Spatial Pressure: The Manipulation of Fluid Space through the Hybridization of Art and Architecture

<p>I believe that although those trained within the discipline of architecture are skilled at sculpting form and space, art practice is often more successful at manipulating spatial conditions beyond architectural norms to affect the dynamic human body. This research thesis proposes that by employing an art practice methodology to influence the architectural design process then a new type of spatially affective, hybridized architecture might be created. In affect theory, knowledge of the body’s interaction with space and other bodies, and reaction to atmosphere is essential to the understanding of a spatial environment. Knowledge of the body and of spatial relationships are inherent to the architectural discipline and yet art practice is often more successful at challenging and manipulating affective responses. While architecture promotes affective responses from those who inhabit, or move through, built forms, might we employ art practice to enhance these spatial reactions? Spatial Pressure proposes that if the architectural discipline employs sculptural art practice methodology then a new type of successful spatially affective architecture might be created. It also proposes that through the manipulation of fluid space, hybrids of art and architecture can affect the dynamic body and enhance spatial responses. The thesis argues for the development of new modes, methods and markers of creating and analysing affective hybrids in order to manipulate spatial reactions. It argues for a reintegration of the body into architecture through the central method of the creation of human scale, sculptural yet pragmatic, interventions. In this work the observation of the body’s response to these interventions is analysed and reinterpreted with each design move, avoiding direct representation of the body. By employing sculptural practices to create publically activated, art-architecture, the hybridized interventions act to push and pull space and encourage movement through spatial pressure. The body moves, the spatial interventions are static; it is the “in-between” that provides the affective condition. Working in a liminal zone between two disciplines creates challenges and opportunities to enhance affective influences and opens the possibility of altering current norms of architectural practice.</p>

Spatial Pressure: The Manipulation of Fluid Space through the Hybridization of Art and Architecture

<p>I believe that although those trained within the discipline of architecture are skilled at sculpting form and space, art practice is often more successful at manipulating spatial conditions beyond architectural norms to affect the dynamic human body. This research thesis proposes that by employing an art practice methodology to influence the architectural design process then a new type of spatially affective, hybridized architecture might be created. In affect theory, knowledge of the body’s interaction with space and other bodies, and reaction to atmosphere is essential to the understanding of a spatial environment. Knowledge of the body and of spatial relationships are inherent to the architectural discipline and yet art practice is often more successful at challenging and manipulating affective responses. While architecture promotes affective responses from those who inhabit, or move through, built forms, might we employ art practice to enhance these spatial reactions? Spatial Pressure proposes that if the architectural discipline employs sculptural art practice methodology then a new type of successful spatially affective architecture might be created. It also proposes that through the manipulation of fluid space, hybrids of art and architecture can affect the dynamic body and enhance spatial responses. The thesis argues for the development of new modes, methods and markers of creating and analysing affective hybrids in order to manipulate spatial reactions. It argues for a reintegration of the body into architecture through the central method of the creation of human scale, sculptural yet pragmatic, interventions. In this work the observation of the body’s response to these interventions is analysed and reinterpreted with each design move, avoiding direct representation of the body. By employing sculptural practices to create publically activated, art-architecture, the hybridized interventions act to push and pull space and encourage movement through spatial pressure. The body moves, the spatial interventions are static; it is the “in-between” that provides the affective condition. Working in a liminal zone between two disciplines creates challenges and opportunities to enhance affective influences and opens the possibility of altering current norms of architectural practice.</p>

BEYOND LINGUISTIC FEATURES

Comprehensibility, or ease of understanding, has emerged as an important construct in second language (L2) speech research. Many studies have examined the linguistic features that underlie this construct, but there has been limited work on behavioral and affective predictors. The goal of this study was therefore to examine the extent to which anxiety and collaborativeness predict interlocutors’ perception of one another’s comprehensibility. Twenty dyads of L2 English speakers completed three interactive tasks. Throughout their 17-minute interaction, they were periodically asked to evaluate their own and each other’s anxiety and collaborativeness and to rate their partner’s comprehensibility using 100-point scales. Mixed-effects models showed that partner anxiety and collaborativeness predicted comprehensibility, but the relative importance of each predictor depended on the nature of the task. Self-collaborativeness was also related to comprehensibility. These findings suggest that comprehensibility is sensitive to a range of linguistic, behavioral, and affective influences.

