O objeto de estudo desta tese consiste na análise de narrativas do cotidiano sobre realidades empresarias contemporânea de atuação. Essas narrativas foram emitidas por estudantes em situações de ensino universitário, que visam à formação de atores sociais capacitados para o exercício de um pensamento projetivo, prospectivo e de intervenção, baseado na aplicação de formas científicas de solução de problemas teórico-práticos na ação profissional competente. Esta análise fundamenta-se em categorias teóricas elaboradas por estudiosos de relações entre lógica linguagem e pensamento, e suas aplicações no estudo de processos cognitivos da abstração e argumentação. O corpus empírico de análise consiste em uma seleção de narrativas sobre o conteúdo empresarial, apresentadas por dez estudantes de um Curso Universitário de Administração, em uma disciplina de metodologia de pesquisa aplicada. A análise deste corpus foi realizada com base em categorias teóricas previamente estabelecidas, e em categorias derivadas empiricamente em função dos interesses do estudo, a saber: Classes (palavras)-Mundo (objeto); Estratégias dirigidas à ação - Estratégias dirigidas à compreensão; Concreto-Abstrato; Relações entre Sintaxe-Semântica; Crítica (modus ponens)-Crítica/Argumento; Enunciação do Problema- Origem /Fundamento do Problema. A análise baseou-se em: análise lógica das narrativas; analise da Lógica implícita nos Argumentos; análise Categorial, definido por Destacase que essa análise não tem pretensões de uma demonstração exaustiva destes componentes teóricos, mas sim de ilustrá-los, utilizando-se como referência uma busca por uma apreensão em relação aos obstáculos e ausências manifestos na capacidade intelectual de abstração reflexiva e correspondente argumentação dos estudantes em pauta. A interpretação dos resultados indicou um crescimento na complexidade lógica do pensamento coloquial verbalizado, aliado a uma ausência de representação dos processos racionais a ele subjacentes. Ou seja, a racionalidade contemporânea, alimentada nos centros de produção do pensamento técnico-científico, comunicar-se-ia como forma de conhecimento com tal segmento da sociedade de forma naturalizada. Refletir, então, sobre formas de intervenção pedagógica para a superação destes obstáculos, ao pleno exercício da razão, configuradas nos resultados desta pesquisa / The object of study for this thesis consists of the analysis of narratives of business routines and realities in the contemporary field of action. These narratives were given by college students who aim to become social actors and who are able to exercise prospective, interventionist and forward thought, based on the application of scientific forms in the solution of both theoretical and practical problems in professional contexts. This analysis was founded in theoretical categories and elaborated by scholars of these relations between logics, language and thoughts and its applications to the study of cognitive processes of abstraction and argumentation. The empirical corpus consists of a selection of narratives of a business nature, presented by ten students of a Management Course in a local college, who were undertaking the subject Applied Research Methodology. The investigation of this corpus was realized with basis on previously established theoretical categories and on those categories empirically derived and focused on the interests of the study, being described as follows; Types (words)- World (object); Strategies directed to action- Strategies directed to comprehension; Concrete-Abstract; Relation between Syntax-Semantics; Criticism (modus ponens) and Criticism (argument); Enunciation Problem and Origen(fundamental problem). Therefore, the analysis was based on the application of the categorization to the narratives. In this way the process was divided in three moments: a) logical analysis of the narratives; b) analysis of the Logics implied to them; c) categorial analysis. It is important to emphasize that this analyses does not intend to exhaustively demonstrate these theoretical components but to simply exemplify them using as reference a search for the apprehension of to the obstacles. This also identifies a lack of showing in the intellectual capacity of reflexive abstraction and correspondent ability of argumentation of the students observed. The interpretation of the results indicated growth in the logical complexity of the verbalized colloquial thought, allied to an absence of the rational processes representation related to it. This means that the contemporary rationality fed in the centres of production of technical scientific thought would communicate as a way of knowledge with this sort of segment of society in a naturalized way. To reflect, then, on forms of pedagogical intervention for the overcoming of these obstacles to the full exercise of the reason, configured in the results of this research

