The problem of this study was to compare performances of college students given relaxation instructions and those not given those instructions on a paired-associate learning task. The results indicated that relaxation instructions alone produced a decrement in recall. When subjects received relaxation instructions as well as the suggestion that relaxation enhances learning, the decrement did not occur. Thus, situational demand characteristics appeared to be a significant variable in determining what effect relaxation instructions had on recall.

Submitted by Luciana Sebin (lusebin@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-30T12:18:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFMM.pdf: 1686368 bytes, checksum: 0984954df618c65045f444c579423c22 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-13T20:39:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFMM.pdf: 1686368 bytes, checksum: 0984954df618c65045f444c579423c22 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-13T20:39:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFMM.pdf: 1686368 bytes, checksum: 0984954df618c65045f444c579423c22 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T20:39:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFMM.pdf: 1686368 bytes, checksum: 0984954df618c65045f444c579423c22 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Considering the use of portfolios as a potential pedagogical strategy, as well as difficulties of implementation listed in the scientific literature and the resulting facilities of the digital world, this research was guiding question: The use of webfolio can be a powerful strategy to support construction the nursing students' knowledge? The aim of this study was to develop a minimum viable project, a webfólio, for nursing education and evaluate its technical quality with experts. It is an applied research and technological development, descriptive and exploratory nature. The collection and analysis of data was divided into two stages. In the first stage of the study were local teachers interviewed experienced in the use of reflective portfolios in order to understand the local reality as the use of reflexive portfolio and collect data to assist in the development of web-folio. Then, the conditions were set to be followed and the software has been developed, basing on the incremental development. The webfolio constituted, therefore, a web application in single page application with four levels of access. Possible among its activities minimum: user registration, disciplines, links to resize, reflective reports and fed back (in accordance with the permission of each user). The second data collection stage took place with experts from both computing as nursing faculty with experience with the use of reflective portfolios. The six inherent characteristics of software quality were evaluated. The functionality features, usability and efficiency were validated while the reliability characteristics, maintainability and portability require a reassessment with suggested improvements. The evaluation was considered positive by the subjects, especially the high acceptance of usability. The webfolio was seen as a powerful strategy to build the nursing students' knowledge, however, further studies with the implementation of webfolio developed into a real context will bring broader and more reliable results to corroborate this statement. / Considerando as potencialidades do uso de portfólios como estratégia pedagógica, bem como as dificuldades de sua implementação elencadas na literatura cientifica e as facilidades advindas do mundo digital, essa pesquisa teve como questão norteadora: A utilização de webfólio pode ser uma estratégia potente para apoiar a construção do conhecimento do estudante de enfermagem? O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um projeto mínimo viável de webfólio para a formação em enfermagem e avaliar sua qualidade técnica junto a especialistas. Trata-se de uma pesquisa aplicada de desenvolvimento tecnológico, de carácter descritivo-exploratório. A coleta e análise dos dados foi dividida em duas etapas. Na primeira etapa foram entrevistados docentes do local do estudo com experiência no uso de portfólios reflexivos a fim de entender a realidade local quanto ao emprego de portfólio reflexivo e levantar dados para auxiliar no desenvolvimento do webfólio. Em seguida, foram definidos os requisitos a serem seguidos e o software foi desenvolvido, pautando-se no desenvolvimento incremental. O webfólio constituiu-se, portanto, de uma aplicação da web, em single page application com quatro níveis de acesso. Possibilitou dentre suas atividades mínimas o cadastro de usuários, de disciplinas, de links para redimensionamento, de relatos reflexivos e de devolutivas (de acordo com a permissão de cada usuário). A segunda etapa de coleta de dados se deu com especialistas tanto de computação quanto docentes de enfermagem com experiência com o uso de portfólios reflexivos. Foram avaliadas as seis características inerentes da qualidade de software. As características funcionalidade, usabilidade e eficiência foram validadas, enquanto as características confiabilidade, Manutenibilidade e portabilidade precisam de uma reavaliação com sugestão de melhorias. A avaliação foi considerada positiva pelos sujeitos, com destaque para a elevada aceitação da usabilidade. O webfólio foi entendido como uma estratégia potente para a construção do conhecimento do estudante de enfermagem, entretanto, estudos futuros com a implementação do webfólio desenvolvido em um contexto real trará resultados mais amplos e fidedignos para corroborar esta afirmação.

The experiment tested the hypothesis that the acetylcholine (ACh) release in the rat auditory cortex is greater in rats undergoing auditory classical conditioning compared to rats in a truly random control paradigm where no associative learning takes place and that this is mediated by prefrontal afferent projections influencing the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM), which in turn modulates ACh release in neocortex. Rats with bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of medial prefrontal and agranular insular cortices were tested in an auditory classical conditioning task while ACh was collected from the primary auditory cortex. It was hypothesized that lesions of these prefrontal areas would prevent learning-related increases of ACh release in the primary auditory cortex. The hypothesized results were supported. Results from this experiment provide unique evidence that medial prefrontal cortex projections to the NBM are important for mediating cortical ACh release during associative learning.

Reinforcement learning occurs when organisms adapt the propensities of given behaviours on the basis of associations with reward and punishment. Currently, reinforcement learning models have been validated in minimalist environments in which only 1-2 environmental stimuli are present as possible predictors of reward. The exception to this is two studies in which the responses of the dopamine system to configurations of multiple stimuli were investigated, however, in both cases the stimuli were presented simultaneously rather than in a sequence. Therefore, we set out to understand how current models of reinforcement learning would respond under more complex conditions in which sequences of events are predictors of reward. In the two experimental chapters of this thesis, we attempted to understand whether midbrain dopaminergic neurons would respond to occasion setters (Chapter 3), and to the overexpectation effect (Chapter 4). In addition, we ran simulations of the behavioural paradigms using temporal difference models of reinforcement learning (Chapter 2) and compared the predictions of the model with the behavioural and neurophysiological data. In Chapter 3, by performing single-neuron recording from VTA and SNpc dopaminergic cells, we demonstrated that our population of neurons were most responsive to the latest predictor of reward, the conditioned stimulus (CS) and not the earliest, the occasion setter (the OS). This is in stark contrast with the predictions of the model (Chapter 2), where the greatest response is seen at the OS onset. We also showed at a neural level that there was only a weak enhancement of the response to the discriminative stimulus (SD) when this was preceded by the OS. On the other hand, at a behavioural level, bar pressing was greatest when the SD was preceded by the OS, demonstrating that rats could use the information provided by the OS, but that dopamine was not controlling the conditioned response. In Chapter 4, our population of dopaminergic neurons showed that they would preferentially respond to only one of the two conditioned stimuli (CSA, CSB) in the overexpectation paradigm. The predictions of the model (Chapter 2) suggested that when the two stimuli would be presented in compound, there would be an inhibitory response if the reward magnitude was kept constant and an excitatory response if the reward magnitude was doubled. The lack of neural firing to one of the two conditioned stimuli, however, does not make for easy interpretation of the data. Perhaps, one of the conditioned stimuli acted as if it were overshadowing the other, resulting in no response to the second CS. Interestingly, at a behavioural level, we did not see increased licking frequency to the compound stimuli presentation, a result that is somewhat at odds with the previous literature. Overall, the results of our experimental chapters suggest that the role that midbrain dopaminergic neurons play in reinforcement learning is more complex than that envisaged by previous investigations.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Second-graders were tested for negative transfer and retroactive interference using an A-B, A-D paradigm. Four-pair, word-number lists were aurally presented to the children. Subjects were classified as being whole-only encoders or multiple encoders by the use of a recall test presented after list one. Significant negative transfer and retroactive interference were found. The multiple encoders experiences less difficulty in learning the second list that did the whole-only encoders, but these two groups did no differ with regard to transfer or retroactive interference effects. The results were considered in the context of Martin's encoding variability hypothesis.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / "July 1994." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 365-396).

Metaphorlc competence of learning disabled and normally achieving fifth and seventh grade male children was Investigated. Four measures were made of metaphorlc abilities. The first task was a multiple choice written test to determine the rate of metaphorlc preference. Part two consisted of children developing metaphors. Part three and four required explanations of the meaning of preferred metaphors and produced metaphors.

Social stimuli that function as reinforcers for most children generally do not function as reinforcers for children diagnosed with autism. These important social stimuli include smiles, head nods, thumb-ups, and okay signs. It should be an important goal of therapy for children with autism to condition these neutral social stimuli to function as reinforcers for children diagnosed with autism. There is empirical evidence to support both a pairing procedure (classical conditioning) and a discriminative stimulus procedure to condition neutral stimuli to function as reinforcers. However, there is no clear evidence as to the superiority of effectiveness for either procedure. Despite this most textbooks and curriculum guides for children with autism state only the pairing procedure to condition neutral stimuli to function as reinforcers. Recent studies suggest that the discriminative stimulus procedure may in fact be more effective in conditioning neutral stimuli to function as reinforcers for children diagnosed with autism. The present research is a further comparison of these two procedures. Results from one participant support recent findings that suggest the discriminative stimulus procedure is more effective in conditioning neutral stimuli to function as reinforcers. But the results from the other participant show no effects from either procedure, suggesting future research into conditions necessary to condition neutral social stimuli to function as reinforcers for children with autism.