DOCSLIB.ORG

A Conceptualization of Computer Technology in the Workplace

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Conceptualization of Computer Technology in the Workplace Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2009 The development of technological management model: A conceptualization of computer technology in the workplace Paul E. Madlock West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Madlock, Paul E., "The development of technological management model: A conceptualization of computer technology in the workplace" (2009). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 2927. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/2927 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Development of Technological Management Model: A Conceptualization of Computer Technology in the Workplace Paul E. Madlock Dissertation Submitted to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies Theodore A. Avtgis Ph.D., Chair Melanie Booth-Butterfield, Ph.D. Rebecca M. Chory, Ph.D Mathew M. Martin, Ph.D. David Westerman, Ph.D. Andrew S. Rancer, Ph.D. Department of Communication Studies Morgantown, West Virginia 2009 Keywords: Organizational communication, technology, socialization, social influence, computer self-efficacy, job satisfaction, organizational commitment ABSTRACT The Development of Technological Management Model: A Conceptualization of Computer Technology in the Workplace Paul E Madlock The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a model that would serve to assist scholars, business professionals, and employees manage the influence of computer technology in the workplace. This study also focused on mandated use environments given the paucity of research in this area. In doing so, Technology Management Model (TMM) was developed. Actor Network Theory (ANT; Callon, 1986; Latour, 1987; Law, 1987) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT; Bandura, 1986) provided support for the multifactor design of TMM. As a result, TMM was comprised of three latent variables of technological, personal, and organizational factors though to influence the attitudes employees hold toward computer technology in the workplace. Further, these attitudes held by employees were then hypothesized to be positively related to their work related attitudes of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The results generally supported all of the correlational hypotheses and also indicated that the data fit the TMM. Implications for these findings are discussed with an emphasis on the value derived from the initial development of TMM including its simplicity, practicality, and its appeal to scholars, business professionals, and employees. Specifically, TMM appears to explain the influence technology has on the organization and its members in mandated use work environments. iii Table of Contents Page CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 1 Statement of Problem......................................................................................... 3 Technological Factors........................................................................................ 13 Technology Acceptance Model.............................................................. 13 Personal Factors................................................................................................. 16 Computer Self-Efficacy......................................................................... 16 Computer Anxiety.................................................................................. 19 Individual Innovativeness...................................................................... 22 Organizational Factors....................................................................................... 27 Socialization........................................................................................... 27 Social Influence...................................................................................... 32 Task Structure........................................................................................ 35 Attitudes/Perceptions of Computer Technology................................................ 38 Attitudes/Perceptions ............................................................................. 38 Work Related Attitudes...................................................................................... 42 Job Satisfaction...................................................................................... 43 Organizational Commitment.................................................................. 46 Purpose of Study................................................................................................ 48 Statement of Hypotheses........................................................................ 51 Hypothesis 1...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 2...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 3...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 4...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 5........................................................................................... 52 Hypothesis 6...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 7...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 8...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 9...........................................................................................52 Hypothesis 10.........................................................................................53 Hypothesis 11......................................................................................... 53 Hypothesis 12.........................................................................................53 Hypothesis 13.........................................................................................53 Hypothesis 13a....................................................................................... 53 Hypothesis 13b.......................................................................................53 Hypothesis 14.........................................................................................53 iv Summary............................................................................................................ 