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Rapid Prosodic Change in Beginning Spanish Learners
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/7871faaf-2e5e-43bc-9fd8-457035669694/thumb/128.jpgLanguage education is a process that can bring large changes to a speaker’s entire linguistic system. Past research has found that the language learning process has the capability to change features in one’s native language, transferring features from the new language onto the native language. Most of this research has been focused on segmental features, and little attention has been paid to the transference of prosodic features. This thesis looks at the prosodic changes in beginning Spanish learners’ speech in both English and Spanish. Specifically, I looked at the realization of informational and corrective focus utterances in both languages with respect to intonational contour and syllable duration. To collect data, I gave speakers enrolled in a beginning Spanish class at Reed College reading passages and a game designed to elicit corrections in both English and Spanish. This was done multiple times over the course of a month. I found no significant differences between the production of intonational contours with respect to language or focus type. However, the results indicated the speakers had initially begun with different average syllable durations in each language, which merged over the course of the study regardless of focus type. Speakers began with distinct English and Spanish realizations that merged in the middle. Instead of Spanish speech approximating a more native-like syllable duration, Spanish durations became more similar to English durations while English durations became more similar to Spanish durations. This indicates that through the process of language learning, certain features were changed in the L1 and L2
Differentially Private Weighted Linear Regression
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/24b9c220-7aea-4cee-bf34-8dff211353bd/thumb/128.jpgIn this paper, I present a differentially private weighted simple linear regression algorithm. In the process, I develop a non-parametric weighted simple linear regression method, the Weighted Theil-Sen method, and construct a differentially private weighted median algorithm via the exponential mechanism. Applying the algorithm to synthetic datasets, we find empirically that the algorithm has the same probability limit as the weighted least squares estimator, and that the variance converges to the Weighted Thiel-Sen. We also find that when given an unweighted database, the algorithm is equivalent to the most prominent differentially private simple linear regression algorithms
The Transition from Loot Boxes to Battle Passes in Video Games
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/ef3623d9-3728-49cb-b0fc-76484e840358/thumb/128.jpgThroughout the past decade, the video game industry has witnessed a notable transformation in revenue generation approaches as it has transitioned from a loot box model characterized by a collection of unknown virtual goods toward a more transparent and predictable battle pass system. This thesis aims to investigate the factors underlying this shift through the lens of behavioral economic principles as well as contrasting the two different monetization systems. Through a comprehensive literature review, this thesis scrutinizes the history and evolution of both the loot box and battle pass models and their influences on the gaming industry. The goal of this work is to understand the appeal and value of battle passes for players and developers as well as to provide a deeper comprehension of the ongoing evolution in video game monetization
Investigating the Efficacy of Applied Theatre: A Theoretical Exploration into Quantifiable Impact using Community Sentiment Analysis
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/41ece82d-1fce-4f2b-88c9-9891193598b0/thumb/128.jpgIn recent years, the field of Applied Theatre has garnered significant attention as a dynamic and transformative medium for social change. As practitioners of this innovative discipline, artists like Norma Bowles, founder and artistic director of Fringe Benefits, have sought to harness the power of theatrical expression to address pressing societal issues, particularly within Theatre for Social Justice. Yet, amidst the enthusiasm surrounding its potential, questions pertaining to the quantifiable impact and efficacy of Applied Theatre interventions have persisted. To address this, the present thesis embarks on a theoretical exploration that endeavors to bridge the gap between artistic practice and empirical assessment. Grounded in the conceptual framework of The Indispensable Community proposed by Richard Millington, this study seeks to unravel a fundamental query: Through an in-depth analysis, I delve into the multifaceted dimensions of this question, with the case study of Norma Bowles, Artistic Director of Fringe Benefits theatre in Los Angeles, providing a compelling context for examination. In doing so, I endeavor to contribute to a nuanced and rigorous understanding of how the innovative intersection of technology and art can illuminate the transformative potential of Applied Theatre within diverse communities
Essays on Street Art, Neo and Self Expression: The Egyptian Revolution of 2011
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/55711394-fc45-4206-a454-9cdc410a9f6a/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis comprises a series of reflective essays and paragraphs, capturing my recent experiences with painting. My journey into the world of art, although a recent one, has led me to a profound realization – It is not merely what I know that holds interest but rather what I don't know. This revelation shifted my focus from the subject matter to the manner in which I convey ideas. These essays are honest reflections, loosely organized, avoiding strict linearity or traditional formats. In my exploration, I draw parallels between traditional expression and street art, individual identity and collective expression. My aim is to lower the barriers to expression across various avenues through narrating my own personal experience working on my thesis painting
Aging in The Sun: An exploration of the Jewish Retirement Community in South Beach, Florida.
