Virtual Reality Customized 360-Degree Experiences for Stress Relief

The latest studies in virtual reality (VR) have evidenced the potential of this technology to reproduce environments from multiple domains in an immersive way. For instance, in stress relief research, VR has been presented as a portable and inexpensive alternative to chromotherapy rooms, which require an adapted space and are expensive. In this work, we propose a portable and versatile alternative to the traditional chromotherapy color-loop treatment through four different 360-degree virtual experiences. A group of 23 healthy participants (mean age 22.65 ± 5.48) were conducted through a single-session experience divided into four phases while their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. First, they were stressed via the Montreal imaging stress task (MIST), and then relaxed using our VR proposal. We applied the Wilcoxon test to evaluate the relaxation effect in terms of the EEG relative gamma and self-perceived stress surveys. The results that we obtained validate the effectiveness of our 360-degree proposal to significantly reduce stress (p-value = 0.0001). Furthermore, the participants deemed our proposal comfortable and immersive (score above 3.5 out of 5). These results suggest that 360-degree VR experiences can mitigate stress, reduce costs, and bring stress relief assistance closer to the general public, like in workplaces or homes

‘What would happen if I said “Yes”?’ : Measuring the immediate and long-term impact of improvisation training on student teachers’ subjective, neuroendocrine and psychophysiological responses

