• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 41
  • 8
  • 5
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1
  • Tagged with
  • 93
  • 93
  • 23
  • 22
  • 15
  • 13
  • 12
  • 12
  • 11
  • 10
  • 10
  • 10
  • 9
  • 7
  • 7
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
71

Tradução, adaptação cultural e validação do Infant Sensory Profile 2 e do Toddler Sensory Profile 2 para crianças brasileiras de 0 a 35 meses / Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of Infant Sensory Profile 2 and Toddler Sensory Profile 2 to brasilian children from 0 to 35 months

Lucieny Almohalha 09 March 2018 (has links)
A mensuração do desenvolvimento sensorial tem se tornado um componente necessário na avaliação clínica e no planejamento terapêutico ocupacional para intervenções com bebês e crianças pequenas. Estudos sobre traduções, adaptações culturais e validação de instrumentos para obtenção de medidas válidas e confiáveis tem sido incorporado mais frequentemente em pesquisas no campo da terapia ocupacional. Este estudo metodológico, transversal, de abordagem quantitativa, teve como objetivo descrever o processo de tradução, adaptação cultural e validação das propriedades psicométricas dos instrumentos Infant Sensory Profile 2 (ISP 2) e Toddler Sensory Profile 2 (TSP 2) para crianças brasileiras. A pequisa foi conduzida em ambulatório pediátrico e em laboratórios de pesquisas vinculados à Universidade de São Paulo e Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro. A amostra total incluiu 303 pais/cuidadores de crianças de 0 a 35 meses com desenvolvimento típico e atípico. Métodos: O desenvolvimento das versões para o português do Brasil constou de duas etapas, a primeira consistiu do processo de tradução, retrotradução, estudo de validade de conteúdo e de fase pré-teste em estudo piloto; na segunda etapa, foram realizados estudos psicométricos por meio da consistência interna, fidedignidade teste-reteste, análise fatorial confirmatória, e análise de pontos de corte de escores. Para a primeira etapa, os resultados mostraram que, a partir da validade de face, houve adequação semântica e compreensibilidade de ambos os instrumentos por parte dos respondentes. Para a etapa dois, o software STATA auxiliou nas análises, e o ISP 2 apresentou consistência interna total > 0.70, mas quando analisado por áreas sensoriais a consistência foi < que 0.70. Com relação ao TSP 2, apresentou consistência interna total > 0.80, mas quando analisado por áreas sensoriais a consistência foi < que 0.70 com exceção das áreas auditiva e visual, e em relação aos quadrantes, todos os valores de alfa foram < que 0.70. Sobre o teste-reteste, para ambos os instrumentos, houve alta concordância com valor de Kappa ponderado na categoria quase perfeita. Entretanto, a análise fatorial confirmatória não confirma a estrutura atual dos instrumentos. A rotação da matriz mostrou que itens poderiam ser alocados em domínios diferentes aos que pertencem originalmente, demonstrando correlações distintas entre os itens e dimensões. Os pontos de corte dos escores brasileiros foram diferentes dos americanos. Destaca-se, como considerações finais, a importância em analisar e testar a estrutura fatorial exploratória e confirmatória de ambos os instrumentos uma vez que houve diferenças significantes ente as versões brasileiras do ISP 2 e TSP 2 para a população brasileira de crianças de 0 a 3 meses de idade, verificar as equivalências das cargas fatoriais, as quantidades de itens por domínios, as covariâncias entre os fatores dos instrumentos e os erros de medida. Ainda seria importante verificar a invariância das medidas, seja através da análise fatorial ou da teoria de resposta ao item / Sensory development measurement has become a necessary component in clinical assessment and occupational therapy planning for interventions with infants and young children. Studies related to translations, cultural adaptations and validation of instruments to obtain valid and reliable measures have been incorporated more frequently in researches in the occupational therapy field. This cross-sectional methodological study, with a quantitative approach, aimed to describe the process of translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the psychometric properties of the Infant Sensory Profile 2 (ISP 2) and Toddler Sensory Profile 2 (TSP 2) to brazilian children. The research was conducted in a pediatric outpatient clinic and in research laboratories linked to the University São Paulo and the Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro. The total sample included 303 parents/caregivers of children aged 0-35 months with typical and atypical development. The development of the Brazilian Portuguese versions was done in two steps, the first one consisted of the translation process, back translation, content validity study and pre-test phase in a pilot study; in the second stage, psychometric studies were performed through internal consistency, test-retest reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, and analysis of cut-off scores. For the first step, the results showed that, from the face validity, there was semantic adequacy and comprehensibility of both instruments by the respondents. For step two, the STATA software assisted in the analyzes, and the ISP 2 presented total internal consistency > 0.70, but when analyzed by sensory areas the consistency was < 0.70. Regarding TSP 2, it presented total internal consistency > 0.80, but when analyzed by sensory areas the consistency was < 0.70, except for auditory and visual areas, and in relation to the quadrants, all alpha values were lower than 0.70. On test-retest analysis, for both instruments, there was high agreement with weighted Kappa value in the almost perfect category. However, the confirmatory factor analysis does not confirm the current structure of this instrument. The rotation of the matrix showed that items could be allocated in domains other than those that originally belonged, showing distinct correlations between items and dimensions. The cut-off points of the Brazilian scores were different from the American ones. As final considerations, it is important to analyze and test the exploratory and confirmatory factorial structure of both instruments since there were significant differences between the Brazilian versions of ISP 2 and TSP 2 for the Brazilian population of children aged 0 to 3 months age; to verify the equivalence of factorial loads; the quantity of items by domains; the covariance between the factors of the instrument and the measurement errors. It is still important to verify the invariance of the measurements, either through factor analysis or item response theory
72

