3,144 research outputs found
A Spark Of Emotion: The Impact of Electrical Facial Muscle Activation on Emotional State and Affective Processing
Facial feedback, which involves the brain receiving information about the activation of facial muscles, has the potential to influence our emotional states and judgments. The extent to which this applies is still a matter of debate, particularly considering a failed replication of a seminal study. One factor contributing to the lack of replication in facial feedback effects may be the imprecise manipulation of facial muscle activity in terms of both degree and timing. To overcome these limitations, this thesis proposes a non-invasive method for inducing precise facial muscle contractions, called facial neuromuscular electrical stimulation (fNMES). I begin by presenting a systematic literature review that lays the groundwork for standardising the use of fNMES in psychological research, by evaluating its application in existing studies. This review highlights two issues, the lack of use of fNMES in psychology research and the lack of parameter reporting. I provide practical recommendations for researchers interested in implementing fNMES. Subsequently, I conducted an online experiment to investigate participants' willingness to participate in fNMES research. This experiment revealed that concerns over potential burns and involuntary muscle movements are significant deterrents to participation. Understanding these anxieties is critical for participant management and expectation setting. Subsequently, two laboratory studies are presented that investigated the facial FFH using fNMES. The first study showed that feelings of happiness and sadness, and changes in peripheral physiology, can be induced by stimulating corresponding facial muscles with 5–seconds of fNMES. The second experiment showed that fNMES-induced smiling alters the perception of ambiguous facial emotions, creating a bias towards happiness, and alters neural correlates of face processing, as measured with event-related potentials (ERPs). In summary, the thesis presents promising results for testing the facial feedback hypothesis with fNMES and provides practical guidelines and recommendations for researchers interested in using fNMES for psychological research
A corpus-based study of word-formation creativity in Facebook Philippine English
This paper is a study of English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ and students’ newly coined Facebook (FB) lexical items and expressions. It presents sample FB Philippine English (PhilE) words found in ESL teachers’ and students’ FB posts and messages and the formation mechanisms evident in the lexical items. The lexical items are culled from the researchers-built 50,000-word corpus of FB and FB Messenger conversations posted and sent by the mentioned texts’ contributors from the last quarter of 2016 to 2022. The PhilE neologisms are identified from their surrounding English lexical items and analyzed based on a proposed framework for PhilE word-formation processes, and ESL Englishes well-motivated innovations and criteria in standardizing its usages. Data analysis reveals over a hundred PhilE lexical items that are coined through the analytical frameworks used with the present paper’s additional proposed processes for FB lexical formation, hypocoristic extension, and anagrammatic transposition or backward spelling. The lexical items, in general, are colloquial, marking the informality of the FB PhilE register, although written in English. In terms of lexicon, it is advanced that FB English in the country is a variety of Internet PhilE, which should be taught in Sociolinguistics and ESL classrooms
Navigating to the Island of Hope - a Pacific response to globalisation, environmental degradation and climate change
Navigating to the Island of Hope - A Pacific Response to Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Economic Globalisation in Oceania explores and seeks to understand indigenous responses to the powerful forces of globalisation and climate change through ethnographic research and cultural analysis spanning more than eight years in totality, and the Pacific renaissance concept of the Island of Hope. The Island of Hope serves as a lens, and is of interest both from a scholarly perspective and a praxis perspective, as the Island of Hope is a complex amalgamation and synthesis of Pacific ethics elements, economic justice, communal interconnectedness, cosmology and the Christian idea of heaven on Earth. This dissertation, just as the Island of Hope itself does, aims to critique and offer a unique perspective on a motivating and unifying principle in Oceania, which extends from the personal to international in scope, and explores the political and economic, the religious and spiritual, the local and global, as well as nature conservation and climate change activism. Global connections dictate global obligations
Assessing Fire Station Response and Coverage Ability in a Pennsylvania Town
There was a gap in fire station response times in a Pennsylvania township. Although there were two fire stations located in the township, one area was contractually serviced by a nearby borough. Stations are staffed by volunteers, which creates problems with coverage and timely responses. The “nine-minute-90%-of-the-time” National Fire Protection Association standard was not always achieved. The purpose of the study was to determine what gaps in fire station response times or coverage existed. A risk-based methodology was used to develop a baseline in standards of coverage. Using a risk methodology with historical data helped in informing issue identification. This resulted in the establishment of identified demand zones. Subject matter expert interviews were conducted to further identify concerns. Findings drawn from collected data, along with analysis, were used to develop courses of action. Using this model assisted authorities and leaders in improving response metrics, which can decrease loss of life and property damage, leading to lower insurance costs, increased property value, future development of the area, and added value to the community. Throughout the study, focus was mainly on response times and coverage; however, it quickly became clear alternatives would need evaluated since the area is comprised of volunteer firefighters. This resulted in a nuance that if a fire station were to be built, staffing would not be available to man the station. The primary finding focused on staffing versus relocation or establishment of a new fire station within the corridor itself. Findings may be used by administrators for positive social change in developing better service for the public
Bringing Back the Love. The Emotional Connection of Growth and Change through Multi-Community Local Area Planning in Calgary, AB.
This study examines the complexities of community planning and the significant role of human emotion in the process. Using a practice-based approach, the study explored an innovative codesign strategy as implemented in the Local Area Planning Program (LAP) of The City of Calgary to address these challenges. The LAPs embody a community-led approach to policy and growth planning in established areas, prioritizing emotional co-authorship and the integration of community-specific knowledge in planning. Using a series of semi-structured interviews, six distinguished practitioners provided their diverse perspectives and approaches, with the goal of generating new considerations, tools, and recommendations to integrate into my practice. Applying the LAPs as working models of community connection, this study employed a design science methodology to collect information, reflect, and obtain expert feedback on both practice and design. The aim was to curate a contemporary collection of practice-based tools, strategies, and insights that contribute to The Handbook for Community Connection, a practitioner's guide for fostering emotional connections between communities and the redevelopment process. The Handbook offers a range of practical tools that can fit into a variety of contexts, scales, and available resources, enabling a
redefinition of planning processes. The study concludes that by prioritizing empathy and building relationships, redefining planning processes becomes more habitual in practice. Furthermore, continually reflecting on your practice is key to facilitating meaningful connections within community. Relying solely on policy to address societal issues yields limited results; the profession needs a more nuanced and holistic approach. Ultimately, with the study in mind, community planning can be an act of of caring, one that helps to build stronger, more connected, and loving communities
The Influencer Effect: Exploring the Persuasive Communication Tactics of Social Media Influencers in the Health and Wellness Industry
With the emergence of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, social media influencers (SMIs) have been a growing source of information in the health and wellness industry. Through their creative, informative, and appealing content, SMIs have the innate ability to reach and attain a large following on social media platforms. The purpose of this study is to ascertain an understanding of the persuasive tactics employed by SMIs in the creation and dissemination of information in the health and wellness industry. Using the theoretical framework of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Appeals and Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm, this qualitative study seeks to examine the key persuasive tactics used by SMIs in the health and wellness industry. Using content analysis, the social media content of SMIs was collected and analyzed to find emerging themes related to the rhetorical appeals and narration. In addition, a comparative analysis of the persuasive tactics used by SMIs and subject-matter experts (SMEs) was conducted. Findings showed that SMIs rely heavily on the appeals that allowed them to present themselves as credible, relatable, and similar to their followers; SMEs rely strongly on the logos appeal using technical language, memes, and textual graphics to educate the audience. Through this study, using the findings of the content and comparative analysis, a list of best practices of key persuasive tactics has been established to enable SMEs to be more effective in encouraging online users to adopt health information
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