websites are one of the most popular and quickest way for communicating with users and providing information. Measuring the effectiveness of website, availability of information on website and information architecture on users

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [33]-40).

Thèse (M.Ps.)--Université Laval, 2004. / Bibliogr.: f. 48-55. Publié aussi en version électronique.

The present study aimed at investigating the neuropsychological sequelae of transient ischaemic attacks. Transient ischaemic attacks are defined as those neurological disorders in which there is complete resolution of neurological symptoms within twenty·four hours. Transient ischaemic attacks may or may not reveal evidence of brain infarcts on imaging studies. In the present study, the neuropsychological sequelae of transient ischaemic attacks in the carotid circulation were investigated since, within the perspective of cognitive neuropsychology, it was assumed that localized changes in cognitive functions could be demonstrated.Since several psychological, medical and neurological factors are known to influence scores·on neuropsychological tests, regression analyses were performed to determine which factors contributed significantly to the variance of scores on neuropsychological tests in the transient ischaemic attack and control groups. Two transient ischaemic attack groups, each comprising forty left and forty right hemisphere involvement patients, were then compared with each other and with a control group of forty general medical patients. Stenosis of the carotid artery formed a significant predictor of test scores in the combined transient ischaemic attack group. When the groups were·analyzed independently, in the left transient ischaemic attack group stenosis predicted performance on the same tests reaching significance for the combined group, and for the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (Perseverative Score). In the right transient ischaemic attack group, stenosis significantly predicted performance on Digits Forward, Backward and Total, the PASAT (2.4 seconds) and Trails B. On the other hand, education formed a significant predictor of performance on Digits Forward, Digits Backward and Digits Total and the PASAT (all levels) in the control group. Multivariate comparisons revealed that the left and right transient ischaemic attack groups performed worse than the controls on tests of attention, concentration and conceptual flexibi1ity. The left transient ischaemic attack group performed worse than the right transient ischaemic attack group on all tests of attention and concentration, but there was a significantly better performance of the former group on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (Trial 1), Block Designs and Verbal Fluency. The findings on the PASAT that left transient ischaemic attack patients performed significantly worse than the right hemisphere group ·were considered to be relatively unreported previously in the literature on transient ischaemic attacks. The findings obtained are discussed from a neurocognitive perspective of neuropsychological functioning in transient ischaemic attacks. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)

Em cenários políticos e socioeconômicos turbulentos e altamente competitivos, a Inteligência faz-se necessária como um processo que ajuda as organizações a reduzirem as incertezas durante a tomada de decisão e anteciparem mudanças que podem afetar sua performance e sustentabilidade competitiva. Apesar da relevância da atividade, o monitoramento de informações contínuo e estruturado ainda não é realidade na maior parte das companhias, devido à dificuldade de implantação, entendimento ou formalização do seu processo. Avaliar fatores que antecedem a adoção de uma atividade estruturada de Inteligência permite que as empresas reconheçam suas capacidades de realização do monitoramento, visando adicionalmente aprimorá-lo ou implementá-lo. Reconhece-se igualmente uma lacuna em termos de modelos avaliativos de condições que impedem ou impulsionam a prática de Inteligência. Neste sentido, foram levantados, a partir da literatura específica de pré-adoção de Sistemas de Informação e de Inteligência, construtos organizacionais, informacionais, individuais e tecnológicos/físicos que antecedem a implementação de um processo estruturado de Inteligência. Seis modelos de diagnóstico são apresentados e utilizados na consolidação de um framework com os principais fatores de préadoção, identificados e validados por meio de card sorting. Adicionalmente, utilizou-se o método Delphi para explorar a opinião de especialistas da área sobre quais desses fatores deveriam ser explorados em um roteiro de diagnóstico. Como resultado, uma lista de questões é proposta para que seja aplicada em organizações que desejam implantar ou aprimorar o processo de Inteligência. Avaliar previamente o apoio da alta gerência, a motivação dos profissionais envolvidos e a consciência sobre as oportunidades e ameaças que emergem do ambiente externo são alguns dos fatores de maior concordância entre os respondentes. / In turbulent and highly competitive scenarios, Intelligence is a major process that helps organizations to reduce uncertainties during decision making and anticipate changes that can affect their performance and sustainability. Despite the relevance of the activity, continuous and structured scanning processes are not a reality in most companies, due to the difficulty of implementing, understanding or formalizing it. Evaluate the factors that precede the adoption of a structured Intelligence activity allows companies to recognize their capabilities to perform monitoring, in order to further improve or implement it. A gap is also recognized in terms of tools to evaluate conditions that block or boosts the Intelligence process. Thus, organizational, informational, individual and technological/physical constructs that precede the implementation of a structured process of Intelligence have been drawn from the specific literature on the Information Systems and Intelligence pre-adoption. Six diagnostic models are presented to consolidate a framework with the main pre-adoption factors identified and validated by card sorting technique. The Delphi method was used to exploit opinions among experts to define which of these factors should compose a diagnostic question script. As a result, a list of issues is proposed to be applied to organizations that wish to deploy or enhance their Intelligence process. Prior evaluation of top management support, the motivation of people involved and consciousness from opportunities and threats that emerge from external environment are some of the pre-adoption factors of greater agreement among respondents.