Étude longitudinale sur les habiletés sensorielles des enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme / Longitudinal study of sensory features in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Perez Repetto, Lucia January 2017 (has links)
Problématique : Le trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA) affecte plus de 1 % des enfants. Les caractéristiques communes associées au TSA sont des difficultés de communication et d’interaction sociale, ainsi qu’une rigidité ou une répétitivité dans les intérêts et comportements. Certains intérêts et comportements restreints ou répétitifs peuvent être liés à des difficultés de traitement de l’information sensorielle (TIS). De fait, entre 45 et 95 % des enfants ayant un TSA présentent des difficultés sur le plan sensoriel, affectant leur fonctionnement dans la vie quotidienne. Cependant, les données disponibles dans la littérature scientifique nous apportent peu de connaissances quant à l’évolution des habiletés sensorielles chez les enfants ayant un TSA. Objectif : L’objectif principal est de documenter l’évolution des habiletés sensorielles chez les enfants ayant un TSA entre l’âge de 3-4 ans (T1) et deux ans après (T2), au moment de l’entrée à l’école. Méthodologie : Il s’agit d’une analyse secondaire de données non traitées d’une étude prospective antérieure (de 2008 à 2010). Dans le présent projet, un devis corrélationnel rétrospectif a été utilisé pour étudier 34 enfants ayant un TSA. Les données provenant d’outils d’évaluation normalisés permettant de documenter les habiletés sensorielles des enfants dans le temps, soit le Sensory Profile (SP) et le Short Sensory Profile (SSP), ont été analysées. Résultats: Les analyses démontrent une stabilité des difficultés sensorielles chez les enfants atteints de TSA de l'âge de trois à six ans. La stabilité des scores sensoriels est indépendante de la correction par des variables contrôlées, telles que l'âge mental et la gravité du TSA. Conclusions : La persistance des difficultés sensorielles chez les enfants ayant un TSA souligne la nécessité de bien évaluer cet aspect et de le considérer lors de la planification des interventions et du suivi de ces enfants. En effet, si l’on souhaite améliorer leur fonctionnement dans la vie quotidienne et accroître leur intégration sociale, il importe de tenir compte de leurs difficultés persistantes. / Abstract : Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects more than 1% of children. Common characteristics associated with ASD are difficulties in communication and social interaction, as well as repetitive interests and behaviors. Some restricted or repetitive interests and behaviors may be linked to difficulties in sensory processing. Indeed, between 45% and 95% of children with ASD have sensory featuresaffecting their functioning in everyday life. However, the data available in the scientific literature give us little knowledge about the evolution of sensory abilities in children with ASD. Objective:The main objective of this project was to evaluatethe evolution of sensory features in children with ASD between the age of 3-4 years (T1) and two years after (T2), when they entered school. Methods:This project is a secondary analysisof untreated data from a previous prospective study (from 2008 to 2010).In the presentproject, a retrospective correlation design was usedto study 34 children with ASD. The data from standardized assessment tools were used to evaluate children's sensory features over time, the Sensory Profile (SP) and the Short Sensory Profile (SSP), were analyzed. Results:Our analyses demonstratea stability of sensory features in children with ASD from the age of three to six years old. The stability of sensory scores is independent of correction by covariates such as mental age and autism severity. Conclusions: The persistence of sensory features in children with ASD highlights the need to adequately assess this aspect and to consider it when planning and monitoring interventions. Indeed, in order to improve their functioning in everyday life and increase their social integration, it is important to take into account their persistent sensory features.
73

