Undergraduate

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Transmedia marketing communications and the contemporary Hollywood film: A Hunger Games case study
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Farm to Plate; Exploring the Relationship between Chefs and Producers
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
This research project aims to explore the chef-producer relationship and to investigate the role this plays in the procurement of food in award winning restaurants. Furthermore, the study attempts to locate the issues of provenance, organic and local within this context. In addition, concepts such as quality, the distribution of food and the role that Farmers Markets play in this will be explored. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Using a purposive sample, a series of nine semi-structured interviews were carried out with 3 local food producers, 1 local food distributor and 5 highly acclaimed chefs from restaurants in Edinburgh. Using an inductive approach, a thematic analysis of the data was carried out, driven by the theoretical framework developed in the literature review. Issues of ethics, bias, credibility and validity were all addressed. Key findings from the study supported aspects of the literature reviewed and presented new information on aspects of the relationship from the perspectives of both the chefs and producers in this study. The relationship appears to be fundamentally important to the success of their businesses. All participants in the study share a passion and drive to achieve the same end goal of producing and promoting the best quality food produce. Overall the findings satisfied the research objectives outlined, resulting in the research aim being met. Recommendations for this study include possible areas for further research and changes to the methodology that would be of benefit should similar research be carried out in the future. Possible suggestions to improve future chef-producer relationships will also be discussed.
Mediating Role of Alexithymia and Fear of Happiness on the Relationship Between Insecure Attachment and Happiness
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
In recent years, much of psychology has been focused on positive outcomes of human functioning with emphasis on well-being. Investigations into what factors contribute to subjective experience of happiness have identified adult attachment, emotion regulation and problems in emotion processing as significant predictors of levels of happiness. Previous research has established links between insecure adult attachment and problems with emotion regualtion. Specific problems in emotion processing - alexithymia and fear of happiness - were also related to insecure attachment. These concepts have been linked to various psychopathologies and posit serious implications for well-being. The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of alexithymia and fear of happiness on the relationship between insecure attachment and happiness in a non-clinical sample. Futhermore, predictive values of alexithymia subscales were investigated in relation to happiness. A total of 147 participants completed a series of online questionnaires measuring attachment security (ECR-R), alexithymia (TAS-20), fear of happiness and happiness (OHQ). Alexithymia and fear of happiness were positively correlated as demonstrated in previous studies. Attachment-related anxiety was found to predict both fear of happiness and alexithymia, whereas attachment-related avoidance was a predictor for alexithymia only. Both alexithymia and fear of happiness contributed significantly to the overall happiness score. Attachment-related anxiety and avoidance showed no direct effect on happiness. Mediation analysis revealed a full mediation between insecure attachment and happiness. Based on these findings it can be concluded that alexithymia and fear of happiness posit a full mediating role on the relationship between attachment security and happiness. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed.
Social Media, Social Enterprise and Event Marketing: A Comparative Study
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Purpose: The aim of the study is to explore social media uses in Social Enterprise. To support the delivery of the main aim of the dissertation there are three distinct objectives, which are: 1. To identify from the literature review the three most heavily used social media platforms in Social Enterprises and comparing them to the interview question results to see if there is a connection. 2. To explore the manner in which Social Enterprise use social media and whether they encourage comments and engagement. 3. To establish user perception of social media and what does this mean for event marketing in Social Enterprise for the future. Design, Methodology and Approach: This research follows a qualitative case study approach, comparing different organisations social media use in Social Enterprise. Furthermore, the three organisations discussed were not selected at random; the organisations were carefully selected to help explore the issue. The methods for gathering data to help develop the case studies for this research were interviewing, observation and document analysis. The data gathering for the three case studies involved questioning participants about relevant information on social media use, which brought out themes and conflicting issues on social media. Findings and Discussion: The themes which emerged from the research were: • Twitter - the most popular social media platform across all organisations interviewed; • Different social media platforms have different benefits and need to be checked and frequently updated on a daily basis; and • Social media will have a future role to play with Social Enterprises and a future role for event marketing. Event marketing for Social Enterprises can create an experience online before, during and after the event. Events can keep face-to-face interaction, while having the ability to share the event experience online. A conflicting issue from the research is that social media can be viewed as a gift but also as a curse for