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Spoken language is produced with a great deal of variability with which listeners must be able to cope. One source of variation is coarticulation, which is due to articulatory planning and transitions between segments. Recently, the temporal features of coarticulation were investigated during a picture/spoken-word matching task by using spliced stimuli carrying either congruent or incongruent subphonemic cues at the CV juncture (Archibald & Joanisse, 2011). ERPs were recorded with attention paid to the phonological mapping negativity (PMN) (Connolly & Phillips, 1994; Newman & Connolly, 2004) – a prelexical response sensitive to violations of phonological expectations. Results found that the PMN varied in response to coarticulation violations and concluded that phonetic features in spoken words influence prelexical processing during word recognition. Using a written-/spoken-word paradigm, Arbour, 2012 controlled phonological shape by using onsets that were either fricatives or stops, hypothesizing that coarticulatory information would be differentially processed due to their temporal differences. Findings supported the PMN’s sensitivity to coarticulation but also showed that temporal and physical differences between onsets modulated the effect. These results raise the question of whether acoustic distance between vowels will modulate prelexical processing of speech as reflected by the PMN amplitude: the focus of the current study. Words were organized into minimal sets such that all onset/coda combinations appeared with each vowel provided that English words resulted. Vowels were one of /i, u, æ, ɑ/, maximizing acoustic distance (height and backness). Data from 20 subjects indicate that the PMN is sensitive to the degree of difference between the original and post-splice vowels. When the number of distinctive features changing is greater, the result is an earlier, more robust PMN. This suggests that the rate of speech recognition is not static but dynamic, and is dependent on likeness of subphonemic features. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Research within cognitive hearing science has throughout the years examined the relationship between speech recognition and cognitive functioning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hearing aid experience, fluid intelligence, and visual cues on speech-in-noise recognition. Data from the n200 database by Rönnberg et al. (2016) was analyzed to address two research problems: (1) whether the number of years of hearing aid use influence reliance on visual cues in speech-in-noise recognition and (2) how the relationship between fluid intelligence and reliance on visual cues changes depending on hearing aid use experience. Data from 214 participants with hearing impairment was analyzed using linear mixed effects models. No statistically significant interactions were observed in the results for both research questions. However, the results indicated that increased hearing aid experience, as well as the presence of visual cues resulted in better speech-in-noise recognition ability.

Denna kvalitativa undersökning har haft som mål att ta reda på vilka möjligheter chattbotten som teknik kan bidra med inom kundtjänst och om mänskliga designsignaler i chattbottar kan bidra till bättre kundupplevelse och kundnöjdhet. Syftet är att skapa en förståelse kring vilken inverkan mänskliga designsignaler har på kundupplevelsen och kundnöjdhet och om dessa mänskliga designsignaler har en större påverkan i jämförelse med en chattbott utan mänskliga designsignaler. I den här studien så har författaren skapat två chattbottar, en med mänskliga designsignaler och en maskinlik chattbott. I undersökningen har 8 respondenter medverkat i semistrukturerade intervjuer och interaktion med en av de två chattbottarna. Den semi- strukturerade intervjun var indelad i 4 olika kategorier (inledning, användarupplevelser, kundnöjdhet och mänskliga designsignaler). Studien har påvisat att företag som planerar att använda sig av en chattbott inom kundtjänst bör ta hänsyn till att chattbotten är anpassad efter ett specifikt ändamål, eftersom irrelevans och bristen i chattbottens förmåga att hantera ärenden kan resultera i sämre kundupplevelse och kundnöjdhet. Studien visade dessutom att mänskliga designsignaler i en chattbott inte har en stor påverkan på kundupplevelsen och kundnöjdhet i jämförelse med en maskinlik chattbott. Respondenterna i den här studien prioriterade chattbottens förmåga att kunna hantera och reda ut ett problem, då den generella upplevelsen av en interaktion prioriteras mindre.

Artificial beach nourishment, the most common method to mitigate coastal erosion in the United States, is also considered the most ecologically friendly alternative for shoreline stabilization. However, this habitat alteration has the potential to impact nesting marine turtles and developing hatchlings. The first objective of this study was to determine how nourishing beaches with two different design templates affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting success, the ratio of nests to the total number of nests and non-nesting emergences, and reproductive success, the ratio of hatched and emerged hatchlings to the total number of eggs deposited. Two types of restoration designs exist along the southern Brevard County, FL coastline, which supports some of the highest density loggerhead and green turtle nesting worldwide. Since 2005, approximately 35 kilometers of beach have undergone 1) fullscale restoration (typically called nourishment), where sand was added above and below the mean high tide line (2005, 2010) or 2) dune restoration, where sand was placed on the dune (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009). To quantify the effects of these restoration types, we used a Before-After-ControlImpact-Paired Series (BACIPS) model, which tests for significance between the difference in nesting success rates at the impact (engineered) and control sites (natural beach) before and after restoration ( ). For loggerheads, there was a significant difference in after dune restoration during the years of construction (2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009; p

