The present study aims to predict which individual factors may influence strategy-choices in wayfinding situations, specifically when participants are faced with ambiguous instructions in unfamiliar environments. Individual differences were measured with self-report forms of the Big Five personality traits and the Santa Barbara sense of direction scale (SBSOD). The study was conducted in a web-based survey format with a n=104 (65 female, and 39 male). A regression analysis concluded that the trait conscientiousness was the only factor that had predictive value in determining choice of strategy. SBSOD had some predictive values towards strategy-choice, but needs further investigation before any general conclusion can be drawn. Future studies should focus on a more goal‑oriented task with more realistic stimulus.

<p>I studien undersöktes hur universitetsområdet i Linköping och Norrköping är att hitta på, hur den mentala bilden av området ser ut och hur de som rör sig där talar om området. Perspektivet var kognitionsvetenskapligt. Arbetet strukturerades kring intervjuer och enkäter med 20 personer, hälften från vartdera universitetsområdet. Den mentala bilden av området liksom uppfattningarna om var det var lätt respektive svårt att hitta skiljde sig åt. Alla reagerar inte på samma sätt inför olika mönster och system. En del hus har dessutom en sådan utformning att den i sig själv försvårar för personer att hitta där. En ytterligare slutsats är att det var svårt att överföra den mentala bilden av universitetsområdet till ett papper, särskilt när det gäller avstånd och storlek. Den mentala bilden visade sig vara något förvrängd. Verbalt sett fanns det skillnader mellan Linköping- och Norrköpingsgruppen i hur de uttryckte sig om respektive universitetsområde. Norrköpingsgruppen tenderade att oftare använda väderstreckstermer.</p>

Knowledge about the configuration of an environment is used preferentially when navigating through an urban environment (Penn, 2003). However, it the locus of this effect is poorly understood. One possibility is that the local environment, such as the shape of an intersection, is sufficient to determine route choice in the context of the global configuration of an environment (Meilinger, Franz, & Bülthoff, in press; Meilinger, Knauff & Bülthoff, 2008). Two experiments were performed to investigate this hypothesis using two novel virtual environments, one with a simplistic configuration, and one with a more complicated configuration. In Experiment 1, peripheral vision was either available or constrained throughout a wayfinding task. A significant influence of global configuration information with minimal use of local configuration account was found. In Experiment 2, central vision was either limited to the local intersection or unconstrained. Again, a strong effect of configuration was found, with limited evidence for the use of local visual information. The results support a synergistic mechanism of wayfinding where the environmental configuration is used to inform existing knowledge about the environment.

Knowledge about the configuration of an environment is used preferentially when navigating through an urban environment (Penn, 2003). However, it the locus of this effect is poorly understood. One possibility is that the local environment, such as the shape of an intersection, is sufficient to determine route choice in the context of the global configuration of an environment (Meilinger, Franz, & Bülthoff, in press; Meilinger, Knauff & Bülthoff, 2008). Two experiments were performed to investigate this hypothesis using two novel virtual environments, one with a simplistic configuration, and one with a more complicated configuration. In Experiment 1, peripheral vision was either available or constrained throughout a wayfinding task. A significant influence of global configuration information with minimal use of local configuration account was found. In Experiment 2, central vision was either limited to the local intersection or unconstrained. Again, a strong effect of configuration was found, with limited evidence for the use of local visual information. The results support a synergistic mechanism of wayfinding where the environmental configuration is used to inform existing knowledge about the environment.

As children’s independent mobility in urban environments continues to decrease, children become further removed from all realms of city life. There is a need for children to practice and demonstrate their autonomy in public, and a properly planned and designed environment can support such skill building in urban settings. This practicum envisions wayfinding as a pivotal intervention in the urban environment to enable children’s independent mobility and environmental familiarity. The research focuses on the planning of a wayfinding strategy for Canadian school-age children (ages 8-10) as a way to encourage independent mobility in an urban context. This research is based on a review of children’s wayfinding psychology and planning strategies, inspiring design precedents, a detailed site audit and hands-on mental mapping exercises with children. The result is a set of research, consultation, planning, policy, and design recommendations to develop a child-friendly wayfinding strategy in the Exchange District neighbourhood of Downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. / October 2015

