Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Cognitive limitation'

Narrative is expressed in many forms, yet the reading of narrative through books may be unique in its transformative qualities. The medium of books has existed for thousands of years as a primary means of passing down and internalizing narrative from generation to generation. Are books now a dying medium in the face of ever-advancing technology in an increasingly fast-paced and technologically-dependent society? Technology now incorporates narrative into interactive environments in various ways often immersing the user in ever more realistic experiential scenarios. Yet, is something potentially lost with these advancements that can only be afforded through the time-tested method of old-fashioned reading? What makes reading so compelling a medium/activity for personal development? Does experience in these interactive environments offer the same transformative intrinsic experience afforded through the tranquil receptive processing, reflective elaboration and insight offered through the reading of books? This thesis seeks to explore these questions by looking at three major factors that must be considered in furthering our understanding of the potentials and limitations of interactive narrative technologies as they compare to narrative delivered via the established medium of books: 1) theories of self, identity/character, cognitive development and behavior (specifically as these relate to traditional text-based narrative), 2) theory and research associated with narrative transportation and transformation, and 3) current and future efforts to adapt narrative to the medium of interactive technology.<br>M.A.<br>Department of Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies<br>Arts and Humanities<br>Interdisciplinary Studies MA

The aim of the thesis was to investigate the importance of physical function for survival in very old people, and furthermore, whether physical exercise could influence physical function, cognitive function, and dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs) in older people with dementia living in nursing homes. The world’s population is ageing. Given the age-related increase in chronic disease such as dementia   and compounded by physical inactivity, the prevalence in need for assistance and are in daily activities in older people is expected to increase in the near future. Gait speed, a measure of physical function, has been shown to be associated with health and survival. However, studies of the  oldest  people  in  the  population,  including  those  dependent  in ADLs,  living  in  nursing  homes  and  with  dementia,  are  few.  Moreover,  in people  with  dementia  physical  exercise  may  improve  physical and  cognitive function and  reduce  dependence  in  ADLs.  Further large studies with high methodological quality and with designs incorporating attention control groups are needed in this population. In addition, no study has compared exercise effects between dementia types. The association between gait speed and survival was investigated in a population based cohort study of 772 people aged 85 years and over. Usual gait speed was assessed over 2.4 metres and mortality followed for five years. Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used in analyses. Effects of physical exercise in people with dementia were investigated in a randomised controlled trial that included 186 participants with various dementia types living in nursing homes. Participants were allocated to the High-Intensity Functional Exercise  (HIFE) program or a seated control activity, which both lasted 45 minutes and held five times  fortnightly for four months. Dependence in ADLs was assessed with Functional Independence Measure and Barthel ADL Index, and balance with Berg Balance Scale. Usual gait speed was evaluated over 4.0 metres in two tests; first using habitual walking aid if any, and thereafter without walking aid and with minimum living support. Global cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale, and   executive function using Verbal fluency. Blinded testers performed assessments at baseline, four (directly after intervention completion) and seven months. Analyses used linear mixed models in agreement with the intention-to-treat principle. Gait speed was found to be an independent predictor of five-year all-cause mortality, where inability to complete the gait test or a gait speed below 0.5 iv meters per second (m/s) was associated with higher mortality risk. In analyses of exercise effects on ADLs there was no difference between groups in the complete sample. Interaction analyses showed a difference in exercise effect according to dementia type at seven months. Positive between-group exercise effects were found for dependence   in ADLs in participants with non-Alzheimer’s type of dementia (non-AD) at four and seven months. In balance, a difference between groups was found at four but not at seven months in the complete  sample, and interaction analyses indicated a difference in effect according to dementia type at four and seven months. Positive between-group exercise effects were found in participants with non-AD.  No difference between groups in gait speed was found in the complete sample, where the majority habitually walked with a walking aid. In interaction analyses exercise effects differed according to walking aid use. Positive between-group exercise effects in gait speed were found in participants that walked unsupported at four and seven months. No difference between groups in cognitive function was found in the complete sample. The effects of exercise on gait speed and cognitive function did not differ according to sex, cognitive level, or dementia type. In conclusion, among people aged 85 or older, including those dependent in ADLs and with dementia, gait speed seems to be a useful clinical indicator of health status. Inability to complete the gait test or a gait speed below 0.5 m/s appears to be associated with higher five-year mortality risk. In older people with mild to moderate dementia living in nursing homes, a four-month high-intensity functional exercise program appeared to attenuate loss of dependence in ADLs and improve balance, albeit only in participants with non-AD type of dementia. Further studies are needed to validate this result. Furthermore, exercise had positive effects on gait speed when tested unsupported, in contrast to when walking aids or minimum support were used. The result implies that the use of walking aids in the gait speed test may conceal exercise effects. The exercise program had no superior effects on global cognition or executive function when compared with an attention control activity. This thesis suggests that, in older people with dementia, exercise effects on physical function rather than cognitive function may explain effects on dependence in ADLs.

