Inconsistency among findings in the embodied cognition literature suggests a need for theoretical boundary conditions. The current research proposes that conscious attention of a bodily state can moderate its influence on social judgment. Three studies tested this possibility in the case of the demonstrated effect of weight sensations on judgments of an abstract idea's importance. Studies 1 and 2 showed that participants rated a topic as more important when holding a moderately heavy, compared with light, clipboard. However, when the clipboard was very heavy, participants rated the survey topic as less important compared with when the clipboard was moderately heavy. The differences in importance ratings were not caused by derogation of the topic or the activation of a different metaphor. In Study 3, the importance rating difference between light and moderately heavy clipboards was eliminated by explicitly drawing perceiver's attention to the clipboard's weight. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Background: Uncertainty in parameters is present in many risk assessment and decision making problems and leads to uncertainty in model predictions. Therefore an analysis of the degree of uncertainty around the model inputs is often needed. Importance analysis involves use of quantitative methods aiming at identifying the contribution of uncertain input model parameters to output uncertainty. Expected value of partial perfect information (EVPPI) measure is a current gold- standard technique for measuring parameters importance in health economics models. The current standard approach of estimating EVPPI through performing double Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) can be associated with a long run time. Objective: To investigate different importance analysis techniques with an aim to find alternative technique with shorter run time that will identify parameters with greatest contribution to uncertainty in model output. Methods: A health economics model was updated and served as a tool to implement various importance analysis techniques. Twelve alternative techniques were applied: rank correlation analysis, contribution to variance analysis, mutual information analysis, dominance analysis, regression analysis, analysis of elasticity, ANCOVA, maximum separation distances analysis, sequential bifurcation, double MCS EVPPI,EVPPI-quadrature and EVPPI- single method. Results: Among all these techniques, the dominance measure resulted with the closest correlated calibrated scores when compared with EVPPI calibrated scores. Performing a dominance analysis as a screening method to identify subgroup of parameters as candidates for being most important parameters and subsequently only performing EVPPI analysis on the selected parameters will reduce the overall run time.

Quality of life is an important yet often unmeasured variable in assessing places to live. Maintaining and promoting a high quality of life is critical for communities striving to sustain and expand their current economic bases. This study presents a format for measuring quality of life and an adaptation of the importance-performance analytical technique for evaluating results. Using results from a quality of life survey, the study demonstrates how policy implications may be suggested from the analysis.

A slowing economy coupled with new political initiative to rely on faith-based organizations to deal with social ills is raising concerns for cause-based organizations about the level of future donations. In this study, 1,414 survey respondents permitted comparisons between current, lapsed and non-donors to the American Lung Association (ALA) in terms of donation motives and their satisfaction via donating, concern about health issues, perceptions of ALA and demographics. Analyses consisted of analysis of variance, chi-square tests and use of the importance/performance technique. Similarities and differences among the three groups are noted and discussed. Implications for the ALA's fundraising activities are drawn.

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This study examines the concept of authenticity as applied at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park (ACHNHP). Based on past theoretical research, a functional definition of authenticity is used in an effort to test whether or not visitors to the park come for reasons relating to authenticity. Further analyses are used to determine the relative importance of authenticity to other motivational reasons for visiting the park, and how the level of authenticity experienced at ACHNHP affects how respondents rate the importance and performance of many park setting attributes. Using motivation for authenticity and importance/performance variables as predictors, visitor knowledge, perceptions of crowding and conflict, and overall satisfaction are assessed. The results suggest that while authenticity is important for park visitors, experience outputs are difficult to forecast because of correlation among independent variables and homogeneity of park visitors. Recommendations are made for future researchers when examining the concept of authenticity. / Master of Science

The objective of the study is to explain the location or distribution patterns of urban services in Pichincha Province, Ecuador. It is hypothesized that these services are located in urban centres according to their level of importance, and the settlements of the province were evaluated in terms of ten different measures or indicators of relative importance. The distribution pattern of each of the fourteen services that cater to the rural areas of the province was compared with each measure, and, using additional background information where necessary, an attempt was made to formulate general principles which might explain the distribution of services in the province. It was found that there was generally a close relationship between urban importance and the location choices that had been made by the various service administrations, but that distribution patterns were affected by urban shadow, by local initiative or apathy, and by in-migration from Quito by people buying suburban homes. It was also found that three of the indicators used, frequency of local markets and of bus departures, and the nature of a centre’s highway link, do not provide any significant explanation beyond that given by the other seven indicators of relative importance. In addition, it was possible to classify the centres of the province into four distinct groups, based on population level and the number of services present. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

