Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ecologiclal task'

Les lésions cérébrales acquises, qu'elles soient traumatiques ou vasculaires, sont à l'origine de déficiences motrices, sensorielles et cognitives. Les troubles des fonctions exécutives contribuent à l'altération de l'accomplissement des tâches en vie quotidienne, et ont un impact majeur sur la qualité de vie et de l'autonomie des patients. Pour compenser ces déficits et améliorer leur autonomie, les patients atteint d'un syndrome dysexécutif nécessitent une prise en charge adaptée et spécifique. Actuellement, les batteries de rééducation et les techniques disponibles présentent souvent une faible validité écologique ce qui limite les possibilités de transfert d'apprentissage vers la vie quotidienne. Afin de favoriser ce transfert, il semble crucial de proposer des interventions impliquant des activités fonctionnelles représentatives de la vie quotidienne. Dans cette perspective, nous avons proposé un entraînement cognitif informatisé (Covirtua Cognition®) simulant des situations réelles dans un environnement virtuel. Le premier objectif de ce travail de thèse a été d'évaluer l'efficacité de ce programme de rééducation sur les performances dans la réalisation des activités de la vie quotidienne en situation réelle (transfert d'apprentissage). Pour cela, deux études en multiples cas uniques (SCED) ont été menées, utilisant comme mesure répétée une échelle d'atteinte d'objectifs individualisés, la Goal Attainment Scale. Ce type d'étude permet d'évaluer l'efficacité d'une intervention cognitive avec un échantillon restreint de patients, en recueillant un grand nombre de mesures répétées tout au long de l'étude. Dans la seconde étude, afin de potentialiser les effets de la rééducation, des stimulations cérébrales ont été appliquées pendant l'entraînement cognitif. L'objectif de cette étude a été d'explorer l'efficacité de cet entrainement cognitif "pseudo-écologique", couplé à des stimulations électriques transcrâniennes de type tRNS (transcranial Random Noise Stimulation), appliqué sur le cortex préfrontal droit, chez des patients cérébrolésés ayant des troubles des fonctions exécutives. Dans cette seconde étude, deux grands axes de recherche ont été définis pour évaluer l'impact de ce programme sur les performances comportementales d'une part et les modifications de l'activité cérébrale mesurée en EEG d'autre part. D'un point de vue comportemental, nous avons évalué les performances, en situation de vie quotidienne, grâce à la Goal Attainment Scale. De plus, le fonctionnement exécutif a été évalué par la batterie de tests informatisés "Test Attentional Performance" avant et après l'intervention. Un dernier article, sous la forme d'une "scoping review", répertorie l'ensemble des critères de jugement principaux, utilisés comme mesures répétées en SCED, pour évaluer l'efficacité d'une intervention cognitive à l'échelle individuelle. Nos résultats mettent en évidence des effets modérés de l'intervention visibles principalement à long terme, tant au niveau comportemental qu'électrophysiologique. De plus, il semble que la stimulation n'ait pas renforcer les effets de l'intervention puisque nous avons retrouvé des résultats similaires dans nos 2 études menées en SCED à savoir une atteinte d'au moins 1 des 3 objectifs fixés pour 8 patients. Enfin, les conclusions de la "scoping review" mettent en évidence l'importance du choix de la mesure répétée dans les études SCED, tout en proposant un outil visuel pour aider dans ce choix. Cette thèse contribue à l'avancée des connaissances de la réadaptation du syndrome dysexécutif, permettant d'affiner le profil de patients répondeurs et non répondeurs afin d'optimiser leurs prises en charge. Par ailleurs, ce travail permet de mieux comprendre l'impact d'un programme cognitif sur l'activité cérébrale. De futures investigations sont nécessaires pour identifier des marqueurs neurofonctionnels, plus objectifs, en EEG, prédicteurs d'une rééducation efficace
Acquired brain injury, whether traumatic or vascular, lead to motor, sensory and cognitive impairments. Executive function disorders contribute to the impairment of daily tasks, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and autonomy. To compensate for these deficits and improve their independence, patients with dysexecutive syndrome require tailored and specific treatment. Currently, available rehabilitation batteries and techniques often lack ecological validity, limiting the transfer learning to daily life. To facilitate this transfer, it is crucial to propose more "ecological" interventions involving functional activities representative of daily life. In this perspective, we proposed a computerized cognitive training (Covirtua Cognition®) simulating real-life situations in a virtual environment. The first objective of the present thesis work was to evaluate the effectiveness of this rehabilitation program on performance in carrying out activities of daily living in real-life situations (transfer of learning). For this purpose, two single-case experimental design studies (SCEDs) were conducted, using an individualized goal attainment scale, the Goal Attainment Scale, as a repeated measure. This type of study allows evaluating the effectiveness of a cognitive intervention with a small sample of patients by collecting a large number of repeated measures throughout the study. In the second study, to enhance the effects of rehabilitation, brain stimulations were applied during cognitive training. The objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of this "pseudo-ecological" cognitive training, coupled with transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) applied to the right prefrontal cortex, in patients with acquired brain injuries with executive function disorders. In this second study, two main research axes were defined to evaluate the impact of this program on behavioral performances on one hand, and changes in brain activity measured by EEG on the other hand. At behavioral level we assessed performances in daily life situations using the Goal Attainment Scale. Additionally, executive functioning was evaluated using the computerized Test of Attentional Performance battery before and after the intervention. A final article, in the form of a scoping review, lists all the main outcome criteria used as repeated measures in SCED studies to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive intervention at the individual level. Our results highlight moderate effects of the intervention, mainly visible in the long term, on both behavior and electrophysiology. Furthermore, it seems that transcranial stimulation did not enhance the effects of the intervention results were comparable in our two SCED studies, with at least one of the three objectives achieved for 8 patients out of 15 in both cases. Finally, the conclusions of the scoping review highlight the importance of choosing wisely the repeated measure in SCED studies, while providing a visual tool to aid in this choice. This thesis contributes to advancing knowledge on the rehabilitation of dysexecutive syndrome, allowing for the refinement of profiles of responder and non-responder patients to optimize their management. Furthermore, this work helps to better understand the impact of a cognitive program on brain activity. Future investigations are needed to identify more objective neurofunctional markers in EEG as effective rehabilitation predictors

The interaction between exercise and cognitive task performance has been previously examined using cycle ergometer and treadmill running tasks. The interaction between natural (non-constrained) exercise and cognitive task performance has, however, been well less examined. An example of a natural exercise task would be running outdoors on a steep trail where route selection and foot placement are critical for the runner. The performance of runners is examined in a dual trail-running and working memory task. The working memory task involved counting tones, and was performed at both a low workload, in which they were asked to count every fourth low frequency tone and a high workload in which they were asked to count every fourth low, medium and high frequency tone. In experiment 1, runners performed the tone-counting tasks both while running on a steep trail with uneven terrain and while seated (control conditions). In addition, they ran the trail without a cognitive task load. Running distance and counting accuracy significantly decreased during the dual task trials, there was a linear trend the run distance decreased as the task got harder. As the secondary cognitive task demand increased running performance decreased (linear trend). Cognitive performance was only significantly impaired while running for the hard cognitive task (for the easy cognitive task there was no statistically significant difference). Participants reported an increased workload in the dual run-counting task conditions when compared with the seated task conditions. Reports of task focus and feeling of being spent (exhausted) also varied across task conditions. In experiment 2 unconstrained running was conducted in the same manner, on a flat-even terrain track to establish if the route selection and scanning required to negotiate uneven terrain was causing the dual-task interference, or if there is a general interference effect caused by the self-regulatory demands of running, or the direct demands of running itself (exercise). The linear trend of decreased running performance with increased secondary cognitive demand was similar to experiment 1 - the more cognitive load the less distance traveled. The effect on the cognitive task was, however, not evident in experiment 2; there was no statistically significant difference between cognitive task performance in the dual and single-task conditions. The findings outlined in these experiments, demonstrate dual cognitive tasks have a negative effect on running performance, and the cognitive task may also be affected depending on running intensity, particularly where self-paced natural running over terrain is coupled with complex cognitive tasks.

It is not a new question as to whether there might be an ecological ethic. This study examines contemporary efforts to engage this question philosophically. These are found to assume some conception of environmental value, however the way in which it is conceived is seen to have significant implications for the role of philosophy in the question of how we might understand environmental responsibility. If this is to be understood in a substantial sense, thus as more than mere prudent self interest and therefore prompting genuine philosophical questions, then substantial questions about the nature of values and the process of valuing must be addressed. The study shows that addressing these questions requires that we address fundamental questions about the nature of the self, and the way in which the self is constituted by the process of engaging its fundamental goods and values. However, environmental responsibility is found to be something which cannot be understood in terms of a self which engages an environmental good. This is the contemporary notion of the ‘ecological self,’ and it is found to be untenable. It is shown that environmental responsibility, if it is to be tenable in a substantial sense, must be intrinsically part of being a self, such that the task of being environmentally responsible is integrally part of the task of being a self. Kierkegaard provides an account of selfhood as a task, and his account of the self is explored. Courting paradox, Kierkegaard challenges us to understand the self as essentially a matter of both immanence and transcendence. Understanding the self in this way is the means to accommodate the possibility that environmental responsibility is an integral part of selfhood, thus an immanent potential to be realised by the individual rather than something which must be grounded philosophically.

