Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Subjective investigation'
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Albaqawi, Ahmed Heji [Verfasser], and Sebastian Berthold Maximilian [Akademischer Betreuer] Patzelt. "Subjective satisfaction of complete denture wearers: a questionnaire-based investigation." Freiburg : Universität, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1209051680/34.
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Georgiou, Melina. "Investigating commitment to the family of origin as a correlate of subjective wellbeing." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/40453.
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Cook, Charles M. "The investigation of subjective time perception using weak, complex magnetic fields." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ61254.pdf.
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Wingate, Emily J. "Classroom Support and Students’ Subjective Well-Being: A Mixed-Methods Investigation." Scholar Commons, 2018. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7249.
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In line with the positive psychology movement and the dual factor model of mental health, professionals are increasingly compelled to consider not only mechanisms through which mental distress can be alleviated, but also pathways through which students’ wellness can be fostered. While research in this area has primarily focused on positive indicators of adults’ and adolescents’ mental health, there is a need to address those factors that contribute to the wellness of elementary-aged youth. Participants in the current study included 179 fourth and fifth grade students from an elementary school located in a southeastern state. For this secondary analysis, a mixed methods approach with an explanatory design was adopted to investigate both the quantitative relationship between school social support variables (i.e., Teacher-Student Relations, Teacher Support, Classmate Support) and students’ subjective well-being (SWB; i.e., happiness), as well as qualitative responses of students and teachers regarding displays of support and care in the classroom. Results provide support for the existence of a relationship between Classmate and Teacher Support and elementary students’ subjective well-being, with student perceptions of Instrumental and Emotional Classmate Support and Teacher Emotional Support as unique contributors to student subjective well-being. Qualitative results supplement quantitative findings by highlighting the salience of forms of Instrumental and Emotional Support in discussions of both Teacher and Classmate Support and care. These findings add to the current knowledge base on how building supportive relationships may be incorporated in prevention efforts aimed at fostering a positive school climate and enhancing students’ complete mental health.
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Daniel, Robert S. "Disciplined intuition subjective aspects of judgment and decision making in Child Protective Services /." Diss., Texas A&M University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1969/160.
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Savoie, Jo Anne. "Contextual and subjective indices of coping strategies in breast cancer screening, a longitudinal investigation." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape10/PQDD_0015/NQ46542.pdf.
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Thönes, Sven [Verfasser]. "The psychological investigation of subjective time : new concepts and contemporary research methods / Sven Thönes." Mainz : Universitätsbibliothek Mainz, 2017. http://d-nb.info/1143988558/34.
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Striessnig, Erich. "Too Educated to be Happy? An Investigation into the Relationship between Education and Subjective Well-being." International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 2015. http://epub.wu.ac.at/4750/1/Striessnig_2015_IR%2D15%2D015.pdf.
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While education has played a strong role in the ancient debate on the necessary preconditions for the good life, the contemporary literature on subjective well-being has not paid much attention to the possibility of education having an independent effect on happiness. Typically, education is mentioned only as having indirect effects, e.g., through its effect on income and wealth, employment status, health and mortality, marriage success, or as a proxy for socioconomic status. Also, the view that education - like income - mainly raises aspirations and therefore leads to lower levels of happiness is widespread in the literature, mostly without empirical evidence. Using data from the last five waves of the World Value Survey, the goal of this paper is to comprehensively study the empirical evidence by using logistic regression techniques to shed more light on the neglected role of education in happiness differentials. The results suggest that the relationship beteen education and happiness is distinct from the relationship between income and happiness. While there is evidence that higher income does not go hand in hand with higher happiness after a certain point, there is no evidence of a similar levelling off in the relationship between education and happiness. (author's abstract)
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Dickerson, Brendhan Bailie. "Magical realism and subjective reality : an investigation of poetic symbolism and the development of related sculptures." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13862.
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Bibliography: leaves 58-62.To meet the requirements for the Master of Fine Art degree at the University of Cape Town my intention was to develop a series of sculptural assemblages which address a sense of subjective or poetic reality, using symbolically resonant found and fabricated objects. The body of work is to be understood as a sculptural parallel to (but not illustrative of) Magical Realist literature, in which arcane phenomena are incorporated into a narrative in order to achieve just such a sense of subjective reality.
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Allen, Richard. "How could knowledge of sensemaking during organizational change contribute to the investigation of how sense is made of organizational perfomance." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2011. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/7139.
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Managers and organizational stakeholders are confronted by a range of stimuli, emotions, events, data, paradoxes and ambiguities in endeavouring to understand and make sense of change and the performance of their organizations. However, there is virtually no literature available on sensemaking within organizational performance. Historically sensemaking literature has focused on unusual events, disasters and high reliability settings but there is now a sizeable body addressing sensemaking in strategic organizational change. This literature has been systematically reviewed because of its proximity to organizational performance and in order to assess how sensemaking in organizational performance could be in investigated.
Sensemaking in individuals is triggered by the unusual and confounding and is concerned with how people construct meaning from this. While sensegiving is about the role played by leaders, or stakeholders, in generating, articulating and “selling” a construction or interpretation of events emerging from their own sensemaking process. “Mindfulness” can be thought of as how sensemaking is realised and is about responding rather than reacting while using information, attentiveness and clues to make sense of what is happening.
The sensemaking studies reviewed are dominated by work with middle managers who are seen by the authors as key organizational change agents. Organizational actors come to sensemaking through mental maps, or schemata that can be re-configured through the sensemaking process often as a way of addressing paradox or equivocation. The view of sensemaking as inter-subjective, discursive and narrative dominates giving scope to managers to facilitate the process. Sensegiving and sensemaking intertwine dialectically in a process which sees sensemaking informing sensegiving and vice versa. There is insufficient information on mindfulness and change to be able to assess it.
In conclusion there are sufficient similarities between the processes of organizational change and organizational performance management to warrant its investigation from an inter-subjective, discursive and narrative sensemaking perspective.
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DiDomenico, Angela Terese. "An investigation on subjective assessments of workload and postural stability under conditions of joint mental and physical demands." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28368.
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Workload is defined as the cost incurred by an individual, given their capacities, while achieving a particular level of performance on a task with specific demands. Demands of a task or combination of tasks may include maintaining postural stability, executing physical actions, and/or performing cognitive tasks. While there have been attempts to establish a physiological measure of concurrent physical and mental workload, as yet there has been no work towards developing a single subjective method of evaluation.
Select subjective assessment methodologies were evaluated quantitatively during laboratory-based experiments. Concurrent execution of mental and physical activity was required at various levels, since it was desired to be able to measure mental workload, physical workload, and also evaluate their interaction. Measurements of task performance were investigated to evaluate the effects of combined mental and physical demands and establish which subjective assessments were accurate and sensitive to changes in workload. The utility of existing subjective assessment tools created for one domain appeared to be limited when evaluating multi-task situations requiring substantial mental and physical activity.
Further clarification of the impact of different types of physical demand on cognitive processing, performance and subjective workload assessment of a constant mental task was addressed in the second experiment. This experiment investigated the effect of several activity types, specifically global versus localized effort, changes in load, and different task frequencies. The results provided support that the type of activity, load and frequency of task influence subjective mental workload assessment scores and performance. Not all existing assessment tools accurately represented an individual's ability to perform a task when there was a combination of physical and mental demands. A unidimensional tool is suggested as a screening tool to identify situations requiring excessive or increased mental workload. Alternative methods, possibly a new multidimensional tool, should be developed to obtain more detailed information so ratings of workload for different tasks may be compared.
Effectiveness of a subjective stability assessment tool was evaluated in situations demanding mental activity while maintaining an upright posture. Tests were performed over a wide range of conditions, including various mental loads, sensory conditions, and postural stances. The purpose was to determine the effects of each task variation on the perception of postural stability. Postural sway increased with task difficulty, regardless of the source (i.e. postural stance, visual condition, mental workload). The addition of mental workload did not alter the non-linear relationship between objective measures of postural sway and perceptions of postural stability. Since decrements in balance are well perceived, subjective assessment tools may be incorporated in control strategies to minimize falls.Ph. D.
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Christensen, Carrie. "An investigation of physical and subjective metrics for assessment of work chairs and tasks for seated operators." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/90925.
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A large segment of the office work force in the United States spends a majority of their work day seated in stationary chairs. Problems with postural fatigue and related maladies are commonly associated with the neck, arms, shoulders, as well as with different positions of the back.