Becoming Fully Present in Your Body: Analysing Mindfulness as an Affective Investment in Tech Culture

Tech companies have eagerly utilised mindfulness techniques in order to increase both creativity and productivity among their managers and employees. However, while a growing number of studies within fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry suggest that mindfulness provides myriad health benefits, such literature does not critically evaluate the societal and affective influences of mindfulness and other wellness practices on working bodies. By focusing on discourses related to mindfulness training, this paper explores the conception of ‘being present’. Drawing on the phenomenology of the body, affect theory, and critical mindfulness studies, we develop a new theoretical framework for analysing mindfulness as a somatic and social force in technology-driven business contexts. Using research material drawn from the online advertising of mindfulness programmes for managers, this paper describes ‘presence’ as a new labour concept associated with the cultivated performance skill of the managerial body in the era of late capitalism. We conclude that mindfulness training – transforming the somatic into an affective investment – has transformed Buddhist meditation into capital that can be bought and consumed.

ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT OF ASSOCIATIONS AMONG HIGH AND LOW AROUSAL AFFECT AND COGNITIVE HEALTH

Negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) vary from moment-to-moment and these variations are associated with cognitive health. Past work has primarily focused on valence (negative/positive), however, largely ignoring the potential import of arousal (high/low). We address this gap by assessing the impact of high and low arousal NA and PA on daily cognition. A sample of 238 older adults (Mage=77.30 years, SD=5.14, Range=70–90) completed mobile surveys up to four times daily for 14 days. Participants reported current levels of high and low arousal NA and PA and performed processing speed and working memory tasks. For processing speed, there were significant within-person affect by age interactions. Moments when low arousal NA was higher than usual were associated with slower processing speed (Est.=0.87, SE=0.44, p&lt;.05), and this effect was amplified in older participants (Est.=1.69, SE=0.60, p&lt;.01). Moments when high arousal PA was higher than usual were associated with faster processing speed (Est.=-0.81, SE=0.40, p&lt;.05), and this effect was amplified in younger participants (Est.=-1.81, SE=0.56, p&lt;.01). For working memory, a significant within-person high arousal PA by age interaction emerged (Est.=0.001, SE=0.00, p=.046) such that moments when high arousal PA was higher than usual were marginally associated with worse working memory performance only among older participants (Est.=0.004, SE=0.002, p=.06). Results suggest momentary increases in low arousal NA and high arousal PA may confer greatest risk to daily cognitive health among older adults with more limited capacity and/or cognitive resources, whereas affective influences may be more facilitative among comparatively younger adults.

Exploring HIV concern in a population of Dominican American women midlife and older

Background The feminization and ethnic diversification of HIV infection, has resulted in a call for gender- and culture-specific prevention strategies for at-risk groups including Latinos in the United States. The steadily changing demographic profile of the AIDS epidemic challenges prevention strategies to remain relevant and up-to-date, particularly in populations of women midlife and older where an understanding of risk remains under explored. As the CDC requests country-specific HIV risk profiles for Latino communities in the US, understanding the socio-economic, behavioral and personal risk reasons of HIV risk for older Dominican women is critical for prevention. Methods We conducted focus group discussions informed by the Theory of Gender and Power (TGP). The three constructs of the TGP: 1) Affective influences/social norms; 2) Gender-specific norms and. 3) Power and Authority guided the thematic analysis and identified themes that described the socio-cultural and contextual reasons that that contribute to perceptions of HIV risk. Results Sixty Dominican American women ages 57–73 participated in our focus group discussions. Sexual Division of Labour: 1) Economic Dependence; 2) Financial Need and 3) Education and Empowerment. Sexual Division of Power: 4) HIV Risk and 5) Relationship Dynamics. Cathexis: Affective Influences/Social Norms: 6) HIV/AIDS Knowledge and 7) Prevention and Testing. Importantly, participants were concerned about partner fidelity when visiting the Dominican Republic, as the country accounts for the second highest HIV rates in the Caribbean. Conclusions Our results confirm previous findings about perceptions of HIV risk and provide additional insight into aging-related aspects of HIV risk for Latino women midlife and older.

Affective Influences on Creativity in Teams

Both affect and creativity have been recognized as constructs operating at multiple levels. This chapter addresses the complicated relationship of affect to creativity at three levels: within-person over time, in dyads, and in groups. First, it provides an integrative review of affect-creativity relationships at each level, concluding that the different thinking styles triggered by positive and negative affect may both be helpful for creativity. It suggests that effects may depend on stage in the creative process as well as diversity in affect within a dyad or group. Second, it draws on regulatory focus theory to provide a more task-specific typology of affect and explore likely effects on creativity. Specifically, it develops propositions to explain why and how promotion-focused affect (e.g., excitement) and prevention-focused affect (e.g., worry) may come together to foster creativity in different stages of the creative process at the within-person, dyad, and group levels. It concludes with questions for future research at each level.