A common and clinically important complication of late stage human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) infection is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). HAND encompasses three syndromes, HIV-associated asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), HIV-1- associated mild neurocognitive disorder (MND), and HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD). It is estimated that 30-60% of all HIV-1 infected individuals will have at least mild neurocognitive impairment (MND), and 10-15% of those will develop HAD. Research conducted outside medicine has focused on identifying the type and pattern of neuropsychological impairments present in people with HAND, and to correlate impairments identified from neuropsychological testing with scores on laboratory-based tests of everyday task performance. Typically, the performance of tasks and routines in daily life occurs in naturalistic contexts, and is orchestrated around the achievement of personally meaningful, needed and/or desired performance goals. It requires that one uses cognitive strategies to attend, perceive, remember, decide, plan and act on intentions within real-world contexts. Little is known about the impact of cognitive information processing strategy application impairments on the performance of meaningful tasks and routines carried out by people with HAND in contexts where performance would naturally occur. This research addressed this gap by investigating the real-world impact of information strategy application disorder in a sample of 30 men diagnosed with HAD, the most severe form of HAND. The home contexts of those in the sample consisted of home, supported living and residential care. The criterion-referenced Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis was used to identify the level of task performance mastery demonstrated by men in the sample (Stage One), and the information processing strategy application errors that impacted on their performances (Stage Two). The Clinical Staging of AIDS Dementia Complex (CSADC) scale was used to identify the level of severity of HAD. A total of seventy one task performances were assessed across the sample in a variety of naturalistic contexts. None of the men in the sample demonstrated mastery of task performance. The mean Mastery score was 30.07%. The predominant type of error made by men as they performed daily life tasks was Timing; they spent too much time completing tasks. This was followed by errors of Accuracy; they made mistakes in what they did. Descriptive analysis of the PRPP Stage Two scores revealed that these men had difficulties across all domains of information processing strategy application but most notably with Plan Quadrant (Mean 30.75%) and Perceive Quadrant (Mean 53.49%) strategy application behaviours. Rasch calibration of the ordinal PRPP Stage Two strategy application scores produced an interval-level linear hierarchy of information processing strategy application difficulties experienced by the group. Men in the sample demonstrated problems sequencing complex tasks, choosing plans and actions, analysing problems encountered, and monitoring sensory changes during performances. Problems were also identified in their abilities to contextualise their performances to fit within time constraints (Contextualises to Duration), and enact plans in a fluid manner (Flows). Differences in performances between men with mild dementia versus those with moderate/severe dementia identified using a 2 x 4 repeated measures ANOVA carried out on the Rasch-calibrated PRPP Stage Two scores revealed similarities in performance across Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform Quadrants but those with mild dementia performed better overall. Further analyses revealed specific differences in performance between those with mild versus those with moderate/severe dementia. Most striking about the findings was that men at both ends of the dementia spectrum had relatively good Recall Quadrant strategy application capacities (Mean 75.30%). Even those with the lowest total PRPP Stage Two scores, could recognize and use objects, and recall the procedures of known tasks. A statistically significant predictive correlation was found between Plan Quadrant disorders and severity of dementia. This pilot study demonstrated the utility of the PRPP System, a criterion-referenced, occupation-embedded, ecological method of identifying task performance skill and information processing strategy application disorders impacting on performance, for use with people living with HIV/AIDS who have HAD. Identifying the specific impact of information processing strategy application disorders on real-world task performance provides occupational therapists with information necessary to more specifically tailor therapy to the individual performance and participation needs of people with HIV-1-associated dementia.

Doctor of Health Sciences
A common and clinically important complication of late stage human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) infection is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). HAND encompasses three syndromes, HIV-associated asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), HIV-1- associated mild neurocognitive disorder (MND), and HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD). It is estimated that 30-60% of all HIV-1 infected individuals will have at least mild neurocognitive impairment (MND), and 10-15% of those will develop HAD. Research conducted outside medicine has focused on identifying the type and pattern of neuropsychological impairments present in people with HAND, and to correlate impairments identified from neuropsychological testing with scores on laboratory-based tests of everyday task performance. Typically, the performance of tasks and routines in daily life occurs in naturalistic contexts, and is orchestrated around the achievement of personally meaningful, needed and/or desired performance goals. It requires that one uses cognitive strategies to attend, perceive, remember, decide, plan and act on intentions within real-world contexts. Little is known about the impact of cognitive information processing strategy application impairments on the performance of meaningful tasks and routines carried out by people with HAND in contexts where performance would naturally occur. This research addressed this gap by investigating the real-world impact of information strategy application disorder in a sample of 30 men diagnosed with HAD, the most severe form of HAND. The home contexts of those in the sample consisted of home, supported living and residential care. The criterion-referenced Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis was used to identify the level of task performance mastery demonstrated by men in the sample (Stage One), and the information processing strategy application errors that impacted on their performances (Stage Two). The Clinical Staging of AIDS Dementia Complex (CSADC) scale was used to identify the level of severity of HAD. A total of seventy one task performances were assessed across the sample in a variety of naturalistic contexts. None of the men in the sample demonstrated mastery of task performance. The mean Mastery score was 30.07%. The predominant type of error made by men as they performed daily life tasks was Timing; they spent too much time completing tasks. This was followed by errors of Accuracy; they made mistakes in what they did. Descriptive analysis of the PRPP Stage Two scores revealed that these men had difficulties across all domains of information processing strategy application but most notably with Plan Quadrant (Mean 30.75%) and Perceive Quadrant (Mean 53.49%) strategy application behaviours. Rasch calibration of the ordinal PRPP Stage Two strategy application scores produced an interval-level linear hierarchy of information processing strategy application difficulties experienced by the group. Men in the sample demonstrated problems sequencing complex tasks, choosing plans and actions, analysing problems encountered, and monitoring sensory changes during performances. Problems were also identified in their abilities to contextualise their performances to fit within time constraints (Contextualises to Duration), and enact plans in a fluid manner (Flows). Differences in performances between men with mild dementia versus those with moderate/severe dementia identified using a 2 x 4 repeated measures ANOVA carried out on the Rasch-calibrated PRPP Stage Two scores revealed similarities in performance across Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform Quadrants but those with mild dementia performed better overall. Further analyses revealed specific differences in performance between those with mild versus those with moderate/severe dementia. Most striking about the findings was that men at both ends of the dementia spectrum had relatively good Recall Quadrant strategy application capacities (Mean 75.30%). Even those with the lowest total PRPP Stage Two scores, could recognize and use objects, and recall the procedures of known tasks. A statistically significant predictive correlation was found between Plan Quadrant disorders and severity of dementia. This pilot study demonstrated the utility of the PRPP System, a criterion-referenced, occupation-embedded, ecological method of identifying task performance skill and information processing strategy application disorders impacting on performance, for use with people living with HIV/AIDS who have HAD. Identifying the specific impact of information processing strategy application disorders on real-world task performance provides occupational therapists with information necessary to more specifically tailor therapy to the individual performance and participation needs of people with HIV-1-associated dementia.

The thesis seeks to develop an account of collaborative activities within the framework of ecological realism—an approach to psychology developed by James J. Gibson in the course of work on visual perception. Two main questions are addressed; one ontological, and one methodological. The ontological question is: given that collaborative activities take place within an environment, what kinds of structure must this environment contain? The response emphasizes the importance of relations which exist between entities, and which connect a given perceiver-actor with the other objects and individuals in its surroundings, and with the relations between those entities. It is held that activities take place within a field of relations. This description draws on the radical empiricist doctrine that relations are real, are external, and are directly perceivable. The present proposal insists that, in addition to being directly perceivable, relations can also be directly acted upon: throwing a ball for a dog is acting on a relation between dog and ball in space. The relational field account of collaboration naturally extends to an account of speaking: people, through their history of acting in an environment populated by other speakers, come to stand in a set of relations with objects and events around them, and these relations can be directly acted upon by others through the use of verbal actions. Verbal actions serve to direct the attention of others to relevant aspects of the environment, and this allows us as speakers to coordinate and manage one another’s activity. The methodological question is this: granting that the environment may be structured as a field of relations, how are we to conduct our empirical investigations, such that we can ask precise questions which lead to useful insights about how a given collaborative activity is carried out in practice? The central issue here concerns the concept of the task. Psychologists are in the habit of using this term quite loosely, to denote the actions of an individual or a group, in a laboratory or outside. This creates confusion in discussions of collaborative phenomena: who is the agent of a ‘collaborative task’? The definition offered here states that a task is a researcher-defined unit of study that corresponds to a change in the structure of the environment that has a characteristic pattern and that is meaningful from the first-person perspective of a particular actor. On this definition, the task is a tool that allows ecological psychologists to carve up the problem space into specific, tractable questions; the task is the equivalent of the cognitivist’s mental module. Task-oriented psychology encourages us to ask the question: which specific resources is the individual making use of in controlling this particular activity? The methodology is developed through an examination of the alarm calling behaviour of vervet monkeys, which is explained in terms of actions on the relational field, and through an analysis of corpus data from a laboratory-based collaborative assembly game. The relational field model promises to provide a way of studying social and collaborative activities on ecological realist principles. The concluding chapter identifies two particular areas in which the model might fruitfully be developed: in the study of learning, and in the theory of designing objects and spaces for interaction.