Improvisation is commonly understood as a performance or creating something without preparation. As an art form, improvised theatrical plays are created spontaneously on stage without a script. As an applied form of theatre, improvisation has been utilised in fields requiring collaboration and a tolerance for uncertainty, such as in the business and education sectors. This dissertation contributes to the literature in educational research by investigating applied improvisation as a tool to promote student teachers’ interpersonal competence. Applied improvisation enables individuals to explore and practise teaching-related encounters in a fictional and psychologically safe context. Psychological safety is particularly important when practising challenging interactions. Despite the fictionality of the context, bodily experiences during improvisations may promote experiential learning. The research summarised in this dissertation was guided by two primary research questions. First, I asked whether improvisation training influenced student teachers’ interpersonal competence and social stress. Student teachers (n = 19) participated in a 7-week (17.5-h) improvisation intervention, comprising the fundamentals of theatre improvisation and status expression (verbal and nonverbal behaviours indicating the social dominance of a person). The impact of the intervention was measured using subjective self-reports (interpersonal confidence, i.e., belief regarding one’s capability related to effective social interactions, self-esteem and experienced stress) and a large array of physiological measurements (heart rate, heart rate variability, skin conductance, facial muscle activity, frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha asymmetry and stress hormone cortisol). Self-reports, physiological measurements and Trier Social Stress Tests (TSST; including public speaking) were performed before and after the improvisation intervention. An improvisation course was arranged for the control group (n = 20) following the intervention study. One year later, the long-term effects of improvisation training on self-reported interpersonal confidence were measured in a follow-up study. Second, I asked how real versus fictional social rejections impact experienced stress and psychophysiological responses. Student teachers (n = 39) participated in an experiment including both real (interview) and fictional (improvisation exercises) dyadic interactions. In the real condition, student teachers were unaware that the interviewer was an actor trained to include subtle social rejections during the interview by using three types of social rejections: devaluing, interrupting and nonverbal rejections. In the fictional condition, student teachers were informed in advance which social rejection type would be used during a later improvisation exercise. Experienced stress and psychophysiological reactivity during social rejections were measured under both experimental conditions. Following an improvisation intervention, interpersonal confidence and its components of performance confidence and a tolerance for failure increased relative to controls, whilst one year later the improved performance confidence persisted. Furthermore, a heterogeneous treatment effect was found. Those with the lowest pretest interpersonal confidence score benefited most from the improvisation intervention. No between-group differences in self-esteem were observed. Psychological and physiological indications of relief from performance-related stress were also observed following improvisation training. In addition, interpersonal confidence moderated self-reported and cardiovascular stress responses. Thus, interpersonal confidence may be worth controlling for in future research which examines the effects of interventions aimed at relieving social stress. The results also support the notion that repetition may also diminish performance-related stress, since the control group exhibited decreases in cardiovascular stress during some of the test conditions. The primary finding regarding the second research question emerged through the absence of any systematic attenuation of the psychophysiological reactivity to fictional versus real-world social rejections. In other words, although student teachers knew that improvised social rejections were fictional, their psychophysiological responses