No description available.

Evidence is presented that supports the view that most models of short-term memory cannot account for the flexibility of the primary memory system. It is argued that the working memory model outlined by Baddeley and Hitch (1974) is, however, a potentially adequate model. Working memory, in this thesis, is depicted as a system that assembles 'constellations' consisting of the central executive and one or more sub-systems. This view suggests a formulation that is considerably more complex than the 1974 model. The empirical studies examine the role of the visuo-spatial scratch pad in the formation and maintenance of working memory constellations. It is concluded from these studies that the scratch pad is independent of the articulatory loop but is usually coupled to the central executive except during maintenance rehearsal. Furthermore, it can be used concurrently with the articulatory loop to process spatial aspects of highly verbal tasks. However a constellation consisting of the executive, the loop and the scratch pad is vulnerable to a wider range of interference effects than a simpler constellation. Paivio (1971) suggested that 'dual coding' leads to better memory performance, however, this is only the case when no distractors are present. The final two chapters present some speculations on how working memory research might proceed in the future. It is concluded that the current trend towards collecting convergent evidence and the emphasis on testing theory in applied situations should give us insights into memory that were not available to Ebbinghaus and other early memory researchers.

Banking is a major employment sector, which has experienced phenomenal growth over the last decade. Following the de-regulation of the financial marketplace and the entry of ‘new players', the industry has suffered from an almost ruinous internal struggle between its traditional, gentlemanly ethos (Clarke and Vincent, 1989) and the enforced adoption of aggressive sales and marketing strategies (Knights and Tinker, 1997). My research has investigated the various ways that ‘change’ (particularly strategic change consequential to the piecemeal adoption of ‘Japanese-style' systems of working and management -'HRM, TQM and lean production) have been met, experienced, negotiated, and to some extent contested, by branch-based employees working for Bank UK (one of the historic 'big four' clearing banks). Data was gathered through varying periods of participant observation in seven branches of Bank UK over two years, supplemented by group and individual interviews with managers and staff. A key informant was later recruited, who added both depth and a greater understanding of raw data. My thesis suggests that changing strategies (particularly those introduced in order to strengthen market position and expand sales opportunities) have created multiple paradoxes in the management and organisation of work in Bank UK, mostly through issues of cost At the same time as attempting to drive through a whole raft of changes that clearly involved increasing employee participation and commitment through teamworking, Kaizen activity, performance related pay and individual sales bids, the bank had been concerned to decrease operating costs in an attempt to improve key economic ratios. Between 1999 and 2000, Bank UK reduced staff expenditure by £72 million by shedding 7,300 employees. This significant loss of staff created huge difficulties in the everyday operation of branches, resulting in growing customer dissatisfaction with the service on offer, at the same time that weekly individual and branch sales targets were introduced, which clearly demanded extended customer interaction. The composition of the workforce in Bank UK has become increasingly flexible (both numerically and functionally) and two-tiered. Permanent staff enjoy the traditional 'perks' of employment, including performance related pay, whilst the growing number on 'casual' or flexible contracts (mostly ex-permanent staff) do not. Yet, paradoxically my research reveals that Bank UK's successful integration of sales and marketing strategies into the branch network can be generally attributed to the attitudes of its ‘casual' workforce who appear to have made a bigger contribution in terms of sales results and commitment to flexible working practices than their 'permanent' colleagues, despite lacking the same level of recognition and reward.

One of the best ways to increase memory performance on a task is to organize the to-be-remembered material (Postman, 1972). Throughout a number of experiments, the amount a subject organizes a list of words has been shown to be related to their overall recall performance (e.g., Mandler & Pearlstone, 1966). However, few studies have investigated whether other cognitive abilities are related to the organization of memory and whether these other abilities contribute to the relationship between organization and memory performance. In the present study subjects completed four sets of multitrial free recall and the consistency in which subjects recalled words (a measure of organization) was compared to performance on multiple measures of working memory capacity and fluid intelligence. I show that working memory capacity is related to the organization of memory particularly when subjects were told to use an organizational strategy and that fluid intelligence is related to organization regardless of strategy. Additionally, both working memory capacity and organization predict unique variance in immediate free recall performance.

