This study was conducted in order to assess the effects of creative stimulation in early childhood. The quantitative quasi-experimental study was set out to test a target group of 8 children in grade R, ranging in age from five to six years, to determine the importance of stimulation and intervention of creativity from a young age. A pre-test, evaluated the initial level of each child’s creative skills in fluency, flexibility and originality. This was followed by selecting one class as the experimental group and another class, from the same demographical location, as the control group. The experimental group underwent a six-week intervention programme which focused on the primary concepts in each area of fluency, flexibility and originality. Both groups continued with their normal school learning programmes. The results indicate that the impact of stimulation on young children was significant and that there was a great difference in the abilities and understanding of concepts in those children whohad been stimulated. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

In South Africa the Center for Child Youth and Family Studies is training practitioners yearly to work as play therapists from a gestalt approach. Once these practitioners successfully complete their training and qualify they could begin practicing play therapy from a gestalt approach. Each of these recently qualified play therapists is then responsible for organising and committing to their own supervision. Therapists who do not attend supervision risk stagnation and burn out due to a lack of positive interaction in relation to receiving knowledge and support from those more experienced in gestalt play therapy and from their peers. At present there is a perceived lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach particularly for those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach that are geographically distant from the areas where training takes place. This study sought to answer the question of what supervision resources are currently available to recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach in South Africa. In order to answer this question combined quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. An internet survey questionnaire was completed by recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach which formed part of the quantitative section of the research. Structured interviews were conducted via Skype with professionals experienced in the field of Gestalt therapy theory and supervision from a gestalt approach and this formed part of the qualitative section of the research. Overall the results from the merged data indicate a lack of supervisors qualified to give supervision based on a gestalt approach. This factor contributes to the overall lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach for recently qualified play therapists working from this approach. Geographical distance from supervision resources places financial and time constraints on recently qualified play therapists that prevent them from accessing supervision based on a gestalt approach. Despite this results indicate those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach are attempting to meet their responsibility and requirement for supervision. / Psychology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

O presente trabalho apresenta um modelo de aplicação de ferramentas de projeto integradas ao longo das fases de desenvolvimento de produto, neste caso, aplicadas na melhoria do produto suporte para fixação de cilindro de gás natural veicular. O foco do trabalho é apresentar a integração de ferramentas nas fases de Projeto Informacional, Projeto Conceitual e Projeto Detalhado do Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos. Entende-se por integração a escolha de ferramentas que permitam conduzir o fluxo de informação ao longo das fases de desenvolvimento de produtos, de tal forma que a informação de saída de uma ferramenta seja a informação de entrada da ferramenta subseqüente. As ferramentas integradas a partir da fase de Projeto Informacional foram a Pesquisas de Mercado Qualitativa e Quantitativa, com a finalidade de identificar as demandas dos clientes. As demandas dos clientes foram os dados de entrada da Matriz da Qualidade (Quality Function Deployment - QFD), resultando nos requisitos do produto e suas respectivas especificações-meta. A partir dos requisitos do produto, diferentes conceitos (configurações) foram gerados, apoiados pela Matriz Morfológica no Projeto Conceitual. Na seqüência utilizou-se a ferramenta de Projeto de Experimentos (Design of Experiments - DOE) para avaliar a estimativa de preço frente às possíveis configurações do produto. Com a Matriz de Pugh, alternativas de conceito de produto foram avaliadas possibilitando a escolha do melhor conceito de produto. No Projeto Detalhado, foi aplicada ferramenta de Análise dos Modos de Falha e seus Efeitos (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis - FMEA), utilizado de forma integrada com o QFD, para identificar as falhas atuais e potenciais e seus efeitos em sistemas e processo. Em função das demandas identificadas, foram definidas e implementadas melhorias no produto. Observou-se a adequabilidade destas ferramentas de projeto para aplicação de forma integrada, garantindo um fluxo contínuo de informações rastreáveis e que tendem a levar à uma reduzida chance de perdas ao longo do processo. / There are few examples in literature about the integration of project tools along the product development phases. The main research objective in thesis is to integrate some tools that facilitate the information flow along the product development phases, more specifically in Informational Project, Conceptual Project and Detailed Project phases. The product improvement “support for Vehicular Natural Gas” was the object of study in thesis. The main idea is that the information output from one tool is the input information of the subsequent tool. Starting from the Informational Project phase it was performed qualitative and quantitative market researches with the purpose of identifying the customers' demands for the studied product. The customers’ demands were the entrance data of the QFD (Quality Function Deployment) tool resulting in the product requirements and their respective specifications-goal. In Concept Project the product requirements were converted in functions and further different concepts were generated through the Morphologic Analysis. In the sequence, it was used the DOE (Design for experiments) tool to evaluate the estimate price to the possible products' configurations. The Pugh Matrix tool was used for concepts evaluation and choice. The FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) tool integrated with QFD was useful for current and potential failures identification and impact analysis in the system and process. With the application of these five tools the users’ demands were identified and improvements to the product were performed. The chosen tools proved to be adequate for integration, assuring that a continuous trackable information flow was attained with presumable reduced information loss, along the Product Development Process phases.

