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Isaac, Andrew Paul Computer Science & Engineering Faculty of Engineering UNSW. "Behavioural cloning robust goal directed control." Awarded By:University of New South Wales. Computer Science & Engineering, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43367.
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Behavioural cloning is a simple and effective technique for automatically and non-intrusively producing comprehensible and implementable models of human control skill. Behavioural cloning applies machine learning techniques to behavioural trace data, in a transparent manner, and has been very successful in a wide range of domains. The limitations of early behavioural cloning work are: that the clones lack goal-structure, are not robust to variation, are sensitive to the nature of the training data and often produce complicated models of the control skill. Recent behavioural cloning work has sought to address these limitations by adopting goal-structured task decompositions and combining control engineering representations with more sophisticated machine learning algorithms. These approaches have had some success but by compromising either transparency or robustness. This thesis addresses these limitations by investigating: new behavioural cloning representations, control structures, data processing techniques, machine learning algorithms, and performance estimation and testing techniques. First a novel hierarchical decomposition of control is developed, where goal settings and the control skill to achieve them are learnt. This decomposition allows feedback control mechanisms to be combined with modular goal-achievement. Data processing limitations are addressed by developing data-driven, correlative and sampling techniques, that also inform the development of the learning algorithm. The behavioural cloning process is developed by performing experiments on simulated aircraft piloting tasks, and then the generality of the process is tested by performing experiments on simulated gantry-crane control tasks. The performance of the behavioural cloning process was compared to existing techniques, and demonstrated a marked improvement over these methods. The system is capable of handling novel goal-settings and task structure, under high noise conditions. The ability to produce successful controllers was greatly improved by using the developed control representation, data processing and learning techniques. The models produced are compact but tend to abstract the originating control behaviour. In conclusion, the control representation and cloning process address current limitations of behavioural cloning, and produce reliable, reusable and readable clones.
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Gallagher, Stephen Michael. "Behavioural gerontology : issues in discriminative control." Thesis, University of Ulster, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.232859.
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Zhao, Yining. "Behavioural access control in distributed environments." Thesis, University of York, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/4640/.
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Applications and services in distributed environments are an increasingly important topic. Hence approaches to security issues in such applications are also becoming essential. Crucial information is needed to be protected properly and mechanisms must be developed for this protection. Access control is one of the topics that underline security problems. It concerns assuring that data or resources are accessed by the correct entities. A commonly used access control approach is called access control lists, which is widely applied in most operating systems. However, this approach has some weaknesses with regard to scalability, and so it is not very suitable for distributed environments that usually have variable populations. Capabilities on the other hand offer scalability and adaptability advantages over access control lists. Capabilities are unforgeable tickets that can be propagated between entities, and fit well in distributed environments. But capabilities also have limits due to their simple structure. They grant infinite number of accesses for given types of actions, but are not able to capture sequences and branches of actions, which may be called aspects of behaviours. In this thesis, behaviour control approaches are introduced, through Vistas to Treaties. Vistas can provide explicit access control for each component of objects, and provide primitive control over action sequences. Treaties develop behaviour control further by containing behaviour descriptors which can specify those sequencing, branching and terminating aspects, and hence can provide much finer control over behaviours. Because treaties inherit the scalable attributes of capabilities, they also fit well in distributed environments. An interesting feature in treaty systems is that they allow users to refine the specifications of behaviours and generate new treaties from existing ones. A number of treaty combinator operations are proposed to realize this functionality, and they are shown to be safe with respect to the security of access control. A novel issue created by the treaty approach is identified in the thesis. The new problem is called the duplication problem, which could cause users being able to gain more permissions than they should have by making copies of unprotected treaties. Any treaty systems must provide solutions to this problem. Three models which solve the duplication problem are proposed, with an analysis of their differences, and advantages and disadvantages. Treaties are a general concept and in real cases they can be represented in various ways. There are components in treaties that have given a variety of implementation options, and the developers of services and applications can choose to combine these options to fit their special requirements. This makes treaties more flexible and adaptable. The implementations of concreted treaties and treaty systems are introduced, and these implemented treaties are used to test their behaviour control abilities. Evaluations for different treaty representations are provided to compare their performance. Scalability of treaty systems is also evaluated, showing that treaties are good to be deployed in distributed environments.
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Batchelor, Timothy Peter. "Parasitoid interactions in behavioural ecology and biological control." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2005. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11176/.
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This thesis presents laboratory investigations on the competitive interactions which take place within and between bethylid parasitoids. Part one investigates the compatibility of three bethylids (Cephalonomia hyalinipennis, Cephalononlia stephanoderis and Prorops nasuta) for biocontrol releases against the principal pest of coffee, the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei. Cephalonomia hyalinipennis is able to hyperparasitise and consume pupae of C stephanoderis and P. nasuta. Cephalonomia stephanoderis also engages in intra-guild predation, consuming pupae of C hyalinipennis. In contests for CBB hosts, fatal fighting occurs in 69% of inter-specific replicates but never occurs in intra-specific replicates. This suggests that interspecific competition is stronger than intraspecific competition and that species coexistence may be compromised. Cephalonomia tephanoderis is the superior interspecific contestant while P. nasuta is the least successful and never kills an opponent. Where CBB infested coffee berries are provided to the three bethylids, coexistence between species is possible, but rare, within a single coffee berry. Prorops nasuta is the most successful species in interspecific replicates and replicates containing C. hyalinipennis generally have low production, regardless of the species combination added. Part two investigates contest interactions, the variables that influence contest outcome between Goniozus nephantidis females and chemical release. Prior ownership and difference in contestant weight have positive influences on contest outcome. Host weight positively influences the outcome of contests between two 'owners' and 'intruder' take-over success increases when intruders are older than owners. Seven bethylid species are found to release volatile chemicals when stressed. A pilot study identifies the volatile chemical in G. nephantidis and employs Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation-Mass Spectrometry for real-time analysis of chemical release during contest interactions. The appendix contains an advanced investigation using this technique. Bethylids are useful model organisms for the study of competitive interactions but appear to be generally ineffective as biological control agents.
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Nattharith, Panus. "Mobile robot navigation using a behavioural control strategy." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.531752.
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Ho, Carlos S. N. "A framework for behavioural control in computer animation." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321468.
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Keeler, Joshua Finn. "Instrumental response sequencing : dopaminergic modulation and behavioural control." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.648582.
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Tubb, Christopher. "Integration of navigation with a behavioural control scheme." Thesis, University of South Wales, 2000. https://pure.southwales.ac.uk/en/studentthesis/integration-of-navigation-with-a-behavioural-control-scheme(58fc566a-2093-4db7-be71-664f00416344).html.
