Anotation: Practical part of dissertation is composed by collection of paintings named {\clqq}Dotek prostoru`` (touch of space). It is collection of eight middle sized and large sized paintings. They are created by using of acrylic paint in combination with tempera paint on the fibreboard and pasteboard. Connecting themes of complete cycle are architectural elements characterized for every single period of creation from primeval ages to 20th century. Significant point of whole cycle is especially colourfulness of paintings with target to speak to onlooker and tune him to positive energy. This cycle should be in the future realized on the walls of public pedestrian zone which is daily used by tens of people. Theoretical part of dissertation deal with influence of architectural scene and colourfulness on the psyche of human. Refers to authors which are engaged in to this dilema. Further this dissertation present for readers closer look with single motives and describing artistic intention of synthesis between architectural branch and other branches of artistic art. Especially with painting style. Describing way and technology of fulfilment for selected motives and theirs realisation.

Despite the extensive work done on the neural consequences of tactile restriction very little is known about the behavioural consequences of this manipulation. In the present investigation, an assessment was made of the effects of early, long-term tactile restriction by bilateral removal of the mystacial vibrissae on the subsequent somatosensory capacities of rats (i.e. the intramodal consequences) as well as its effects on visual and spatial capacities (i.e. the intermodal consequences). As well, rearing environment (enriched vs. normal) and type of surgery (vibrissae removal by cauterization of follicles or by plucking) were examined to determine specific factors that might influence the effect of early, long-term vibrissae removal. Five tasks were used to assess these effects. The first two tasks assessed the intermodal consequences of vibrissae removal. Visual competence was assessed by measuring the habituation of orientation to repeated visual stimuli and the dishabituation to subtle changes in these stimuli. A version of the Morris (1981) water maze was used to assess the rats' spatial abilities. The results of these two tasks revealed limited evidence for intermodal effects. In terms of habituation to visual orientation, rats that had had their vibrissae removed by cauterization and were subsequently reared with daily access to an enriched environment required more trials to habituate to the presentation of repeated visual stimuli. As well, these rats were the only group to dishabituate to a subtle change in the stimuli. No effect of vibrissae removal was found in the spatial task, and environmental enrichment during development enhanced performance on this task, apparently through increased attention to distal cues by rats reared in this condition. The remaining three tasks assessed the motoric and somatosensory effects of tactile restriction. No effect was found on the performance of the Puzzle Latch Box test in which the rats were required to manipulate various latches to obtain a food reward. As well, no significant effect was observed in reactions to the tying of pieces of wire to the rats' wrists. However, early, long-term vibrissae removal (by cauterization of follicles or by plucking) attenuated orientation to contacts of the mystacial pad itself. This effect was dissociated from tactile reactivity; all rats exhibited eye-flinch responses to taps on this area. These results suggest that early, long-term tactile restriction has significant behavioural consequences for the somatosensory system as well as the visual system. These data also provide limited evidence for theories of modality interdependence as well as yielding basic information concerning the role of the mystacial vibrisse in the behaviour of the rat. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of discriminating between three groups of children ("normal," "mildly braindamaged," and "severely brain-damaged") by evaluating their respective abilities to compare the size, shape, and texture of certain objects by means of tactile perception. To this end seven subtasks were devised to measure the haptic perception of these qualities separately and in combination. Two of the subtasks included visual perception as well in a cross modal situation. Twenty-one subjects were used in a pilot study which resulted in minor changes being made to the subtasks. In the experimental study twelve subjects of both sexes between the ages of seven and ten years formed each of the three groups. Analysis of the results of the study showed significant differences (at the .05 level) between normal and severely brain-damaged subjects for two subtasks. No differences between minimally brain-damaged and severely brain-damaged subjects were shown for any of the subtasks at the .05 level of significance, and no difference was shown between normal and minimally brain-damaged subjects at this level of significance. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of the present study was to investigate a human being's basic responses to being touched by another human being in a nonreactive context and the effects of an illogical rationale on system disorganization. Two hypothesis were put forth: 1 - that persons in similar circumstances who are not touched, and 2 - that persons who are touched for a reason that makes sense will display less psychological and physiological variability than persons who are touched for a reason that makes less sense or, perhaps, is even considered "illofical." Forehead touch was chose. Positive and negative affect scales were utilized to measure psychological reactivity while skin temperature and heart rate were employed to measure psychological reactivity. These hypotheses were not supported in the present study since the expected group by phase interactions were not obtained. Instead, main effects for phase were found, especially for heart rate scores. Many concerns about the nature of the sample and the manipulation itself are discussed.