Navigation spatiale en milieu urbain réel ou virtuel : performances et traitement multisensoriel de l'information spatiale chez les voyants, malvoyants et aveugles congénitaux ou tardifs / Spatial navigation in real and virtual urban environments : performance and multisensory processing of spatial information in sighted, visually impaired, late and congenitally blind individuals

Boumenir, Yasmine 29 September 2011 (has links)
Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons mené trois études sur le terrain et/ou en laboratoire pour comparer l'importance relative de la géométrie des routes, représentée visuellement ou tactilement en deux dimensions, des informations multidimensionnelles extraites sur la base d'une visite directe du monde réel, et des informations symboliques indirectes sur les lieux par le biais d' instructions verbales, dans la construction de représentations spatiales chez l'homme, lui permettant de naviguer de mémoire dans des environnements complexes et non-familiers. Ces expériences ont permis de mettre en lumière certains aspects multidimensionnels et multi-sensoriels dans le traitement cognitif des informations spatiales et l'influence de celui-ci sur les performances d'hommes et de femmes, qui avaient pour tâche de retrouver de mémoire un itinéraire donné dans un milieu urbain non familier. Les résultats montrent clairement que des informations relatives aux repères visuels, transmises au moyen de séquences d'images panoramiques des itinéraires étudiés, sont inutilisables par un navigateur s'il ne dispose pas d'informations valides sur les distances relatives entre ces repères dans le monde réel (expérience 1). L'influence d'une exposition au préalable à un plan 2D visuel ou tactile des itinéraires a été comparé avec celle d'une expérience directe au moyen d'une visite guidée, ou indirecte au moyen d'indications verbales, sur les performances de navigation de personnes voyantes (expérience 1 et 2), déficientes visuelles (expérience 3), ou voyantes mais privées temporairement de leur vision (expérience 3) dans des environnements urbains à grande échelle. Les tests ont été réalisés en milieu réel (expériences 1 et 3) et virtuel (expérience 2) généré par ordinateur (Google Street View). Les performances ont été analysées en termes de temps du point de départ au point d'arrivée, nombre d'arrêts, nombre d'erreurs et taux de succès. Les stratégies potentiellement employées durant la navigation sont mis en avant sur la base des réponses des sujets à un questionnaire standardisé ; leurs capacités individuelles de se représenter l'environnement exploré sous forme d'images mentales a été évaluée sur la base de dessins. Les niveaux subjectifs de stress psychologique ont été mesurés pour mettre en évidences des différences possibles entre l'homme et la femme à cet égard. Les données ici montrent, d'une part, qu'une exploration rapide de représentations virtuelles correctement mises à l'échelle d'un environnement complexe permet aux sujets de retrouver cet itinéraire sans problème dans le milieu réel (expérience 2). Les personnes aveugles de naissance compensent l'absence de repères visuels dans la navigation efficacement par la mémorisation d'informations géométriques sur la base d'une brève exploration d'un plan tactile des itinéraires étudiés ici. Les sujets voyants privés de repères visuels, par contre, ne sont pas instantanément capables d'une telle compensation (expérience 3). Les résultats de ce travail sont discutés ici à la lumière des hypothèses actuelles sur la nature intrinsèque des représentations spatiales chez l'homme et placés ici dans le contexte d'un modèle de la mémoire de travail. Nous suggérons que cette dernière comprend des sous-systèmes multidimensionnels de stockage temporaire, capables de traiter en parallèle une multitude d'entrées sensorielles avec une capacité beaucoup plus grande que précédemment postulé dans le modèle classique de la mémoire de travail, qui présume un traitement sériel d'informations à capacité limitée. Un tel modèle est globalement mis en question par les résultats de cette thèse, qui ouvre une porte importante aux recherches futures sur le traitement cognitif d'informations spatiales chez l'homme dans un monde en perpétuel changement.Mots-clés : Environnements à grandes échelles – perception – traitement multi-sensoriel – représentation spatiale – navigation – humain / Previous studies investigating how humans build reliable spatial knowledge representations allowing them to find their way from one point to another in complex environments have been focused on comparing the relative importance of the two-dimensional visual geometry of routes and intersections, multi-dimensional data from direct exposure with the real world, or verbal symbols and/or instructions. This thesis sheds further light on the multi-dimensional and multi-sensorial aspects by investigating how the cognitive processing of spatial information derived from different sources of sensory and higher order input influences the performance of human observers who have to find their way from memory through complex and non-familiar real-world environments. Three experiments in large-scale urban environments of the real world, and in computer generated representations of these latter (Google Street View), were run to investigate the influence of prior exposure to 2D visual or tactile maps of an itinerary, compared with a single direct experience or verbal instructions, on navigation performances in sighted and/or visually deficient individuals, and in individuals temporarily deprived of vision. Performances were analyzed in terms of time from departure to destination, number of stops, number of wrong turns, and success rates. Potential strategies employed by individuals during navigation and mental mapping abilities were screened on the basis of questionnaires and drawing tests. Subjective levels of psychological stress (experiment 2) were measured to bring to the fore possible differences between men and women in this respect. The results of these experiments show that 2D visual maps, briefly explored prior to navigation, generate better navigation performances compared with poorly scaled virtual representations of a complex real-world environment (experiment 1), the best performances being produced by a single prior exposure to the real-world itinerary. However, brief familiarization with a reliably scaled virtual representation of a non-familiar real-world environment (Google Street View) not only generates optimal navigation in computer generated testing (virtual reality), but also produces better navigation performances when tested in the real-world environment and compared with prior exposure to 2D visual maps (experiment 2). Congenitally blind observers (experiment 3) who have to find their way from memory through a complex non-familiar urban environment perform swiftly and with considerable accuracy after exposure to a 2D tactile map of their itinerary. They are also able to draw a visual image of their itinerary on the basis of the 2D tactile map exposure. Other visually deficient or sighted but blindfolded individuals seem to have greater difficulty in finding their way again than congenitally blind people, regardless of the type of prior exposure to their test itinerary. The findings of this work here are discussed in the light of current hypotheses regarding the presumed intrinsic nature of human spatial representations, replaced herein within a context of working memory models. It is suggested that multi-dimensional temporary storage systems, capable of processing a multitude of sensory input in parallel and with a much larger general capacity than previously considered in terms of working memory limits, need to be taken into account for future research.Keywords: large scale environments – perception – multisensory processing - spatial representation – navigation - human
74