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This thesis describes a navigational strategy for automatically guided vehicles and a behavioural control implementation using a modified zero order Sugeno fuzzy inference engine. Animals are examined as a model of intelligent behaviour and behavioural control implementations discussed and compared. The features and the requirements of a behavioural control implementation are identified and modifications to Sugeno inferencing are then described which allow these to be met. A successful implementation is then presented. The navigation task is examined, as are various methods of representing space. Special structural features of constrained spaces are identified. A route based navigation system exploiting diese features is then developed. The strategy combines the representation of space with the task description into an easily communicated message. This navigational strategy is then successfully integrated with the behavioural control implementation presented earlier. The influence of spatial structure on the complexity of the navigation task is investigated with a view to the categorisation of space. A definition of maze-spaces is developed from this. Conclusions are then drawn on the themes of the work, and suggestions made for further investigations.
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Cooper, Jane. "The behavioural control of helminth infection by sheep." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1996. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU083310.
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Parasites have detrimental effects on an animal's fitness and could play a significant role in shaping the adaptive behaviour of animals. Natural selection may favour those behaviours utilised by animals that minimise the risk and intensity of infections. Animals use a range of behavioural strategies associated with grooming, social, mating, migratory and foraging behaviours to minimise their parasite burdens. Herbivores have two means available for reducing the effects of parasites while foraging. They may avoid parasites or consume plants with anti-parasitic properties. Sheep (Ovis aries) were shown to avoid foraging in areas of the sward contaminated with O. circumcincta infective larvae but could only do so when larvae were associated with faeces. The ability of sheep to avoid contaminated patches of the sward increased as the size of contaminated sward patches increased. This avoidance behaviour resulted in a reduction in the numbers of parasites ingested. Animals infected with O. circumcincta were more selective in their grazing behaviour than uninfected animals with respect to faeces avoidance. In order to determine which plants possess anti-parasitic properties Lotus pedunculatus, Pinus sylvestris, Tanacetum vulgare and Artemisia absinthium extracts were screened against Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Only A. absinthium merited further investigation as it appeared to suppress worm burdens when administered in a high single dose. A. absinthium extracts were subsequently administered to sheep infected with T. colubriformis.
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Neranon, Paramin. "Human-robot interaction using a behavioural control strategy." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/2780.
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A topical and important aspect of robotics research is in the area of human-robot interaction (HRI), which addresses the issue of cooperation between a human and a robot to allow tasks to be shared in a safe and reliable manner. This thesis focuses on the design and development of an appropriate set of behaviour strategies for human-robot interactive control by first understanding how an equivalent human-human interaction (HHI) can be used to establish a framework for a robotic behaviour-based approach. To achieve the above goal, two preliminary HHI experimental investigations were initiated in this study. The first of which was designed to evaluate the human dynamic response using a one degree-of-freedom (DOF) HHI rectilinear test where the handler passes a compliant object to the receiver along a constrained horizontal path. The human dynamic response while executing the HHI rectilinear task has been investigated using a Box-Behnken design of experiments [Box and Hunter, 1957] and was based on the McRuer crossover model [McRuer et al. 1995]. To mimic a real-world human-human object handover task where the handler is able to pass an object to the receiver in a 3D workspace, a second more substantive one DOF HHI baton handover task has been developed. The HHI object handover tests were designed to understand the dynamic behavioural characteristics of the human participants, in which the handler was required to dexterously pass an object to the receiver in a timely and natural manner. The profiles of interactive forces between the handler and receiver were measured as a function of time, and how they are modulated whilst performing the tasks, was evaluated. Three key parameters were used to identify the physical characteristics of the human participants, including: peak interactive force (fmax), transfer time (Ttrf), and work done (W). These variables were subsequently used to design and develop an appropriate set of force and velocity control strategies for a six DOF Stäubli robot manipulator arm (TX60) working in a human-robot interactive environment. The optimal design of the software and hardware controller implementation for the robot system has been successfully established in keeping with a behaviour-based approach. External force control based on proportional plus integral (PI) and fuzzy logic control (FLC) algorithms were adopted to control the robot end effector velocity and interactive force in real-time. ii The results of interactive experiments with human-to-robot and robot-to-human handover tasks allowed a comparison of the PI and FLC control strategies. It can be concluded that the quantitative measurement of the performance of robot velocity and force control can be considered acceptable for human-robot interaction. These can provide effective performance during the robot-human object handover tasks, where the robot was able to successfully pass the object from/to the human in a safe, reliable and timely manner. However, after careful analysis with regard to human-robot handover test results, the FLC scheme was shown to be superior to PI control by actively compensating for the dynamics in the non-linear system and demonstrated better overall performance and stability. The FLC also shows superior performance in terms of improved sensitivity to small error changes compared to PI control, which is an advantage in establishing effective robot force control. The results of survey responses from the participants were in agreement with the parallel test outcomes, demonstrating significant satisfaction with the overall performance of the human-robot interactive system, as measured by an average rating of 4.06 on a five point scale. In brief, this research has contributed the foundations for long-term research, particularly in the development of an interactive real-time robot-force control system, which enables the robot manipulator arm to cooperate with a human to facilitate the dextrous transfer of objects in a safe and speedy manner.
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Zambelli, Nicole, and n/a. "Technology acceptance in modern organisations : the role of past behaviour and perceived behavioural control." University of Canberra. Human & Biomedical Sciences, 2001. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061112.114544.
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New information systems will only improve organisational performance if they are accepted and
used to their full capacity. It is therefore important to be able to understand, explain and predict the
factors affecting technology acceptance. One model which has been successful at this is the
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM; Davis, 1986). This study tests an extension of the TAM in
a mandatory usage environment. The extended TAM proposed here incorporates two new
independent measures; past behaviour and perceived behavioural control. Participants were 285
members of an Australian Government Department who had been using a new information system
for approximately 4 months. Usage of the system was mandated in organisational policy and there
were no alternative systems or processes available to participants to complete their job
requirements. Results indicate that when information system usage is mandatory (or nonvolitional)
perceived behavioural control significantly increases the ability of the extended TAM
to predict system acceptance behaviour. Furthermore, self-reports of system usage were not related
to the participants intention to use the system and user satisfaction was the only dependent variable
accurately predicted by the model. Past behaviour did not predict either behavioural intention or
behaviour in this study. The implications of these findings for technology acceptance in modern
organisations and areas for future research are discussed.
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Thackeray, Justin Richard. "Molecular analysis of behavioural rhythms in Drosophila." Thesis, University of Leicester, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/34365.