54 CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................ 56 Participants......................................................................................................... 56 Procedures.......................................................................................................... 56 Measures ............................................................................................................ 58 Technological Factors........................................................................................ 58 Ease of Use & Perceived Usefulness Scales.......................................... 58 Personal Factors................................................................................................. 60 Computer Anxiety and Self-efficacy Scale............................................ 60 Individual Innovativeness Scale............................................................. 61 Organizational Factors....................................................................................... 62 Newcomer Socialization Questionnaire................................................. 62 Social Influence Scale............................................................................ 66 Task Characteristics Scale...................................................................... 67 Employee Perceptions/Attitudes of Computer Technology .............................. 67 Computer Attitudes Scale ...................................................................... 67 Work Related Attitudes...................................................................................... 69 Abridged Job in General Scale............................................................... 69 Organizational Commitment Questionnaire .......................................... 70 CHAPTER III: RESULTS............................................................................................. 72 Results of Hypothesis 1 ..................................................................................... 72 Results of Hypothesis 2 ..................................................................................... 72 Results of Hypothesis 3 ....................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Psych Homework
    AP Notes – History and Approaches Early Theories – Where did we come from as a science??? In the beginning – people studied philosophy and physiology – both starting to study the human mind by the 1870s. 1879 - Wilhelm Wundt wanted to study human as a separate group not tied to the other two. In Germany he will establish the first lab to study human beings. This is the official start of psychology. Thus Wundt is the “Father of psychology” Wundt will study consciousness – the awareness of experiences Psychology grows – first 2 schools of thought Structuralism – will be started by Edward Titchner - he had studied under Wundt and then came to the US. Structuralism is based on the notion that we need to analyze consciousness in its basic elements to figure out why things are the way they are. (sensations, the components of vision, hearing, touch) o Introspection – careful, systematic self-observation of one’s own conscious experience. (with structuralism we would train people to analyze their thoughts and then exposed them to perceptual experiments (auditory tones, optical illusions, visual stimuli – then report) Functionalism – we should study the purpose of consciousness, why do we think the way we do, not some meaningless structure. We need to study how people adapt their behavior to their environment. William James will start this school of thought. William James also wrote the first textbook Gestalt – exact opposite of structuralism. We should study the whole not the parts to understand human behavior. (We will come back to this with perception) Max Wertheimer will start this school of thought. Other early view – These are still around Psychoanalysis – Freud – unconscious, repression, defense mechanisms Behaviorism – John B.
    [Show full text]
  • Switching Gestalts on Gestalt Psychology: on the Relation Between Science and Philosophy
    Switching Gestalts on Gestalt Psychology: On the Relation between Science and Philosophy Jordi Cat Indiana University The distinction between science and philosophy plays a central role in meth- odological, programmatic and institutional debates. Discussions of disciplin- ary identities typically focus on boundaries or else on genealogies, yielding models of demarcation and models of dynamics. Considerations of a disci- pline’s self-image, often based on history, often plays an important role in the values, projects and practices of its members. Recent focus on the dynamics of scientiªc change supplements Kuhnian neat model with a role for philoso- phy and yields a model of the evolution of philosophy of science. This view il- luminates important aspects of science and itself contributes to philosophy of science. This interactive model is general yet based on exclusive attention to physics. In this paper and two sequels, I focus on the human sciences and ar- gue that their role in the history of philosophy of science is just as important and it also involves a close involvement of the history of philosophy. The focus is on Gestalt psychology and it points to some lessons for philosophy of science. But, unlike the discussion of natural sciences, the discussion here brings out more complication than explication, and skews certain kinds of generaliza- tions. 1. How Do Science and Philosophy Relate to Each Other? a) As Nietzsche put it in the Genealogy of Morals: “Only that which has no history can be deªned.” This notion should make us wary of Heideggerian etymology, conceptual analysis and even Michael Friedman’s relativized, dialectical, post-Kuhnian Hegelianism alike.