This thesis addresses how teachers and pupils jointly constructed a physical education classroom ecology in one case study school. Taking into account the persuasive influences facing young people in contemporary society, this research addresses the complexity of young people's agendas in physical education from a socio-cultural perspective. Situating this study in a physical education class meant that I needed to explore, not only how young people's agendas influenced the classroom ecology, but also how the classroom structure influenced the agendas the young people pursued and how these were manifested during the lesson. This study is concerned primarily with describing and explaining a case of pupil engagement in physical education and to generate at a substantive level (Glaser and Strauss, 1978) theory which can make sense of the events in the one case study school. The aim is to provide some insights into why things happened the way they did and attempt to explain these happenings. The data presented in this study endorse to some extent the values claimed for the implementation of Sport Education. However, the implementation of Sport Education did not lead to all its' advocates claim for it and, although its implementation highlighted that it is possible to modify some of the agendas young people pursue during physical education lessons, I became particularly interested in the circumstances where sport education failed to hold the many benefits it purports to. Having presented these key findings, this thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications for those working with and for young people, and for the design and implementation of policies and practice in relation to physical education. Although I outline the implications of the issues emerging from this study for future practice which, at the very least, we need to consider, this study has made particularly clear the complexities of introducing change in schools.

The research project was formulated to solve serious environmental and possible public health problems in rural and regional areas caused by the common failure of soil disposal systems used for application of effluent from on-site domestic sewage treatment systems. On-site sewage treatment systems adopt a treatment train approach with the associated soil disposal area playing a crucial role. The most common on-site sewage treatment system that is used is the conventional septic tank and subsurface effluent disposal system. The subsurface effluent disposal area is given high priority by regulatory authorities due to the significant environmental and public health impacts that can result from their failure. There is generally very poor householder maintenance of the treatment system and this is compounded by the failure of the effluent disposal area resulting in unacceptable surface and groundwater contamination. This underlies the vital importance of employing reliable science-based site suitability assessment techniques for effluent disposal. The research undertaken investigated the role of soil physico-chemical characteristics influencing the behaviour of effluent disposal areas. The study was conducted within the Logan City Council area, Queensland State, Australia. About 50% of the Logan region is unsewered and the common type of on-site sewage treatment used is a septic tank with subsurface effluent disposal area. The work undertaken consisted of extensive field investigations, soil sampling and testing, laboratory studies and extensive data analysis. In the field study, forty-eight sites were investigated for their effluent application suitability. The sites were evaluated based on the soil physico-chemical characteristics. The field investigation indicated that there were nine soil orders in the study area. These soil orders were Dermosols, Chromosols, Kandosols, Kurosols, Vertosols, Sodosols, Tenosols, Rudosols and Anthrosols. The soils in all the investigated sites were acidic soils in the pH range between 5 and 6.5. The complexity of the large data matrix obtained from the analysis was overcome by multivariate analytical methods to assist in evaluating the soils' ability to treat effluent and to understand the importance of various parameters. The analytical methods selected to serve this purpose were PROMETHEE and GAIA. The analysis indicated that the most suitable soils for effluent renovation are the Kandosols whilst the most unsatisfactory soil order was found to be Podosol. The GAIA analysis was in agreement with quantitative analysis conducted earlier. An extensive laboratory column study lasting almost one year was undertaken to validate the results of the data analysis from the field investigation. The main objectives of this experiment were to examine the soil behaviour under practical effluent application and to investigate the long-term acceptance rate for these soils. Twelve representative soils were selected for the column experiment from the previously investigated sites and undisturbed soil cores were collected for this purpose. The results from the column study matched closely with the evaluation conducted at the earlier stages of the research. Soil physico-chemical analysis before and after effluent application indicated that the soils' acidity was improved toward neutrality after effluent application. The results indicated that soils have a greater ability to handle phosphorus than nitrogen. The most favorable cation exchange capacity for soils to treat and transmit effluent was between 15 and 40 meq/100g. Based on the results of the column study, the long-term acceptance rate (LTAR) was determined for the investigated twelve soil types. Eleven out of twelve soils reported specific LTAR values between 0.18-0.22 cm/day. For the duration of the laboratory study, the Podosol order did not reach its LTAR value due to the extremely sandy nature of the soil. The time required to achieve LTAR varied between different soils from 40 to 330 days. The outcomes of this research was integrated into a soil suitability map for on-site sewage treatment systems for Logan City Council. This will assist the authorities in providing sustainable solutions for on-site systems failure.

What students do as they work to complete academic tasks will determine what they learn from those tasks, Teachers often receive unexpected responses on completed tasks, indicating that the students did, perhaps, unexpected things as they completed those tasks, The purpose of this study was to describe how students, given similar instruction, responded differently to academic reading tasks in the elementary school classroom. This study describes what students did as they worked through classroom reading tasks--the ways they defined the tasks, the goals they set, and the strategies and resources they used to complete the tasks, It also describes the factors within the classroom which may have influenced what those students did--the dimensions of the task as set by the teacher and the text, as well as the social and environmental demands impacting on the student. The principal research question was: what are the dimensions of the task environment and the features of task definitions that contribute to students' successful or unsuccessful completion of assigned tasks in elementary classrooms? Data was collected from one fifth-grade classroom. Four focal students, differing in their success as school readers, were selected for in-depth study. Participant observation, interviews, and protocol analysis were the primary data collection techniques used in this study. Analysis of the data indicated that though students were asked to complete some comprehension and rote memory tasks, most reading tasks which required a written response were procedural. Those tasks which were ambiguous or procedurally complex were the most problematic for the students. This study suggests that though students sometimes did not attend, occasionally chose not to respond. and at times lacked content knowledge crucial to task completion, these were not the main reasons for their failure to respond to tasks as the teacher expected. Most often they provided unexpected responses to reading tasks because the tasks were ambiguous and they did not understand what the task was asking them to do.
Ed. D.
incomplete_metadata

What students do as they work to complete academic tasks will determine what they learn from those tasks, Teachers often receive unexpected responses on completed tasks, indicating that the students did, perhaps, unexpected things as they completed those tasks, The purpose of this study was to describe how students, given similar instruction, responded differently to academic reading tasks in the elementary school classroom. This study describes what students did as they worked through classroom reading tasks--the ways they defined the tasks, the goals they set, and the strategies and resources they used to complete the tasks, It also describes the factors within the classroom which may have influenced what those students did--the dimensions of the task as set by the teacher and the text, as well as the social and environmental demands impacting on the student. The principal research question was: what are the dimensions of the task environment and the features of task definitions that contribute to students' successful or unsuccessful completion of assigned tasks in elementary classrooms? Data was collected from one fifth-grade classroom. Four focal students, differing in their success as school readers, were selected for in-depth study. Participant observation, interviews, and protocol analysis were the primary data collection techniques used in this study. Analysis of the data indicated that though students were asked to complete some comprehension and rote memory tasks, most reading tasks which required a written response were procedural. Those tasks which were ambiguous or procedurally complex were the most problematic for the students. This study suggests that though students sometimes did not attend, occasionally chose not to respond. and at times lacked content knowledge crucial to task completion, these were not the main reasons for their failure to respond to tasks as the teacher expected. Most often they provided unexpected responses to reading tasks because the tasks were ambiguous and they did not understand what the task was asking them to do.
Ed. D.
incomplete_metadata