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Internal clocks drive rhythms in behaviour and physiology in all eukaryotic organisms. The period (per) gene of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster controls the period of a ∼24hr locomotor activity rhythm and a ~55 second cycle in the male courtship song. D. melanogaster is one of eight very closely related species which comprise the melanogaster subgroup of Drosophila. The locomotor activity behaviour and courtship songs of several species from the melanogaster subgroup were analysed. Drosophila yakuba was found to have a cycle period of 70-80 seconds in its courtship song - longer than either D. melanogaster (50-60 seconds) or D. simulans (30-40 seconds), two previously characterised members of the subgroup. The period of the locomotor activity rhythms of four members of the subgroup, D. yakuba, D. melanogaster, D. erecta and D. teissieri, were indistinguishable from each other. However, each species exhibited unique patterns of activity within each daily cycle. The D. yakuba per locus was cloned, using the D. melanogaster per gene as a probe. The DNA sequences of two D. yakuba genes were obtained, per itself and a small adjacent gene. A region of the per protein which has been implicated in the control of the song cycle period, a repeating series of threonine glycine pairs, is shorter than in D. melanogaster. A patchy distribution of amino acid replacements was found between the D. melanogaster and D. yakuba per proteins, probably due to differences in selective constraints in different regions of the protein. In an effort to determine whether per determines species-specific aspects of behavioural rhythms, attempts were made to transduce mixed species per gene constructs into arrhythmic (per mutant) strains of D. melanogaster. These attempts were unsuccessful.
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Corneil, Brian Donald. "Behavioural, muscular, and neural control of orienting head movements." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/NQ59522.pdf.
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Crittenden, Benjamin Michael. "The functional architecture of behavioural control under increasing difficulty." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.648449.
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Tan, Liansheng. "Structural and behavioural analyses to linear multivariable control systems." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1999. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/10490.
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This thesis is devoted to a number of structural and behavioural problems in linear multivariable control system theory. The first problem addresses the subject of determination of the finite and infinite frequency structure of a rational matrix. A novel method is proposed that determines the finite and infinite frequency structure of any rational matrix. Some neat and numerically stable algorithms are developed to implement this method. The second problem concerns the resol vent decompositions of a regular polynomial matrix and solutions of regular polynomial matrix descriptions (PMDs). Regarding these fundamental is'sues, three contributions are made therein. Firstly, based on a general resolvent decomposition a complete solution of regular PMDs is presented that takes into account both the non-zero initial conditions of the pseudo state and the non-zero initial conditions of the input. Secondly, two special resolvent decompositions are proposed, both of which are applied to formulate the solution of the regular PMDs. The first one is formulated in terms of the finite, infinite, and the generalised infinite Jordan pairs, which is a refinement of the results given by Gohberg et al. [74] and Vardulakis [25]. The second resolvent decomposition is proposed on the Weierstrass canonical form of the generalised companion matrix of the polynomial matrix. Thirdly, a new characterization of the impulsive free initial conditions of regular PMDs is given and the relationship between the finite and infinite frequency structure of a regular polynomial matrix and its generalised companion matrix is determined. In the third problem a generalization of the chain-scattering representation for general plants is presented. Through the notion of input-output consistency, the conditions under which the generalised chain-scattering representation and the dual generalised chain-scattering representation exist are proposed. Some algebraic system properties of the GCSRs and DGCSRs are studied. The fourth problem is devoted to a new notion of realization of behaviour. We introduce a notion realization of behavior which is shown to be a generalization of the classical concept of a realization of transfer function. By using this approach, the input-output structures of the generalized chain-scattering representations and the dual generalized chain-scattering representations are investigated in a behavioral theory context. The last problem is devoted to the subjects of system wellposedness and internal stability. We present certain generalisations to the classical concepts of wellposedness and internal stability. The input consistency and output uniqueness of the closed-loop system in the standard control feedback configurations are discussed. Based on this, a number of notions are introduced such as fully internal wellposedness, externally internal wellposedness, and externally internal stability, which characterize the rich input-output and stability features of the general control systems in a general setting. On the basis of these notions the extended JL control problem is defined in a general setting.
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Quartey, George Kwartelai. "Behavioural responses of Ephestia cautella to synthetic pheromones." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.385860.
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Jones, Marc Vincent. "Cognitive-behavioural interventions for the control of emotions in sport." Thesis, Coventry University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267157.
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Al-Sammarree, Adnan Hashim. "A study of behavioural apsects in the budgetary control process." Thesis, Keele University, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387310.
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Mancinelli, Federico. "Models of decision making and behavioural control in computational psychiatry." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2018. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10046131/.
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Computational psychiatry, which is a recent area of research, involves the use of statistical and computational methods to investigate human psychopathology and the brain. Here, I present models of human behaviour in tasks where subjects expressed preferences between options characterised by orthogonal amounts and odds of monetary rewards and different degrees and demands on behavioural control. We first model an experiment which examined subjects’ propensity to gamble for different odds and amounts of reward in the face of Acute Tryptophan Depletion (ATD). Our computational approach supported existing statistical evidence that specific serotonin receptor types might mediate the effects of ATD on the sensitivity of subjects to rewards. We also showed that subjects’ choices were influenced by the weighted sum of the probability and the amount, rather than by their interaction, as required by conventional prospect theory. In the remainder of the thesis, we present the design, realisation, and analysis of a novel task for humans in which choice was tied to perceived behavioural control (as measured by Hannah Levenson’s multi-dimensional Locus of Control scales). The genesis of this task was an attempt to capture aspects of controllability relevant to psychopathology in depression. In the task, the winning amounts were made explicit to subjects, but the odds, and the extent to which these depended on their decisions and efforts, were learned. We used computational modelling to interpret various measures of choice, choice evolution, and indecision in the task.
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Chesterley, Nicholas. "Optimal policy and inconsistent preferences : behavioural policymaking and self-control." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ad398459-5b9c-4177-b36d-5a66517e2e2f.
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This thesis takes three different perspectives, using theoretical and experimental techniques, on time-inconsistent preferences and how the existence of multiple selves can affect both consumer behaviour and policy design. Across domains such as retirement saving, health, and educational achievement, intertemporal choice presents a challenge for both individuals and policymakers. The first paper, 'Choosing When to Nudge: Designing Behavioural Policy around Decision-Making Costs,' considers how behavioural policy, which has proven increasingly popular with policymakers, affects welfare. I find that for present-biased consumers, behavioural policies help some consumers but can inefficiently discourage others from optimizing. Such policies therefore have an ambiguous effect on welfare, and similar to traditional policies, can impose equity-efficiency tradeoffs. Monopolies may increase welfare given their incentive to simplify consumer decisions instead of exploit switching costs. The second paper, 'Virtue and Vice with Endogenous Preferences,' considers behaviour when preferences are affected by consumer decisions. I introduce agents whose temptation to consume in the present is affected by how much they choose to save for the future. I find that differences between agents can trap them in divergent paths of self-improvement -- saving more, they value the future more, making saving optimal -- or binging -- consuming more makes them indifferent to future costs, making consumption optimal. At the extreme, it is frequently an optimum for a consumer to consume their entire wealth. The final paper, 'Bet You Can't Eat Just One: Consumption Complementarity and 'Self'-Control' considers an intrapersonal game between a moderate cold self and a hot self that wants to indulge. In equilibrium, sophisticated selves best respond to each other's behaviour: the cold self over-abstains and the hot self over-indulges to avoid inducing the other state. I test these ideas in the lab, and find that subjects on a diet who were induced to consume a piece of chocolate before the experiment indulge more in chocolate during the experiment, even when the initial indulgence was imposed by the experimenter. Eating a piece of chocolate, this suggests, can induce a period during which chocolate is more appealing.