during improvisation remained relatively similar and associated with those of real-world rejections. It appears as though personal relevance and engagement during improvisation explain the relatively similar bodily responses. This result suggests that interpersonal encounters can be realistically modelled through applied improvisation. In this dissertation research, I also produced a validated self-report measure, the Interpersonal Confidence Questionnaire (ICQ), to evaluate the impact of social interaction training relying on applied improvisation. Using an additional dataset (n = 208), I validated the questionnaire and examined the impact of improvisation training on a larger sample. A confirmatory factor analysis identified six factors—performance confidence, flexibility, listening skills, a tolerance for failure, collaboration motivation and presence—that contribute to interpersonal confidence. Thus, the ICQ appeared valid and reliable as a self-report measure of interpersonal confidence. In summary, the findings from this research indicate that a relatively brief improvisation intervention promotes interpersonal confidence, specifically amongst those with low interpersonal confidence. Furthermore, improvisation training serves as an intervention against performance anxiety and generates long-term improvements to performance confidence. This dissertation provides a theoretical framework and empirical support for the application of improvisation as a tool to develop interpersonal competence skills, particularly within professions requiring face-to-face interactions. Regardless of the fictionality of the improvisational context, genuine emotions and experiences may emerge, serving as experiential learning experiences. The significance of these findings may extend to theatre-based practices and drama education in general, which rely on holistic action and personal engagement in fictional contexts. The findings agree with previous research, suggesting that including the improvisation method in teacher education curricula can enhance student teachers’ interpersonal competence as well as their skills related to sensitive and responsive teaching. Finally, this dissertation contributes to social neuroscience by recommending an ecologically valid experimental design wherein naturally unfolding social interactions can be achieved using improvisation techniques. Keywords: experiential learning, fictionality, improvisation, interpersonal confidence, intervention, psychophysiology, social interaction, social rejection, social stress, teacher education, theatre-based practicesImprovisaatiolla tarkoitetaan yleisesti esiintymistä tai toimintaa, jota ei suunnitella etukäteen. Teatterissa improvisoidut näytelmät syntyvät näyttämöllä spontaanisti ilman käsikirjoitusta. Soveltava teatteri hyödyntää improvisaatiota aloilla, joissa tarvitaan yhteistyötä ja epävarmuuden sietokykyä, kuten liike-elämässä ja koulutuksessa. Tämä väitöstyö tarkastelee teatterilähtöistä improvisaatiomenetelmää opettajakoulutuksen kontekstissa. Käyttämällä improvisaatiota soveltavan teatterin muotona on mahdollista tutkia ja harjoitella vuorovaikutukseen liittyviä kohtaamisia kuvitteellisessa ja psykologisesti turvallisessa ympäristössä. Psykologinen turvallisuus on erityisen tärkeää, kun harjoitellaan haastavissa vuorovaikutustilanteissa toimimista. Ympäristön fiktiivisyydestä, eli kuvitteellisuudesta, huolimatta improvisaatioharjoittelu tarjoaa kehollisia kokemuksia, jotka voivat edistää kokemuksellista oppimista. Väitöstutkimuksen ensimmäisenä tavoitteena oli selvittää improvisaatioharjoittelun vaikutuksia opettajaopiskelijoiden vuorovaikutusosaamiseen ja sosiaaliseen stressiin. Opettajaopiskelijoille (N = 19) järjestettiin 7 viikon (17,5 h) interventio, jossa harjoiteltiin improvisaation perusteita ja statusilmaisua, eli sanallista ja sanatonta ilmaisua liittyen valta-asemaan vuorovaikutuksessa. Intervention vaikutuksia kartoitettiin itsearviointien (vuorovaikutusvarmuus, itsetunto ja koettu stressi) kautta ja kehollisia vaikutuksia mittaamalla opettajaopiskelijoiden kehollisia vasteita (syke, sykevälivaihtelu, ihon sähkönjohtavuus, kasvolihasten aktivaatio, aivosähkökäyrä ja stressihormoni kortisoli). Fysiologiset mittaukset, Trierin sosiaalisen stressin testit (mm. julkinen puhe) sekä itsearvioinnit suoritettiin ennen improvisaatiointerventiota ja sen