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/1be79955-409f-4510-8174-782f8c516d0e/thumb/128.jp
Out of Body, Out of Mind: Interoceptive Awareness and Attention as Modulators for Full Body Illusions
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/825a3383-8dd8-4980-9ebe-67eb47587f16/thumb/128.jpgOur sense of body ownership has become a popular topic in recent psychology and neuroscience research. Methods for studying this include the rubber hand illusion and full body illusions, with the latter being the most effective way of studying our sense of body ownership. The goal of the present study was to assess key individual factors that contribute to body ownership, namely interoceptive awareness (IA) and attention. It was expected that participants with high IA would experience a weaker full body illusion, and participants in the attentional intervention group would experience a weaker illusion. Each participant completed a Mental Tracking Task to evaluate interoceptive awareness, and were then divided into two groups for an attentional intervention. One group completed a guided body scan meditation while the other served as a control group. Then all participants experienced a full body illusion, they viewed a first-person perspective of a mannequin body through a head mount display. The illusion was induced through synchronous visuotactile stimulation, with an asynchronous condition serving as a control. The strength of the illusion was measured subjectively using a questionnaire and objectively using a threat test along with skin conductance measurements. Induction of the full body illusion was successful, with significantly higher embodiment scores and skin conductance measures in the synchronous vs. asynchronous condition. There was no significant difference in subjective or objective measures between the two IA groups, or for the two attention intervention groups. These results suggest that interoceptive awareness and attention may not serve as key factors during multisensory integration in full body illusions
Geodesics in Color Space
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/e9925538-0b2c-40ef-b607-7f67cac3021d/thumb/128.jpgThere is a need to represent color in a way that is reproducible. One such way is to describe color in a color space. A color space is a space in which points in the space map to a color, one point to one color. From there we can construct the idea of color distance, for example red and blue are further apart than red and orange. These color spaces create what is known as a distance metric, which tells us how to measure distance within the space. Using the distance metric we can create geodesics, the shortest path between points, and visualize those geodesics
Optimizing Gadgets for Fully Homomorphic Encryption
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/93cb3c0b-1d51-4f36-beaf-8eab8131de09/thumb/128.jpgThe need for bootstrapping in fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) schemes arises from the growth of error terms under repeated homomorphic operations. Gadget-based schemes avoid this problem by using linear maps to perform multiplication by adding multiple differently scaled encryptions of same message. This is a powerful technique, but its full potential is unexplored, with most published schemes using gadgets from a single family. In this paper, I demonstrate bounds on the efficacy of gadgets and show that the decomposition gadgets in wide use are close to meeting these bounds, and construct a family of gadgets which are similarly easy to use in computations that get closer to the bounds
Self-portraits with a Severed Head Exploring an Artistic Compulsion
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/9364a1fc-6056-45ef-bcaa-82f9865072a7/thumb/128.jpgArt historical and psychoanalytic research reveals a lot about the background workings of my mind as I made this series. First, I explore the way my subconscious has been allowed to work in the making of this thesis. Then, I discuss the concept of the sublime and the emotional effect of distorted selfportraits before taking an in depth look at the literature around beheadings in art and culture. Finally, the research is synthesized to broadly assign the paintings meanings