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Haines, Susan Lesley. "Using dynamic rough sets to capture behavioural uncertainty : a space based modelling approach." Thesis, University of York, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387622.
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Marshall, Richard Millar. "Synthesis of hardware systems from very high level behavioural specifications." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/12573.
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Steeves, Charles F. 1977. "Design and behavioural control of a dynamic quadruped with active wheels." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=79262.
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To capitalize on the efficiency and simplicity of wheeled robots, as well as the adaptability and maneuverability of legged robots, many hybrid leg-wheel designs have been developed. To date, none of these platforms have possessed the ability to execute dynamic maneuvers and thus have major shortcomings in their speed, efficiency and obstacle negotiating capabilities. A hybrid leg-wheel quadruped capable of such dynamic behaviour is introduced. Using an accurate model of this platform, a variety of dynamic behaviours and examples of their utility were successfully simulated. Passive leg compliance and the placement of wheels at the foot of the legs proved invaluable in achieving such high energy maneuvers on this power autonomous platform. A full systems design of a testbed capable of executing the presented dynamic behaviour was completed. From both a mechanical and control stand-point, it is a simple and robust robot. This prototype will prove the feasibility of such behavioural feats for autonomously powered platforms, demonstrate their wide utility and pave the way for their realization on ruggedized platforms.
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King, Elbaz Zmira. "Cognitive control processes in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder : behavioural and cardiovascular measures." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=36816.
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Specific strategic control (executive) processes were investigated in 17 boys with ADHD and 18 normal control boys, ages 9--13 years, using a paradigm combining the Warned Reaction Time and Stimulus-Response Compatibility tasks. The length and constancy of the preparatory interval (PI) were manipulated in order to study preparatory processes associated with prediction and temporal adjustment. Compared to control boys, boys with ADHD had particular difficulty with long, fixed, and short, variable preparatory intervals, suggesting problems with the strategic control of response preparation and adaptation to temporal changes. Heart rate deceleratory patterns recorded during the PI indicated that impaired active, accurate, prediction played a major role in the preparatory deficit. The study also manipulated compatibility and predictability of response demands in order to assess inhibitory processes and the ability to shift flexibly between changing response demands. Boys with ADHD had particular difficulty shifting flexibly between compatible and incompatible responding, indicating a problem with strategic response adjustment. Findings also suggested possible difficulties with the allocation of consistent, effortful attention and the inhibition of inappropriate responding. In addition, interactions were also observed in the ADHD group between the strategic and inhibitory measures. Overall, the findings supported Douglas's (1988; 1999) conceptualization of ADHD as involving a self-regulatory deficiency consisting of interacting strategic, effortful, and inhibitory components. The study also addressed the question of whether Sanders' (1983) cognitive-energetic model, which has been used widely in studies of ADHD, can deal adequately with the cognitive difficulties associated with ADHD. The findings indicated that the model has not been developed adequately to deal with the kinds of higher level processing deficits that were identified in the ADHD group. In addition, in
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Yebiyo, Metkel. "Optimisation of inter-seasonal ground source heat pumps with predictive behavioural control." Thesis, London South Bank University, 2016. http://researchopen.lsbu.ac.uk/1818/.
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In practice, heat pumps (HP) often do not perform as expected. This is due to many factors such as how well the system and the ground loop are designed, installed and subsequently maintained and how well they are operated and controlled in the field. Improving overall system design and demonstrating increased HP performance and higher reliability are core objectives for this research. Performance instability and variations in ground source heat pump (GSHP) system output has been observed previously and this indicates that detailed research is required for example (i) to identify the relationship between dynamic performance and seasonal ground temperature patterns, (ii) to address the operation, installation and control opportunities that arise from (i). This project investigates all of these issues. This thesis focuses on the monitoring of the long-term operation of a 500 kW installed GSHP system with the aim of understanding and establishing the current trend performance characteristics of the installation. The research involved combination of experimental measurements and analysis, mathematical simulation and the development of an empirical transient model that could be generally applied. Despite the importance of the effect of ground temperatures on performance, relatively little data has been published on the effect of disturbed underground temperature distributions. The author has therefore developed a novel mathematical model for the analysis of disturbed ground temperatures over time. The novel mathematical model developed has been used to predict the disturbed seasonal underground temperatures based on daily fluid and air temperature data and has been validated against real historical data. It was concluded from the critical literature review that the dynamic long term performance investigation of GSHP systems using transient models is not well understood. Therefore the work described in this thesis has focused on the development of a generic empirical transient system model of a GSHP system. This model has been developed using TRNSYS 17 software. This has permitted investigation of the effects of different control strategies using a dry air cooler (DAC) for heat rejection, energy consumption of the HP, the overall performance of the system and ground temperature variations. The main novelty and contributions to science from this work is: The better understanding of the effect of ground temperature variation over time and its effect on the system’s performance. The development of new measurement methods for assessing system performance. The use of ground temperature in the prediction and control of system performance, together with an analysis of the effects of specific interventions or control methodologies. The development of a novel mathematical model for predicting disturbed ground temperature. The development of a novel GSHP model using TRNSYS. The development and investigation of novel control strategies using DAC.
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Mayer, Carolina Patricia. "The evolutionary origins of executive functions : behavioural control in humans and chimpanzees." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/10494.
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Executive functions (EFs) are a set of cognitive operations, including working memory, inhibitory control and attention shifting, that underpin accurate, flexible and coordinated behaviour in many problem-solving contexts. While it seems likely that humans surpass nonhuman animals in EFs, previous research into the evolutionary origins of EFs is limited and lacks systematic comparisons of EFs in human and nonhuman animals. In this thesis, I aimed to overcome these limitations by developing a test battery to study EFs in our closest primate relative, the chimpanzee. Using an individual differences approach, I investigated the performance of 19 chimpanzees on several EF tasks and extracted two factors in an exploratory factor analysis accounting for 70.9 % of the variability. The two measures of working memory loaded onto one factor, suggesting that a common cognitive process underlay performance on both tasks. This factor could be clearly differentiated from a well-established measure of attention shifting, loading onto a second factor. In addition, the measures of inhibitory control did not contribute to a unique factor. Intriguingly, the emerging structure of separable EF processes, paralleled the EF structure suggested for human adults (Miyake et al, 2012). The subsequent comparison of a sub-sample of chimpanzees (n = 12; excluding aged individuals), pre-schoolers (n = 36) and undergraduates (n = 16) on two selected EF tests revealed impressive EF capacities of chimpanzees. Chimpanzees could deal with interference in working memory at levels comparable to four and five year-olds. Additionally, the ability of chimpanzees to shift attention was not significantly different from four year-olds; however, five- year-olds outperformed their primate relatives. My work suggests that important aspects of EFs are shared between humans and chimpanzees; while performance differences in EFs emerge late in human ontogeny. The implications of my results for theories on human cognitive evolution are discussed.