L'avancée en âge s'accompagne d'une augmentation de l'interférence en double tâche, telle que mesurée par le paradigme de la Période Réfractaire Psychologique (PRP). Cette interférence, encore appelée effet PRP, a pour origine une impossibilité à mettre en place les opérations centrales de traitement de l'information de plus d'une tâche à la fois, quel que soit l'âge des individus (Hartley &amp; Little, 1999). De récents travaux attestent que, chez des jeunes adultes, l'exercice autorise une réduction importante de la taille de l'effet PRP, spécifiquement lorsque les tâches ne partagent pas le même canal sensoriel de sortie motrice (e. G. , Ruthruff et al. , 2001). Dès lors, le présent travail vise à investiguer d'une part, si l'exercice en double tâche réduit la taille de l'effet PRP, chez des adultes jeunes et âgés, dans des proportions similaires; et d'autre part, si la nature de la limitation centrale, attendue être identique chez les deux groupes d'âge avant tout exercice, est de même nature au terme des sessions d'exercice. Nous avons donc réalisé quatre expérimentations PRP, comparant des adultes jeunes (&lt;= 30 ans) et âgés (≥ 60 ans). Dans les limites de la quantité d'exercice administrée aux sujets et de la spécificité de la combinaison de double tâche, les résultats montrent que la réduction liée à l'exercice de l'interférence en double s'amenuise au cours du vieillissement: l'exercice réduit la taille de l'effet PRP de 70 % chez les jeunes adultes et de 35 % chez les adultes plus âgés. Au terme de l'exercice, l'effet PRP, observé chez les deux groupes d'âge, s'explique par un goulot d'étranglement central localisé au niveau de la sélection de la réponse et incorporant, uniquement chez les adultes âgés, un stade additionnel lié à la préparation de la Tâche 2. Autrement dit, la limitation centrale, inhérente à l'architecture cognitive, serait d'autant moins sujette à des reconfigurations liées à l'exercice que l'on est âgé<br>Advancing age is accompanied by an increase in dual-task interference, as measured with the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) paradigm. This interference, also known as the PRP effect, is due to an inability to instantiate central mental operations of more than one task at once, whatever the subjects'age (Hartley &amp; Little, 1999). Recent studies have demonstrated that in younger adults, practice reduces the size of the PRP effect, specifically when the tasks used do not share the same output modality (e. G. , Ruthruff, 2001). Thus, the present work investigates on the one hand whether dual-task practice reduces the size of the PRP effect, in younger and older adults in similar proportions; and on the other hand, whether the nature of the central limitation, expected to be similar in bath age groups early in practice, remains similar late in practice. Consequently, we conducted four PRP experiments, comparing younger (&lt;= 30 years) and older (≥ 60 years) adults. Within the limits of the amount of practice and of the specificity of the combination of dual-task, the results showed that the practice-related reduction of dual-task interference diminished during aging : practice reduces the size of the PRP effect by 70 % in younger adults and 35 % in older adults. Late in practice, the PRP effect, exhibited in bath age groups, is explained by a central bottleneck localized at the response selection stage, and incorporating, but only in older adults, an additional stage related to Task 2 preparation. In other words, the central limitation, inherent to cognitive architecture, is less subject to practice-related reconfigurations because we are old