This study was conducted in an effort to determine whether several metrics for general posture and comfort evaluation were viable specifically for work chair evaluation. These techniques were a modification of a posture measurement technique developed by Corlett, Madeley and Manenica (1979) known as Posture Targeting. In addition, three subjective rating scales were used.
MANOVAs were performed on the data. Both task-type and chair-type were found to significantly influence the posture and subjective responses of the subjects in the study.M.S.
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Watson, John Lawrence, and not supplied. "An investigation into the identification of objective parameters correlating with the subjective functional performance of critical listening rooms." RMIT University. Applied Sciences, 2006. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080218.092220.
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The link to subjective parameters and objective parameters in the field of room acoustics has been the source of much research. This thesis surveys some of the available objective room acoustical analysis methods, quantify their advantages and disadvantages with respect to the measurement of acoustical qualities of professionally operated critical listing rooms, and implements these methods in a range of critical listening rooms. In conjunction with the objective room analysis, a subjective component of research was also performed. A series of anechoically recorded standard instrument sounds were presented to professional listeners in their critical listening spaces with the listeners asked to alter the sounds to taste: to
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Morris, Lisa Marie. "Do Schwartz Center Rounds® hold transformational power? : an investigation into the subjective experiences of panellists in Devon." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/29509.
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Background: Schwartz Center Rounds® (SCRs) are multidisciplinary reflective forums where healthcare staff can discuss the psychological and emotional impact of work. Two NHS trusts piloted SCRs in 2009. They now run in 150 UK sites to support staff and enable compassionate care. The investment into SCRs has not been evidence-based. Early studies indicating positive outcomes for healthcare teams at individual, relational, and organizational levels were criticized for lacking rigour. Reflective practice groups (RPGs) share similarities with SCRs but pose a lighter burden on resources. No systematic reviews have investigated the outcomes of these interventions. Therefore, it was important to consider the evidence for both. Objective: To investigate the impact of SCRs and/or multidisciplinary RPGs on healthcare teams on individual, relational, and organizational levels. Method: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methodology empirical studies and autoethnographic evidence on SCRs and/or multidisciplinary RPGs were sought via PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science, The Point of Care Foundation evidence library, the Journal of Compassionate Health Care, and from two recent SCRs studies’ investigators. Results: The search yielded 863 records; 83 were fully accessed and 21 included. The studies’ quality was variable. All matched PICOS criteria and were maintained. Discussion: Four themes were identified: 1. Reflection, learning, and development; 2. Emotional and psychological impact; 3. Storytelling: Connecting humans through narrative communication; 4. Leadership and culture: Openness and honesty. Enablers and barriers, specifically, resources and safety, were connected to, and discussed within, theme four. Conclusions: SCRs and RPGs showed positive effects on healthcare teams at all levels. RPGs may be more conducive to establishing safety; SCRs held greater potential for staff to develop more holistic perspectives with opportunities for dialogue to effect organizational changes. The findings should be treated with caution given the potential bias of many participants and authors and the dearth of SCRs/RPGs’ non-participants’ perspectives. Whether SCRs have the power to effect sustained organizational change has yet to be established. Keywords: Schwartz Center Rounds, Reflective Practice Groups, healthcare teams, compassion Empirical Paper: Do Schwartz Center Rounds® Hold Transformational Power? An Investigation into the Subjective Experiences of Panellists in Devon. Abstract. Objective: To investigate the subjective experiences of NHS Schwartz Center® Rounds (SCRs) panellists in Devon. To explore whether SCRs hold transformational power on three levels: individual, (group/self-other) relational, and organizational, within an overarching systemic approach. Data sources/study setting: Twelve panellists who had presented at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust-Devon Partnership NHS Trust (RD&E-DPT) SCRs in South West England, the first joint SCRs initiative between an acute NHS trust (RD&E) and a mental health NHS trust (DPT). Six RD&E and six DPT panellists took part between May and November 2016, who were also regular attendees (N=4), non-regular attendees (N=5), and non-attendees (N=3) of SCRs. Study design: Twelve individual semi-structured qualitative interviews. Data analysis: Thematic analysis from a social constructionist position was employed to identify patterns across the data set. Key findings: The analysis identified three overarching themes: 1. Psychological safety, culture/s, and leadership; 2. Reflection, learning, and development; 3. Storytelling, connection, and compassion. Reciprocal relationships appeared mutually reinforcing amongst these interacting themes. SCRs in this context appeared to effect transformation at individual and relational levels, with limited impact at the organizational level. For most participants, relational changes were around increased human connection, compassion, and empathy towards colleagues rather than patients. Conclusions: SCRs’ transformational power may be constrained if organizations are solely focused on achieving external goals and if barriers, particularly related to psychological safety, cultural assumptions, norms, and values, are not addressed. Possible SCRs’ mechanisms cited by previous research were supported and a new theoretical model proposed. Key words: Schwartz Center Rounds, compassion, empathy, staff support, human.
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Dodds, William B. "An experimental investigation of the effects of price, brand and store information on the subjective evaluation of products." Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54284.
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This dissertation investigates the effects of price, brand, and store information on buyers perception of product quality and value, as well as the buyers' willingness to buy. It reviews the dissimilar paradigms developed by economists and behaviorists to explain the influence of price on consumer behavior. Hypotheses are derived from a conceptual model to posit the relationship that the extrinsic cues of information, price, brand name and store name, individually have with the constructs of perceived quality, perceived value, and willingness to buy. Additionally, the combined effects of the extrinsic cues on the three constructs are examined.
The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase was necessary to determine products, price levels, brand names and store names to use in the second phase. A 5x3x3 factorial design, with a student sample was used in phase two to test the research hypotheses. Each of the three independent variables had no information treatment that allowed partial replication of past price-perceived quality studies, and examination of price, brand name, and store name main effects in many different cue combinations. Additionally, this research design allowed exploratory research of the marginal effects of combining cue information. Reliability of the measures was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Analysis of variance, Duncans' multiple range tests, and trend analysis were used to analyze the data.
In general the analysis gave good support for the hypothesized effects. The principal exception was finding only the downward sloping relationships for perceived value and willingness to buy as affected by price information. Also, there was a lack of support for the hypothesized combined cues when all the information were perceived to be low.
The research results are discussed with respect to the major findings, significance to theoretical and methodological knowledge as well as marketing practice. Limitations of the research are discussed as well as directions for future research in this paradigm.Ph. D.
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Simmons, Nicholas A. "An investigation into the robustness of willingness to pay for non-market goods in relation to subjective well-being." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2016. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/23010.
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This thesis investigates the sensitivity of derived monetary valuations of the well-being effects of non-market goods, by considering, in turn, the four components that contribute to these calculations. Comparisons are made to the current subjective well-being (SWB) literature by altering one component at a time in a willingness to pay (WTP) function, in addition to varying the estimator used when calculating WTP. The first component varied is the measure of income used; a more robust, up-to-date measure is proposed that takes into account household size, economies of scale and composition, plus other improvements over current income scaling approaches including equivalence scales. Secondly, anticipation and adaptation effects are examined, in order to allow for the dynamics of SWB in WTP valuations. Thirdly, due to the ordered nature of the dependent variable, the effects of both cardinal and ordinal models on WTP derivations are investigated. Such models include the ordered logit fixed effects (FE) model (see for example Das and Van Soest (1999), Ferrer-i-Carbonell and Frijters (2004) and Baetschmann et al. (2011)). The final input to be varied is whether income endogeneity is accounted for. A control function approach is used in this case. A key finding is that all four inputs in the WTP calculation contribute significantly to the estimated WTP values. However, the degree to which each input influences the variation in WTP values differs substantially. The three main contributing factors to WTP variations are the income variable chosen, anticipation and adaptation effects, and controlling for endogeneity. Additionally, this thesis proposes a new way to define WTP that is also valid for ordered estimators. Whilst the standard WTP approach relies simply on coefficient ratios at a point in time, the method proposed here uses the finding that statistically significant anticipation and adaptation effects, along with adaptation to all non-market events (except for unemployment) suggest that there are concerns with taking WTP values as yearly valuations that assume constant effects on SWB. By instead defining WTP as the summation of the value of all WTP effects over all lag and lead effect periods, the total value of an event can be calculated. This definition presents further weaknesses of the original method by showing that because of significant lag and lead effects for events such as divorce and widowhood, these events have substantially larger WTP values than first thought. This leads to the major finding in this study that rank orders are not preserved when controlling for income endogeneity, even when comparing two model specifications that are identical in all other respects. Therefore, despite absolute WTP valuations appearing more similar for linear and ordered estimators when a more appropriate model specification is in place, the rank orders are affected. This finding argues against papers such as Powdthavee and van den Berg (2011) that find that rank orders are preserved for WTP valuations when modelling SWB. In conclusion, given rank orders are generally not preserved when a small change is made in the model specification, the validity of the WTP method is significantly reduced. Finally, the above methodology is applied to education, with the main contribution to the education literature being that the positive effects on SWB from education only exist in terms of lead effects.