jälkeen. Kontrolliryhmälle (N = 20) järjestettiin improvisaatiokurssi loppumittausten jälkeen. Vuorovaikutusvarmuutta mitattiin viivästetyllä kyselyllä vielä vuoden kuluttua interventiosta. Väitöstutkimuksen toinen tavoite oli syventää ymmärrystä siitä, miten tietoisuus tilanteen fiktiivisyydestä vaikuttaa kokemukseen vertaamalla aidon ja fiktiivisen vuorovaikutustilanteen kehollisia vasteita. Opettajaopiskelijat (N = 39) osallistuivat kokeeseen, joka sisälsi sekä aidon (haastattelu) että fiktiivisen (improvisaatioharjoittelu) vuorovaikutustilanteen. Aidossa tilanteessa opettajaopiskelijat eivät tienneet, että haastattelijan tehtävänä oli epäsuorasti torjua opiskelijoiden vastauksia vähättelemällä, keskeyttämällä ja sanattomalla torjunnalla. Fiktiivisessä tilanteessa opettajaopiskelijoille kerrottiin etukäteen mitä em. torjuntatapaa improvisaatioharjoituksessa käytetään. Molemmissa koetilanteissa mitattiin koettua stressiä ja kehollisia vasteita epäsuorien sosiaalisten torjuntojen aikana. Improvisaatioharjoittelu lisäsi osallistujien vuorovaikutusvarmuutta sekä sen osatekijöitä esiintymisvarmuutta ja epäonnistumisen sietokykyä, kun tuloksia verrattiin kontrolliryhmään. Vuoden kuluttua interventiosta esiintymisvarmuus säilyi korkeammalla tasolla kontrolliryhmään verrattuna. Tulosten mukaan improvisaatioharjoittelusta oli hyötyä erityisesti epävarmimmille opettajaopiskelijoille, joilla vuorovaikutus- ja esiintymisvarmuus kasvoi eniten. Itsetunnossa ei havaittu eroa interventio- ja kontrolliryhmien välillä. Sykevälivaihtelu ja kasvolihasten aktivaatio osoittivat, että improvisaatiokurssilaiset olivat rentoutuneempia esiintymisvuoroa odottaessa kuin kontrolliryhmä. Sykevälivaihtelun ja koetun stressin mukaan epävarmimpien kurssilaisten stressitaso laski enemmän kuin varmempien. Tulokset tukevat myös käsitystä, että toistoharjoittelu voi lieventää esiintymiseen liittyvää stressiä, koska myös kontrolliryhmässä stressivasteet laskivat osassa esiintymistilanteita. Väitöstutkimuksen keskeinen löydös vertailtaessa aitoja ja fiktiivisiä vuorovaikutustilanteita oli se, että improvisoitujen ja aitojen sosiaalisten torjuntojen keholliset vasteet eivät systemaattisesti eronneet toisistaan. Toisin sanoen, vaikka opettajaopiskelijat tiesivät, että improvisoidut sosiaaliset torjunnat olivat fiktiivisiä, keholliset vasteet olivat samankaltaisia kuin vastaavassa aidossa tilanteessa. Tulokset viittaavat siihen, että sosiaalisia vuorovaikutustilanteita voidaan mallintaa realistisesti teatterilähtöisen improvisaation keinoin. Väitöstyö tuotti myös validoidun vuorovaikutusvarmuuden itsearviointimittarin improvisaatiopohjaisten vuorovaikutuskoulutusten vaikutusten arviointiin. Itsearviointimittarin validoinnissa käytettiin konfirmatorista faktorianalyysia ja laajempaa kyselyaineistoa (N = 208). Faktorianalyysi osoitti, että vuorovaikutusvarmuuteen sisältyy kuusi osa-aluetta: esiintymisvarmuus, joustavuus, kuunteleminen, epäonnistumisen sietokyky, yhteistyömotivaatio ja läsnäolo. Tulosten mukaan mittari on myös luotettava vuorovaikutusvarmuuden itsearvioinnin väline. Tutkimustulosten mukaan jo suhteellisen lyhyt improvisaatioharjoittelu voi lisätä erityisesti epävarmojen henkilöiden vuorovaikutusvarmuutta sekä lieventää esiintymisjännitystä. Esiintymisvarmuuden osalta positiiviset vaikutukset olivat pitkäaikaisia. Väitöstyö tuottaa myös uutta, empiiristä tietoa improvisaatioharjoittelun kehollisista vaikutuksista. Tulosten merkitystä voidaan ulottaa myös muille soveltavan teatterin alueille, joissa teatterilähtöisillä menetelmillä pyritään tuottamaan elämyksellisiä oppimiskokemuksia ja kokemuksellista oppimista. Väitöstutkimus luo teoreettista pohjaa sovelletun improvisaation käyttämiselle laajemminkin työelämän ja arkipäivän vuorovaikutustilanteiden mallintamiseen. Löydökset vahvistavat aikaisempia kansainvälisiä tutkimustuloksia, joiden mukaan improvisaatio opettajankoulutuksen osana lisäisi opettajan vuorovaikutuskompetenssia sekä opetuksen sensitiivisyyttä ja vuorovaikutteisuutta. Poikkitieteellinen väitöstyö osoitti myös käytännön suuntaviivoja improvisaation ja neurotieteen yhdistämiselle vuorovaikutuksen kokeellisessa tutkimuksessa. Avainsanat: fiktiivisyys, improvisaatio, interventio, kokemuksellinen oppiminen, opettajakoulutus, psykofysiologia, sosiaalinen stressi, sosiaalinen torjunta, teatterilähtöiset menetelmät, vuorovaikutus, vuorovaikutusvarmuu

