There is no research on the assessment or treatment of help-seeking behaviors for individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). The current study evaluated the efficacy of a group treatment protocol, NICE (Noticing you have a problem, Identifying the information you need for help, Compensatory strategies, Evaluating progress), to train help-seeking for adults with ABI when lost. Theoretical and treatment components from two empirically validated interventions that target social problem solving and social competence were adapted to develop the NICE group treatment protocol. A single subject modified variant of a nonconcurrent and multiple probe multiple baseline across participant cohort design was used to examine sensitivity to treatment effects for seven persons with ABI. The overall findings suggest that the NICE group treatment has potential to improve help-seeking when wayfinding. This dissertation supports further investigation of the NICE group treatment to train help-seeking skills.

Tourism is one of the most rapidly developing industries in the world. The study of spatio-temporal movement models of tourists are undertaken in variety of disciplines such as tourism, geography, mathematics, economics and artificial intelligence. Knowledge from these different fields has been difficult to integrate because tourist movement research has been conducted at different spatial and temporal scales. This thesis establishes a methodology for modelling the spatial-temporal movement of tourists and defines the spatial-temporal movement of tourists at both the macro and micro level. At the macro level, the sequence of tourist movements is modelled and the trend for tourist movements is predicted based on Markov Chain theory (MC). Log-linear models are then adopted to test the significance of the movement patterns of tourists. Tourism market segmentation based on the significant movement patterns of tourists is implemented using the EM (Expectation-Maximisation) algorithm. At the micro level, this thesis investigates the wayfinding decision-making processes of tourists. Four wayfinding models are developed and the relationships between the roles of landmarks and wayfinding decision-making are also discussed for each type of the wayfinding processes. The transition of a tourist movement between the macro and micro levels was examined based on the spatio-temporal zooming theory. A case study of Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia is undertaken to implement and evaluate the tourist movement models established in this thesis. Two surveys were conducted on Phillip Island to collect the macro and micro level movement data of tourists. As results show particular groups of tourists travelling with the same movement patterns have unique characteristics such as age and travel behaviours such as mode of transport. Effective tour packages can be designed based on significant movement patterns and the corresponding target markets. Tourists with various age groups, residency, gender and different levels of familiarity with physical environment have different wayfinding behaviours. The results of this study have been applied to tourism management on Phillip Island and the novel methods developed in this thesis have proved to be useful in improving park facilities and services provided to tourists, in designing tour packages for tourism market promotion and in understanding tourist wayfinding behaviours.

Understanding human spatial cognition and behaviour is not something easily studied. Many factors are involved that contribute in different ways for different individuals. Navigation and wayfinding have been used as an approach, or starting point, for such studies. Spatial abilities tests have long been used as reference points to generalize to overt navigational behaviour. Care needs to be taken in generalizing from paper to behaviour to make certain that it is a valid relationship exists.<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which certain psychometric spatial abilities tests are indicators of actual navigational decision making. The study was conducted in two phases. The navigational decision tasks were made up of four paths with two variables: length and number of turns. The participants were required to make a decision on which direction to go after being lead part of the way around a hallway. The choices were to either go back the way they were led or take a novel route along a previously un-travelled path (shortcut). Spatial abilities tests (MRT, PFT, and OLMT), a self-rating of SOD, and learning preference for novel environments were administered in phase two. <p>While efficient navigation was not explicitly required in the navigation tasks those participants making the most efficient decisions shared similar characteristics. Efficient navigators have a higher aptitude for mental manipulation (as measured by the MRT), express a preference for a more exploratory environmental learning style, are disproportionately male, and have a slightly higher self-rating of SOD. In addition to the collective set of four navigation decisions (one for each experimental path), path 2 demonstrated the efficient vs. non-efficient distinction quite well: in order to make the most efficient decision the individual must maintain the correct metric distance from the origin point and not be deterred by the passage of only half of the turns in the rectangular experimental environment.

Eskilstuna Folkhögskola is located in Munktellstaden in Eskilstuna. The school has two separate buildings with entrances that are difficult to find. By having two separate buildings, and to be in an area where there are rules and guidelines for the area's environment, makes it difficult to guide visitors to the school premises. The purpose of my research was to examine how to guide visitors to the school, and how to increase understanding that the school's various buildings are connected. Through practices such as site analysis, interviews, I found that the guidelines are not adapted to the current situation that is established in the district. Through theory and empirical material I have produced a design proposal to facilitate Wayfinding to Eskilstuna Folkhögskola. This is presented as a landmark and a clarification of the schools entrances and signage.