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:38:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DaniloFA_DISSERT.pdf: 1428700 bytes, checksum: 353e176142fa9432dc5bff6d655b0bb4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-20 / The sleep is an active brain process that allows the efficient realization of daily tasks. The changes on sleep patterns may influence the different cognitive processes performance. Many recent studies show the possibility of cognitive performance improvement, through the cognitive training with the use of computer games. The question is if these interventions may be influenced by the sleep quality. Thus, we evaluated the sleep quality effect about the efficacy of an intervention with computers games based on the working memory and attention for a cognitive performance training of elementary school students. The sample was constituted by 42 students with average age of 10,43 years old (SD=1,23), with 22 male participants and 20 female participants. We used to evaluate the sleep with the parents a sleep questionnaire, a sleep diary and the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire. In regard to intervention, the subjectives were distributed in an experimental and in a control group, both with 21 participants. In the first group occurred the intervention that consisted in the working memory and attention training with two cognitive tasks (Safari e Brain Workshop) during 30 daily minutes, for a 6 weeks period. In an equal period, the students from the control group should reproduce an artwork using drawing software. To evaluate the cognitive performance we applied before and after the intervention period the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III). The results showed that in both the groups the performance of the intelligence, working memory, attention and visuospatial skills was below of the mean. The cognitive processes evaluated after of intervention in the experimental group had a performance significantly higher in the Perceptual Reasoning Index (t = -6,24; p < 0,01) and in the Full Scale IQ (t = -5,09; p < 0,01) and Performance IQ (t = -6,52; p < 0,01), suggesting a improvement on the visuospatial skills, attention, working memory and processing speed. On the control group, the performance was significantly higher in the Coding subtest (t = -5,38; p< 0,01) and in the Perceptual Reasoning Index (t = -3,66; p = 0,01), suggesting a improvement on the visuospatial skills and attention. The mean obtained with the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire was 53,76 (SD=14,96) for an experimental group and 61,19 (SD=12,82) for a control group, indicating tendency for a bad sleep quality in that last one. Not only during the first days, but also in the last fifteen days of the intervention we verified in the two groups an adequate time to sleep, duration and regularity, in the weekdays and on the weekends. We didn t find significant differences between the two groups in none of the sleep variables. We verified statistically meaningful improvement on the performance of the experimental group with the intervention in the two games. We didn t verify significant correlations between the games performance index and in the sleep variables of the experimental group individuals. We verified significant correlations among the performance on the Brain Workshop and the Cubes subtest, the Perceptual Reasoning Index and the Scale Performance IQ, suggesting that the significant improvement of the visuospatial skills and of the attention was correlated with the performance in the Brain Workshop. Although the absence of correlations with the performance in the Safari, possibly it also has relieved in the improvement of the cognitive performance. The findings support the hypothesis that the computer games might be a satisfactory tool for the improvement of the performance in visuospatial skills and attention. This can be resulted of the insertion of visuospatial stimulations in the task, for example, graphical elements with thematic for children that increase the interest. The IQ below mean the individuals might have influenced the improvement absence on the cognitive processes like the working memory with games. Moreover, it wasn t verified a relation between the sleep quality and the intervention efficacy. It might have been influenced by the n of the sample. Future studies must focalize in the improvement of the effect of the interventions with games / O sono ? um processo cerebral ativo