The research project was formulated to solve serious environmental and possible public health problems in rural and regional areas caused by the common failure of soil disposal systems used for application of effluent from on-site domestic sewage treatment systems. On-site sewage treatment systems adopt a treatment train approach with the associated soil disposal area playing a crucial role. The most common on-site sewage treatment system that is used is the conventional septic tank and subsurface effluent disposal system. The subsurface effluent disposal area is given high priority by regulatory authorities due to the significant environmental and public health impacts that can result from their failure. There is generally very poor householder maintenance of the treatment system and this is compounded by the failure of the effluent disposal area resulting in unacceptable surface and groundwater contamination. This underlies the vital importance of employing reliable science-based site suitability assessment techniques for effluent disposal. The research undertaken investigated the role of soil physico-chemical characteristics influencing the behaviour of effluent disposal areas. The study was conducted within the Logan City Council area, Queensland State, Australia. About 50% of the Logan region is unsewered and the common type of on-site sewage treatment used is a septic tank with subsurface effluent disposal area. The work undertaken consisted of extensive field investigations, soil sampling and testing, laboratory studies and extensive data analysis. In the field study, forty-eight sites were investigated for their effluent application suitability. The sites were evaluated based on the soil physico-chemical characteristics. The field investigation indicated that there were nine soil orders in the study area. These soil orders were Dermosols, Chromosols, Kandosols, Kurosols, Vertosols, Sodosols, Tenosols, Rudosols and Anthrosols. The soils in all the investigated sites were acidic soils in the pH range between 5 and 6.5. The complexity of the large data matrix obtained from the analysis was overcome by multivariate analytical methods to assist in evaluating the soils' ability to treat effluent and to understand the importance of various parameters. The analytical methods selected to serve this purpose were PROMETHEE and GAIA. The analysis indicated that the most suitable soils for effluent renovation are the Kandosols whilst the most unsatisfactory soil order was found to be Podosol. The GAIA analysis was in agreement with quantitative analysis conducted earlier. An extensive laboratory column study lasting almost one year was undertaken to validate the results of the data analysis from the field investigation. The main objectives of this experiment were to examine the soil behaviour under practical effluent application and to investigate the long-term acceptance rate for these soils. Twelve representative soils were selected for the column experiment from the previously investigated sites and undisturbed soil cores were collected for this purpose. The results from the column study matched closely with the evaluation conducted at the earlier stages of the research. Soil physico-chemical analysis before and after effluent application indicated that the soils' acidity was improved toward neutrality after effluent application. The results indicated that soils have a greater ability to handle phosphorus than nitrogen. The most favorable cation exchange capacity for soils to treat and transmit effluent was between 15 and 40 meq/100g. Based on the results of the column study, the long-term acceptance rate (LTAR) was determined for the investigated twelve soil types. Eleven out of twelve soils reported specific LTAR values between 0.18-0.22 cm/day. For the duration of the laboratory study, the Podosol order did not reach its LTAR value due to the extremely sandy nature of the soil. The time required to achieve LTAR varied between different soils from 40 to 330 days. The outcomes of this research was integrated into a soil suitability map for on-site sewage treatment systems for Logan City Council. This will assist the authorities in providing sustainable solutions for on-site systems failure.

Traditional scientific methods that preference objectivity, generality, and prediction, have diminished the culturally complex function of the referee. Using an ecological grounded theory approach, I outline how officiating is primarily a human relationship task, where varied decision-making choices to similar incidents are often desirable to regulate key performance priorities, such as minimising their visible influence on the game’s outcome. Research implications draw attention to limitations of foul-play video assessment, suggesting that training orientated toward complete uniform agreement on game incidents may be counterproductive. I propose that refereeing can be conceived as an ‘ecologically grounded’ process in a complex system.

Science communication research has developed theories about the way science communication operates in practice, but further investigation is needed to understand how well these models describe the practice of science communication on the ground. This thesis explores the relationship between theoretical models of science communication and the practice of science communication in long-term ecological research sites (LTERs). In particular, this exploratory study focuses on the deficit model, the dialogue model, and the participation model. I conducted semi-structured interviews to understand how science communication practitioners’ views about their work relate to established models of science communication. In particular, I asked about how they view their roles and responsibilities, how they view their audience(s), and how they view ethical considerations of their work. Results suggested that the dialogue model was the most dominant model. The deficit and participation models also appeared, though less frequently. Many practitioners are aware of the shortcomings of deficit model approaches to science communication, but may not have the resources or experience necessary to engage in the intensive public engagement activities of participation model approaches.

School Psychology
Ph.D.;
The Cattell-Horn-Carroll Theory of cognitive functioning is a well-validated framework for intelligence. Cross-battery assessment is a means utilizing CHC theory in practice. School psychologists write recommendations with the assumption that teachers understand the cognitive abilities underlying basic academic tasks in the same way. Theoretically, the more similar the understanding of these two groups, the greater the likelihood of appropriate referrals and intervention fidelity. Teacher perceptions of their students' cognitive abilities impact the referrals that they make and intervention strategies that they implement. In this study, teachers and school psychologists were asked to sort basic academic tasks into the CHC broad abilities. The central research questions being asked are as follows: Are school psychologists and teachers equally proficient at identifying the broad cognitive ability demands of a basic academic task? How do the responses of the participants compare to the theoretical model presented? Do teachers and school psychologists become better at identifying the cognitive demands of a task with experience or higher levels of training? In order to answer the first research question, MANOVAs were performed. There was a significant overall difference between groups on their responses. While teachers and school psychologists differed significantly on five of the eight CHC broad ability scales. School psychologists were only significantly better at consistently identifying the basic academic tasks that utilized Fluid Reasoning. To answer the second research question, principal components factor analysis was performed. The factors created displayed limited similarity to the theoretical factors. Pearson correlations between the theoretical factors and the factors created through factor analysis revealed multiple positive correlations that accounted for more than 10% of the variance. The theoretical scales that were more significantly correlated were Fluid Reasoning, Auditory Processing, and Processing Speed. To answer the third research question, Pearson correlations were calculated. This analysis revealed that neither group develops a better understanding of the cognitive abilities required to perform academic tasks with experience. Level of education is not related to accuracy for teachers on any of the items. Level of education is significantly correlated with accuracy in identifying tasks that require Visual Processing for school psychologists.
Temple University--Theses

The overarching aim of this thesis was to investigate how processes of perception and action emerge under changing informational constraints during performance of multi-articular interceptive actions. Interceptive actions provide unique opportunities to study processes of perception and action in dynamic performance environments. The movement model used to exemplify the functionally coupled relationship between perception and action, from an ecological dynamics perspective, was cricket batting. Ecological dynamics conceptualises the human body as a complex system composed of many interacting sub-systems, and perceptual and motor system degrees of freedom, which leads to the emergence of patterns of behaviour under changing task constraints during performance. The series of studies reported in the Chapters of this doctoral thesis contributed to understanding of human behaviour by providing evidence of key properties of complex systems in human movement systems including self-organisation under constraints and meta-stability. Specifically, the studies: i) demonstrated how movement organisation (action) and visual strategies (perception) of dynamic human behaviour are constrained by changing ecological (especially informational) task constraints; (ii) provided evidence for the importance of representative design in experiments on perception and action; and iii), provided a principled theoretical framework to guide learning design in acquisition of skill in interceptive actions like cricket batting.

The main motivation of this dissertation is to add the environmental dimension to the Economic History of the changes in agriculture in Catalonia since the late 19th century. According to this, we speak in terms of Socio-Ecological Transition instead of agrarian development, which considers only the variable of productivity. That allows us to focus in fertility (first and second waves of the transition) and in a last step, in the use of fossil fuels (direct and indirect) in agriculture (third wave). Therefore, this thesis seeks to bring to light the ways followed by Mediterranean organic agricultures to overcome its yield ceilings (not necessary Malthusian ceilings) in order to be adapted to the structural changes of the economy in the late 19th. Indeed, as the rest of Spain, Catalonia was strongly hit by the end-of-century crisis, when the cheap grain from North America flooded European market due to improvements in transport technologies and the use of fossil fuels. The grain was cheap because the never ploughed deep organic horizons of the North American prairies accumulated high amounts of nutrient, consequently, their mining had not effects in the short run. Accordingly, North American farmers could produce without compensating the nutrients extracted by harvests, something completely opposite to the case of European agricultures with old soils and agricultural systems that relied strongly in the circulation of organic matter. In addition, the phylloxera plague, which destroyed all vineyards and the introduction of new kinds of vegetable oils, changed the market conditions for wine and olive oil, important crops in Catalonia. Moreover this thesis also aims to answer the question of whether there was or not a room for further organic improvements before the arrival of the second and third waves of the Socio- Ecological Transition. That is, when they finally outstripped all previous yield ceilings thanks to the spread of the use of fossil fuels, directly or indirectly in the form of chemical fertilisers, concentrated feed, and use of adapted seeds, etc. Following the previous works in Spain we use the analytical perspective of the social metabolism and agro-ecology applied to Environmental History to study the Socio-Ecological Transition of Spanish agriculture to an industrial mode of agriculture. We focus on the study on the driving forces by reconstructing two sets of flows in agricultural systems of Catalonia, energy and nutrients. The thesis is organised in the following structure. In the first block we make an analytical proposal to study and compare different energy efficiencies of agroecosystems and we apply it to a case study in the centre of Catalonia c.1860 and in 1999 (chapter 1 and 2). The second block is centred on the nutrient balances of the cropland areas of Catalan agriculture, hence, chapters 4 and 5 show two moments of time, c.1860 and c.1920. While chapter 4 analyses one municipality (Sentmenat) chapter 5 makes a regional analysis thus using provincial sources. This allows for the comparison among regions with different features. In the last chapter (3 and 6) of both blocks, we clarify the relations between the two chapters of each block, making joined questions and conclusions. In addition, we interpret the results in the framework of Socio-Ecological Transitions and explore the limitations of the methodology. Finally, in chapter 7 we summarize the conclusions of both blocks.
La principal motivación de esta tesis es reconstruir la dimensión ambiental, un trabajo pendiente dentro del campo de la Historia Económica, de los cambios que experimentaron las agriculturas de base orgánica en Cataluña a partir de finales del siglo XIX. Para ello, en vez de usar la narrativa de desarrollo agrícola (que sólo distingue entre agriculturas avanzadas y el resto en términos únicos de productividad) utilizamos la narrativa de la Transición Socio- Ecológica aplicada a la agricultura. Así podemos aplicar herramientas del Metabolismo Social, como la contabilidad de flujos energéticos y de materiales. Al igual que el resto del Estado Español, Cataluña, nuestro caso de estudio, fue fuertemente golpeada por la crisis agraria finisecular. Debido a mejoras tecnológicas en el transporte y al uso de combustibles fósiles, hacia 1870 el grano barato producido en Norte América inundó los mercados europeos. La gran cantidad de materia orgánica acumulada en los profundos horizontes orgánicos que nunca antes habían sido cultivados, permitió a los agricultores norteamericanos cosechar con una elevada productividad sin necesidad de asumir los costes de la reposición de nutrientes, al menos en el corto plazo. Fue todo lo contrario para los viejos agroecosistemas europeos, cuya fertilidad dependía fuertemente de la capacidad campesina para poner de nuevo en circulación la biomasa generada por el agroecosistema. Además, la plaga de la filoxera, que destruyó todos los viñedos catalanes, y la generalización de nuevos aceites vegetales cambiaron totalmente las condiciones de mercado de vino y aceite de oliva a la entrada del siglo XX. La tesis se divide en dos bloques en el primero estudiamos los flujos energéticos en el agroecosistema de un mismo conjunto de municipios del Vallès (Cataluña) a un extremo y otro de la Transición Socio-Ecológica. En el segundo tenemos como objetivo estudiar la primera oleada de la Transición Socio-Ecológica, es decir, los efectos de la Primera Globalización sobre la fertilidad de los agroecosistemas catalanes. Para ello escogemos un caso de estudio previo a la transición y uno que debería estar entre la primera y la segunda oleada de la transición. Una vez sorteados las limitaciones impuestas por la utilización de fuentes históricas, los resultados de esta tesis arrojan luz sobre puntos clave para una agricultura más sostenible.

