Introduction to Multiple Literacies Theory: A Deleuzian Perspective

This book comes at a time when literacy has perhaps been overly researched and theorized around the world. Governments are especially interested in investigating and collecting data about how their citizens become literate. One might legitimately ask the question: Why do we need more research and theory about literacy? The short answer to this question is that we do not need more information about the processes of literacy. What we do need is work that combines data with a theoretical frame that makes sense of the diverse literacy practices and complex demographics of populations through which literacy is now apparent. In poststructural terms, it could be said that literacy research is an area of `overcoding (Webb, 2009). This means that the balance between signification and the content of the signification is out of phase. For example, the enormous attention that has been given to reading comprehension in educational research is incongruous with the role that reading comprehension plays in the educational process. Reading comprehension has been over-coded by outside bodies solely interested in the results of reading comprehension, i.e., literacy tests. This volume addresses this situation by going outside of the norm, and proposing a new way of conceptualizing literacy, Multiple Literacies Theory (Masny, 2006), combined with data to solidify this view

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in primary care: Design of a randomised trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Major depression is a common mental health problem in the general population, associated with a substantial impact on quality of life and societal costs. However, many depressed patients in primary care do not receive the care they need. Reason for this is that pharmacotherapy is only effective in severely depressed patients and psychological treatments in primary care are scarce and costly. A more feasible treatment in primary care might be computerised cognitive behavioural therapy. This can be a self-help computer program based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy. Although previous studies suggest that computerised cognitive behavioural therapy is effective, more research is necessary. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness of online computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in primary care.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>In a randomised trial we will compare (a) computerised cognitive behavioural therapy with (b) treatment as usual by a GP, and (c) computerised cognitive behavioural therapy in combination with usual GP care. Three hundred mild to moderately depressed patients (aged 18–65) will be recruited in the general population by means of a large-scale Internet-based screening (<it>N </it>= 200,000). Patients will be randomly allocated to one of the three treatment groups. Primary outcome measure of the clinical evaluation is the severity of depression. Other outcomes include psychological distress, social functioning, and dysfunctional beliefs. The economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective, in which all costs will be related to clinical effectiveness and health-related quality of life. All outcome assessments will take place on the Internet at baseline, two, three, six, nine, and twelve months. Costs are measured on a monthly basis. A time horizon of one year will be used without long-term extrapolation of either costs or quality of life.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Although computerised cognitive behavioural therapy is a promising treatment for depression in primary care, more research is needed. The effectiveness of online computerised cognitive behavioural therapy without support remains to be evaluated as well as the effects of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy in combination with usual GP care. Economic evaluation is also needed. Methodological strengths and weaknesses are discussed.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The study has been registered at the Netherlands Trial Register, part of the Dutch Cochrane Centre (ISRCTN47481236).</p

A Study of Personality Perception Evolution in Mechanical Engineering Design Teams

This research explores the role of personality in engineering design teams in two different populations using the Five Factor Model of Personality. Both the self and peer evaluations of personality were collected in equal increments during one semester. After four iterations, the expectation was that the self-evaluations would be stable over time, peer evaluations would show more agreement with each subsequent iteration and that peers would be better able to identify their teammates personality traits. Results show that the self-evaluations were stable and that the peer evaluations do change over time, with an increase in agreement for the Neuroticism factor in one population. Similarly, peers were shown to be better able to evaluate their teammates personality for the factors of Conscientiousness, Openness, and Extraversion over time. A comparison of two populations working on an engineering design project are presented. Extended results, limitations, and future work are also discussed

Consumers' brand personality perceptions in a digital world : a systematic literature review and research agenda

In a digital world, it is becoming increasingly important for marketing researchers and practitioners to understand how consumers attribute humanlike characteristics and personality traits to brands, as the brand's personality has a significant influence on consumers' behavior and their brand relationships. However, despite a growth in research interest over the past two decades, the literature on consumers' digital brand personality perceptions remains fragmented and dispersed across digital contexts. Thus, now is an opportune time to take stock of the field and build a knowledge foundation for future research to establish the domain of digital brand personality. To this end, this systematic literature review, based on the TCCM framework, identifies dominant theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies used to study consumers’ digital brand personality perceptions by systematically reviewing 107 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2005 to 2021. Using an in-depth content analysis of the articles, this review integrates research findings from different digital contexts and provides a new conceptual framework of digital brand personality. The review concludes with a comprehensive research agenda that highlights the need to broaden the theoretical groundings of the field (theory); identifies numerous digital touchpoints and new technologies that remain underexplored (context); reveals inconsistencies and knowledge gaps regarding dimensions, antecedents, and consequences of digital brand personality (characteristics); and suggests diverse, digital-based research approaches (methodology) to further advance the study of consumers' digital brand personality perceptions

Empiricism in the Philosophy of Science

There are two main aims of this thesis: the first is to demonstrate that there is an important version of empiricism — “methodological empiricism” — which is a central part of the empiricist tradition but has been neglected in current philosophy of science. The second aim is to develop methodological empiricism in light of current science. The first aim is met by first articulat- ing what I take methodological empricism to mean, alongside articulating the more dominant version of empiricism — “epistemic empiricism”. I explicate both via several characteristics for each, and then trace a history of both positions from Ancient Western philosophy up until current times. Finally, I give evidence of the neglect of methodological empiricism in current philoso- phy of science. The second aim is met by, first, presenting four criteria for a current version of methodological empiricism that are directly derived from the characteristics of methodological empiricism through its history. I then consider three topics within recent philosophy of science that prima facie pose a challenge to methodological empiricism, all of which can be broadly characterised as appearing to be non-empirical in some way — analogue confirmation, philosophy of computer simulations, and non-empirical theory confirmation. It is argued that, ultimately, analogue confirmation and com- puter simulation are compatible with methodological empiricism, but that non-empirical theory confirmation is not. I argue that this should gives us good reason to reject non-empirical theory confirmation

Multiple Literacies Theory: A Deleuzian Perspective

This book comes at a time when literacy has perhaps been overly researched and theorized around the world. Governments are especially interested in investigating and collecting data about how their citizens become literate. One might legitimately ask the question: Why do we need more research and theory about literacy? The short answer to this question is that we do not need more information about the processes of literacy. What we do need is work that combines data with a theoretical frame that makes sense of the diverse literacy practices and complex demographics of populations through which literacy is now apparent. In poststructural terms, it could be said that literacy research is an area of ‘over-coding’ (Webb, 2009). This means that the balance between signification and the content of the signification is out of phase. For example, the enormous attention that has been given to reading comprehension in educational research is incongruous with the role that reading comprehension plays in the educational process. Reading comprehension has been over-coded by outside bodies solely interested in the results of reading comprehension, i.e., literacy tests. This volume addresses this situation by going outside of the norm,and proposing a new way of conceptualizing literacy, Multiple Literacies Theory (Masny, 2006), combined with data to solidify this view