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Drummond, Neil M. "Inhibitory Control Processes During the Preparation and Initiation of Motor Responses." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/35690.
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The ability to stop ongoing movements or prevent unwanted movements is fundamental to behavioural control. This thesis addresses the neural processes underlying inhibitory control and how initiation and stop processes interact to control behaviour. We conducted four studies, employing various behavioural tasks that require humans to prepare to initiate a response with the possibility that it may have to be prevented or stopped from being initiated. In the first experiment we sought to determine whether the increase in reaction time (RT) during the performance of traditional stop-signal task was due to a decreased the amount of go-related preparatory activation. We used a startling acoustic stimulus (SAS) to determine whether the go-response could be triggered involuntarily, and investigated whether the latency of SAS responses were delayed when participants were instructed that they might have to stop their response compared to when they knew they would never stop (i.e., simple RT task). We found that the go-response was prepared in advance during the stop-signal task, but to a lesser degree as indicated by the slower SAS response latency, compared to when go trials were completed in the simple RT task. Thus, even the possibility of having to stop a response reduces the level of preparatory go-activation.
The second experiment tested the hypothesis that behavioural control during a stop-signal task is determined by an independent race between go- and stop-processes. In this experiment we used a SAS to manipulate initiation and inhibition by probing the go- and stop-response prior to and after the stop-signal respectively in a stop-signal task. We found that the go-response could be triggered by the SAS even 200 ms following the stop-signal suggesting that behavioural control during a stop-signal task is not determined by an independent race between go- and stop-activations, but rather by an interaction between go-activation and stop processes.
The third experiment investigated the effect of advance preparation on the ability to proactively and selectively inhibit a single limb in a bimanual response that had been cued to maybe stop. TMS was used to measure the excitability of the limb that was cued to maybe stop in comparison to the limb that was to continue with its response. In addition, a SAS was used to probe the preparatory state of the go-response in each limb. We found that increased preparatory go-activation of responses in both limbs overshadowed the neurophysiological evidence of proactive selective inhibition, while processes related to the selective stopping task appeared to suppress subcortical motor structures and the ability of the SAS to involuntarily trigger the prepared responses.
The fourth experiment sought to determine the role of the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and the pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) in the inhibition of response initiation during a go/no-go task. We temporarily deactivated rIFG or preSMA using continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) and examined changes in inhibition, voluntary initiation, and the ability of a SAS to involuntary trigger the initiation of the response. We found that stimulation to both cortical sites impaired participant’s ability to withhold movements during no-go trials. Notably, deactivating rIFG and preSMA did not affect voluntary initiation and did not enable the SAS to involuntarily trigger the response. These findings implicate the rIFG and the preSMA in the ability to inhibit responses during a go/no-go task, and suggests that preparation and initiation of the go-response occurs in response to the imperative stimulus, with inhibition only applied once the stimulus is identified as a no-go signal.
Taken together, these studies show that i) modulation of preparatory go-activation contributes to the ability to inhibit a motor response, ii) motor response inhibition is achieved by initiation activation being prevented from reaching threshold, iii) preparatory go-activation overshadows proactive inhibition, iv) inhibitory control depends on the integrity and recruitment of top-down inhibitory control to suppress initiation activation once a no-go stimulus is identified. This research speaks to the interaction between initiation and inhibition processes and provides novel insight and evidence in support of an interactive model of inhibitory control.
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Melidis, Christos. "Adaptive neural architectures for intuitive robot control." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/9998.
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This thesis puts forward a novel way of control for robotic morphologies. Taking inspiration from Behaviour Based robotics and self-organisation principles, we present an interfacing mechanism, capable of adapting both to the user and the robot, while enabling a paradigm of intuitive control for the user. A transparent mechanism is presented, allowing for a seamless integration of control signals and robot behaviours. Instead of the user adapting to the interface and control paradigm, the proposed architecture allows the user to shape the control motifs in their way of preference, moving away from the cases where the user has to read and understand operation manuals or has to learn to operate a specific device. The seminal idea behind the work presented is the coupling of intuitive human behaviours with the dynamics of a machine in order to control and direct the machine dynamics. Starting from a tabula rasa basis, the architectures presented are able to identify control patterns (behaviours) for any given robotic morphology and successfully merge them with control signals from the user, regardless of the input device used. We provide a deep insight in the advantages of behaviour coupling, investigating the proposed system in detail, providing evidence for and quantifying emergent properties of the models proposed. The structural components of the interface are presented and assessed both individually and as a whole, as are inherent properties of the architectures. The proposed system is examined and tested both in vitro and in vivo, and is shown to work even in cases of complicated environments, as well as, complicated robotic morphologies. As a whole, this paradigm of control is found to highlight the potential for a change in the paradigm of robotic control, and a new level in the taxonomy of human in the loop systems.
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Jack, Sandy. "Behavioural influences and physiological indices of ventilatory control in subjects with idiopathic hyperventilation." Thesis, University of Salford, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.400821.
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Elliot, Julian George Charles. "Locus of control in children with emotional and behavioural difficulties : an exploratory study." Thesis, Durham University, 1993. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1619/.
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Baker, Keith Richard. "Multiple objective optimisation of data and control paths in a behavioural silicon compiler." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1992. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/361608/.
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The objective of this research was to implement an `intelligent' silicon compiler that provides the ability to automatically explore the design space and optimise a design, given as a behavioural description, with respect to multiple objectives. The objective has been met by the implementation of the MOODS Silicon Compiler. The user submits goals or objectives to the system which automatically finds near optimal solutions. As objectives may be conflicting, trade-offs between synthesis tasks are essential and consequently their simultaneous execution must occur. Tasks are decomposed into behaviour preserving transformations which, due to their completeness, can be applied in any sequence to a multi-level representation of the design. An accurate evaluation of the design is ensured by feeding up technology dependent information to a cost function. The cost function guides the simulated annealing algorithm in applying transformations to iteratively optimise the design. The simulated annealing algorithm provides an abstractness from the transformations and designer's objectives. This abstractness avoids the construction of tailored heuristics which pre-program trade-offs into a system. Pre-programmed trade-offs are used in most systems by assuming a particular shape to the trade-off curve and are inappropriate as trade-offs are technology dependent. The lack of pre-programmed trade-offs in the MOODS system allows it to adapt to changes in technology or library cells. The choice of cells and their subsequent sharing are based on the user's criteria expressed in the cost function, rather than being pre-programmed into the system. The results show that implementations created by MOODS are better than or equal to those achieved by other systems. Comparisons with other systems highlighted the importance of specifying all of a design's data as the lack of data misrepresents the design leading to misleading comparisons. The MOODS synthesis system includes an efficient method for automated design space exploration where a varied set of near optimal implementations can be produced from a single behavioural specification. Design space exploration is an important aspect of designing by high-level synthesis and in the development of synthesis systems. It allows the designer to obtain a perspicuous characterization of a design's design space allowing him to investigate alternative designs.
