This thesis aims to establish methods for identifying and training the knowledge and skills of operating a novel automated system still undergoing final design and construction. The absence of operating experience requires the characteristics of the system to be examined so that the future tasks of supervisors can be anticipated in order to address human factors design. This work is carried out in the context of an 'Integrated Mail Processor' (IMP)—a highly automated letter sorting machine being developed by Royal Mail.

Objectives: Due to a number of conceptual and methodological limitations, existing research has provided only equivocal evidence that deficits/biases in attentional control (AC) are causally implicated in depressive rumination and/or that Cognitive Control Training (CCT) can be used to remediate such vulnerabilities. By using a well-validated training task and ensuring adequate training exposure, the current study aimed to examine the hypothesis that daily CCT would reduce rumination and improve mood among participants with elevated ruminative disposition. Method: Using a multiple baseline design (MBD), eight high-ruminating university participants rated their daily levels of rumination and mood before and after the randomly-determined introduction of daily CCT, designed to enhance their level of AC. Daily ratings were compared before and after the introduction of CCT, using systematic visual analysis and randomisation tests for significance at the group level. Results: No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that daily CCT reduces rumination and/or improve mood. While participants improved in their performance within the CCT across the training period, there was no evidence of near- or far-transfer, visual analysis revealed no impact of the introduction of daily training, and all group-level analyses were non-significant (p ≥ .05). Conclusion: Despite addressing a number of conceptual/methodological concerns, the current study provides no further support for AC theories of rumination or the use of CCT-based treatments for depression. Such conclusions must be interpreted in light of other methodological limitations, however, including the use of a non-clinical sample and the use of MBD to detect delayed treatment effects.

Following exposure to consistent stimulus–stop mappings, response inhibition can become automatised with practice. What is learned is less clear, even though this has important theoretical and practical implications. The main contribution of this thesis is to investigate how stimulus-stop associations are acquired and the conditions under which they influence behaviour. To this end, this thesis addressed several outstanding issues concerning the associative architecture of stop learning, the role of expectancies, and the specificity of learning in inhibition tasks. Experiments 1-4 provide evidence that participants can acquire direct associations between specific stimuli and the stop goal without mediation via a single representation of the stop signal. However, these experiments also suggest that the influence of stimulus-stop associations on behaviour depends on top-down attentional settings: if participants begin to ignore the stop-associated stimuli, the effects of stop learning are diminished or eliminated entirely. Across eight experiments, this thesis provides evidence that participants generate expectancies during stop learning that are consistent with the stimulus-stop contingencies in play. However, Experiments 5-6 indicate that there may be some differences in the relationships between stimulus-stop expectancies and task performance under instructed and uninstructed conditions; stimulus-stop associations that are acquired via task instructions or via task practice have similar effects on behaviour, but seem to differ in how they trigger response slowing for the stop-associated items. Experiments 7-8 investigated the role of signal detection processes during the acquisition of stimulus-stop associations. To distinguish between stimulus-stop learning and stimulus-signal learning, the contingencies between specific stimuli and the stop goal and the contingencies between specific stimuli and the spatial location of the stop signal were independently manipulated. Although these experiments showed evidence of stop/go (goal) learning, there was no evidence that participants acquired the stimulus-signal associations. Across four experiments, this thesis investigated the specificity of stop learning. Experiments 9-10 compared the effects of training on behavioural performance in inhibition (go/no-go) and non-inhibition (two-choice) tasks. The results of these experiments revealed that learning in inhibition and non-inhibition tasks could arise through similar associative mechanisms, but suggest that the effects of training in these tasks could also depend on top-down response settings and general non-associative processes. Experiments 11-12 investigated the neural specificity of stop learning. These experiments also revealed similar effects of training across the go/no-go and two-choice tasks adding weight to the claim that training in inhibition tasks primarily influences task-general processes. Combined, the overall conclusion of this thesis is that bottom-up control can influence response inhibition but what is learned depends on top-down factors. It is therefore important to consider bottom-up factors and top-down factors as dependent, rather than independent, influences on response inhibition.