que contribui para a realiza??o eficiente das tarefas cotidianas. Mudan?as em seu padr?o podem influenciar o desempenho de diversos processos cognitivos. V?rios estudos recentes t?m demonstrado a possibilidade de melhora do desempenho cognitivo, a partir do treinamento cognitivo com o uso de jogos de computador. A quest?o ? se tais interven??es podem ser influenciadas tamb?m pela qualidade do sono. Assim, avaliamos o efeito da qualidade do sono sobre a efic?cia de uma interven??o com jogos de computador baseada no treinamento da mem?ria operacional e da aten??o para o desempenho cognitivo de alunos do ensino fundamental. A amostra foi constitu?da por 42 alunos com idade m?dia de 10,43 (DP=1,23) anos, sendo 22 indiv?duos do sexo masculino e 20 do feminino. Utilizamos para a avalia??o do sono junto aos pais uma ficha sobre sono, um di?rio do sono e o Question?rio sobre Comportamento do Sono. Para a interven??o, os indiv?duos foram alocados nos grupos experimental e controle, ambos com 21 indiv?duos. No primeiro grupo ocorreu a interven??o, que consistiu no treinamento da mem?ria operacional e da aten??o com duas tarefas cognitivas (Safari e Brain Workshop) por 30 minutos di?rios, por um per?odo de 6 semanas. Por igual per?odo, os indiv?duos do grupo controle deveriam reproduzir uma obra de arte utilizando software de desenho. Para avalia??o do desempenho cognitivo aplicamos antes e depois do per?odo de interven??o a Escala de Intelig?ncia Wechsler para Crian?as (WISC-III). Os resultados mostraram que em ambos os grupos o desempenho da intelig?ncia, mem?ria operacional, aten??o e visuoespacialidade foi abaixo da m?dia esperada. Os processos cognitivos avaliados ap?s a interven??o no grupo experimental tiveram um desempenho significativamente maior no ?ndice Organiza??o Perceptual (t = -6,24; p < 0,01) e nas escalas de QI Total (t = -5,09; p < 0,01) e de QI de Execu??o (t = -6,52; p < 0,01), sugerindo melhora na performance da visuoespacialidade, aten??o e velocidade de processamento. No grupo controle, o desempenho foi maior no subteste C?digo (t = -5,38; p < 0,01) e no ?ndice Organiza??o Perceptual (t = -3,66; p = 0,01), sugerindo melhora na performance da visuoespacialidade e aten??o. A m?dia obtida com o Question?rio de Comportamento do Sono foi de 53,76 (DP=14,96) para o grupo experimental e 61,19 (DP=12,82) para o grupo controle, indicando tend?ncia para qualidade do sono ruim nesse ?ltimo. Tanto nos primeiros como nos ?ltimos quinze dias da interven??o constatamos nos grupos hor?rios de dormir, dura??o e regularidade adequados, nos dias escolares e nos fins de semana. N?o verificamos diferen?as significativas entre os dois grupos em nenhuma das vari?veis de sono. Verificamos melhora significativa no desempenho do grupo experimental com a interven??o nos dois jogos. N?o verificamos correla??es significativas entre os ?ndices de desempenho dos jogos e as vari?veis de sono no grupo experimental. Verificamos correla??es significativas entre o desempenho no Brain Workshop e o subteste Cubos, o ?ndice Organiza??o Perceptual e a Escala de QI de Execu??o, sugerindo que a melhora significativa da visuoespacialidade e da aten??o estava correlacionada ao desempenho no Brain Workshop. Apesar da aus?ncia de correla??es com o desempenho no Safari, ? poss?vel que ele tamb?m tenha auxiliado na melhora da performance cognitiva. Os achados ap?iam a hip?tese de que os jogos de computador podem ser uma ferramenta satisfat?ria para a melhora do desempenho em visuoespacialidade e aten??o. Isso pode ser resultado da inser??o de est?mulos visuoespaciais na tarefa como, por exemplo, elementos gr?ficos com tem?ticas infantis que aumentam o interesse. O QI abaixo da m?dia dos indiv?duos pode ter interferido para que processos cognitivos como a mem?ria operacional n?o tenham melhorado com a interven??o. Al?m disso, n?o foi verificada rela??o entre a qualidade do sono e a efic?cia da interven??o, o que pode ter sido influenciado pelo n da amostra. Estudos futuros dever?o focar na otimiza??o dos efeitos das interven??es com jogos

