Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mental models'
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Borges, A. Tarisco. "Mental models of electromagnetism." Thesis, University of Reading, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.342567.
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Banks, Adrian P. "Mental models in groups." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2002. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/803/.
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Fleischman, Joyce D. "Mental models for time displayed tasks." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/23301.
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The study described in this thesis attempts to determine whether there is a mental model for time-ordered tasks. The results of this study may be used to assist in the design of cockpit display formats for the Intelligent Air Attack System (IAAS) in the F/A-18, A-6 or other Navy and Air Force tactical aircraft, and may be applicable to telecommunications systems as well. Basic human factors engineering concepts and the characteristics of IAAS and of the Naval Telecommunications System are described. The approach and methodology for determining whether there is a consistent mental model for time-ordered tasks is discussed, and the results of a survey are presented. Based on this survey, it was determined that mental models for time-ordered tasks are not always the same, but instead are task-dependent. Schedules are most logically presented in a calendar-like format. For telecommunications related tasks, a front-to-back format is recommended. For time-ordered events in an aircraft cockpit, a top-to-bottom display order was preferred by a majority of study participants, but aviators preferred a left-to-right presentation. Theses. (SDW)
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Bristol, Nikki. "Shared mental models : conceptualisation & measurement." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.417084.
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Chen, Ge (Ge Jackie). "Visualizations for mental health topic models." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/91306.
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Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2014.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
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Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 53-54).
Crisis Text Line supports people with mental health issues through texting. Unfortunately, support is limited by the number of counselors and the time each counselor has for clients, as well as the cognitive load on counselors from managing multiple conversations simultaneously. We conducted a contextual inquiry with crisis counselors to find contributing problems in their work flow. We believe topic modeling can provide automatic summaries of conversation text to augment note-taking and transcript-reading. Four simple and familiar visualizations were developed to present the model data: 1) a list of conversation topics, 2) a donut chart of topic percentages, 3) a line chart of topic trends, and 4) a scatter plot of specific topic points in the text. Our hypothesis is that these visualizations will help counselors spend more time on clients without overloading the counselors. The visualizations were evaluated through a user study to determine their effectiveness against a control interface.
by Ge (Jackie) Chen.
M. Eng.
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Cone, Cynthia Jane. "Mental models and community college leadership." Access restricted to users with UT Austin EID Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3037011.
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Coll, Richard K. "Learners' mental models of chemical bonding." Thesis, Curtin University, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/253.
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The research reported in this thesis comprised a cross-age inquiry of learners' mental models for chemical bonding. Learners were chosen purposefully from three academic levels-senior secondary school (Year-13, age range 17-18 years old), undergraduate (age range 19-21 years), and postgraduate (comprising MSc and PhD; age range 22- 27 years). The principal research goal was to establish learners' preferred mental models for the concept of chemical bonding. Other research goals were to establish if and how learners made use of analogy to understand chemical bonding and to establish the prevalence of learners' alternative conceptions for chemical bonding. The research inquiry was conducted from within a constructivist paradigm; specifically the researcher ascribed to a social and contextual constructivist belief system.Based on a review of the science education literature a decision was made to classify mental models into four classes according to the typology of Norman (1983), namely, the target system, a conceptual model, the users' or learners' mental model and the scientists' conceptualisation. A conceptual theme for the inquiry was developed based on this typology resulting in the identification of target systems-metallic, ionic and covalent bonding. Subsequently, target models for each of the three target systems were identified, namely, the sea of electrons model and the band theory for metallic bonding; the electrostatic model, and the theoretical electrostatic model for ionic bonding; and the octet rule, the valence bond approach, the molecular orbital theory and the ligand field theory for covalent bonding. A conceptual model, consisting of a summary of the salient points of the target models, was developed by the researcher. Once validated by four of the instructors involved in the inquiry, this formed the scientists' conceptualisation for the target models.Learners' mental models were elicited by the use of a three phase semi-structured interview protocol for each of the three target systems based on the translation interface developed by Johnson and Gott (1996). The protocol consisted of showing participants samples of common substances and asking them to describe the bonding in these materials. In addition, participants were shown Interviews About Events (IAE), focus cards which depicted events involving chemical bonding or contained depicted models of bonding for the three target systems. Transcriptions of audio-tapes combined with diagrams produced by the participants formed the data corpus for the inquiry. Learners' mental models were compiled into inventories for each of the target systems. Examination of inventories enabled identification of commonality of views which were validated by four instructors-two instructors from the teaching institutions involved in the inquiry, and two instructors independent of the inquiry.The research reported in this thesis revealed that learners across all three academic levels preferred simple or realist mental models for chemical bonding, such as the sea of electrons model and the octet rule. Learners frequently used concepts from other more sophisticated models to aid their explanations when their preferred mental models were found to be inadequate. Senior level learners were more critical of mental models, particularly depicted models provided on IAE focus cards. Furthermore, senior level learners were able to describe their mental models in greater detail than their younger counterparts. However, the inquiry found considerable commonality across all three levels of learner, suggesting mental models are relatively stable.Learners' use of analogy was classified according to Dagher's (1995a) typology, namely, simple, narrative, peripheral and compound. Learners' use of analogy for the understanding of chemical bonding was found to be idiosyncratic. When they struggled to explain aspects of their mental models for chemical bonding, learners made extensive use of simple analogy, that typically involved the mapping of a single attribute between the target and source domains. There did not appear to be any correlation between academic ability or academic level and use of analogy. However, learners made greater use of compound analogy for the target systems of metallic and ionic bonding, mostly as a result of the use of analogical models during instruction.This inquiry revealed prevalent alternative conceptions for chemical bonding across all three academic levels of learner. This is a somewhat surprising result considering that the mental models preferred by learners were typically simple, realist models they had encountered during instruction. Learners' alternative conceptions often concerned simple conceptions such as ionic size, the presence of charged species in non- polar molecular compounds, and misunderstandings about the strength of bonding in metals and ionic substances. The inquiry also revealed widespread confusion about intermolecular and intramolecular bonding, and the nature of lattices structures for ionic and metallic substances.The inquiry resulted in a number of recommendations. It is proposed that it may be more beneficial to teach less content at the introductory level, that is, delivering a curriculum that is more appropriate for non-specialist chemistry majors. Hence, one recommendation is for instructors to examine the intended curriculum carefully and be more critical regarding the value of inclusion of some course content. A second recommendation is that sophisticated models of chemical bonding are better taught only at advanced stages of the degree program, and that teaching from a contructivist view of learning may be beneficial. The third recommendation relates to the fact that learners spontaneously generated analogies to aid their explanations and conceptual understanding, consequently, learners may benefit from greater use of analogy during instruction.
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Coll, Richard K. "Learners' mental models of chemical bonding." Curtin University of Technology, Science and Mathematics Education Centre, 1999. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=10124.