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Humphries, Richard Edward. "Investigations into possible behavioural resistance in inner-city house mice (Mus domesticus Rutty) in the U.K." Thesis, University of Reading, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.283631.
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Bouaichi, Abdelghani. "The behavioural and environmental bases of gregarization in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forskaal)." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.318753.
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Hull, Mark Q. "The role of semiochemicals in the behaviour and biology of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer, 1837) : potential for control?" Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.310772.
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The role of semiochemicals in the behaviour and biology of Lepeophtheirus salmonis was investigated using a range of techniques. The potential use of semiochemicals in the behavioural ecology of mobile stages was examined using longitudinal monitoring and experimental manipulation of laboratory reared single cohort populations. The chronic and long term effects of separation from the host were also investigated using similar populations. The nature and chemosensory capability of the sense system of the parasite was assessed through morphological and ultrastructural studies. Finally, the nature of potential chemical stimuli during initial copepodid settlement, pair formation and mating, and host re-attachment of mobile stages, was examined using both in vitro and in vivo techniques. Longitudinal monitoring of populations created a model for mobile development and the timing and processes of pair formation and mating. There was evidence of a hierarchy of pair formation between female stages, periods of strong mate competition between males, and many factors within the processes were defined. Survival off the host was strongly related to the developmental stage and/or size of the louse; with adult females surviving for the longest and preadult I males for the shortest periods. The ability of adult males to re-attach and subsequently persist on the host was significantly reduced after only 72 hours of separation. Very few potential chemosensory setae were found on the appendages examined, the exception to this being the antennule. Two distinct populations of setae on the distal (14 setae) and proximal (27 setae) articles of the antennule demonstrated a wide range of morphology. The internal organisation, innervation and ultrastructure of these antennular setae was examined in detail. The setae could be divided into at least 6 distinct categories, when the internal data were combined with the external morphology.
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Moosavi, Syed Shakeeb Hassan. "The significance of behavioural (non-automatic) factors in the ventilatory response to exercise in man." Thesis, Imperial College London, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267486.
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Southall, David. "The implementational and educational issues relating to the behavioural synthesis of control dominated designs." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.283803.
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Vuillier, Laura Emmanuelle Marie. "Relationships between emotion regulation and inhibitory control : developmental differences using neural and behavioural markers." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.708298.
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Zhou, Beinan. "Behavioural and electrophysiological evidences for the effect of bilingualism on speakers' cognitive control ability." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2016. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6400/.
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Bilingualism means more than speaking two languages, it also has cognitive consequences. Recently, the question whether bilingualism affects cognitive control abilities or not has raised a fierce debate. In this thesis, the effect of bilingualism on executive control was tested in different domains. First, bilingual speakers showed enhanced attentional control abilities while performing non-verbal executive control tasks. This was evident in terms of their response distribution profiles, which showed less extreme distribution tails than those of monolinguals, suggesting less frequent lapses of attention. Second, bilingual speakers resolved intra-language lexical competition differently from monolingual speakers. Their response distribution profiles as well as their brain activities were differentially affected in a picture naming task that manipulated the level of lexical competition. These results were best explained by bilingual speakers having enhanced engagement of executive control while resolving lexical competition within a single language, even though this might not be reflected at behavioural level. Third, bilingual speakers demonstrated enhanced task shifting abilities at a latent factor level, while they did not differ from monolinguals with regard to inhibition and updating abilities. Results also suggested a more correlated network of executive control for bilingual speakers than for monolingual speakers. Therefore, this thesis has obtained converging evidence that bilingualism benefits executive control. Reasons for inconsistencies in the literature and absence of the bilingualism effects are discussed.
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Deacon, Amy E. "The behavioural ecology of the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata, as an invasive species." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/1689.
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This thesis focuses on the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, as an invasive species. Its non-native distribution, the biology behind its success and the reasons for its introduction are examined. A worldwide email survey revealed that the guppy is established in at least 73 countries outside of its native range and that mosquito control schemes and the release of unwanted aquarium fish are the two primary routes of introduction. Knowledge gaps were identified; primarily the scarcity of scientific evidence for negative impacts of guppy introductions and similarly for mosquito control efficacy. Replicated mesocosm experiments demonstrated that female guppies are capable of routinely establishing populations, and that these retain behavioural viability over several generations. The first mesocosm study suggested that founders with very different evolutionary histories were equally good at establishing populations. The second mesocosm study suggested that monandrous females were extremely successful at establishing behaviourally viable populations, with no decline in behavioural variation. The effectiveness of guppies as mosquito control agents was examined in two related foraging experiments. The first study found little evidence for the presence of ‘prey switching’ in guppies, questioning the validity of previous work advocating their introduction to stabilise prey populations. The second study revealed a preference for non-vector mosquito larvae in a two-prey system. However, both mosquito species were consumed equally readily when habitat complexity increased. The presence of conspecifics affected female foraging behaviour. The presence of males reduced the strength of prey preference in the first study, and the presence of conspecifics of either sex removed prey preference in the second. Both demonstrate that multi-prey systems have important implications for the efficacy of poeciliids in biological control. Despite severe demographic bottlenecks, their adaptability and ability to rapidly increase in numbers enable guppies to establish and persist when introduced. Such bottlenecks are typical of introduction scenarios, warning that particular caution should be exerted when introducing this species, or other livebearing fish, to natural water bodies.
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Bourgeois, Denis J. "Detailed occupancy prediction, occupancy-sensing control and advanced behavioural modelling within whole-building energy simulation." Doctoral thesis, Québec : Université Laval, 2005. http://www.theses.ulaval.ca/2005/22706/22706.pdf.
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Armenis, Dimitris. "Self-organized maps for behavioural fusion : a CANopen approach to distributed intelligent real-time control." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.428203.
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Keating, Glenda Louise. "Examination of the role of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus in the control of behavioural processes." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/14737.