Na literatura encontram-se propostas acerca da função do hipocampo como mediador (1) da memória operacional (working memory) e/ou como responsável pelo processamento de informações espacias e (2) de processos de controle temporal. Avaliou-se os efeitos da lesão seletiva do giro denteado, por aplicação múltipla e tópica de colchicina, no desempenho de ratos previamente treinados em tarefas que envolvem discriminação espacial e controle temporal. Experimento I: Os animais foram submetidos a uma tarefa de non-matchingto- sample (NMTS) em um labirinto em MAIS. Nesta tarefa, em uma primeira fase (fase de informação), o reforço é colocado somente em uma das caixas localizadas no final dos braços transversais - o acesso à outra caixa é bloqueado. Na segunda fase (fase de escolha), o acesso às duas caixas transversais é liberado e o reforço é colocado somente na caixa que não estava previamente disponível durante a fase de informação. Desta forma, os animais devem manter a informação do local previamente reforçado na 1a. fase; além disso, a informação de uma tentativa não pode ser generalizada para as tentativas subsequêntes. Estes mesmos animais foram treinados em uma tarefa temporal realizada em uma caixa de Skinner em um esquema de DRL - Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates. Neste procedimento, a resposta (pressão à barra) é reforçada se, e somente se, ela segue a resposta precedente por um intervalo de tempo específico, no caso, um intervalo de 20 segundos. Na tarefa espacial, embora haja um prejuízo na taxa de re-aquisição da resposta, o treino repetitivo faz com que o desempenho dos animais lesados se equipare aos dos sham. Estes resultados podem ser devidos à recuperação da capacidade de processar informações espaciais, ou então, à utilização de outra estratégia. Na tarefa temporal (DRL) os animais lesados continuam sendo capazes de espaçar suas respostas por um determinado intervalo, porém esse tempo é subestimado, ou seja, a pressão à barra ocorre em um tempo menor que o previamente treinado. Esta alteração no processamento de informações temporais pode dever-se a: a. deficiência no relógio interno - aceleração na contagem do tempo ou, b. deficiência no armazenamento de informações temporais - lembrança de um evento como se ocorresse antes do que de fato ocorre ou, c. porque os animais lesados são incapazes de evitar a pressão à barra, supondo-se que o desempenho deles, inclusive dos animais sham, esteja baseado em uma estratégia espacial de deslocamento na caixa experimental. Experimento II: A seguir, os animais foram testados em uma tarefa de delayed-non-matching-to-sample (DNMTS). Este procedimento é igual ao anterior, com a diferença da introdução de intervalos de 1, 2, 4, 8 e 16 minutos, entre as fases de informação e de escolha. Quando são introduzidos intervalos entre as fases, os animais lesados voltam a apresentar um prejuízo de desempenho com relação aos animais sham. Experimento III: Os sujeitos e equipamento empregados foram os mesmos utilizados no Experimento I e II. Neste experimento, os animais, na fase de escolha, ao invés de saírem da caixa inicial, saíram da caixa da qual acabaram de visitar na fase de informação. Se os animais estivessem utilizando uma estratégia de orientação egocêntrica, então eles deveriam virar à esquerda ou à direita, porém os animais seguiram em frente, dirigindo-se para a caixa alvo. Os resultados obtidos neste teste sugerem que os animais lesados estariam utilizando-se de uma estratégia espacial ou visual para resolverem a tarefa. Com esses resultados pode-se descartar a hipótese de que a recuperação de desempenho dos animais lesados esteja associada à utilização de uma estratégia de orientação egocêntrica; contudo, não pode-se descartar a hipótese da utilização de pistas (estratégia por guiamento). / The effects of multiple-site, intradentate, colchicine injections on the performance of a temporal, differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL-20 s) task and a spatial, delayed non-matching-to-place (DNMTP) task in a plus-maze were investigated in rats trained in both tasks prior to the lesion. Quantitative analysis revealed a greater than 86% reduction in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the colchicine-injected rats compared to the sham-operated controls. Dentate gyrus damage rendered rats less efcient than sham-operated controls in the performance of the DRL-20 s task. The DRL inter-response time (IRT) distribution for the DG-lesioned rats and the sham-operated controls was similar; however, while the distribution peak for the control rats was 20 s, it was 16 s for the DG-lesioned rats, indicating that the latter rats underestimated time. Performance of the DG-lesioned rats was also disrupted in the DNMTP task. However, DG-lesioned rats recovered control levels of performance during repeated training with an intertrial interval equal to 3 s. An increase in intertrial interval in lesioned and sham-operated controls disrupted performance in both groups; however, while DG-lesioned rats performed at chance levels when the intertrial interval was increased to 4 min or longer, the sham-operated controls performed at chance levels only when the intertrial interval was increased to 16 min. These results seem most parsimoniously interpreted following the cognitive map theory of hippocampal function.

