No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Recent development of implicit measures has enabled researchers to investigate the relation between implicit attitudes and automatic behaviours. Among these measures, the implicit association test (IAT: Greenwald, McGhee Schwartz, 1998) is one of the most widely used measures of implicit attitudes. However, recently, Olson and Fazio (2004) demonstrated that the IAT is contaminated by ???extrapersonal associations??? and suggested that the personalized version of the IAT is less influenced by these associations. In this paper, we demonstrated that the extrapersonal associations reflect cultural norms and predict meaningful behaviour. In Study 1, we found that the traditional IAT is predicted by both the personalized IAT and our cultural norm IAT. In Study 2, we found the cross-cultural differences in the implicit cultural norms. Finally, in Study 3, we demonstrated that the personalized IAT and normative IAT both predict behaviours among European-Canadians and Asian-Canadians. Thus, our studies provide evidence of predictive validity for the cultural norm IAT.

Chemical process synthesis is an open ended step of process design as it deals with the problem of how to develop and integrate the chemical process flowsheet. Over the past four decades, very few systematic procedures have been proposed for the rigorous synthesis of complete chemical process flowsheets. Mathematical design and heuristics from experience of past processes are the two main methods usually employed in process synthesis. Most approaches for new designs use heuristics based on studying reaction and separation systems in isolation. This thesis discusses the development of a new process synthesis systematic procedure and software that integrates a knowledge based system with Aspen HYSYS process simulator, HYSYS optimizer, Aspen Icarus economic evaluator, and databases, utilising knowledge from existing industrial processes to obtain design rules. The proposed generic superstructure for the synthesis and optimization of reaction-separation-recycle systems has been validated. To account for the non-ideal behaviour of reactors, modular simulation is used and an example of the approach is illustrated for a fluidized bed reactor. Preliminary work in customizing Aspen HYSYS to simulate new unit operation has been illustrated. A Visual Basic for Application (VBA) programming code has been developed to link the integrated knowledge based system (IKBS) to Aspen HYSYS. The prototype IKBS has been applied for the selection of reactor-separator-recycle systems for ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, acetic acid and cumene manufacturing processes as case studies. A wide range of chemical reactors and separators were considered during the selection process and then elimination occurs at different levels leading to the best alternatives being selected for simulation, optimization and economic evaluation in the second phase of the IKBS for future development. The suggested alternative reactor-separator-recycle systems by the IKBS include currently used processes in addition to novel and recommended reactors/separators in industrial research. The proposed integrated knowledge based approach to chemical process flowsheet synthesis is expected to yield a cost effective design methodology for the petrochemical industry.

No description available.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the nature of consumer decision making. It considered the purchase of a video cassette recorder and investigated whether the assumptions of a model based on satisficing behaviour could be justified. It considered the nature of search behaviour and evaluation during the decision process and the factors which might influence it. The research therefore studied the stages of the decision process from the nature of Problem Recognition and Problem Classification, including the development of evoked sets during the decision process, the preference for and use of different information sources, the nature of search behaviour, the importance of choice criteria and the decision rules used while employing these choice criteria. This was investigated using three seperate but linked research approaches. A sample of the population in the West of Scotland was analysed to investigate differences between video owners and non video owners, while qualitative interviews were conducted to study the decision process itself. Conjoint Analysis was used to consider the relative importance of choice criteria. The study confirmed the sequential nature of the decision process and found a phased sequence of choice and search. Despite the nature of the good (expensive and innovative) the decision was generally considered of a low involvement nature. While the predictions of low involvement learning that a satisficing decision would be taken were found to be true our findings disagreed with the accepted theory on the use of information sources. It was also considered that it would be wrong to assume no cognitive processes were taking place as various choice heuristics were found which simplified the decision for the consumer.

This thesis provides a stochastic modeling tool to assist in the component selection process for Army Aviation's Condition-Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) program. This work is in conjunction with the Operations Research Center of Excellence (ORCEN) at the United States Military Academy to assist in providing insight for the U.S. Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). The component selected for this thesis is the AH-64/UH-60 T701C Turbine Helicopter Engine. Data analysis of the failure data indicated that a nonhomogeneous Poisson process appropriately modeled the failure characteristics of this engine. A Microsoft Excel simulation utilizing Crystal Ball version 5.5 compares an engine monitored by CBM+ versus the traditional Legacy system of maintenance. This simulation provides information on diagnosed faults, mission aborts, repair times, false positives, and logistical implications. This simulation is generic and can be used in comparing CBM+ candidate components for future inclusion into the CBM+ program. Results suggest when considering a component for inclusion in the CBM+ program important factors to consider are even the smallest false positive rate can invalidate process, large sensor probability of detection isn't necessary for beneficial results, and by entering a component into the CBM+ the on hand component requirements can be greatly reduced. / US Army (USA) author.