New determinants of olfactory habituation

Sinding, Charlotte, Valadier, François, Al-Hassani, Viviana, Feron, Gilles, Tromelin, Anne, Kontaris, Ioannis, Hummel, Thomas 27 July 2017 (has links)
Habituation is a filter that optimizes the processing of information by our brain in all sensory modalities. It results in an unconscious reduced responsiveness to continuous or repetitive stimulation. In olfaction, the main question is whether habituation works the same way for any odorant or whether we habituate differently to each odorant? In particular, whether chemical, physical or perceptual cues can limit or increase habituation. To test this, the odour intensity of 32 odorants differing in physicochemical characteristics was rated by 58 participants continuously during 120s. Each odorant was delivered at a constant concentration. Results showed odorants differed significantly in habituation, highlighting the multifactoriality of habituation. Additionally habituation was predicted from 15 physico-chemical and perceptual characteristics of the odorants. The analysis highlighted the importance of trigeminality which is highly correlated to intensity and pleasantness. The vapour pressure, the molecular weight, the Odor Activity Value (OAV) and the number of double bonds mostly contributed to the modulation of habituation. Moreover, length of the carbon chain, number of conformers and hydrophobicity contributed to a lesser extent to the modulation of habituation. These results highlight new principles involved in the fundamental process of habituation, notably trigeminality and the physicochemical characteristics associated.
75

Des illusions tactiles à l’intégration spatiotemporelle dans le cortex somesthésique primaire : influence de la temporalité des stimuli cutanés sur leur représentation corticale / From tactile illusions to spatiotemporal integration in the primary somatosensory cortex : impact of the timing of cutaneous stimuli on their cortical representation

Corbo, Julien 12 December 2018 (has links)
Plusieurs illusions tactiles suggèrent que la temporalité des stimulations cutanées dans une séquence modifie leur perception spatiale. S’ils sont assez proches dans l’espace, plus l’intervalle temporel entre deux stimuli est court, plus la distance perçue entre eux est courte. Lorsque les deux stimuli sont présentés simultanément, on observe une perception fusionnée, unique et centrée entre les positions réelles. Ainsi, le système de perception tactile semble utiliser le temps entre les stimuli pour estimer l’espace qui les sépare. Dans l’optique de comprendre comment cette règle perceptive est implémentée dans le système nerveux, nous avons étudié la représentation corticale des stimulations qui induisent ces illusions. Nous avons recherché les distorsions spatiales de la représentation somatotopique dans le cortex somesthésique primaire, à la suite de l’application séquentielle ou simultanée d’une paire de stimuli cutanés sur l’extrémité des phalanges distales de la patte antérieure chez le rat anesthésié. Avec des enregistrements électrophysiologiques et d’imagerie optique extrinsèque, nous avons mis en évidence un phénomène de fusion corticale des entrées sensorielles simultanées, avec un patron spatial d’activation unimodal, centré entre les représentations individuelles des doigts adjacents costimulés. Dans le cas de stimuli successifs, nous avons observé des modifications des réponses au deuxième stimulus dépendantes de l’intervalle inter stimuli. Cette intégration spatiotemporelle ne semble pas contribuer directement au raccourcissement des distances perçues, mais pourrait favoriser les erreurs de localisation constatées lors de la perception des illusions. / Several tactile spatiotemporal illusions suggest that the timing of successive cutaneous stimulations modify the perception of their spatial location. If they are close enough in time and space, shorter inter-stimuli time intervals (ISI) lead to shorted perceived distances. To the extreme of this time-space relation, when the stimuli are simultaneous, subjects report the merged perception of a unique and centered point of stimulation. Therefore, the tactile perceptual system seems to use the time separating two stimuli to compute their spatial distance. To understand the implementation of this perceptual rule, one can investigate the neural representation of the stimuli that elicit the illusory percept, looking for spatial distortions and their underlying mechanisms. Studies based on the measure of the hemodynamic responses have shown such distortions of the somatotopic representations in the primary somatosensory cortex, for simultaneous and delayed stimulations. In order to enhance our understanding of the elementary phenomenon that underpins those spatial modifications of the sensory inputs, we investigated the cortical representation of pairs of simultaneous and delayed cutaneous stimuli in the S1 of anesthetized rats. Using electrophysiological recordings and extrinsic optical imaging, we revealed the cortical merging of inputs from simultaneous digits stimulation. When the stimuli were delayed, we observed ISI-dependent modulations of the responses to the second stimulus. This spatiotemporal integration, that didn’t seem to contribute directly to a distance contraction effect, could however favor the mislocalization observed in illusory perception.
76