Système intelligent pour le suivi et l’optimisation de l’état cognitif

Les émotions des êtres humains changent régulièrement et parfois de manière brusque entrainant un changement de l’état mental c’est-à-dire de l’aptitude cérébrale à fonctionner normalement. Il en résulte une capacité cognitive (ou état cognitif) de l’individu à pouvoir raisonner, accéder à la mémoire, ou effectuer des déductions, variable selon l’état mental. Ceci affecte, en conséquence, les performances des utilisateurs qui varient en fonction de leurs état cognitifs. Cette thèse vise à optimiser l’état cognitif d’un utilisateur lors de ses interactions avec un environnement virtuel. Comme cet état dépend des émotions, l’optimisation de l’état cognitif peut être réalisée à travers l’optimisation des émotions et en particulier la réduction des émotions négatives. Une première partie concerne les moyens de mesurer en temps réel (par un Module de mesures) l’état émotionnel et mental d’un utilisateur lors de ses interactions avec un environnement virtuel. Nous avons réalisé pour cela quatre études expérimentales avec quatre environnements différents. Nous avons montré que ces mesures peuvent être réalisées en utilisant différents capteurs physiologiques. Nous avons aussi montré qu’il est possible de prédire la tendance de l’excitation (un état mental) à partir d’un traceur de regard. Dans une deuxième partie, nous présentons l’Agent Neural qui modifie les environnements virtuels afin de provoquer une modification de l’état émotionnel d’un utilisateur pour améliorer son état cognitif. Nous avons réalisé quatre études expérimentales avec quatre environnements virtuels, où l’Agent Neural intervient dans ces environnements afin de changer l’état émotionnel de l’utilisateur. Nous avons montré que l’agent est capable d’intervenir dans plusieurs types d’environnements et de modifier les émotions de l’utilisateur. Dans une troisième partie, présentons l’Agent Limbique, qui personnalise et améliore les adaptations faites par l’Agent Neural à travers l’observation et l’apprentissage des impacts des changements des environnements virtuels et des réactions émotionnelles des utilisateurs. Nous avons montré que cet agent est capable d’analyser les interventions de l’Agent Neural et de les modifier. Nous avons montré aussi que l’Agent Limbique est capable de générer une nouvelle règle d’intervention et de prédire son impact sur l’utilisateur. La combinaison du Module de mesures, de l’Agent Neural, et de l’Agent Limbique, nous a permis de créer un système de contrôle cognitif intelligent que nous avons appelé Système Limbique Digital.The human’s emotions change regularly and sometimes suddenly leading to changes in their mental state which is the brain’s ability to function normally. This mental state’s changes affect the users’ cognitive ability (or cognitive state) to reason, access memory, or make inferences, which varies depending on the mental state. Consequently, this affects the users’ performances which varies according to their cognitive states. This thesis aims to optimize the users’ cognitive state during their interactions with a virtual environment. Since this state depends on emotions, optimization of cognitive state can be achieved through the optimization of emotions and in particular the reduction of negative emotions. In a first part, we present the means of measuring in real time (using a Measuring module) the users’ emotional and mental state during their interactions with a virtual environment. We performed four experimental studies with four different environments. We have shown that these measurements can be performed using different physiological sensors. We have also shown that it is possible to predict the tendency of excitement (a mental state) using an eye tracker. In a second part, we present the Neural Agent which modifies virtual environments to provoke a modification on the users’ emotional state in order to improve their cognitive state. We performed four experimental studies with four virtual environments, in which the Neural Agent intervenes in these environments to change the users’ emotional state. We have shown that the agent is able to intervene in several types of environments and able to modify the users’ emotions. In a third part, we present the Limbic Agent, which personalizes and improves the adaptations performed by the Neural Agent through the observation and the learning from the virtual environments changes’ impacts and the users’ emotional reactions. We have shown that this agent is able to analyze the Neural Agent’s interventions and able to modify them. We have also shown that the Limbic Agent is able to generate a new intervention rule and predict its impact on the user. The combination of the Measuring Module, the Neural Agent, and the Limbic Agent, allowed us to create an intelligent cognitive control system that we called the Digital Limbic System

Smart workplaces: a system proposal for stress management

Over the past last decades of contemporary society, workplaces have become the primary source of many health issues, leading to mental problems such as stress, depression, and anxiety. Among the others, environmental aspects have shown to be the causes of stress, illness, and lack of productivity. With the arrival of new technologies, especially in the smart workplaces field, most studies have focused on investigating the building energy efficiency models and human thermal comfort. However, little has been applied to occupants’ stress recognition and well-being overall. Due to this fact, this present study aims to propose a stress management solution for an interactive design system that allows the adapting of comfortable environmental conditions according to the user preferences by measuring in real-time the environmental and biological characteristics, thereby helping to prevent stress, as well as to enable users to cope stress when being stressed. The secondary objective will focus on evaluating one part of the system: the mobile application. The proposed system uses several usability methods to identify users’ needs, behavior, and expectations from the user-centered design approach. Applied methods, such as User Research, Card Sorting, and Expert Review, allowed us to evaluate the design system according to Heuristics Analysis, resulting in improved usability of interfaces and experience. The study presents the research results, the design interface, and usability tests. According to the User Research results, temperature and noise are the most common environmental stressors among the users causing stress and uncomfortable conditions to work in, and the preference for physical activities over the digital solutions for coping with stress. Additionally, the System Usability Scale (SUS) results identified that the system’s usability was measured as “excellent” and “acceptable” with a final score of 88 points out of the 100. It is expected that these conclusions can contribute to future investigations in the smart workplaces study field and their interaction with the people placed there.Nas últimas décadas da sociedade contemporânea, o local de trabalho tem se tornado principal fonte de muitos problemas de saúde mental, como o stress, depressão e ansiedade. Os aspetos ambientais têm se revelado como as causas de stress, doenças, falta de produtividade, entre outros. Atualmente, com a chegada de novas tecnologias, principalmente na área de locais de trabalho inteligentes, a maioria dos estudos tem se concentrado na investigação de modelos de eficiência energética de edifícios e conforto térmico humano. No entanto, pouco foi aplicado ao reconhecimento do stress dos ocupantes e ao bem-estar geral das pessoas. Diante disso, o objetivo principal é propor um sistema de design de gestão do stress para um sistema de design interativo que permita adaptar as condições ambientais de acordo com as preferências de utilizador, medindo em tempo real as características ambientais e biológicas, auxiliando assim na prevenção de stress, bem como ajuda os utilizadores a lidar com o stress quando estão sob o mesmo. O segundo objetivo é desenhar e avaliar uma parte do projeto — o protótipo da aplicação móvel através da realização de testes de usabilidade. O sistema proposto resulta da abordagem de design centrado no utilizador, utilizando diversos métodos de usabilidade para identificar as necessidades, comportamentos e as expectativas dos utilizadores. Métodos aplicados, como Pesquisa de Usuário, Card Sorting e Revisão de Especialistas, permitiram avaliar o sistema de design de acordo com a análise heurística, resultando numa melhoria na usabilidade das interfaces e experiência. O estudo apresenta os resultados da pesquisa, a interface do design e os testes de usabilidade. De acordo com os resultados de User Research, a temperatura e o ruído são os stressores ambientais mais comuns entre os utilizadores, causando stresse e condições menos favoráveis para trabalhar, igualmente existe uma preferência por atividades físicas sobre as soluções digitais na gestão do stresse. Adicionalmente, os resultados de System Usability Scale (SUS) identificaram a usabilidade do sistema de design como “excelente” e “aceitável” com pontuação final de 88 pontos em 100. É esperado que essas conclusões possam contribuir para futuras investigações no campo de estudo dos smart workplaces e sua interação com os utilizadores

Effects of probiotics on central nervous system functions in humans

Gut microbiota plays an important role in the gut-brain axis. Symbiosis of the gut microbiota maintains the physiological integrity of the host so as to ensure the normal functions of the gut and the brain. Probiotics have beneficial effects on both, physical and mental health, when administered in adequate amount. Thus, probiotics are considered as “psychobiotics”, for their effects on central nervous system functions such as stress-related mental disorders and memory abilities, through the gut-brain axis. However, the efficacy of the probiotics on these central functions was in need to be systematically summarized. While there is a host of animal studies on microbiota, it has not yet been studied much how and where in the brain of humans they unfold their effects. Furthermore, antibiotics, having effects on commensal gut bacteria by eliminating and inhibiting them, have so far not been studied for their role in affecting brain functions. In the current thesis, I performed two literature reviews and two experimental studies on central effects of pro- and antibiotics. The first review systematically analyzed previous research studying the effects of probiotics on central nervous system functions in both, animals and humans. The review concluded the most efficient probiotic interventions and evaluated the possibility of translating preclinical studies to clinical trials. In the second review, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a socio-psychological paradigm (Cyberball game) to be used in the following experimental studies with neuroimaging methods and manipulations of the GM. We examined the current neuroimaging literature employing the Cyberball game to induce social stress and feelings of exclusion. The review was intended to generate a framework describing neural processes during the stress. Following the results of the two reviews, we conducted two clinical trials, to investigate effects of antibiotic rifaximin and probiotic Bifidobacterium longum 1714 on neural activations during resting state and during the Cyberball game by using magnetoencephalography. In both studies, the stress induced by the Cyberball game enhanced oscillatory brain activity in different areas and in different frequency bands. Both, rifaximin and probiotics had effects on specific neural oscillatory activities in response to the social stress – rifaximin improved subjects’ relaxation status by reducing frontal and cingulate beta-1 band power, and B.longum 1714 enhanced emotion regulation process by increasing frontal and cingulate theta and alpha bands power. In addition, during the resting state, rifaximin favored individuals’ relaxation status by increasing frontal alpha band power, and B.longum 1714 increased subject’s arousal state by increasing theta band power in frontal and cingulate cortex and reducing the beta-3 band power in hippocampus and temporal cortex. Rifaximin and B.longum 1714, both showed neural effects on the stress response through an “eubiotic” effect, which refers to a healthy balance of the micro-flora in the gastrointestinal tract. Our results provide evidence for gut microbiota alerting CNS functions. Both, reviews and experimental work give clues for further studies targeting the underlying mechanisms of interaction between gut microbiota and CNS function using neuroimaging in patients with psychiatric disorders or gastrointestinal diseases