Episodic memory is a key feature in learning. One must remember past events to act upon a present situation. Episodic memory has been reported to be impaired in individuals with schizophrenia. In order to have an intact episodic memory the contextual features (context) must be bound to the content of the event; this mechanism is referred to as contextual binding. It is proposed that binding errors during the encoding process are responsible for episodic memory impairments in schizophrenia. Since the hippocampal formation is considered to be the central element for contextual binding, it is hypothesized that the synaptic disorganization described in this condition results in such a deficit. Moreover, the hippocampus mediates and influences other cognitive processes such as learning and executive functioning. Hence, a contextual binding deficit can have important consequences on cognition, behaviour and emotions. The object of this dissertation was to investigate the neurofunctioning, neuroanatomy and neurofunctional connectivity of the hippocampus while performing a task that utilized contextual binding mechanisms. Since spatial relational processing is part of contextual binding and is rooted in the hippocampal regions, visuospatial navigation, more precisely a wayfinding task, was used as a probe to activate the hippocampus and its associated regions in a group of patients with schizophrenia and matched healthy controls. The following dissertation presents three original research papers contributing to our understanding of the contextual binding and hippocampal deficits in schizophrenia. The first paper investigates the neurofunctioning of the hippocampus with a wayfinding task. The second paper investigates the hippocampal structural abnormality in schizophrenia and how it relates to performance during the wayfinding task. The third paper explores effective connectivity of the hippocampus with other brain regions involved in navigation in schizophrenia with a particular interest in the prefrontal cortex. These three studies demonstrate significant neurofunctional, neuroanatomical, and neurofunctional connectivity deficits in the hippocampus of the patients with schizophrenia compared to a healthy control population. Results of all three papers are further discussed in terms of research and clinical implications.

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2016-03-29T21:36:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 WaldsonPatricioDoNascimentoLeandro_DISSERT.pdf: 68523742 bytes, checksum: 3f3cd0f4d0ce634d4d0cdc014af5f60e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-03-30T20:28:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 WaldsonPatricioDoNascimentoLeandro_DISSERT.pdf: 68523742 bytes, checksum: 3f3cd0f4d0ce634d4d0cdc014af5f60e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-30T20:28:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 WaldsonPatricioDoNascimentoLeandro_DISSERT.pdf: 68523742 bytes, checksum: 3f3cd0f4d0ce634d4d0cdc014af5f60e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-10 / Navega??o, tanto em um ambiente real quanto em um virtual, consiste em um movimento deliberado de um viajante para uma localiza??o espec?fica, usualmente distante e que n?o pode ser percebida diretamente a partir da posi??o de partida da jornada. T?cnicas de aux?lio ? navega??o (TAN) t?m como principal objetivo ajudar usu?rios a encontrar um caminho atrav?s de um ambiente virtual at? o destino desejado e, por este motivo, s?o bastante utilizadas uma vez que facilitam a navega??o em ambientes virtuais desconhecidos. Ferramentas como mapas impressos, GPS (Global Positioning System, em Ingl?s), ou mesmo instru??es orais, s?o exemplos de TANs utiliz?veis no mundo real. A maioria dos trabalhos que prop?em novas TANs para ambientes virtuais procuram avaliar seu impacto em termos de ganho de efici?ncia na tarefa de navegar de um local conhecido a um local desconhecido. Contudo, tais trabalhos tendem a ignorar o efeito que uma TAN pode ter sobre o processo de aquisi??o de conhecimento de rota, o qual ? importante em situa??es em que ? necess?rio transferir o conhecimento de navega??o virtual para uma situa??o real?por exemplo, em treinamento de rotas de fuga em ambientes industriais simulados virtualmente. Atrav?s de um experimento, foi poss?vel averiguar que TANs com diferentes estrat?gias afetam diferentemente o desempenho em tarefas de busca e que a efici?ncia do aux?lio de uma TAN n?o est? inversamente relacionada ? carga cognitiva associada ao entendimento da t?cnica. Foi criada f?rmula de classifica??o de t?cnicas que utiliza tr?s fatores ao inv?s de apenas a efici?ncia. Os dados do experimento foram aplicados ? f?rmula e foi poss?vel obter um melhor refinamento do n?vel de aux?lio proporcionado pelas TANs. / Navigation, in both virtual and real environments, is the process of a deliberated movement to a specific place that is usually away from the origin point, and that cannot be perceived from it. Navigation aid techniques (TANs) have as their main objective help finding a path through a virtual environment to a desired location and, are widely used because they ease the navigation on these unknown environments. Tools like maps, GPS (Global Positioning System) or even oral instructions are real world examples of TAN usage. Most of the works which propose new TANs for virtual environments aim to analyze their impact in efficiency gain on navigation tasks from a known place to an unknown place. However, such papers tend to ignore the effect caused by a TAN usage over the route knowledge acquisition process, which is important on virtual to real training transfer, for example. Based on a user study, it was possible to confirm that TANs with different strategies affects the performance of search tasks differently and that the efficiency of the help provided by a TAN is not inversely related to the cognitive load of the technique?s aids. A technique classification formula was created. This formula utilizes three factors instead of only efficiency. The experiment?s data were applied to the formula and we obtained a better refinement of help level provided by TANs.

