The numerous transdisciplinary research initiatives currently addressing a variety of complex social issues could benefit from a deeper understanding of the ways in which intellectually diverse groups work together to address problems. This research focused on a small group of investigators in a transdisciplinary institute as they sought to work collaboratively in the domain of infectious disease research. The unit's members described many challenges and successes that provided insights into the character and dynamics of transdisciplinary research, including how members developed a shared conceptual framework. The process proved enormously complex and was the product of long-term interactions among group members. Because participants were rooted in different disciplines and did not share professional trajectories, communication and understanding took extra effort, patience, and the development of a counterintuitive set of cognitive skills. Over time an integrated work process evolved within the group through a combination of strong interpersonal relationships, the mediating role of interactional expertise, and the development of shared boundary objects. Group members began working more closely with other team participants throughout the lifespan of projects. That experience over time allowed individuals to connect the details of their work together with the overarching goals and strategies of the group. This study employed the theory of trading zones to illustrate the ways researchers worked across boundaries to establish shared ideas, values, and goals. It developed and applied the concept of a transdisciplinary trading zone to describe the group's ability to coordinate its action despite both epistemic and communication barriers. Ultimately, the researchers studied sought a balance between being "productive," understood as providing practical tools to industry and government, and generating novel scientific solutions to complex research problems. The group's success in securing a shared research aspiration despite its member's disciplinary and professional differences resulted from an iterative process of interaction that included learning from failed attempts and a constant and persistent negotiation of goals and values among those involved. / Ph. D.

<p> Ericsson, Krampe and Tesch-Römer (1993) have concluded from work with musicians that expertise is the result of "deliberate practice". So how valid is this conclusion in sport? Four groups of wrestlers (n=42); 2 international and 2 club (current & retired) recalled the hours spent in wrestling activities since beginning wrestling. All groups had begun at a similar age (M =13.2 ± 0.6year) and had been wrestling for 10 years or more. Contrary to Ericsson et al., practice alone activities did not discriminate between the groups, only practice with others. At 6 years into their careers, the international group practised 4.5 hour/week more than the club wrestlers and at age 20 years the international wrestlers had accumulated over 1000 more hours of practice with others. Evaluations of wrestling activities showed that those judged as relevant, were also rated high for concentration and enjoyment. Diary data were collected from current wrestlers, however, no differences were found for time spent in wrestling activities. The international wrestlers spent longer travelling to practice, which reflected the necessity to train at a club with the best sparring partners. Practice with others yielded high correlations between estimates for a typical week and the diary data for the international wrestlers only, suggesting a more consistent training schedule for this group. In conclusion Ericsson et al.s' definition of "deliberate practice" needs to be reconsidered. It is suggested that "maintenance" hours should be considered separately from practice, and that future studies focus on what it is that motivates people to practice.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Cognition shapes how we perceive and react to our environment. Throughout my Master of Science, I have studied two major fields of animal cognition. My thesis first reports on the cognitive aspects of animal navigation in home ranging and seasonal migration, then I explore the development of group expertise through extensive experience with collective decision-making. The key contributions of the first manuscript (Chapter 2) are a condensed yet detailed summary of the behaviours involved in individual and collective animal movement, followed by research ideas to fill the gaps of the current literature. The key contribution of the second manuscript (Chapter 3) is developing an experiment to study group expertise, a topic that currently lacks controlled experiments, via testing the effect of experience on collective decision-making. This thesis expands the existing knowledge on animal movement and collective decision-making. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Cognition is the process of attaining, processing, and using information. Perception, learning, and memory are the main cognitive processes that are responsible for how we understand the world around us. In my thesis, I first review the cognitive processes involved in short-distance and long-distance animal movements. Secondly, I examine how a specific type of cognition, collective decision-making, improves with experience. Together, I reflect on various pillars of animal cognition, discuss my contributions to the field, and suggest further research ideas.

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