Em cenários políticos e socioeconômicos turbulentos e altamente competitivos, a Inteligência faz-se necessária como um processo que ajuda as organizações a reduzirem as incertezas durante a tomada de decisão e anteciparem mudanças que podem afetar sua performance e sustentabilidade competitiva. Apesar da relevância da atividade, o monitoramento de informações contínuo e estruturado ainda não é realidade na maior parte das companhias, devido à dificuldade de implantação, entendimento ou formalização do seu processo. Avaliar fatores que antecedem a adoção de uma atividade estruturada de Inteligência permite que as empresas reconheçam suas capacidades de realização do monitoramento, visando adicionalmente aprimorá-lo ou implementá-lo. Reconhece-se igualmente uma lacuna em termos de modelos avaliativos de condições que impedem ou impulsionam a prática de Inteligência. Neste sentido, foram levantados, a partir da literatura específica de pré-adoção de Sistemas de Informação e de Inteligência, construtos organizacionais, informacionais, individuais e tecnológicos/físicos que antecedem a implementação de um processo estruturado de Inteligência. Seis modelos de diagnóstico são apresentados e utilizados na consolidação de um framework com os principais fatores de préadoção, identificados e validados por meio de card sorting. Adicionalmente, utilizou-se o método Delphi para explorar a opinião de especialistas da área sobre quais desses fatores deveriam ser explorados em um roteiro de diagnóstico. Como resultado, uma lista de questões é proposta para que seja aplicada em organizações que desejam implantar ou aprimorar o processo de Inteligência. Avaliar previamente o apoio da alta gerência, a motivação dos profissionais envolvidos e a consciência sobre as oportunidades e ameaças que emergem do ambiente externo são alguns dos fatores de maior concordância entre os respondentes. / In turbulent and highly competitive scenarios, Intelligence is a major process that helps organizations to reduce uncertainties during decision making and anticipate changes that can affect their performance and sustainability. Despite the relevance of the activity, continuous and structured scanning processes are not a reality in most companies, due to the difficulty of implementing, understanding or formalizing it. Evaluate the factors that precede the adoption of a structured Intelligence activity allows companies to recognize their capabilities to perform monitoring, in order to further improve or implement it. A gap is also recognized in terms of tools to evaluate conditions that block or boosts the Intelligence process. Thus, organizational, informational, individual and technological/physical constructs that precede the implementation of a structured process of Intelligence have been drawn from the specific literature on the Information Systems and Intelligence pre-adoption. Six diagnostic models are presented to consolidate a framework with the main pre-adoption factors identified and validated by card sorting technique. The Delphi method was used to exploit opinions among experts to define which of these factors should compose a diagnostic question script. As a result, a list of issues is proposed to be applied to organizations that wish to deploy or enhance their Intelligence process. Prior evaluation of top management support, the motivation of people involved and consciousness from opportunities and threats that emerge from external environment are some of the pre-adoption factors of greater agreement among respondents.

