Face processing : the role of dynamic information

This thesis explores the effects of movement on various face processing tasks. In Experiments One to Four, unfamiliar face recognition was investigated using identical numbers of frames in the learning phase; these were viewed as a series of static images, or in moving sequences (using computer animation). There was no additional benefit from studying the moving sequences, but signal detection measurements showed an advantage for using dynamic sequences at test. In Experiments Five and Six, moving and static images of unfamiliar faces were matched for expression or identity. Without prior study, movement only helped in matching the expression. It was proposed that motion provided more effective access to a stored representation of an emotional expression. Brief familiarisation with the faces led to an advantage for dynamic presentations in referring to a stored representation of identity as well as expression. Experiments Seven to Nine explored the suggestion that motion is beneficial when accessinga pre-existingd escription. Significantly more famous faces were recognised in inverted and negated formats when shown in dynamic clips, compared with recognition using static images. This benefit may be through detecting idiosyncratic gesture patterns at test, or extracting spatial and temporal relationships which overlapped the stored kinematic details. Finally, unfamiliar faces were studied as moving or static images; recognition was tested under dynamic or fixed conditions using inverted or negated formats. As there was no difference between moving and static study phases, it was unlikely that idiosyncratic gesture patterns were being detected, so the significant advantage for motion at test seemed due to an overlap with the stored description. However, complex interactions were found, and participants demonstrated bias when viewing motion at test. Future work utilising dynamic image-manipulated displays needs to be undertaken before we fully understand the processing of facial movement

Stories of family in working‐class graduates’ early careers

How do young graduates view the role of immediate families in influencing/supporting them as they start their working lives and how do those reflections affect how they think of themselves as graduates? Social, political and economic changes have led to many young people being dependent on family for longer, but how does this play out in their reflections? This article addresses these questions by reporting upon findings from qualitative research with 14 young people from working‐class backgrounds, who were part of a larger study of recent graduates. Figured Worlds theory illuminates data, with a consideration of the role that family plays in the ‘space of authoring’ and understanding of ‘positionality’. Findings capture vivid stories of the enabling but also limiting role of family. In our analysis of data, we borrow the words ‘salience’ from Holland and her co‐authors and ‘distinction’ from Bourdieu, which help capture different depictions of family. Both articulations of ‘salience’ and a search for ‘distinction’ emerge in how graduates’ stories respond to family. We argue for a greater appreciation of the differing family resources of working‐class graduates, and reject an emphasis on what they may lack, compared to their peers, which has tended to be the case in some media and policy commentary. There are implications for educators to foster student reflexivity about family sensitively, and to be aware of how family backgrounds may influence graduate career paths and students’ awareness of wider inequalities

The early career experiences of arts graduates

What is the transition from university to the workforce really like for arts graduates? How do they reflect on this and how do they tell their stories? Fiona Christie researched arts graduates’ transitions at the University of Salford, where she is a careers consultant

Decent and Indecent Work

Fiona Christie argues that decent work provides careers practitioners with an important tool to use with clients in critically evaluating the labour market

What is decent work, and what does it mean for career guidance?

Decent work is an international concern. It has far-reaching implications for how career development practitioners approach their work. It relates to ethical professional practice. It is a concept that can shape what clients should learn from their engagement with career service

Book review: The importance of work in an age of uncertainty: The eroding work experience in America.

Book review of David Blustein's The importance of work in an age of uncertainty: The eroding work experience in America

Competing voices: a Figured Worlds approach to theorising graduate perspectives on career success

Becoming a university graduate has long been considered the route to individual occupational and social mobility, while educating more citizens has been assumed to add to a nation’s human capital and competitiveness. University education has come to be associated with individual and societal aspiration. However, changes in the labour market associated with globalisation, technology, and fears of graduate underemployment have served to question this. This paper seeks to uncover the meaning that individuals construct about their early careers as they navigate such uncertain contexts. It reports on a study based on the graduate population of one university in England. Analysis tests the value of Figured Worlds theory. Using the construct of ‘self-authoring’, this paper identifies competing voices around employability and career success. Findings reveal how graduates orchestrate varied voices, in order to find ways to figure their experience and what it means to be a successful graduate