After the Second World War, there was an expression of interest in the study of the future. In order to achieve reliable objectives, several methods of scenario planning were invented. These methods comprise of qualitative and quantitative approaches inherited from their own school of origin. Each approach has advantages and limitations that can be observed by the study of each method in progress. However, mixed approaches often show a weak connection between qualitative and quantitative methods. The use of fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs), among scenario planning approaches, can overcoming the limitations of qualitative and quantitative techniques. This study focused on the problem of the lack of proper planning of scenarios based on FCMs in the alternative energy sectors, raising the question of whether this situation comes from a shortage of information or limitations of the FCMs. To resolve this problem, this study investigated benefits and limitations of FCM-based scenario planning through the application in the Brazilian photovoltaic sector. The following specific objectives were established: identify the strong and weak points of FCMs; analyze the expansion of these to different areas; identification of the main stakeholders used to develop FCM-based scenarios; application of the method in the Brazilian solar energy sector. We identified an increasing number of studies on FCMs in several new areas not considered in previous studies. This suggests that experts are expanding frontiers and recognizing the interdisciplinary potential of FCMs and their robustness of solving diverse kinds of problems. The main contribution of the research is to present the benefits and limitations of FCM-based scenario planning. For that, a scenario planning method was presented and the empirical evidence of its effectiveness was presented in the context of the Brazilian photovoltaic solar energy sector.<br>Após a Segunda Guerra Mundial, houve um crescente de interesse no estudo do futuro. Para alcançar objetivos confiáveis, foram inventados vários métodos de planejamento de cenários. Esses métodos possuem abordagens qualitativas e quantitativas herdadas de sua própria escola de origem. Cada abordagem possui vantagens e limitações que podem ser observadas pelo estudo de cada método. No entanto, abordagens mistas muitas vezes mostram uma conexão fraca entre métodos qualitativos e quantitativos. O uso de fuzzycognitivemaps (FCMs), no planejamento de cenários, pode superar as limitações das técnicas qualitativas e quantitativas. Este estudo centrou-se no problema da falta de planejamento adequado de cenários baseados em FCMs nos setores de energia alternativa, levantando a questão de saber se esta situação vem da escassez de informações ou das limitações dos FCMs no planejamento estratégico. Para resolver este problema, este estudo investigou os benefícios e as limitações do planejamento de cenários baseado em FCM através da aplicação no setor fotovoltaico brasileiro. Foram estabelecidos os seguintes objetivos específicos: identificar os pontos fortes e fracos dos FCMs; analisar a expansão destes para diferentes áreas; identificar os principais stakeholders utilizados para desenvolver cenários baseados em FCMs; aplicar o método no setor de energia solar brasileira. Identificamos um número crescente de estudos sobre FCMs em várias novas áreas não consideradas em estudos anteriores. Isso sugere que os especialistas estão expandindo as fronteiras e reconhecendo o potencial interdisciplinar dos FCMs e sua robustez na resolução de diversos tipos de problemas. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa é apresentar os benefícios e as limitações do planejamento de cenário baseado em FCM. Para isso, foi apresentado um método de planejamento de cenários e a evidência empírica de sua eficácia foi apresentada no contexto do setor de energia solar fotovoltaica brasileira.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the hypothesis that young infants? failures to search for occluded objects arises, not from deficiencies in their object representations, but from limitations in experience with the physical world. Successful means-end search is typically found at 8 months of age and is traditionally taken as the hallmark of object permanence. However, recent evidence suggests that infants much younger than 8 months of age are able to represent and reason about objects that are no longer visible. In Experiment 1, successful means-end search was found for 8. 5-, but not 6. 5-month-old infants in a traditional task, but younger infants showed successful search ability when the task was made familiar to them in Experiment 2 (i. e. , when the toy and occluder are first presented as a single composite object), and when they were given the opportunity to watch a demonstration of the solution to the task in Experiment 3. These results are taken as evidence for the ?experiential limitation? hypothesis and suggest that young infants are more apt at solving manual search tasks than previously acknowledged.