The role of the musical intelligence in whole brain education

This study was prompted by the recent increase in academic and public interest in neuromusical brain research, which provides information about how the brain processes music. It is the task of neural science to explain how the individual units of the brain are used to control behaviour, and how the functioning of these units is influenced by an individual's specific environment and relationships with other people. However, the concept of neuromusical research is relatively new to music education. In any learning experience, brain processing (of information) is not an end in itself. The skill of 'thinking' is dependent on the whole integrated mind/body system, with skills being a manifestation of conscious physical responses that demonstrate knowledge acquisition. Howard Gardner's 'Theory of Multiple Intelligences' lists the musical intelligence as one of eight autonomous intelligences: linguistic, logic-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental. All of these intelligences can be developed to a reasonably high level. This thesis uses David Elliott's praxial philosophy as a conceptual basis. Elliott's four meanings of music education: education in music, by music, for music, and by means of music, have been selected to determine the parameters for an 'inclusive' understanding of musical intelligence. Scientific research findings, brain based data, and behavioural results with educational implications have been used to define what is meant by the musical intelligence, and its role in whole brain learning. Whole brain learning (also referred to as 'accelerated' learning or 'super' learning) is examined in the framwork of IQ (intellectual quotient/intelligence), EQ (emotional intelligence), and SQ (spiritual intelligence). It is important to note that the brain imposes certain constraints on the learning ability of individuals, but that there are also numerous benefits to be derived from an awarenss of brain functions pertaining to education in general and music education in particular. These constraints and benefits are an important feature of whole brain learning, with the musical intelligence playing a vital role.Dissertation (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2003.Musicunrestricte

Effects of music preference and selection on stress management

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia InformáticaIn this busy society of ours, people push their limits to work better and harder/longer in order to remain competitive with their peers. The activities of the working population have increased daily which have, in turn, created more stressful situations and conditioned the welfare as well as the physical and mental abilities of the person. Nonetheless, working longer hours does not necessarily improve productivity nor performance. In order to prevent the negative consequences of this increasing trend, the evolution of performance throughout the workday should be more closely monitored.It is acknowledged that, during the day, the user is subjected to various factors that can affect his performance, such as stress. Stress is an ever-present factor these days and can be considered a major health problem. However, there also positives aspects, and this has made it an increasingly interesting topic of study in the scientific community. This work focuses on the interaction of stress with music, a broad phenomenon which is present in all societies. More specifically, we study the effects of music on human stress levels and emotions while performing daily activities, through the analysis the performance, try to understand how decreases along the day and how different types of music affect this phenomenon. The hypothesis presented here is analysed through a research study, which enables us to understand the effect of music on people and on their lives, more precisely in their performance at work. The results show not only that the type of music matters, but also that it is important to note the individual’s objective in each moment, as well as his personal preferences regarding music. With the results the aim is to create a music recommendation system based on the user’s stress level and the user’s performance, through the user’s interaction with the computer.Na sociedade atual as pessoas são cada mais vezes testadas até aos seus limites para poderem trabalhar mais e melhor, a fim de manter a competitividade ao máximo nível. As atividades do dia a dia da população continuam aumentar, o que cria situações de mais stress condicionando o bem-estar, bem como as capacidades físicas e mentais da pessoa. No entanto, trabalhar mais horas não significa necessariamente uma melhora da produtividade ou performance. A fim de evitar as consequências negativas desta tendência crescente, a evolução da performance ao longo de um dia de trabalho deve ser acompanhado mais de perto. É importante perceber que durante o dia as pessoas estão sujeitas a vários factores que podem afetar a sua performance, como o stress. O stress é um factor cada vez mais presente nos dias de hoje e pode ser considerado um problema. No entanto, há também aspectos positivos, tornando-se um tema cada vez mais interessante de estudo na comunidade científica. Neste trabalho é realizado um estudo, que terá como objectivo perceber a interação do stress com a música, um fenómeno presente em todas as sociedades. Especificamente, estudar os efeitos da música a nível de stress e emoções durante a execução das atividades diárias, através da análise da performance, no qual tentamos entender como está decresce ao longo do dia e como diferentes tipos de musica afeta este fenómeno. Esta hipótese apresentada é analisada através do estudo da performance, no qual nos permite entender os efeitos da musica nas pessoas e na suas vidas, mais precisamente das suas performance durante os seus trabalhos. Os resultados demonstra nos que não é so importante o tipo de musica, mas tambem é importante perceber o objectivo do utilizador bem como as suas preferencias musicais. Com os resultados obtidos o principal objectivo é criar um sistema de recomendação de musica baseado nos níveis de stress e performance do utilizador, através da interação do utilizador com o computador.The activities of working population increase daily in our society, which create more stressful situations and condition the welfare as well as the physical and mental abilities of the person. Stress is a factor more present these days and can be considered a problem. However, there also positives aspects, making it an increasingly interesting topic of study in the scientific community. In this work a study will be carried out that will focus on the interaction of stress with music, a broad phenomenon, present in all societies. Specifically, we will be study the effects of music on human stress level while performing daily activities

