La musique et la parole possèdent toutes deux un degré d’organisation temporelle i.e. de régularité dans le temps. Les stimuli de nature rythmique ont la particularité de pouvoir être anticipés par le cerveau et des études en linguistique et neurosciences ont montré que plus le cerveau est capable d’anticiper les évènements auditifs, meilleure est la qualité du traitement des stimuli. Les enfants sourds, bien que bénéficiant d’un input auditif de plus en plus précis grâce aux implants cochléaires et d’une prise en charge précoce, n’atteignent pas des niveaux de langage homogènes et souffrent de difficultés de perception en milieux bruyants ou lors de conversations. La situation conversationnelle présente un contexte complexe, nécessitant l’activation de la voie audio-motrice pour anticiper et s’adapter aux variations de la parole de son interlocuteur notamment au niveau temporel. Dans ce travail de thèse, nous avons cherché à analyser, grâce à des mesures électrophysiologiques et comportementales, si un entrainement rythmique actif de 30 minutes, pouvait avoir un effet sur les capacités de perception et d’accommodation temporelles de l’enfant sourd dans une tâche de dénomination en alternance avec un partenaire virtuel. Nous avons également testé les capacités rythmiques de ces enfants à différents niveaux de complexités. Les résultats montrent que les enfants sourds souffrent de difficultés à structurer les événements acoustiques selon différent niveaux de hiérarchie mais qu’un entrainement rythmique de 30 minutes versus une stimulation auditive, permet d’améliorer leurs compétences de perception et de production temporelles de la parole dans une situation d’interaction. / Music and speech both possess a certain degree of temporal organization i.e. a certain degree of regularity across time. Studies in linguistics and neuroscience have shown that the brain can extract regularities and use them to anticipate the forthcoming stimuli. It is furthermore established that the better the brain is able to anticipate auditory events, the better the quality of stimulus processing. Deaf children benefit from more and more precise auditory inputs due to advances in cochlear implants development, together with early rehabilitation interventions. However, a great majority of them do not achieve consistent language levels and have strong difficulties in noisy environments or conversations. The conversational situation presents a complex context, requiring the activation of the audio-motor path to anticipate and adapt to the variations of the speech of its interlocutor notably at the temporal level. In this thesis work, we have investigated the temporal perception and accommodation capacities of deaf children in a naming task alternating with a virtual partner, at both behavioral and electrophysiological levels. We have also tested whether an active rhythmic training lasting 30 minutes, could enhance these conversational abilities. Then, we have investigated the rhythmic abilities of these children at different levels complexities. The results show that deaf children suffer from difficulties in structuring acoustic events according to different levels of hierarchy but that a rhythmic training of 30 minutes versus an auditory stimulation, makes it possible to improve their skills of temporal perception and production of speech in a situation of interaction.

Объектом исследования явилась личностная тревожность. Предметом исследования стала связь личностной тревожности и интеллектуальных способностей у взрослых. Магистерская диссертация состоит из введения, двух глав, заключения, списка литературы (55 источников) и приложений, включающих в себя статистическую информацию по выборке в целом и по подвыборкам мужчин и женщин. Объем магистерской диссертации 92 страницы, на которых размещены 13 рисунков и 3 таблицы. Во введении раскрывается актуальность проблемы исследования, разработанность проблематики, ставятся цель и задачи исследования, определяются объект и предмет исследования, формулируются гипотезы, указываются методы и эмпирическая база, а также этапы проведения исследования, научная новизна, теоретическая и практическая значимость работы. Первая глава включает в себя обзор иностранной и отечественной литературы по теме исследования. Вторая глава посвящена эмпирической части исследования. В ней представлено описание организации и методов проведенного исследования и результатов, полученных по всем использованным методикам: Шкала тревожности Тейлора; Шкала тревоги Ч.Спилбергера (в адаптации Ханина Ю.Л.); Краткий отборочный тест (КОТ); Тест эмоционального интеллекта «ЭмИн» (в адаптации Д.В.Люсина, 2006 год). Также в главе представлен корреляционный анализ результатов исследования. Выводы по главе 2 включают в себя основные результаты эмпирического исследования. В заключении в обобщенном виде изложены результаты теоретической и эмпирической частей работы, а также выводы по выдвинутым гипотезам, обоснована практическая значимость исследования и описаны возможные перспективы дальнейшей разработки данной проблематики. / The object of the study was personal anxiety. The subject of the study was the relationship between personal anxiety and intellectual abilities in adults. The master's thesis consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a list of references (55 sources) and appendices, including statistical information on the sample as a whole and on subsamples of men and women. The volume of the master's thesis is 92 pages, which contain 13 figures and 3 tables. The introduction reveals the relevance of the research problem, the elaboration of the problem, sets the purpose and objectives of the study, defines the object and subject of the study, formulates hypotheses, specifies methods and empirical base, as well as the stages of research, scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance of the work. The first chapter includes a review of foreign and domestic literature on the topic of the study. The second chapter is devoted to the empirical part of the study. It describes the organization and methods of the study and the results obtained using all the methods used: the Taylor Anxiety Scale; the Spielberger Anxiety Scale (adapted by Yu.L.Khanin); A short selection test (CAT); the EmIn Emotional Intelligence Test (adapted by D.V.Lyusin, 2006). The chapter also presents a correlation analysis of the results of the study. The conclusions of Chapter 2 include the main results of the empirical study. In conclusion, the results of the theoretical and empirical parts of the work are summarized, as well as conclusions on the hypotheses put forward, the practical significance of the study is substantiated and possible prospects for further development of this issue are described.

