S/PS/146. Dissertation. Positive Psychology

The dissertation examines the aims, principles and methods of positive psychology (PP) analyzing physical, psychological and social benefits of positive emotions, discussing how positive emotion can be created through leisure, analyzing PP applications as a therapeutic treatment, reviewing the Biblical understanding of PP, and reviewing approaches to optimism training. Conclusions are made about the role of PP in dealing with depression.

S/PS/68. Dissertation. Cognitive roots of golf performance

The dissertation examines the cognitive mechanisms of skill development and performance levels focusing on golf putting. Literature is reviewed on the relationship between stress and performance, the theories of attention and conscious processing, the reinvestment hypothesis, explicit learning, etc. A study is conducted to identify the methods of reinvesting attention during anxious performance in golfers. Primary research methods (questionnaires) are used in combination with secondary data analysis. Conclusions are made about the effects of attention reinvestment on golfers' performance.

P/PS/122. Dissertation. Face recognition in patients with brain impairments

The dissertation investigates perceptual problems caused by brain impairments in patients with unilateral left temporal lesions, bilateral temporal or bilateral occipital temporal lesions using face learning and recognition tasks. The theory of face recognition is reviewed; the research methodology is described; the results of the testing are discussed.

P/PS/121. Dissertation. Cognitive disorders related to sexual child abuse

The dissertation investigates the correlation between child sexual abuse and the development of cognitive disorders in adulthood. A literature review touches on the types of child abuse, the general effects of child sexual abuse, the theories of psychological disorder, manic depressive illnesses, cognitive theories of dissociation and mood disorder, etc. The research is based on secondary resources and empirical data analysis. Conclusions are made about the symptoms and treatments of cognitive distortions in adults who had experienced sexual abuse in childhood.

P/PS/120. Dissertation. Is language a genetically inherited ‘innate’ trait?

The dissertation investigates the concept of ‘innateness’ approaching it from the perspective of psycholinguistics. A review of literature on cognitive, linguistic and biological understandings of the term is presented including the trait theory, the genotype theory, the evolutionary theory, the linguistic theory of Chomsky, etc. The debate between nativists’ and empiricists’ explanations of innateness is discussed. A case study is conducted examining Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in the context of Chomskyan idea that grammar is innate and inherited. The genetic ‘non-acquired’ nature of language deficiency is argued contributing to the understanding of ‘innate’ traits.

P/M/759. Dissertation. Does tobacco promotion induce smoking in children and adolescents?

The dissertation investigates the effects of tobacco marketing on the smoking behaviour of children and adolescents discussing promotional techniques used by tobacco companies, the attitudes towards smoking among youngsters, etc. A literature review touches on the theory of marketing and branding, tobacco sales promotions, psychological factors behind smoking, etc. The methods of research include a focus group study based on primary data collection (through interviews and a questionnaire) and survey. Conclusions are made about the knowledge of cigarette brand names in school children and the influence of tobacco marketing techniques on the under-age smoking behaviour.

P/HR/318. Proposal. Stress in students with part-time jobs

The paper offers a research proposal to study the levels of stress among full time students having part time jobs during the term. Literature related to the theory of stress is reviewed focusing on stress in the workplace. Research methods are described identifying the placement of the case study and the techniques of primary data collection (questionnaire). The scale and timing of the research are defined.

P/PS/110. Dissertation. Stress in athletes: theory and coping techniques

The dissertation examines the methods of coping with stress in athletes describing the pressures of modern competitive sport and the problems of increased arousal due to psychological and physiological activation. Theoretical approaches to stress are reviewed including the Drive theory, the Inverted U theory, the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory (MAT), the Catastrophe theory, etc. The importance of mental preparation for sport performance is highlighted reviewing the techniques of coping with anxiety.

P/HR/311. Dissertation. Stress in full-time students with part-time jobs

The dissertation investigates the degree of vulnerability to stress among full-time students who have a part-time job during the academic year. Literature is reviewed on the theory of stress focusing on stress among students. Research methods include the analysis of primary data obtained through sampling and questionnaires. Conclusions are made about the potential for students to suffer from stress.