The earliest measures of tactile spatial acuity reflect the ability of human observers to localize and discriminate the simplest of stimuli: single or double point (punctate) indentations. Because punctate stimuli cover an extremely small area, they typically only activate a few peripheral afferents at a time. Therefore, many researchers have used single-point localization and two-point discrimination thresholds to probe the density of innervation at different body sites. This thesis explores the relationship between peripheral properties and the spatial perception of tactile point stimuli. In chapter 2, we simulate the neural responses of primary afferents to single and double points, capturing many realistic properties of the periphery: innervation density, the shape and size of receptive fields, and interactions between two-point stimuli. Furthermore, we model optimal performance in localization and discrimination tasks given these afferent responses, and compare it to human performance. We find that human performance is well below optimal, suggesting that humans do not make use of all the information present at the level of the primary afferents. Nevertheless, many human performance trends, resulting from peripheral properties, are predicted by our computational analysis. Using empirical methods, in Chapter 3, we further investigate one of these trends: surround suppression (the suppression of two-point responses relative to that of a single point) is thought to provide a magnitude cue during two-point discrimination (2PD), resulting in elevated performance even at zero separation between two points. We demonstrate that human observers do indeed show elevated 2PD performance at zero separation on a variety of tested body-sites; an alternative task involving orientation discrimination, however, does not show this same trend and is therefore unlikely to be contaminated by the same magnitude cue. In Chapter 4 we review and test a Bayesian model of two-point trajectory estimation that replicates a famous perceptual length contraction illusion. We provide evidence in support of the model: stimuli that give rise to poor spatial acuity also give rise to a stronger length contraction illusion. Overall, the three studies covered in this thesis elucidate many of the peripheral and stimulus properties that shape our perception of tactile point stimuli. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis details an in-depth investigation into the physiological and computational factors involved in the perception of tactile point stimuli. Touch is an often overlooked and under-appreciated sense, however its importance in daily functioning is unquestionable: touch feedback allows us to safely and efficiently interact with the environment, while fine touch allows us to detect and discriminate textures and patterns. The perception of point stimuli is a fundamental aspect of texture and pattern discrimination, with applications as broad as clinical testing and sensory substitution (i.e. Braille).

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The problem of this study was the development of a theoretical construct based on a survey of current practices and consistent with accepted theories of touch as they related to nursing.

Multi-touch technology, used in consumer products such as the iPad, enables users to register multiple points of contact at the same time; this enables a user to interact with a touch screen interface using several fingers on one hand, or even both hands. This affords interface designers the opportunity to define gestural interactions based on what is most natural for users and not on merely what can be recognised and processed by technology. In light of this, the research question that this study aimed to address was: what is the most intuitive user-defined gesture set for conducting an informational search on a multi-touch tablet web browser? In addressing this research question, the aim of this study was to create a user-defined gesture set for conducting an informational search on a multi-touch tablet web browser, based on gestures elicited from participants with little or no experience with touch screen devices. It was necessary to use these participants as users who are familiar with touch screen interfaces would draw upon the gestures they have learnt or used before, and would therefore be biased in the gestures they proposed. Inexperienced or naïve users would simply provide gestures that came naturally to them, providing a more accurate reflection of what a typical, unbiased user would do. A set of hypotheses, relating to the gestures that would be elicited from this participant group, were drawn up and investigated. These investigations yielded the following key findings: • The use of two-handed gestures should be limited. • If two-handed gestures are developed for a specific function, an alternative one-handed gesture should be made available. • It is not be advisable to create completely novel gestures for tablet web browsing that do not correspond to any of the ways in which desktop web browsing is performed. • Should novel gestures be developed for tablet web browsing, gestures that are desktop computing adaptations, including those that require menu access, should be made available as alternatives to users. • Tasks should be designed is such a way that they may be completed with a variety of gestures. • Complex tasks should be designed in such a way that they may be achieved through varying combinations of gestures. These findings may assist interface designers and developers in the gestures they design or developer for their applications. In addition to these findings, the study presents a coherent, user-defined gesture set that may be used in practice by designers or developers.

Male child and youth care (CYC) practitioners have rarely been queried about how, or if, they use therapeutic touch (TT) with clients. A significant amount of literature suggests that TT with children and youth can have a positive impact on development, social, emotional and physical wellbeing, and a reduction of aggressive behaviour. However, for male practitioners, using caring touch with clients grows ever more precarious given the increased perception that they are vulnerable to allegations of misconduct and concern that touching clients could be triggering. This narrative inquiry examines how male CYC practitioners make sense of, and engage in, the use of therapeutic touch. Through interviews of five men from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, stories were collected about experiences, values, and personal histories to discover how they were informed about and navigate therapeutic touch with clients. Four themes were identified including, the story of patriarchy, fear, vulnerability and connection. How participants approach their use of therapeutic touch was found to depend on early life experiences, important life events, anecdotal evidence that reinforced fears about using touch, and the current social and political culture such as the #metoo movement. This study also finds that more research, dialogue and training is needed in order for male CYC practitioners to feel safe and competent to use therapeutic touch in a way that is beneficial for clients. / Graduate