Standardizované hodnocení senzorických poruch u dětí školního věku / Standardized Assessment of Sensory Disorders in School Aged Children

Husovská, Veronika January 2018 (has links)
OF DIPLOMA THESIS Author: Bc. Veronika Husovská Supervisor: Mgr. Petra Dvořáková Title: Standardized assessment of sensory disorders in school aged children Summary: The thesis deals with problems of sensory processing disorders in school aged children. The aim of this diploma thesis is to create a working version of the standardized questionnaire Sensory Profile 2 School companion. Another aim is to verify the clinical applicability of this standardized questionnaire by using it to do a screening on school aged children to identify those with a sensory processing disorder within the classroom. The theoretical part of the thesis is focused on the diagnosis of sensory processing disorders (SPD), their diagnostics and the roles of an occupational therapist in SPD. Diagnostic tools for detecting SPD are presented and described in the thesis. The standardized questionnaire Sensory Profile 2, mainly the category School companion, is presented in this thesis. Methods: The practical part of the diploma thesis is elaborated in the form of quantitative pre-research. 39 respondents were evaluated by a standardized questionnaire Sensory Profile 2 School companion for the purpose of pre-research. The respondents were chosen in accordance to the tests purpose. Respondents were third-grade students studying...
77

Att vara HSP i ett socialt samhälle : En kvalitativ studie om högkänsligas upplevelser av sociala relationer / To be HSP in a social society : A qualitative study of highly sensitive people's experiences of social relationships

Wendt, Angelica, Bäcksbacka, Sara January 2021 (has links)
Studiens syfte var att få en fördjupad förståelse för hur högkänsliga personer upplever att personlighetsdraget påverkar olika relationer och sociala situationer i dagens sociala samhälle. Data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio personer som definierar sig som högkänsliga. Informanternas svar analyserades sedan i en tematisk analys för att få fram en överblick över deras upplevelser. Resultatet indikerar att personlighetsdraget påverkar relationerna med andra på många olika sätt, bland annat genom högkänsligas förmåga att läsa av andra, deras djupa bearbetning och deras behov av att undvika överstimulering. Det framkom även att högkänsligas egenskaper inte alltid accepteras eller förstås av omgivningen. / The aim of this study was to get an immersed understanding of how highly sensitive people experience that the personality trait affects various relationships and social situations in today’s social society. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with nine people defining themselves as HSP. The answers from the informants were thereafter analyzed using thematic content analysis to get an overview of their experiences. The result indicates that the personality trait affects the relationships with others in various ways, for example by the ability of the highly sensitive to understand others, their deep processing and their need to avoid overstimulation. It also emerged that the characteristics of the highly sensitive people were not always accepted or understood by the surroundings.
78

Congruence-based contextual plausibility modulates cortical activity during vibrotactile perception in virtual multisensory environments