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The research reported in this thesis comprised a cross-age inquiry of learners' mental models for chemical bonding. Learners were chosen purposefully from three academic levels-senior secondary school (Year-13, age range 17-18 years old), undergraduate (age range 19-21 years), and postgraduate (comprising MSc and PhD; age range 22- 27 years). The principal research goal was to establish learners' preferred mental models for the concept of chemical bonding. Other research goals were to establish if and how learners made use of analogy to understand chemical bonding and to establish the prevalence of learners' alternative conceptions for chemical bonding. The research inquiry was conducted from within a constructivist paradigm; specifically the researcher ascribed to a social and contextual constructivist belief system.Based on a review of the science education literature a decision was made to classify mental models into four classes according to the typology of Norman (1983), namely, the target system, a conceptual model, the users' or learners' mental model and the scientists' conceptualisation. A conceptual theme for the inquiry was developed based on this typology resulting in the identification of target systems-metallic, ionic and covalent bonding. Subsequently, target models for each of the three target systems were identified, namely, the sea of electrons model and the band theory for metallic bonding; the electrostatic model, and the theoretical electrostatic model for ionic bonding; and the octet rule, the valence bond approach, the molecular orbital theory and the ligand field theory for covalent bonding. A conceptual model, consisting of a summary of the salient points of the target models, was developed by the researcher. Once validated by four of the instructors involved in the inquiry, this formed the scientists' conceptualisation for the target ++models.Learners' mental models were elicited by the use of a three phase semi-structured interview protocol for each of the three target systems based on the translation interface developed by Johnson and Gott (1996). The protocol consisted of showing participants samples of common substances and asking them to describe the bonding in these materials. In addition, participants were shown Interviews About Events (IAE), focus cards which depicted events involving chemical bonding or contained depicted models of bonding for the three target systems. Transcriptions of audio-tapes combined with diagrams produced by the participants formed the data corpus for the inquiry. Learners' mental models were compiled into inventories for each of the target systems. Examination of inventories enabled identification of commonality of views which were validated by four instructors-two instructors from the teaching institutions involved in the inquiry, and two instructors independent of the inquiry.The research reported in this thesis revealed that learners across all three academic levels preferred simple or realist mental models for chemical bonding, such as the sea of electrons model and the octet rule. Learners frequently used concepts from other more sophisticated models to aid their explanations when their preferred mental models were found to be inadequate. Senior level learners were more critical of mental models, particularly depicted models provided on IAE focus cards. Furthermore, senior level learners were able to describe their mental models in greater detail than their younger counterparts. However, the inquiry found considerable commonality across all three levels of learner, suggesting mental models are relatively stable.Learners' use of analogy was classified according to Dagher's (1995a) typology, namely, simple, narrative, peripheral and compound. Learners' use of ++
analogy for the understanding of chemical bonding was found to be idiosyncratic. When they struggled to explain aspects of their mental models for chemical bonding, learners made extensive use of simple analogy, that typically involved the mapping of a single attribute between the target and source domains. There did not appear to be any correlation between academic ability or academic level and use of analogy. However, learners made greater use of compound analogy for the target systems of metallic and ionic bonding, mostly as a result of the use of analogical models during instruction.This inquiry revealed prevalent alternative conceptions for chemical bonding across all three academic levels of learner. This is a somewhat surprising result considering that the mental models preferred by learners were typically simple, realist models they had encountered during instruction. Learners' alternative conceptions often concerned simple conceptions such as ionic size, the presence of charged species in non- polar molecular compounds, and misunderstandings about the strength of bonding in metals and ionic substances. The inquiry also revealed widespread confusion about intermolecular and intramolecular bonding, and the nature of lattices structures for ionic and metallic substances.The inquiry resulted in a number of recommendations. It is proposed that it may be more beneficial to teach less content at the introductory level, that is, delivering a curriculum that is more appropriate for non-specialist chemistry majors. Hence, one recommendation is for instructors to examine the intended curriculum carefully and be more critical regarding the value of inclusion of some course content. A second recommendation is that sophisticated models of chemical bonding are better taught only at advanced stages of the degree program, and that teaching from a contructivist view of ++
learning may be beneficial. The third recommendation relates to the fact that learners spontaneously generated analogies to aid their explanations and conceptual understanding, consequently, learners may benefit from greater use of analogy during instruction.
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Bernotat, Anke, Jürgen Bertling, Christiane English, and Judith Schanz. "Designing a Sustainable Future with Mental Models." Technische Universität Dresden, 2016. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A29257.
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Inspired by the question of the Club of Rome as to Design could help to translate the ubiquitous knowledge on sustainability into daily practise and Peter Senge's belief on mental models as a limiting factor to implementation of systemic insight (Senge 2006), we explored working with mental models as a sustainable design tool. We propose a definition for design uses. At the 7th Sustainable Summer School we collected general unsustainable mental models and "designed" sustainable ones. These mental models were tested as a part of the briefing to student projects and evaluated by the students. Analysing an existing product portfolio, we tested the ability of mental models to aid the creation of strategic design advice. We argue that mental models in the form of associative thinking and cognitive metaphors have been part of designing all along and overlap in nature with design methodologies to such an extent that they are sublimely suited to be used as a design tool.
We summarize our prototyping exercises with the proposal of a design process using mental models to root sustainability in design practise and thinking beyond present-day eco-design (Liedtke et al 2013, Luttropp and Lagerstedt 2006, Pigosso and McAloone 2015).
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Wolfe, Alex Forrest. "Mental Models of Computer Security Among Adolescents." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1619032044319319.
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Bernotat, Anke, Jürgen Bertling, Christiane English, and Judith Schanz. "Designing a Sustainable Future with Mental Models." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2017. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-223747.
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Inspired by the question of the Club of Rome as to Design could help to translate the ubiquitous knowledge on sustainability into daily practise and Peter Senge's belief on mental models as a limiting factor to implementation of systemic insight (Senge 2006), we explored working with mental models as a sustainable design tool. We propose a definition for design uses. At the 7th Sustainable Summer School we collected general unsustainable mental models and "designed" sustainable ones. These mental models were tested as a part of the briefing to student projects and evaluated by the students. Analysing an existing product portfolio, we tested the ability of mental models to aid the creation of strategic design advice. We argue that mental models in the form of associative thinking and cognitive metaphors have been part of designing all along and overlap in nature with design methodologies to such an extent that they are sublimely suited to be used as a design tool.
We summarize our prototyping exercises with the proposal of a design process using mental models to root sustainability in design practise and thinking beyond present-day eco-design (Liedtke et al 2013, Luttropp and Lagerstedt 2006, Pigosso and McAloone 2015).
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Derosa, Donald. "Mental models as indicators of scientific thinking." Thesis, Boston University, 2001. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/33453.