No description available.

Abstract Understanding and attitudes of the public towards the current Health Care Reform This thesis summarizes the basic facts about the current reform within the Health Care Sector and how it is being perceived by the general public. The theoretical part focuses on the basic information about the development of the Health Care Sector in the Czech Republic and its current reform. The development of the Health Care Sector from the year of 1918 until present is highlighted. At the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, a new set of laws were passed, which triggered the initial reform of the Czech Health Care Sector. However, a period of passivity regarding subsequent legislation has resulted in the present problems. Further, there is a focus on current Health Care Reform enquiring: why the reform is needed, the nature of its stages and its legislative and non-legislative changes. Only a small part of the reform measures came into force. This included the introduction of regulation fees, the introduction of an `annual safe limit{\crq}, and the pricing and payment for medication. The practical part presents the research findings in relation to the issues mentioned above. The research part of the thesis, carried out using questionnaires, is concerned with the views of the public with respect to current Health Care Reform and investigates whether it has been understood by the public. The research shows that most of the respondents disagree with the reform and think that it is not developing in the right direction. The majority of respondents with this view were found to be within the age group of 60 and over, and within the group of respondents with a basic level or vocational education. Further, the research suggests that the public is not adequately informed about the new Health Care Reform, and therefore demonstrates a lack of understanding of its nature. In addition, the current political climate suggests that the public may lose interest in these issues and will become disengaged with the reform without further consideration.

Master's thesis "Marketing research during the development of the Black pelican shopping centre" deals with the use of marketing research in the preparatory and the operational phase of the project Black Pelican shopping centre. The shopping centre is to be completed in the downtown of the České Budějovice in 2011. Theoretical part of the thesis dealing with the basics of marketing research is followed by the marketing research analysis during the preoperational part of the project. In this analysis, particular emphasis is set on the methodology of the carried out studies and on the summary of the importance of the marketing research in the project of Black Pelican shopping centre.. Next part of the thesis deals with the importance of the marketing research since the opening of the commercial gallery Black Pelican. . Beside the specific research studies that are proposed in this part of the thesis and that should be implemented, their organizational backup is also described.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The outcome of child abuse, i.e. physical, emotional and/or sexual, and child neglect is multifactorial. The severity, duration and nature of abuse and the child’s vulnerabilities are all contributory factors with regards the outcome of abuse. Children who are traumatized are likely to be profoundly affected. Studies have shown and nearly every researcher agrees that early childhood traumas lie at the root of many emotional and psychological illnesses. It has been noted that drug abuse is a major problem in the Western Cape. This thesis explored the relationship between subjectively perceived childhood trauma and drug dependence in an in-patient treatment-seeking sample of adults in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area in the Western Cape. This thesis presents the results of a measure of childhood trauma, namely the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire [CTQ] and a measure of drug dependence, the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test [DUDIT]. The sample consisted of 52 participants and included both males and females. Only participants who were identified as drug dependent were included in the study. Patients who were actively psychotic and/or alcohol dependent were not included in the study. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of the Western Cape’s higher degree ethical committee. The anonymity of the participants, the importance of responding openly and honestly and the sensitive nature of the questions were highlighted during the test administration. Questionnaires were administered in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in the respective manuals. The data was analysed through correlation. The study found a positive correlation between childhood emotional abuse and drug dependence, and childhood physical abuse and drug dependence.