The overarching aim of this programme of work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing learning environment within the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) elite springboard diving programme. Unique to the current research programme, is the application of ideas from an established theory of motor learning, specifically ecological dynamics, to an applied high performance training environment. In this research programme springboard diving is examined as a complex system, where individual, task, and environmental constraints are continually interacting to shape performance. As a consequence, this thesis presents some necessary and unique insights into representative learning design and movement adaptations in a sample of elite athletes. The questions examined in this programme of work relate to how best to structure practice, which is central to developing an effective learning environment in a high performance setting. Specifically, the series of studies reported in the chapters of this doctoral thesis: (i) provide evidence for the importance of designing representative practice tasks in training; (ii) establish that completed and baulked (prematurely terminated) take-offs are not different enough to justify the abortion of a planned dive; and (iii), confirm that elite athletes performing complex skills are able to adapt their movement patterns to achieve consistent performance outcomes from variable dive take-off conditions. Chapters One and Two of the thesis provide an overview of the theoretical ideas framing the programme of work, and include a review of literature pertinent to the research aims and subsequent empirical chapters. Chapter Three examined the representativeness of take-off tasks completed in the two AIS diving training facilities routinely used in springboard diving. Results highlighted differences in the preparatory phase of reverse dive take-offs completed by elite divers during normal training tasks in the dry-land and aquatic training environments. The most noticeable differences in dive take-off between environments began during the hurdle (step, jump, height and flight) where the diver generates the necessary momentum to complete the dive. Consequently, greater step lengths, jump heights and flight times, resulted in greater board depression prior to take-off in the aquatic environment where the dives required greater amounts of rotation. The differences observed between the preparatory phases of reverse dive take-offs completed in the dry-land and aquatic training environments are arguably a consequence of the constraints of the training environment. Specifically, differences in the environmental information available to the athletes, and the need to alter the landing (feet first vs. wrist first landing) from the take-off, resulted in a decoupling of important perception and action information and a decomposition of the dive take-off task. In attempting to only practise high quality dives, many athletes have followed a traditional motor learning approach (Schmidt, 1975) and tried to eliminate take-off variations during training. Chapter Four examined whether observable differences existed between the movement kinematics of elite divers in the preparation phases of baulked (prematurely terminated) and completed take-offs that might justify this approach to training. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of variability within conditions revealed greater consistency and less variability when dives were completed, and greater variability amongst baulked take-offs for all participants. Based on these findings, it is probable that athletes choose to abort a planned take-off when they detect small variations from the movement patterns (e.g., step lengths, jump height, springboard depression) of highly practiced comfortable dives. However, with no major differences in coordination patterns (topology of the angle-angle plots), and the potential for negative performance outcomes in competition, there appears to be no training advantage in baulking on unsatisfactory take-offs during training, except when a threat of injury is perceived by the athlete. Instead, it was considered that enhancing the athletes' movement adaptability would be a more functional motor learning strategy. In Chapter Five, a twelve-week training programme was conducted to determine whether a sample of elite divers were able to adapt their movement patterns and complete dives successfully, regardless of the perceived quality of their preparatory movements on the springboard. The data indeed suggested that elite divers were able to adapt their movements during the preparatory phase of the take-off and complete good quality dives under more varied take-off conditions; displaying greater consistency and stability in the key performance outcome (dive entry). These findings are in line with previous research findings from other sports (e.g., shooting, triple jump and basketball) and demonstrate how functional or compensatory movement variability can afford greater flexibility in task execution. By previously only practising dives with good quality take-offs, it can be argued that divers only developed strong couplings between information and movement under very specific performance circumstances. As a result, this sample was sometimes characterised by poor performance in competition when the athletes experienced a suboptimal take-off. Throughout this training programme, where divers were encouraged to minimise baulking and attempt to complete every dive, they demonstrated that it was possible to strengthen the information and movement coupling in a variety of performance circumstances, widening of the basin of performance solutions and providing alternative couplings to solve a performance problem even when the take-off was not ideal. The results of this programme of research provide theoretical and experimental implications for understanding representative learning design and movement pattern variability in applied sports science research. Theoretically, this PhD programme contributes empirical evidence to demonstrate the importance of representative design in the training environments of high performance sports programmes. Specifically, this thesis advocates for the design of learning environments that effectively capture and enhance functional and flexible movement responses representative of performance contexts. Further, data from this thesis showed that elite athletes performing complex tasks were able to adapt their movements in the preparatory phase and complete good quality dives under more varied take-off conditions. This finding signals some significant practical implications for athletes, coaches and sports scientists. As such, it is recommended that care should be taken by coaches when designing practice tasks since the clear implication is that athletes need to practice adapting movement patterns during ongoing regulation of multi-articular coordination tasks. For example, volleyball servers can adapt to small variations in the ball toss phase, long jumpers can visually regulate gait as they prepare for the take-off, and springboard divers need to continue to practice adapting their take-off from the hurdle step. In summary, the studies of this programme of work have confirmed that the task constraints of training environments in elite sport performance programmes need to provide a faithful simulation of a competitive performance environment in order that performance outcomes may be stabilised with practice. Further, it is apparent that training environments can be enhanced by ensuring the representative design of task constraints, which have high action fidelity with the performance context. Ultimately, this study recommends that the traditional coaching adage 'perfect practice makes perfect", be reconsidered; instead advocating that practice should be, as Bernstein (1967) suggested, "repetition without repetition".

Vi lever idag under ett klimathot som påverkar oss alla. I ljuset av detta har byggbranschen valt att börja ställa om mot en mer hållbar bransch. Under tiden har även ekohus och ekobyar byggts upp som ett alternativ sätt att bo sunt. Syftet med detta arbete har varit att undersöka vilka val som byggherrar/beställare gör vid projektering av nya bostäder. Jag har valt att inte titta på energianvändningen utan fokuserat på vilka miljömässiga aspekter som återfinns i arbetssätten kring projekteringen av bostadshus. För att ta reda på vilka val som kunde anses som ekologiska/miljömässiga gjordes först en litteraturstudie. Sedan gjordes en enkätundersökning där utvalda företag fick svara på bl.a. vilka material de använder. Svaren jämfördes sedan med ett fiktivt företag som skulle följa alla råd som litteraturen menade var miljöfrämjande. Jämförelsen gjordes genom en viktad poängsättning. Av resultatet visade det sig att företagen fick poäng motsvarade ungefär 50 – 60 % av det fiktiva företagets. Enkäten gav även en bild av vilka val de gjorde och vad de borde kunna välja för att kunna bygga ännu mer grönare. Enkäten visade att alla hade potential för det.
We are living today under climate threats which more or less will affect us all. In light of this, the construction industry has chosen to start conversion towards a more sustainable sector. Meanwhile, eco-houses and eco-villages, have been built up as an alternative way to stay healthy.   The aim of this work has been to examine which choices developers / clients make during the planning of new housing. I have chosen not to look at energy, but focused on the way choices are made during planning of living apartments.   To find out what choices could be considered as ecological / environmental a literature review was first made. To find out how the participant companies are choosing a survey was made. The responses were then compared with a fictitious company that would follow all advice literature meant was pro-environmental. The comparison was then made by a weighted scoring. It turned out that the companies got points that accounted for roughly 50 - 60% of the fictive. The survey also gave an overview of the choices they made and what they should be able to choose in order to build even more greener. The survey showed that the companies had the potential for it.