Within the field of International Political Economy (IPE), and across the social sciences more broadly, analysis of restructuring and guides to its management have tended to use the master concept of globalisation as 'common sense' knowledge about social change. As a result, a discourse surrounding restructuring has emerged which presents a cause-effect and uni-linear model. Thus, restructuring processes within statesocieties and firms are viewed as responses to the imperatives of global change. Building on insights from contemporary IPE approaches, which highlight the historical and institutional contingency of these processes, the central purpose of this thesis is to reconsider global change as contested within and across societies. This is pursued through a consideration of the restructuring of productive and working practices as they are negotiated and contested in the key social terrain of states and firms. The inquiry proceeds through three stages. First, the use of globalisation as a master concept for framing knowledge of social change generally, and of changes in working practices particularly, is outlined. Second, through a focus on the debates surrounding the restructuring of work in Britain and Germany, it is argued that interpretations and experiences of restructuring are socially rooted and, therefore, distinctive. It is demonstrated that state-societies do not simply absorb global imperatives; that firms, as social arenas, do not respond to intensified competition in an unproblematic way; and that social groups actively experience and participate in the restructuring of embedded practices. Finally, it is suggested that perceived technological or economic pressures to restructure working practices take on distinctive meanings for particular societies, raising specific conflicts, and reflecting discrete social understandings. From this perspective, globalisation and social restructuring cannot be meaningfully understood as a single, universal or convergent process. Rather, globalisation and restructuring take on distinctive meanings as they are understood and experienced within specific social contexts.

No description available.

Working memory (WM) refers to the information processing system that is responsible for the maintenance plus manipulation of information. WM is necessary for the performance of complex tasks, such as reasoning and comprehension. Until relatively recently, WM capacity was thought to be a fixed trait of the individual. However, research findings on the effects of WM training programs have demonstrated otherwise. Therefore, this dissertation examined the impact of WM training in college students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD), two neuro-developmental disorders in which WM is impaired. The main objectives of this dissertation were to investigate training gains on the WM training program itself, transfer effects, and 2-month maintenance effects. College students with ADHD/LD, all of whom were registered with student disability services, were randomized to either the WM training program or a wait-list control group. Those who received WM training showed significantly greater improvements in the criterion WM measures (WAIS-IV Digit Span, CANTAB Spatial Span) and self-reported fewer ADHD symptoms and daily cognitive failures, compared to the control group. Analysis of participants who completed the follow-up assessment indicated that the gains in WM were maintained for at least 2 months after training. The dissertation is presented in four chapters. The introduction provides a broad overview of the research on WM, ADHD/LD, and WM training. The second chapter expands upon the methods used in the current study. The third chapter consists of a manuscript that will be submitted for publication. The fourth and final chapter summarizes the findings of the current study and discusses its implications for future research and clinical practice.

Working memory (WM) refers to the information processing system that is responsible for the maintenance plus manipulation of information. WM is necessary for the performance of complex tasks, such as reasoning and comprehension. Until relatively recently, WM capacity was thought to be a fixed trait of the individual. However, research findings on the effects of WM training programs have demonstrated otherwise. Therefore, this dissertation examined the impact of WM training in college students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD), two neuro-developmental disorders in which WM is impaired. The main objectives of this dissertation were to investigate training gains on the WM training program itself, transfer effects, and 2-month maintenance effects. College students with ADHD/LD, all of whom were registered with student disability services, were randomized to either the WM training program or a wait-list control group. Those who received WM training showed significantly greater improvements in the criterion WM measures (WAIS-IV Digit Span, CANTAB Spatial Span) and self-reported fewer ADHD symptoms and daily cognitive failures, compared to the control group. Analysis of participants who completed the follow-up assessment indicated that the gains in WM were maintained for at least 2 months after training. The dissertation is presented in four chapters. The introduction provides a broad overview of the research on WM, ADHD/LD, and WM training. The second chapter expands upon the methods used in the current study. The third chapter consists of a manuscript that will be submitted for publication. The fourth and final chapter summarizes the findings of the current study and discusses its implications for future research and clinical practice.

Thesis (MArt(Research))--University of South Australia, 2004.

This thesis reports comparative analyses of the work and family nexus for a group of working mothers in Adelaide, Australia and Harare, Zimbabwe.