Le vieillissement de la population s’accompagne de pathologies chroniques, productrices de dépendance, dont la principale cause est le déclin cognitif et la démence, empêchant un vieillissement en bonne santé. Les troubles visuels, fréquents dans la population âgée et insuffisamment pris en charge, pourraient représenter une piste pour la prévention de ces pathologies chroniques. L’objectif principal de cette thèse était d’analyser le retentissement des troubles visuels sur la perte d’autonomie et les troubles cognitifs du sujet âgé et d’évaluer dans quelle mesure l’amélioration de la vision des personnes âgées pourrait améliorer leur état de santé. Ces travaux ont été réalisés à partir des données de 9294 participants de l’étude des Trois-Cités (3C) et de 963 participants de l’étude ophtalmologique Aliénor, nichée dans la cohorte 3C. Ces cohortes comportent des données détaillées de cognition, de dépendance et de vision. Dans notre étude, nous avons estimé que 38,8% des personnes âgées avaient des erreurs de réfraction (myopie, astigmatisme, hypermétropie) mal ou non corrigées par des lentilles ou lunettes de vue. Une dépendance plus élevée a été retrouvée à partir d’une acuité visuelle de loin inférieure à 8/10ème et près de 1/5 de la dépendance pourrait être évitée par des lentilles ou lunettes de vue adaptées. Les troubles visuels ont été associés à un risque augmenté de démence au cours de 12 ans de suivi, avec un risque plus élevé chez les personnes présentant de façon conjointe des troubles dépressifs. En revanche, aucune association longitudinale n’a été retrouvée avec le déclin cognitif. Ces travaux apportent des arguments pour justifier d'une meilleure prise en charge des troubles visuels en prévention de la dépendance ; toutefois des études complémentaires semblent nécessaires pour conforter l'impact des troubles visuels sur la démence<br>With the ageing of the population there is an increase of chronic pathologies, leading to functional limitations. Cognitive decline and dementia are the main causes of these limitations, preventing healthy ageing. Visual impairment, frequent in the elderly population and insufficiently managed, could represent a pathway for the prevention of these pathologies. The main objective of this work was to analyze the impact of visual impairment on activity limitations and cognitive impairment and to evaluate to what extent the improvement of vision could improve cognitive and functional health. This work was based on the analysis of 9294 participants from the Three City (3C) cohort and 963 participants from the Alienor ophthalmological study, nested in the 3C study. Detailed data on cognition, activity limitations and vision are available in these cohorts. In our study, we estimated that 38.8% of older adults had refractive errors (myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia) which were poorly or not corrected by lenses or glasses. An effect of visual impairment on activity limitations has been found from a visual acuity less than 20/25 and nearly 1/5 of limitations could be avoided by best-achieved optical correction. Visual impairment was also associated with an increased risk of dementia over a 12-year follow-up period, with a higher risk in participants with both visual impairment and depressive symptoms. Nevertheless, no longitudinal associations were found with cognitive decline. This thesis provides supplementary arguments to promote a better management of visual impairment in prevention of functional limitations; however, further studies are needed to study the impact of visual impairment on cognitive decline and dementia

L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier le rôle de la mémoire de travail en compréhension de phrase. Dans une première partie, plusieurs facteurs (complexité syntaxique, notation, degré d'indépendance entre traitement et stockage) sont manipulés dans une tâche d'empan de lecture. Les résultats suggèrent que les composantes de traitement et de stockage sont en compétition pour un même réservoir de ressources cognitives. Dans la deuxième partie, nous montrons que les lecteurs peuvent devenir sensibles en temps réel à l'omission d'un verbe dans une phrase très complexe si le statut référentiel des noms est modifié ou si un traitement syntaxique approfondi est demandé. La dernière partie montre que l'omission d'un verbe diminue l'effet d'une pré-charge sur les performances. En conclusion, l'ensemble des résultats montre que la mémoire de travail a un rôle en compréhension de phrase, et que l'être humain peut comprendre des structures récursives complexes sous certaines conditions<br>The goal of this thesis is to study the role of working memory in sentence comprehension. In a first part, some factors (syntactic complexity, scoring type, degree of independence between processing and storage) are manipulated in a reading span task. The results suggest that processing and storage components use the same cognitive resource pool. In the second part, we show that readers can become sensitive on-line to the omission of a verb in a very complex sentence if the referential status of the nouns is modified or if a deep syntactic processing is required. The last part shows that the omission of a verb reduces the effect of a pre-load on performance. This result confirms the memory cost explanation of the missing verb effect. The overall results show that working memory has a role in sentence comprehension, and that the human being can understand complex recursive structures under some conditions