    [Show full text]
  • Cognitive Semiotics
    COGNITIVE SEMIOTICS Multidisciplinary Journal on Meaning and Mind Issue 5 . Fall 2009 PETER LANG Bern · Berlin ' Bruxelles ' Frankfurt am Main · New York · Oxford · Wien COGNITIVE SEMIOTICS EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Per Aage Brandt and Todd Oakley CO-EOrTORS Ana Margarida Abrantes, Tim Adamson, Une Brandt, Riccardo Fusaroli, and Jes Vang EDITORIAL ASSISTANT (official address and address for unsolicited submissions) Larimee Cortnik Department of Cognitive Science Center for Cognition and Culture Case Western Reserve University College of Arts & Sciences Crawford Hall, 612D Cleveland, Ohio, 44106-7179 USA Phone: (+1) 216 368-6538 · Fax: (+1) 216 368-3821 [email protected] COORDINATING EDITOR (general address for solicited submissions and editorial contact) Jes Vang · [email protected] EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Liliana Albertazzi, Bernard Baars, Enrique Bernárdez, Peer Bundgaard, Roberto Casati, Christopher Collins, Seana Coulson, Ian Cross, Terrence Deacon, Merlin Donald, Shaun Gallagher, Barend van Heusden, Robert Innis, Jana M. Iverson, Mark Johnson, Torben Fledelius Knap, Kalevi Kull, Ronald Langacker, Michael Leyton, Ricardo Maldonado, Juana Isabel Mann-Arrese, Erik Myin, Frederic Nef, Pierre Ouellet, Jean-Luc Petit, Jean Petitot, Martina Plümacher, Roberto Poli, Ernst Pöppel, Andreas Roepstorff, Bent Rosenbaum, Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, Chris Sinha, Linda B. Smith, Göran Sonesson, Frederik Stjernfelt, Eve Sweetser, Leonard Talmv, Evan Thompson, Colwyn Trevarthen, Reuven Tsur, Mark Turner, Patrizia Violi, Wolfgang Wildgen, Dan Zahavi, Lawrence Zbikowski, Jordan Zlatev, and Svend Ostergaard. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS For style guide and other directions for authors go to the journal's website: www.cogniavesemiotics.com PUBUSHING DETAILS © by Verlag Peter Lang AG, Hochfeldstrasse 32, CH-3012 Bern Tel. +41 31 306 17 17; Fax +41 31 306 17 27; E-Mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.peterlang.com All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Psychology Unit 1
    PSYCHOLOGY Dr.K.Shanthi Assistant Professor & Head PG Department of Social Work Guru Nanak College (Autonomous) Unit 1 Syllabus: Definition of Psychology and its importance and role in social work practice. Scientific basis of psychology. Definition of behaviour. Psychology as a study of individual difference and observable behaviour. Brief history and Fields’ of Psychology. Psychology The word Psychology - derived from Greek literature 'Psyche‘ - 'soul' & 'Logos' - 'the study of': the study of the mind or soul the study of behavior. the systematic study of behavior and experience. is concerned with the experience and behaviour of the individual. Definition of Psychology Psychology is defined as the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes. - Human behavior - observed directly. - Mental processes - thoughts, feelings, and motives that are not directly observable. Psychology its Importance and role in social work practice Psychology deals with human behaviour, emotions, projections, Cognition, learning and memory are core subject matters for psychology. interaction pattern between heredity and environment aware of individual differences in physical and mental traits and abilities. The theories - help to understand individuals’ behaviour. Psychology its Importance and role in social work practice to understand and analyse human behaviour. to bring about a change in personality through functioning or behaviour modification. In resolving problems related to adjustment. Social Case Work , dealing with individuals.