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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
One goal of science education reform is student attainment of scientific literacy. Therefore, it is imperative for science educators to identify its salient elements. A dimension of scientific literacy that warrants careful consideration is scientific thinking and effective ways to foster scientific thinking among students. This study examined the use of mental models as evidence of scientific thinking in the context of two instructional approaches, transmissional and constructivist. Types of mental models, frequency of explanative information, and scores on problem solving transfer questions were measured and compared among subjects in each instructional context. METHODS: Subjects consisted of sophomore biology students enrolled in general biology courses at three public high schools. The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking instrument was used to identify two equivalent groups with anN of 65. Each group was taught the molecular basis of sickle cell anemia and the principles of hemoglobin gel electrophoresis using one of the two instructional approaches at their schools during five instructional periods over the course of one week. Laboratory equipment and materials were provided by Boston University School of Medicine's MobileLab program. Following the instructional periods, each subject was asked to think aloud while responding to four problem solving transfer questions. Each response was audiotaped and videotaped. The interviews were transcribed and coded to identify types of mental models and explanative information. Subjects' answers to the problem solving transfer questions were scored using a rubric. RESULTS: Students taught in a constructivist context tended to use more complete mental models than students taught in a transmissional context. Fifty two percent of constructivist subjects and forty four percent of transmissional subjects demonstrated evidence of relevant mental models. Overall fifty two percent of the subjects expressed naive mental models with respect to content. There was no significant difference in the frequency of explanative information expressed by either group. Both groups scored poorly on the problem solving transfer problems. The average score for the constructivist group was 30% and the average score for the transmissional group was 34%. A significant correlation was found between the frequency of explanative information and scores on the problem-solving transfer questions, r = 0.766. CONCLUSION: The subjects exhibited difficulty in formulating and applying mental models to effectively answer problem solving transfer questions regardless of the context in which the subjects were taught. The results call into question the extent to which students have been taught to use mental models and more generally, the extent to which their prior academic experience has encouraged them to develop an awareness of scientific thinking skills. Implications of the study suggest further consideration of mental modeling in science education reform and the deliberate integration of an awareness of scientific thinking skills in the development of science curricula.
2031-01-01
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Zoogah, David Baniyelme. "Alliance mental models and strategic alliance team effectiveness." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1148569488.
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Kolkman, Marinus Johannes. "Controversies in water management frames and mental models /." Enschede : University of Twente [Host], 2005. http://doc.utwente.nl/50840.
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Harris, Claire. "Exploring mental models of emotional experience at work." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.251777.
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Zeb, Irfan, and Shah Fahad. "The Concept of Mental Models in Co Design." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Institutionen Handels- och IT-högskolan, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-16765.
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This study will provide an overview of mental models in teams and the significance of this particular concept for design teams. Researchers have applied the concept of mental models to understand how people perform tasks on the basis of their knowledge, assumptions, predictions and expectation. An overview is also provided on the relation between performance and mental models and their effect on stakeholders. The implications for design field are discussed. Through the study of two organizations in the same industry, the teams are studied in detail for each of these companies and hence leading to the study of mental models of stakeholders. Through the use of interviews, a detailed analysis is done on the team mental models. The mental models of stack holders and their influence on different aspects of company and team performance are discussed in detail. The methodology for the study of mental models is also proposed in the study. The findings are based on the data collected through interviews in both the organizations. The empirical study is designed in such a way that it investigates further the validity of theoretical concepts. Warid is a major telecommunication brand in Pakistan that provides services in all the regions of the country. Ufone is also a well-known telecommunication brand, known for its innovative and creative TVCs (TV commercial). Interviews with the marketing and sales officials of both these organizations provided an insight into the teams behind their advertising/marketing campaigns and the affect of stakeholders’ mental models on the performance and sales of the companies. The comparative analysis between the theoretical and empirical studies suggests that the quality of mental models is affected by diversity in the team, education and experience of the team members. This may be brought in for future research to further verify the effectiveness of mental models for design teams and eventually the whole organization. Finally the implications of our findings are discussed.Program: Magisterutbildning i informatik
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Stetzer, Michael W. Jr. "Shared mental models' impact on the onboarding process." Diss., Kansas State University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/34553.
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Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Psychological Sciences
Patrick A. Knight
The present study examined onboarding information acquisition and the mediated impact of shared mental model on newcomers' organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and intentions to quit. Onboarding is the initial stage of the socialization process that provides information pertinent to facilitating newcomers' transition into the organization. Previous research stated that a dearth in the socialization literature existed pertaining to intra-individual cognitive mediators. As a result, the present study identified and evaluated the variable, shared mental model, as an underlying mechanism through which information acquisition operated within the onboarding process. The study postulated that newcomers actively evaluated for perceived congruency their own mental models with those espoused by the organization with these perceptions influencing individual organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and intentions to quit. Data were collected via Qualtrics from 305 full-time employees who were experiencing onboarding at the time of study. Participants completed a series of scales relevant to newcomer information seeking behavior, clarity of job role and work processes, and specific organizational outcomes (e.g., organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and intentions to quit) through an online data collection hub. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the factor structures for each of the latent variables (the antecedent, mediator, three socialization outcomes) evaluated in the present study. The proposed mediated socialization process was then examined by way of structural equation modeling. Results showed that shared mental models did mediate the relationships between newcomer employee behaviors and specific socialization outcomes. Furthermore, relationships between the antecedent, newcomer employee behaviors, and two of the socialization consequences, organizational commitment and job satisfaction, appeared to be fully mediated by the presence of shared mental models in the analysis (the intentions to quit relationship was partially mediated). Practical and theoretical implications, in addition to limitations and recommendations of the research are discussed.
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Zoogah, Baniyelme David. "Alliance mental models and strategic alliance team effectiveness." The Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1148569488.
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Ernst, Agnes Stefanie. "Molecular analysis of preclinical models for mental and metabolic disorders." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.610813.
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Churchill, Elizabeth F. "Models of models : cognitive, computational and empirical investigations of learning a device." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321549.
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Wunderle, Marcus S. "Investigating in-service educators' and undergraduates' mental tectonic models." Ohio : Ohio University, 2007. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1172000546.
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Revell, Kirsten Magrethe Anita. "Mental models : understanding domestic energy systems and user behaviour." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2015. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/386139/.
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Energy consumption due to domestic heating is a major contributor to climate change. Kempton (1986) proposed that ‘Mental Models’ of thermostat controls could be linked to energy wasting behaviour. Mental models can be thought of as ‘pictures in the mind’ that help users understand and operate systems. This thesis explored if changes to the heating interface design could influence the mental model held, to promote appropriate behaviour with heating controls. Consideration of bias is essential when undertaking research into mental models. The ‘Tree-Rings’ framework was developed to address this, resulting in the creation of the ‘Quick Association Check’ (QuACK); a method for capturing and analysing mental models and behaviour related to heating controls. QuACk was initially applied to a case study of 6 householders. This revealed a ‘systems level’ approach was necessary to understand behaviour strategies, in contrast to Kempton’s single device focus. Differences in mental models explained differences in self-reported behaviour. Misunderstandings of how heating controls worked together and the influence of thermodynamics on boiler activation, explained variations in consumption between households. Norman’s (1983) ‘7 stages of activity’ was used to produce a design specification for a ‘control panel’ style heating interface. This focused on correcting key misunderstandings in householders’ mental models, that hindered appropriate behaviour. A home heating simulation was developed to allow the design to be compared with a typical presentation of heating controls. The new interface significantly improved the appropriateness of users’ mental models at the system and device levels. More appropriate behaviour was found with specific controls and the duration of goal achievement was significantly increased. These findings have implications for strategies to reduce domestic consumption through behaviour change, and provide insights that can be used to improve the design of home heating interfaces.