La notion de qualité de vie s'est largement développée dans le domaine de l'évaluation de la santé générale des populations, mais aussi dans l'évaluation des prises en charge thérapeutiques et médicales, tout particulièrement dans le champ de la neurologie, comme la sclérose en plaques. Il est consensuellement admis qu'en pratique la mesure de la qualité de vie repose sur le recours à des questionnaires standardisés. La mise à disposition d'outils adaptés, valides et sensibles, s'est avérée nécessaire. Mais la prise en compte de ce critère se heurte à certaines difficultés, conduisant à une sous-utilisation de ces outils. Deux questions peuvent être isolées : quels sont les freins relatifs à l'utilisation de la mesure de qualité de vie dans la sclérose en plaques et quel est l'apport de de la mesure de la qualité de vie pour le clinicien pour la prise en charge des patients.L'objectif général de ce travail cherche à déterminer la nature des difficultés inhérentes à l'utilisation de la mesure de la qualité de vie elle-même, et l'intérêt de l'utilisation de cette mesure notamment dans la pratique clinique courante.Les travaux scientifiques s'articulent autour de : 1. La maîtrise de la mesure de la qualité de vie en produisant des données complémentaires sur la validité et la fiabilité de la mesure de qualité de vie (le MusiQoL) ; 2. Des usages et limites de la mesure de la qualité de vie au sein de populations présentant des troubles cognitifs; 3. L'intérêt dans la pratique clinique de la mesure de la qualité de vie exploré au travers de l'identification des déterminants de la qualité de vie et de l'étude de son rôle prédictif sur l'évolution de l'état de santé<br>AbstractThe quality of life (QoL) measurements are being considered increasingly important with regard to evaluating disease progression, treatment and the management of care provided to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). QoL is commonly assessed using self-reported questionnaires and it is important to have robust, valid, reliable, and universally applied measures. Despite the acknowledged need to consider QoL issues, QoL assessment remains under-utilized in MS clinical practice. The general objective of this manuscript is to explore the difficulties for clinicians to be convinced by the clinical relevance and accuracy of the QoL assessment implementation in clinical practice. The present scientific works are based on: 1. Confirmation of validity, reliability, and sensibility to change of the MS-specific QoL instrument designated in this work (MusiQoL); 2. Exploration of the meaning of QoL assessment among MS patients with cognitive impairment; 3. Promotion both the used and usefulness of measuring QoL in MS clinical practice by improvement of knowledge about QoL determinants and potential predictive role of QoL on disability

In this paper I investigate the limitations of memory, physical and psychological effects on individuals’ perception that effect memory, and the impact of those limitations on our ability to recall objective truth. The paper is introduced with an explanation of my interest in the subjective narrative voice in historical accounts and questions the possibility of a completely objective voice. In the first chapter, a fantastical biographical story of the life of Tycho Brahe is used as an example of the difficulty in parsing truth from legend. Descriptions of changes in scientific methods exemplify the uncertainty of scientific fact. I propose that Brahe sought empirical data to replace the unfiltered memory perception an anosmic lacks. Additionally, if Brahe had a sense of smell his murder may have been unsuccessful. In the second chapter I describe anosmia, then explain the dominant theories of how olfaction takes place, and memory storage through smell. Memory recall through associated odors is unfiltered by the intellect, and unalterable, while other forms of memory are subject to change as our psyche continually reforms the experience. An objective account of events is impossible. I search instead for histories where myth, legend, truth, and imagination converge.

