3830 research outputs found
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Word Frequency Effect: Impact of expertise versus non-expert familiarity on response time and accuracy
No full textA word recognition task was used to examine the impact of expertise and non-expert familiarity on response time and accuracy. The literature suggests frequently encountered words are recognised quicker (word frequency affect) but less accurately (mirror effect of frequency) than low frequency words. Response time and accuracy were analysed across three groups: legal practitioners, final year psychology students (pseudo-experts) and control group. Analysis suggests that expertise over and above a non-expert familiarity resulted in faster response times re-emphasising the impact of subjective expertise on the word recognition. However, legal practitioners were significantly more accurate, irrespective of word type, suggesting that the mirror effect of frequency can be overridden by training. Finally, it is argued that legal practitioners have an objectively demonstrable subjective frequency which should be utilised in future studies to explore when demonstrable knowledge becomes sufficient to be deemed “expertise†for the purpose of word recognition tasks
Sharing is Scaring: Online and Offline Behaviours Shaping Fear of Crime in Dublin
No full textFear of crime is associated with a range of negative outcomes, not only in terms of individual and community quality of life but also with broader economic and political implications. This study employed a quantitative, correlational survey design to examine the factors contributing to Dublin residents’ fear of crime in the city centre. Validated psychological scales were used to measure fear of crime, social media engagement, and sense of community alongside age, gender and Irish or non-Irish identification. The final sample consisted of 341 Dublin residents (148 male, 193 female, 257 Irish nationals, 84 non-Irish; mean age = 50.72). Results indicated that participants who reported higher levels of affective engagement with social media, characterised by emotionally driven interaction, also reported significantly greater fear of crime. Conversely, higher behavioural engagement, such as using social media for relaxation during downtime, was associated with significantly lower fear scores. These findings underscore the differential effects of divergent modes of social media engagement, emphasising the need for future research to treat social media as a multi-faceted construct by investigating how instead of merely how often. This study advocates for the integration of media literacy education to inform users of the psychological impacts of emotionally charged content. It also highlights the potential value of regulatory policies aimed at promoting ethical platform design that empowers users to manage their exposure to fear-inducing content, mitigate misinformation and engage more mindfully with digital media
Lightlist an adhd-oriented task management application
No full textLightList, is a cross-platform task management application designed to support users with ADHD, built using .NET MAUI and following Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) and Clean Architecture principles, while prioritizing cognitive accessibility in line with WAI guidelines. The application allows users to manage tasks across both iOS and MacOS devices with optional synchronization via AWS cloud services. Testing demonstrated good performance and stability, however, the user interface and feature-set is determined to be relatively basic compared to contemporary applications. A Critically review of the technical implementation showed partial deviations from the intended architecture, such as misaligned separation of concerns and minor violations of SOLID principles. Despite these challenges, the primary project objectives were met, and the author successfully gained valuable experience in cross-platform development, cloud integration, and secure user authentication. Future work will focus on improving project structure, enhancing UI/UX for desktop environments, expanding feature sets (e.g., task reminders, prioritization, and filtering), and introducing automated testing to strengthen code quality and maintainability
From Theory to Practice: Irish Psychotherapists' Perspectives on Delivering Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
No full textIn light of growing international interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), this study explored what prepares Irish psychotherapists to engage with this emerging therapeutic modality. Five accredited psychotherapists working in diverse modalities were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to explore their views on readiness, training, ethics, and future models of delivery. Five themes were identified: embodied readiness and the ethical necessity of lived experience; the need for specialised, experiential training and supervision; ethical complexities in client vulnerability and practitioner responsibility; structural gaps in regulation and professional governance; and a strong preference for community-based, nature-connected models of care. Overall, the study found that while participants were open to the potential of PAT, their readiness was shaped by both internal and external factors including ethical concerns, legal ambiguity, and the absence of formal training pathways. Participants emphasised the need for culturally responsive, relationally grounded frameworks that move beyond clinical models. It is hoped that these findings contribute to an evolving conversation around safe, ethical, and inclusive psychedelic practice in Ireland, and help inform the development of future guidelines, training, and policy
Boycotts and Consumer Activism in Ireland: Consumer Responses to the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine Conflicts
No full textThe research investigates how international conflicts affect consumer activism in Ireland by examining how people from Ireland react to both the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine conflicts. The research explores the factors behind Irish consumer boycott participation to analyse their assessment of its political effects and corporate influence. This research project conducted by distributing 88 structured questionnaires to Irish residents through quantitative methods evaluated the extent of boycott engagement and moral along with ethical and social influences and public perception of boycott effectiveness for achieving change. The results showed that survey participants between 18 to 24 years of age formed the largest respondent group at 38 respondents. The cohort after them consisted of those from 25–34 (25 respondents) followed by individuals from 35–44 (14 respondents) and a minority group of 5 respondents from 45–54. Respondents' educational background was clearly really high; a good fraction had a Master's degree. This degree of knowledge may have affected their understanding of and interaction with political concerns including world conflicts. In conclusion, statistical data from the survey showed that consumers take part actively in boycotting activities. Question 6 revealed that most participants had experience engaging in consumer boycotts since 83.5% of them took part in these actions but 16.5% did not participate. The study adds value to academic research by showing how consumer activism works in Ireland
Music Festival Promotion: Talichův Beroun Instagram Strategies, Paid advertising and Optimization Case Study
No full textThis dissertation examines how Instagram promotes small cultural events, examining the Talichův Beroun music festival in the Czech Republic. While large festivals are increasingly implementing social media strategies, smaller community events face challenges such as limited budgets, limited technical resources, and reduced brand recognition. To enhance ticket sales and audience engagement in the context of regional festivals, this study explores how Instagram strategies, including paid advertising and content formats can be optimized, filling a gap in literature.