businesses. Findings highlighted that it is vitally important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages for future social media use. Consequently, to prevent social media being a curse for businesses and allows protection for the organisation, policies and strategies need to be put in place. This action could help towards preventing damage to the organisations reputation on social media. Research Limitations: The researcher's data collection and the development of the case studies were only based on three organisations; therefore this small size can not account for every Social Enterprise or every organisation with Social Enterprise partnerships. Furthermore, although each of the questions was the same in the interviewing process each organisation had a different interviewing technique due to their busy work schedules: • One face-face interview, • One telephone interview and • One email interview This could arguably, affect some of the findings due to the fact that telephone interviewing and face-to-face interviewing could be more in-depth than email interviewing. Implications: Social media has changed the way of communication. It is important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages for the future use of social media in Social Enterprise. It will have a massive role to play in the future of Social Enterprise, creating experiences and being involved in long-term strategies. However, popular social media platforms are constantly changing due to the development of technology. Therefore, it is important to be aware of technological changes and the importance of social media analytics in the development of longterm strategies. Social media analytics will allow the organisation to be aware of: • The current customer/ client base and their behavioural habits • Potential audience reach within specific geographical areas; and • Possible growth and trends in potiental developing markets through mass communications. Social media, including social media analytics in long-term strategies can help plan for the future.
An Investigation Into The Modes Of Performativity Of Indigenous South African Religious Rites And How These Traditions Have Transformed In A Post-Apartheid Context
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Rituals have been performed within South African communities since the first inhabitants, the Khoisan, came before the Common Era. As the centuries passed and civilisations around the world developed South Africa witnessed the migration of different peoples; the Nguni's and other Bantu cultures from central Africa and the Europeans who would come to colonise much of the African continent over the course of time, from 15th century through to the 20th century. This dissertation looks at the roles these rituals have had in a communal setting and how they have transformed in form and performativity from the 17th century (arrival of Dutch) to present-day South Africa and to question the roles of these rituals for future generations of South Africans. In order to do this various methods will be employed including ethnographic studies, ethnomusicological studies, postcolonial theory and historical texts. In looking at the history of these rituals and their functions in the ever-changing society in which they've been placed it is clear that they are in constant transition relying on the world in which they're situated to define their purpose. South Africa as a young democracy has the long shadow of its history hanging over its people and is deeply spiritually disconnected as a result of this history. For South Africans to recreate their individual identities it is necessary for a reconnection to ancestral rites to take place as a nation and as individuals. As song and dance are important aspects of indigenous rituals it is clear to see their inherent link to the arts as a result of their form and so, in turn, arts might become an avenue for the re-appropriation of ancient rituals for future generations in South Africa.
Float
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
An Exploratory Investigation of the Motivational Factors Impacting Attendance at Small, Young Music Festivals Within Scotland: Does the Music Matter?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
The music industry in the UK has been a rising trend in recent years and has a powerful draw of tourists from within and outwith the UK. Scotland's music festivals have increased by three times as much since 2006, which is down to the growth in small music festivals. It is important to understand why this growth has occurred. In other words, what drives and motivates attendance at small music festival in Scotland. If festival organisers understand what motivates their audience, it can benefit the design process of the event. A gap in literature was found, as there have been no previous studies directly related to the issues of motivation at small music festivals in Scotland. There have been similar studies with regards to large music festivals in England and other types of arts and cultural events therefore the research aims to resolve this gap. The research aim is to determine what motivates attendance at a variety of different music festivals and the benefits this information can provide event organisers. A variety of themes such as determining the different motives between locals and visitors were researched to gain as much information possible. It was predicted the best results would be achieved by taking a qualitative approach as more detailed and meaningful responses could be gathered. Data was collected through the procedures of interviewing a variety of people from the attendance and production side of music festivals. The study revealed that the musical line up does not drive attendance at small music festivals in Scotland. The most important factors to consumers are the atmosphere and socialising with friends and making new friends. It was agreed that the music is an important factor but for the majority would not be the deciding factor. It was also found that visitors are more likely to attend for the music over locals as visitors have more community involvement, support and excitement factors.