Models of memory in cognitive science and philosophy have traditionally explained human remembering in terms of storage and retrieval. This tendency has been entrenched by reliance on computationalist explanations over the course of the twentieth century; even research programs that eschew computationalism in name, or attempt the revision of traditional models, demonstrate tacit commitment to computationalist assumptions. It is assumed that memory must be stored by means of an isomorphic trace, that memory processes must divide into conceptually distinct systems and phases, and that human remembering consists in inner, cognitive processes that are implemented by distinct neural processes. This dissertation draws on recent empirical work, and on philosophical arguments from Ludwig Wittgenstein and others, to demonstrate that this latent computationalism in the study of memory is problematic, and that it can and should be eliminated. Cognitive psychologists studying memory have encountered numerous data in recent decades that belie archival models. In cognitive neuroscience, establishing the neural basis of storage and retrieval processes has proven elusive. A number of revised models on offer in memory science, that have taken these issues into account, fail to sufficiently extricate the archival framework. Several impasses in memory science are products of these underlying computationalist assumptions. Wittgenstein and other philosophers offer a number of arguments against the need for, and the efficacy of, the storage and retrieval of traces in human remembering. A study of these arguments clarifies the ways that these computationalist assumptions are presently impeding the science of memory, and provides ways forward in removing them. We can and should characterize and model human memory without invoking the storage and retrieval of traces. A range of work in connectionism, dynamical systems theory, and recent philosophical accounts of memory demonstrate how the science of memory can proceed without these assumptions, toward non-archival models of remembering.

This thesis examined whether it is possible to enhance core elements of the information processing system with specific forms of environmental stimulation. The first series of experiments demonstrated that a preweaning environmental enrichment procedure that provided 60 minutes of daily multisensory stimulation accelerated the development of long-term contextual memory and enhanced inhibitory processing in young rats. That is, whilst stimulated and non-stimulated rats exhibited long-term memory of a context at 26 days of age, only stimulated rats showed this ability at 18 days of age. In addition, stimulated rats showed a faster rate of extinction of long-term contextual memory at 21 days of age, which was taken as evidence of enhanced inhibitory learning (i.e., context ??? no US) in these rats. Subsequent experiments with adult rats demonstrated that a combination of preweaning multisensory stimulation and postweaning rearing in an enriched environment improved the (1) specificity of long-term contextual memory, (2) speed of contextual information processing, and (3) availability of attentional resources. More specifically, enriched-reared rats demonstrated superior ability to discriminate between two similar contexts in comparison to standard-reared rats. In addition, enriched-reared rats showed superior memory of a context when there was limited time available to form a memory of that context. This finding was taken to indicate that rats that receive environmental enrichment are able to process contextual information more rapidly. Finally, standard-, but not enriched-, reared rats showed less conditioning to a discrete stimulus when it was presented in combination with a stronger stimulus during training compared to when it was presented by itself. The finding that enriched-reared rats did not show this overshadowing effect suggests that these rats have greater availability of attentional resources to divide between two stimuli that are competing for attention. The experiments with rats were followed by two experiments with children that investigated the effects of a computerised cognitive training procedure on information-processing speed. These experiments demonstrated that 30-minutes per weekday of training in rapid decision-making for three to five weeks improved children???s performance on two tests of processing speed (i.e., a choice reaction time and odd-man-out task). In addition, the speeded training improved children???s ability to sustain their attention and inhibit impulsive responses on a continuous performance test (Test of Variables of Attention). The cognitive training procedure had no effect on children???s performance on a measure of fluid intelligence (Raven???s Standard Progressive Matrices). The results of the experiments reported in this thesis suggest that a number of fundamental cognitive processes can be modified by environmental conditions that place increasing demands on the information-processing system. A neurobiological model, focusing on myelin, axon diameter, and the glutamatergic, glucocorticoid, noradrenergic, and cholinergic systems, was proposed in order to explain the observed effects of environmental stimulation on cognition in children and rats. The rationale for attempting to enhance fundamental cognitive processes was that improving these processes should ultimately improve general intellectual functioning. With respect to this aim, the correlational data from the present experiments with children revealed promising trends towards greater improvements on the tests of fundamental cognitive processes in those children in the training group with slower processing speed at the start of the intervention. This finding suggests that cognitive training may be even more effective at enhancing processing speed and other fundamental cognitive processes in children with intellectual impairments???who reportedly have slower processing speed than normal children. However, the extent to which training-related improvements in fundamental cognitive processes generalise to improvements in general cognitive functioning is unclear. That is, there is insufficient evidence that processing speed and other fundamental cognitive processes are causally related to intelligence. It is therefore essential that future cognitive training research is mindful of related developments within the intelligence and information processing literature.

The experiments described in this thesis tested whether encouraging the use of self-regulatory learning strategies enhances the effectiveness of autonomous study for novices in a learning domain. Previous research and theory have suggested that high-achieving students are proficient at self-regulating their learning, and they do so using a range of learning strategies for planning their study, monitoring the effectiveness of their efforts and elaborating their knowledge. Information processing theories of instructional design suggest that learning is optimal when working memory load is managed effectively. Accordingly, methods have been devised for reducing load associated with unnecessary task requirements, as well as dedicating additional capacity to the construction and automation of knowledge schemas. Less is known, however, about instructional methods for encouraging self-regulatory learning strategies. Experiments 1, 2 and 4 examined the effect of encouraging participants to reflect on their understanding of topics they had been taught previously. Although these participants were able to accurately estimate their level of understanding in some situations, they failed to consistently use this knowledge to guide their study of topics they had previously understood poorly. In light of this finding, Experiments 3 and 5 examined the effect of encouraging participants to plan a free study period, with the direction to prioritise the topics that they had understood the least well. This intervention had a modest positive effect on post-test performance. Experiment 6 examined the effect of encouraging two elaborative strategies, namely explanation generation and summarisation. The former benefited performance, whereas the effectiveness of the latter depended on the comprehensiveness of the summaries produced by the participants. Finally, Experiment 7 examined the effect of providing broad-spectrum instruction in learning strategies, with minimal requirements to engage in specific strategies. This intervention resulted in an overall benefit to performance. Overall, the results of this dissertation suggest that certain instructional aids for self-regulation yield benefits to the autonomous study by domain novices without overburdening working memory.

This dissertation research investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying second language (L2) listening comprehension. I use three types of sentential contexts, congruent, neutral and incongruent, to look at how L2 learners construct meaning in spoken sentence comprehension. The three types of contexts differ in their context predictability. The last word in a congruent context is highly predictable (e.g., Children are more affected by the disease than adults), the last word in a neutral context is likely but not highly predictable (e.g., Children are more affected by the disease than nurses), and the last word in an incongruent context is impossible (e.g., Children are more affected by the disease than chairs). The study shows that, for both native speakers and L2 learners, a consistent context facilitates word recognition. In contrast, an inconsistent context inhibits native speakers’ word recognition but not that of L2 learners. I refer to this new discovery as the facilitation-without-inhibition phenomenon in L2 listening comprehension. Results from follow-up experiments show that this facilitation-without-inhibition phenomenon is a result of insufficient suppression by L2 learners.