The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews with festival management and participants. Management provided perceptions of current promotional practices and perceived challenges and aspirations for marketing on Instagram, while participants reflected on their content preferences and perceptions of authenticity, and what influenced their decision to attend cultural events. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed a strong audience demand for visually engaging and authentic content. Viewers particularly desire behind-the-scenes footage, stories and storytelling. Participants highlighted that trust is built through professional design and clear messaging, while interactive elements such as countdowns, limited time offers and polls enhance action and engagement.
The findings suggest that Instagram has untapped potential to reach younger demographics in Talichův Beroun, while complementing the festival’s reliance on Facebook and print media. Authenticity and emotional storytelling are indeed key to sustained success, the study says. The planned use of paid advertising is also one of the keys to greater success. The results recommend practices for festival organizers while contributing to academic debates that promote digital events that are culturally, and community based
Personalized Satisfaction Prediction and Mismatch Detection Using Machine
No full textThis project focuses on improving customer satisfaction by using machine learning to predict how likely a customer is to be happy with a service. It also helps identify when there’s a mismatch between what the customer actually felt and what the system predicted. By analyzing past feedback and satisfaction data, the model can make accurate predictions. We measured its performance using common evaluation methods like precision, recall, and ROC curves. To make the results easy to understand, we used Power BI to create clear visualizations. This approach can help companies offer more personalized services, fix issues early, and keep their customers happier
Forecasting and Trend Analysis of Electric Vehicle Sales Energy Consumption and Oil Displacement in the European region using machine learning
No full textThe adoption of Electric Vehicles(EVs) is rapidly increasing around the world. Europe is a major region in the world which has a lot of importance .The trend of adopting EVs is also prevalent in Europe. If forecasting related to EVs can be done in Europe then government bodies in Europe will be able to get a better understanding of the scenario related to EVs. In the study proposed here, a machine learning based model for the prediction EV sales, oil displacement, and electricity consumption by EVs is built. The dataset containing data associated with EVs was used in the study. The data was used for generating visual plots for finding patterns and trends. The Voting Regressor, LSTM, Prophet, ARIMA and SARIMA models were used in the study. The Voting Regressor contained the Random Forest(RF) and Linear Regression, and the prediction by these models were used. The models were trained using the data associated with EVs in the dataset. The results of the study showed that the models were able to successfully forecast EV sales, oil displacement, and electricity consumption. Based on the performance metrics associated with the models it was seen that the best performance in prediction was shown by Voting Regressor for the prediction of EV sales and electricity consumption. ARIMA model for the prediction of the oil displacemen
Bridging creativity and effieciency - Essential project management knowledge areas for young architects in India and Ireland
No full textThis study explores how young architects in India and Ireland balance creativity with efficiency, using project management as a guiding framework. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, it captures the real-world experiences of early-career professionals navigating design challenges, team coordination, and client expectations. The findings reveal that project management is not just a technical tool; it’s a strategic asset that supports creative freedom by bringing clarity and structure to complex projects. However, many architects face a gap between theory and practice, often due to limited exposure in their education. Participants called for curriculum reform that includes hands-on learning, digital tools, and mentorship to better prepare graduates for professional realities. Cultural differences also shaped how project management is applied across contexts. Ultimately, the research shows that creativity and efficiency can work hand in hand when supported by thoughtful planning, strong communication, and a more holistic approach to architectural education
Evaluating the Role of Application Programming Interface Technology in Indian Banking Projects - A Qualitative Study
No full textThis study evaluates the strategic role of Application Programming Interface (API) technology in Indian banking projects, focusing on innovation, operational efficiency, and financial inclusion. Adopting an interpretivist philosophy and inductive approach, the research employed a mono-method qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with six senior banking professionals. NVivo-assisted thematic analysis revealed 39 distinct themes across infrastructure modernization, security architecture, regulatory compliance, and customer-centric innovation. Key findings highlight APIs as enablers of scalable digital ecosystems, enhancing transaction speed, system interoperability, and stakeholder engagement. Challenges included legacy system constraints, cultural resistance, and cybersecurity risks, mitigated through middleware platforms, sandbox testing, and agile governance frameworks. The study concludes that APIs are not merely technical tools but strategic assets driving digital transformation in Indian banking. It offers actionable insights for institutions seeking to align API adoption with regulatory mandates, customer expectations, and long-term value realization