An exploratory study of the sustainable legacy created by the London 2012 Olympic Games in the host community, Stratford.
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
London 2012 Olympic Games (LOG2012) brought investment and innumerable benefits to the host community, Stratford. A stated objective of LOG2012 was that these benefits could be sustained and bring long-term socio economic development in Stratford. This study utilises Elkington's (1997) triple bottom line approach to sustaining development and explores whether or not engaged stakeholders believe these three criteria (social, economic and environmental conditions) were met through the sporting mega event. Gathering data through a series of interviews, supported by qualitative content analysis, the researcher gained an understanding of what benefits LOG2012 has bought to Stratford, and whether stakeholders perceive these may be sustained. The study found that stakeholders thought LOG2012 had a positive impact on the local area with the majority expecting that these benefits could be sustained into the future. All respondents were aware of the social benefits of, improved transport, job opportunities and social cohesion. There was not, however, a general awareness amongst stakeholders about the economic and environmental improvements in the area that would, in accordance with the triple bottom line paradigm, enable the benefits from LOG2012 to be sustained. This suggests that despite benefitting Stratford, LOG2012 has not sufficiently developed the green and economic infrastructure of the community to support sustained growth therefore failing to achieve the desired Olympic legacy. As people's perspectives are inherently social, further analyses are required to understand to what extent the economic and environmental impacts are recognised socially. This would provide a greater insight to the success of LOG2012 in creating a sustainable legacy in Stratford.
Framing environmental campaigns: An investigation of the effectiveness of intrinsic versus extrinsic goal framing in stimulating behaviour intention positively
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
What effect does a semi-structured task (spot-the-difference)have on turn-taking organisation as compared to an unstructured task (spontaneous conversation)?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Turn-taking organisation has been studied in many contexts, such as emergency telephone conversations, interviews and courtroom interactions (Heritage and Clayman 2010). Comparisons have been made between these structured interactions and conversations to discover any differences (Heritage and Clayman 2010), using Conversation Analysis (CA) techniques. This study continues with this research by comparing a semi-structured collaborative task, namely a spot-the-difference (STD) task, to unstructured conversation. Several key areas of turn-taking organisation were selected for comparison, such as length of turn, number of overlaps, number of questions asked and amount of silence. Audio-recordings of 10 dyads performing both tasks were transcribed using CA, and data was collected from this analysis. The results show that there were shorter turns and fewer overlaps in STD, with more questions asked and more silence overall in STD. The proportion of acknowledgement tokens used as turns and overlaps were found to be unaffected by task type, but the type of questions asked were different, with declarative questions being used to a greater degree in STD than in conversation. Finally, the most frequent between speaker interval was found to be in the range of 0.2 to 0.29 seconds, with the majority of intervals overall less than an approximate one second maximum. The conclusion is that a semi-structured activity such as STD has a specific effect on turntaking organisation, and this has clinical implications. For example, if practice at asking questions was required, an STD task may be more suitable than having a conversation, as the task has the purpose of asking questions to reach its goal within a limited format.
Is There a Difference in EI Scores Between Problem Focused Copers and Emotion Focused Copers When Individuals are Stressed?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
The relationship between EI and coping in stress was examined in a random sample taken from the general population. It was hypothesised that EI related to coping in stress. There were 201 participants in the study and each participant completed a questionnaire comprising of the COPE scale, Schutte's Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale. Five separate t-tests were used in order to explore whether there was a relationship between EI and coping in stress. Results indicated that this relationship was significant. The findings of this study provide valid theoretically based evidence in support of the hypothesis. It shows that a significant relationship occurs within a general sample when measuring EI, coping and stress. Further research in this area may be helpful in order for the construct of EI to be improved as well as exploring its relationship with stress and coping more fully.