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The role of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) in the control of behavioural processes was investigated in this thesis. This was achieved through examination of: (1) Conditioned place preference formation: PPTg lesioned rats were not impaired in forming an appropriate place preference, regardless of their deprivation state. (2) Reward-related responding: both food deprived and non-deprived lesioned rats displayed disinhibited intake across a gradient of sucrose rewards, the degree of disinhibition increasing as the reward became stronger. This disinhibited responding was disassociated from simple approach behaviour as shown by similar runway completion times across control and lesioned rats. (3) Radial arm maze performance: PPTg lesioned rats were impaired in their ability to retrospectively plan and forage in a random foraging task. This impairment was seen in both acquisition and retention tasks. PPTg lesioned rats were also impaired in the acquisition of a spatial working memory task in which they had to prospectively plan and execute responses. (4) These behavioural tasks are related to striatal output. To complement them anatomical experiments examining altered striatal outflow on neurotransmitter expression in the PPTg were conducted. Neither dopamine receptor blockade nor 6- hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of striatal dopamine produced changes in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase expression in the PPTg. This work did, however, lay the foundation for future experimentation to address this question. The combination of these findings extends current literature to outline a role for the PPTg in the control of complex behaviours that have been previously associated with sites higher up the neuraxis. This thesis demonstrates that removal of the PPTg results in behaviours that are inappropriate and disinhibited. In conclusion the PPTg is important for both accurate response selection and execution of goal directed behaviours, elements crucial for effective behavioural responding.
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Riebel, Katharina. "Song acquisition and control in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs : the organisation of a behavioural repertoire." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/15068.
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Bird song provides us with one of the best models with which to investigate learning, communication and the organisation of behavioural repertoires. This study describes temporal organisation and song pattern choice in the chaffinch in order to develop hypotheses for possible song control mechanisms. Influences of the song learning process and motivation on performance are tested in experiments. The role of nature and nurture in shaping females' song preferences is investigated by using operant tasks. A first quantitative assessment of temporal organisation within songs is provided in Chapter 2. Chaffinches sing with eventual variety, each song type in a male's repertoire is repeated a few times before a switch to the next type occurs. Chapter 3 tests two hypotheses for mechanisms controlling song type switching: that a maximum number of repetitions or that a maximum duration (time window) sets the upper limit. Clear evidence for a time window as an upper constraint was found in wild birds as song type bouts with many repetitions were sung at fast rates only, whereas those with few repetitions could be sung at either fast or slow rates. However, the mean number of song type repetitions depended strongly both on the subject and the song type. No evidence could be found that number of repetitions per song type were influenced by the tutor's singing style in hand-reared chaffinches (Chapter 4). Playbacks of single songs to wild males revealed the motivation dependent flexibility of the system as the birds reacted with distinct increases in bout duration (Chapter 5) but showed a different response to playbacks of songs that were the same or different from that being performed by the subject. Song was used as a positive reinforcer in an operant conditioning task with female chaffinches (Chapter 6). The influence of early exposure to song on later preferences and the relative importance of the trill and flourish sections of the song were tested this way. Females showed no preference for familiar over unfamiliar songs, but preferred songs with flourishes over those without.
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Maltinsky, Wendy. "Efficacy and acceptability of an online intervention to increase physical activity and perceived behavioural control." Thesis, Queen Margaret University, 2015. https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7727.
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Aim: Physical activity has long been recognised as a means of enhancing and protecting health, but the levels of engagement are far from optimal in Scotland. Previous research has demonstrated that increasing perceived behavioural control alongside the use of action and coping plans can be effective in changing physical activity behaviour. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of combined techniques for planning and increasing perceived behavioural control alongside assessing the need for practitioner support for online intervention delivery. This study also set to examine the relationship between the targets that individuals set and how these compare to behavioural outcomes, which previously had not been undertaken. Method: An online intervention designed to increase perceived behavioural control and support the creation of action and coping plan was delivered over two weeks in a 2 x 2 factorial random allocation study. The two factors were practitioner support and the intervention with a fourth group acting as a control. Participants completed a pre and post-test theory of planned behaviour questionnaire and recorded physical activity over 4 weeks using pedometers and self-report diaries. Results: PBC increased across all participants however there was no statistically significant difference between conditions and so this increase could not be attributed to the intervention. A trend of increased walking was observed in the intervention and practitioner support condition. However while the differences were bordering on being clinically significant, they did not reach statistically significant difference. Of those who completed action and coping plans, 73 % achieved self-set targets. Acceptability of the intervention was high with 79% indicating that they would use it again, and recommend it to others. Conclusion: Examining action and coping plans revealed that individuals will set moderate goals in response to an intervention guiding them to do so and incrementally increase towards these. Longer time-frames may be able to reveal a gradual increase of physical activity engagement which can be of benefit to health, over and above the effects of participation in a physical activity study.
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Antoniotti, de Vasconcelos e. Sá Débora. "Understanding Expressed Emotion mechanisms : an investigation of behavioural control, attributions and distress in relatives of people with psychosis." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/understanding-expressed-emotion-mechanisms-an-investigation-of-behavioural-control-attributions-and-distress-in-relatives-of-people-with-psychosis(f8862e71-26cf-4e86-87e7-cf02ad8d4fb3).html.
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Research indicates that certain family environments can impact negatively on psychosis. Expressed Emotion (EE) in relatives is a reliable measure of the individual’s interpersonal family environment that has been shown to predict relapse. However, the factors contributing to the development of EE in this condition and the mechanisms by which EE leads to relapse are still poorly understood. Relatives’ control attributions and behaviours have been linked to EE, and controlling behaviours have been found to be predictive of relapse. This thesis investigated the role of behavioural control, controllability and self-blame attributions in high- and low-EE relatives of individuals with psychosis, and explored the impact of these cognitions and behavioural responses on patient’s symptom outcomes and on relative’s distress. The first empirical study (Study 1) utilised a cross-sectional design to compare types of behavioural control attempts (direct influencing vs. buffering) in high-EE-critical/hostile and high-EE-overinvolved relatives of patients with recent-onset psychosis; and examined whether behavioural control attempts and controllability attributions differed for the high- and low-EE relatives. The links between relatives’ behavioural control and patient relapse were also explored. Results confirmed that types of behaviours (direct influencing and buffering) were associated with different sets of beliefs (about controllability) and with different types of EE (criticism and EOI). However, EE, controllability attributions, nor behavioural control predicted patient relapse. Study 2 used a cross-sectional design to explore the links between self-blame attributions and distress, and self-blame attributions and behavioural control in recent-onset relatives. Results showed that self-blame attributions predicted relatives’ controlling behaviours towards the patient. Relatives who blame themselves did so for not overseeing their family member’s mental health problems properly or for perceiving themselves generally as poor carers. However, self-blame was not predictive of distress. The final empirical study (Study 3) examined temporal associations between contact with high/low EE relatives, behavioural control, affect and symptom experiences in the daily life of patient-relative dyads experiencing psychosis, using experience sampling methodology. Findings revealed that contact with high/low-EE relatives per se did not impact on patient’s symptom experiences or affect, but behaviourally controlling interactions did, suggesting that the measure of behavioural interactions rather than the EE status of the relative may be more sensitive to momentary fluctuations in patients’ symptoms. Momentary self-reports of relatives’ behavioural responses were also linked with their negative affect. This thesis evidenced that relatives’ controllability and self-blame attributions and behavioural control are associated in significant and meaningful ways with psychosis experiences and can impact both patient and relative outcomes, shedding some light into the EE mechanisms that relate to relapse and to the development of EE responses in relatives. However, more work is needed to further understand how these mechanisms operate, particularly in high-EE-overinvolved or low-EE relatives, in order to increase our knowledge about relapse prevention. The findings highlighted that the concept of behavioural control should be considered in future clinical work with families experiencing psychosis.