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Anderegg, Jonathan James. "The Influence of Visual Formal Features on Mental Models." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1312222237.
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Febronio, Eduardo Miguel. "Políticas de saúde mental no município de Ribeirão Preto, SP." Universidade de São Paulo, 2009. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17139/tde-11032009-172638/.
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O estudo teve como objetivo descrever as políticas públicas de saúde na área de saúde mental no município de Ribeirão Preto - SP. Para isso procederam-se duas diferentes fases de coleta de dados. A primeira foi constituída de trabalho de campo realizado junto à Secretaria Municipal de Saúde para obtenção de dados sobre instrumentos normativos, financiamento, logística operacional e questões administrativas. Num segundo momento foram realizadas entrevistas com os diferentes atores do sistema de saúde mental, incluindo profissionais que atuam na atenção básica e saúde da família, de ambulatórios especializados, CAPS, hospital de urgência e hospital psiquiátrico, contemplando os vários níveis de complexidade da atenção ao paciente com problemas mentais. A análise do conteúdo das entrevistas foi embasada no método descrito por Bardin (1995). Como resultados obtiveram-se através do diálogo estabelecido entre as diferentes visões dos atores envolvidos, além de uma completa descrição do sistema de saúde, diferentes opiniões sobre problemas, qualidades e possibilidades de caminhos para o sistema municipal de saúde mental de Ribeirão Preto.The study had as its goals describe the public health policies specifically in the mental health area in the city of Ribeirão Preto SP. For this, two different data gathering stages were performed. The first one was constituted in a field job performed within the Secretaria Municipal de Saúde intending to obtain data about normative instruments, budging, operational logistics and administrative questions. In the second stage interviews were performed with different actors that work in the public heath system, contemplating professionals that work in the Basic Care and Family Health System, specialized ambulatories, CAPS (Centros de Atenção Psicossocial), urgency unity, and psychiatric hospital comprehending the different health complexity levels that concern the patients with mental problems. The analysis of the content of these interviews was based in the method described by Bardin (1995). As results, were obtained throughout the dialogue established between these different visions, besides a complete description of the mental health system, different opinions about problems, qualities, and path possibilities to Ribeirão Pretos public mental health system.
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Tong, Yuk-yue. "Lay models of personality : assessment and implications /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B24702274.
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Juhos, Csongor. "Modulação de condicionais e modelos mentais." Doctoral thesis, Universidade Nova de Lisboa : Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/1106.
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Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia Aplicada (Psicologia Cognitiva) apresentada ao Instituto Superior Psicologia AplicadaCom o presente programa de investigação intentamos contribuir para o debate teórico que se tem instalado em redor do raciocínio com afirmações condicionais na forma ‘se , então q’. Apesar de o raciocínio a partir de afirmações condicionais, ou simplesmente de condicionais, parecer intuitivo e fazer parte do nosso quotidiano desde tenra idade, a sua explicação sistemática provou ser um complexo desafio teórico. As origens do estudo do raciocínio condicional enraízam-se na lógica proposicional. Nesta disciplina, a relação entre duas proposições, ‘p’ e ‘q’ expressa pela forma ‘se…, então…’, corresponde invariavelmente à implicação material (Prior, 1990). Devido à manifesta inflexibilidade deste sistema interpretativo, a abordagem oferecida pela lógica mostra-se insuficiente para dar conta da pluralidade dos significados que o ‘se’ assume na linguagem natural. A dificuldade de lidar com a natureza camaleónica das condicionais do quotidiano não é exclusiva da lógica proposicional. Após aproximadamente meio século de investigação psicológica, um dos poucos consensos que existem na literatura do raciocínio condicional é a ideia de que se trata de um assunto controverso. O estado de arte é marcado pela proliferação de explicações teóricas destinadas a capturar o sentido do conectivo condicional (e.g., Braine & O'Brien, 1998; Cheng & Holyoak, 1985; Cosmides, 1989; Evans, 2007; Evans, Handley, & Over, 2003; Johnson-Laird, 2008c; Johnson-Laird & Byrne, 2002; Rips, 1983). Entre as diversas abordagens destaca-se a extensão da teoria dos modelos mentais às condicionais. A principal vantagem desta abordagem consiste em ser incorporada numa teoria que se aplica a uma vasta diversidade de tipos de raciocínio. A teoria, com base num número restrito de princípio psicológicos, oferece uma explicação da competência dedutiva, dos desvios do quadro normativo da lógica e da influência de factores semânticos e pragmáticos sobre o raciocínio com condicionais (Johnson-Laird, 2006, 2008c; Johnson-Laird & Byrne, 1991, 2002; Johnson-Laird, Byrne, & Schaeken, 1992). Johnson-Laird e Byrne (2002; Johnson-Laird, 2006, 2008) resolvem a problemática das condicionais propondo uma interacção entre um significado nuclear abstracto subjacente à forma condicional e um mecanismo de modulação que, em função do significado das orações, das suas ligações co-referenciais e em função dos conhecimentos activados, pode transformar o significado nuclear num número indefinido de interpretações diferentes. Esta hipótese sobre a componente interpretativa do raciocínio, que a partir daqui será referida como a hipótese de modulação, até à data não foi devidamente avaliada em termos empíricos. Com o presente programa de investigação pretendemos colmatar esta lacuna. Adicionalmente, estendemos a hipótese de modulação à componente inferencial do raciocínio e examinamos as suas implicações sobre o raciocínio com afirmações condicionais indicativas e deônticas. O nosso objectivo final era traçar um quadro explicativo com suporte empírico sólido que contribuísse para a resolução do enigma das condicionais quer ao nível interpretativo, quer ao nível inferencial. À luz deste objectivo realizámos um programa de investigação composto por quatro experiências. Os resultados destas experiências demonstram que (1) o significado das orações de condicionais indicativas e deônticas modula a forma como as pessoas interpretam a relação condicional entre elas; (2) os conhecimentos sobre o tipo de conteúdo de condicionais (factual, deôntico) modula a representação mental subjacente à interpretação da relação condicional; (3) a modulação semântica do significado e a modulação pragmática dos conhecimentos sobre o tipo do conteúdo têm um impacto poderoso e previsível sobre o desempenho inferencial com condicionais, quer em situações em que as inferências são realizadas em tempo ilimitado, quer em situações em que o tempo disponível é limitado. A integração dos resultados corrobora a ideia de que as pessoas ao compreenderem uma relação condicional pensam sobre um conjunto de possibilidades. A composição deste conjunto depende do significado das orações e a sua representação mental é influenciada pelos conhecimentos sobre o tipo do conteúdo. Estas evidências corroboram a hipótese de modulação proposta no âmbito da teoria dos modelos mentais e, juntamente com os resultados nas tarefas, permitem avançar com refinamentos da actual teoria dos modelos mentais.
