Collaboration, Cognitive Effort, and Self-Reference in United Kingdom Top 5 Pop Music Lyrics 1960-2015

This research investigated associations between the lyrics of every song to have reached the weekly U.K. Top 5 singles chart from 1960 to 2015 and the number of people responsible for recording each song. Following computerized content analysis of the lyrics of the 4,534 unique songs, the results showed that the number of musicians involved was negatively related to use of cognitive terms, consistent with previous research on social loafing, and was also negatively related to instances of self-reference and use of language concerning social interaction, arguably in reflection of the inherent constraints on such that arise from collaborating with others

Collaboration, cognitive effort, and self-reference in United Kingdom top 5 pop music lyrics 1960–2015

This research investigated associations between the lyrics of every song to have reached the weekly U.K. Top 5 singles chart from 1960 to 2015 and the number of people responsible for recording each song. Following computerized content analysis of the lyrics of the 4,534 unique songs, the results showed that the number of musicians involved was negatively related to use of cognitive terms, consistent with previous research on social loafing, and was also negatively related to instances of self-reference and use of language concerning social interaction, arguably in reflection of the inherent constraints on such that arise from collaborating with others

In your eyes: identifying cliches in song lyrics

We investigated methods for the discovery of cliches from song lyrics. Trigrams and rhyme features were extracted from a collection of lyrics and ranked using term-weighting techniques such as tf-idf. These attributes were also examined over both time and genre. We present an application to produce a cliche score for lyrics based on these findings and show that number one hits are substantially more cliched than the average published song

Der Einsatz von Distant Reading auf einem Korpus deutschsprachiger Songtexte

Wir präsentieren die ersten Ergebnisse eines Projekts zur Exploration des Einsatzes von computergestützter Textanalyse und Distant Reading auf einem Korpus deutschsprachiger Songtexte. Der Fokus liegt dabei momentan vor allem auf der Identifikation genrespezifischer Unterschiede für die Genres Pop, Rap, Rock und Schlager. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein Korpus bestehend aus 4636 Songtexten einiger der bekanntesten Genrevertreter seit den 60er Jahren über die Plattform LyricWiki akquiriert. Es werden erste punktuelle Ergebnisse bezüglich Wortfrequenzanalysen, Sentiment Analysis und Topic Modeling präsentiert und diskutiert. Die Wortverteilungen weisen eine homogene Verteilung von in allen Genres auftretenden Konzepten auf, lediglich Rap grenzt sich stärker ab. Ähnliches zeigt sich für die Methoden der Sentiment Analysis und des Topic Modeling. Auch hier werden Unterschiede bezüglich der Verwendung sentiment-beladener Wörter und der Konstitution von Topics insbesondere bezüglich des Genres Rap deutlich

A Conceptual Framework for Real-Time Emotional-State Monitoring of Students in VLEs to Identify Students at Risk

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) feature rich textual data which lend itself naturally to the identification and monitoring of aspects of students’ interactions. While reducing attrition and improving performance remain the primary objectives of learning analytics, we contend that student contributed text can be used to learn about emotions and other extra-rational features. This would help provide a response to the recent cries for help from the sector, seeking a system looking to address the worrying mental health crisis trends. This paper addresses these issues by discussing the necessary mechanisms within a conceptual framework which would sit in a VLE and capture emotional state changes in the students’ interaction style or tone. For such a framework, the aim would be to help educators to carry out timely interventions when a potential cause of distress is identified. Experimental results on available datasets from education and psychology serve as a feasibility study for these tasks, and offer a perspective on the potential of the approach.</jats:p

Cultural Icons: A Case Study Analysis of their Formation and Reception.

This thesis addresses the contested and poorly defined subject area of cultural iconicity. Careful consideration of three specific uses of the term - in the popular media, as a new way of articulating national identity, and in academic publications - reveals the extent to which the term is currently poorly comprehended and misapplied. The research proposes the introduction of tighter defining parameters to cultural iconography and presents an original definition against existing work in the field. The main aim, therefore, is straightforward; to attempt to answer the general question, what are cultural icons? To meet this end a definition of iconicity will be proposed consisting of four inter-connected conditions comprising, a) distinctness of image, b) durability of image, c) reproducibility of image and d) the tragic-dramatic narrative inherent in the image. The decision to implement such a definition is supported by a range of theoretical influences, from the ideas on perception developed by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, to recent work on the dramatic impact of tele-visual images. The philosophical influence applies the idea that human perception is strongly drawn towards tragic-dramatic forms - the tragic-dramatic narrative of cultural icons being an essential component of the definition - while new research into how images impact on common memory supports this application. The method adopted attacks the central question in three ways. Firstly, by applying throughout the work an original and practical working definition of cultural iconicity. Secondly, by differentiating the properties of primary cultural icons from other important cultural symbols (as in, for example, comparing cultural icons to photographic iconography and non-image based cultural myths). Third, a series of in-depth case studies applying the definition to real examples, which will be the crux of the project and, if successful, may prove not only an original contribution to knowledge in this new and exciting area of research, but should also appeal to a wider, non-academic readership

