Historically, difference in performance across dominant and subordinate groups on tests of cognitive ability have been observed. Of particular importance is the underperformance of groups on tests. It is proposed that this results from the underlying assumptions of conventional tests. Contextual models (which argue that cognitive ability is socially determined) and research pertaining to Piagetian theory argue that understanding children's socio-ecological contexts, as well as their underlying cognitive processes, enhances assessment of cognitive ability/ competence. Additionally, the multitude of factors influencing performance in an intra- and intercultural assessment situation should be considered. A new test of cognitive ability based on Piagetian Genetic Epistemology, the Counter test, has been developed by Dr V. Grover. Previous exploratory research has indicated performance differences across designated racial groups attending different education systems. This research focuses on understanding performance (on the Counter Test) across "black" and "coloured" groups within the same education system. A fortuitous sampling technique was used to select a sample consisting of 20 "black" and 20 "coloured" children, aged 8 and 9 years. Demographic data was obtained to understand their socio-ecological context. They were administered the Draw-A-Man and Counter Test (first administration). Results obtained on the Counter Test indicated that designated racial group does not influence performance on the test (1 = 0.203, d.£ = 38, Q > 0.01) or significant underperformance within each group (1 = 6.901 "coloured", 1 = 9.68 "black", d.£= 19, l2. < 0.01). The latter is similar to findings on previous research. Possible explanations are given, but further vigorous investigations are indicated. On second administration, the unstandardized, structured steps based on Feuerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device were administered to 14 children - criterion underperformance from 1 yr. 6mo to 2 yr. 9mo on the Counter test. The clinical interpretation of 6 children's performance across administrations enhanced understanding of their cognitive processes and the contingencies affecting their use and indicated overall improvement in performance. This indicates that "actual" competence can be assessed through more appropriate assessment procedures. Implications for assessment in a multi-cultural context are considered.

No description available.

Game outcomes are generally thought to be the primary maintaining variables in gambling behavior. The influence of language and other verbal behaviors have been shown to moderate subsequent game play. The purpose of this study is to measure the behavioral sensitivity to changing contingencies when rules are given or self-generated compared to those that are not given rules. To date no study has compared contingency based trial and error learning, externally delivered rules and contextually cued responding when measuring behavioral sensitivity to changing contingencies in the context of roulette. An analysis of such behavior will shed light on the cause and effect relationships that describe gambling. Twenty-eight undergraduate and graduate students were recruited to play a game of simulated roulette with varying probabilities for each game option. Participants were assigned to 3 groups and were either given rules regarding game play, were not given rules or asked to complete a relational training exercise. Results demonstrated varying mean response allocation for each group and game option. Those who were given rules or who completed a relational training procedure demonstrated more flexible responding when confronted with changing contingencies.

No description available.

This thesis establishes the evidential value of thumbnail cache file fragments identified in unallocated space. A set of criteria to evaluate the evidential value of thumbnail cache artefacts were created by researching the evidential constraints present in Forensic Computing. The criteria were used to evaluate the evidential value of live system thumbnail caches and thumbnail cache file fragments identified in unallocated space. Thumbnail caches can contain visual thumbnails and associated metadata which may be useful to an analyst during an investigation; the information stored in the cache may provide information on the contents of files and any user or system behaviour which interacted with the file. There is a standard definition of the purpose of a thumbnail cache, but not the structure or implementation; this research has shown that this has led to some thumbnail caches storing a variety of other artefacts such as network place names. The growing interest in privacy and security has led to an increase in user’s attempting to remove evidence of their activities; information removed by the user may still be available in unallocated space. This research adapted popular methods for the identification of contiguous files to enable the identification of single cluster sized fragments in Windows 7, Ubuntu, and Kubuntu. Of the four methods tested, none were able to identify each of the classifications with no false positive results; this result led to the creation of a new approach which improved the identification of thumbnail cache file fragments. After the identification phase, further research was conducted into the reassembly of file fragments; this reassembly was based solely on the potential thumbnail cache file fragments and structural and syntactical information. In both the identification and reassembly phases of this research image only file fragments proved the most challenging resulting in a potential area of continued future research. Finally this research compared the evidential value of live system thumbnail caches with identified and reassembled fragments. It was determined that both types of thumbnail cache artefacts can provide unique information which may assist with a digital investigation. ii This research has produced a set of criteria for determining the evidential value of thumbnail cache artefacts; it has also identified the structure and related user and system behaviour of popular operating system thumbnail cache implementations. This research has also adapted contiguous file identification techniques to single fragment identification and has developed an improved method for thumbnail cache file fragment identification. Finally this research has produced a proof of concept software tool for the automated identification and reassembly of thumbnail cache file fragments.

The context-workflow relationship is often poorly defined or forgotten entirely. In workflow systems and applications context is either omitted, defined by the workflow or defined based on a single aspect of a contextual dimension. In complex environments this can be problematic as the definition of context is useful in determining the set of possible workflows. Context provides the envelope that surrounds the workflow and determines what is or is not possible. The relationship between workflow and context is also poorly defined. That context can exist independently of workflow is often ignored, and workflow does not exist independently of context. Workflow representations void of context violate this stipulation. In order for a workflow representation to exist in a contextual dimension it must possess the same dimensions as the context. In this thesis we selected one contextual dimension to study, in this case the spatial dimension, and developed a comprehensive definition using building data models. Building data models are an advanced form of representation that build geometric data models into an ob ject-oriented representation consisting of common building elements. The building data model used was the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as it is the leading standard in this emerging field. IFC was created for the construction of facilities and not the use of facilities at a later time. In order to incorporate workflows into IFC models, a zoning technique was developed in order to represent the workflow in IFC. The zoning concept was derived from multi-criteria layout for facilities layout and was adapted for IFC and workflow. Based on the above work a zoning extension was created to explore the combination of IFC, workflow and simulation. The extension is a proof of concept and is not intended to represent a robust formalized system. The results indicate that the use of a comprehensive definition of a contextual dimension may prove valuable to future expert systems.