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Trede, Teri A. "An investigation of the relationship between religiosity and subjective well-being in older adults : the mediating role of optimism." [Tampa, Fla] : University of South Florida, 2006. http://purl.fcla.edu/usf/dc/et/SFE0001717.
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Gabriel, Gilbert. "Altered states, altered sounds : an investigation of how 'subjective states' are signifed by the soundtrack in narrative fiction cinema." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2011. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/15238/.
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This thesis develops an approach to analyse how film soundtracks are used to signify characters’ subjective experiences of altered states that may distort or exceed their ordinary experience of reality through dreams, memories, intoxication, etc. Its aim is to contribute to critical audio-visual literacy by using Van Leeuwen’s sound semiotic theory (1999) in conjunction with film sound theory in order to investigate how characters’ subjective experiences of particular states of mind (dreams, memories and flashbacks, intoxication, terror and insanity) are signified in narrative fiction cinema by the soundtrack. Its central questions are: 1. How are sound and music used to signify characters’ subjective experiences and what makes these uses of sound apt signifiers for signifying these states of mind? 2. Is it possible to investigate this issue using a multidisciplinary approach that combines film theory and sound semiotics? This study focuses on how characters’ subjective experiences of altered states are signified by eliminating either atmosphere or realistic sound effects or by the mixture of reality and unreality (e.g. intoxication where voiceovers and music are used to signify characters’ subjective experiences). It will explore how sound semiotics and film sound theory can be used to understand how soundtracks are used to signify filmic characters’ subjective experiences of altered states as well as investigating the most appropriate terminologies and transcription methods that may be used for this purpose. It will also discuss how film directors, such as Hitchcock, have created innovative solutions for conveying subjective modality in cinema.
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Gerson, J. "Social media use and subjective well-being : an investigation of individual differences in personality, social comparison and Facebook behaviour." Thesis, City, University of London, 2018. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/20557/.
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This thesis investigates how social media use is associated with subjective well-being by examining the role of individual differences. The popularity of social networking sites has increased significantly over the past decade, with the most popular social media site, Facebook, now reporting over 2 billion users (Facebook Newsroom, 2018). With such widespread use, it is important to understand how Facebook use is related to its users’ subjective well-being (SWB). Previous research has yielded mixed results; however, many of these studies have not taken individual differences into account. Therefore, this thesis investigates how individual differences associated with SWB. The research in Chapter 2 demonstrates that some personality traits moderate the relationship between Facebook social comparison and SWB. Goal-Drive Persistence moderates the relationship between eudaimonic well-being and Facebook social comparison, and BIS moderates the relationship between negative affect and Facebook social comparison. Chapter 3 introduces Facebook engagement styles (active/passive use), and develops scales to measure these differences. The Passive Active Use Measure quantifies three types of Facebook engagement: Active social use, Active non-social use, and Passive use. The research in Chapter 4 finds that personality traits are associated with Facebook engagement styles, and that active forms of use have positive associations with SWB, while passive use is negatively associated with life satisfaction. The results further reveal that individuals who use Facebook intensely to alleviate boredom or for self-expression have higher SWB, while users who overuse report lower SWB. Finally, chapter 5 finds that Facebook engagement styles are associated with social comparison behaviour; active users compare their opinions, while passive users compare both opinions and abilities. Further investigation reveals that the comparison of opinions on Facebook is associated with higher SWB, while the comparison of abilities on Facebook is associated with lower SWB. The results of this thesis suggest that how Facebook is associated with SWB is dependent on individual differences and demonstrates the importance of accounting for individual differences when studying the relationship between Facebook use and SWB.
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Basoudan, Nasreen S. "A neuropsychological investigation of non-clinical anxiety levels and information processing speed in ageing, subjective and objective cognitive functions." Thesis, Swansea University, 2018. https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa48729.
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The speed at which an individual processes information, also referred to as reaction time (RT), is associated with attentional function and is commonly used as a measurement in the diagnosis of age related neurodegenerative disorders and commonly employed in ageing studies. In spite of the common use of information processing speed (RT) in ageing studies and as a diagnostic tool in neurodegenerative disorders, there is a lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate tests to use in the measurement of RT and a lack of consideration when it comes to both methodological and person-related factors that could influence test results. Still further, there is a marked lack of consideration of the idea that these tests may return different results between young adults and older adults, decreasing the overall reliability of the tests themselves. The purpose of the study was to complete an analysis of the test results of multiple RT tests in order to identify whether the study outcome of reaction time and its variability (intra-individual variability or IIV) in young adults and older adults was associated with the methodological factors of the type of test used to measure RT (and thus attentional function measured), the number of trials used and the participant hesitancy in responding; or whether variation occurred within test results due to non-clinical levels of anxiety experienced by the participant, and in relation to the possible/potential related factors, such as non-clinical depression levels, objectively measured general cognitive function, subjective memory function and educational level, sleep and sex. In the completion of the different phases of testing, analysis of the results showed that, in general, RT was slower, and IIV was greater, among older adults, as compared to the results obtained from the young adult group (in all tasks used). Levels of non-clinical anxiety were significantly higher in younger adults as compared to older adults. Although non-clinical anxiety levels could be linked with RT and IIV measures, the results varied concerning the task used, suggesting that this variability in result had to do with task type. Non-clinical levels of anxiety were correlated to sleep quality in specific areas for both younger and older adults, and that relationship was associated with RT, IIV, and attentional-related function in the completion of certain tasks or test types. These Ph.D. research findings may assist in improving clinical practice through the creation and integration of future evidence-based research practices.
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Klaesson, David. "Academic awareness in students' papers : An investigation of information packaging and subjective projections in student papers at university level." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för språk (SPR), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-27144.
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AbstractIn this thesis, emphasis was situated around the development of academic awareness among students studying to become teachers of English. To enable such investigation, a limited number of students were requested to submit written papers, conducted within two particular English courses provided at Linnaeus University. The courses concerned are named Academic writing – provided during the first semester of English studies – and Academic writing and rhetoric – provided during the second semester of English studies –. By investigating papers written within these two courses, conclusions could be drawn regarding the students’ development in academic writing. Twenty-five students decided to share their material, and submitted two productions each. Hence, the amount of written work to investigate was delimited to fifty papers. The investigation was conducted through a qualitative study where certain features, connected to the formal genre of academic writing, were analyzed. Information packaging and subjective projections were found to be valid measures of such investigation. The results showed that there was an overall improvement. In fact, all calculations conducted within these measures, indicated that the students had developed their academic awareness.
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Macphee, Lauren Margaret. "An investigation of the identification of subjective and objective daytime cognitive failures in people with psychophysiological insomnia and good sleeper controls." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2009. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1658/.
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Individuals suffering from psychophysiological insomnia (PI) commonly report the experience of daytime cognitive deficits, such as poor concentration and an inability to complete daily tasks. The published nomenclature is consistent and reflective of these subjective accounts. However, to date there is little, or idiosyncratic, evidence of both subjective and objective daytime deficits in people with PI. This current study aims to assess whether daytime deficits can be detected in a PI population, through the inclusion of The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), a novel subjective report measure assessing everyday cognitive slips in functioning, and the Switching Attention Task (SAT), an objective psychomotor assessment. This current study has demonstrated that both the CFQ and the SATcomplex differentiate a group of PI from good sleeper controls (GS). The study concludes that the CFQ is a useful inclusion to PI research and provides more detailed evidence relating to the occurrence of daytime cognitive deficits in PI, however a measure with a stable multifactor may be more beneficial in future research. In addition, the significantly poorer performance of PI on the SATcomplex is discussed in relation to high cognitive load rather than gross cognitive deficit, and results from a SATsimple task and Digit Span Task aid this discussion and support the conclusion that deficits in PI are observed in relation to tasks that require the simultaneous activation of multiple cognitive resources.
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Jantsch, Antje [Verfasser], Norbert [Gutachter] Hirschauer, and Christian [Gutachter] Welzel. "An investigation into the relationship between subjective well-being and (relative) wealth in Germany / Antje Jantsch ; Gutachter: Norbert Hirschauer, Christian Welzel." Halle (Saale) : Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1222029383/34.
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Sampson, Christopher Shane. "A qualitative investigation of the subjective experience of crises and life changes in the family which precede the onset and diagnosis of schizophrenia." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23884.
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This study set out to explore the subjective experience of crises and life changes in the family which precede the onset of schizophrenia. The motivation for it arose from the vulnerability-stress model of schizophrenia which proposes that environmental factors such as stressful life events may help to trigger the onset or exacerbation of symptoms in people who have a genetic vulnerability for the condition. Related research suggests that crises and life changes in the family can contribute to the stress experienced by those who go on to become psychologically disturbed. This has led to an increased interest in accessing the subjective experience of schizophrenia as shared by individuals and their families through the use of narratives to provide alternative perspectives on the condition. Indeed, a growing body of evidence from research conducted with people diagnosed with schizophrenia suggests that the content of their actions and statements can be construed as meaningful and logical in the context of their family and life situations. Four individuals who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and their families participated in this study. In each case study, two interviews were conducted, one with the individual participant and a second interview with the individual and those members of their family that were willing to attend. The interviews were guided by a semistructured interview schedule and data from the interviews was analysed using content analyses and the most prominent themes were discussed in relation to the literature. The themes in the data describe the participants’ subjective experience of the many crises and life events and change in psychological functioning that precedes the onset of florid psychotic symptoms. These findings suggest that the schizophrenic symptoms of the participants in this study helped to absorb the impact of family stressors and played a fundamental role in keeping the family systems intact. The associated behaviour appeared to sustain the roles in the family as well as long-standing patterns of interaction between the family members. The numerous interacting influences and sheer variation in the experience of just four families indicates that much still needs to be understood about the experience of schizophrenia. It is recommended that future research investigate how the subjective understanding of schizophrenia affects the lives of those affected. CopyrightDissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Psychology
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Shaffer, Emily J. "An investigation of a dual-factor model of mental health and related physical health outcomes among early adolescents." [Tampa, Fla] : University of South Florida, 2006. http://purl.fcla.edu/usf/dc/et/SFE0001757.
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Ljungdalh, Stine Nielsen. "The zone : a subjective investigation, set up as a meta-fictional play towards recognition of the Event in the process of creation." Thesis, Kingston University, 2016. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/37314/.
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Brooks, Benjamin. "Educating for a Good Life: An Investigation into Quality of Life, Educational Attainment, Scholastic and Non-Scholastic Learning Experiences, and the Economics-Based Model of Schooling." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1313684449.
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Nyberg, Dan. "An investigation of qualitative research methodology for perceptual audio evaluation." Licentiate thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Medier ljudteknik och upplevelseproduktion och teater, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-17438.
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This thesis investigates whether a qualitative research method, using phenomenological interviews and analysis, can be successfully applied to perceptual audio research, a field heretofore that has mainly used quantitative methods. The method is investigated by studying the types of information elicited by the method and the information’s usefulness and relevance to the conducted study. The qualitative method is applied in three different conditions: a non-experimental condition, an experimental condition, and an experimental condition using mixed-methods. The thesis also identifies implications associated with using a qualitative method in a quantitative field of research, implications that researchers should acknowledge and consider. All scientific criteria in which the quantitative research is judged cannot directly be applied to a qualitative method. A qualitative method has to be judged on its own framework, departure points, and scientific criteria. The information elicited from the qualitative method contains information that supports known knowledge and adds new knowledge. It supplements the accessibility to the subjects’ perceptions and used methods when conducting a perceptual evaluation task. In conclusion, a qualitative research method that consists of phenomenological interviews and analyses can be successfully applied in all the tested conditions.Godkänd; 2012; 20121119 (dannyb); LICENTIATSEMINARIUM Ämne: Ljudteknik Examinator: Biträdande professor Jan Berg, Luleå tekniska universitet Diskutant: PhD, Senior Lecturer Natanya Ford, Bucks New University, United Kingdom Tid: Fredag den 18 januari 2013 kl 13.00 Plats: L165, Musikhögskolan Piteå, Luleå tekniska universitet
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Bödecker, Caroline [Verfasser], and Werner [Akademischer Betreuer] Wittling. "fMRI investigation of heterotopic noxious counter-stimulation reveals subgroup differences in brain activation patterns and subjective pain experience / Caroline Bödecker ; Betreuer: Werner Wittling." Trier : Universität Trier, 2010. http://d-nb.info/1197805184/34.
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Mehrnoosh, Behzad. "Comparing Analog and Digital Non-Linear Sonic Signatures : an Investigation on Creative Application and Subjective Perception using the Universal Audio 1176 FET Compressor." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik, konst och samhälle, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-84598.
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Historically, compression was primarily used as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of clipping or overloading equipment in the recording signal chain. Research on the topic has revealed that modern production applications more commonly include utilizing compression as a creative effect, to impart distortion, manipulate timbre, and modify transients, rather than to control the dynamic range of audio signals. It has also been found that specific compressors are regularly chosen for the sonic signatures that they impart onto audio material. To evaluate the quality of a digitally modeled emulation plugin of a classic compressor, an analog and digital version of the Universal Audio 1176 FET compressor was tested in this study. 20 experienced listeners participated in a MUSHRA-style listening test during which processed sounds were rated based on four attributes. The result of the listening test verifies previous findings on the sonic signature of the 1176, and evidence presented suggests that the plugin can be used for the same creative purposes as the analog device. However, it was also found that intuitive methods could not be used when trying to match the processing of the hardware. Instead, critical listening and user experience seem to be important factors when trying to achieve the same creative effects when using the software plugin.
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Rabini, Giuseppe. "Hearing sounds in space: A neuro-cognitive investigation on the ability to associate auditory cues with external space." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Trento, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11572/246000.
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Sound localisation is one of the most representative function of the auditory system and, as such, it has been extensively investigated across species. Spatial hearing can be dramatically altered across the life span, yet research in humans have highlighted the remarkable capacity of the brain to adapt to changes of listening conditions, such as temporary ear plugging or long lasting hearing impairments. Although several investigations have examined accommodation to altered auditory cues (Chapter 1), a common theoretical framework seems to lack and a number of questions remain open. This limits the possibility to translate our current knowledge into concrete clinical applications for individuals who experience spatial hearing difficulties after hearing loss. The current dissertation reflects the attempt to answer specific questions regarding the process of sound localisation. The first study (Chapter 2) aimed to investigate the relation between different reference frames in spatial hearing, namely egocentric and allocentric sound representation. We studies this topic in the context of a learning paradigm, assessing to what extent localisation of single sounds in simulated monaural hearing (unilateral ear plugging) can improve following an audio-visual spatial hearing training focused on egocentric sound processing vs allocentric sound processing. An untrained group was also included in the study. We found that localisation performance in the horizontal plane improved specifically in the side ipsilateral to the ear-plug for all groups. Yet, the trained groups showed a qualitatively different change of performance after four days of multisensory ego/allocentric training compared to the untrained group, providing initial evidence of the possible role of allocentric coding in acoustic space re-learning. These results further highlight the importance of including a test-retest group in paradigms of sound localisation training. The second study (Chapter 3) focused on a specific aspect of the phenomenological experience of spatial hearing, namely the subjective confidence about the perceived sound position. We examined the relation between objective localisation accuracy and subjective certainty while participants localised sounds in two different listening conditions – binaural or simulated monaural hearing. Results showed that overall subjective certainty on sound position decreased in the altered listening condition (unilateral ear-plugging). In simulated monaural hearing, localisation accuracy and spatial confidence dissociated. For instance, there were trials in which participants were accurate, but felt uncertain, and trials in which they were less accurate but expressed higher ratings of spatial confidence on sound position. Furthermore, subjective confidence increased as a function of time within the testing block, and it was related to the spatial distribution of the perceived sound-source position. The third study (Chapter 4) exploited magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the dynamics of the cortical network implied in active sound localisation. We implemented a novel apparatus to study sound localisation in MEG with real sounds in external space, and collected behavioural and subjective responses (i.e., accuracy and confidence, as in Study 2) during this altered listening condition. Results showed that participants were able to perceive the spatial difference between the positions of stimulation, thus proving the reliability of our novel setting for the study of spatial hearing in MEG. MEG data highlight a distributed bilateral cortical network involved in active sound localisation, which emerged shortly after stimulus presentation (100—125 ms). The network comprise the classical dorsal auditory pathway plus other cortical regions usually underestimated in previous literature – most notably, regions in the central sulcus/precentral gyrus possibly involved in head movements. Connectivity analysis revealed different patterns of neural coupling, as a function of frequency band. In particular, coherence in high gamma revealed significant connections involving the parietal cortex and the posterior superior temporal cortex. In the final chapter (Chapter 5), I summarise the main findings of the three studies, discuss their implications and outline potential future directions.