According to prior researches about service failure and service recovery, much attention was given to types of service recovery. However, there was still lack of discussion on the effectiveness of service recovery performance on customer satisfaction, WOM and re-patronage. Recently, there were some researches investigated on how customer relationship with a service organization affects their reactions to service failure and recovery. As a result, this research integrated the five determinants of customer satisfaction (stability attribution, controllability attribution, perceived equity, positive and negative affect) to further investigate the moderate effect of customer relationship on service recovery performance, WOM and re-patronage. This research reports an experimental design in the context of restaurants is separated into (2*4) eight scenarios. Four hundred and twenty-two questionnaires were gathered via internet. According to the gathered data, the conclusions of this research are summarized as following: 1.As the service recovery performance increases, customers are unlikely to attribute the service failure as a stable factor. At the same time, the degree of customers¡¦ perceived equity would be higher. 2.Customer¡¦s relationship is significant to the stable attribution, but is not significant to the controllable attribution and perceived equity. 3.Negative relationships exist between stable attribution, controllable attribution and positive affect. Positive relationships exist between perceived equity and positive affect. 4.Customer¡¦s relationship is not significant to moderate the re-patronage and word-of mouth. 5.The integrated analysis on cognitive and affective viewpoint can let post-recovery satisfaction clarify 66.2% of variation explanation. 6.The LISREL analysis result appears that the goodness of fit of the structure in this study would be acceptable.

Nowadays, volatile and complex environment has forced most organizations to operate in team-based ways to increase their flexibility and adaptability. For teams to adapt, local innovation and change, that is, self-organization, is the most critical process. However, the self-organizing process is poorly understood both in academic and practice. To deep our understanding of self-organizing teams, this research attempts to explore the self-organizing mechanism in group cognitive system perspective. One System Dynamics model is built to represent important self-organization processes. And the classical self-organizing theory-Dissipative Structure Theory is applied to guide important simulations to acquire knowledge of dynamic interactions among those processes. Several positive loops are found to be quite essential in structuring and de-structuring team¡¦s operation structure. With the knowledge of evolutionary feedback acquired, impact of critical environmental factors, such as knowledge redundancy, communication quality, and open interactions, are further investigated and experimented.

This study has endeavored to discover the pertinent characteristics associated with sports gambling. Three variables appear to be especially prominent in the literature concerning gambling. Chasing one's losses is a gambling specific behavior that has been linked to pathological gambling (Lesieur, 1984). When gambler's chase their losses, they attempt to win back previously lost wagers with future gambles. In addition, previous research has focused on both the cognitive and decision making processes associated with gambling (Kahneman & Tversky, 1978; Langer, 1975). I have hypothesized that the manner in which cognitive processes, decision making, and chasing one's losses interact is a primary variable that contributes to pathological gambling. An additional hypothesis concerns the manner in which sports knowledge affects gambling behavior. The research described in this dissertation has attempted to examine the relevant cognitive and decision making processes associated with pathological gambling. Subjects engaged in gambling simulation over a six week period of time. This simulation replicated real-world gambling with the exception that money could not be lost. The top three winners were paid a percentage of their earnings in order to help insure internal validity. Results indicate that subjects with a high degree of sports knowledge gambled at a higher level and lost a greater amount of wagers than subjects with a low degree of sports knowledge. Implications associated with this include the possibility that individuals utilize knowledge as way to discount and distort statistical probabilities associated with gambling. In this study, cognition processes and decision making were not related to gambling outcomes. / text