Back and forth is a study on wayshowing at events focusing on the Siesta festivalin Hässleholm. For several years the interest in festivals has increased, whichhas contribute to expansion among festivals. The Siesta festival in Hässleholm istoday one of the major festivals in Sweden, attracting 10 000 visitors each year.The festival’s strong expansion has contributed to disorientation in the festivalarea, because it has never been constant from year to year. A side effect of this isthat the orientation is a constant problem.Therefore this study aims to investigate how a clearer route guidance systems onthe Siesta Festival can be designed based on existing designprinciples onguidance and orientation and how the information can be accessable towheelchair users and those with some kind of colourblindness?Surveys among festival visitors and interviews with the festival organizers for thefestival showed which navigation strategies that are most used on festivals. Thestudies also showed that respondents perceived that festival information may beunclear or inadequate. Interviews with the Siesta festival organizers showed howthe festival worked with availability, it also emerged that the Siesta festival mustadapt to local area and therefore can not hold a constant festival area.Based on theories of wayfinding systems, cognitive frames of reference fororientation and based on studies of this report a sign system was designed todirect festival visitors at the Siesta Festival. The sign system is based on adirectional sign, where the sign in it´s form shows direction, and at a higherheight in the context the information gets visible and legible through twolanguages.The conclusions of this report is that further studies and evaluations is needed tobe done to examine how this propose work in kontext and towards thetarget group. Although materials and construction should be reviewed andstudied furthermore. / Hit och tillbaka är en studie om vägvisning på evenemang med fokus påSiestafestivalen i Hässleholm. Sedan flera år tillbaka har intresset för festivalerökat, och vilket har inneburit att många festivaler har expanderat.Siestafestivalen i Hässleholm är idag en av de större festivalerna i Sverige ochlockar 10 000 tals besökare varje år. Festivalens starka expandering har bidragittill att festivalområdet aldrig har varit konstant från år till år och en bieffekt avdetta har blivit att orienteringen är ett ständigt problem.Arbetet syftar till att undersöka hur ett tydligare vägvisningssystem påSiestafestivalen kan utformas utifrån befintliga designprinciper kring vägvisningoch orientering och hur informationen dessutom kan göras tillgänglig förrullstolsbundna och de med någon form av färgblinhet?Genom enkätundersökningar bland festivalbesökare och vid intervjuer medfestivalarrangörer för festivalen framkom vilka navigeringsstrategier som ärmest använda på festival. Studierna visade också att respondenterna uppfattadeatt festivalinformation kan vara otydlig eller otillräcklig. I intervjuerna medSiestafestivalens arrangörer framgick på vilket sätt festivalen arbetattillgänglighet, det framgick också att festivalen får anpassa sig till närområdetoch därför kan inte hålla ett konstant festivalområde.Utifrån tidigare teorier om vägvisningssystem och kognitiva referensramar förorientering samt efter studierna i detta arbete formgavs ett skyltsystem för attleda festivalbesökarna på Siestafestivalen rätt. Skyltsystemet bygger på en formav ”directional sign” där skylten i sin form visar vägriktning, och med en högrehöjd för sammanhanget blir skyltningen synlig och tydlig genom två språk.Slutsatserna för arbetet är att vidare studier och utprovningar behövs göras föratt undersöka hur förslaget fungerar i sammanhanget och mot målgruppen.Även material och konstruktion bör ses över och studeras vidare.

Understanding human spatial cognition and behaviour is not something easily studied. Many factors are involved that contribute in different ways for different individuals. Navigation and wayfinding have been used as an approach, or starting point, for such studies. Spatial abilities tests have long been used as reference points to generalize to overt navigational behaviour. Care needs to be taken in generalizing from paper to behaviour to make certain that it is a valid relationship exists.<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which certain psychometric spatial abilities tests are indicators of actual navigational decision making. The study was conducted in two phases. The navigational decision tasks were made up of four paths with two variables: length and number of turns. The participants were required to make a decision on which direction to go after being lead part of the way around a hallway. The choices were to either go back the way they were led or take a novel route along a previously un-travelled path (shortcut). Spatial abilities tests (MRT, PFT, and OLMT), a self-rating of SOD, and learning preference for novel environments were administered in phase two. <p>While efficient navigation was not explicitly required in the navigation tasks those participants making the most efficient decisions shared similar characteristics. Efficient navigators have a higher aptitude for mental manipulation (as measured by the MRT), express a preference for a more exploratory environmental learning style, are disproportionately male, and have a slightly higher self-rating of SOD. In addition to the collective set of four navigation decisions (one for each experimental path), path 2 demonstrated the efficient vs. non-efficient distinction quite well: in order to make the most efficient decision the individual must maintain the correct metric distance from the origin point and not be deterred by the passage of only half of the turns in the rectangular experimental environment.

For the past few years, virtual environments (VEs) have gained broad attention from both scholarly and practitioner communities. However, in spite of intense and widespread efforts, most VE-related research has focused on the technical aspects of applications, and the necessary theoretical framework to assess the quality of interfaces and designs has not yet been fully developed. This research, as a response to such challenges, concerns the usability of three-dimensional VEs. More specifically, this study aims to investigate the effects of wayfinding affordance design on users’ task performance and perceptual experience in 3D desktop VEs. For this purpose, four different wayfinding affordance conditions were set up: Fixed Detached Affordance Cues (FDAC) condition, Switchable Detached Affordance Cues (SDAC) condition, Portable Embedded Affordance Cues (PEAC) condition and Fixed Embedded Affordance Cues (FEAC) condition. Maps and directional cues were employed to implement wayfinding affordance. The results show that the design of wayfinding affordance has significant effects on users’ perceptual experience as well as their task performance. Task performance was significantly better where the maps and directional cues were provided independently from the VE interfaces (FDAC, SDAC). With regard to perceptual experience, the effect was significant only in simple environments. In these environments, the fixed and, therefore, stable interfaces (FEAC, FDAC) were found to provide a better sense of presence for users whereas the manipulative interfaces (PEAC, SDAC) offered a greater state of playfulness. The research findings also indicated that the design of 3D interfaces had a greater impact on non-expert users than on expert users. / text

Mobile wayfinding and guide applications have become indispensable tools for navigating unfamiliar urban spaces. Such applications address locations targeted, “just-in-time” queries, This thesis reports on research examining mobile tool requirements for discovering neighborhood. In the first phase of the research a preliminary study examining how existing online tools were used for neighborhood exploration. We conducted a second study, considering a home buying scenario in two different two areas, to assess limitations of Google Maps. There were issues with switching between spatial views, search, or Street View required the user to switch to Map View. From these and other results we derive a set of design requirements for mobile tools for neighborhood discovery and present a prototype application called Block Party that addresses a number of these requirements. Block Party supports itineraries with numbered waypoints, easy transitions between synchronized spatial views. Future work will evaluate Block Party’s design in another study.

This study was performed at Thomas Arena in Strängnäs, Sweden. The reason ofthe study was to see how to perform an enhancement in the orientatabilitybetween the entrance and the locker rooms. By looking at how the environmentinteract with the users when it comes to orientatability, the study should give agreater understanding in how the entrance should be evolved to enhance theorientatability. A qualitative study was performed, where observations andinterviews studies was used to collect the data. By the result you could see that theenvironment between the entrance en the looker rooms was hard to understand,and was affecting the users in their orientation. With the support of literature,earlier research and the results that the empiricism showed a draft was made, werespatial elements clarified the orientatability. / Denna studie är gjord vid Thomas Arena i Strängnäs. Syftet har varit attundersöka hur man kan öka orienterbarheten mellan entrén och sporthallensomklädningsrum. Genom att se hur miljön påverkar användarnas möjlighet attnavigera sig ges en större förståelse för hur entrén bör utformas för att stödjaderas orientering. En kvalitativ studie har gjorts där observation- ochintervjustudier använts för insamling av data. I resultatet kunde man konstatera attmiljön mellan entrén och sporthallens omklädningsrum är svårbegriplig ochpåverkar användarnas möjligheter att orientera sig. Med stöd av litteratur ochtidigare forskning och de resultat empirin visat på har ett förslag tagits fram, därolika rumsliga element tydliggör orienterbarheten.

Detta examensarbete är skrivet inom ämnet informationsdesign med inriktning mot rumslig gestaltning. Ämnet som studerats är orienterbarhet i stationsmiljöer med syfte att utveckla navigeringsmöjligheter på stationer vid byte mellan olika färdmedel. Därför har ett konceptförslag tagits fram som ska underlätta för resenärer att hitta sin transport, även i en tidspressad situation. De stationer som har undersökts är Uppsala och Västerås, men konceptförslaget ska även kunna tillämpas på andra stationer. Platsstudier och omvärldsanalys har legat som huvudpunkt för insamlande av data. Platsanalys och observation har gett mig en förståelse över platsens styrkor och svag- heter. Utifrån omvärldsanalysen har platsernas olika aktörer och riktlinjer tagits fram, den har även gett en överblick om hur andra stationer ser ut. Undersökningarna tillsammans med teorierna har gett ett resultat som har varit stöd för det fortsatta arbetet samt i utveckling av mitt konceptförslag. Det som tydligt framkommer är att en konsekvent skyltning är att föredra. Informationen på platserna är varken konsekvent eller samlad, detta ökar behovet av att söka och större ansträng- ning krävs. Slutsatsen av arbetet är att en konsekvent skyltning, tydlig information och rätt place- ring kan öka vårt sätt att navigera. Genom en konsekvent skyltning kan vi skapa igenkänning som kan hjälpa resenärer att förstå vilken information som hör ihop. Det finns många sätt att navigera och vi tar till oss information olika. Därför är det viktigt att se över behoven som kan finnas för just den platsen. I stationsmiljöer är det mycket olika information en resenär kan behöva för att hitta sin transport, detta varierar beroende på vilken information de har sen tidigare. En informationspunkt kan därför bli en viktig del för navigering i en sådan miljö, då det finns möjlighet att välja ut den informationen som behövs för just sitt ändamål. Denna punkt kan tillsammans med andra skyltar knyta ihop systemet till en helhet och på så sätt underlätta navigeringen. Förslaget har enbart visualiserats genom bilder och har därför inte testats i verkligheten.