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Rabini, Giuseppe. "Hearing sounds in space: A neuro-cognitive investigation on the ability to associate auditory cues with external space." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Trento, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11572/246000.
Full textAbstract:
Sound localisation is one of the most representative function of the auditory system and, as such, it has been extensively investigated across species. Spatial hearing can be dramatically altered across the life span, yet research in humans have highlighted the remarkable capacity of the brain to adapt to changes of listening conditions, such as temporary ear plugging or long lasting hearing impairments. Although several investigations have examined accommodation to altered auditory cues (Chapter 1), a common theoretical framework seems to lack and a number of questions remain open. This limits the possibility to translate our current knowledge into concrete clinical applications for individuals who experience spatial hearing difficulties after hearing loss. The current dissertation reflects the attempt to answer specific questions regarding the process of sound localisation. The first study (Chapter 2) aimed to investigate the relation between different reference frames in spatial hearing, namely egocentric and allocentric sound representation. We studies this topic in the context of a learning paradigm, assessing to what extent localisation of single sounds in simulated monaural hearing (unilateral ear plugging) can improve following an audio-visual spatial hearing training focused on egocentric sound processing vs allocentric sound processing. An untrained group was also included in the study. We found that localisation performance in the horizontal plane improved specifically in the side ipsilateral to the ear-plug for all groups. Yet, the trained groups showed a qualitatively different change of performance after four days of multisensory ego/allocentric training compared to the untrained group, providing initial evidence of the possible role of allocentric coding in acoustic space re-learning. These results further highlight the importance of including a test-retest group in paradigms of sound localisation training. The second study (Chapter 3) focused on a specific aspect of the phenomenological experience of spatial hearing, namely the subjective confidence about the perceived sound position. We examined the relation between objective localisation accuracy and subjective certainty while participants localised sounds in two different listening conditions – binaural or simulated monaural hearing. Results showed that overall subjective certainty on sound position decreased in the altered listening condition (unilateral ear-plugging). In simulated monaural hearing, localisation accuracy and spatial confidence dissociated. For instance, there were trials in which participants were accurate, but felt uncertain, and trials in which they were less accurate but expressed higher ratings of spatial confidence on sound position. Furthermore, subjective confidence increased as a function of time within the testing block, and it was related to the spatial distribution of the perceived sound-source position. The third study (Chapter 4) exploited magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the dynamics of the cortical network implied in active sound localisation. We implemented a novel apparatus to study sound localisation in MEG with real sounds in external space, and collected behavioural and subjective responses (i.e., accuracy and confidence, as in Study 2) during this altered listening condition. Results showed that participants were able to perceive the spatial difference between the positions of stimulation, thus proving the reliability of our novel setting for the study of spatial hearing in MEG. MEG data highlight a distributed bilateral cortical network involved in active sound localisation, which emerged shortly after stimulus presentation (100—125 ms). The network comprise the classical dorsal auditory pathway plus other cortical regions usually underestimated in previous literature – most notably, regions in the central sulcus/precentral gyrus possibly involved in head movements. Connectivity analysis revealed different patterns of neural coupling, as a function of frequency band. In particular, coherence in high gamma revealed significant connections involving the parietal cortex and the posterior superior temporal cortex. In the final chapter (Chapter 5), I summarise the main findings of the three studies, discuss their implications and outline potential future directions.
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Leung, Sai Ning Mary. "Post stroke depression : an investigation into the relationships between epidemiological data, neuroanatomical correlates, and intellectual abilities as well as subjective ratings of own impairement and disability." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.362407.
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Reina, Livia. "From Subjective Expected Utility Theory to Bounded Rationality: An Experimental Investigation on Categorization Processes in Integrative Negotiation, in Committees' Decision Making and in Decisions under Risk." Doctoral thesis, Technische Universität Dresden, 2005. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A24667.
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As mentioned in the introduction, the objective of this work has been to get a more realistic understanding of economic decision making processes by adopting an interdisciplinary approach which takes into consideration at the same time economic and psychological issues. The research in particular has been focused on the psychological concept of categorization, which in the standard economic theory has received until now no attention, and on its implications for decision making. The three experimental studies conducted in this work provide empirical evidence that individuals don not behave according to the perfect rationality and maximization assumptions which underly the SEUT, but rather as bounded rational satisfiers who try to simplify the decision problems they face through the process of categorization. The results of the first experimental study, on bilateral integrative negotiation, show that most of the people categorize a continuum of outcomes in two categories (satisfying/not satisfying), and treat all the options within each category as equivalent. This process of categorization leads the negotiators to make suboptimal agreements and to what I call the ?Zone of Agreement Bias? (ZAB). The experimental study on committees? decision making with logrolling provides evidence of how the categorization of outcomes in satisfying/not satisfying can affect the process of coalition formation in multi-issue decisions. In the first experiment, involving 3-issues and 3-parties decisions under majority rule, the categorization of outcomes leads most of the individuals to form suboptimal coalitions and make Pareto-dominated agreements. The second experiment, aimed at comparing the suboptimizing effect of categorization under majority and unanimity rule, shows that the unanimity rule can lead to a much higher rate of optimal agreements than the majority rule. The third experiment, involving 4-issues and 4-parties decisions provides evidence that the results of experiments 1 and 2 hold even when the level of complexity of the decision problem increases.
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Buerkle, C. Wesley, Christopher C. Gearhart, and Carrie M. Oliveira. "According to, Student Motivations… : A Theory of Planned Behavior Investigation of Students’ Intention to Orally Cite Sources." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/508.
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This study employs the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand the role of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on students’ intent to orally cite sources using complete, rather than partial, citations. Undergraduates (N = 326) enrolled in general education oral communication courses completed a self-report survey testing the TPB variables and students’ citation intentions. Findings demonstrate that subjective norms and perceived behavioral control predict student intention to cite sources and do so completely. Tensions between credibility gains and time constraints are also evident. Implications for teaching students in basic courses about oral citations are discussed.
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RADIS, MICHELA. "Influence of material optical characteristics on vision and fruition of Cultural Heritage." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2687256.
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For Cultural Heritage materials is important to guarantee a correct conservation and vision of the artefacts, enhancing the observer experience assuring the best visual and conceptual appearance of artefacts. Several factors affect the visual appearance of artistic materials. However, available measurement methodologies for the material characterisation are not able to accurately predict the visual appearance of materials usually used in cultural heritage.
Goals of the thesis research was to identify the visual attributes that mainly affect the appearance of artworks, investigate the correlation between measured data and visual human response and individuate if there are measured conditions that allow a better correlation. Finally, provide useful suggestion to aid in planning and selecting adequate conservative intervention, such as restoration work. In order to reach these purposes, different samples representative of materials used in artistic artefacts were selected and realised and two different visual testes were set up and carried out investigating the influence of lighting and viewing conditions on the human visual response of selected visual attributes: glossiness, colour (saturation), brightness and sparkling. The first visual test takes into account how the human visual responses on glossiness and saturation are affected by the lighting and viewing conditions using coloured samples with different levels of gloss obtained brushed on them different mixture of natural varnishes. While, in the second visual test were identified the elements that mainly affect the human perception of sparkling and brightness in monochromatic samples with mica particles, a mineral easily found in ornamental stones. At the end of each visual test, all responses were statistical analysed and, then, the results were compared with the corresponding objective measured data. In this way, it was possible to define what measurement conditions allow to have a better correlation with the subjective assessment.
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Pupeikienė, Lina. "Investigation and Applikation of Profilled Schools Schedulling Tasks Optimimization Methods." Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2009. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2009~D_20090608_173743-06877.
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The problem of profiled school scheduling is important for Lithuanian schools and for similar schools in many other countries. No polynomial time methods are known for this problem.
