Thesis (M.A.I.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-52). Also available on the World Wide Web.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of partial exemplar experience on category formation and use. Participants had either complete or limited access to the three dimensions that defined categories by dimensions within different modalities. The concept of "crucial dimension" was introduced and the role it plays in category definition was explained. It was hypothesized that the effects of partial experience are not explained by a shifting of attention between dimensions (Taylor & Ross, 2009) but rather by an increased reliance on prototypical values used to fill in missing information during incomplete experiences. Results indicated that participants (1) do not fill in missing information with prototypical values, (2) integrate information less efficiently between different modalities than within a single modality, and (3) have difficulty learning only when partial experience prevents access to diagnostic information. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Psychology 2011

abstract: The objective of this project was to evaluate human factors based cognitive aids on endoscope reprocessing. The project stems from recent failures in reprocessing (cleaning) endoscopes, contributing to the spread of harmful bacterial and viral agents between patients. Three themes were found to represent a majority of problems: 1) lack of visibility (parts and tools were difficult to identify), 2) high memory demands, and 3) insufficient user feedback. In an effort to improve completion rate and eliminate error, cognitive aids were designed utilizing human factors principles that would replace existing manufacturer visual aids. Then, a usability test was conducted, which compared the endoscope reprocessing performance of novices using the standard manufacturer-provided visual aids and the new cognitive aids. Participants successfully completed 87.1% of the reprocessing procedure in the experimental condition with the use of the cognitive aids, compared to 46.3% in the control condition using only existing support materials. Twenty-five of sixty subtasks showed significant improvement in completion rates. When given a cognitive aid designed with human factors principles, participants were able to more successfully complete the reprocessing task. This resulted in an endoscope that was more likely to be safe for patient use. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Applied Psychology 2011

<p> This study examined the relationship of the scores on the Practice Exam &amp; Assessment Tool (PEAT) to the scaled scores on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). A correlation analysis examined the relationship of the exam scores from three cohorts of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students on the PEAT and NPTE. This study sought to determine if the performance on the PEAT was a predictor of first-time pass rate on the NPTE. It was expected that PEAT scores would have a positive correlation to the NPTE scores. The results indicated a moderate to strong correlation between overall PEAT scores as well as subtest scores with the NPTE. In addition, students that passed the PEAT were highly likely to pass the NPTE on the first attempt. Not only did students that passed the PEAT go on to pass the NPTE, but a significantly high number of those students who failed the PEAT (60.7%) were found to have gone on to pass the NPTE on the first attempt as well. The multiple regression formula was found to be highly significant with the overall PEAT score and the four subtest scores in predicting performance on the NPTE. In the equation, Evaluation and Examination carried the most weight with respect to the prediction of the NPTE scaled score. This formula can be used to predict overall NPTE scores based on PEAT scores as well as to demonstrate the areas of needed remediation. The results obtained from this study will be useful in better preparing future graduates for successful performance on the NPTE. Students, who do not pass the PEAT, will be remediated, particularly in the areas of Evaluation and Examination, in order to be adequately prepared for the NPTE. </p><p>

Human flexible behaviour is often seen in everyday life tasks. These tasks (e.g., making coffee) are composed of actions (e.g., pouring sugar) that are typically nested within a large task structures made of superordinate components and nested subcomponents. Task switching has been adopted widely as an effective tool to explore the mechanisms of flexible behaviour and can be easily adapted to real-life situations. The core hypothesis explored in this thesis was that there might be another level of control that is responsible for coordinating and scheduling actions in task switching, which I label "meta-control". My first project aimed to establish robust behavioural evidence of meta-control. To test this hypothesis, switching efficiency was treated as a measure of meta-control influence. In a novel design, participants' beliefs about switch probability were manipulated through explicit instruction, allowing manipulation of meta-level control independent of the specific sequence of tasks required. The first three behavioural experiments demonstrated behaviorally that instructions influenced the efficiency of switching even when low-level (bottom-up) experience was matched, and that this effect was motivation-dependent. In follow-up studies, this meta-control influence was found to bias voluntary task selection. Two EEG studies aimed to characterize the level at which instruction affected processing. Motor and task levels were examined with lateralized motor potentials and oscillatory alpha power, respectively. Effects of instruction only existed on alpha power. Overall, the results suggest that expectancy prompts the adoption of distinct control modes across sequences of trials. The second project explored meta-control in a task switching paradigm with a hierarchical task structure in very short (2-4 trial) sequences that were preceded by instructions about switch frequency or switch position. The experiments focused on the benefits and costs of sequence structure, based on the hypothesis that trial sequences are treated as coherent units. Three behavioural studies were conducted for testing this hypothesis. The first utilized instructions about switch frequency to test for sequence transition effects and their influence on switching performance at the trial level. In two subsequent experiments, instructions made explicit the position of a task switch. The results confirmed that instructions about switch position helped participants to build useful sequence representations, and that alternating between sequences influenced trial-level switch processes. Generally, sequence representations have a persisting influence across trials and a pronounced impact at the first trial position of sequences. The experiments in this thesis provide evidence of meta-control in task switching. The first conclusion is that meta-control can be studied with the novel experimental design introduced in this thesis and was found to be reward dependent. The second conclusion is that meta-control acts as a set of parameters that can modulate the mode of control in a sustained way across trials.