Em cenários políticos e socioeconômicos turbulentos e altamente competitivos, a Inteligência faz-se necessária como um processo que ajuda as organizações a reduzirem as incertezas durante a tomada de decisão e anteciparem mudanças que podem afetar sua performance e sustentabilidade competitiva. Apesar da relevância da atividade, o monitoramento de informações contínuo e estruturado ainda não é realidade na maior parte das companhias, devido à dificuldade de implantação, entendimento ou formalização do seu processo. Avaliar fatores que antecedem a adoção de uma atividade estruturada de Inteligência permite que as empresas reconheçam suas capacidades de realização do monitoramento, visando adicionalmente aprimorá-lo ou implementá-lo. Reconhece-se igualmente uma lacuna em termos de modelos avaliativos de condições que impedem ou impulsionam a prática de Inteligência. Neste sentido, foram levantados, a partir da literatura específica de pré-adoção de Sistemas de Informação e de Inteligência, construtos organizacionais, informacionais, individuais e tecnológicos/físicos que antecedem a implementação de um processo estruturado de Inteligência. Seis modelos de diagnóstico são apresentados e utilizados na consolidação de um framework com os principais fatores de préadoção, identificados e validados por meio de card sorting. Adicionalmente, utilizou-se o método Delphi para explorar a opinião de especialistas da área sobre quais desses fatores deveriam ser explorados em um roteiro de diagnóstico. Como resultado, uma lista de questões é proposta para que seja aplicada em organizações que desejam implantar ou aprimorar o processo de Inteligência. Avaliar previamente o apoio da alta gerência, a motivação dos profissionais envolvidos e a consciência sobre as oportunidades e ameaças que emergem do ambiente externo são alguns dos fatores de maior concordância entre os respondentes. / In turbulent and highly competitive scenarios, Intelligence is a major process that helps organizations to reduce uncertainties during decision making and anticipate changes that can affect their performance and sustainability. Despite the relevance of the activity, continuous and structured scanning processes are not a reality in most companies, due to the difficulty of implementing, understanding or formalizing it. Evaluate the factors that precede the adoption of a structured Intelligence activity allows companies to recognize their capabilities to perform monitoring, in order to further improve or implement it. A gap is also recognized in terms of tools to evaluate conditions that block or boosts the Intelligence process. Thus, organizational, informational, individual and technological/physical constructs that precede the implementation of a structured process of Intelligence have been drawn from the specific literature on the Information Systems and Intelligence pre-adoption. Six diagnostic models are presented to consolidate a framework with the main pre-adoption factors identified and validated by card sorting technique. The Delphi method was used to exploit opinions among experts to define which of these factors should compose a diagnostic question script. As a result, a list of issues is proposed to be applied to organizations that wish to deploy or enhance their Intelligence process. Prior evaluation of top management support, the motivation of people involved and consciousness from opportunities and threats that emerge from external environment are some of the pre-adoption factors of greater agreement among respondents.

Modified administration techniques that relied on patient verbalization of reasoning on each item were devised. For the WCST, verbalized scores correlated highly with conventional scores. However, patterns of age, education, and IQ covariates for each scoring condition were very different, raising questions concerning what such verbalized scores measured. Further research based upon a prospective research design was suggested to address this question. Factor analysis of WCST scores for each scoring condition resulted in almost identical three-factor solutions in each case: (a) ineffective, perseverative responding; (b) nonperseverative number errors; and (c) Maintaining Set. A three-part hierarchy of response determinants for the CT was utilized, consisting of (a) concrete perceptual attributes; (b) cognitive organization of perceptual attributes into abstract patterns; and (c) relating abstract patterns to the corresponding number responses. Decision trees were devised to prescribe a set of rules for coding each score. Utilization of this approach yielded adequate test-retest reliability for recoding responses. Sets of variables for each subtest were factor analyzed, with second order factor analysis of all factors from each subtest in order to determine if common cognitive process scores on each subtest described cognitive process scores on other subtests. Results revealed similar factor solutions for each subtest, but subtest-specific factors were not predictive of similar factor scores on other subtests, except for Subtests V and VI, which are based upon the same principle. Factors related to Maintaining Set predicted most of the variance in subtest error scores. Factor scores related to Determinant Shifting were predictive of error scores to a much lesser degree than Maintaining Set factor scores. Determinant Shifting factor scores appeared to be independent of Maintaining Set factor scores, and also showed much more independence from age, education, and IQ covariates. The relationship between CT and WCST factor scores was slightly lower than the relationship between CT error scores and WCST summary scores. Suggestions for further research were discussed.

The present study evaluates the effects of incompatible verbal behavior when engaging in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The WCST is a complex task that requires participants to match stimulus cards based on self-generated rules. After a varying number of trials, the rule changes and the participant will have to self-generate a new rule. Verbal behavior, specifically joint control, is likely involved in rule-following. Seven participants took part in this study. Participants engaged in the WCST either silently or while performing a putatively incompatible behavior, counting backward from 100 to 0. Results suggest joint control might be involved as when participants engaged in the incompatible behavior their performance was affected in terms of lower accuracy and longer reaction times compared to the silent baseline.

La présente recherche porte sur l'analyse de la performance d'individus atteints de schizophrénie au Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Cet instrument évalue la flexibilité cognitive et la capacité d'abstraction. La méthodologie proposée repose sur une approche a caractère exploratoire. Une expérience comportant une condition expérimentale et une condition contrôle est rapportée ou chacun des participants effectue la tâche proposée. Mentionnons qu'un sous-groupe de participants parmi le groupe expérimental, sélectionné sur une base volontaire, à exécuté la tâche une seconde fois afin de mesurer l'effet d'apprentissage. Soixante personnes ont participé à l'expérience, à raison de trente par groupe. Les résultats obtenus appuient l'hypothèse qui stipule que certains individus atteints de schizophrénie réussissent significativement moins de catégories et commettent plus d'erreurs "persévératives" que les participants normaux. De plus, certains patients sont capables d'apprendre sous l'effet de certains renforcements. Ces données sont compatibles avec l'hypothèse d'une dysfonction frontale dans la schizophrénie. D'autres mesures additionnelles sont également discutées.