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Self-report questionnaires are frequently used in health fields; however, subjective interpretation is often ignored. One way of assessing this is using techniques derived from cognitive interviewing. Of these, ‘think-aloud’, in which respondents speak their thoughts aloud as they complete a questionnaire, is the original paradigm. The thesis focusses on the use of ‘think-aloud’ methodology in the evaluation of questionnaires already in use in the health domain. The current thesis has been prepared in the format of scientific papers. Paper 1 is a systematic review (23 studies) of the appropriateness and usefulness of think-aloud techniques for evaluating health-related questionnaires. A descriptive account is provided of the aims of the studies reviewed; the justification for using think-aloud; populations studied; and methodology; an evaluative account depicts the usefulness of the think-aloud method in addressing researchers’ aims. Think-aloud was successfully used to address researchers’ aims and was effective at elucidating problems with questionnaires. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed, and recommendations made for future research. Paper 2 is a cross-sectional observational study using think-aloud methods to examine the way in which people with End Stage Renal Disease (N=25) interpret and respond to the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). All questions were found to be problematic to some extent and reappraisal questions yielded the most problems. A tendency to deny or minimise negative emotions and present a positive self-image was also noted. Implications are discussed for use of the ERQ and replication with further samples suggested. Paper 3 is a critical appraisal of the above papers and provides personal reflections on the research process as a whole. The current thesis was a transition from a different study; amended due to time constraints. The journey is also outlined from this original study to the present thesis. Strengths and limitations are considered as well as areas for improvement and future research.

The aim of this research was to describe the effects of Think-Pair-Share strategies, used during Guided Reading lessons, on reading achievement. Think-Pair-Share is a co-operative teaching strategy that includes three components; time for thinking, time for sharing with a partner and time for each pair to share back to a larger group. The use of Think-Pair-Share unites the cognitive and social aspects of learning, promoting the development of thinking and the construction of knowledge. The strategy lends itself to inclusion within Guided Reading lessons, where the focus is on meaningful discussion around text and promotion of the use of comprehension skills and strategies to foster comprehension. The literature review describes the effectiveness of explicit comprehension strategy instruction within the context of small group discussion. Strategies that foster cooperative learning have been successful in developing interpersonal skills, cognitive skills and metacognitive awareness. There is very little research documenting the effects of the use of the Think-Pair-Share strategy. The study took place in a Year 6 classroom with two intervention groups, each containing six children. One group was reading above their chronological age and the other below. Control groups reading at these levels were also used. Three variations of Think-Pair-Share were utilised during the eight week intervention period; Predict-Pair-Share, Image-Pair-Share and Summarise-Pair-Share, and the research centred on the effects of the intervention on reading comprehension. A quasi-experimental design was employed using a pre-test, post-test format and a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures to ascertain the effects. The results confirmed the positive effects of the strategy on reading achievement, especially for those students reading above their chronological age, although an extended period of intervention may have had more significant effects on those reading below. Positive effects on aspects of oral language use, thinking, metacognitive awareness, and the development of reading comprehension strategies were noted with both of the intervention groups. Results have significance for those concerned with implementing effective literacy practice. They demonstrate the versatility of the Think-Pair-Share strategy as a tool to foster conversation, and one that can be adapted to suit the learning focus and the needs of particular groups of students.

It has often been claimed that, during the 1980s and early 1990s, the new right think tanks - namely the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), and Adam Smith Institute (ASI) - had a major impact on policy-making and policy change. This thesis addresses such claims by examining three reforms in which the new right think tanks have been attributed an influence - bus deregulation, education reform, and prison privatisation. It seeks not only to empirically assess their impact, but also to relate these findings to the policy-making literature, in particular the Rhodes Model which emphasises policy continuity and the Advocacy Coalition Framework which seeks to explain policy change. It is argued that the new right think tanks had an impact on all three policy changes, as members of "advocacy coalitions", although the nature and extent of this impact varied. In some cases, the TEA, CPS, and ASI were able to have a direct impact on policy change, obtaining access to policy-makers through coalition allies. In other cases their impact was indirect, in shaping the broader "climate of ideas". The new right think tanks also contributed to new patterns of policy formulation, although there is limited evidence of any long-term structural impact on policy-making in these areas. It is also argued that the case studies raise a number of issues for the Rhodes Model and the Advocacy Coalition Framework, although these could be addressed by integrating the two to develop an approach to account for both policy continuity and policy change.

Att presentera information eller påverka användarens upplevelser via ljudsättning av gränssnitt är lågt prioriterat inom systemutveckling. Design av gränssnitt håller den visuella presentationen av information central därtill sammankopplar detta främst med områden som exempelvis användbarhet eller funktionell form. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur ljud påverkar upplevelsen samt hur detta skulle kunna implementeras för att förbättra användares upplevelser av internetbaserade gränssnitt. Det vetenskapliga ramverket har sammanställts genom ett artikelunderlag vilket genererat en grundläggande kategorisering. Detta avsåg koppling till ”Estetik”, ”Sonification”, ”Att ljudsätta användardata” samt ”User experience och audio”. Arbetssättet byggde på en metodkombination där ett kvantitativt internetbaserat frågeformulär undersökte områden inom ramverkets kategorisering samt en kvalitativ ”Think-aloud” undersökning där två verksamma systemutvecklare testade en ljudsatt prototyp. Resultatet från den kvalitativa undersökningen visade hur ljudsättning initialt inte värdesatts vid interaktion med ett gränssnitt samtidigt som prototypens ljudsättning inte upplevdes störande eller negativ. Prototypen framkom som ”för” kreativt vinklat vilket återkopplar till ramverkets beskrivning gällande två estetiska huvudspår inom webbdesign. Den kvantitativa analysen framställer hur användbarhet och ordning värdesatts högre än kreativa upplevelser samt att information i gränssnitt inte sågs lämpligt att förmedla via ljud. Slutsatsen inom arbetet ligger vid att ljudsättning av gränssnitt genom ett balanserat formspråk och en bibehållen känsla av kontroll, kan och bör kopplas till användarens interaktion med gränssnittet. Detta kan trots ett viss motstånd användas för att påverka upplevelser, känslor och därtill uppfattad användbarhet inom ett system.