Kang, Kathleen, Rosenkranz, Robert, Karan, Kaan, Altinsoy, Ercan, Li, Shu-Chen 19 March 2024 (has links)
How congruence cues and congruence-based expectations may together shape perception in virtual reality (VR) still need to be unravelled. We linked the concept of plausibility used in VR research with congruence-based modulation by assessing brain responses while participants experienced vehicle riding experiences in VR scenarios. Perceptual plausibility was manipulated by sensory congruence, with multisensory stimulations confirming with common expectations of road scenes being plausible. We hypothesized that plausible scenarios would elicit greater cortical responses. The results showed that: (i) vibrotactile stimulations at expected intensities, given embedded audio-visual information, engaged greater cortical activities in frontal and sensorimotor regions; (ii) weaker plausible stimulations resulted in greater responses in the sensorimotor cortex than stronger but implausible stimulations; (iii) frontal activities under plausible scenarios negatively correlated with plausibility violation costs in the sensorimotor cortex. These results potentially indicate frontal regulation of sensory processing and extend previous evidence of contextual modulation to the tactile sense.
79

Effect of an Acute Sensory Integration Therapy on the Postural Stability and Gaze Patterns of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Smoot, Senia I. January 2013 (has links)
No description available.
80

Sensory processing and work performance of contact centre agents in South Africa

Lewis, Juan David 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary objective of this study was to establish if the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile questionnaire (AASP) could be used as a recruitment tool in selecting contact centre agents with a higher predictability for success and hence higher productivity. Contact centres around the globe face the challenge of high staff turnover and absenteeism, reducing profitability. It seems that work performance related to the way in which adults process sensory input has not been well researched. A model was developed by Dunn (Brown et al., 2001) based on the intersection of a neurological threshold continuum and a behavioural continuum and yielding four quadrants: Quadrant 1, Low Registration (of stimuli); Quadrant 2, Sensation Seeking; Quadrant 3, Sensory Sensitivity, and Quadrant 4, Sensation Avoiding. Forty-eight contact centre agents employed by Liberty Life were selected and assessed on the AASP. Performance data for each contact centre agent were collected: available time, auxiliary time, log-in time, quality assurance, absenteeism and length of service. Spearman rank correlations were conducted to test if relationships exist between any of the four quadrants and the performance measures. As an additional investigation, a Suitability Score (based on clustering of scores with a percent assigned) was derived for each contact centre agent and also correlated with the above performance measures. Significant relationships were found between Quadrant 2 scores and three of the performance measurement criteria. As the Quadrant 2 scores increase, the average available time of the agents will decrease and their average log-in time will increase. Absenteeism increased as well, which is expected to have a negative effect on the productivity of the contact centre. The Quadrant also had a high predictability for Suitability Ratings indicating that as the Quadrant 2 score increases, the suitability of the contact centre agents increases as well. Regarding Quadrant 3 (sensory sensitivity) scores, quality assessment, total days of absenteeism and average absenteeism relate negatively. It seems that contact centre agents with high sensory sensitivity are less suitable for the job. As the score increases the quality assessment scores decrease, which is not what is required in terms of quality standards. A negative relationship exists between Quadrant 3 scores and the Suitability Rating scores, indicating that the higher the quadrant scores the less suitable the contact centre agents are to work in the contact centre environment. Quadrant 4 (sensation avoiding) has a negative relationship with Suitability Rating scores, which indicates that the higher the quadrant score the less suitable the contact centre agent is to