Salford postgraduate annual research conference (SPARC) 2012 proceedings

These proceedings bring together a selection of papers from the 2012 Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC). They reflect the breadth and diversity of research interests showcased at the conference, at which over 130 researchers from Salford, the North West and other UK universities presented their work. 21 papers are collated here from the humanities, arts, social sciences, health, engineering, environment and life sciences, built environment and business

Kaili, the homeland of 100 festivals: Space, music, and sound in a small city

This thesis examines the production of social space in Kaili, a small city in southwest China, through its branding as “the homeland of one hundred festivals”, inhabitants’ conceptualizations of music, amateur music-making practices, and the construction of the built environment. Drawing on Henri Lefebvre's triad of social space as a basic framework, I explore the complexity of the city through multiple aspects of the relationship between space, music and sound: how the built environment of post-Mao China hinders and hides amateur music, even in a city branded as a place of authentic (yuanshengtai) ethnic folk music; how disparities between the branding and living of Kaili have produced a discourse whereby citizens relocate authentic musical practices to an imagined rural space outside the city; and how amateur musicians have constructed hierarchies of amateur musical space within the city. This thesis makes a distinctive contribution across a range of disciplinary and theoretical interests: Chinese studies, multi-disciplinary debates about Lefebvre’s spatial theory, and urban studies. For Chinese studies, it gives detailed scrutiny to Lefebvre’s spatial theory in considering the historical and recent formation of urban space in China, and in so doing goes beyond the truism that social space is socially produced. It intervenes in ongoing discussions about Lefebvrian theory outside the parameters of Chinese studies, by grounding what has been a predominantly abstract discussion in ethnographically and textually-based research. My discussion of city branding and everyday musical activity elaborates Lefebvre’s theory, both modifying and adding to his triad of perceived, conceived and lived space

Evaluation of efficiency of repulsion in speed-and-strength types of athletics

Efficiency of repulsion in speed-and-strength types of athletics is an integral measure of skill, since the performance of repulsive movements involves interaction of almost all organs and body systems. Dynamic repulsion lays the foundation for high sports results and the conditions of effective interaction of internal and external forces. With the special test exercises, one can determine the level of functioning of individual systems, on which the result of an exercise depends, which during training sessions provides focused opportunity to influence the stimulation of individual systems, increasing their level of activity. The article presents an electromyographic evaluation of the effectiveness of repulsion during the high jump at a run. The implementation of this method will make it possible to objectively evaluate the level of technical skills of athletes and purposefully influence the improvement of basic biomechanical characteristics of sports exercises

Characteristics and effects of motivational music in exercise

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The research programme had three principal objectives. First, the evaluation and extension of the extant conceptual framework pertaining to motivational music in exercise settings. Second, the development of a valid instrument for assessing the motivational qualities of music: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2 (BMRI-2). Third, to test the effects of motivational and oudeterous (lacking in both motivational and de-motivational qualities) music in an externally-valid setting. These objectives were addressed through 4 studies. First, a series of open-ended interviews were conducted with exercise leaders and participants (N = 13), in order to investigate the characteristics and effects of motivational music in the exercise setting. The data were content analysed to abstract thematic categories of response. These categories were subsequently evaluated in the context of relevant conceptual frameworks. Subsequently, a sample of 532 health-club members responded to a questionnaire that was designed to assess the perceived characteristics of motivational music. The responses were analysed across age groups, gender, frequency of attendance (low, medium, high), and time of attendance (morning, afternoon, evening). The BMRI-2 was developed in order to address psychometric weaknesses that were associated with its forbear, the BMRI. A refined item pool was created which yielded an 8-item instrument that was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. A single-factor model demonstrated acceptable fit indices across three different pieces of music, two samples of exercise participants, and both sexes. The BMRI-2 was used to select 20 pieces of motivational music, which were delivered in a health club gymnasium. It was found that health club members (N = 112) exercised for longer under the condition of motivational music as opposed to oudeterous music (the club’s typical output); however, no differences were noted in terms of affective response. (Jun 2004)David Lloyd Leisure (part of Whitbread PLC

Wearable and BAN Sensors for Physical Rehabilitation and eHealth Architectures

The demographic shift of the population towards an increase in the number of elderly citizens, together with the sedentary lifestyle we are adopting, is reflected in the increasingly debilitated physical health of the population. The resulting physical impairments require rehabilitation therapies which may be assisted by the use of wearable sensors or body area network sensors (BANs). The use of novel technology for medical therapies can also contribute to reducing the costs in healthcare systems and decrease patient overflow in medical centers. Sensors are the primary enablers of any wearable medical device, with a central role in eHealth architectures. The accuracy of the acquired data depends on the sensors; hence, when considering wearable and BAN sensing integration, they must be proven to be accurate and reliable solutions. This book is a collection of works focusing on the current state-of-the-art of BANs and wearable sensing devices for physical rehabilitation of impaired or debilitated citizens. The manuscripts that compose this book report on the advances in the research related to different sensing technologies (optical or electronic) and body area network sensors (BANs), their design and implementation, advanced signal processing techniques, and the application of these technologies in areas such as physical rehabilitation, robotics, medical diagnostics, and therapy

Characteristics and effects of motivational music in exercise

The research programme had three principal objectives. First, the evaluation and extension of the extant conceptual framework pertaining to motivational music in exercise settings. Second, the development of a valid instrument for assessing the motivational qualities of music: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2 (BMRI-2). Third, to test the effects of motivational and oudeterous (lacking in both motivational and de-motivational qualities) music in an externally-valid setting. These objectives were addressed through 4 studies. First, a series of open-ended interviews were conducted with exercise leaders and participants (N = 13), in order to investigate the characteristics and effects of motivational music in the exercise setting. The data were content analysed to abstract thematic categories of response. These categories were subsequently evaluated in the context of relevant conceptual frameworks. Subsequently, a sample of 532 health-club members responded to a questionnaire that was designed to assess the perceived characteristics of motivational music. The responses were analysed across age groups, gender, frequency of attendance (low, medium, high), and time of attendance (morning, afternoon, evening). The BMRI-2 was developed in order to address psychometric weaknesses that were associated with its forbear, the BMRI. A refined item pool was created which yielded an 8-item instrument that was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. A single-factor model demonstrated acceptable fit indices across three different pieces of music, two samples of exercise participants, and both sexes. The BMRI-2 was used to select 20 pieces of motivational music, which were delivered in a health club gymnasium. It was found that health club members (N = 112) exercised for longer under the condition of motivational music as opposed to oudeterous music (the club’s typical output); however, no differences were noted in terms of affective response. (Jun 2004)EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceDavid Lloyd Leisure (part of Whitbread plc)GBUnited Kingdo

Psychological and psychophysiological effects of auditory and visual stimuli during various modes of exercise

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This research programme had three principal objectives. First, to assess the stability of the exercise heart rate-music tempo preference relationship and its relevance to a range of psychological outcomes. Second, to explore the influence of two personal factors (motivational orientation and dominant attentional style) in a naturalistic exercise-to-music setting. Third, to examine means by which to enhance the exercise experience above and below the ventilatory threshold. In Study 1, a mixed-methods approach was employed to capture responses to differing music tempo conditions across a range of exercise intensities. Results in Study 1 did not support a cubic relationship (Karageorghis et al., 2011) but rather a quadratic one, and there was a weak association between the optimal choice of music tempo and positive psychological outcomes. Music conditions reduced the number of associative thoughts by ~10% across all exercise intensities. Study 2 employed questionnaires with a large sample of female participants (n = 417) attending exercise-to-music classes. Results indicate that motivational orientation and attentional style (Association vs. Dissociation) influence responses to an exercise-to-music class. Study 3 examined the effects of external stimuli (music and video) on psychological variables at moderate and high exercise intensities. Findings served to demonstrate that manipulations of attentional focus can have a salient influence on affect and enjoyment even during high-intensity exercise. The contributions of the research programme include providing empirical evidence that attention can be manipulated during high-intensity exercise using theoretically-guided music selections, and music in combination with video footage, which enhance the exercise experience. Further, the research programme advances understanding of how motivational orientation and attentional style influence responses to music during exercise