THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE ADULT LEARNER

by Stephanie Burns, PhD

1.1 The research problem

1.2 Background to the problem

1.3 About self-selected learning goals

1.4 The aim of the study

1.5 The significance of the study

1.6 Organisation of the thesis

PART 1: DEFINING EMOTION

SECTION 1: HISTORY OF IGNORING EMOTIONS

SECTION 2: WHAT IS AN EMOTION?

2.1 There is no consensual definition for emotion
2.2 Common properties of the definitions for human emotions
2.3 Agreed upon characteristics of emotions

PART 2: THE EFFECT OF EMOTION ON BEHAVIOUR AND COGNITION

SECTION 1: COMPONENTS OF EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

1.1 The relation between emotions and feelings

1.2 Physiological and motor response

1.3 Action readiness and action tendencies

1.4 Emotional behaviour

SECTION 2: CONSEQUENCES OF EMOTIONS FOR BEHAVIOURAL AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES

2.1 Do emotions organise or disorganise?
2.2 Consequences of physiological response aroused by emotion
2.3 Cognitive consequences
2.4 The effect of feelings on decision-making and choice
2.5 Effect of emotion on learning
2.6 Accounting for individual differences in emotional response

PART 3: ELICITING AN EMOTION

SECTION 1: THREE TYPES OF ANTECEDENTS

1.1 External sensory stimuli

1.2 Intrapsychic events

1.3 Sensorimotor events

SECTION 2: ESTABLISHING EMOTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

2.1 Unlearned emotional stimuli
2.2 Conditioned responses
2.3 Indirect experience
2.4 Social origin of emotional significance
2.5 Cognitive processes in generating emotional significance for event.

SECTION 3: EMOTIONAL INTENSITY AND DURATION - A FACTOR OF THE ANTECEDENT

3.1 Emotional intensity
3.2 Duration of an emotional episode

PART 4: THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES

PART 1: METHODOLOGY

 

SECTION 1: THE RESEARCH APPROACH

1.1 Research traditions for the study of human emotions
1.2 The nature of qualitative research
1.3 The importance of qualitative data
1.4 Choosing a qualitative approach
1.5 Phenomenological case studies
1.6 The investigator's concerns for the use of this method
1.7 Key features of qualitative sampling

SECTION 2: DATA GATHERING METHODS

2.1 Issues related to the amount of prior instrumentation

2.2 The data gathering instruments used in this study

SECTION 3: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

3.1 Selecting the participants

3.2 Administering the questionnaire

3.3 Withdrawals

3.4 The interview

3.5 The group meetings: Critical incident reports and narrated stories

PART 2: DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURES

 

SECTION 1: GENERAL OVERVIEW

1.1 Preparing the data

1.2 The decision to not utilise the video taped narratives

SECTION 2: ANALYSIS STAGE 1 - EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS

2.1 The initial taxonomy of codes

2.2 Setting up NUD•IST for Stage 1

2.3 Analysis procedures

2.4 Summary

SECTION 3: ANALYSIS STAGE 2 - THE ANTECEDENTS

3.1 Preparing the data for Stage 2

3.2 The initial taxonomy of codes

3.3 Setting up NUD•IST for Stage 2

3.4 Analysis procedures

SECTION 4: ANALYSIS STAGE 3 - THE EFFECT OF EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS ON MOTIVATION

4.1 Preparing the data for Stage 3

4.2 Setting up NUD•IST for Stage 3

4.3 Analysis procedures

SECTION 1: FINDINGS FOR STAGE 1 - EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS

1.1 Emotions and feelings are evident during learning goal pursuits

1.2 Emotional responses are dynamic

1.3 Different emotions dominate different stages of the goal pursuit

1.4 Physiological responses accompany the emotional episode

1.5 Motor responses are triggered by emotions

1.6 Discussion of the findings for stage 1

SECTION 2: FINDINGS FOR STAGE 2 - THE ANTECEDENTS

2.1 Prior to the first learning action toward the goal

2.2 While engaged in a learning activity

2.3 Prior to engaging in the next learning activity

2.4 The effect of other people as an antecedent to an emotion

2.5 Discussion of the findings for stage 2

 

SECTION 3: FINDINGS FOR STAGE 3 -THE EFFECT OF EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS ON MOTIVATION TO TAKE LEARNING ACTIONS

3.1 Phenomenological case studies

3.2 Successes and failures

3.3 Discussion of the findings for stage 3