La complexité de la tâche qu’est la lecture du français en interaction avec les caractéristiques de la personne qui a un retard de deux ans en lecture, la population cible de cette recherche, place cette dernière en situation d’échec. Tous les processus impliqués dans l’acte de lire en interaction avec ces caractéristiques induisent des échecs et des retards d’apprentissage de la lecture. L’enseignant, qui souhaite utiliser un manuel scolaire tout en intégrant un élève de 3e année ne sachant toujours pas lire, a deux choix : lui offrir un manuel de 1re année, un manuel de 3e année ou adapter lui-même son matériel. Si l’enseignant lui remet un manuel de 1re année, l’élève vit des réussites, mais les thèmes sont infantilisants. Si l’enseignant remet un manuel de 3e année à ce même élève, les thèmes ne sont pas infantilisants, mais le niveau en lecture place ce dernier systématiquement en situation d’échec. Si l’enseignant adapte lui-même le matériel, l’entreprise est grande en charge de travail pour ce dernier. En réponse à ce dilemme, le Groupe DÉFI Accessibilité (GDA) a conçu des manuels scolaires adaptés. Ils sont, à première vue, identiques à la version originale Signet (3e année), mêmes thèmes, mêmes titres, mêmes numéros de pages, mêmes illustrations et mêmes réponses aux deux premières questions de chaque page, mais les textes sont simplifiés afin de permettre la lecture à l’élève de 3e année qui a deux ans de retard dans cette matière. En accord avec une stratégie de design inclusif, la simplification des manuels par le GDA a été réalisée en fonction des caractéristiques d’un groupe de référence reconnu pour avoir de grandes difficultés d’apprentissage de la lecture, soit des élèves qui ont des incapacités intellectuelles (Langevin, Rocque, Ngongang et Chaghoumi, 2012). L’objet de cette thèse est le calcul de la productivité et de l’efficience de ces manuels scolaires adaptés auprès d’élèves qui ont deux années de retard en lecture, la population cible. La méthodologie utilisée pour cette recherche est l’analyse de la valeur pédagogique, une méthode systématique de développement et d’évaluation de produits, procédés ou services, adaptée de l’ingénierie. Cette recherche a pour objet la troisième et dernière phase de l’analyse de la valeur pédagogique, soit l’évaluation des manuels scolaires adaptés. En analyse de la valeur pédagogique, comme pour cette recherche, la mise à l’essai a deux objectifs : comparer le prototype créé au cahier des charges fonctionnel regroupant toutes les fonctions que devrait remplir le produit pour répondre aux besoins de ses utilisateurs potentiels et calculer la productivité/efficience. Puisqu’il s’agit d’une première mise à l’essai, un troisième objectif est ajouté, soit la proposition de pistes d’amélioration au prototype de manuels scolaires adaptés. La mise à l’essai s’est échelonnée sur six mois. L’échantillon regroupe quatre enseignantes de 3e année, deux en classes spéciales et deux en classes régulières. Ces dernières enseignent à 32 élèves utilisateurs des manuels scolaires adaptés : six sont dyslexiques, quatre ont une connaissance insuffisante de la langue française, un a un trouble envahissant du développement avec incapacités intellectuelles et 21 ont des incapacités intellectuelles légères. Les résultats sont présentés sous la forme de trois articles. Les quatre enseignantes ont confirmé la réponse des manuels scolaires adaptés au cahier des charges fonctionnel. De plus, la phase de conception a été jugée efficiente et la phase d’utilisation productive. Il n’y a pas de modification à faire aux manuels scolaires adaptés. Par contre, le guide d’utilisateur doit être modifié, puisque l’outil n’a pas été utilisé tel qu’il était prévu par l’équipe de conception.<br>The complexity of reading French interact with non-cognitive and cognitive characteristics of the person who has intellectual disabilities it up in failure mode. All processes involved in the act of reading interact with these characteristics induce failures and delays of learning to read. Teachers wanting to use a textbook and integrated third grade’s students who don’t know how to read, have tho choices: to provide a first grade’s textbook or to provide a third grade’s textbook. If teachers give a first grade’s textbook to students that has accumulated two years behind in reading, it saw success, but the themes are infantilizing. If teachers give a third grade’s textbook, the themes are not infantilizing, but reading level, instead it consistently in failure. In response to this dilemma, the Groupe DÉFI Accessibilité did adapted textbooks. They are at first identical to the original Signet (third year), same themes, same page numbers, illustrations and even the same answers to the first two questions of each page, but the texts are simplified to allow reading the third grade’s children who has two years behind in this matter. The methodology for this research is the pedagogical analysis of value, a systematic method for development and evaluation of products, processes or services. This research is aimed at the final stage of the pedagogical analysis value. In pedagogical analysis value, as for this research, the testing has two purposes: to compare the prototype created functional specification covering all the functions that should fill the product to meet the needs of potential users and calculate productivity / efficiency. Since this is a first testing, a third is added, is the proposal of possible improvements to the prototype of suitable textbooks. The testing took place over six months. The sample included four teachers of third year, two special classes in regular classrooms and two. The latter teach 32 students users of suitable textbooks: six are dyslexic, four have insufficient knowledge of the language, one has adevelopmental disorder and 21 had mild intellectual disabilities. The four teachers confirmed the response of adapted textbooks to the functional specifications. In addition, the design phase was considered efficient and the using phase was conseidered productive.