Work Capability and physiological effects predictive studies. 4: In He-O2 excursions to pressures of 400- 800- 1200- and 1600 feet of sea water

Experiments which exposed men in chambers, breathing helium with oxygen, to progressive increases of pressure equivalent to 400-800-1200-1600 feet of sea water (fsw) were conducted. Rates of compression and exposure to stable high pressure. Goals included: 1) determination of the specific character and time course of onset of physiological and performance decrements during the intentionally rapid compressions, and determination of rates of adaptation on reaching stable elevated pressure; 2) investigation of accelerated methods for decompression in deep saturation excursion diving; and 3) determination of competence in practical work performed in water at pressures equivalent to the extreme diving depths of 1200 and 1600 fsw

Serotonergic modulation of the ventral pallidum by 5HT1A, 5HT5A, 5HT7 AND 5HT2C receptors

Introduction: Serotonin's involvement in reward processing is controversial. The large number of serotonin receptor sub-types and their individual and unique contributions have been difficult to dissect out, yet understanding how specific serotonin receptor sub-types contribute to its effects on areas associated with reward processing is an essential step. Methods: The current study used multi-electrode arrays and acute slice preparations to examine the effects of serotonin on ventral pallidum (VP) neurons. Approach for statistical analysis: extracellular recordings were spike sorted using template matching and principal components analysis, Consecutive inter-spike intervals were then compared over periods of 1200 seconds for each treatment condition using a student’s t test. Results and conclusions: Our data suggests that excitatory responses to serotonin application are pre-synaptic in origin as blocking synaptic transmission with low-calcium aCSF abolished these responses. Our data also suggests that 5HT1a, 5HT5a and 5HT7 receptors contribute to this effect, potentially forming an oligomeric complex, as 5HT1a antagonists completely abolished excitatory responses to serotonin application, while 5HT5a and 5HT7 only reduced the magnitude of excitatory responses to serotonin. 5HT2c receptors were the only serotonin receptor sub-type tested that elicited inhibitory responses to serotonin application in the VP. These findings, combined with our previous data outlining the mechanisms underpinning dopamine's effects in the VP, provide key information, which will allow future research to fully examine the interplay between serotonin and dopamine in the VP. Investigation of dopamine and serotonins interaction may provide vital insights into our understanding of the VP's involvement in reward processing. It may also contribute to our understanding of how drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, may hijack these mechanisms in the VP resulting in sensitization to drugs of abuse