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Vorster, Lize. "Shared mental models as a cultural phenomenon : fact or fiction? Using the card-sorting method to investigate the shared mental models of web users." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1049.
Full textAbstract:
Assignment (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, the mental models of the target audience of the FACT web site (official Stellenbosch University HIV/Aids web site) were investigated and compared with the structure of the web site (representing the mental model of the expert). The target audience were divided into six groups representing three different race groups (white, coloured and black) and the two sexes (male and female).
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Sperling, Brian Keith. "Information Sharing Strategies To Improve Team Mental Models In Complex Systems." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/6975.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis hypothesizes that providing task specific information to individual team members will improve coordination and decision-making, and therefore team performance, at time critical tasks. Major themes addressed in this research include teams and team processes, mental models, team mental models, work domain analysis, and hierarchical task analysis. Furthermore, the theory behind the development of complementary models is introduced. A unique method to identify the information sources and requirements in a complex team environment is first discussed in general and then specifically applied in two domains.
The findings are presented of two experiments examining the effects of imposing different information distribution strategies that range from no complementariness to full complementariness of information. Team communication, team and individual task performance, workload, and timeliness and effectiveness of team decision making were assessed in nominal and off-nominal conditions. The first experiment used an automobile simulator and examined team navigation while driving. A second experiment was designed to incorporate additional measures to more specifically investigate individual performance, team workload, and clarity of information requirements using a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter simulator. The procedures used for both experiments provided for dynamic yet controlled environments through which critical factors that influence team process and performance could be evaluated accurately.
Results of these experiments provide empirical evidence that providing task relevant information to individual team members in a time critical environment, while limiting their access to non-relevant information, improves individual and team performance. Furthermore, there is evidence of increased individual performance that indicates this method of distributing information among team members may provide individual crewmembers with a more accurate task relevant mental model of their own environment. This research provides new insight into how the distribution of information among team members effects the development of mental models, information requirements, team and individual performance, and communications, and highlights several directions for future research.
The information distribution design principles presented in this thesis address the heterogeneity of teams; teams cannot be thought of as groups of identical individuals. The results concerning the communication, workload, performance and team of mental models were consistent across the domains in this research.
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Durst, Adrienne. "Art therapy : three models of community-based mental health facilities." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0006/MQ43686.pdf.
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Parkin, Jennifer. "Memory for spatial mental models : examining the precision of recall." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.415926.
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Vaikakul, Savalai 1976. "Examining pervasive technology practices in schools : a mental models approach." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32501.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2005.Includes bibliographical references.
Studies of computers and education have failed to account for the relevance and importance of tacit assumptions and unquestioned expectations that underlie educational technology practices. A major premise of this dissertation is that it is these taken-for-granted interpretations of technology that most significantly influence how technology is used in the sphere of education. It is thus analytically useful to examine technology use in education by investigating the assumptions on which currently pervasive educational technology practices are built. I employ the concept of "mental models" to study current educational technology practices. An examination of the literature revealed key elements of the prevailing mental model of technology in education, which I call the mental model of computers as information technology and multimedia machines. In this mental model, computer technology is viewed as a means to provide students and teachers with Internet connectivity and access to extensive, up-to-date information. The computer's multimedia authoring capacity can then be utilized to synthesize the wealth of information culled from Internet sources into presentations with integrated text, graphics, sound, and video. I investigated how this mental model organizes thinking about technology use and education within a large-scale initiative to implement one-to-one computing in public schools, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) The MLTI study highlights the pervasive influence and inherent inertia of an entrenched mental model.
(cont.) When users of technology draw upon a well- established and widely-shared mental model to drive their actions around technology, they will likely develop the tendency to view the particular mental model as the way technology is supposed to be used. Their technology experience and pattern of use, guided by the existing mental model, in turn reinforce the community's established mental model of technology use, institutionalizing a set of technology practices and routines. An entrenched mental model can have pervasive influence in limiting individual and collective capacities to pursue possibilities outside of the established approach, or to recognize the need for such pursuit. This was observed during the first years of the MLTI, and is happening on a larger scale in the education system as more and more computers become available in classrooms.
Savalai Vaikakul.
Ph.D.
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Inder, R. "The computer simulation of syllogism solving using restricted mental models." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/18981.
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Ritchie-Dunham, James Loomis. "Balanced scorecards, mental models, and organizational performance : a simulation experiment /." Thesis, Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3082891.
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Baguley, Thomas Simon. "The representation of spatial mental models in long-term memory." Thesis, Open University, 1994. http://oro.open.ac.uk/57430/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is concerned with how people understand and remember spatial information derived from verbal descriptions. The thesis distinguishes between three different ways of representing spatial information in working memory. The first way is to represent the surface form of the source from which the spatial information is derived (the language of a description). The second is to represent the structure of the situation derived from that source (a spatial mental model). The third is to represent the perceptual characteristics of the situation from a particular perspective (a visual image). Considerable evidence exists that people construct and manipulate spatial mental models in working memory. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the claim that mental models are represented in long-term memory. An outline of the spatial mental modeling processes required to understand a simple spatial description is proposed. It is proposed that spatial mental modeling is comprised of three processing stages. Firstly, comprehension processes are required to access the linguistic meaning of information presented in spatial description. Secondly, construction processes are required to build up a representation of the spatial structure of the situation derived from the language of the description. Thirdly, consultation processes are required to monitor construction and to access information from the spatial mental model. Nine experiments are reported which investigate evidence for and against the view that people remember the construction and consultation of a spatial mental model. In the final chapter this evidence is reviewed and a 'sketch' of a processing theory of memory for spatial descriptions is proposed. It is argued that memory for a spatial mental model is a product of the interaction between construction and consultation processes over a period of time rather than a simple 'copy' of a completed working memory spatial mental model.
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Ong, Hui Shan Rebecca. "The dimensions of mental models created by a listener's mind." Thesis, Ong Hui Shan, Rebecca (2012) The dimensions of mental models created by a listener's mind. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 2012. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/11118/.
Full textAbstract:
A substantial number of studies on mental models have examined spatial accessibility in mental models during narrative comprehension. Accessibility of objects was dependent on how close they were to the current protagonist’s location with closer objects being more accessible than further objects. This gradient of accessibility was conceptualized as the spatial distance effect (Morrow, Greenspan, Bower, 1987). Previous studies had used artificial designs and measures that made it difficult to generalize the results obtained. These included: memorizing a visual map before reading the narrative, using short or simple narratives and interrupting the natural reading process of a narrative for probing to occur. Furthermore, these studies focused on mental models constructed from written text. Few had attempted to explore mental models constructed from an audio narrative. The purpose of the present study was to use a naturalistic audio narrative to demonstrate the spatial representations in mental models. The setting of the narrative was on a deserted island and consisted of nine separate episodic events (episodes). The nine episodes were used to create prime-target word pairs that were used for probing during the lexical decision task. Forty participants from Murdoch University participated in a computerized go/no-go lexical decision task (LDT) where reaction time was documented to measure spatial proximity in mental models. Participants were assessed on reading enjoyment prior to the LDT. The findings showed evidence of the spatial distance effect, faster reaction times were observed for episodes that were located closer together than those further apart. There was unexpected sex differences observed. The spatial distance effect was observed for male participants but not for female participants. Interpretation and implications for future research were discussed.