The context-workflow relationship is often poorly defined or forgotten entirely. In workflow systems and applications context is either omitted, defined by the workflow or defined based on a single aspect of a contextual dimension. In complex environments this can be problematic as the definition of context is useful in determining the set of possible workflows. Context provides the envelope that surrounds the workflow and determines what is or is not possible. The relationship between workflow and context is also poorly defined. That context can exist independently of workflow is often ignored, and workflow does not exist independently of context. Workflow representations void of context violate this stipulation. In order for a workflow representation to exist in a contextual dimension it must possess the same dimensions as the context. In this thesis we selected one contextual dimension to study, in this case the spatial dimension, and developed a comprehensive definition using building data models. Building data models are an advanced form of representation that build geometric data models into an ob ject-oriented representation consisting of common building elements. The building data model used was the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as it is the leading standard in this emerging field. IFC was created for the construction of facilities and not the use of facilities at a later time. In order to incorporate workflows into IFC models, a zoning technique was developed in order to represent the workflow in IFC. The zoning concept was derived from multi-criteria layout for facilities layout and was adapted for IFC and workflow. Based on the above work a zoning extension was created to explore the combination of IFC, workflow and simulation. The extension is a proof of concept and is not intended to represent a robust formalized system. The results indicate that the use of a comprehensive definition of a contextual dimension may prove valuable to future expert systems.

©Cranfield University / This thesis establishes the evidential value of thumbnail cache file fragments identified in unallocated space. A set of criteria to evaluate the evidential value of thumbnail cache artefacts were created by researching the evidential constraints present in Forensic Computing. The criteria were used to evaluate the evidential value of live system thumbnail caches and thumbnail cache file fragments identified in unallocated space. Thumbnail caches can contain visual thumbnails and associated metadata which may be useful to an analyst during an investigation; the information stored in the cache may provide information on the contents of files and any user or system behaviour which interacted with the file. There is a standard definition of the purpose of a thumbnail cache, but not the structure or implementation; this research has shown that this has led to some thumbnail caches storing a variety of other artefacts such as network place names. The growing interest in privacy and security has led to an increase in user’s attempting to remove evidence of their activities; information removed by the user may still be available in unallocated space. This research adapted popular methods for the identification of contiguous files to enable the identification of single cluster sized fragments in Windows 7, Ubuntu, and Kubuntu. Of the four methods tested, none were able to identify each of the classifications with no false positive results; this result led to the creation of a new approach which improved the identification of thumbnail cache file fragments. After the identification phase, further research was conducted into the reassembly of file fragments; this reassembly was based solely on the potential thumbnail cache file fragments and structural and syntactical information. In both the identification and reassembly phases of this research image only file fragments proved the most challenging resulting in a potential area of continued future research. Finally this research compared the evidential value of live system thumbnail caches with identified and reassembled fragments. It was determined that both types of thumbnail cache artefacts can provide unique information which may assist with a digital investigation. ii This research has produced a set of criteria for determining the evidential value of thumbnail cache artefacts; it has also identified the structure and related user and system behaviour of popular operating system thumbnail cache implementations. This research has also adapted contiguous file identification techniques to single fragment identification and has developed an improved method for thumbnail cache file fragment identification. Finally this research has produced a proof of concept software tool for the automated identification and reassembly of thumbnail cache file fragments.

Ce travail développe une théorie contextuelle du statut moral des animaux qui concilie les exigences morales de l'impartialité et l'importance des relations de vulnérabilité et de partialité. A partir d'une analyse de la notion de statut moral comme ensemble d'obligations directement dues aux animaux, la théorie se décline en deux volets principaux: un modèle descriptif et un modèle normatif d'attribution du statut moral, tous deux . « duels» : le statut moral dépend de propriétés intrinsèques (typiquement des capacités) et de propriétés extrin-sèques (typiquement des relations et un contexte) des entités moralement considérables. Le modèle normatif s'organise autour de deux grands principes : un Principe de Protection des Vulnérables et un Principe de Partialité Raisonnable, tous deux justifiés impartialement, conciliant ainsi l'exigence relationnelle et particulariste des éthiques du care et l'exigence d'impartialité de la justice. Les relations spéciales rendent certains animaux familiers irremplaçables et dotés d'un statut moral spécial. Cependant, un grand nombre d'animaux conscients mais non nécessairement conscients d'eux-mêmes et qui en outre ne participent pas à de telles relations sont également irremplaçables dans la mesure où ils ont une vie propre à mener, dont les humains peuvent retracer la narrativité. / This work presents a contextual theory of the moral status of animals which combines the demands of impartiality and the significance of relationships of vulnerability and partiality. From an analysis of the notion of moral status as a set of obligations directly owed to animals, a two-fold theory is spelled out: a descriptive model and a normative model of moral status attribution, which are both "dual": moral status depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic properties of morally considerable entities (typically, capacities on the one hand, relationships and context on the other hand). The normative model is built around two core principles : a Principle of Protection of the Vulnerable and a Principle of Reasonable Partiality, which are both impartially justified. The theory thus combines the relational and particularistic demands of care ethics and the impartial demands of justice. Special relationships make some companion animals irreplaceable and endowed with a special status. However, a great deal of animals who are conscious but not self-conscious, and who do not take part in such relationships, are nevertheless irreplaceable insofar as they have a life of their own to live, whose narrativity can be outlined by humans.

No description available.