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Braddock, Sharon. "Does a physiotherapy cognitive behavioural chronic low back pain programme alter patients' health locus of control?" Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2016. http://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/617670/.
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BACKGROUND: Health locus of control (HLOC) is a person’s belief of where responsibilities for his/her health condition lies. It is associated with health attitudes, behaviours and outcomes in non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). It is unknown whether a physiotherapy cognitive-behavioural chronic low back pain (CBCLBP) programme affects patients’ HLOC. AIMS: To examine: (1) the effect of a six-week CBCLBP programme on the patients’ primary outcome-HLOC, and also pain intensity, disability, fear-avoidance belief (FAB) and self-care attitude; (2) the association between changes in pain intensity, disability and FAB and changes in HLOC; and (3) the cost of producing any effect. METHODS: In an A-B-A same-subject design, patients referred to the CBCLBP programme with high FAB (TSK score > 37) were recruited. Patients attended a six-week programme. Outcomes were measured four weeks before (-4 weeks), at the start, at completion, 3- and 6-months after the programme. Friedman’s ANOVA and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests determined changes between phases. Multiple regression determined the relationship between HLOC and outcome of interest. Significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients were recruited. Fifty-five patients entered the programme and all completed 6-months follow-up. The CBCLBP programme significantly improved HLOC (p < 0.001), pain intensity (p < 0.001), disability (p < 0.001), FAB (p < 0.001) and self-care attitude (p < 0.001), with such improvement being sustained for 6 months. Changes in HLOC explained 6%, 0.5% and 31.9% variances in changes in pain, disability and FAB respectively, after controlling other variables. Increased internal locus of control (ILOC) was a significant predictor of reduction in FAB (p=0.002). HLOC was not predictive of reduction in pain intensity or disability. Mean provider cost of the programme was £285.82 per patient. CONCLUSION: Our 6-week CBCLBP programme was effective in changing a person’s belief about where responsibility for his/her health condition lies. It also improved their pain, disability, FAB and attitude to self-care. Making patients believe that they can take control, and they are the one responsible for their NSCLBP management is linked to reduction in FAB, highlighting the potential importance of improving ILOC in attaining better FAB outcome. We have also provided guidance to managers and budget allocators that this costs £285.82 per patient.
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Richter, Franziska Rebekka. "The control of task sets and long-term memory." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2013. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6537ad2c-107b-4517-8b37-7d5d59edbe3b.
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The current thesis explores the complex relationship between cognitive control and memory. A series of experiments combined task-switching paradigms with recognition memory tests to measure how switching between tasks influences effective control over long-term memory. In these experiments, participants were presented with compound stimuli consisting of a picture and an overlaid word, and were cued in each trial whether the word or the picture was relevant (attended) or irrelevant (unattended). Participants were then tested for their memory of items presented during task switching. Experiments 1-2 indicated that switching between tasks reduces the selectivity of processing: Switching was associated with impaired task performance as well as more similar memory ratings for attended and unattended items. Experiments 3-5 extended these findings by showing that enhanced top-down control positively affected task-performance as well as memory, in both cases by increasing the selectivity of processing toward task-relevant information. Experiments 6-7 replicated key effects with simple switches of visual attention, and explored the neural correlates of successful task performance and encoding using EEG. The key finding here was that previously observed ―subsequent memory‖ effects reflect, at least in part, selective encoding processes. The last chapter extended the focus of the investigation to explore the role of control in long-term memory retrieval. FMRI meta- analyses indicated considerable overlap in neural activation found during task switching and during the adoption of different retrieval sets. The results of Experiment 8 indicated that switching during task performance and later memory retrieval were both associated with decreased selectivity of processing. Collectively, the results of this thesis suggest that selectivity of processing is a critical factor in effective task performance and successful memory, with potentially very similar mechanisms underlying the two. This work demonstrates the fruitfulness of combining research on cognitive control and memory to study questions relevant for both fields.
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Waka, Maedot. "Native plants as repellents against malaria mosquitoes : ethnobotanical, behavioural & electrophysiological studies /." Uppsala : Dept. of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2005. http://epsilon.slu.se/200566-ab.html.
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Starling, Amanda. "Behavioural plasticity of life history traits in the New Zealand avifauna." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Biological Sciences, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/1327.
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The purpose of this research was to determine how predator control influences nest survival and changes in life history strategies of birds. All studies were conducted at two sites: one site had very little mammal control, while the other site is a 'mainland island' in which all introduced mammals were trapped or poisoned. Nest survival rates of introduced and native species were compared between the two sites by locating and monitoring nests of nine species. I found that mammalian predator control increased nest survival rates of both introduced and native species, but the incrase of nest survival was more pronounced in native species. The influence of predator control on the plasticity of life history strategies in introduced and native New Zealand birds was also examined. Some life history strategies (e.g. time spent incubating, frequency of visits to the nest) changed significantly in the area with predator control, while other life history traits (e.g. clutch size) did not vary between areas. I found that both introduced and native New Zealand birds changed a variety of life history traits and that the changes were likely a plastic response to the recent change in predator numbers. As it has been suggested that birds may become less responsive to mammals when predators are controlled, I tested the response of birds to a model of a feral cat. Birds in the predator control area were significantly less likely to recognise the cat model as a potential threat. This suggests the recognition of predators can be rapidly lost from a population. My research confirms that mammal control can increase nest success of native species, but reductions in predator numbers can also change a variety of life history traits and behaviours. As the removal of mammalian predators also appears to make birds less responsive to potential predators, it is important for continued mammalian control once management has begun. Otherwise, any reintroduction of predatory mammals into controlled sites would likely place such bird populations at greater risk as they would have behaviours suited to an environment with lowered nest predation risk.
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Liu, Yia-Ping. "The effects of isolation-rearing on attentional function and impulse control in rats : behavioural and neurochemical studies." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.620527.
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