Sound localisation is one of the most representative function of the auditory system and, as such, it has been extensively investigated across species. Spatial hearing can be dramatically altered across the life span, yet research in humans have highlighted the remarkable capacity of the brain to adapt to changes of listening conditions, such as temporary ear plugging or long lasting hearing impairments. Although several investigations have examined accommodation to altered auditory cues (Chapter 1), a common theoretical framework seems to lack and a number of questions remain open. This limits the possibility to translate our current knowledge into concrete clinical applications for individuals who experience spatial hearing difficulties after hearing loss. The current dissertation reflects the attempt to answer specific questions regarding the process of sound localisation. The first study (Chapter 2) aimed to investigate the relation between different reference frames in spatial hearing, namely egocentric and allocentric sound representation. We studies this topic in the context of a learning paradigm, assessing to what extent localisation of single sounds in simulated monaural hearing (unilateral ear plugging) can improve following an audio-visual spatial hearing training focused on egocentric sound processing vs allocentric sound processing. An untrained group was also included in the study. We found that localisation performance in the horizontal plane improved specifically in the side ipsilateral to the ear-plug for all groups. Yet, the trained groups showed a qualitatively different change of performance after four days of multisensory ego/allocentric training compared to the untrained group, providing initial evidence of the possible role of allocentric coding in acoustic space re-learning. These results further highlight the importance of including a test-retest group in paradigms of sound localisation training. The second study (Chapter 3) focused on a specific aspect of the phenomenological experience of spatial hearing, namely the subjective confidence about the perceived sound position. We examined the relation between objective localisation accuracy and subjective certainty while participants localised sounds in two different listening conditions – binaural or simulated monaural hearing. Results showed that overall subjective certainty on sound position decreased in the altered listening condition (unilateral ear-plugging). In simulated monaural hearing, localisation accuracy and spatial confidence dissociated. For instance, there were trials in which participants were accurate, but felt uncertain, and trials in which they were less accurate but expressed higher ratings of spatial confidence on sound position. Furthermore, subjective confidence increased as a function of time within the testing block, and it was related to the spatial distribution of the perceived sound-source position. The third study (Chapter 4) exploited magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the dynamics of the cortical network implied in active sound localisation. We implemented a novel apparatus to study sound localisation in MEG with real sounds in external space, and collected behavioural and subjective responses (i.e., accuracy and confidence, as in Study 2) during this altered listening condition. Results showed that participants were able to perceive the spatial difference between the positions of stimulation, thus proving the reliability of our novel setting for the study of spatial hearing in MEG. MEG data highlight a distributed bilateral cortical network involved in active sound localisation, which emerged shortly after stimulus presentation (100—125 ms). The network comprise the classical dorsal auditory pathway plus other cortical regions usually underestimated in previous literature – most notably, regions in the central sulcus/precentral gyrus possibly involved in head movements. Connectivity analysis revealed different patterns of neural coupling, as a function of frequency band. In particular, coherence in high gamma revealed significant connections involving the parietal cortex and the posterior superior temporal cortex. In the final chapter (Chapter 5), I summarise the main findings of the three studies, discuss their implications and outline potential future directions.

M. Tech. (Department of Fashion, Faculty of Human Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The focus of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between footwear cues, perceived quality and consumer satisfaction amongst Generation Y at River Square mall in Vereeniging. This research considers the effects of these cues as important arrays of quality indicators that consumers utilise in their evaluation process when selecting products. This knowledge is important to managers in the footwear industry. The lack of these considerations may lead to the manufacturing of fashion footwear that may not meet the consumers expectation regarding quality of the product and hence their satisfaction or possibly dissatisfaction. Footwear is alleged to be indispensable for the development of fashion apparel. Thus, the study sought to investigate underlying variables that influence footwear for the purpose of identifying ways in which the fashion industry can improve performance and presentation of footwear. A conceptual model was developed, drawing from cue utilization theory (CU) and utility theory (UT). Generation Y consumers at River Square mall in Vereeniging formed the sample of the study. A survey was conducted and research data was collected from 550 consumers. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22 and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 22. The findings indicate that footwear cues have a strong influence on perceived quality and perceived quality has a strong influence on satisfaction amongst Generation Y consumers. This indicates that Generation Y consumers perceive quality of footwear through extrinsic and intrinsic cues hence their satisfaction. Consequently fashion footwear business should regard effective cues when trading footwear.

The modern attention economy incentivizes the use of persuasive designs in software development. Scrolling is an interaction technique commonly associated with persuasive designs because of its lack of natural stopping cues and potential for habit promotion. A scroll-like interaction is used in gesture navigation, which is a method of navigating mobile operating systems. This paper investigates gesture navigation in mobile operating systems in the context of persuasive designs. The aim of this paper is to answer whether gesture navigation affects mobile usage and if there is a systematic preference for gesture navigation over traditional button navigation. In order to answer these questions a pre-post study was conducted. The participants were instructed to change system navigation controls for ten days; whereafter data regarding their mobile usage was collected. The collected data was analyzed in order to determine if there was a difference in mobile usage after changing system navigation controls and whether there was a systematic preference for gesture navigation. The results did not suggest that gesture navigation has an effect on mobile usage. The results did however point towards a systematic preference for gesture navigation over button navigation. The idéa of a systematic preference for gesture navigation motivates further research about the mechanisms behind it. / Den moderna uppmärksamhets-ekonomin motiverar implementering av persuasive design-tekniker inom mjukvaruutveckling. Scrolling är en interaktionsteknik som ofta förknippas med persuasive design på grund av dess brist på naturliga stoppsignaler och förmåga att forma användarvanor. En scrolling-liknande interaktion används i gestnavigering, vilket är en navigeringsmetod i mobila operativsystem. Denna uppsats undersöker gestnavigering i mobila operativsystem i anknytning till persuasive design. Syftet med uppsatsen är att besvara om gestnavigering påverkar mobilanvändning och om det finns en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering framför traditionell knappnavigering. För att besvara dessa frågor genomfördes en inventionsstudie. Deltagarna instruerades att ändra systemnavigering i tio dagar; varefter data om deras mobilanvändning samlades in. De insamlade uppgifterna analyserades för att avgöra om det förekom någon skillnad på mobilanvändandet efter bytet av systemnavigering och om det fanns en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering. Resultaten tydde inte på att gestnavigering påverkar mobilanvändning. Resultaten pekade däremot på en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering framför knappnavigering. Idén om en systematisk preferens för gestnavigering motiverar vidare forskning om preferensens bakomliggande mekanismer.

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