    [Show full text]
  • Visual Semiotics: a Study of Images in Japanese Advertisements
    VISUAL SEMIOTICS: A STUDY OF IMAGES IN JAPANESE ADVERTISEMENTS RUMIKO OYAMA THESIS SUBMIITED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON iN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF LONDON NOVEMBER 1998 BIL LONDON U ABSTRACT 14 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 15 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 16 1.1 THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH 16 1.2 DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH INTERESTS 16 1.3 LANGUAGE VERSUS VISUALS AS A SEMIOTIC MODE 20 1.4 THE ASPECT OF VISUAL SEMIOTICS TO BE FOCUSED ON: Lexis versus Syntax 23 1.5 CULTURAL VALUE SYSTEMS IN VISUAL SYNTAX: A challenge to the notion of universality 24 Chapter Ii THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 26 2.1 INTRODUCTION 26 2.2 LITERATURE SURVEY ON STUDIES OF IMAGES 27 2.2.1 What is an image? 27 2.2.2 Art history/Art theories 29 2.2.3 Sociological approaches to visual images 36 2.2.4 Cultural approaches to visual images 44 2.2.4.1 Visual images as cultural products 45 2.2.4.2 Visual images from linguistic perspectives 50 2.2.5 Semiotic approaches to visual images 54 2.2.5.1 Saussure, Barthes (traditional semiology I semiotics) 54 2.2.5.2 Film semiotics 59 2 2.2.5.3 Social Semiotics 61 2.2.6 Reflection on the literature survey 66 2.3 A THEORY FOR A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE VISUAL 71 2.3.1 Visual semiotics and the three metafunctions 72 2.3.1.1 The Ideational melafunction 73 2.3.1.2 The Textual metafunction 75 2.3.1.3 The Interpersonal metafunction 78 2.4 VERBAL TEXT IN VISUAL COMPOSITION: Critical Discourse Analysis 80 23 INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR A MULTI-MODAL ANALYSIS OF VISUAL AND VERBAL TEXTUAL OBJECTS
    [Show full text]
  • Sample Chapter 1
    Shutterstock Chapter One Introduction to Psychology Chapter Outline 1.1 What Is Psychology? a Psychology Is the Scienti!c Study of Mental Processes and Behavior. b Most Psychologists Believe that There Are Lawful Patterns of Behavior. 1.2 Early Pioneers a Wilhelm Wundt and Structuralism Examined the Structure of the Mind. b William James and Functionalism Analyzed the Functions of the Mind. c Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis Examined How the Unconscious Mind Shapes Behavior d John Watson and Behaviorism Investigated Observable Behavior. e Max Wertheimer and Gestalt Psychology Studied How the Mind Organizes Stimuli into Meaningful Wholes. f Despite Discrimination, Women and Ethnic Minorities Shaped Psychology. 1.3 Contemporary Perspectives and Areas of Specialization a Psychoanalysis and Behaviorism Still In#uence Theory and Research. b Humanistic Psychology and Positive Psychology Highlight Personal Growth. c Cognitive Psychology Analyzes How the Mind Organizes and Interprets Experiences. d The Neuroscience Perspective Focuses on the Nervous System. e Evolutionary Psychology Studies How Behavior Is Shaped by Natural Selection. f The Sociocultural Perspective Studies How Behavior Is Shaped by Social and Cultural Forces. g Psychology’s Sub!elds Tend to Have Either a Research or Application Emphasis. Psychological Applications: How Did Psychological Research In!uence the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Decision to Desegregate Schools? Quest—An act or instance of seeking; an adventurous journey. he theme of this book is that both the lesson is that it is absolutely essential to undertake science of psychology and your own life quests regularly because in such quests—both the are journeys of discovery. Throughout large and the small variety—you develop new ways of Tyour life you will undertake many quests, and a looking at yourself and the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Perception at the End of the World Joanna Zylinska
    Perception at the End of the World (or How Not to Play Video Games) Joanna Zylinska PERCEPTION AT THE END OF THE WORLD, OR HOW NOT TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES © 2020 Joanna Zylinska This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom- mercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License, which means that you are free to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and you may also remix, transform and build upon the material, as long as you clearly attribute the work to the authors (but not in a way that sug- gests the authors or Flugschriften endorses you and your work), you do not use this work for commercial gain in any form whatsoever, and that for any remixing and transformation, you distribute your rebuild under the same license. First Published in 2020 by Flugschriften Pittsburgh and New York https://flugschriften.com/ Flugschriften rekindles the long tradition of 16th-century pamphlets –or ‘flying writings’–giving heterodox, experimental, challenging writings a pair of wings with which to find like-minded readers. Flugschriften publishes short, sharp shocks to the system–whether this be the political system, literary system, academic system, or human nervous system. ISBN: 978-1-7335365-6-1 Front cover: “Feedback Roles” (2020) by Felipe Mancheno. Adapted from “Film projector 8 mm of Sekonic 80P” by Hannes Grobe (2012). Layout design: Felipe Mancheno. I I am dead, again. I am restarting Joel, or rather restarting myself walking as Joel, trying to sneak through the plague-infested streets of some godforsaken city in which the end of the world has already happened.