As device feature sizes shrink to nano-scale, continuous technology scaling has led to a large increase in parameter variability during semiconductor manufacturing process. According to the source of uncertainty, parameter variations can be classified into three categories: process variations, environmental variations, and temporal variations. All these variation sources exert significant influences on circuit performance, and make it more challenging to characterize parameter variability and achieve robust, low-power designs. The scope of this dissertation is conquering parameter variability and successfully designing efficient yet robust integrated circuit (IC) systems. Previous experiences have indicated that we need to tackle this issue at every design stage of IC chips. In this dissertation, we propose several robust techniques for accurate variability characterization and efficient performance prediction under parameter variations. At pre-silicon verification stage, a robust yield prediction scheme under limited descriptions of parameter uncertainties, a robust circuit performance prediction methodology based on importance of uncertainties, and a robust gate sizing framework by ElasticR estimation model, have been developed. These techniques provide possible solutions to achieve both prediction accuracy and computation efficiency in early design stage. At on-line validation stage, a dynamic workload balancing framework and an on-line self-tuning design methodology have been proposed for application-specific multi-core systems under variability-induced aging effects. These on-line validation techniques are beneficial to alleviate device performance degradation due to parameter variations and extend device lifetime.

Dans les applications graphiques, les interactions avec les formes sont peu naturelles. L'utilisateur repousse autant que possible l'usage de ces applications, préférant dessiner ou sculpter une forme. Pour combler ce fossé qui se creuse entre l'informatique et le grand public, nous nous tournons vers les squelettes. Ce sont des modèles de représentation des formes intuitifs que nous proposons d'utiliser comme structure d'interaction directe et intuitive.Tous les squelettes souffrent d'un problème de qualité, que ce soit au niveau de la géométrie qu'ils capturent, de leurs quantité de bruit ou encore de l'absence d'organisation utile de leurs éléments. De plus, certaines fonctionnalités nécessaires des squelettes ne sont que partiellement résolues, et ceci grâce à des données additionnelles calculées à partir de la forme lors de la squelettisation. Ainsi, lorsque le squelette est modifié par une interaction, nous sommes dans l'incapacité de mettre à jour ces données et d'utiliser ces fonctionnalités.Nous avons construit un ensemble de solutions algorithmiques à ces problèmes. Nous faisons un usage optimal des données contenues dans le squelette pour visualiser la forme qu'il décrit, supprimer son bruit et structurer ses éléments. Nous construisons un squelette hiérarchique qui capture et contrôle toutes les zones caractéristiques d'une forme.Ce squelette est adapté pour une interaction directe et intuitive, ce qui permet de combler le fossé dont nous faisions mention. Nos travaux permettent également d'améliorer les méthodes de squelettisation et produire des squelettes qui sont déjà de bonne qualité. / The interactions in shape creation graphic applications are far from natural. The user tends to avoid as much as possible such applications and prefer to sketch or model his/her shape.To bridge this widening gap between computer and the general public, we focus on skeletons. They are intuitive shape representation models that we propose to use as direct and intuitive interaction structures.All skeletons suffer from very low quality as shape representation models, concerning the geometry of the shape they capture, the quantity of skeletal noise they contain or the lack of useful organization of their elements. Moreover, some functionalities that must be granted to skeletons are only partially solved. Those solutions make use of additional data computed thanks to the shape during the skeletonization. Thus, when the skeleton is modified by an interaction, we cannot update those data to make use of such functionalities.Thanks to a practical observation of skeletons, we built a set of algorithmic solutions to those problems.We make an optimal use of skeleton data to visualize the shape described by a skeleton, to remove skeletal noise and to structure skeleton elements. With our methods, we build the meso-skeleton, a hierarchical structure that captures and controls all characteristic parts of a shape.The meso-skeleton is adapted to be used as a direct and intuitive interaction structure, which allows us to bridge the gap aforementioned. Also, our work can lead to further researches to enhance skeletonization techniques and thus produce skeletons that are good quality shape representation models.