Cultural icons : a case study analysis of their formation and reception

This thesis addresses the contested and poorly defined subject area of cultural iconicity. Careful consideration of three specific uses of the term - in the popular media, as a new way of articulating national identity, and in academic publications - reveals the extent to which the term is currently poorly comprehended and misapplied. The research proposes the introduction of tighter defining parameters to cultural iconography and presents an original definition against existing work in the field. The main aim, therefore, is straightforward; to attempt to answer the general question, what are cultural icons? To meet this end a definition of iconicity will be proposed consisting of four inter-connected conditions comprising, a) distinctness of image, b) durability of image, c) reproducibility of image and d) the tragic-dramatic narrative inherent in the image. The decision to implement such a definition is supported by a range of theoretical influences, from the ideas on perception developed by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, to recent work on the dramatic impact of tele-visual images. The philosophical influence applies the idea that human perception is strongly drawn towards tragic-dramatic forms - the tragic-dramatic narrative of cultural icons being an essential component of the definition - while new research into how images impact on common memory supports this application. The method adopted attacks the central question in three ways. Firstly, by applying throughout the work an original and practical working definition of cultural iconicity. Secondly, by differentiating the properties of primary cultural icons from other important cultural symbols (as in, for example, comparing cultural icons to photographic iconography and non-image based cultural myths). Third, a series of in-depth case studies applying the definition to real examples, which will be the crux of the project and, if successful, may prove not only an original contribution to knowledge in this new and exciting area of research, but should also appeal to a wider, non-academic readership.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Affective tonal value and perceptions of risk in newspaper readership

This study tests the notion that the affective tonal value (positive or negative connotations) of language in news coverage influences perceptions among readers using reactions to news of an environmental issue as a means of evoking differences. Methods involve constructing two different mock news articles, each altered only in tone (not fact), and a post-test survey of perceptions of risk and of overall situation seriousness. Participants (348 undergraduate students) read either one story or the other and then responded to a survey immediately following. Results show significant differences in perceptions of risk toward others, but not among perceptions of risk to self. There was also marginal support for differences in perceptions of overall situation gravity. No evidence was found for an interaction between the language manipulation and any of the demographics. Results show evidence of a main effect of tonal value, and an augmented third-person effect

The Socio-Cultural, Historical, and Political Allusions in the Translation of the Saudi National Day Poetry: “Peace, O Gracious King” as a Case Study

The aim of this paper is to explore the cultural, social, political, and linguistic aspects of Saudi poems sung on patriotic occasions such as the Saudi National Day. The focus of the study will be on “Peace, O gracious King”, a poem composed by Dr. Abdulaziz Khuja and sung by the famous Saudi singer, Mohamed Abdu in 2010. The use of eulogy has a long tradition in Arabic poetry. It could be traced back to the classic ages. Classic Arab poets used to live on the eulogy’s bounty granted to them by rulers. For them, eulogy was both a means of surviving and to have the privileges of being close to the ruler. Furthermore, it was a way to fame and good reputation. The language of the song gains its power not only from its musicality and lyricism but also from its literariness and poeticness, the most obvious aspects of Abdul-Aziz Khuga’s songs. The song is written in al-fushā or what is known as the modern standard form of Arabic. Dr. Khuga, presently the Minister of Information and Culture in Saudi Arabia, is a Saudi poet. He is one of the contemporary poets who use standard Arabic to express the concerns of the Saudi people using simple language, though exceptionally of poetic and high style. It is a language that can be said to be appealing and accessible to a large audience in society. This language is set up to answer the new needs of the modern Saudi society. Khuga’s language has also managed to bring the audience closer to poetic songs, particularly the national ones. The poem/song is permeated by the age-old metaphor of the King as “pater patriae”; “father” to his subjects’ or “the father of the country”. The representation of the King as the nation’s father taking care of his subjects and having allegiance to the nation’s stability is a salient feature of national songs. In addition, the poet populates his song with other native traditional symbols – the palm tree is an example- that are rooted in the Saudi world and are reflective of its indigenous cultural experience. As will be shown in the discussion, the Saudi national culture, natural world, and common heritage are the sources for his material. He relies on the past experience of the Saudi people to express their present situation and future aspirations. A study of the local national poem/song examined here is meant to give readers a hint at: First, the Saudi notion of what a nation is. Second, the social, cultural, religious, historical, political and emotive implications of the song, and Third, the difficulties encountered when translating such a eulogizing poem/song into English and the procedures the translator should adopt to overcome such difficulties