    [Show full text]
  • How Einstein Did Not Discover
    Phys. Perspect. 18 (2016) 249–282 Ó 2016 Springer International Publishing 1422-6944/16/030249-34 DOI 10.1007/s00016-016-0186-z Physics in Perspective How Einstein Did Not Discover John D. Norton* What powered Einstein’s discoveries? Was it asking naı¨ve questions, stubbornly? Was it a mischievous urge to break rules? Was it the destructive power of operational thinking? It was none of these. Rather, Einstein made his discoveries through lengthy, mundane investigations, pursued with tenacity and discipline. We have been led to think otherwise in part through Einstein’s brilliance at recounting in beguilingly simple terms a few brief moments of transcendent insight, and in part through our need to find a simple trick underlying his achievements. These ideas are illustrated with the examples of Einstein’s 1905 discoveries of special relativity and the light quantum. Key words: discovery; Albert Einstein; light quantum; relativity. Introduction How did Einstein make his discoveries? That question has occupied several gen- erations of historians of science. Their efforts have been decisively advanced by Princeton University Press’s authoritative, multivolume Collected Papers of Albert Einstein. In collating, annotating, and presenting Einstein’s published and unpublished writings in a growing series of volumes, the editors of the project have contributed considerably to primary Einstein scholarship. At the same time, this wealth of material has made it possible for scholars elsewhere to base their work securely in documentary evidence. A recent introductory distillation of some of this work can be found in the Cambridge Companion to Einstein.1 We have learned that the work that led up to Einstein’s great discoveries was long and complicated, typically spanning years.
    [Show full text]
  • Image – Action – Space: Situating the Screen in Visual Practice
    Luisa Feiersinger Kathrin Friedrich Moritz Queisner (Eds.) 2 Image – Action – Space IMAGE – ACTION – SPACE SITUATING THE SCREEN IN VISUAL PRACTICE Luisa Feiersinger, Kathrin Friedrich, Moritz Queisner (Eds.) This publication was made possible by the Image Knowledge Gestaltung. An Interdisciplinary Laboratory Cluster of Excellence at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (EXC 1027/1) with financial support from the German Research Foundation as part of the Excellence Initiative. The editors like to thank Sarah Scheidmantel, Paul Schulmeister, Lisa Weber as well as Jacob Watson, Roisin Cronin and Stefan Ernsting (Translabor GbR) for their help in editing and proofreading the texts. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No-Derivatives 4.0 License. For details go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Copyrights for figures have been acknowledged according to best knowledge and ability. In case of legal claims please contact the editors. ISBN 978-3-11-046366-8 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-046497-9 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-046377-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018956404 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2018 Luisa Feiersinger, Kathrin Friedrich, Moritz Queisner, published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston The book is published with open access at www.degruyter.com, https://www.doabooks.org and https://www.oapen.org. Cover illustration: Malte Euler Typesetting and design: Andreas Eberlein, aromaBerlin Printing and binding: Beltz Bad Langensalza GmbH, Bad Langensalza Printed in Germany www.degruyter.com Inhalt 7 Editorial 115 Nina Franz and Moritz Queisner Image – Action – Space.
