https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/15398 2026-06-14T19:39:30Z 2026-06-14T19:39:30Z Sammut, Gordon Mifsud, Rebekah Brockdorff, Noellie https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147133 2026-06-05T11:45:35Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The circuit of cognition : operational closure and the interpenetration of views. Comment on “The affective grounds of the mind. The affective pertinentization (APER) model” by Salvatore et al. Authors: Sammut, Gordon; Mifsud, Rebekah; Brockdorff, Noellie Abstract: In proposing APER, Salvatore and colleagues pose three premises based on the primacy of affect in human experience as a fundamental and elementary form of interpretation (p. 148). We agree that cognition involves cold and hot elements, loosely distinguishable as thoughts and emotions respectively, but we claim that these operate in parallel rather than in series. Consequently, no single process in human cognition can be deemed primary, as these processes operate in tandem to facilitate or inhibit action. Social psychological models that have been proposed on the basis of the distinction between hot and cold cognition (i.e. Elaboration- Likelihood Model and Heuristic-Systematic Model) have required revision to cater for parallel processing when hot and cold routes are activated simultaneously [extract]

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Mifsud, Rebekah Sammut, Gordon https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146295 2026-05-11T09:22:57Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Worldviews and the role of social values that underlie them Authors: Mifsud, Rebekah; Sammut, Gordon Abstract: In today’s ideologically diverse world, it is pertinent to have a better understanding of how our beliefs of the social world shape our thinking and behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key social values that underlie particular sets of beliefs, referred to here as worldviews. Worldviews encompass beliefs that shape one’s outlook on life and are, therefore, instrumental in providing meaning to one’s reality and one’s understanding as to how one fits in it. They can be classified into five unique types, namely, Localised, Orthodox, Pragmatist, Reward, and Survivor. In this paper we start by proposing a theoretical relationship between this five-factor typology and social values. Following this, we present findings that show that worldviews may be mapped onto the two higher order value dimensions of Openness to Change versus Conservation, and Self-transcendence versus Self-Enhancement. We conclude by outlining the implications that these findings have on understanding individual cognition and society in general.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Verbeke, Gil Ellen, Simon Hartsuiker, Robert J. Mitterer, Holger De Cuypere, Ludovic https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141011 2025-11-07T15:03:37Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Perceptie van een anderstalig accent : Een experimentele studie naar de perceptieve aanpassing aan een exogeen geaccentueerd Nederlands klinkercontrast Authors: Verbeke, Gil; Ellen, Simon; Hartsuiker, Robert J.; Mitterer, Holger; De Cuypere, Ludovic Abstract: This study examines whether Dutch L1 listeners adapt to Italian accented Dutch vowels, and how short-term experience with one L2 speaker’s accent might help these listeners to understand novel words and other L2 speakers with a similar accent. 100 Belgian Dutch L1 listeners were exposed to 40 Dutch target words, in which the front vowel had been replaced by an ambiguous sound in between /ɪ/ and /i/. These stimuli were produced by a female Italian speaker of Dutch. To assess perceptual adaptation and generalization, participants were asked to identify the vowel in five Dutch /ɪ/-/i/ minimal pairs across two speaker conditions: stimuli were either produced by the same female speaker or by a digitally generated male-sounding speaker. For neither speaker did we find perceptual adaptation, hence no generalization to novel situations could be observed. The results highlight the importance of stimulus selection and the need for a detailed background questionnaire for listeners, including information on their familiarity with L2 accents.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Sammut, Gordon Sartawi, Mohammad Bauer, Martin W. Mifsud, Rebekah https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138519 2025-09-01T05:44:48Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Worldviews, attitudes to science and science policy in Kuwait : the engagement and mobilisation effects Authors: Sammut, Gordon; Sartawi, Mohammad; Bauer, Martin W.; Mifsud, Rebekah Abstract: The relevance of policymaking stems from its utility in helping social systems manage the output of their constituent members by shaping behavioural and procedural processes. Whilst policymaking might be well-meaning, it does not always lead to satisfactory outcomes. Policy may fail in generating uptake or establishing intent. For this reason, the study of the psychological characteristics of citizens is pertinent in understanding reactions to policy. In the present study, we analysed policy communication and reception in Kuwait in terms of the worldviews they advance. We also studied media responses and worldview distributions amongst the public (n = 1400). Our findings demonstrate both within and between worldview differences in reactions to science policy. We observed an engagement effect between worldviews and their appreciation of science policy. We also observed a within worldviews mobilisation effect, by which differential reactions to science policy are activated once engaged. Our conclusions suggest that policymakers would benefit from a broader management of worldviews and psychological characteristics beyond traditional sociodemographic influences.

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