Keywords: Mental models, spatial distance effect, spatial dimension, lexical decision task, sex
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湯旭瑜 and Yuk-yue Tong. "Lay models of personality: assessment and implications." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3124368X.
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Gygax, Pascal Mark. "The representation of characters responses : do readers infer specific emotions." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.250184.
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Chittleborough, Gail. "The Role of Teaching Models and Chemical Representations in Developing Students' Mental Models of Chemical Phenomena." Thesis, Curtin University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/763.
Full textAbstract:
Chemical representations play a vital part in the teaching and learning of chemistry. The aim of this research was to investigate students’ understanding of chemical representations and to ascertain the influence of chemical representations on students’ developing mental models of chemical phenomena. Three primary threads flowing through the thesis are models, representations and learning. Each thread was found to play a vital part in students’ learning of chemical content, in their learning of the scientific process and in their learning about the process of learning itself. This research with students from Year 8 to first year university level comprised four studies that provide comparisons between ages, abilities, learning settings and teaching and learning approaches. Students’ modelling ability was observed to develop and improve through instruction and practice and usually coincided with an improvement in their understanding of chemical concepts. While students were observed to actively use models to make predictions and test ideas, some were not aware of the predictive nature of models when asked about it. From the research, five characteristics of scientific models have been identified: scientific models as multiple representations, scientific models as exact replicas, scientific models as explanatory tools, how scientific models are used, and the dynamic nature of scientific models. A theoretical framework relating the four types of models - teaching, scientific, mental and expressed - and a typology of models that highlights the significant attributes of models, support the research results. The data showed that students’ ability to describe the role of the scientific model in the process of science improved with their increasing age and maturity.The relationship between the three levels of chemical representation of matter - the macroscopic level, the sub-microscopic level and the symbolic level - revealed some complexities concerning the representational and theoretical qualities and the reality of each level. The research data showed that generally most students had a good understanding of the macroscopic and symbolic levels of chemical representation of matter. However, students’ understanding of the sub-microscopic level varied, with some students being able to spontaneously envisage the sub- microscopic view while for others their understanding of the sub-microscopic level of chemical representation was lacking. To make sense of the sub-microscopic level, students’ appreciation of the accuracy and detail of any scientific model, or representation upon which their mental model is built, depended on them being able to distinguish reality from representation, distinguish reality from theory, know what a representation is, understand the role of a representation in the process of science, and understand the role of a theory in the process of science. In considering learning, the importance of an individual’s modelling ability was examined alongside the role of chemical representations and models in providing clear and concise explanations. Examining the links forged between the three levels of chemical representation of matter provided an insight into how students were learning and understanding chemical concepts. Throughout this research, aspects of students’ metacognition and intention were identified as being closely related to their development of mental models.The research identified numerous factors that influenced learning, including internal factors such as students’ prior chemical and mathematical knowledge, their modelling ability and use of chemical representations, motivation, metacognitive ability and time management as well as external factors such as organisation, assessment, teaching resources, getting feedback and good explanations. The choice of learning strategies by students and instructors appeared to be influenced by those factors that influenced learning. Feedback to students, in the form of discussion with classmates, online quizzes and help from instructors on their understanding was observed to be significant in promoting the learning process. Many first year university non-major chemistry students had difficulties understanding chemical concepts due to a limited background knowledge in chemistry and mathematics. Accordingly, greater emphasis at the macroscopic level of representation of matter with contextual references is recommended. The research results confirmed the theoretical construct for learning chemistry - the rising iceberg - that suggests all chemistry teaching begins at the macroscopic level, with the sub-microscopic and symbolic levels being introduced as needed. More of the iceberg becomes visible as the students’ mental model and depth of understanding increases. In a variety of situations, the changing status of a concept was observed as students’ understanding in terms of the intelligibility, plausibility and fruitfulness of a concept developed.The research data supported four aspects of learning - epistemological, ontological, social affective and metacognitive - as being significant in the students’ learning and the development of their mental models. Many university students, who are mature and are experienced learners, exhibited strong rnetacognitive awareness and an intentional approach to learning. It is proposed that the intentional and metacognitive learning approaches and strategies could be used to encourage students to be more responsible for their own learning.
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Chittleborough, Gail Diane. "The Role of Teaching Models and Chemical Representations in Developing Students' Mental Models of Chemical Phenomena." Curtin University of Technology, Science and Mathematics Education Centre, 2004. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=15381.
Full textAbstract:
Chemical representations play a vital part in the teaching and learning of chemistry. The aim of this research was to investigate students’ understanding of chemical representations and to ascertain the influence of chemical representations on students’ developing mental models of chemical phenomena. Three primary threads flowing through the thesis are models, representations and learning. Each thread was found to play a vital part in students’ learning of chemical content, in their learning of the scientific process and in their learning about the process of learning itself. This research with students from Year 8 to first year university level comprised four studies that provide comparisons between ages, abilities, learning settings and teaching and learning approaches. Students’ modelling ability was observed to develop and improve through instruction and practice and usually coincided with an improvement in their understanding of chemical concepts. While students were observed to actively use models to make predictions and test ideas, some were not aware of the predictive nature of models when asked about it. From the research, five characteristics of scientific models have been identified: scientific models as multiple representations, scientific models as exact replicas, scientific models as explanatory tools, how scientific models are used, and the dynamic nature of scientific models. A theoretical framework relating the four types of models - teaching, scientific, mental and expressed - and a typology of models that highlights the significant attributes of models, support the research results. The data showed that students’ ability to describe the role of the scientific model in the process of science improved with their increasing age and maturity.The relationship between the three levels of chemical representation of matter - the macroscopic level, the sub-microscopic level and the symbolic level - revealed some complexities concerning the representational and theoretical qualities and the reality of each level. The research data showed that generally most students had a good understanding of the macroscopic and symbolic levels of chemical representation of matter. However, students’ understanding of the sub-microscopic level varied, with some students being able to spontaneously envisage the sub- microscopic view while for others their understanding of the sub-microscopic level of chemical representation was lacking. To make sense of the sub-microscopic level, students’ appreciation of the accuracy and detail of any scientific model, or representation upon which their mental model is built, depended on them being able to distinguish reality from representation, distinguish reality from theory, know what a representation is, understand the role of a representation in the process of science, and understand the role of a theory in the process of science. In considering learning, the importance of an individual’s modelling ability was examined alongside the role of chemical representations and models in providing clear and concise explanations. Examining the links forged between the three levels of chemical representation of matter provided an insight into how students were learning and understanding chemical concepts. Throughout this research, aspects of students’ metacognition and intention were identified as being closely related to their development of mental models.