    [Show full text]
  • Carlos Augusto Moreira Da Nobrega
    University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk 04 University of Plymouth Research Theses 01 Research Theses Main Collection 2009 Art and Technology: coherence, connectedness, and the integrative field da Nobrega, Carlos Augusto Moreira http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/2248 University of Plymouth All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. Art and Technology: coherence; corinectedhesl), and the integrative field by Carlos Augusto Moreira da Nobrega: A ;thesis submitted to. the University of Piymouth in partiall ftilfilinellt for the.degree of :DOC'FOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Art;& Media 'Faculty of Arts September 2009 2 AUTHOR: Carlos Augusto Moreira da Nobrega TITLE: Art and Technology: coherence, connectedness, and the integrative field ABSTRACT This thesis is a theoretical and practical intervention in the field of art and technology. it proceeds from the re-examination of four specific domains that in the past 40 years have considerably informed the invention of new aesthetic fom1s. They are: art, science, nature and technology. We have identified that each one of these domains and the way they inform one another reflects the influence of a Western analytical tradition based on fragmentation, dichotomies and dualities. In consequence of this, art of the last decades has suffered from a sort of mechanistic thought which results from a predominantly weary aesthetic model, founded in dualities such as: object/process, form/behaviour, meaning/information.
    [Show full text]
  • AURAL RHETORIC in PHARMACEUTICAL ADVERTISING (TOWARD a THEORY and METHOD of AURALACY) Michael Hovan Clemson University, [email protected]
    Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 12-2009 SOUND MATTERS: AURAL RHETORIC IN PHARMACEUTICAL ADVERTISING (TOWARD A THEORY AND METHOD OF AURALACY) Michael Hovan Clemson University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Part of the Mass Communication Commons Recommended Citation Hovan, Michael, "SOUND MATTERS: AURAL RHETORIC IN PHARMACEUTICAL ADVERTISING (TOWARD A THEORY AND METHOD OF AURALACY)" (2009). All Theses. 739. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/739 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SOUND MATTERS: AURAL RHETORIC IN PHARMACEUTICAL ADVERTISING (TOWARD A THEORY AND METHOD OF AURALACY) A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Professional Communication by Michael Gordon Hovan December 2009 Accepted by: Dr. Steven B. Katz, Committee Chair Dr. Susan Hilligoss Dr. Jan Holmevik ABSTRACT As scholarly theories and explorations of visuality continue to grow in prominence within the discourse on multimodal communication, a gap remains in the literature regarding the affective qualities of sound in multimedia messages. The following study attempts to address this gap and likewise propose a theory of auralacy (aural literacy) by examining the audiovisual interactions present in three different pharmaceutical commercials. This study begins by examining literature regarding Gestalt perceptual theory, with emphasis on its origins, historical developments, and current status in perceptual research. The literature shows that perceptual wholes may be formed visually, tactilely, aurally, or even intermodally.
    [Show full text]
  • Max Wertheimer in America: 1933 - 1943
    MAX WERTHEIMER IN AMERICA: 1933 - 1943 Part I* Abraham S. Luchins (ASL) and Edith H. Luchins(ESL) Arrival in America In the wake of the Nazis' rise to power, and Max WERTHEIMER's dismissal as a "non-Aryan" from his position as Professor of Psychology at the University of Frankfurt, the WERTHEIMERS emigrated to the United States. On 7 September 1933, Max WERTHEIMER, his wife, and their children, Valentin, Michael and Lise set sail on the HMS Majestic and arrived in New York City on 13 September 1933. They were met at the Pier by Miss Clara W. MAYER, a representative of the New School for Social Research who later became its Dean. The New School had invited WERTHEIMER to join its Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science ("The University in Exile"). The WERTHEIMER family was taken to Hotel Holley that was in Greenwich Village, a center of New York City's intellectual and cultural life, known for its aura of Bohemianism. The hotel was within walking distance of the New School, which was located at 66 West 12th Street. Members of the committee of patrons of the New School toured the City with them and also tried to find suitable housing for them. The WERTHEIMERS needed a furnished home because they had left virtually everything behind in Germany, except for papers and books (FROMM 1973, 1986). They preferred to live in the suburbs (they had lived in a suburb of Frankfurt), since they believed that a City was no place to raise children. Moreover, the rental had to be within their financial means: a $ 5000 annual salary plus a stipend from a Jewish patron of the New School assigned to help them adjust to America.
    [Show full text]