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- Title
- L2 ANXIETY IN SPANISH-SPEAKING ADULT ESL POPULATIONS: POSSIBLE CAUSES AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES.
- Creator
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Freiberger, Scott, Mihai, Florin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Anxiety has been identified as a plausible factor affecting second language (L2) acquisition. However, more research is needed on how anxiety may influence Spanish-speaking adult English as a Second Language (ESL) populations. Determining precisely what causes anxiety in Spanish-speaking adult ESL populations should be of interest not only to L2 researchers but also to ESL instructors who may have adult Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in their classes. This study researched...
Show moreAnxiety has been identified as a plausible factor affecting second language (L2) acquisition. However, more research is needed on how anxiety may influence Spanish-speaking adult English as a Second Language (ESL) populations. Determining precisely what causes anxiety in Spanish-speaking adult ESL populations should be of interest not only to L2 researchers but also to ESL instructors who may have adult Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in their classes. This study researched L2 anxiety in Spanish-speaking adult ESL learners. Specifically, it considered possible causes and cultural influences of L2 anxiety in 10 Spanish-speaking adult ESL students at a university English language institute (ELI). Participants were given a choice of completing an English or Spanish version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and then participated in follow-up interviews. Results were documented and evaluated. A total of 14 causes of L2 anxiety were identified, including incompatible goals, using English in professional contexts, the native country, and the need for error correction. Finally, contrary to the literature, collaborative group work was found to cause L2 anxiety in Spanish-speaking adult ESL students enrolled at a language institute.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003050, ucf:48364
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003050
- Title
- Environmental Physical(-)Virtual Interaction to Improve Social Presence with a Virtual Human in Mixed Reality.
- Creator
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Kim, Kangsoo, Welch, Gregory, Gonzalez, Avelino, Sukthankar, Gita, Bruder, Gerd, Fiore, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Interactive Virtual Humans (VHs) are increasingly used to replace or assist real humans in various applications, e.g., military and medical training, education, or entertainment. In most VH research, the perceived social presence with a VH, which denotes the user's sense of being socially connected or co-located with the VH, is the decisive factor in evaluating the social influence of the VH(-)a phenomenon where human users' emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by the VH. The purpose...
Show moreInteractive Virtual Humans (VHs) are increasingly used to replace or assist real humans in various applications, e.g., military and medical training, education, or entertainment. In most VH research, the perceived social presence with a VH, which denotes the user's sense of being socially connected or co-located with the VH, is the decisive factor in evaluating the social influence of the VH(-)a phenomenon where human users' emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by the VH. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop new knowledge about how characteristics and behaviors of a VH in a Mixed Reality (MR) environment can affect the perception of and resulting behavior with the VH, and to find effective and efficient ways to improve the quality and performance of social interactions with VHs. Important issues and challenges in real(-)virtual human interactions in MR, e.g., lack of physical(-)virtual interaction, are identified and discussed through several user studies incorporating interactions with VH systems. In the studies, different features of VHs are prototyped and evaluated, such as a VH's ability to be aware of and influence the surrounding physical environment, while measuring objective behavioral data as well as collecting subjective responses from the participants. The results from the studies support the idea that the VH's awareness and influence of the physical environment can improve not only the perceived social presence with the VH, but also the trustworthiness of the VH within a social context. The findings will contribute towards designing more influential VHs that can benefit a wide range of simulation and training applications for which a high level of social realism is important, and that can be more easily incorporated into our daily lives as social companions, providing reliable relationships and convenience in assisting with daily tasks.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007340, ucf:52115
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007340
- Title
- Examining presence and influence of linguistic characteristics in the Twitter discourse surrounding the women's right to drive movement in Saudi Arabia.
- Creator
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Sahly, Abdulsamad, Kinnally, William, Neuberger, Lindsay, Miller, Ann, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have been popular tools for social and political movements in non-democratic societies in which traditional media outlets are under government control. Activists in Saudi Arabia, particularly women, have launched several campaigns through social media to demand the right to drive for women. This study used framing theory as the foundation for looking at the degree to which cognitive, emotion, and religious or moral language has been used to...
Show moreSocial media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have been popular tools for social and political movements in non-democratic societies in which traditional media outlets are under government control. Activists in Saudi Arabia, particularly women, have launched several campaigns through social media to demand the right to drive for women. This study used framing theory as the foundation for looking at the degree to which cognitive, emotion, and religious or moral language has been used to frame discussion of this issue on Twitter. Additionally, this study observed the relationship between these linguistic attributes in Twitter and retweeting behavior to understand the characteristics of the discourse that relate to the potential influence of the message. The results suggested that, within the sociopolitical discussion in social media, cognitive language was expressed the most often, particularly insight and causation language. The results also suggested that tweets containing cognitive language are more likely to be retweeted than those with emotion language. However, among the components of cognitive and emotion language, anger was the strongest specific predictor of retweeting behavior. The implications of the presence of linguistic attributes and their relationship to retweeting behavior and suggestions for future communication research within the context of social and political movements are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006386, ucf:51535
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006386
- Title
- HEALTHY AGING AND SELF-OBJECTIFICATION: THE IMPACT OF EMPOWERMENT AND FEMINIST ATTITUDES ON BODY IMAGE, EATING BEHAVIOR, AND AGING SATISFACTION.
- Creator
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Grippo, Karen, Tantleff Dunn, Stacey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to contribute to women's healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to contribute to women's healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the resulting negative psychological consequences for women in Western society. This study was the first to examine empowerment in relation to Objectification Theory. Additionally, a developmental perspective was gained by using a diverse sample of young, middle-aged, and older women in the investigation of the impact of self-objectification on aging satisfaction. Results indicated that women of all ages were just as likely to report either body image satisfaction or body image dissatisfaction after accounting for BMI. However, younger women were more likely than older women to view their bodies as objects. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed utilizing Objectification Theory as a framework for predicting body image, eating behaviors, and aging satisfaction. Empowerment and feminist attitudes were not protective factors in promoting healthy eating behavior and positive thoughts related to body image and aging. The final structural model did, however, provide support for Objectification Theory and its proposed relationships between sexual-objectification experiences and the development of self-objectification and the negative consequences of self-objectification on a variety of health-related constructs. Long-term implications include incorporating this knowledge into empirically supported prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing body image and eating disturbance and promoting healthy aging across the adult lifespan.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003966, ucf:48692
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003966