The research identified numerous factors that influenced learning, including internal factors such as students’ prior chemical and mathematical knowledge, their modelling ability and use of chemical representations, motivation, metacognitive ability and time management as well as external factors such as organisation, assessment, teaching resources, getting feedback and good explanations. The choice of learning strategies by students and instructors appeared to be influenced by those factors that influenced learning. Feedback to students, in the form of discussion with classmates, online quizzes and help from instructors on their understanding was observed to be significant in promoting the learning process. Many first year university non-major chemistry students had difficulties understanding chemical concepts due to a limited background knowledge in chemistry and mathematics. Accordingly, greater emphasis at the macroscopic level of representation of matter with contextual references is recommended. The research results confirmed the theoretical construct for learning chemistry - the rising iceberg - that suggests all chemistry teaching begins at the macroscopic level, with the sub-microscopic and symbolic levels being introduced as needed. More of the iceberg becomes visible as the students’ mental model and depth of understanding increases. In a variety of situations, the changing status of a concept was observed as students’ understanding in terms of the intelligibility, plausibility and fruitfulness of a concept developed.
The research data supported four aspects of learning - epistemological, ontological, social affective and metacognitive - as being significant in the students’ learning and the development of their mental models. Many university students, who are mature and are experienced learners, exhibited strong rnetacognitive awareness and an intentional approach to learning. It is proposed that the intentional and metacognitive learning approaches and strategies could be used to encourage students to be more responsible for their own learning.
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Staderman, William P. "Communicating expertise in system operation and fault diagnosis to non-experts." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27468.
Full textAbstract:
The use of systems that span many knowledge domains is becoming more common as technology advances, requiring expert-performance in a domain from users who are usually not experts in that domain. This study examined a means of communicating expertise (in system operation and fault diagnosis) to non-experts and furthering the understanding of expert mental models. It has been suggested that conceptions of abstract models of system-functions distinguish expert performance from non-expert performance (Hanisch, Kramer, and Hulin, 1991). This study examined the effects on performance of augmenting a simple control panel device with a model of the functions of the device, interacting with the model, and augmenting the device with graphically superimposed procedural indicators (directions). The five augmented display conditions studied were: Device Only, Device + Model, Device + Procedural Indicators, Interactive Model, and Interactive Model + Procedural Indicators. The device and displays were presented on a PC workstation. Performance measures (speed and accuracy) and subjective measures (questionnaires, NASA TLX, and structured interviews) were collected. It was expected that participants who interact with the device + procedural indicators would exhibit the shortest performance time and least errors; however, those who interacted with the simplest display (device only) were fastest and exhibited the least errors. Results of this study are discussed in terms of building a mental model and identifying situations that require a mental model.Ph. D.
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Weidenfeld, Andrea. "Interpretation of and reasoning with conditionals probabilities, mental models, and causality /." Phd thesis, [S.l. : s.n.], 2003. http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=975653652.
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Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich, Katja Beesdo, and Andrew T. Gloster. "The Position of Anxiety Disorders in Structural Models of Mental Disorders." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2013. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-112646.
Full textAbstract:
„Comorbidity“ among mental disorders is commonly observed in both clinical and epidemiological samples. The robustness of this observation is rarely questioned; however, what is at issue is its meaning. Is comorbidity „noise“ – nuisance covariance that researchers should eliminate by seeking „pure“ cases for their studies – or a „signal“ – an indication that current diagnostic systems are lacking in parsimony and are not „carving nature at its joints?“ (Krueger, p. 921).
With these words, Krueger started a discussion on the structure of mental disorders, which suggested that a 3-factor model of common mental disorders existed in the community. These common factors were labeled „anxious-misery,“ „fear“ (constituting facets of a higher-order internalizing factor), and „externalizing.“ Along with similar evidence from personality research and psychometric explorations and selective evidence from genetic and psychopharmacologic studies, Krueger suggested that this model might not only be phenotypically relevant, but might actually improve our understanding of core processes underlying psychopathology. Since then, this suggestion has become an influential, yet also controversial topic in the scientific community, and has received attention particularly in the context of the current revision process of the Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (DSM-V) and the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11).
Focusing on anxiety disorders, this article critically discusses the methods and findings of this work, calls into question the model’s developmental stability and utility for clinical use and clinical research, and challenges the wide-ranging implications that have been linked to the findings of this type of exploration. This critical appraisal is intended to flag several significant concerns about the method. In particular, the concerns center around the tendency to attach wide-ranging implications (eg, in terms of clinical research, clinical practice, public health, diagnostic nomenclature) to the undoubtedly interesting statistical explorations.
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Mamessier, Sebastien. "A computational approach to situation awareness and mental models in aviation." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/49119.
Full textAbstract:
Although most modern, highly-computerized flight decks are known to be robust to small disturbances and failures, humans still play a crucial role in advanced decision making in off-nominal situations, and accidents still occur because of poor human-automation interaction.
In addition to the physical state of the environment, operators now have to extend their awareness to the state of the automated flight systems. To guarantee the accuracy of this knowledge, humans need to know the dynamics or approximate versions of the dynamics that rule the automation.
The operator's situation awareness can decline because of a deficient mental model of the aircraft and an excessive workload.
This work describes the creation of a computational human agent model simulating cognitive constructs such as situation awareness and mental models known to capture the symptoms of poor human-automation interaction and provide insight into more comprehensive metrics supporting the validation of automated systems in aviation.
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Ma, Linxiao. "Investigating and improving novice programmers’ mental models of programming concepts." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.444415.
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Kirschner, Michael J. (Michael Joseph). "Visual programming in three dimensions : visual representations of computational mental models." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99246.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 93-97).
Code is a tool to express logic, method, and function. It has form and is intended to be read by humans. One of the goals of this work is to improve the readability and expression of complex interactions in code. The current visual programming environments that see the most use inside, and outside of Architecture present computation in specific terms. I believe these limits hinder the computational designer or novice programmer from learning other mental models of computation, which will come up as they explore further. This thesis proposes that by relating code to landscape or a building in space, code will both create and inhabit space. To enhance the designer's memory of their program the visual opportunities that visual programming afford will be used to relate uniquely visualized moments in the visual program at a loci in the programming environment. A 3-D visual programming language that can represent code in space, will be able to express the complex abstractions that define computational thinking more intuitively than existing tools, by making them memorable in space.
by Michael J. Kirschner.
S.M.
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Page-Shipp, R., and Niekerk C. Van. "Mental models in the learning and teaching of music theory concepts." Journal for New Generation Sciences, Vol 11, Issue 2: Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/637.
Full textAbstract:
Published ArticleA retired physicist attempting to master elements of music theory in a short time found the Mental Model of the keyboard layout invaluable in overcoming some of the related learning challenges and this has been followed up in collaboration with a professor of Music Education. Possible cognitive mechanisms for his response are discussed and it is concluded that his engrained learning habits, which emphasise models as found in physics, are potentially of wider applicability. A survey of the use of Mental Models among competent young musicians indicated that although various models are widely used, this is largely subconscious. The practical question of whether exposure of students to the keyboard would assist them in mastering music theory remains unresolved.