How does the perception of criminality influence lineup decisions?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Framed within the context of an exploration of participants' attitudes to, and perceptions of, people of Arabic appearance, this research explores the relation between perceptions of criminality and identification accuracy, building on work by Malpass and Mcquiston (2002) and Maclin (2010). Taking three separate areas of previous study: Stereotypes; Stigma; and Lineup Procedure, this study has merged aspects of each in order to generate a foundation from which this research can build upon. Participants (N=75) took part in this three stage study: a ratings task, where participants were asked to rate faces on one of four possible factors: Attractiveness, Intelligence, Typicality, and Criminality; a lineup task; and a questionnaire exploring the perceptions of Arabic people and culture held by the participants. Each of the participants was randomly assigned to one of six possible conditions (where a person from the ratings task was either present or not). The findings revealed that participants rated White people as slightly more criminal than Arabic people, and were able to make a correct lineup decision concerning White people twice as much as Arabic people. The questionnaire expressed that the participants did not think that Arabic people and their culture were threatening or imposing on the people of the UK, and overall interpreted both in a positive manner.
Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and its Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Healthy Population
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Conclusive evidence supports that adhering to a Mediterranean diet can not only promote vascular health but decrease cardiovascular mortality. Its beneficial components have shown significant results on lowering oxidative damage, repairing and protecting against endothelial dysfunction and reducing inflammation to name but a few. The Scottish diet currently lacks many of the foods that would be considered as Mediterranean diet origin, potentially resulting in the high rates of cardiovascular death seen in the Scottish population. This study aimed to determine the association between a Mediterranean diet on a number of anthropometric and physiological markers of cardiovascular disease in a healthy Scottish population. Participants were asked to complete a 14 point Mediterranean diet score questionnaire to assess adherence to a Mediterranean diet. A number of anthropometric and physiological markers were taken, including height (m), weight (kg), body mass index (kg/ ), blood pressure (mm/Hg), pulse wave velocity ( and smoking status. These variables were then analysed against their Mediterranean diet score to determine any significant associations (P= .0.05) using a Spearman_fs correlation test from SPSS 21.0. The study recruited 20 participants, of which 60% (80% (n= 4) of men and 53% (n= 8) of women) could be categorised as following a traditional based Mediterranean diet of .7. No significant associations were found regarding Mediterranean diet score and biomarkers measured with the exception of Mediterranean diet score and pulse wave velocity in men. For this r = -0.900 (P= 0.037) indicating an inverse association. Results from this study can not confirm any relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and all cardiovascular risk factors measured in a healthy population. Keywords: Mediterranean Diet; Cardiovascular Disease; BMI; Blood Pressure; Pulse Wave Velocity.
A study into the benefits which stem from an active participation in drama for a person with additional support needs.
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
This project aims to highlight any benefits which stem from an active participation in drama for a person with additional support needs (ASN). This project resulted in the creation of a handbook which serves as 'a beginners guide' to using drama with a mixed-ability group. The handbook outlines the treatment of people with a disability throughout history, emphasising the need for change, both in government policies and in society's attitudes towards disability. Through primary observations of a mixed-ability group of adults with ASN during drama workshops at Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh, as well as a detailed case study on Engross Theatre Group, Edinburgh, the project identifies key benefits of drama, which prove to be particularly advantageous to those with ASN. This serves to answer the outlined research question of; What benefits, if any, stem from an active participation in drama for a person with additional support needs (ASN)? The outcomes of the research conclude that there are many benefits which can be derived from an active participation in drama. These include increased levels of self-esteem and confidence, improved communication skills, problem solving and logical thinking, as well as increased creativity. Whilst these benefits appear to be directly linked to participation in drama for people with ASN, it cannot be assumed that drama is the only factor at work. There are a number of variables which cannot be controlled by the researcher and it is difficult to quantifiably measure qualitative benefits. However, it can be concluded that, from the data collected and analysed, drama can have a positive impact on the lives of adults with additional support needs.
Investigation into the postprandial glucose response following the ingestion of freshly cooked, chilled and reheated pasta.