This research involves an investigation of the construct validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-; Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) when compared to the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III COG) to provide evidence for the utility of using the WISC-IV in assessing cognitive abilities according to the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory. The study was conducted using archival data consisting of 92 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 years and 16 years, 11 months referred for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at a university-affiliated assessment center. Data for all participants were collected following administration of a battery of measures as part of a neuropsychological evaluation, with tests administered in no particular order. The mean age of children was 9.82 years (SD= 2.81) with a mean grade level of 3.95 (SD= 2.63). Ten hypotheses were investigated specifically to examine the comparability of the general intellectual functioning scores for each battery among a sample of children with neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as to examine the convergent and discriminate validity of the WISC-IV index scores. The first hypothesis utilized a paired samplest&n-test and found that the WISC-IV Full Scale IQ score was significantly below that of the WJ III COG General Intellectual Ability-Extended score. For the remaining hypotheses, Pearson product-moment correlations revealed large correlations between the WISC-IV and WJ III COG convergent constructs of general intellectual functioning, comprehension-knowledge, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. For correlations between divergent constructs, the WISC-IV Verbal Comprehension Index and the WJ III COG Visual-Spatial Thinking (Gv) factor demonstrated a large correlation. Both the WISC-IV Processing Speed Index and Working Memory Index correlated moderately with the WJ III COGGvfactor, while the WISC-IV Perceptual Reasoning Index correlated moderately with the WJ III COG Auditory Processing factor. Fisher's r to Z transformation was used to assess for significant differences between the observed correlations and stipulated values determined. Results indicated that correlations between the global IQ, fluid reasoning, and short-term memory composite scores of the two measures were significantly greater than that found for the WISC-III and WJ III COG, while the relationship between the verbal ability and processing speed composite scores were consistent with past findings. Correlations between divergent constructs revealed a reliable pattern of significantly greater relationships than was found for research concerning the WISC-III and WJ III COG. Primarily, results of this study provided evidence that the substantive changes made to the WISC-IV have improved the ability to interpret the Full Scale IQ score as a measure of general intelligence similar to that obtained by the WJ III COG. However, the global IQ scores between the two measures cannot be assumed to be equivalent among children with neuropsychiatric disorders. Results also suggested that the WISC-IV appears to provide improved measurement of the CHC broad abilities of fluid reasoning (Gf) and short-term memory (Gsm). Correlations between divergent constructs provided evidence for relationships between cognitive abilities suggested to be significantly related to academic achievement. This study concluded that research findings for the WISC-III cannot be applied conclusively to the WISC-IV and that the substantive changes made to the WISC-IV have improved the ability to interpret the battery under the CHC framework. However, findings underscore the importance of examining performance across second-order factors that may contribute to differences in general intelligence, as well as remaining aware of differences in narrow ability constructs measured, task demands, or shared variance between subtests when making interpretations of test performance.

The geography subject in Swedish upper secondary school is in a marginalized position with just two national programs having it as a mandatory subject. No mention of the skill of spatial thinking is made in the regulation documents from the Swedish National Agency for Education. To investigate the spatial thinking in the Swedish upper secondary school, I constructed a test that 140 students conducted. From the results it was possible to deduct that the students performed well in areas of spatial thinking that deals with geographical features like points, lines and polygons, but not so well when faced with tasks concerning several spatial facts, overlay, and mentally visualizing 3-D images from 2-D information. Males generally scored higher than females in the test, especially if only answers that the students felt confident of were counted. Students from the Natural Science Programme outperformed the students from the Social Science Programme, even though the former didn’t have any formal education in geography from the upper secondary school. The thesis argues that a larger focus on spatial thinking in the geography subject could benefit the development of both a stronger stance for the subject in the education system, and the abilities and knowledge tied to spatial thinking of the students, especially those that are lacking formal education in other subjects that train the spatial thinking, mostly mathematics and physics.

The present study is a small part of a project that is named Legilexi which includes a screening test where the purpose is to identify children who are at risk of having reading- and writing difficulties. The aim of the present study was primarily to investigate the relationship between phonological awareness and different reading abilities in children in year 1 and 3. A further aim was to contribute to the validation of Legilexi’s screening test. There were 48 children from four different schools that participated in the study, 29 of these children were in grade 1, and 19 were in grade 3. The students in first grade were in the ages of 7;0–8:1 years and the children in third grade were between the ages of 9;1 and 9;11 years. The recruitment of the schools was done in consultation with project managers of Legilexi. In this study the schools were selected throughout a convenience sample, because of Legilexi’s spread throughout the whole of Sweden. Phonological awareness was assessed with UMESOL’s phonological elements; phoneme segmentation, phoneme synthesis, position analysis and segment subtraction. The teachers tested the children with Legilexi ́s test material. The relations between the collected data were later examined together with secondary data from Legilexi. The results showed strong correlations between different aspects of phonological awareness, reading- and listening comprehension. However, ceiling effects were discovered in Legilexi’s subtest phoneme analysis in grade 1. This indicates that the design of the test was too simple for the participating children. The conclusion of the present study was that the results were in line with previous research regarding phonological awareness and early reading development. An important and useful finding was the ceiling effect on Legilexi’s test of phonological awareness

Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the fascia alignment in kinetic muscle chains and to determine the relationship between these results and selected biomotor abilities in rugby players. It is suggested that restrictions in the fascia along the kinetic chains inhibit muscle function and therefore influence movement patterns, such as those required by skilled rugby players. The isometric Bunkie-test was used to assess fascia alignment in ten kinetic chains related to movement patterns. Standard functional tests were used to assess agility, speed, speed endurance, lower body explosive power and upper body muscle endurance. The relationship between fascia alignment and injury occurrence was also determined. The subjects (n = 121) were all elite-level rugby players from three rugby academies. They participated voluntarily in a once-off assessment, consisting of the Bunkie-test, an Illinois agility test, a 10m sprint test, a 40m sprint test, a repeated sprint test, a vertical jump test and a maximum pull-ups test. Subjects also completed an injury questionnaire regarding all previous and current injuries. No intervention was applied and the statistical analysis was based on this assessment. Numerous significant relationships (p < 0.05) were found between the results of the Bunkietest and results of the performance tests. Players performing better on the Bunkie-test demonstrated better biomotor abilities. Very few significant findings (p < 0.05) were found when comparing the results of the Bunkie-test to injury occurrence. The conclusion was made that restrictions in the fascia of kinetic chains, as determined by the Bunkie-test, could influence a rugby player’s ability to perform biomotor movements optimally. Whether restrictions in the fascia resulted in an increased injury occurrence could not be shown. The Bunkie-test might be a tool for coaches and rehabilitation therapists to identify weaknesses and imbalances in the kinetic chains of athletes. Addressing these problems could then lead to improvements in sport performance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoekende studie was om die belyning van die fascia in kinetiese spierkettings te evalueer, asook om die verhouding tussen hierdie resultate en geselekteerde biomotoriese vermoëns in rugbyspelers. Daar is aanduidings dat beperkings in die fascia van enige spierketting spierfunksie kan inhibeer en dus ook die effektiwiteit van bewegingspatrone kan beïnvloed. Die isometriese Bankie-toets is gebruik om die fascia belyning in tien spierkettings te evalueer. Hierdie spierkettings is belangrik vir die uitvoer van algemene bewegingspatrone. Standaard funksionele toetse is gebruik om ratsheid, spoed, spoed-uithouvermoë, eksplosiewe krag van die onderste ledemate en spieruithouvermoë van die bolyfspiere te bepaal. Die verwantskap tussen fascia belyning en die aantal beserings in rugbyspelers is ook bepaal. Die proefpersone (n = 121) was almal elite-vlak rugbyspelers verbonde aan een van drie rugby akademies. Alle spelers het vrywillig deelgeneem aan die studie. Toetsing is eenmalig gedoen en het bestaan uit die Bankie-toets, die Illinois ratsheidstoets, ‘n 10m spoedtoets, ‘n 40m spoedtoets, ‘n herhaalde-spoed toets, ‘n vertikale sprong toets en ‘n maksimale optrektoets. Spelers het ook ‘n vraelys aangaande huidige en vorige beserings ingevul. Geen intervensie is in hierdie studie gedoen nie en die statistiese analise was dus op die bogenoemde gebaseer. Verskeie beduidende verwantskappe (p < 0.05) is gevind tussen die resultate van die Bankietoets en die resultate van die funksionele toetse. Spelers wat beter resultate in die Bankie-toets verkry het, het ook beter biomotoriese vermoëns getoon. Min beduidende resultate (p < 0.05) is gevind tussen die resultate van die Bankie-toets en die voorkoms van beserings. Die gevolgtrekking is gemaak dat beperkinge in die fascia van spierkettings, soos deur die Bankie-toets bepaal, wel ‘n rugbyspeler se vermoë om biomotoriese bewegings optimaal uit te voer kan beïnvloed. Of beperkinge in die fascia ook aanleiding gee tot ‘n toename in aantal beserings kon nie met hierdie studie vasgestel word nie. Die Bankie-toets kan moontlik ‘n instrument vir afrigters en rehabilitasie-terapeute wees. Die doel daarvan sal wees om beperkinge en wanbalanse in spierkettings van atlete te bepaal. Indien hierdie probleme aangespreek word, behoort sportprestasie te verbeter.

To better understand the effect of emotions on formal and informal interactions in the workplace, I focus on emotional dynamics, the exchange and experience of emotions occurring within repeated interpersonal interactions. Emotional Ability (EA; how individuals perceive, use, understand, and manage their own or others’ emotions) is a key component in emotional dynamics. Specifically, I focus on the role of EA on individuals’ choices of coworkers for gaining emotional support (the receipt of empathy, caring, trust, and concern), and in turn, their occupational well-being and task performance. In addition, I investigate the “ripple effects” of EA, how the EA of focal actors may benefit others in the network. The value of Emotional Ability is thus in reaching beyond the individual’s(ego’s) benefit to extend to others (alters) who are tied to ego, in turn benefiting the entire social network (group of actors) and ultimately contributing to the organization’s emotional health. I further investigate possible moderators of the EA-benefits relationship: relationship perceived emotional competence (as assessed by others), emotional self-efficacy (individuals’ beliefs in their own EA) and empathic concern (propensity to experience feelings of warmth, compassion and concern for others). This study is part of a larger research agenda to develop an affective relational theory (ART) to examine how emotional dynamics affect relational dynamics in organizations.

<p>The aim of the present thesis was to study sex differences in memory and other cognitive bilities in healthy adults. In Study I, participants performed a number of episodic memory tasks that were more or less verbal in nature. Results showed that women performed on a higher level than did men in the episodic memory tasks where it was possible to use verbal labels, whereas men performed on a higher level than did women in a visuospatial episodic memory task. In Study II, women’s advantage in face recognition was investigated.Results showed that women performed at a higher level than did men only in the recognition of other women’s faces. In Study III, sex differences in cognitive tasks as well as brain measures were investigated in healthy older adults. Results showed that only the sex differences in a motor task could, to some extent, be explained by sex differences in one of the brain measures. The findings, as well as possible explanations for these patterns of results, are discussed in a theoretical context.</p>

