A Child\u27s Viewpoint

She beckoned to me, and with much apprehension I entered the door of the shabby unpainted house. Inside, the room was small and dark and almost the entire space was taken up by a big metal-framed bed which stuck out into the middle of the room. A ragged upholstered chair in one corner and a small pot-bellied stove in the other completed the furnishings. The windows, uncurtained, were filthy and one was covered with pieces of a cardboard box where the pane had been broken out

The Effect of Distress on Susceptibility to False Memories

False memories are of concern in situations involving eyewitness testimony, as inaccurate recollections of events may lead to false convictions. It is especially important to investigate the role of distress in the formation of false memories, due to many eyewitness testimony circumstances involving an event of a negative and traumatic nature. It was the aim of this thesis to investigate several key factors that may contribute to false memories for distressing events, namely Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms such as avoidance, intrusions, and dissociation, and also the biological marker of cortisol response. In order to investigate these aims, two main techniques were chosen: the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) word list procedure and the Trauma Film Paradigm (TFP) using narratives to introduce misinformation following the viewing of a film. In Experiment One participants completed the DRM using neutral and trauma-related words along with measu res of dissociation and biases related to threat. Analyses indicated that dissociation was related to false recall for traumatic stimuli; findings related to the biases were less straightforward. In Experiment Two misinformation was introduced following viewing of a neutral or stressful film. Findings indicated dissociation was related to higher distress ratings following the film, but unrelated to acceptance of misinformation. Avoidance scores were related to increased reporting and recognition of misinformation items and reported experiences of intrusions related to greater accuracy. Experiment Three was designed to address discrepant findings between that of the previous two experiments: namely that dissociation was significantly related to falsely remembering trauma words in the DRM task but did not predict false memories for the films. Participants completed both the DRM task and the film task. Results suggested that neither dissociation nor trauma history w as significantly related to DRM false recall. While the dist! ress and state dissociation results of Experiment Two were replicated (specifically that all were higher in response to the trauma film in comparison to the neutral film), the memory results were not. Accuracy on the DRM task predicted accuracy for the film task; however susceptibility to the DRM illusion was unrelated to susceptibility to the misinformation effect. This unexpected finding raised questions regarding whether all false memory tasks are equivalent. Experiment Four builds on the previous experiments by including a biological, objective measure of distress in response to film viewing: cortisol release. Cortisol responders were found to be more susceptible to the misinformation effect than non-responders, depending on sample timing. Dissociation was found to be related to cortisol response, and also confabulations for the film. Chapter Eight ties all four experiments together in the General Discussion. While several limitations were identified, it w as concluded that the findings of how distress experiences following the film affected memory were particularly novel. These findings have important practical implications regarding eyewitness testimony, as well as identifying people at risk of maladaptive distress reactions

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He took an old Barlow knife from his pocket and eased into the cane bottom chair, tipping it back on two legs against the low stone fence. Methodically, he drew the gleaming blade across a fragrant block of red and yellow cedar. His gnarled, weathered hands moved deftly. He worked intently for some time, honing the block to a soft roundness and piling thin light curls of cedar around his feet. He peered at his companion from singular eyes set below incredibly unmanageable gray brows

Deploying the User-Centered Systems Development Model to Assess IS Products used to launch Entrepreneurship Ventures

More and more people are looking to start entrepreneurship ventures. Companies have developed Information Systems (IS) tools to assist them through the steps of starting or building a business. Products like GoVenture, BizCafe, Industry Masters and the DIY Toolkit are a few examples of IS products that exist. This research study investigated eight IS-based products to assess whether these products met the User-Centered Systems Development (UCSD) requirements of iterative product design. The research generated a list of IS products, a list of product features, and a quick-reference tool to be used by those launching or growing a business. Differentiations found in each product; addressed single vs. multiple business options, end-user decision making, task interdependence, and criteria-based constraints. A discovery was that simulations or demonstrations (demos) are not as robust in providing ‘real’ or ‘actual’ examples in order to build consumer confidence. However, the process garnered helpful information for budding entrepreneurs

Online Courses The Real Challenge Is Motivation

Among the academic disciplines, business has led the way in offering Internet courses to its students. While online classes give students more opportunity and flexibility to integrate courses into their daily schedules, many concerns have developed from this form of distance education. Research on distance education indicates that the keys to effective online versus traditional classes includes the development of new teaching methods, frequent and timely interaction through e-mail, weekly discussion boards, the use of collaborative student groups, and an appreciation for students with multiple backgrounds and experiences. All of these keys are practical; however, when you consider the old adage you can take a horse to the water, but you cant make him drink, the researcher believes that intrinsic motivation can play a key role in online student success. This research paper was designed to 1) exam literature related to online courses, 2) discuss some indicators that support the notion that intrinsic motivation is attributable to student success; and 3) provide some strategies that may be used to increase intrinsic motivation in online courses

Reasoned versus reactive prediction of behaviour: a meta-analysis of the prototype willingness model

The prototype willingness model (PWM) was designed to extend expectancy-value models of health behaviour by also including a heuristic, or social reactive pathway, to better explain health-risk behaviours in adolescents and young adults. The pathway includes prototype, i.e., images of a typical person who engages in a behaviour, and willingness to engage in behaviour. The current study describes a meta-analysis of predictive research using the PWM and explores the role of the heuristic pathway and intentions in predicting behaviour. Eighty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, the PWM was supported and explained 20.5% of the variance in behaviour. Willingness explained 4.9% of the variance in behaviour over and above intention, although intention tended to be more strongly related to behaviour than was willingness. The strength of the PWM relationships tended to vary according to the behaviour being tested, with alcohol consumption being the behaviour best explained. Age was also an important moderator, and, as expected, PWM behaviour was best accounted for within adolescent samples. Results were heterogeneous even after moderators were taken into consideration. This meta-analysis provides support for the PWM and may be used to inform future interventions that can be tailored for at-risk populations

Principles of Bacterial Cell-Size Determination Revealed by Cell-Wall Synthesis Perturbations

SummaryAlthough bacterial cell morphology is tightly controlled, the principles of size regulation remain elusive. In Escherichia coli, perturbation of cell-wall synthesis often results in similar morphologies, making it difficult to deconvolve the complex genotype-phenotype relationships underlying morphogenesis. Here we modulated cell width through heterologous expression of sequences encoding the essential enzyme PBP2 and through sublethal treatments with drugs that inhibit PBP2 and the MreB cytoskeleton. We quantified the biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell wall across a wide range of cell sizes. We find that, although cell-wall chemical composition is unaltered, MreB dynamics, cell twisting, and cellular mechanics exhibit systematic large-scale changes consistent with altered chirality and a more isotropic cell wall. This multiscale analysis enabled identification of distinct roles for MreB and PBP2, despite having similar morphological effects when depleted. Altogether, our results highlight the robustness of cell-wall synthesis and physical principles dictating cell-size control