Search results for "Task performance"
showing 10 items of 125 documents
Why does placing the question before an arithmetic word problem improve performance. A situation model account.
2007
The aim of this paper is to investigate the controversial issue of the nature of the representation constructed by individuals to solve arithmetic word problems. More precisely, we consider the relevance of two different theories: the situation or mental model theory (Johnson-Laird, 1983; Reusser, 1989) and the schema theory (Kintsch & Greeno, 1985; Riley, Greeno, & Heller, 1983). Fourth-graders who differed in their mathematical skills were presented with problems that varied in difficulty and with the question either before or after the text. We obtained the classic effect of the position of the question, with better performance when the question was presented prior to the text. …
Subliminal fear priming potentiates negative facial reactions to food pictures in women with anorexia nervosa.
2010
BackgroundTo investigate hedonic reactivity and the influence of unconscious emotional processes on the low sensitivity to positive reinforcement of food in anorexia nervosa (AN).MethodAN and healthy women were exposed to palatable food pictures just after a subliminal exposure to facial expressions (happy, disgust, fear and neutral faces), either while fasting or after a standardized meal (hungerversussatiety). Both implicit [facial electromyographic (EMG) activity from zygomatic and corrugator muscles, skin conductance, heart rate, and videotaped facial behavior] and explicit (self-reported pleasure and desire) measures of affective processes were recorded.ResultsIn contrast to healthy wo…
Quality control in the optical industry: From a work analysis of lens inspection to a training programme, an experimental case study
2007
A cognitive work analysis of quality inspection in the optical industry has been carried out in order to devise a training programme. The task concerned the inspection of high quality human eyeglass lenses. We conducted an experimental investigation of defect detection and acceptability decision-making tasks in 18 experts and novice inspectors. Detection and decision-making were investigated together and separately in two experimental sessions. We showed the effect of expertise on reaction times and errors, and we described the cognitive processes of novice inspectors. On the basis of the processing differences between the two groups, a training programme for new inspectors was devised and …
Misguided Effort with Elusive Implications
2016
Good self-control has been linked to adaptive outcomes such as better health, cohesive personal relationships, success in the workplace and at school, and less susceptibility to crime and addictions. In contrast, self-control failure is linked to maladaptive outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms by which self-control predicts behavior may assist in promoting better regulation and outcomes. A popular approach to understanding self-control is the strength or resource depletion model. Self-control is conceptualized as a limited resource that becomes depleted after a period of exertion resulting in self-control failure. The model has typically been tested using a sequential-task experimental p…
Reliability and validity of the Home Care STAT (Safety Task Assessment Tool).
2013
Abstract Home care workers are a priority population for ergonomic assessment and intervention, but research on caregivers' exposures to hazards is limited. The current project evaluated the reliability and validity of an ergonomic self-assessment tool called Home Care STAT (Safety Task Assessment Tool). Participants (N = 23) completed a background survey followed by 10–14 days of self-monitoring with the STAT. Results showed that the most frequent task was house cleaning, and that participants regularly performed dangerous manual client moving and transferring tasks. Researcher in-home observations of 14 workers (duration ≤2 h) demonstrated that workers' self-assessments were moderately re…
Preadolescent EFL learners’ self-efficacy expectancies before and after completion of a grammar task: Multivariate analyses of grade level, gender, a…
2020
Learners’ task-specific self-efficacy expectancies have gained increased attention in the EFL context. Across various competence areas they have been demonstrated to substantially affect learners’ motivation, learning approach, and performance. However, certain research gaps still exist – particularly concerning younger learners’ grammar self-efficacy. Furthermore, though conceptually assumed to play an essential role in learners’ self-efficacy formation and calibration accuracy, little is empirically known about task completion effects. The same applies to the role of grade level and gender differences in lower secondary EFL classrooms. Against this background, the present study addressed …
Distribution of Working Time and Contents of Physiotherapy Activities in a Clinical Setting.
1994
The purpose of the present study was to collect personnel utilization data in the physiotherapy department of a general hospital as a basis for improving the practice of physiotherapy. Over a four-week period in a process of continuous observation 12 physiotherapists recorded their activities under predefined task categories. The percentages of total time used in the observed activities were as follows: direct patient treatment 31%, other work (planning, recording, arranging walking aids and student guidance) 10%, and cooperation (consultation, meetings, arranging patients' affairs, counselling relatives and parents) 9%. The proportion of uncategorized work amounted to half of the total wor…
User-oriented evaluation of mechanical single-channel axial pipettes.
2013
Hand tools should be designed so that they are comfortable to use, fit the hand and are user-oriented. Six different manual, single-channel axial pipettes were evaluated for such objective outcomes as muscular activity, wrist postures and efficiency, as well as for subjective outcomes concerning self-assessed features of pipette usability and musculoskeletal strain. Ten experienced laboratory employees volunteered for the study. The results showed that light and short pipettes with better tool comfort resulted in reduced muscular activity and perceived musculoskeletal strain when they were compared with a long and heavy pipette. There were no differences in the efficiency between the differ…
Dynamic spatial abilities and learning from animation
2016
International audience; This paper presents part of a wider project to create, validate and apply a comprehensive dynamic spatial ability test suitable for use with learning from animation. Four types of test item were devised (two race tasks and two intercept tasks) and tested with forty undergraduate participants. Absolute and relative speed of the objects as well as trajectory directions were manipulated. Task performances and the effect of the manipulated factors are reported. Comparison with a conventional static spatial ability test revealed little correlation, suggesting that dynamic spatial ability can be regarded as a distinct capacity.
Test-Retest Reliability of Task Performance for Golf Swings of Medium- to High-Handicap Players
2022
Background: Golf swing performance in medium- to high-handicap players must be reliably measured to use this variable in both research studies and in applied settings. Nevertheless, there are no studies published on this topic and test–retest evidence is only available for low-handicap players. The aim of this study was to determine the number of attempts necessary to obtain a reliable measurement protocol for swing performance variables in medium- to high-handicap players. Methods: Ten amateur players (55.67 (13.64) years, 78.4 (11.4) kg, 1.75 (7.95) m) took part in a test–retest study in two experimental sessions one week apart. In each one, fifteen swings with a six iron and a driver wer…