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Background Cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes mellitus have become major causes of premature death and disability in affluent countries. Diet and lifestyle factors are leading causative factors contributing to these escalating epidemics. An individual's diet plays a significant role in the digestion and absorption of CHO. Pasta is a staple food known to have a low glycaemic index. Resistant starch which is found naturally in pasta may have auspicious health benefits and functional properties. The resistance of starch, however, can be significantly influenced by food preparation techniques. Recent research has demonstrated that the ingestion of pasta that has been reheated after being chilled overnight may be a healthier alternative to freshly cooked pasta. Materials and Methods Four healthy female subjects aged 21-22, were recruited from Queen Margaret University. The participants attended three consecutive tests days, where they each consumed a portion of white pasta with a basic tomato sauce. The study measured post prandial glucose responses via the blood and saliva after the consumption of three pasta meals; freshly prepared pasta, pasta that had been chilled in fridge overnight and pasta that had been chilled and then reheated. Blood and salivary glucose responses where both measured at baseline and at 15, 30, 45, 75 and 120 minute intervals, post consumption of the test meal. One way ANOVAs with Bonferonni post hoc corrections were used to determine significant differences. Results Analysis of the blood glucose data using one way ANOVA revealed that there was no significant difference between the preparation methods. Blood glucose analysis determined that the highest peak was observed following consumption of the reheated pasta. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the preparation methods and the salivary glucose responses. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that consuming chilled or reheated pasta instead of freshly prepared pasta does not produce a lower spike in blood glucose concentrations when tested on healthy individuals. For firm conclusions to be reached further studies must be carried out with a higher number of subject participants.
Kiriata Maori: Maori cinema as a newly emerging national cinema of New Zealand
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
How have questions of nationalism within the Irish Remembrance culture changed over the century since the 1916 Easter Rising? A consideration of two theatrical depictions of Irish nationalism within Ireland's Remembrance Culture.
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
This study critically assesses the depiction of Nationalism within Irish Theatre over the century following the 1916 Easter Rising and how that reflects on the Nationalism in Ireland's Remembrance culture with regard to this historic event. This investigation will be carried out through a means of qualitative research. This investigation will concern itself with analysing the progression of the Remembrance Culture and Theatre's influence and response to the culture, if any. It will use historical and academic writings, Irish literature, as well as media and Government Documents concerning the 2016 Centenary in order to achieve this. This dissertation will assess the depiction of Nationalism in two plays from the past century regarding the Easter Rising. The two plays and playwrights in question are Sean O'Casey's 'The Plough and the Stars' [1926] and Tom Murphy's 'The Patriot Game' [1991]. By analysing these plays and assessing the portrayal of Nationalism regarding the 1916 insurrection therein I intend to discover and identify what, if any, changes in attitude and depiction may have occurred and the potential reasons for such changes. It raises the question; can such depictions prove a potential resource for imagining a more positive shared future by providing a way of understanding the past which can free future generations from having to relive and repeat violence and division? This in-depth analysis of Irish Theatre's depiction of the Nationalism regarding the Easter Rising gains a deeper understanding to Ireland's Remembrance Culture but also highlights the political and challenging questions Irish Playwrights pose through their work and how they have tailored their questions to suit the needs of the society at that time.