work in the contact centre environment. No significant relationships were recorded between the performance measurements and Quadrant 1 (low registration) and Quadrant 4 (sensation avoiding), even though, logically, one would expect agents with less distraction to be more productive. Further studies are recommended before the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile questionnaire is used as a recruitment tool. Future studies could categorise the quadrant scores into clusters and then test for relationships with the set performance measurements. The Suitability Rating was used in a first attempt to match individuals in a specific job according to specific sensory profiles. This measure has not yet been tested for validity and reliability, which must be done prior to further study using it. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of die Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) vraelys gebruik kan word as ‘n hulpmiddel vir die werwing en seleksie van kontaksentrum agente, met ‘n hoër waarskynlikheid van sukses en, dus, hoër produktiwiteit. Kontaksentrums op elke vasteland kom te staan voor die probleem van hoë personeelomset en werksafwesigheid wat winsgewendheid verlaag. Die manier waardeur volwasse mense hul sensoriese insette verwerk, in verband met werkprestasie, is nog nie goed ondersoek nie. ‘n Model is deur Dunn (Brown et al., 2001) ontwikkel wat gebasseer is op die kruispunt van ‘n neurologiese drumpel kontinuum en ‘n gedragskontinuum wat tot vier kwadrante lei: Kwadrant 1, Lae Registrasie (van stimuli); Kwadrant 2, Sensasie Soekend; Kwadrant 3, Sensoriese Sensitiwiteit, en Kwadrant 4, Vermyding van Sensasie. Agt-en-veertig kontaksentrum agente wat in diens van Liberty Life is, is geselekteer en beoordeel volgens die AASP. Prestasiedata is saamgestel vir elke kontaksentrum agent: beskikbare tyd, oortollige tyd, teenwoordige tyd, kwaliteitsversekering, werksafwesigheid en jare diensplig. Spearman rang korrelasies is onderneem om te toets of daar verbande bestaan tussen enige van die vier kwadrante en die prestasiemaatstaf. In ‘n addisionele ondersoek is ‘n geskiktheidsmaatstaf ontwikkel wat gebasseer is op trosvorming van tellings met ‘n toegekende persentasie. Dit is gedoen vir elke kontaksentrum agent en hierdie tellings is ook gekorreleer met bogenoemde prestasiemaatstawwe. Statisties-beduidende positiewe verbande is gevind tussen Kwadrant 2 (sensasie soekend) tellings en drie van die prestasiemetingskriteria. As die telling van Kwadrant 2 toeneem, neem die gemiddelde beskikbare tyd af en die teenwoordige tyd van agente toe. Werksafwesigheid het ook toegeneem, wat moontlik negatief kan inwerk op die produktiwiteit van die kontaksentrum. Die kwadrant het ook ‘n hoë waarskynlikheid openbaar in die geval van die Gekiktheidsmaatstaf, wat aandui dat, namate die Kwadrant 2 telling toeneem, die gekiktheid van die kontaksentrum agent ook toeneem. Wat Kwadrant 3 (sensoriese sensitiwiteit) tellings betref, bestaan daar ‘n negatiewe verband tussen kwaliteitsversekering, totale aantal dae van werksafwesigheid en gemiddelde werksafwesigheid. Dit blyk dat kontaksentrum agente met hoë sensoriese sensitiwiteit dalk minder geskik is vir die pos. Soos wat die telling vir sensoriese sensitiwiteit toeneem, neem die telling vir kwaliteitsversekering af, wat nie in terme van kwaliteitstandaarde aanvaarbaar is nie. Daar bestaan ‘n negatiewe verband tussen Kwadrant 4 (sensasie vermyding) tellings en die tellings vir die Geskiktheidsmaatstaf, wat aandui dat hoe hoër die kwadrant telling, hoe minder geskik is die agent. Geen statisties-beduidende verbande is gevind tussen die prestasietellings van Kwadrant 1 (lae registrasie) en Kwadrant 4 (sensasie vermyding) nie. Normaalweg sou mens verwag dat agente met minder afleiding, meer produktief sou wees. Daar word voorgestel dat verdere studies onderneem word voordat die Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile as ‘n werwingsmaatstaf gebruik word. Toekomstige studies kan die kwadrant tellings saamvoeg in trosse en dan toets vir verbande met die vooropgestelde prestasiemaatstawwe. Die Geskiktheidsmaatstaf is gebruik as ‘n eerste poging om individue saam te voeg in ‘n spesifieke pos, volgens ‘n spesifieke sensoriese profiel. Hierdie maatstaf moet vir toepaslikheid en betroubaarheid in verdere studie getoets word, voordat dit gebruik kan word.

Page generated in 0.1089 seconds