This research concentrates on the developing, implementing, and evaluating of a practical training program for the caregiver of an infant in order to provide in the infant’s primary needs and development. The research problem of quality care for the infant during the time that his mother is working was identified and discussed in chapter 1. Intervention research was used as research methodology. This methodology implies a combined quantitative and qualitative approach. The first part of this research (chapters 2&3) addresses the problem analysis and information gathering linked to the development of a theoretical basis for the intervention model. Infancy as developmental stage is discussed as well as the developmental tasks that the infant must achieve during this phase in order to grow and develop as a self-actualized individual (chapter 2). It is essential for the caregiver to gain knowledge and skills about infancy, the needs and the developmental tasks of this phase. The tasks, roles, and responsibilities of the caregiver were discussed in chapter 3. The second part of this research (chapter 4) is related to the design of the intervention program, the conducting of a pilot test and the refining of the intervention. This in-home care program is theoretically funded, and it is divided practically into the five workdays of the week, in accordance with the five developmental tasks that the infant must achieve in this developmental phase. Ten caregivers willingly participated in this intervention program. In chapter 5, the empirical findings with the development and implementation of the training program for in-home care of an infant are discussed. From the information gathered during the focus groups with the mothers of infants and caregivers as well as the results from the questionnaires from pre-tests and post-tests, the researcher came to the conclusion that the research problem of quality caretaking of an infant for the time his mother is working is addressed. Through internalizing theoretical knowledge and practical skills during the training program, the caregivers are able to care optimally for an infant at home. They are equipped with play techniques and mediums which are adapted within the gestalt approach and supported by relevant aids. The caregiver is able to stimulate the infant’s developmental needs and tasks in this developmental phase. Conclusions and recommendations (chapter 6) of this study are put forward in accordance with the process that was followed in developing and implementing the training program for optimal caretaking of the infant in the safe and familiar environment of his own home. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

Private business subjects are characterised by their continuous effort for increasing their market position. Therefore they are permanently monitoring their own sthrengths and weaknesses, and they are also monitoring their competitors´ behaviour and customers´ needs and wishes. Such pieces of information can be received by analysis of business surroundings and from custommers´ opinion. Activities like these are called marketing research. The research should include all aspects that influence the way of perception of the company by any other market subject, or even the atmosphere inside the company. Information received is valuable for managers and their decision-making. Marketing research is a dynamicly developing field where new findings of social sciences are permanently applied. A significant developement in this field was reached mainly in last years. It is a result of the rapid progress of information and communication technologies. Modern forms of marketing research often use the Internet for collecting various information on the market.

Background: The East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine Library has participated for several years in projects to provide rural clinicians with health information resources. Objectives: To determine whether a strategy of hand‐held devices with a best‐evidence point‐of‐care disease tool and a drug database paired with access to a medical library for full‐text articles and training to use the tools would be an affordable way to meet the information needs of rural underserved clinicians. Methods: This study is a mixed‐methods methodology. The first project was evaluated using a randomised controlled trial (RCT) methodology. The second was evaluated qualitatively using interviews and focus groups. Results: The quantitative findings discovered that clinicians equipped with a hand‐held device with evidence‐based software more frequently found answers to clinical questions, found answers more quickly, were more satisfied with information they found and use expensive resources such as continuing medical education, online databases and textbooks less than the group that did not have access to online technology. Qualitative results supported the quantitative findings. Conclusion: Librarians can implement a three‐pronged strategy of the secondary literature via a hand‐held, the primary literature via Loansome Doc and quality training to meet basic information needs of rural clinicians.