The current study investigated variability in student performance on a concurrent verbalization measure based on a grade-level sample math word problem and sought to determine to what extent the variability in verbalization scores is related to scores on a reliable measure of reading (DIBELS Next) and math (easyCBM) and to student factors (e.g. sex, grade, economic status). In light of the 2014 implementation of the Common Core State Standards and related measures of student performance, both of which contain components of language in mathematics curriculum and assessment, it was the intent of this study to identify factors associated with verbalization on sample math word problems that could be correlated with student performance on reliable, commonly used assessments of reading and math. The sample for analysis included 105 intermediate-grade students from one elementary school in the Pacific Northwest. Results support a relation between students' verbalizations about math word problems and benchmark assessments in reading and math. Limitations of the study, considerations for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.

Paramedics are responsible for the care of patients requiring emergency assistance in the out of hospital setting. These health care providers need to make many decisions during the course of an emergency call. This thesis on paramedic clinical decision-making includes two studies, intended to determine which decisions paramedics make that are most important for patient safety and clinical outcome, and what thinking strategies paramedics rely on to make decisions. Forty-two decisions were found to be most important for outcome and safety. The highest decision density of an emergency call is during the on-scene treatment phase. Paramedics use a mix of thinking strategies, including rule out worst scenario, algorithmic, and exhaustive thinking. The results of these studies have implications for future research, paramedic practice and training.

Caring for patients in an acute medical ward occurs in a complex and dynamic environment. Prioritisation of goals and activities represents one element of effective planning and delivery of care. The importance of priority setting has been highlighted in the nursing literature for over twenty-five years; however, there would appear to be no systematic study of this key skill. This thesis explores priority setting within a novice/expert framework, using a mixed methods approach. In addition to using simulation it investigates real-time priority setting within actual clinical practice. Study one used simulation in four groups with a range of nursing experience. This included one group of non-nurses for comparison. Participants were asked to prioritise twelve care activities presented in a simulated case-load. Analysis demonstrated that the simulation evoked priority setting behaviour, and differences in priority setting were seen. Study two combined the simulated case-load with think-aloud method. Semistructured interview completed the data collection. Findings were consistent with Benner’s ovice/expert framework, suggesting that prioritisation is determined by two main characteristics, the views, values and perceptions of the nurse, and key skills, knowledge and experience. Study three used think-aloud method to examine priority setting in clinical practice, comparing junior student nurses with senior staff nurses. This was supplemented by observation and semi-structured interview. Findings from this study identified differences in cognitive processes, and priority setting strategies. Developing critical thinking skills, expert role modelling, and the use of an active apprenticeship model may facilitate skill acquisition. This thesis highlights the complexity of priority setting in caring for patients in an acute medical ward. It explores the development of this skill in learner nurses, and demonstrated a range of methods for studying decision-making in both simulated and clinical settings.

The think aloud method has been used in this research to generate data that reveals the thoughts of participants of a study while they are performing tasks. The pioneers of this method, Simon and Ericsson, have provided a method to analyze the data so as to obtain meaningful results. However, this analysis method is complicated and time consuming. Most researchers use some form of categorization to perform their analysis. Critical incidents were used to categorize the data gathered in the tests conducted as part of this research. This research proposed the use of tenets of Activity Theory while performing data analysis so that the cultural and environmental aspects that influence task performance are identified and addressed as part of the analysis. A data analysis template was created that directs the analyst to follow activity theory while performing the analysis. Sample data was gathered using the Think Aloud Method. The results obtained after analyzing this data using the proposed Activity Theory Based method were compared with those obtained when the same data was analyzed using a representative traditional method of analysis. The research included positive critical incidents, negative critical incidents and level of severity of negative critical incidents as the dependent measures. No significant differences were found between the two methods based on these dependent measures. Task type had a significant effect on the number of positive and negative critical incidents identified. / Master of Science

Ledarrollen definieras ofta stereotypiskt manligt vilket kan vara en möjlig förklaring till det låga antal kvinnor i höga ledarpositioner. Kvinnor anses vara mindre lämpade på grund av den stereotypa kvinnliga könsrollen. Studien undersökte om manliga och kvinnliga mellanchefer skulle bedömas olika beroende på om de visade stereotypiskt manligt (agentic) eller kvinnligt (communal) beteende. De 176 högskolestudenter, varav 80 kvinnor, som deltog läste en vinjett där chefsagerande utifrån könsstereotypa egenskaper samt chefernas kön varierades. Därefter skattade de chefernas grad av communal och agentic egenskaper, samt hur positivt de uppfattade cheferna. Trevägs-ANOVOR visade att kvinnor, till skillnad från män, skattade manliga chefer mer positivt än kvinnliga chefer. Communal chefer bedömdes generellt vara bättre chefer och mer lämpade för rollen än agentic chefer. Resultaten gick emot tidigare studier samt studiens hypoteser, vilket tyder på att en eventuell förändring av den traditionella synen på ledarskap kan vara på gång.