I studien undersöktes hur universitetsområdet i Linköping och Norrköping är att hitta på, hur den mentala bilden av området ser ut och hur de som rör sig där talar om området. Perspektivet var kognitionsvetenskapligt. Arbetet strukturerades kring intervjuer och enkäter med 20 personer, hälften från vartdera universitetsområdet. Den mentala bilden av området liksom uppfattningarna om var det var lätt respektive svårt att hitta skiljde sig åt. Alla reagerar inte på samma sätt inför olika mönster och system. En del hus har dessutom en sådan utformning att den i sig själv försvårar för personer att hitta där. En ytterligare slutsats är att det var svårt att överföra den mentala bilden av universitetsområdet till ett papper, särskilt när det gäller avstånd och storlek. Den mentala bilden visade sig vara något förvrängd. Verbalt sett fanns det skillnader mellan Linköping- och Norrköpingsgruppen i hur de uttryckte sig om respektive universitetsområde. Norrköpingsgruppen tenderade att oftare använda väderstreckstermer.

Episodic memory is a key feature in learning. One must remember past events to act upon a present situation. Episodic memory has been reported to be impaired in individuals with schizophrenia. In order to have an intact episodic memory the contextual features (context) must be bound to the content of the event; this mechanism is referred to as contextual binding. It is proposed that binding errors during the encoding process are responsible for episodic memory impairments in schizophrenia. Since the hippocampal formation is considered to be the central element for contextual binding, it is hypothesized that the synaptic disorganization described in this condition results in such a deficit. Moreover, the hippocampus mediates and influences other cognitive processes such as learning and executive functioning. Hence, a contextual binding deficit can have important consequences on cognition, behaviour and emotions. The object of this dissertation was to investigate the neurofunctioning, neuroanatomy and neurofunctional connectivity of the hippocampus while performing a task that utilized contextual binding mechanisms. Since spatial relational processing is part of contextual binding and is rooted in the hippocampal regions, visuospatial navigation, more precisely a wayfinding task, was used as a probe to activate the hippocampus and its associated regions in a group of patients with schizophrenia and matched healthy controls. The following dissertation presents three original research papers contributing to our understanding of the contextual binding and hippocampal deficits in schizophrenia. The first paper investigates the neurofunctioning of the hippocampus with a wayfinding task. The second paper investigates the hippocampal structural abnormality in schizophrenia and how it relates to performance during the wayfinding task. The third paper explores effective connectivity of the hippocampus with other brain regions involved in navigation in schizophrenia with a particular interest in the prefrontal cortex. These three studies demonstrate significant neurofunctional, neuroanatomical, and neurofunctional connectivity deficits in the hippocampus of the patients with schizophrenia compared to a healthy control population. Results of all three papers are further discussed in terms of research and clinical implications.