P/EC/34. Dissertation. Reaction to exam stress in male and female students

The dissertation investigates the gender differences in coping with stress conducting a study of German studentsÒ coping strategies related to examination stress. A literature review touches upon the theories of stress and coping, cultural dimensions, depression, gender coping styles, test anxiety, gender relations in German history, social and educational changes for women in Germany, etc. A case study of the Heinrich Heine University students is conducted using primary research methods (structured and semi-structured interviews) and analyzing the data with reference to the secondary research of academic sources. Conclusions are made about the reaction to exams stress in male and female students.

P/PS/99. Dissertation. Work characteristics and their outcomes

The dissertation aims to investigate the outcomes of work characteristics (i.e. skill variety, role conflict, role ambiguity, etc.) and work related stress. Literature is reviewed on work organisational theories focusing on the Parker, Wall & CorderyÒs model of work design and applying it to establish the link between work characteristics and job satisfaction, customer satisfaction and the transfer of knowledge. The study uses the methods of secondary and primary (questionnaires) data analysis. Conclusions are made about the value of the research findings in improving the quality of work.

P/PS/80. Dissertation. Development of conservation ability in children

The dissertation investigates the process of child development reviewing theories on the stages of intellectual development, logical thinking, the ability to grasp the idea of Ñquantity conservationÔ, etc. The theory of Piaget on childrenÒs ability to conserve is discussed in more detail. Tests of the conservation abilities in children are conducted providing primary research data. Conclusions are made about the sequence of number and mass conservation.

P/PS/79. Dissertation. Theory of organisational change and conflict management

The dissertation aims to investigate the drivers and impacts of organizational change providing an extensive review of literature related to change, globalization, demographics, technological advances, behavioral psychology, conflict management, cultural dimensions, etc. Cognitive models of conflict resolution are discussed.

P/HR/225. Dissertation. Bullying in an organisation and ways to deal with it

The dissertation examines the negative impacts of bullying on the well-being of employees in an organisation aiming to identify the effect of organisational communication (formal and informal) and organisational identification in solving this problem. Literature is reviewed on the issues of social support, uncertainty reduction, work related stress, personalities of bullies and their victims, gender related discrimination, etc. Research methods include primary data collection (thorough a questionnaire) and analysis of correlations between different variables, i.e. bullying, promotion, stress, social support, etc. Conclusions are made about the most common forms of bullying and the ways to deal with them.

P/M/546. Dissertation. Effectiveness of brand placing in film advertising

The dissertation aims to investigate consumer involvement with brands advertised through mass entertainment medium examining the factors behind a successful recall of a brand placement and message within a film. The review of literature touches on the theory and practices of product placement in advertising including its commercial, cognitive and ethical aspects. Research methods are based on an experimental study that includes showing a film to groups of respondents to measure their levels of brand placement recall. Primary data are collected through questionnaires, analysed with t-tests and considered against the analysis of literature. Conclusions are made about the effectiveness of film advertising highlighting its managerial implications.

P/PS/53. Dissertation. Learning styles and academic achievement

The dissertation aims to investigate the correlation between the learning styles and the academic achievements in pupils. Psychological theories of learning are reviewed; primary learning styles are identified highlighting the Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic approach (VAK). The experiment is conducted using a learning styles questionnaire created by the author; the findings of the study are discussed.

P/PS/47. Dissertation + Project Proposal. Sports vs. sporting computer games: physical and psychological effects

The dissertation aims to compare the effects of real sport and sporting computer games testing the levels of anxiety, self-confidence and heart rate of the players. The review of literature covers various hypotheses related to the physical and psychological effects of computer games as compared to sport activities. The methods of research include designing and conducting a study with the following-up analysis of the data obtained from the participants through anonymous self-report questionnaires. Conclusions are made about the differences in the studied variables across the participants exposed to both conditions.

P/PS/33. Dissertation. Investigation of negative effects of mobile phone usage while driving

The paper examines the potential negative effects of the use of hand-held mobile phones whilst driving. Driving behaviour was studied using a video simulation of a car emerging from the junction; the parameters of decision-making and risk management were measured in various conditions, i.e. with and without engagement in telephone conversation. Results showed that participants subjective and physiological workload was greater when they performed the driving and phone tasks simultaneously. The results support previous studies which indicated that using a mobile phone when driving significantly impairs drivers performance. The paper concludes that in attempting to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, drivers subject themselves and other road users to unacceptable dangers.

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