Recovering from Addiction: An exploration of stigma amongst women in recovery from drug addiction
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Recovery is increasingly becoming the dominant paradigm within addiction services (Burns and Marks 2014), however it can be argued that it remains misunderstood, as addiction and recovery, are both reported as complex and multi-dimensional in nature (Hammer et al. 2012; Sussman and Sussman 2011). Each has been researched in depth from a number of perspectives, one of the most common being symbolic interactionism, which revealed the importance of identity in the 'recovery process'. Moreover, previous research has made much use of Goffman's notion of a 'spoiled identity' (1963). However previous research has predominantly focused on males, and only recently has it come to be understood that women have differing experiences (Covington 2002; Greenfield et al. 2007; Hunter et al. 2013; Kearney 1998; Kruk and Sandberg 2013; McKeganey 2014). This research therefore was conducted with a view to explore what the claiming of a recovery identity means to the female participants, and to what extent they found this to be an empowering identity or otherwise. While furthermore exploring their experiences of addiction as a factor which 'spoiled' their lives to determine whether they would accept this to be the case and also to uncover what the specific challenges were for females beginning their 'recovery journey'. Naturalistic enquiry (Blumer 1986) was chosen as the most appropriate methodology, with semi-structured interviews conducted with six participants from the recovery community within Edinburgh. The data gathered suggests that women do experience some discrimination as a result of their past problem drug use, however they also report positive experiences, highlighting their feelings of the positive aspects of claiming a recovery identity, which may be as a result of the recent paradigm shift in policy. Also revealed are the ways in which they focus on the importance of identity transformation throughout their recovery which emphasises how vital this aspe
The effects of L-Citrulline on thermoregulation and vascular function
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Backround: Nitric oxide (NO) is a vital regulator of vascular function and relevant in conditions such as CVD and stroke. Supplementation to improve NO levels has proven difficult and supplementation with its precursor , L- Arginine, has given minor statistically significant results. L-Citrulline is a precursor of L-Arginine , supplementation of L-Citrulline above 1.5g has the potential to significantly improved vascular parameters. Within both animal and human trials L-Citrulline improves vascular function assessed through PWV, AIx and BP. Objectives : The aim of this study is to asses vascular response after supplementation of L- Citrulline (1.5g/day) compared to supplementation of Vitamin C placebo (120mg/day). Methods: A single blinded, randomised, placebo controlled, trial design was used with 16 normotensive participants that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Participants were randomly allocated intervention or placebo for 2 weeks were assessed with Pulse wave velocity (PWV), Augmentation index (AIx) , Heart rate (Hr), Blood pressure(BP) and Sympathetic release test ( SRT). Intervention included 1.5g/day of L-citrulline and placebo included 120mg/day. Results : After two weeks SBP reduced significantly (P=0.01)within the intervention group, SBP was also reduced in placebo group,(P=0.05). Between baseline and follow-up sessions SRT found a significant difference in sympathetic release time highlighting improved vasodilation. (P=0.01). No significant changes in PWV, AIx or Hr were found in either arms. No significant differences in skin or aural temperature were found after two weeks in either group. Conclusion : This short term study highlights the significant effects of L-Citrulline on systolic blood pressure and sympathetic release time after a 2 week supplementation period.. Within other parameters; Hr, PWV and AIx no significant effect was found in either of the treatment arms. Larger population studies are needed to further understand any short term effects as well as whether these effects are dose dependant. This study also provides support for the use of SRT which should be considered for further research. Keywords: L-citrulline, Vitamin C, PWV, Sympathetic Release Test, Nitric oxide, Thermoregulation, haemodynamics.
Eh… I forgot what I was going to say. How do memory and lexical access affect speech fluency?
(Queen Margaret University, 2015)
Many studies revolving around speech research have questioned what may cause disfluency in typical speakers by considering aspects such as gender, age and personality factors. However, the results established between these groups are inconsistent and therefore, unreliable. This study provides evidence to suggest that the reason it is so difficult to find reliable trends in the frequency and types of disfluencies between groups, is because so much variation can be identified within groups. This study attempts to fill a gap in our understanding about disfluencies in typical speakers. This study investigates the variation in the disfluencies observed in spontaneous speech (average frequency and type of disfluencies observed across 3 running speech tasks) and how they correlate with working memory and rate of lexical access variation. The results were examined using SPSS to establish any correlations. A digit span task was employed to establish working memory abilities. It was found that working memory abilities correlate negatively with the frequency of disfluencies found in spontaneous speech. Working memory scores also showed a strong negative correlation with the frequency of repair disfluencies. An attempt to explain this correlation is made during this study in relation to the ability to self-monitor in speech (Jacquemot and Scott 2006). To determine the rate of lexical access 3 verbal fluency tasks were used: 2 semantic and 1 letter fluency task. These results highlight a negative correlation between lexical access and the frequency of disfluencies in spontaneous speech. Another significant negative correlation is found between lexical access and hesitations: if lexical access is slow, hesitations are used to allow extra time to retrieve words. This study highlights that lexical access and working memory abilities contribute to the variation in disfluencies found in spontaneous speech and attempt is made to explain why this is the case.