The objective of this PhD thesis is to investigate heuristic methods for optimization of profiled school schedules. The convenience of application in real-life situations is provided by the vector optimization approach using platform-independent software implementation.
The task of experimental investigation is to select such parameters of heuristic methods that minimize expected deviation from the optimum.
Four optimization methods were regarded: Local Deterministic (LD), Local Randomized (LR), Simulated Annealing (SA), and SA with parameters optimized using the Bayesian approach (BA). The composite method of AM and BA provided the best results.
In Chapter 1 of the dissertation, various aspects of work of optimization methods as well as popular program languages suitable for school schedule optimization are analyzed. Literature about school scheduling is analysed.
In Chapter 2, conclusions are drawn how the optimization of heuristic parameters influences the speed and accuracy of finding the optimal solution. A technical rating analysis of popular schedule programs is made and technical disadvantages are listed. Criteria for evaluating the quality of results are proposed that include heuristic parameters in search of optimal schedules. Recommendations are states how to assess the choice and... [to full text]Profiliuotos mokyklos tvarkaraščio kūrimas yra aktualus uždavinys tiek Lietuvoje, tiek kitose šalyse. Nėra žinoma polinominių būdų šiai problemai spręsti. Pagrindinis šios daktaro disertacijos objektas yra ištirti euristinius metodus, skirtus profiliuotos mokyklos tvarkaraščio optimizavimui. Tvarkaraščio formavimo kriterijai, kurie yra reikalingi realiame gyvenime, nustatomi vektorinio optimizavimo metodais bei realizuojami nuo operacinės sistemos nepriklausoma programine įranga. Eksperimentinių tyrimų uždavinys – surasti tokius euristinių metodų parametrus, kurie minimizuotų numatytą nuokrypį. Disertacijoje aprašomi keturi optimizavimo metodai: lokalus determinuotas (LD), lokalus atsitiktinis (LA), atkaitinimo modeliavimo (AM) ir AM parametrų optimizavimas naudojant Bayes (BA) metodą. Kombinuotas AM ir Bayes metodas duoda geriausius rezultatus. Pirmajame apžvelgiama su mokyklos tvarkaraščių formavimu susijusi literatūra. Analizuojami tinkamiausi optimizavimo metodų darbo aspektai. Analizuojamos populiariausios programavimo kalbos, tinkančios kurti mokyklų tvarkaraščių optimizavimo programą. Antrajame skyriuje formuluojamas profiliuotų mokyklų tvarkaraščio kūrimo matematinis modelis. Analizuojami profiliuotose mokyklose naudojami euristiniai parametrai. Atlikti populiarių tvarkaraščių programų vertinimai ir analizės. Įvardijami šių programų trūkumai. Trečiajame skyriuje, remiantis 2 skyriaus analize ir išvadomis, pateiktas profiliuotos mokyklos lanksčios tvarkaraščio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
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Dammerud, Jens Jørgen. "Stage acoustics for symphony orchestras in concert halls." Thesis, University of Bath, 2009. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.518296.
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Aldrich, Sarah Jane. "Ready to learn? : a qualitative investigation into what key stage 2 children say contributes to their subjective well-being and facilitates their learning in school, and the development of an instrument to capture change in this domain." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/11003.
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An overview of the research In November 2009, considerable interest was generated by a study day of the National Association of Principal Educational Psychologists (NAPEP) on evaluation of outcomes of the work of Educational Psychology Services (EPSs). Following this, my service requested that I investigate this area during my training placement, as a topic for my doctoral research. A review of the literature and professional networking sites (for example, EPNET) revealed that although many services at the time were considering or actively seeking valid and reliable ‘tools’ to evaluate services, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, in practice, few were undertaking evaluation systematically, and those that were did not feel confident that they were doing it well. While a number of services were regularly collecting data on how much service (quantity) they were delivering, to whom and in what ways, and on the subjective experience for a range of service users, few were focussing on outcomes, and even fewer were measuring these in any systematic way (Norgate, 2010). My service was one of those that already collected data on delivery in terms of quantity and subjective quality, and they had just introduced Target Monitoring and Evaluation (TME) (Dunsmuir, Brown, Iyadurai and Monsen, 2009), as a goals-based approach to informing service delivery, and a way of recording consultation and engagement with children, families and schools. While this was a positive step towards more systematic evaluation, it was noted that a missing dimension was what the children themselves felt about the outcome of engagement with an EP, and whether they felt that things had been improved in domains that were significant to them. While there was considerable interest in hearing children’s voices driven by international agreements, legislation, policy initiatives and research, a review of the literature suggested that engaging with children in meaningful ways, and eliciting valid views, was a challenging endeavour. This was particularly true for certain groups of children and young people; those with additional needs, particularly those with profound and multiple difficulties or severe language difficulties, and also for the youngest children in the pre-school and primary years. The two research studies presented here aimed to begin to redress that balance. I chose to focus on the collective voice of local children aged 7 – 11 years in Key Stage 2 (KS2), in mainstream primary schools, and of all abilities, including children with additional needs at all three stages of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. My reason for this was to ascertain the views of ‘typical’ children in mainstream education, so that they might be better understood by adults (presented in Paper 1), and in order to produce a general measure (presented in Paper 2), which could later be modified and refined, as appropriate, for other groups, for example, younger age groups, or children with more significant difficulties. Paper 1 briefly reviews the literature on hearing children’s voices, some of the difficulties encountered in this enterprise, and approaches that have been proposed to overcome these, including attempts to actively involve them in decision making and research about issues that affect their lives. The findings of a selection of studies, which have explored what children and young people have identified as being important factors in their school lives, are presented. The qualitative research study that follows is informed by this review of the selected literature. The approach is informed by ‘positive psychology’, with an explicit focus on ‘what works’, while not denying or ignoring what children say does not work for them. Forty primary school children in Key stage 2 were interviewed using a range of approaches. The children were recruited from local schools with differing demographics in the South West of the United Kingdom. The research approach was pragmatic, and adopted a critical realist perspective and mixed methodology. A thematic analysis was carried out to explore children’s understandings of what helped them to learn at school (Paper 1), and these understandings were subsequently used within a realist approach to develop a tool co-designed with the children (Paper 2). The approach was also inductive, being driven by the data rather than theory. The aim was to put the children at the centre of the research, not just as participants, but as collaborators and co-constructors of the interpretations made of their ‘talk’, and of the subsequent design of a ‘tool’ to facilitate helpful conversations about what they might like to change, and to subsequently measure any impact of interventions. The interview data were analysed using a thematic approach, and the findings were discussed, modified and validated through focus groups with the original interviewees. A thematic network or ‘map of the child’s-eye view’ is presented. A descriptive reading of three emerging topics; academic competence, social competence and social recognition, is offered and discussed, and exemplified by original quotes from the children. (Due to the word limit, additional descriptive analysis is presented in the appendices). Finally, at a deeper level of analysis, two overarching themes, ‘competence’ and ‘connectedness’ are suggested as having emerged from the data. The results of the thematic analysis are linked to previous research, and it is proposed that, while this is only one possible reading of the data presented, there are significant resonances with data collected for children and young people across cultures and age ranges. Therefore findings may tentatively be generalised beyond the local culture. The implications of the findings for EP practice are discussed. In Paper 2, the previous study is used to inform the design of a measure to assess children’s satisfaction with their school life, in terms of issues that are important to them. Current literature on evaluating outcomes in EP services is briefly reviewed. This is followed by discussion of a selection of the measures currently available which target aspects of children’s life in schools, and the advantages and drawbacks of using these in evaluation. Finally, I discuss why it might be advantageous to view school life from the perspective of children’s subjective well-being or ‘happiness’, and review evidence from experimental research, within a positive psychology framework, and particularly the ‘Broaden-and-Build’ Theory of Positive Emotions (Frederickson, 2005). Subsequently, the thematic network, created in Paper 1, was used with four focus groups of the original interviewees, to design items for an instrument to assess subjective satisfaction with school life; what makes them ‘happy’ and ‘ready-to-learn’ in school. The children were included in every step of the design, including; choosing and wording the items (guided by frequency data and the range of topics and themes identified in Study 1), choice of the rating system, instructions for completion and layout, and naming of the instrument (the ‘Ready-to-Learn’ Scale). Following piloting and minor modification, the ‘Ready-to-Learn’ Scale was administered to an opportunity sample of 344 children from the four participating schools over the summer term of 2011. Principal components analysis on the data generated a six factor solution, interpreted as six sub-scales: school competence (α = .81), social competence (α = .80), academic competence (α = .78), distress and discomfort in school (α = .68), environmental support for learning (α = .70), and acceptance and recognition by adults (α = .80), with an overall scale reliability, α = .92, and a 95% confidence interval of 17 (16.72). The scale now requires further validity checks and standardisation, but is offered as a useful instrument for initial engagement with children in this age group.
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Kudrna, Laura. "Please award this degree, even though it is likely to make others miserable – and me too : an investigation of the relationships of absolute and relative socio-economic status with subjective wellbeing in the United States and England." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2017. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3701/.
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This thesis argues that we can better understand the relationship between socio-economic status and subjective wellbeing (SWB) by considering more carefully to whom and how people make comparisons and what is meant by SWB. It questions existing knowledge with new empirical evidence and frameworks for both ‘reference groups’ – the people to whom we (may) make comparisons – and SWB. These contributions are situated within existing social comparison, norm and identity theories from economics and psychology. Using two large datasets from the United States and England, over 300 reference group measures are created. Nearly 4K models are analysed, adjusting for multiple comparisons. Although the results should be interpreted cautiously due to issues of endogeneity, they suggest that upward comparisons to others’ socio-economic attainment do matter for SWB and are almost always negative after accounting for individual attainment and multicollinearity. Comparisons to others of a similar age and to perceptions of those in ‘society’ matter most consistently. Socio-economic attainment in and of itself, however, is not sufficient to improve how people feel even if it improves their thoughts about how well their lives are going, and it is difficult to escape the negative effects of relative socio-economic status. Negative effects are evident across the distributions of SWB and absolute socio-economic status, for both women and men, and across age groups. It is not possible to dismiss the idea that comparisons to others’ socio-economic attainment do not matter – and yet, achieving socio-economically in absolute terms does not guarantee a life free of misery and full of happy and meaningful moments, either, even if this should be the ultimate aim of people and social policies. These results can inform normative debates about optimal resource distributions in societies and underscore the importance of considering how well people are doing socio-economically in relative and not only absolute terms.
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Banga, Surinderjit. "Investigating role strain, coping and subjective well-being in combining multiple roles." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/2163.
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This thesis investigates some of the salient factors involved in women's experience of combining and coping with multiple roles. A total of four studies are undertaken using both quantitative and qualitative methods to progressively focus on those factors which are identified as particularly relevant. Consequently, data is gathered using diary, interview and questionnaire methods in order to cast light upon the precise nature of the relationship between combining multiple roles, reported life satisfaction, coping and personality. In addition to identifying which particular role combinations lead to the greatest conflict, the research also clarifies the optimum number of role demands associated with reports of high life satisfaction. In so doing, the thesis provides support for the Scarcity Hypothesis as well as supplying detail about the precise nature of the role combinations associated with high and low life satisfaction. The implications of these findings for advising women on role combinations are considered. The nature of the relationship between certain key role combinations and preferred coping strategies is explored. Results suggest a relationship between certain role strains and particular coping strategies. Emotion-focused coping is preferred for inter-role conflict whereas 'superwoman' coping is more prevalent for role overload. Finally, the relationship between two major personality factors, role strain and coping, is investigated. Individuals with high scores for neuroticism are identified as expressing greater inter-role conflict, and using fewer emotion-focused coping strategies, compared with those with low scores on this scale. The implications of these findings in relation to potential social and therapeutic interventions are discussed and it is proposed that counselling and counter-conditioning might be employed to help change both cognitions and behaviour. The thesis concludes with a reflexive look at findings, issues of contention, avenues for future research, and potential practical implications.
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Rawlings, Gregg. "Investigating the subjective experience of living with epilepsy or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2017. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/19266/.
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Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are paroxysmal events superficially resembling epileptic seizures. Although exploring the subjective experience is key in the management and care of patients with epilepsy or PNES, there is a lack of research into the subjective symptomologies. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the phenomenology and clinical implications (diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic) of the lived experience of epilepsy or PNES. Firstly, a systematic synthesis of 21 qualitative studies investigating personal experiences of PNES was conducted. Five key themes emerged revealing experiences of treatment, impact to daily life, and emotional events, as well as differences between the seizure accounts of those with epilepsy. The first empirical study in this thesis explored a series of self-reported measures demonstrating that, subjective experiences could contribute to the diagnostic process as symptoms of panic associated with episodes of transient loss of consciousness could be used to distinguish between PNES and epilepsy or syncope. In study two, a series of multiple-regression analyses revealed that in both epilepsy and PNES, illness perception was a stronger predictor of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) when compared to demographic and condition-related factors. In study three, it was found that writing about experiences of living with a seizure disorder was associated with qualitative and quantitative benefits, including improved HRQoL one-month later. In the final series of studies, it was demonstrated that analysing and comparing individuals’ written accounts of PNES or epilepsy could help to improve our understanding towards some of the problems that individuals experience, as well as highlight clinical implications. In conclusion, research into the subjective experience of seizure disorders is a valuable area of research. More specifically, in-depth investigations are needed into the impact, prevalence and management of specific experiences, which include the voices of individuals that so far have been under-represented.
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Zhong, Jing Yang. "Investigating the relationship between subjective well-being and consumption in the United Kingdom." Thesis, City University London, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.507432.
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Subjective well-being (SWB) benefits individuals as well as society as a whole. The relevant research has covered many aspects of life. However, as one of the most important way of seeking happiness in modern consumer culture, people’s actual consumption behavior of hedonic products has not been linked to well-being and well studied. Following the two principles crucial to understanding well-being, this thesis investigates this relationship from two perspectives—well-being is both the outcome and the cause of beneficial hedonic product consumption. But the thesis starts from solving a question left from early research on how subjective cognition interacts with objective circumstances to affect well-being. Specifically, this thesis addresses the following research issues: • RI 1: How much satisfaction with objective circumstances within life domains mediates the relationship between corresponding objective circumstances and SWB? • RI 2: How much does hedonic consumption affect SWB, and how much is the relationship mediated by people’s satisfaction with their relevant life domains? • RI 3: How does SWB affects hedonic consumption; and does it have differential impacts on hedonic service consumption versus hedonic durable consumption, and why? This thesis takes advantage of a large national panel survey with more than 15,000 consumers to investigate these research issues. The findings for the first research issue show that the mediating effect of subjective satisfaction is complicated and domain specific. Satisfaction with the house completely mediates the effect of housing on well-being, while satisfaction with health and leisure life only partially mediate the effects of physical health and engaging in leisure activities on well-being respectively. Moreover, income, having a supportive partner, job type and job pay has no effect on well-being, and satisfaction with these circumstances affects well-being independently. The findings for the second research issue were that leisure consumption promotes well-being completely through the mediating effect of satisfaction with the use of leisure time, social life, and health. That is, spending on hedonic products to achieve mere pleasure is not the major source of well-being; rather, hedonic consumption for building enduring personal resources in various life domains (e.g., physical healthsocial connections), and being satisfied with these life domains in turn leads to well-being. In addition, frequency of engaging in low-cost leisure activities positively affects satisfaction with the use of leisure time, social life and health, which may indicate that consumption of low-cost hedonic products are primary sources of satisfaction associated with the relevant life domains as well as well-being. The findings for the third research issue provide evidence that well-being plays a key role in predicting hedonic service consumption: High well-being consumers more frequently consume highly rewarding, low-cost hedonic services, and they spend more on these services to build their physical health, social connectedness, and intellectual skills. However, this relationship does not exist in the context of hedonic durable consumption. High well-being consumers more frequently buy low-cost hedonic durables for their intrinsic fun, but they do not tend to spend more on these less rewarding products, possibly because of their poor association with long-term happiness. The main contribution of this research is the development and quantification of the bidirectional relationship between consumers’ well-being and their actual consumption. This relationship is one of the first rigorously researched step towards understanding the important confluence of two crucial concerns of well-being and consumption in modern society. This thesis has both theoretical and practical implications in the area of well-being and consumer behavior. The relationship was built from theory and empirical research and provides a foundation for further research on other consumer products and in other culture
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Britton, Richard. "Investigating how the subjective experience of worry is constructed by qualitative research methods." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2016. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/2049179/.
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The purpose of this review is to identify and summarise qualitative research focusing on the subjective experience of worry. The majority of research to date has focussed on quantitative measures of worry which limit participants’ responses to ratings on pre-defined questionnaire items. In summarising open ended subjective studies about the experience of worry, this review aims to identify phenomenological aspects of the experience of worry that may further advance theory development. Findings are summarised. The following key qualitative themes were identified, a) control over worry, b) value assessments of worry, c) perceived causes of worry and d) cognitive features of worry. However, all qualitative studies identified by the review were lacking in quality, transparency and/or richness. It is recommended that further research be conducted which utilise qualitative methodologies involving rigorous and transparent processes.
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Guarnacci, Ugo. "Investigating resilience in post-disaster, post-conflict Indonesia : governance, social networks and subjective wellbeing." Thesis, University of Reading, 2017. http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/73490/.
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This thesis starts from the premise that examining resilience from a socio-economic perspective is far from complete. Economics needs to narrow the gap with other social sciences such as geography and social psychology that are contributing extensively to the resilience debate. This thesis focuses on post-disaster, post-conflict Indonesia and adopts a political and cultural economy framework to investigate resilience as a multi-scale, multi-layered and multi-component process, across the urban and rural gradients. Such an approach allows us to link the analysis of key notions from social-ecological systems thinking, such as redundancy, adaptive capacity, and transformation, with key concepts in economics, notably polycentricity, formal and informal institutions, identities, social capital, networks and subjective wellbeing. The empirical analysis of the two Indonesian case studies - namely Nias and Aceh - shows that: i) at system level, the newly created Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) governance architecture has a weak degree of policentricity, failing to engage local actors and keeping a top-down approach to disaster management; ii) at the community level, ethnicity, religion and gender play a key role in creating closely-knit sub-groups, represented by different opinion leaders who often compete with each other to gain access to resources, with a negative effect on trust and cooperative relationships; iii) at the individual level, living in a more or less cooperative and trustworthy environment has an impact on subjective wellbeing and thus influences what people value as important for their quality of life after major events such as disasters and conflicts.
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Lundberg, Elina, and Erica Gavefalk. "Investigating the impact on subjective satisfaction and learnability when adopting cloud in an SME." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Programvara och system, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-157708.
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Cloud services and solutions have served as a shift in the computer industry and create new opportunities for users. Clouds have been described as easily usable and fluid in terms of expansion and contraction depending on the real-time needs. Although the cloud is promoted with several benefits, it is not always apparent for the users that this is the case. Understanding both the benefits and challenges that exist is substantial for a successful adoption to cloud. This master’s thesis is conducted in collaboration with Exsitec ABand aims to investigate how the adoption of the cloud service Microsoft Azure will affect the development process. Also, it aims to provide a best practice for potentially needed updated working procedures, in terms of satisfaction and learnability. The investigation was performed through interviews and the System Usability Scale, to assess how the end users experienced development in a cloud environment. The thesis revealed that the Azure portal has low overall usability, but that there also exists an inconsistency of that perception. Two major factors that contributed to the satisfaction and learnability was the lack of documentation and that the Azure portal was considered hard to master. The SUS score revealed that the mean value was below an acceptable level, and thus changes in the company’s working procedures need to be implemented. Internal documentation regarding how the company should use both cloud in general, as well as the portal in particular, are required in order to increase the learnability and subjective satisfaction.
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Sadjadi, Seyed Bakhtiar. "Investigating the subject's identity : the critical treatment of the Lacanian-Althusserian dialectic and subjectivity formation in James Joyce's 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/112123.
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Critically examining the Lacanian and Althusserian theories of the subject, this thesis explored the theoretical problems and methodological premises of a converged version of both theories. The central argument the present thesis seeks to demonstrate is that the Lacanian-Althusserian dialectic provides a more comprehensive and effective account of the process of the subject formation than a purely psychoanalytical or structuralist Marxist analysis of the term. After a critical study of the way the subject is positioned between language and ideology in contemporary critical theory the thesis proceeds to investigate the subject-object relation in the Cartesian and Hegelian subjects. Conceived of as the convergence of lack and material, the Lacanian-Althusserian dialectic focuses on the close affinity between the Lacanian notion of linguistic alienation and the Althusserian concept of ideological interpellation. The subject’s alienation with what is called in the thesis ‘ideological signifier’ is considered as the result of direct and dramatic modes of interpellation in both language acquisition process and the mature phase. The major theoretical premises of this model include the following: first, identity functions through, and because of, the ‘inter-subjective dialectic’ and an ‘intra-subjective lack.’ Identity is never fully constituted because of this antagonism, and thus remains ‘incomplete.’ Secondly, the subject is ideologically constituted through language. The mechanism through which both language and ideology construct a subject never permits the subject enjoying a state of full identity with ideological signifiers. Thirdly, the subject’s identity is represented in the language exposed to and, later, reproduced by him/her. In order to demonstrate a practical reading of subjectivity formation in terms of this critical approach the present research applies it to James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916). The process of the subject formation has been analysed through the subject’s alienation/interpellation by the ISAs. Also, the inter-subjective dialectic between different subjectivities of the subject’s identity has been investigated. The thesis demonstrates that identity reconstruction represented in the novel is a complicated and ongoing process, which begins with disillusionment, goes through materialization of epiphany, and ends with inventiveness in language. This process has been represented as a move from ideological to non-ideological subjectivity through artistic creativity. The exploration of the aesthetics of language is crucial to the analysis of the reconstruction of Stephen Dedalus’ identity in that it happens in and through language.
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Waldton, Lézin André. "The effects of distortion : Investigating how different types of distortion affect timbral attributes and subjective preference." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Medier, ljudteknik och teater, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-78935.
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The effects of distortion has been investigated prior to this study, however most of these studies focus on the objective physicalities of a certain type of distortion or they might apply distortion in static amounts to examine effects of loudspeaker distortion. Objectively the varying types of distortion may be different, however there are little explanations on how these types subjectively might sound different. This study aimed to investigate how subjective preference and perception of the timbral attributes warmth and roughness may vary between types of distortion, and if there was a pattern between these using three different types of distortion (zero-crossing, solid state and tube), applied at two different levels (high and low) and to two different instruments (guitar and vocals). The outcome indicated that subjects most prefer tube distortion and that this distortion was considered to provide the most amounts of warmth while also the least amounts of roughness. There were also interaction effects indicating guitar being less sensitive about the level of distortion while being more sensitive about the type of distortion for the measures of preference and amounts of roughness, when compared to vocals.
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Berry, Christopher. "Subjective experiences of psychosis : investigating the psychological impact of first-episode psychosis using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.419375.
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PAPAPANAGIOTOU, MARIA. "EMPHATIC ABSENCE : Investigating the emotional response to contrast, by means of chiaroscuro." Thesis, KTH, Ljusdesign, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-280022.
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Personal preference to darkmospheres , light corners & generally high contrasted views and spaces, as well as a curiosity of investigating other opinions & responses, were the driving force for conducting this survey. Regarding my subjective perception and since, after all, the matter of taste and subjectivity is quite strong in this kind of investigations, I’ve always found solace in environments that were staged with different segments of light and darkness; whenever I was in a room, I would immediately turn off the general lighting and turn on different and multiple other light sources, trying to combine atmospheres and, of course, keep some intact dark corners. And that was always a matter of arguing between myself and most of my acquaintances. Also, as an art lover, the absolute drawing technique of contrast, chiaroscuro, is also my favorite one. These characteristics of sharp shadows-strong contrasts and the theatrical, spotlight effect, can dramatically provoke feelings, but of which kind? What is the general perception and emotional response to high contrasted environments & views? My belief, despite my personal taste, is that the effect of high contrast lighting environments is mainly associated with feelings that have a negative aesthetic tone, and thus, this significant design value is not used as much; Based on these assumptions, the purpose of this research is to investigate whether perceptions of contrasts in the lighting design of space are related to subjective preference ratings deriving from negative or uneasy feelings. A mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative findings, combining background research along with a survey was held, and, in general, it demonstrates a distinct correlation between levels of contrast as stimuli and feelings aroused. Although contrast does play a significant role in arousing strong feelings, by increasing and stimulating our perception, albeit we are probably negatively attracted to it. Given images of high contrasted –in terms of lighting quality- environments were associated mostly with feelings of anxiety and tension by the participants of the survey; thus, a balance between coherence and valence factors and complexity/arousal feelings is a prerequisite, in order to positively approve a new environment. Contrast as a design value, is characterized by contrasting feelings and, that is its most powerful value; it's an influential design tool and the essential force within the articulation of both style and communication. It, therefore, deserves a wider use and appreciation.