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the cognitive and psycholinguistic processes of rural Mexican children and compare them to urban Mexican children using the Spanish Version of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Ability as the primary diagnostic instrument. Additionally, Physical, Environmental, and Psychological test correlates are surveyed to demonstrate their application in the diagnostic and interpretive processes. Fifty-nine children, aged four to nine, were tested in this project. The children were all monolingual Spanish speaking, and they all lived in or very near Santa Rosalillita, a small mid-peninsula fishing cooperative in Baja California, Mexico. The cumulative total of the I.T.P.A. subtest raw scores for the Santa Rosalillita children are compared to the scores of two samples of urban children which were used in the I.T.P.A. standardization procedure. A series of t tests are used to analyze the data. The Physical, Environmental, and Psychological test correlates are examined by using obtained I.T.P.A. profiles, a questionnaire, and the author's on-site observations. The relevant results of this study are: (1) There appears to be a significant difference between the five year old children of Santa Rosalillita when they are compared to the two groups of five year old urban Mexican children. (2) There were no significant differences between the seven and nine year old groups of Santa Rosalillita children when they were compared to the seven and nine year old groups of urban Mexican children. (3) Physical, Environmental, and Psychological test correlates can provide important information in the diagnosis and interpretation of the Spanish I.T.P.A. It was concluded that extreme caution be used with the Spanish I.T.P.A. when it is employed with rural Mexican children below the age of six. The results suggest that the Spanish I.T.P.A. be used as one of several sources of information in the effort to serve the educational needs of Mexican children, but not as the only source of information. Further research may focus on rural children living in other geographic locales of Mexico, or on the development of appropriate and useful educational methods and materials for assimilating Mexican youngsters into American schools.

Bakalauro darbe analizuojamas autistiškų mokinių komunikavimo gebėjimų ugdymas. Suformuluotas tyrimo tikslas, kuriuo siekiama išnagrinėti, autistiškų mokinių komunikavimo ugdymo ypatumus, išryškinant specialiųjų pedagogų patiriamus sunkumus bei autistiškų mokinių komunikavimo ugdymui taikomus metodus, terapijas. Tyrimas buvo atliktas interviu metodu, o jame dalyvavo 15 specialiųjų pedagogų, kurie ugdo autistiškus mokinius ir galėjo atsakyti į užduotus klausimus apie autistiškų mokinių komunikavimo gebėjimų ugdymą. Interviu metodu buvo siekiama išsiaiškinti, kaip autistiškų mokinių tėvai prisideda prie savo vaikų ugdymo. Kokių sunkumų specialieji pedagogai patiria komunikuodami su autistiškais mokiniais. Svarbiausias tikslas buvo išsiaiškinti, kaip ugdomi autistiškų vaikų komunikavimo gebėjimai. Iš gautų duomenų buvo atlikta turinio analizė. Tyrimu nustatyta, jog specialiųjų pedagogų nuomone tėvai dažniausiai įsitraukia į autistiškų vaikų komunikavimo gebėjimų ugdymą bei bendradarbiauja su pedagogais. Išskirtos didžiausios problemos, kurios trukdo autistiškiems mokiniams komunikuoti: agresyvumas, negebėjimas bendrauti, kalbėti, adekvačiai naudoti kalbą, vengia kontakto. Specialieji pedagogai įžvelgia pozityvius autistiškų mokinių komunikavimo gebėjimų ugdymo pasikeitimus. Nurodyta, jog dažniausiai specialieji pedagogai ugdydami autistiškų mokinių komunikavimo gebėjimus naudoja individualias ugdymo programas bei taiko muzikos terapiją. / He present Bachelor Thesis analyses development of communication abilities of autistic pupils. A research aim has been formulated in order to study the development peculiarities of communication abilities of autistic pupils by emphasizing difficulties encountered by special educators as well as methods, therapies applied for development of communication of autistic pupils. The research has been carried out by applying an interview method. 15 educators, who educate autistic pupils, have participated in the interview and could answer the questions about development of communication abilities of autistic pupils. The aim of the interview was to find out how parents of autistic pupils contributed to education of their children; what difficulties were encountered by special educators within communication to autistic pupils. The key aim was to find out how communication abilities of autistic pupils were developed. Content analysis has been carried out on the basis of the obtained data. By means of the research it has been determined that, according to the opinion of special educators, parents usually involved into development of communication abilities of autistic children and communicated to educators. Major problems causing difficulties for communication of autistic pupils should be emphasized: aggression, failure to communicate, speak, use of the language in an adequate manner, avoidance of contact. Special educators observe positive changes in development of communication... [to full text]