abstract: Current theoretical debate, crossing the bounds of memory theory and mental imagery, surrounds the role of eye movements in successful encoding and retrieval. Although the eyes have been shown to revisit previously-viewed locations during retrieval, the functional role of these saccades is not known. Understanding the potential role of eye movements may help address classic questions in recognition memory. Specifically, are episodic traces rich and detailed, characterized by a single strength-driven recognition process, or are they better described by two separate processes, one for vague information and one for the retrieval of detail? Three experiments are reported, in which participants encoded audio-visual information while completing controlled patterns of eye movements. By presenting information in four sources (i.e., voices), assessments of specific and partial source memory were measured at retrieval. Across experiments, participants' eye movements at test were manipulated. Experiment 1 allowed free viewing, Experiment 2 required externally-cued fixations to previously-relevant (or irrelevant) screen locations, and Experiment 3 required externally-cued new or familiar oculomotor patterns to multiple screen locations in succession. Although eye movements were spontaneously reinstated when gaze was unconstrained during retrieval (Experiment 1), externally-cueing participants to re-engage in fixations or oculomotor patterns from encoding (Experiments 2 and 3) did not enhance retrieval. Across all experiments, participants' memories were well-described by signal-detection models of memory. Source retrieval was characterized by a continuous process, with evidence that source retrieval occurred following item memory failures, and additional evidence that participants partially recollected source, in the absence of specific item retrieval. Pupillometry provided an unbiased metric by which to compute receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, which were consistently curvilinear (but linear in z-space), supporting signal-detection predictions over those from dual-process theories. Implications for theoretical views of memory representations are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Psychology 2012

<p> This study presents a group therapy program for injured athletes recovering from a traumatic physical injury to address and provide coping skills for the trauma-related symptoms athletes may experience post-athletic injury. Eleven expert reviewers in the field of sport psychology, injury rehabilitation, and athletic development reviewed the program and provided feedback regarding the utility, accuracy, organization, applicability, and additional factors. Although reviewers noted traumatic reactions are experienced by a sub-group of athletes, they also generally agreed the group therapy program could aid in clinical work and reduce trauma-related distress experienced by athletes after an injury and provide social support within a safe environment, allowing discussion and sharing of experiences with one another.</p><p>

xiii, 155 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / In the multiple object tracking (MOT) task, observers are presented with multiple identical objects, some of which are temporarily identified as targets. After a selection period, all objects move randomly and independently for several seconds. At the end the motion period, all objects stop and observers must identify the target objects again. This task has been used to study a variety of important cognitive questions from object-based attention to cognitive development, divided attention and the development of expertise. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the neural mechanisms that underlie the ability to track multiple targets independently. Although a number of researchers have used fMRI (functional magnetic imaging) to examine what areas are active during MOT, the current set of studies is the first to employ ERPs (event-related potentials) to examine the neural mechanisms of MOT. With excellent temporal resolution, the ERP methodology allows researchers to delineate the time course of different phases of a single task with millisecond precision, something not possible with fMRI. In Chapter II, we manipulated the number of targets and difficulty of tracking and observed a lateralized contralateral negativity that was sensitive to the number of targets but not difficulty of tracking. Chapter III examined the effect of irrelevant white probes flashed briefly throughout the trial while observers tracked. We observed modulations of early visual components that indicated that during tracking, spatial attention focused on targets but did not differentiate between distractors and empty space. Finally, in Chapter IV, we examined the relationship between visual working memory (VWM) and MOT by manipulating the presence or absence of task relevant motion. We found that the waveforms evoked by an MOT task in the absence of task-relevant motion were nearly identical to waveforms evoked by the VWM task, suggesting that VWM is an important part of the typical MOT task. This thesis includes previously published and unpublished material. / Committee in Charge: Edward Vogel, Chairperson, Psychology; Edward Awh, Member, Psychology; Ulrich Mayr, Member, Psychology; Paul van Donkelaar, Outside Member, Human Physiology

<p> With many organizations facing the challenge of helping their employees prepare for change, it is important to identify the psychological constructs of employees that positively relate to their readiness for organizational change. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to assess the relationships between psychological capital and its four dimensions (self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) and readiness for organizational change among behavioral health professionals in one behavioral health organization in the southwestern United States. The theoretical foundation of the study was provided by the psychological capital theory and the readiness for organizational change theory. The researcher collected primary data via online survey from a convenience sample of 101 behavioral health professionals using the CPC-12 and Readiness for Organizational Change Measure (ROCM) instruments. The results of the nonparametric Kendall&rsquo;s tau-b correlation analysis identified statistically significant positive low to medium level correlations of readiness for organizational change with self-efficacy (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .217, <i> p</i> = .003), hope (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .355, <i> p</i> &lt; .001), and resilience (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .236, <i>p</i> = .001). Additional analysis showed a significant correlation between the compound construct of psychological capital and readiness for organizational change (&tau;<i>_b</i> = .271, <i> p</i> &lt; .001). The findings of this study are important to behavioral health and organizational change leadership interested in increasing employee readiness for organizational change through interventions aimed at enhancing employee&rsquo;s psychological capital and providing for their psychological well-being.</p><p>

<p> Small farms and ranches are extremely important to local economies and food systems. Yet, small farms and ranches are known to struggle financially. A review of the literature and this research project revealed agritourism is a promising practice that can improve the viability and financial stability of small farms and ranches. Five farmers were interviewed in a qualitative study that used a modified gap analysis to reveal the knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) influences impacting agritourism participation. The findings are summarized with recommendations to further improve this promising practice, as well as ideas for future research and a plan to implement and evaluate an agritourism program that could change how farmers approach this promising practice.</p><p>