Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-100).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Iowa, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-164).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Arizona, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-232).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Daniel Hamermesh. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed January 12, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 198-209).

by Kevin L. Boettcher, Alexander H. Levis. / "October 1982." / Bibliography: leaf 23-24. / Air Force Office of Scientific Research contract AFOSR 80-0229

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-127). Also available via the Internet.

According to the IPCC (2007) fourth assessment report, small islands and coastal communities have a set of characteristics that makes them very vulnerable to climate change impacts, mainly sea-level rise and storm surges. Coastal hazards including inundation, salinisation of the water supply, and erosion threaten vital infrastructure that support coastal communities. Although Canada has the longest coastline in the world, little work has been done on impacts of climate change and adaptation to these impacts in the Canadian coastal zones. This research is part of an International Community-University Research Alliance (ICURA) C-Change, project to develop a multicriteria decision evaluation and support for the systems analysis of adaptation options for coastal communities toward adapting to environmental changes. This study estimates the vulnerability of coastal communities with respect to their environmental, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. It also applies a group version of the Analytical Hierarchy Process for identifying decisions that various stakeholders make on suggested adaptation strategies. This study develops a methodological framework that is applicable to various coastal and small island contexts. The application of the proposed framework is further discussed in a case study conducted on the communities of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Little Anse on Isle Madame, Nova Scotia. Specifically, the state of the Little Anse breakwater is analyzed and new adaptation options are presented and evaluated. This research has illustrated and applied a process of decision evaluation and support that explicitly engages multiple participants and critieria in complex problems situations involving environmental change in coastal communities.

M.Com. (Business Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Cette recherche porte sur les mécanismes cognitifs à l’origine de la persévération lors de la conduite de systèmes dynamiques à risques. La thèse défendue est que la persévération dans l’application d’un plan d’actions inadapté résulte d’un compromis cognitif orienté vers un « mode de pensée automatique », amenant à une représentation incorrecte de la situation et à une sous-estimation des ressources nécessaires à sa gestion. L’activation d’un « mode de pensée contrôlé », essentielle à l’adaptation à une nouvelle situation, serait favorisée par la discussion argumentée d’avis divergents au sein de l’équipe.Afin de le vérifier, trois études sont menées dans le cadre du pilotage militaire. Elles portent sur les analyses : de rapports d’accident, des processus de décision en simulation de vol statique et des interactions verbales en simulation dynamique.Elles montrent que la persévération est liée à l’implication d’un mode de pensée automatique intervenant à trois niveaux du processus de décision : le défaut de détection des informations, l’interprétation incorrecte de la situation et le recours aux procédures. Le faible niveau de ressources disponibles, induit par une charge de travail élevée, joue un rôle important dans la survenue de la persévération tandis que l’argumentation de ses points de vue favorise la flexibilité. Ainsi, lorsque la gestion d’événements imprévus requiert un coût cognitif élevé, la gestion des ressources est un élément clé de la persévération. Des pistes de recherche relatives aux communications verbales sont proposées afin d’améliorer l’exploitation des ressources du collectif et ainsi favoriser la récupération des comportements de persévération. / This research deals about the cognitive mechanisms of perseveration during management of dynamic and risky systems. The thesis asserted is that perseveration in the application of an inadequate plan of actions results from a cognitive compromise oriented toward “automatic thinking” leading to incorrect representation of the situation and under-estimation of the resources needed to handle it. The activation of “controlled thinking”, essential to new situation adaptation, would be favoured by argued discussion about divergent opinions within the team. In order to test it, three studies have been conducted within military piloting. They were based on analyses of: accident reports, decision processes during static flight simulation and verbal interactions during dynamic simulation.They showed that perseveration is linked to the implication of automatic thinking which operates at three levels of the decision process: Information non-detection, incorrect interpretation of the situation and use of procedures. The limited resources available, induced by high workload, play an important role in the occurrence of perseveration whereas argumentation about its viewpoints improves flexibility. Hence, when the management of unexpected events requires a high cognitive cost, resources management is a key element of perseveration. Avenues of research concerning verbal communication are proposed in order to improve exploitation of the collective resources and thus improve perseveration behaviours recovery.