title: Resurgence and order effects in humans

authors: Iddles, Lea-Renee

subjects: Resurgence

abstract: Latent behaviours are learned behaviours that have not been recently observed in an individual’s behavioural history. These behaviours can reappear under many different conditions. Resurgence refers to the reappearance of latent behaviour during extinction. Resurgence is one of the behavioural effects which increases behavioural variability during extinction. This increase in behavioural variability contributes to the complex responses produced in problem solving situations. In typical resurgence research there are three phases: a training phase, an alternative reinforcement phase and a resurgence phase. However, in real-life situations, people often have more extensive learning histories and multiple behaviours may reappear when extinction occurs. The aim of this study was to research whether the order that behaviours were acquired in, for either three or four behaviours, would affect their prevalence during extinction. University students were randomly assigned into one of two groups. The first group took part in a four-phase resurgence procedure and learnt three responses sequentially before transitioning to the extinction phase. The second group learnt an additional response before transitioning to the extinction phase.  A primacy and recency effect was found in the three response group; the first trained response and the last trained response were the most prevalent trained responses during extinction. This was consistent with previous research. The behaviours of the participants in the second, four-response, group were more idiosyncratic and no order effects were observed. This study contributes to the research of how different aspects of an individual’s behavioural history can affect resurgence.

text: Resurgence and order effects in humans Latent behaviours are learned behaviours that have not been recently observed in an individual’s behavioural history. These behaviours can reappear under many different conditions. Resurgence refers to the reappearance of latent behaviour during extinction. Resurgence is one of the behavioural effects which increases behavioural variability during extinction. This increase in behavioural variability contributes to the complex responses produced in problem solving situations. In typical resurgence research there are three phases: a training phase, an alternative reinforcement phase and a resurgence phase. However, in real-life situations, people often have more extensive learning histories and multiple behaviours may reappear when extinction occurs. The aim of this study was to research whether the order that behaviours were acquired in, for either three or four behaviours, would affect their prevalence during extinction. University students were randomly assigned into one of two groups. The first group took part in a four-phase resurgence procedure and learnt three responses sequentially before transitioning to the extinction phase. The second group learnt an additional response before transitioning to the extinction phase.  A primacy and recency effect was found in the three response group; the first trained response and the last trained response were the most prevalent trained responses during extinction. This was consistent with previous research. The behaviours of the participants in the second, four-response, group were more idiosyncratic and no order effects were observed. This study contributes to the research of how different aspects of an individual’s behavioural history can affect resurgence.

year: 2020

title: Long-term evolution of an Oligocene/Miocene maar lake from Otago, New Zealand

authors: Fox, Beth R.S.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Foulden Maar is a highly resolved maar lake deposit from the South Island of New Zealand comprising laminated diatomite punctuated by numerous diatomaceous turbidites. Basaltic clasts found in debris flow deposits near the base of the cored sedimentary sequence yielded two new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates of 24.51 ± 0.24 and 23.38 ± 0.24 Ma (2σ). The younger date agrees within error with a previously published ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar date of 23.17 ± 0.19 Ma from a basaltic dyke adjacent to the maar crater. The diatomite is inferred to have been deposited over several tens of thousands of years in the latest Oligocene/earliest Miocene, and may have been coeval with the period of rapid glaciation and subsequent deglaciation of Antarctica known as the Mi-1 event. Sediment magnetic properties and SEM measurements indicate that the magnetic signal is dominated by pseudo-single domain pyrrhotite. The most likely source of detrital pyrrhotite is schist country rock fragments from the inferred tephra ring created by the phreatomagmatic eruption that formed the maar. Variations in magnetic mineral concentration indicate a decrease in erosional input throughout the depositional period, suggesting long-term (tens of thousands of years) environmental change in New Zealand in the latest Oligocene/earliest Miocene.

text: Long-term evolution of an Oligocene/Miocene maar lake from Otago, New Zealand Foulden Maar is a highly resolved maar lake deposit from the South Island of New Zealand comprising laminated diatomite punctuated by numerous diatomaceous turbidites. Basaltic clasts found in debris flow deposits near the base of the cored sedimentary sequence yielded two new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates of 24.51 ± 0.24 and 23.38 ± 0.24 Ma (2σ). The younger date agrees within error with a previously published ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar date of 23.17 ± 0.19 Ma from a basaltic dyke adjacent to the maar crater. The diatomite is inferred to have been deposited over several tens of thousands of years in the latest Oligocene/earliest Miocene, and may have been coeval with the period of rapid glaciation and subsequent deglaciation of Antarctica known as the Mi-1 event. Sediment magnetic properties and SEM measurements indicate that the magnetic signal is dominated by pseudo-single domain pyrrhotite. The most likely source of detrital pyrrhotite is schist country rock fragments from the inferred tephra ring created by the phreatomagmatic eruption that formed the maar. Variations in magnetic mineral concentration indicate a decrease in erosional input throughout the depositional period, suggesting long-term (tens of thousands of years) environmental change in New Zealand in the latest Oligocene/earliest Miocene.

year: 2015-01-01

title: An integral rite of passage: embedding the aesthetic in adventure education in the pursuit of wellbeing

authors: Wagstaff, Ruth

subjects: wellbeing

abstract: The context for this study was the implementation of an arts integrated unit examined through the lenses of wellbeing, adventure education, children’s spirituality and aesthetic experience. The author’s personal experiences as a holistic educator, connecting theory and practice in educational settings, informed the devising of the learning experiences incorporated into this contemporary ‘Rites of Passage’, arts integrated unit. They also informed the qualitative methods selected for this research. Students reported on their own and others’ perceived state of “wholeness” and completeness of experience and the New Zealand Maori concepts of “hauora” – mental and emotional, physical, social and spiritual wellbeing were examined. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that a holistic, integrative approach to learning was valued by the students and contributed significantly to their experience of wellbeing and wholeness. The coded data was considered in terms of a heuristic clustering of responses around the relational categories of Self, Others and the Environment. Connection, Relationship and Belonging emerged as the most important themes and, unexpectedly, Inclusion emerged as an important consideration to the participants in this study. Creative and resilience-building learning activities, as within this ‘Rites of Passage” unit and the integral “Wilderness Camp”, are supportive of the health and wellbeing of young learners. Such learning opportunities provide for intra-personal and inter-personal development, and contribute to their sense of self, place, meaning and purpose.

text: An integral rite of passage: embedding the aesthetic in adventure education in the pursuit of wellbeing The context for this study was the implementation of an arts integrated unit examined through the lenses of wellbeing, adventure education, children’s spirituality and aesthetic experience. The author’s personal experiences as a holistic educator, connecting theory and practice in educational settings, informed the devising of the learning experiences incorporated into this contemporary ‘Rites of Passage’, arts integrated unit. They also informed the qualitative methods selected for this research. Students reported on their own and others’ perceived state of “wholeness” and completeness of experience and the New Zealand Maori concepts of “hauora” – mental and emotional, physical, social and spiritual wellbeing were examined. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that a holistic, integrative approach to learning was valued by the students and contributed significantly to their experience of wellbeing and wholeness. The coded data was considered in terms of a heuristic clustering of responses around the relational categories of Self, Others and the Environment. Connection, Relationship and Belonging emerged as the most important themes and, unexpectedly, Inclusion emerged as an important consideration to the participants in this study. Creative and resilience-building learning activities, as within this ‘Rites of Passage” unit and the integral “Wilderness Camp”, are supportive of the health and wellbeing of young learners. Such learning opportunities provide for intra-personal and inter-personal development, and contribute to their sense of self, place, meaning and purpose.

year: 2011