Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2004. / Advisor: Suzanna Becker. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

M.Ed. / Merriam (1998) says that “learning involves a sensory experience, a mental activity and emotional dimension”. We therefore use our senses to make sense of our environment. Impaired sensory integration affects learning and development as the individual is often unable to execute and handle the normal demands of everyday life. Sensory integration difficulties manifest in the classroom as learning difficulties (Kranowitz, 2005). As educational psychologists, we intervene in learning difficulties and need to know how to assist children who present with sensory integration difficulties. The research study explored psychodrama as a possible intervention for a preschooler who presents with sensory integration difficulties. The value of drama in education has been emphasized throughout history (Way, 1967; Slade, 1995, Read, 1949) and has been called the most effective method in developing awareness of the world around us (Way, 1967). The research study explored how psychodrama allowed a preschooler the opportunity to make sense of the environment and use play, creativity, movement and spontaneity to become an active artist who established change in her life. For the purpose of this research study, a qualitative research approach was chosen as the key concern was to understand psychodrama from the participant’s perspective (Babbie & Mouton, 2001). A case study design was utilized to explore psychodrama as a therapeutic intervention for sensory integration. Data collection methods included interviewing the parents, teacher and occupational therapist of the preschooler, observations during sessions as well as documentation such as a reflective journal. In order to explore how psychodrama can be used with a preschooler with sensory integration difficulties, I chose thematic data analysis. Themes that emerged during the data analysis included that psychodrama should take place in conjunction with occupational therapy, be used as an opportunity for social skills development, and be based on the child’s unique sensory profile and consistent messages within a structured environment. The study concludes with a discussion of recommendations for future research and limitations of the study.

Not available

An integral part of neuropsychological assessment is the measurement of sensory-motor performance. Many studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of neuropsychological batteries to assess neurological impairment, however examination of only the sensory-motor portion of those measures has been limited. Investigations of tests of sensory and motor functions have often limited their analysis to single tests. The present study assessed the ability of the Dean-Woodcock Sensory Motor Battery (DWSMB), part of a new neuropsychological measure, the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Battery (DWNB), to distinguish between normal subjects and neurologically impaired individuals as diagnosed by a neurologist. Scores from the subtests of the DWSMB from an existing data set for 250 normal and 250 neurologically impaired individuals were randomly assigned to two equal groups to allow for cross validation. Results indicated that the DWSMB was able to correctly identify 92.8% of the cases, identifying 94.4% of the normal population and 91.2% of the neurologically impaired subjects. An additional discriminant analysis was conducted to establish the accuracy of the DWSMB to identify individual diagnoses within neurologically impaired and normal subjects. The DWSMB correctly identified the following cases: 44.9% cardio-vascular accidents, 66.7% multiple sclerosis, 40% seizures, 42% traumatic brain injuries, 62.7% dementia, and 54.5% Parkinson's disease. Results indicated the usefulness of the DWSMB in identifying neurological damage and specific diagnoses in a relatively quick assessment. The utility of the DWSMB and the use of standardized administration procedures, behavioral information for evaluation, and measures of subcortical functions was discussed in light of future research. The potential use of the DWSMB in clinical and educational settings was also considered. / Department of Educational Psychology

Thesis (B.A. Hons. 1971) from the Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide.

Thesis (M.S.)--Marquette University, 2009. / Scott A. Beardsley, Robert A. Scheidt, Brian D. Schmit, Advisors. Available for download on December 08, 2010.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The two point threshold was studied extensively by the psychophysical experimenters of the last century. More recent formulations in signal detection theory have suggested that the statements of these workers about absolute thresholds should be viewed with caution. This study investigates the two point threshold in the light of these formulations, and has two main aims :- (1) To state and deal with the problem of relating a limitation in perceptual ability, such as that which is represented by the two point threshold, to the receptor organisation of the body. (2) To demonstrate a practice effect on the two point threshold, and to consider this in the light of (1) above. To fulfil these two aims, a model of the neural mechanisms underlying the discrimination of two points applied to the skin is proposed, and this is able to accommodate what is known of the two point threshold. Although the model is simple it explicitly accounts for size transfer and the practice effect, and provides some clues as to the type of neural mechanism capable of producing them. The practice effect is demonstrated experimentally, and the results are then referred to the model proposed. The physiology of an organism sets the limits for its behaviour. 'The first aim is thus an important one, in that it considers a specific case of this general problem. And secondly, the practice effect on the two point threshold is typical of a number of fairly simple "learning" phenomena, which are part of the psychologists' study of learning.

The neurophysiological signals that are recorded in EEG (electroencephalography) and MEG (magnetoencephalography) originate from current flow perpendicular to the cortical surface due to the columnar organization of pyramidal cells in the cortical gray matter. These locations and directions have been used as anatomical constraints for dipolar sources in estimations of neural activity from MEG recordings. Here we extend anatomically constrained beamforming to EEG, which requires a more sophisticated forward model than MEG due to the blurring of the electric potential at tissue boundaries, but in contrast to MEG, EEG can account for both tangential and radial sources. Using computed tomography (CT) scans we create a realistic three-layer head model consisting of tessellated surfaces representing the tissue boundaries cerebrospinal fluid-skull, skull-scalp and scalp-air. The cortical gray matter surface, the anatomical constraint for the source dipoles, is extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. EEG beamforming is implemented in a set of simulated data and compared for three different head models: single sphere, multi-shell sphere and realistic geometry multi-shell model that employs a boundary element method. Beamformer performance is also analyzed and evaluated for multiple dipoles and extended sources (patches). We show that using anatomical constraints with the beamforming algorithm greatly reduces computation time while increasing the spatial accuracy of the reconstructed sources of neural activity. Using the spatial Laplacian instead of the electric potential in combination with beamforming further improves the spatial resolution and allows for the detection of highly correlated sources. / by Vyacheslav Murzin. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2004. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-55). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url%5Fver=Z39.88-2004&res%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss&rft%5Fval%5Ffmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss:MQ99389