The project proposes the investigation into the adaptive re-use of abandoned and unused buildings in the Pretoria CBD to develop social housing that makes use of existing infrastructure, structures, economic activity and transport networks. This is done as a response to the need for social housing in the medium income market. Most developments for this market are built outside city limits and use precious resources and unnecessary new materials. This project focuses on what is currently known as Huis Potgieter, on the UNISA Sunnyside Campus, as a testing ground to develop theories and approaches that can be used in the development of future developments. Throughout the research conducted into the project, the residents have been emphasised as the main design informant, specifically by the regulations set out by the national government. Considering the highly user-centred approach as identified by the regulations, it is appropriate to approach it from an interior design knowledgebase. Looking firstly at the resident’s needs, those in similar housing developments and income markets have identified and emphasised the need and importance of shared public spaces. Other research has confirmed that public spaces are a large contributor to both the social and psychological well-being of the residents. This project focuses on providing public spaces as integrated areas within the building, interspersed between living units, in an effort to provide comfortable, inclusive, and enjoyable public spaces that encourage a sense of place among the residents. A design proposal to integrate interior public spaces into the daily lives of the residents was developed. Various public space theories were collated and synthesised to develop a set of theory-based guidelines for use in this and future social housing projects. The project aims to develop a proposal that considers all users in the development, both in their physical needs (in the form of an inclusive design approach), as well as their social and community needs, by providing public spaces that accommodate a wide range of users and activities. To benefit future studies and to contribute to the field of interior design, a new term, interior public spaces, was developed in order to describe the type of public spaces created. In order to create a strong identity for the building, which the users can relate and respond to in their own attachment and appropriation, the legibility of the intervention is large focus of the project. To increase the legibility of the building, the building identity – KwilaliCity - was developed to reflect strongly in the public areas of the building to create a common ground for all residents. The intervention ensures accessibility to its wide range of residents by introducing a strong inclusive design component, with a focus on wayfinding. Applying the wayfinding and inclusive approach early in the project allows for an integrated resolution that serves to strengthen the design approach. The intention that residents are encouraged to develop an attachment to KwilaliCity and their fellow residents is evident in the encouragement to appropriate specific elements in and around their homes, in order to reflect their identities and give them some control over their housing environment. / Hierdie projek neem voor om die her-gebruik van verlate en ongebruikte geboue in die Pretoria besigheidsdistrik te ondersoek, met die doel om sosiale behuising wat gebruik maak van bestaande infrastruktuur, strukture, ekonomise aktiwiteit en vervoernetwerke. Die projek het vorendag gekom as ‘n reaksie op die nood vir sosiale behuising in die medium-inkomstemark. Ontwikkelings vir hierdie mark word dikwels geplaas buite die stadperke, en gebruik waardevolle hulpbronne en onnodige nuwe material. Die projek fokus op wat tans bekend staan as Huis Potgieter, te vinde op die UNISA Sunnyside-kampus, as ‘n toetsarea waar teorieë en benaderings te ondersoek en wat in toekomstige uitbreidings gebruik kan word. Tydens die navorsing wat afgelê is vir die projek, is die inwoners beklemtoon as die hoof ontwerpinformant, hoofsaaklik deur die regulasies uiteengesit deur die nasionale regering. Met hierdie hoogs gebruiker-geörienteerde benadering, soos geïdentifiseer deur die regulasies, is dit toepaslik om gebruik te maak van die interieurontwerp kennisbasis. Eerstens word daar gekyk na die inwoners se behoeftes. Inwoners in soortgelyke behuising en inkomstemark het die behoefte en belangrikheid van gedeelde openbare ruimtes uitgelig en beklemtoon. Verdere navorsing het bevestig dat openbare ruimtes ‘n groot bydraende faktor is in die sosiale en sielkundige welstand van die inwoners. Die projek fokus op die voorsiening van openbare ruimtes as integreerde areas binne die gebou, verweef tussendeur die leefeenhede, in ‘n poging om gemaklike, toeganklike, en aangename openbare ruimtes te skep wat ‘n gevoel van plek by die inwoners aanwakker. ‘n Ontwerpvoorstel om die interieur openbare ruimtes te integreer met die daaglikse lewens van die inwoners is ontwikkel. Verskeie teorieë wat handel oor openbare ruimtes is versamel en saamgevat om ‘n stel teorie-gebasseerde riglyne te ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word in hierdie en toekomstige sosiale behuisingskemas. Die projek poog om ‘n voorstel te ontwikkel wat alle inwoners in ag neem, beide in hul fisiese behoeftes (in terme van ‘n inklusiewe ontwerpbenadering), sowel as hul sosiale en gemeenskapsbehoeftes deur inwoners van openbare ruimtes te voorsien wat ‘n wye spectrum van gebruikers en aktiwiteite kan akkommodeer Om toekomende interieurontwerpstudies te baat, is ‘n nuwe term, interieuropenbare ruimtes, ontwikkel om die soort openbare ruimtes, soos geskep in hierdie projek, te beskryf. Ten einde ‘n sterk identiteit te ontwikkel vir die gebou, wat die inwoners in staat sal stel om verband te hou en te reageer daarop deur hul aanhegtig en bewilliging, is die leesbaarheid van die ingryping ‘n groot fokus van die projek. Om die leesbaarheid van die gebour te verbeter, is ‘n gebou-identiteit – KwilaliCity – ontwikkel. Dit kom sterk voor in die openbare areas van die gebou om ‘n gelyke grondslag vir alle inwoners te skep. Die ingryping verseker die inklusiwiteit vir die wye reeks inwoners deur ‘n sterk inklusiewe ontwerpkomponent in te bring, wat fokus op die navigasie en leesbaarheid van die ruimtes. Deur hierdie benadering toe te pas vanaf die begin, maak voorsiening vir ‘n geïntegreerde oplossing wat help om die ontwerbenadering te versterk. Die bedoeling is dat inwoners aangemoedig word om aanhegting met KwilaliCity en hul mede-inwoners, en is aangebring in die aanmoediging om spesifieke elemente om hul eenhede te bewillig, in ‘n poging om hul identiteit te weerspieël en bietjie beheer te gee oor hul huislike omgewing. / Mini Dissertation (MInt (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Architecture / MInt (Prof) / Unrestricted