Using ecological task analysis as a conceptual framework, this study sought to describe the experiences of choice in physical activity contexts for adults with mobility impairments. Experiences of 3 female and 2 male participants with mobility impairments, ages 18-23 years were explored using the phenomenological research methods of interviews, written stories, and field notes. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) Interpreting the setting described participants interpretation of the environment, person, and task when making movement choices; (b) It just felt right described how participants actively engaged in a process of analyzing alternatives and choosing among them; and (c) Implications of choices made described participants evaluations of good and bad choices and what could be learned. The implications of this exploratory study include enhanced understanding of the assumptions surrounding choice, and appreciation for the multiple layers of affordances and constraints that influence choices in physical activity contexts.

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ambiente pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Nobody would deny that social processes like culture, socialisation, or politics matter for economic questions. The question is: do they matter in such a way that is completely orthogonal to economics or not? If yes, no need to introduce these aspects in the analysis: it’s enough to elicit them through appropriate parameters. If not, economic analysis must extend to the additional interaction between social processes and economic questions. This thesis adopts the latter perspective and applies it to a classical, yet still actual economic problem: how to deal with “social costs”. This problem focuses on how several actors settle their mutually incompatible interests. It is central for situations where individuals and groups have to find a middle way between Ecology and the Economy. Previous works on this matter have neglected social aspects and focused on matters of knowledge and technology. Instead, the contribution of this work consists in addressing an economic problem in its social dimension. By this, it adopts the interdisciplinary approach of Ecological Economics. Scholars in Ecological Economics have called for a greater role of participation in environmental conflicts. Here, we study a recent participatory process where actors from the administration, industry and civil society meet in order to settle an environmental conflict. The conflict revolves around river pollution caused by extraction activities. A “solution” of the problem requires a new trade-off between the economy, society and the environment. The process focused on the “science” behind the conflict at hand. Actors strived towards an “objective” perspective on the problem, searching for a “feasible” solution. Focusing on technological options, they dedicated little space to the diverging interests at the origin of the conflict. The process eventually failed: the majority of the participants agreed on one specific technical solution that two key actors oppose. We approached this issue through the analysis of written texts and interviews and compared the actors’ interests at the beginning and at the end of the process. Theory and process design assume that they don’t change. We however observe changes, consistently with the characteristics of the discussions that took place within the process. The social interaction among actors constitutes therefore a factor in the definition of a solution, even if technology is given strict priority. A thorough consideration for this factor may change the way decision processes are currently designed.
European Union (European Commission, Marie Curie RTN GoverNat, contract No. 0035536, www.governat.eu)

Commonly employed executive function measures may be of limited use due to their modest ecological validity. A novel task was developed - the Multitasking in the City Test (MCT) - in an attempt to improve ecological validity. The MCT involves task demands that resemble the demands of everyday activities. In study one, healthy participants were recruited in order to explore ‘normal’ performance on the MCT and its relationship with other cognitive measures. The MCT showed poor associations with executive tests and significant correlations with non-executive tests. This suggested the MCT may evaluate executive functioning in a different way from other executive measures such that it does not simply measure component executive processes but the integration of these components into meaningful behaviour. Patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury were recruited for study two to further explore the ecological validity and MCT performance characteristics. Only the MCT and a semantic fluency task demonstrated good ecological validity via significant relationships with a behavioural rating scale. Patients and normals made qualitatively similar types of errors although patients made these errors more frequently. Patients demonstrated better planning ability but completed fewer tasks than normals on the MCT. This discrepancy was attributed to impaired initiation. In study three, the MCT and verbal fluency tasks were administered to brain-injured individuals both pre- and post-executive function rehabilitation to evaluate their utility as treatment outcome measures and to assess ecological validity via a different behavioural rating scale from the one used in study two. Strategies trained during treatment generalized to MCT but not verbal fluency performance. Both MCT and semantic fluency performance were found to have good ecological validity. Overall, the findings from this research project suggest the MCT and semantic fluency tasks have good ecological validity. They further suggest that several common executive function measures lack adequate ecological validity and may not be predictive of real world behaviour. Moreover, these results support the concept of an executive function ‘system’ that can be fractionated into a variety of executive processes and that impairments in one process (e.g., initiation) can exist alongside intact functioning in other processes (e.g., planning).

The goal of this dissertation was to understand the issue of load in a more operationally realistic way, while examining underlying segmental relations and postural regulation related to functional capability. The ecological approach provides a foundation for this work, as its approach seeks understanding across nested relations and at the level of the Organism-Environment system. First, a landing task was used to examine transitions from movement to upright stance, evaluating the effects of load on changes relevant to prospective control of action. Greater negative head angles, reductions in the field of regard, and reduced variability in orienting coordination (trunk-head relations) under load all suggest reductions in the postural affordances for visual perception. The heaviest load was not the worst; as the asymmetrically loaded Vest configuration had greater negative effects on postural affordances. This was further supported by the increased power and frequency content in the Center of Pressure dynamics, suggesting much more difficult postural regulation in this configuration. The second study examined the effects of load on dynamic marksmanship performance using large loads on the torso and small loads on the extremities (night vision goggles and extremity armor on the arms) while establishing two different postures determined by target placement. Load and Posture both had negative impacts on the speed-accuracy trade-off, with larger loads affecting gross postural transitions and smaller loads degrading fine-aiming performance. The more challenging posture degraded accuracy on target substantially, suggesting that reorientation of multiple segments may be necessary for assessing the consequences of load on marksmanship performance. Increases in the total coordinative variability of Head-Trunk-Gun relations with load at a high target suggests that increased inertial and interactive forces during movement "push" the system out of the optimal segmental relations. Moreover, the results from Postural-Focal coupling suggest that load "freezes" previously available degrees of freedom, making the system more deterministic and less flexible in goal-directed achievement. The two previous paradigms are joined in the third study to understand perception-action coupling during movement cessation to marksmanship transitions, a ubiquitous task in combat. Increased time to discriminate targets was found with load and was related to peak head velocities and the inability to dissipate energy at the head/eyes under load. Again, Load and Posture had significant effects on the speed-accuracy trade-off, especially at the load most similar to that seen in current missions. Segmental coordination in this effort ballasts the findings in study 2, as significant shifts from optimal Head-Trunk-Gun relations were observed with load as well as increased variability that was detrimental to task performance. This dissertation demonstrates that science can be "Operationalized" in a way that maintains scientific integrity during complex task analysis; providing additional insight into the issue of load across multiple scales of analysis related to functional capability and survivability in combat and others encumbered by load.

Prospective memory (PM) refers to a person’s ability to remember to do something in the future. It is a complex behaviour that is essential for the daily functioning of young and old alike. Despite its importance in everyday life, few studies have sought to examine the role of personality on PM performance using a multi-trait multi-method approach in young adults. The current study aimed to investigate the differential roles of the Big 5 personality traits on event- and time-based PM performance using multiple measurement methods. In addition, the study aimed to add to the current PM and personality literature by addressing several of the identified methodological limitations of the literature as outlined by Uttl and colleagues (2013). Results demonstrated few strong relationships between PM subtypes (event and time-based) performance indicators, though performance on the lab-based event-based PM task was stronger than on the lab-based time-based PM task even after controlling for ongoing task performance. Participants were also found to perform better on lab-based rather than naturalistic PM tasks. Naturalistic and self-report PM measures were significantly related to each other, but not to lab-based PM. Regarding personality, the relationship between specific personality traits and PM performance differed depending on the PM subtype and/or measurement method being investigated with conscientiousness, memory aid strategy use, and substance use engagement being found to best predict self-reported PM errors in daily life. The current study demonstrated that each PM measurement method taps into different aspects of behavioural and cognitive functioning. Without the use of all three measurement methods, whilst also considering the individuality of the client, researchers and clinicians may be doing a disservice to individuals with true PM difficulties as they may overlook important factors contributing to their poorer performance.
Graduate

Trabalho Final do Mestrado Integrado em Medicina apresentado à Faculdade de Medicina
A Doença de Huntington surge como um modelo útil para o estudo de mecanismos compensatórios em doenças neurodegenerativas, dado tratar-se de uma doença monogénica, com penetrância completa e cujos portadores podem ser testados e acompanhados anos antes do diagnóstico clínico. A existência de alterações estruturais, acompanhadas de alterações da atividade cerebral, na presença de uma performance comportamental intacta pressupõem a existência de potencial de compensação. Dada a escassez de literatura com critérios operacionalizados de compensação, propusemos a realização de um estudo com o objetivo de verificar a existência de uma relação em U invertido (relação polinomial quadrática) de atividade e performance, e explorar a existência de alterações do controlo executivo em participantes pré-sintomáticos.Deste modo, estudámos 16 controlos, 14 portadores sem sintomas e 9 portadores sintomáticos com o objetivo de investigar o efeito modulatório destas variáveis através de um estudo transversal de atividade em ressonância magnética funcional, usando uma abordagem baseada em regiões de interesse. Para tal, recorremos a uma nova tarefa ecológica que a priori, com cargas executivas crescentes, tinha mostrado diferenças entre participantes controlos e pré-sintomáticos, captando um limite teórico para os mecanismos compensatórios neste grupo.A análise desses dados comportamentais permitiu a seleção de medidas de performance e de atividade, com vista à posterior construção das regressões polinomiais quadráticas em questão. Relativamente aos resultados comportamentais, a análise revelou diferenças significativas no tempo de execução da tarefa entre participantes sintomáticos e os restantes grupos, para todos os graus de dificuldade. No entanto, contrariamente ao expectado, apenas os erros na tarefa de menor dificuldade, permitiram distinguir controlos de pré-sintomáticos.Indiciando compensação, obtivemos uma relação significativa quadrática, de concavidade orientada para baixo, de performance e atividade. Adicionalmente, e em linha com o modelo teórico adotado, a diminuição da performance antecedeu a diminuição da atividade cerebral, que revelou padrões quadráticos significativos corrigidos em 5 de 11 regiões definidas a priori. Entre essas regiões, incluem-se o lobo parietal superior direito, giro frontal médio, bilateralmente, e o giro frontal inferior direito. Porém, o córtex pré-frontal dorsolateral direito, área extensivamente definida como compensatória na literatura, não mostrou diferenças significativas. O pico da atividade cerebral ocorreu em média a 3,6 anos do início dos sintomas clínicos, suportando uma afeção do controlo executivo ainda em estádio pré-clínico. Tal como descrito em outros estudos, replicámos o achado de um córtex direito mais resiliente, origem de 4 das 5 regiões compensatórias, consistente com um viés esquerdo nesta patologia.Tendo em mente as limitações abordadas e as soluções apresentadas para melhorar o desenho experimental de estudos futuros, estes achados refletem um possível papel compensatório destas áreas, tornando-as num futuro alvo de intervenções terapêuticas.
Huntington's Disease prevails as a useful model for the study of compensatory mechanisms across neurodegenerative diseases, mainly due to its fully penetrant monogenic pattern and ability to test and monitor carriers, years before the clinical diagnosis. Potential compensation can be identified as the presence of altered patterns of brain activity in association with relatively high levels of structural disease load while keeping intact performance levels.Given the scarce literature with operationalized compensation criteria, we propose a novel study to prove the existence of an inverted U-shaped relation (a polynomial quadratic regression) of activity and performance. Additionally, we explore the presence of early executive dysfunction in pre-symptomatic participants. In a transverse study, 16 controls, 14 pre-symptomatic gene carriers, and 9 Huntington disease patients with overt clinical symptoms were studied to assess the modulatory effects of these variables. This was done using a functional magnetic resonance ROI (region of interest) based approach. Subjects were asked to perform a new ecological task, which had previously reported differences in performance between control participants and pre-symptomatic gene carriers, with increasing executive demands, thus evidencing a theoretical limit for compensatory mechanisms, in the latter group.Behavioural data analysis allowed for the selection of performance variables, which were computed to produce the previously mentioned polynomial regressions.Concerning behavioral variable analysis, we report significant differences in task execution time, regardless of task demand, between symptomatic Huntington disease patients and the remaining groups. However, contrary to prior belief, differences between controls and pre-symptomatic carriers were found only for the lower demand task.Consistent with neural compensation, we found significant performance and activity quadratic regressions, with a downward oriented concavity. Moreover and mirroring the adopted theoretical model, 5 out of 11 predefined brain regions revealed significant polynomial patterns and, coincidently, the decline of performance preceded the downfall of brain activation. Among these regions are included the superior parietal lobule, middle frontal gyrus, bilaterally, and the inferior frontal gyrus. Nevertheless, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, extensively portrayed as a compensatory area in the literature, failed to reach significance levels. Additionally, our data support an early impairment of executive function in pre-clinical stages, as brain activation peaked, on average, 3,6 years before the onset of symptomatic disease. As described elsewhere, a functionally more resilient right cortex, home to 4 out of 5 compensatory areas identified, reflects the leftward bias found in Huntington's disease.In conclusion, taking into consideration the addressed limitations and suggested solutions to improve future study designs, our findings provide evidence for a possible compensatory role of these areas, which in turn, sets them as a potential therapeutical target for future applications.
FCT

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Geografia (área de especialização em Planeamento e Gestão do Território)
O presente relatório explana as atividades desenvolvidas durante o estágio curricular efetuado na Comissão de Coordenação do Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte (CCDR-N), na Estrutura Sub Regional de Braga (ESRB), no ano de 2012. Os objetivos do estágio foram os seguintes: adquirir competências profissionais no domínio de ordenamento, planeamento e gestão do território; estar familiarizada e compreender a legislação dos planos de ordenamento e das restrições e servidões de utilidade pública; elaborar informações internas de resposta técnica aos pedidos de apreciação de usos e ações a empreender em áreas integradas na Reserva Ecológica Nacional (REN) e compreender as consequências para o ordenamento do território da aplicação do respetivo regime jurídico; reconhecer a importância da participação das CCDR na gestão da REN; reconhecer a importância da participação das CCDR e das Comissões de Acompanhamento (CA) no processo de revisão e de alteração do Plano Diretor Municipal (PDM); identificar as dificuldades com que os profissionais de ordenamento, planeamento e gestão do território se deparam no exercício do ato administrativo. No relatório de estágio realiza-se o enquadramento conceptual das atividades desenvolvidas na ESRB e descreve-se a experiência de estágio no que respeita a gestão em REN, a revisão de PDM e a alteração de PDM, dando enfâse à sistematização do processo de elaboração da informação técnica no caso da gestão em REN e, no caso do PDM, das fases de revisão e de alteração, referindo os momentos de intervenção e de elaboração da informação técnica. Selecionaram-se exemplos demonstradores de atividades realizadas no âmbito da apreciação em REN (autorização e comunicação prévia) e do acompanhamento da revisão e da alteração do PEM, que se explanam e discutem. Com base nesta aprendizagem efetuou-se uma reflexão crítica que incide sobre o problema da deficiente representação gráfica (carta da REN) que dificulta o procedimento da apreciação da REN, a exiguidade de estudos de caracterização (EC), a não articulação com a cartografia de risco e a morosidade na conceção da proposta de plano, no caso da revisão e alteração do PDM. Exprime-se ainda uma breve opinião sobre os novos diplomas da REN e Lei dos solos. O trabalho concluiu-se com sugestões que, no âmbito da REN, contemplam a sua integração efetiva numa rede ecológica e a inclusão dos procedimentos administrativos no e-government; por outro lado, no âmbito do PDM, sugere-se um guia de avaliação de revisão, uma plataforma de trabalho com o intuito de agilizar o procedimento de revisão e ainda a utilização de análise e modelação em SIG para a definição de áreas de expansão urbana.
This report outlines the activities and tasks undertaken during the traineeship which took place in the Coordination Commission for Regional Development - North Region (CCDR-N), Sub Regional Structure of Braga (ESRB), in 2012. The traineeship objectives were the following: to acquire professional skills in the field of land planning and management; to be acquainted with, and to understand the existing legislation governing development plans and public utilities; to write internal technical information concerning the appraisal of land use projects to be developed in areas of the National Ecological Reserve (REN); to acknowledge the role of CCDR in the management of REN; to acknowledge the role of CCDR and of Follow-Up Committees (CA) in the review and amendment processes of the Master Plan (PDM); to identify the main hindrances that land planning and management professionals encounter in exercising administrative tasks. The report outlines the conceptual framework of the activities developed in the ESRB and describes the traineeship experience regarding the management of REN, and of the review and amendment processes of PDM. Examples were selected to present and discuss the range of tasks involved in the management of REN (authorization and prior notification) and in the follow-up of the review and amendment processes of PDM. Based on this learning experience, a critical review was performed focusing on the problem of poor graphical representation (REN maps) which complicates the procedure of assessing the REN, the paucity of characterization studies (EC), the lack of coordination between risk mapping and land planning, and delays in the design of PDM proposals. A brief review of the new REN and soil law is also made in this report. This report concludes with several suggestions which contemplate the effective integration of REN within an ecological network, the inclusion in e-government of the administrative procedures related with the management of REN, a PDM review assessment guide, a web working platform in order to expedite the PDM review procedures, and the use of GIS analysis and modeling for defining urban expansion areas.

We aimed at investigating decision making in volleyball serve-reception. Grounded in the ecological dynamics framework, we focused on task constraints. First, in a systematic review we discussed the relevance of functionally-relevant tasks for performance analysis. This notion was developed with respect to relevant sources of constraint and behavioral variables for team sports performance analysis in general, and for volleyball in particular. Next, in an observational study of an expert-level competition we showed that, in serve-reception, adaptive flexibility in action-mode selection relates to competitive outcomes. The three experimental studies that followed involved manual-tracking of ball and receiver(s) and 3D world-coordinates reconstruction. First, we used an individual serve-reception task, in two delimited zones on-court. The receiver’s initial position was the stronger predictor of the action mode selected and for the effectiveness of the serve- reception. In a second study we used a three-man serve-reception task. The definition of the receivers’ reception-areas at the ecological scale was highly accurate in selecting “who” receives a given serve. Also, variables related to the serve, and to the relative position of the receiver, of other receivers, the ball, and the target contributed to a very strong model for action-mode selection. Furthermore, only the underhand-lateral pass, not the overhand or the underhand-frontal passes, increased the odds of less effective serve-receptions. A final experimental study focused on both the individual (receiver) and the group (three-receivers-system) levels of analysis of serve-reception performance. Receivers were differently constrained, individually and collectively, by relevant sources of constraint (on-court position, role, and serve mode). Adaptation to the task at the individual (initial position) and at the collective (receiver area) levels allowed the prediction of the action-mode selected but not reception efficacy. Overall, adaptive flexibility, through action mode selection, was supported as a way to deal with task constrains in order to remain effective.
Com a dinamica ecologica como referencial teorico, estudamos a influencia dos constrangimentos da tarefa na tomada de decisao na recepcao ao servico em voleibol. Primeiro, numa revisao sistematica da literatura discutimos a relevancia de tarefas funcionalmente relevantes. Esta nocao foi desenvolvida quanto a fontes de constrangimento e variaveis comportamentais relevantes para a analise da performance em desportos de equipa em geral, e no voleibol em particular. Seguidamente, num estudo observacional de uma competicao de peritos, mostramos, para a recepcao ao servico, que a flexibilidade adaptativa na seleccao do modo de accao se associa ao resultado competitivo. Nos tres estudos experimentais que se seguiram digitalizamos manualmente a bola e o(s) recebedor(es), e subsequentemente reconstruimos em 3D as suas coordenadas reais. Numa tarefa de recepcao individual, em duas zonas delimitadas no campo, a posicao inicial do recebedor foi o maior preditor do modo de accao seleccionado e da eficacia da recepcao ao servico. Numa segunda tarefa com tres recebedores, a definicao das areas de recepcao a escala ecologica foi altamente precisa na seleccao de “quem” recebe o servico. Variaveis relacionadas com o servico e com a relacao do receptor com outros recebedores, com a bola e com o alvo contribuiram para um forte modelo de seleccao do modo de accao. Ainda, a manchete-lateral, nao o passe ou a manchete-frontal, aumentou as chances de recepcoes do servico menos eficazes. Por ultimo,abordamos ambos os niveis de analise individual (receptor) e grupal (sistema de tres receptores) na recepcao ao servico. Os receptores foram constrangidos diferentemente, individual e colectivamente, por fontes de constrangimento relevantes (posicao no campo, papel, e tipo de servico). A adaptacão individual (posicao individual) e colectiva (area de recepcao) a tarefa permitiu a predicao do modo de accao seleccionado mas nao da eficacia da recepcao ao servico. No geral,a flexibilidade adaptativa atraves da seleccao do modo de accao, demonstrou ser uma forma de lidar com os constrangimentos da tarefa no sentido de manter a eficácia.

The overarching aim of this thesis was to examine the usefulness of a variety of existing combat sport practice tasks using representative learning design (RLD) as a framework. To date, RLD has largely focused on ensuring practice tasks sample the physical task and environmental informational constraints that support behaviour in competition. While useful, such empirical work has neglected to consider the role of emotions in training design. This thesis contains three experimental studies examining affect and representative practice design using taekwondo as a task vehicle. The first study explored the impact of a competitive opponent on action selection and interpersonal behaviour in taekwondo by examining the behavioural correspondence between two common combat tasks: striking a representative dynamic target and a non-representative static target. Findings revealed that low behavioural correspondence between static and dynamic targets as emergent striking actions were uniquely constrained by each task. The second study compared the affective, cognitive and behavioural demands of combat practice relative to competition. The findings revealed that the affective and cognitive demands of practice do not represent competition and are associated with behaviour that does not represent how players act in competition. The final study tested the hypothesis that situational information could enhance the affective and cognitive demands of practice tasks by manipulating the presence of a live scoreboard. Results revealed that scoreboard presence lead to greater arousal and anxiety. These increased affective demands were associated with player behaviour that more closely represented the competition behaviour from the previous study. In summary, this doctoral thesis contributes to an expanding body of work that advocates the use of principled theoretical and methodological frameworks to design sports practice tasks. The specific contributions include i) how affect and cognition influence action selection and action fidelity, and ii) the conceptualisation and application of how the fundamental Brunswikian concept of situational information can add to the design of representative learning tasks. The findings of this thesis suggest that to design truly representative learning tasks, practitioners should sample information, action and affective constraints to create rich competition-like experiences in practice so that athletes think, feel and act like they would in competition.

Este relatório de estágio teve como objetivo contribuir para a compreensão da multiplicidade de tarefas que regem a atividade de um treinador de futebol. Baseado maioritariamente nos fundamentos teóricos da dinâmica ecológica, foi analisada a forma como as redes sociais permitem ou não identificar a consecução prática do modelo de jogo teórico em função de variáveis inerentes à competição, isto é, se o tipo de coordenação interpessoal e os padrões estabelecidos estão previstos no modelo teórico e de que forma são influenciados pelas variáveis tempo de jogo e resultado momentâneo. Os resultados demonstraram a forma como as variáveis inerentes ao jogo podem influenciar o comportamento micro, meso e macro de uma equipa. Em seguida foram realizadas duas investigações com o objetivo de examinar a intervenção do treinador em competição e em treino, mais concretamente, o tipo de instrução e feedback. Para o efeito foram utilizados instrumentos de categorização que permitissem encontrar um padrão de intervenção do treinador em treino e competição. Foi possível verificar de que forma o treinador ajusta o seu feedback em função das alterações próprias ao treino e competição. Ainda no contexto de treino, investigou-se a influência da fase da sessão de treino sobre o conteúdo de treino. Foram analisados os objetivos, representatividade, constrangimentos, complexidade e dificuldade nos exercícios que compõem as sessões de treino. As conclusões permitem que o treinador melhor estruture as suas sessões de treino, selecionado tarefas mais representativas do contexto de jogo. Por último, foram estudadas as diferentes dimensões da motivação nos atletas. Mais concretamente, se o subescalão influencia a motivação dos atletas. Os resultados permitiram compreender que o subescalão não influencia de forma significativa as dimensões da motivação, levando o treinador a compreender que este não é um fator decisivo ou influenciável para o sucesso ou insucesso da sua equipa. Na lógica das investigações apresentadas durante o estágio, propõe-se que a avaliação da atividade do treinador seja considerada sempre numa lógica multidisciplinar, abrangendo as principais áreas de intervenção.
This report aimed to contribute to the understanding of the multiplicity of tasks that govern the activity of a football coach. Based on the theoretical foundations of ecological dynamics, was analyzed how social networks allow to identify the practical achievement of the theoretical game model on the basis of variables inherent in the competition, on other words, if the type of interpersonal coordination and established standards are provided in the model and how it is influenced by variables play time and live score. The results showed how variables can influence the team behavior in a micro, meso or macro dimension. Then, there were two investigations in order to examine the coach’s intervention in competition and training, more specifically, the type of instruction and feedback. It were used a categorization instrument to find some standards training and competition behavior. It was possible to verify how the coach adjusts his intervention during the game and the training sessions.. Also in the training context, were studied the influence of training session stage on the content. Were analyzed the objectives, representativeness, constraints, complexity and difficulty in the exercises from the training sessions. The findings allowed the coach to improve his session planning, selecting tasks more representative of the game context. Finally, it were investigated the different dimensions of motivation. More specifically, if the differences in the athletes age influences the motivation of the team. The results showed that the age doesn´t significantly influences the dimensions of motivation, leading the coach to understand that this is not a decisive or influenced factor on the success or failure of his team. In line with the research presented during the stage, it was proposed that the assessment of coach activity is always considered in a multidisciplinary way, covering the main areas of intervention.