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Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich, Katja Beesdo, and Andrew T. Gloster. "The Position of Anxiety Disorders in Structural Models of Mental Disorders." Technische Universität Dresden, 2009. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A26858.
Full textAbstract:
„Comorbidity“ among mental disorders is commonly observed in both clinical and epidemiological samples. The robustness of this observation is rarely questioned; however, what is at issue is its meaning. Is comorbidity „noise“ – nuisance covariance that researchers should eliminate by seeking „pure“ cases for their studies – or a „signal“ – an indication that current diagnostic systems are lacking in parsimony and are not „carving nature at its joints?“ (Krueger, p. 921).
With these words, Krueger started a discussion on the structure of mental disorders, which suggested that a 3-factor model of common mental disorders existed in the community. These common factors were labeled „anxious-misery,“ „fear“ (constituting facets of a higher-order internalizing factor), and „externalizing.“ Along with similar evidence from personality research and psychometric explorations and selective evidence from genetic and psychopharmacologic studies, Krueger suggested that this model might not only be phenotypically relevant, but might actually improve our understanding of core processes underlying psychopathology. Since then, this suggestion has become an influential, yet also controversial topic in the scientific community, and has received attention particularly in the context of the current revision process of the Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (DSM-V) and the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11).
Focusing on anxiety disorders, this article critically discusses the methods and findings of this work, calls into question the model’s developmental stability and utility for clinical use and clinical research, and challenges the wide-ranging implications that have been linked to the findings of this type of exploration. This critical appraisal is intended to flag several significant concerns about the method. In particular, the concerns center around the tendency to attach wide-ranging implications (eg, in terms of clinical research, clinical practice, public health, diagnostic nomenclature) to the undoubtedly interesting statistical explorations.
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Williams, David Martyn Lewis. "Supporting multimedia user interface design using mental models and representational expressiveness." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1996. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/25115.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis addresses the problem of output media allocation in the design of multimedia user interfaces. The literature survey identifies a formal definition of the representational capabilities of different media.as important in this task. Equally important, though less prominent in the literature, is that the correct mental model of a domain is paramount for the successful completion of tasks. The thesis proposes an original linguistic and cognitive based descriptive framework, in two parts. The first part defines expressiveness, the amount of representational abstraction a medium provides over any domain. The second part describes how this expressiveness is linked to the mental models that media induce, and how this in turn affects task performance. It is postulated that the mental models induced by different media, will reflect the abstractive representation those media offer over the task domain. This must then be matched to the abstraction required by tasks to allow them to be effectively accomplished. A 34 subject experiment compares five media, of two levels of expressiveness, over a range of tasks, in a complex and dynamic domain. The results indicate that expressiveness may allow media to be matched more closely to tasks, if the mental models they are known to induce are considered. Finally, the thesis proposes a tentative framework for media allocation, and two example interfaces are designed using this framework. This framework is based on the matching of expressiveness to the abstraction of a domain required by tasks. The need for the methodology to take account of the user's cognitive capabilities is stressed, and the experimental results are seen as the beginning of this procedure.
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Borg, Marks Joan. "Understanding key concepts of electric circuits : students' use of mental models." Thesis, University of York, 2012. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3938/.
Full textAbstract:
This study presents an action research project on the teaching and learning of fundamental ideas about electric circuits, gathering data from two cohorts. Students’ ideas were probed using diagnostic test questions asked in pre-tests, post-tests and delayed post-tests. Semi-structured interviews were used with students of different abilities to indicate the mental models that students appeared to be using. Additional teaching activities were introduced with Cohort 1. The effect of these activities was reflected upon, guiding further additions to teaching activities used with Cohort 2. These activities addressed specific points that seemed to pose particular difficulties for students with the aim of improving students’ qualitative understanding through guided reflection and discussion. The performance of Cohort 2 was significantly weaker at the pre-test stage but Cohort 2 made better overall progress through the course of study when compared with Cohort 1. Both cohorts made noticeable improvement in their understanding of current conservation. However, problems with parallel circuits and with distinguishing between potential difference (p.d.) and current remained. While p.d. was described by the high ability students in terms of forces between negative charges and the battery terminals, no student referred to the electric field which exists between battery terminals even in open circuit. In attempting to understand the behaviour of electric circuits, students appear first to construct a mental model of electric current. The data collected suggest that students start to understand p.d. when they ‘see’ it as some kind of difference between points. The data also suggest that the scientific model of p.d. is more difficult to visualise and use, putting p.d. at a higher level than current, in a logical hierarchy of ideas. This study proposes a unified learning model for electric circuits, in terms of a possible sequence of intermediate mental models of current, resistance and p.d. leading towards the scientific view. This learning model can help both students and teachers. Students can use it to gauge their level of understanding of circuits and to reflect on what still needs to be understood. Teachers may use the learning model as a tool helping in understanding the difficulties students experience and guiding in what next to teach to improve students’ understanding of electric circuits.
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Hipwell, Michele. "Models of health enhancing and illness provoking factors in mental health." Thesis, Queen Margaret University, 2005. https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7351.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study is to increase understanding about the causes of dysphoria, depression and anxiety by identifying the psychological factors that predict the development or protect the individual from developing mental health problems. A quantitative study, it is conducted over a period of a year and utilises a 3 wave observational longitudinal cohort design to investigate the relationship between the psychological variables and processes leading to mental health or ill health in a community group of female undergraduate students (N=183). Data is collected at 6 montly intervals for a period of a year from 183 female students. The participants are first year undergraduate students at a college of higher education. Characteristics from the students are collected using a battery of paper and pencil self report questionnaires in a group administration for the first wave of data and two postal questionnaires for follow up. Conceptual models are developed and tested statistically using structural equation modelling to explore the relationship between the elements identified for each model retrospectively and prospectively over a period of 12 months. Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses are conducted for anxiety and depression separately. The elements of the models include positive and negative life events and protective and vulnerability factors for depression and dysphoria. Results from the cross-sectional and logitudinal analysis demonstrate that psychological factors have a significant effect on the development of depression and anxiety, with illness provoking factors explaining between 33-55% of the variance of depression in longitudinal analyses and 59-42% of the variance in cross-sectional analyses. They explain 45-57% of the variance in anxiety in longitudinal analyses and 28-50% in cross-sectional analyses. Health enhancing factors explain 18-19% of the variance in deprssion in longitudinal analyses and 47-49% of the variance in cross-sectional analyses. They explain 15-20% of the variance in anxiety in longitudinal analyses and 12-=20% of the variance in cross-sectional analyses. Health enhancing and illness provoking characteristics for depression and anxiety are identified in this study. They include enduring personality characteristics, cognitive styles and coping strategies and act as predictors for mental health outcomes or mediate or moderate the relationship between predictors and mental health outcomes.