Overweight and obesity are prevalent public health problems that impact physical, mental, and social health. Many studies have evaluated weight loss treatments, but most individuals are unsuccessful at maintaining weight loss long-term. Behavioral and cognitive interventions may be effective in promoting weight loss and weight loss maintenance. One cognitive intervention that has shown potential success in reducing weight and caloric intake is inhibitory control training (ICT). ICT involves trainings where individuals are asked to repeatedly withhold dominant responses to unhealthy or high-calorie food images in an effort to increase food-related inhibitory control abilities. Reductions in caloric intake or weight may occur after as little as one week of ICT; however, it is unclear how more frequent ICT sessions promote weight loss and reduce caloric intake. Further, studies on food-specific ICT are generally poorly powered and it is unclear how ICT affects underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms. One way to measure inhibitory control processes is through the N2 component of the scalp-recorded event-related potential (ERP). The amplitude of the N2 ERP component tends to be larger (i.e., more negative) when an individual inhibits a dominant response during go/no-go tasks compared to non-inhibition go trials. I conducted a quasi-randomized controlled trial where 100 individuals with overweight or obesity were assigned to either a generic (active control; n = 48) or food-specific ICT (experimental group; n = 52). ICTs were completed four times per week for four weeks. Weight and caloric intake were obtained at baseline, immediately after four-weeks of ICT, and at a 12-week follow-up. Participants also completed a high-calorie and a neutral go/no-go task while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded at each visit. Results from mixed model analyses suggest that neither weight, caloric intake, nor N2 ERP component amplitude towards high-calorie foods changed at post-testing or at the 12-week follow up for either group. Regression analyses suggest that individuals with lower baseline levels of inhibition may show greater weight loss and reductions in caloric intake after a generic ICT, while individuals with higher baseline levels of inhibition may show greater weight loss and reductions in caloric intake after a food-specific ICT. Self-report ratings indicated the appetitive drive towards food decreased over the course of the study, particularly for individuals with higher levels of baseline inhibition. Overall, generic- or food-specific ICT did not affect weight, caloric intake, or food-specific N2 ERP amplitude. Food-specific ICT may be more effective in reducing caloric intake and weight for individuals with larger inhibition responses to food stimuli, while generic ICT may be more effective in reducing caloric intake and weight for individuals with smaller inhibition responses to food stimuli. ICT may also be targeting other mediating processes, such as the appetitive value of food, as opposed to improving food-specific inhibitory control.

Self-Control Training (SCT) and Brain Endurance Training (BET) are novel training modalities designed to enhance physical endurance by building fatigue resiliency. Despite their similarities, it has yet to be examined whether combining SCT and BET provides an additive or redundant/overlapping effect on endurance exercise performance. This study investigated the effects of SCT and combined SCT+BET on performance of a maximal exertion isometric resistance endurance task (high plank) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Participants (N = 33) were randomized to engage in 4 weeks (18 training sessions) of SCT (isometric handgrip; n = 13), SCT+BET (10-minute cognitively demanding task, followed by SCT; n = 10), or no-training/control (n = 10). Isometric endurance performance trials were completed at pre-, mid-, and post-training. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models were computed for each of the mid- and post-training trials (controlling for pre-training high-plank performance) to assess effects on performance. Results showed no significant effects of training on high plank performance between groups at mid-training; however, a large and significant effect for SCT compared to control was observed at post-training (p = .044, d = .961). No significant main effects or interaction effects were found for changes in RPE over time (p’s > .05). Findings support the use of SCT as an effective training method for physical endurance performance and suggest that BET may not offer additional performance benefit compared to SCT under the training and testing conditions used in this protocol. Future research should explore potential dose-response effects of SCT on performance and moderators such as trait self-control. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:29:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Maria Bignotto.pdf: 807791 bytes, checksum: cbd31bd6800c47196215c3fea0f860fa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-10 / The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a new method for treating stress, designated stress control training for children (known locally as TCS-I) in the reduction of the symptomatology of stress in children between 8 and 9 years of age. The TCS-I was composed of 16 weekly meetings lasting 90 minutes each, in group session, and was based on cognitive behavior theory. The participants consisted of 20 children equally divided into two groups: the GTCSI which received the TCS-I training and the GC (control group) who had 16 weekly sessions with a psychologist, which did not involve stress control. Initial testing evaluated the symptomatology of stress, the stressors which the children would normally encounter in their everyday lives and what were the confrontation strategies they used. Using the quadriphase model as a theoretical benchmark which emphasizes four phases in the stress process, namely alert, resistance, near-exhaustion and exhaustion, results show that 60% of children were in the near-exhaustion phase, with a prevalence of psychological reactions. The stressors most mentioned by the children were internal in nature, and related to feelings of anxiety and situations related to impaired self-esteem. It was also found that they made use of numbers and types of strategies that were not sufficient to control their levels of tension. The two groups were compared before and after the GTCSI sessions. Initially, the groups showed no significant differences in terms of the level and phase of stress they were facing. After intervention, it was noted that the GTCSI showed a significant reduction in their level of stress when compared to the control group. It was concluded that stressed children, when subjected to stress control training specific to their needs, are capable of developing confrontation skills and achieving a reduction in levels of stress. It was also concluded that TCS-I is very effective in reducing stress in children and the internal sources of this stress. / Este estudo objetivou testar a efic?cia de um m?todo novo de tratamento do stress, designado treino psicol?gico de stress infantil (TCS-I) na redu??o da sintomatologia do stress em crian?as de 08 anos a 09 anos anos de idade. O TCS-I se constituiu de 16 encontros semanais de 90 minutos de dura??o, em grupo, e se baseou na teoria cognitivo-comportamental. Os participantes foram 20 crian?as distribu?das igualmente em dois grupos: GTCSI que recebeu o TCS-I e outro (grupo comparativo GC) que teve 16 encontros semanais com a psic?loga, n?o direcionados ao controle do stress. A testagem inicial avaliou a sintomatologia de stress, os estressores com os quais as crian?as se deparavam no dia a dia e quais estrat?gias de enfrentamento elas utilizavam. Considerando-se como referencial te?rico o modelo quadrif?sico que enfatiza quatro fases no processo do stress: alerta, resist?ncia, quase exaust?o e exaust?o, os resultados indicam que 60% das crian?as encontravam-se na fase de quase exaust?o, com preval?ncia de rea??es psicol?gicas. Os estressores mais mencionados por elas eram de natureza interna e se referiam a sentimentos de ansiedade e situa??es referentes a uma autoestima prejudicada. Verificou-se ainda que faziam uso de um n?mero e tipo de estrat?gias que se mostrou insuficiente no controle de seus n?veis de tens?o. Os dois grupos foram comparados antes e ap?s a interven??o do GTCSI. No inicio, os grupos n?o mostraram diferen?as significativas quanto ao n?vel e fase do stress na qual se encontravam. Ap?s a interven??o, observou-se, que o GTCSI apresentou uma redu??o significativa no seu n?vel de stress quando comparado ao GC. Concluiu-se que as crian?as estressadas quando submetidas a um treino de controle de stress espec?fico ?s suas necessidades, s?o capazes de desenvolver habilidades de enfrentamento obtendo redu??o nos n?veis de stress. Concluiu-se tamb?m que o TCS-I ? muito eficaz na redu??o do stress infantil e das fontes internas de stress.