Psychologists have long appreciated that many real-world decisions require a balance of expediency and accuracy in gathering evidence. Often the best decisions are made when there is some lingering uncertainty. But how much? Depending on the situation, choosing the right amount of evidence can often be a fine line between making a rash decision and being indecisive. Psychologists have been reluctant to pursue studying peoples' abilities to judge the correct "threshold" for probabilistic decisions. There are two reasons for this: First, the question of a decision threshold, or "when should I stop gathering evidence?" is confounded by the larger issue of how subjects choose and integrate that evidence. Subjects may have a decision threshold that is consistently sub-optimal with respect to a model that does not consider cognitive constraints. However, subjects may actually be choosing the right amount of information given their own cognitive limitations. Second, it has been shown that people often use specific heuristics in making probabilistic decisions. In this case, defining a decision threshold would be largely dependent on the heuristic and task, thus preventing a study of decision thresholds that is widely applicable. The research presented here addresses both of these concerns. I defined a task where the ideal decision threshold is clearly defined, requiring some evidence, but not an exhaustive search. Furthermore, this threshold can be precisely manipulated by changes in the reward structure. Although it is possible to use a "sufficing" or sub-optimal heuristic, subjects are given a significant financial incentive to fully integrate as much evidence as possible. Lastly, and most importantly, a general model of people's cognitive limitations is applied to the traditional normative model. This enhancement allows a more refined study of humans' ability to place their decision threshold according to environmental conditions.<br>text

Environments that involve the Command, Control and Communication of Information (C$\sp3$I), necessitate a special method of data display to insure that task relevant information is communicated effectively. The present line of research taps the existing basic perceptual and cognitive knowledge base to propose a method of multivariate data display. The concept of a pseudo-integral, task relevant multidimensional symbol is proposed and tested. Three experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of the proposed multidimensional symbols, as compared with a textual representation in an identification task and a visual search task. One of the primary questions concerned the information carrying potential of a single multidimensional symbol. The experiments revealed that when trained subjects performed identification and search tasks, performance continued to show improvement as the symbol approached five informational dimensions (each representing binary values). In fact, performance with complex symbolic displays was significantly better than performance with complex textual displays. When, however, three of the five informational dimensions were expanded to include a possible range of four values instead of two, performance deteriorated and was inferior to performance with textual displays. This line of research establishes the feasibility of the multidimensional display concept and confirms that it is worthy of further research attention.

The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen much development in recent years. This is mostly because of new technologies and computers becoming faster. With actors like Microsoft releasing software to reduce the complexity of the development of AI, the barrier to entry is now lower than ever. Due to this lower barrier, one area that has gained much traction is chat bots, being able to act as first line support for companies. While the technology is evolving fast and updates to Microsoft’s tools are released at an impressive rate, it appears to be difficult for other areas like documentation and ease of use to keep up with this pace. This thesis will explore some tools from Microsoft used in AI development. Areas covered are the Cognitive Services with a focus on speech, the Microsoft Azure Bot Service, the QnA Maker and the bot framework’s web-based client. These tools will be evaluated in the context of a chat bot, taking into account their functionality and development. The result is a chat bot that uses a knowledge base for data storage &amp; answer logic, and a web interface for chat functionalities using the bot framework web-client.

One of the goals of cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury is to help people perform everyday tasks. However, options for the rigorous assessment of everyday cognitive effectiveness after rehabilitation are limited. Performance on neuropsychological tests is only moderately correlated with everyday functioning, while previous measures of everyday functioning include only fairly general estimates of overall cognitive functioning. The aim of the current study was to develop an ecologically valid measure that captured a number of subdomains of executive functioning, using systematic behavioural observation of an everyday task. The initial phase of the research involved identifying an everyday task that was sufficiently complex to ensure that executive functioning was utilised in the completion of the task. Participants with traumatic brain injury were then asked to prepare chocolate brownies, using a recipe provided, and a hot drink. Participants were allowed to use any compensatory strategy to help complete the task. Participant performance was directly observed by an examiner and videotaped for subsequent inter-rater reliability. Two independent raters assessed nine components of executive functioning. During this phase, the examiner manuals were modified improving inter-rater reliability. The final version of the measure was then trialled with participants with and without traumatic brain injury. Final inter-rater reliability indicated the approach had merit. Significant and moderate correlations were found between traditional measures of executive functioning and the everyday task. This study employed systematic behavioural observation to obtain fine-grained information regarding a person’s cognitive functioning. With further development, this approach may prove useful for targeting and monitoring specific functional difficulties during cognitive rehabilitation.