadores/professores portugueses fazem da sua atividade profissional desempenha um papel mediador na relação entre a mútua interferência Trabalho-Família e a síndrome de Burnout. Os resultados obtidos confirmam que o modelo teórico proposto se ajusta aos dados e que a avaliação cognitiva apenas desempenha um papel mediador na relação entre o Conflito Trabalho-Família e a síndrome de Burnout.
Since the 1970’s occupational health research has been highlighting work-family conflicts as an important source of stress. The difficulty of reconciling professional and family roles has demonstrated significant negative effects on an individual’s emotional, mental, and physical health. Assessing the mechanisms that may explain the onset and development of occupational stress becomes essential. One of these mechanisms refers to cognitive appraisal that indicates the extent to which a given stress situation is assessed by the individual and how this assessment influences the levels of conflict between work and family life. In this work we apply Structural Equation Models to a set of real data from the domain of Psychology. The main objectives are to evaluate if a theoretical model established a priori fits the data and test if the cognitive self-evaluation that Portuguese teachers make of their professional activity plays a mediating role in the relationship between work-family conflicts and the Burnout syndrome. The results confirm that the proposed theoretical model fits the data and that cognitive self-evaluation only plays a mediating role in the relationship between Work-Family Conflict and Burnout.

This thesis explores the use of artificial neural networks for modelling cognitive processes. It presents an exposition of the neural network paradigm, and evaluates its viability in relation to the classical, symbolic approach in cognitive science. Classical researchers have approached the description of cognition by concentrating mainly on an abstract, algorithmic level of description in which the information processing properties of cognitive processes are emphasised. The approach is founded on seminal ideas about computation, and about algorithmic description emanating, amongst others, from the work of Alan Turing in mathematical logic. In contrast to the classical conception of cognition, neural network approaches are based on a form of neurocomputation in which the parallel distributed processing mechanisms of the brain are highlighted. Although neural networks are generally accepted to be more neurally plausible than their classical counterparts, some classical researchers have argued that these networks are best viewed as implementation models, and that they are therefore not of much relevance to cognitive researchers because information processing models of cognition can be developed independently of considerations about implementation in physical systems. In the thesis I argue that the descriptions of cognitive phenomena deriving from neural network modelling cannot simply be reduced to classical, symbolic theories. The distributed representational mechanisms underlying some neural network models have interesting properties such as similarity-based representation, content-based retrieval, and coarse coding which do not have straightforward equivalents in classical systems. Moreover, by placing emphasis on how cognitive processes are carried out by brain-like mechanisms, neural network research has not only yielded a new metaphor for conceptualising cognition, but also a new methodology for studying cognitive phenomena. Neural network simulations can be lesioned to study the effect of such damage on the behaviour of the system, and these systems can be used to study the adaptive mechanisms underlying learning processes. For these reasons, neural network modelling is best viewed as a significant theoretical orientation in the cognitive sciences, instead of just an implementational endeavour.
Psychology
D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia
Este estudo teve como objetivo perceber como é que os jovens atletas de alta competição se adaptam, lidam e reagem a uma situação específica de stress no desporto. Participaram 373 jovens atletas do sexo masculino a competir no campeonato nacional de futebol, com idades dos 14 aos 19 anos (M = 16.93; DP = 1.00). O protocolo de avaliação incluiu um Questionário Demográfico, Questionário de Stress na Competição Desportiva, Escala de Avaliação Cognitiva, Questionário de Perceção do Rendimento Desportivo e o Inventário de Confiança no Desporto. Os resultados indicaram que a maioria dos atletas apontam como principais fontes de stress a possibilidade de obterem um rendimento desportivo negativo ou abaixo do esperado e a possibilidade de cometerem erros. Foi também observado que a avaliação cognitiva mediou parcialmente a relação estabelecida entre os fatores de stress e a perceção de rendimento desportivo e mediou totalmente a relação entre os fatores de stress e a confiança. Em suma, torna-se importante ter em conta o papel dos processos de avaliação cognitiva na adaptação ao stress por parte dos jovens atletas, sugerindo a continuação de investigação futura relativamente a esta temática.
The aim of this study was to understand how young federate athletes, adapt, deal with, and react themselves to a specific stressful situation in sports. The target group was 373 youth male athletes, between 14 to 19 years of age (M = 16.93; DP = 1.00), who are competing in the national football championship. The evaluation protocol included a Demographic Questionnaire, the Questionnaire of Competitive Stressors in Sport, Cognitive Appraisal Scale, Sport Performance Perception Questionnaire and Sport Confidence Inventory. The results revealed that the majority of the athletes pointed out as main sources of stress, the possibility of obtaining a negative or lower than expected sports performance and the possibility of making mistakes. It was also revealed that the cognitive appraisal partially mediated the established relationship between the stress factors and sports performance perception and totally mediated the relationship between the stress factors and confidence. In conclusion, it is important to take into account the role of the cognitive appraisal processes in adaptation to stress by youth athletes, suggesting a further investigation in the future on this theme.

Depuis une vingtaine d’années, le modèle cognitif basé sur les interprétations (Groupe de recherche sur la cognition dans le trouble obsessionnel compulsif [OCCWG], 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005) représente le modèle psychologique de l’étiologie et du maintien du TOC le plus étudié au plan empirique. Cependant, peu de recherches ont porté sur les deux postulats importants du modèle touchant respectivement le développement des croyances liées à l’obsessionnalité et la contribution des états affectifs au maintien des interprétations et des croyances (réactivité cognitive). L’objectif de cette thèse est de contribuer à la validation empirique de ces postulats. Fondé sur un devis corrélationnel dans un échantillon de participants mixte (participants troubles obsessionnels-compulsifs et participants non cliniques), le premier article étudie les liens entre les expériences de l’enfance et la présence de croyances obsessionnelles chez l’adulte. Deux modèles alternatifs sont comparés qui représentent d’une part un lien spécifique, et d’autre part un lien non spécifique entre les expériences de l’enfance et les croyances obsessionnelles adultes. Les résultats suggèrent la présence à la fois de relations spécifiques et non spécifiques entre les expériences de l’enfance et les croyances adultes. Les expériences de l’enfance et les domaines de croyance obsessionnels qui montrent des liens spécifiques sont ceux relatifs à la responsabilité, à la perception du danger, et au perfectionnisme. En contrepartie, les expériences de l’enfance relatives à la perception de danger et dans une moindre mesure la sociotropie, apparaissent étroitement liés à la plupart des domaines de croyances adultes (intolérance à l’incertitude, surestimation du danger, importance et contrôle des pensées). Dans la seconde étude, nous nous intéressons à la mesure et l’analyse longitudinales de la réactivité cognitive telle qu’elle s’exprime dans l’environnement naturel de huit participants troubles obsessionnels-compulsifs de type ruminateur. Par le biais de huit protocoles à cas uniques intensifs, l’analyse de contingence entre les scores quotidiens d’humeur (4 états émotionnels cotés par participant) et d’interprétations (une interprétation idiographique des intrusions par participant) permet d’établir une mesure de l’importance de la réactivité cognitive chez chaque participant. Ces résultats sont ensuite analysés du point de vue des postulats principaux de deux modèles spécifiques de la réactivité cognitive (modèle de l’Infusion de l’affect [Forgas, 2008] et modèle de l’Humeur comme intrant [Meeten & Davey, 2011]. Ainsi, les analyses intra-individuelles répétées trans-comportements) et interindividuelles (trans-participants) permettent d’illustrer le rôle proximal déterminant des stratégies de traitement de l’information (traitement systématique; traitement superficiel; traitement altéré) employées par les participants. En résumé, les résultats obtenus dans ces deux études fournissent des données utiles à la poursuite de la validation du modèle des interprétations du TOC. Dans la première étude, l’identification de liens spécifiques entre les EE et les croyances obsessionnelles soutient la séquence étiologique postulée, alors que l’identification de liens non spécifiques suggère que d’autres trajectoires étiologiques peuvent être pertinentes. Dans la seconde étude, l’analyse longitudinale et naturaliste des covariations humeur – interprétations se révèle d’abord féconde à identifier les phénomènes de réactivité cognitive postulés dans le modèle des interprétations. Ensuite, en conformité aux modèles intégrés de la réactivité cognitive, l’analyse des liens entre cette réactivité et les stratégies privilégiées de neutralisation des participants permet d’identifier le rôle clé des différentes stratégies de traitement de l’information dans la réactivité cognitive.
Over the past twenty years, the «appraisal model» of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Obsessive Compulsive Cognition Working Group, 1997, 2001, 2003, and 2005) has drawn most of the empirical research on the psychological etiology and maintenance of the disorder. Nevertheless, only a few studies addressed two important postulates of the model, which is the development of beliefs associated with OCD, and the contribution of affective states to the maintenance of appraisals and beliefs (p. ex., cognitive reactivity). The current thesis aims to contribute to the empirical validation of these postulates. Based on a retrospective correlational design in a mixed (OCD and normal) sample, the first article aims to explore the links between childhood experiences (CEs) and adult OCD related beliefs. Two alternative etiological models are compared emphasizing either a rather specific association between different CEs and beliefs; or conversely, a broad non-specific association between CEs and different OCD related beliefs. Results support both the existence of specific and non-specific associations between CEs and beliefs. CEs and OCD related beliefs that showed specific links were those CEs that showed specific links to OCD related beliefs were those related to the concepts of Responsibility (R-E and OBQ-R), Threat perception (TP-E et OBQ-T), and Perfectionism (SO-E et OBQ-P). On the other hand, CEs emphasizing Threat perception (TP-E) and Sociotropy (SOC-E) related experiences also showed significant links with most OCD related beliefs (Intolerance of uncertainty [OBQ-U], Overestimation of threat [OBQ-T], Importance and Control of thoughts [OBQ-I et OBQ-C]). The aim of the second article is to assess and analyze cognitive reactivity in an OCD sample (rumination subtype) through a longitudinal naturalistic design (eight intensive single-case designs). In a first step, the contingency analysis between daily mood-states scores (4 mood-states in each participant) and daily thought appraisals (one idiosyncratically defined thought appraisal in each participant) allows for the assessment of the magnitude and rate of cognitive reactivity in each participant. On the basis of integrative models of cognitive reactivity (Affect Infusion Model, and Mood as input Hypothesis) further repeated intra-individual analyses (across subjects) and inter-individual analyses (between subjects) illustrate the critical proximal role of different processing strategies used by the participants. In summary, both studies provide results that contribute to further the validation of the appraisal model of OCD. In the first study, the identification of specific links between CEs and OCD related beliefs in adults supports the postulated etiological sequence; while the identification of non-specific links suggest that other etiological paths may be relevant In the second study, the longitudinal investigation of covariations between mood-states and appraisals of thoughts allows to reveal the expected cognitive reactivity processes. Such processes are further supported with reference to integrated models of cognitive reactivity that emphasize the critical role of different processing strategies in their expression.