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the program facilitated the learning of critical ATC on-the-job training skills. An ad hoc expertise-oriented evaluation was conducted using the lenses of andragogy, experiential learning, and instructional system design (ISD). Purposeful sampling procedures were used to select 20 participants across the subgroups of supervisors, trainers, managers, and training developers from 7 focus sites. The semi-structured interviews queried 4 topical areas derived from Kirkpatrick's 4 levels of evaluation model. Data collected via documents and interviews were analyzed using descriptive, emotion, eclectic, and pattern coding. Key findings indicated that the program was not developed compliant with ISD principles and did not promote adult learning as endorsed by andragogy and experiential learning theory. The implications for positive social change include providing stakeholders with data needed to make evidence-based decisions regarding the current and future state of the program. The evaluation report project can be shared with the FAA, an agency partner, and has the potential to create a platform for improved training practices focusing on optimum and successful adult learning transactions.

The aim of self-directed team learning initiatives is to provide a further level of defence against an eventuality by ensuring that air traffic controllers are aware of the sources of human fallibility, and by developing in the individual controllers and air traffic control teams the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will result in the successful management and containment of inadvertent error. To gain a deeper understanding of self-directed team learning, I investigated the role and contribution of self-directed team learning principles and strategies that were present in the South African Air Force air traffic control team-based work environment. This research study was directed by the following primary research questions: Does self-directed team learning impact on the air traffic control work environment, and what is the nature of self-directed team learning’s impact on the air traffic control work environment? Insights gained as a result of this study contributed to the body of research concerned with learning design, development, implementation and evaluation by self-directed teams as well as the air traffic control discipline. In this mixed-method study quantitative data collection was performed by means of a self-directed team learning questionnaire and a learning approach questionnaire, whereas qualitative data collection relied on individual interviews and focus group interviews. This study involved 25 South African Air Force air traffic controllers (from three operational air traffic control centres). The nature of self-directed team learning’s impact on the air traffic control work environment was illustrated by individual and collective (team) views and dynamics. The impact of air traffic control team performances was traced in terms of identified teamwork characteristics, activities, dynamics, performance measures and focus areas and reflective practices. Results of this study indicated that self-directed team learning offered opportunities to individuals and teams to influence air traffic control performances in an air traffic control work environment. A perceived positive relationship between self-directed team learning and air traffic control operational outputs could be traced. Lastly I concluded that self-directed learning by air traffic control teams had an impact on air traffic control operational outcomes, thus contributing towards a critical air traffic control goal – aviation safety. / Thesis (PhD (Currriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted