Showing papers by "Manchester Metropolitan University published in 1994"

Visual Search Strategies in Experienced and Inexperienced Soccer Players

Abstract: This study investigated skill-based differences in anticipation and visual search strategy within open-play situations in soccer. Experienced (n = 15) and inexperienced (n = 15) subjects were required to anticipate pass destination from filmed soccer sequences viewed on a large 3-m x 3-m video projection screen. MANCOVA showed that experienced soccer players demonstrated superior anticipatory performance. Univariate analyses revealed between-group differences in speed of response but not in response accuracy. Also, inexperienced players fixated more frequently on the ball and the player passing the ball, whereas experienced players fixated on peripheral aspects of the display, such as the positions and movements of other players. The experienced group fixated on significantly more locations than their inexperienced counterparts. Further differences were noted in search rate, with experienced players exhibiting more fixations of shorter duration. The experienced group's higher search rate contradicted previous research. However, this resulted from using 11 on 11 film sequences, which were never previously used in visual search research. The increased frequency of eye fixations was regarded as being more advantageous for anticipating pass destination during open play in soccer. Finally, a number of practical implications were highlighted.

The subjective meaning of good sleep, an intraindividual approach using the Karolinska Sleep Diary.

Abstract: The present experiment used an intraindividual design to investigate the meaning and measurement of "good sleep" Each of 16 subjects slept in an isolation unit according to a schedule (15 sleeps) designed to give variable quality of sleep Self-rated sleep measures (from the Karolinska Sleep Diary) were obtained after each sleep and subjected to intraindividual regression analyses across time Most subjective sleep measures showed a strong covariation across conditions Subjective quality of sleep mainly involved variables of sleep continuity, in particular, perceived calmness of sleep and sleep efficiency "Sleep quality," "calm sleep," "ease of falling asleep," and ability to "sleep throughout" the time allotted strongly covaried and formed an index of sleep quality Self-rated ease of awakening deviated from the general pattern and was associated with poor sleep quality So was reported dreaming (related to awakenings) It was concluded that most subjective sleep measures tend to covary across conditions and that "good sleep" is mainly a question of sleep continuity

A Survey of Concurrent METATEM - the Language and its Applications

Abstract: In this paper we present a survey of work relating to the Concurrent MetateM programming language. In addition to a description of the basic Concurrent MetateM system, which incorporates the direct execution of temporal formulae, a variety of extensions that have either been implemented or proposed are outlined. Although still in the development stage, there appear to be many areas where such a language could be applied. We present a variety of sample applications, highlighting the particular features of Concurrent MetateM that we believe will make it appropriate for use in these areas.

The meaning of good sleep: a longitudinal study of polysomnography and subjective sleep quality.

Abstract: The present study sought to investigate the meaning of subjectively good sleep, using a longitudinal and intraindividual design. Eight subjects slept in an isolation unit according to an irregular schedule of 6 h sleeps and 1 h naps, designed to give normal amounts of time in bed (1/3 of total), but variable sleep quality. Eight sleeps and eight naps were used for longitudinal simple and multiple regression analyses with standard polysomnographical sleep variables as predictors and subjective sleep quality as dependent variables. The results showed that subjective sleep quality (and related variables) was closely related to sleep efficiency, but not sleep stages. At least 87% efficiency was required for ratings of 'rather good' sleep. In addition, sleep quality ratings improved with closeness (of the awakening) to the circadian acrophase (17.00-21.00 hours) of the rectal temperature rhythm. The subjective ease of awakening differed from most other other variables in that it was related to low sleep efficiency. Objective and subjective homologues of sleep length and sleep latency showed high mean intraindividual correlations (r = 0.55 and 0.64, respectively). It was concluded that objective measures of sleep continuity were closely reflected in perceived sleep quality and that sleep quality essentially means sleep continuity.

Innocents abroad: Western fantasies of childhood and the iconography of emergencies.

Abstract: In this paper I explore the emotional interests maintained by the imagery of children used in Third World emergencies. Boundaries between adult and child are reproduced through relations of paternalism between North and South, such that the infantilisation of the South exemplified in imagery of children works to secure the competence and maturity of the Northern donor. Drawing on both analyses of the cultural origins and meanings of concepts of childhood and psychoanalytic perspectives, I suggest that media coverage of disasters arouses both identification and strategies to ward off and protect from the anxiety this brings. The gendered as well as geographical distribution of qualities of children's innocence and experience are discussed, drawing on both general imagery of children and recent coverage of children and child-saving, particularly in the former Yugoslavia. Developing analyses of 'disaster pornography', the paper explores how children appear as the principal focal objects onto which attention is pinned and as the signifiers of distress. This is at the cost of dehumanizing both children, their families and their cultures, and rendering them passive objects of a western gaze which seeks to confirm its own agency and omnipotence to ward off its own insecurities. While aid organisations and campaigns necessarily engage with, and sometimes collude with, these reactions, the paper ends by suggesting that there may be strategies whereby images of children can function to comment on rather than maintain prevailing colonial and paternalistic relations.

A methodology for automatic term recognition

Abstract: The topic of automatic term recognition (ATR) is of great interest especially with the growth of NLP systems, which are passing from the development stage to the application stage. The application of NLP technology involves customlsing systems towards specific needs, particularly in specialised domains (sublanguages) which form the main target of the technology~ There is thus an urgent need for high quality, large scale collections of terminologies (with associated linguistic information) for use in NLP system dictionaries.

Reflexive research and the grounding of analysis: Social psychology and the psy‐complex

Abstract: This paper is concerned with reflexivity in research, and the way research is grounded in the operations of the psy-complex in social psychology. A central argument is that qualitative research in general, and a focus on reflexivity in particular, requires theoretical grounding. Distinctions are drawn between ‘uncomplicated subjectivity’, ‘blank subjectivity’ and ‘complex subjectivity’; and the analytic device of the ‘discursive complex’ is described. It is argued that such theoretical grounding can usefully draw on developments in discourse analytic, deconstructionist, and psychoanalytic social research. The opposition between objectivity and subjectivity is deconstructed, and psychoanalytic conceptual reference points for an understanding of the discursive construction of complex subjectivity in the context of institutions are explored with particular reference to the location of the researcher in the psy-complex. The paper discusses the reflexive engagement of the researcher with data, and the construction of the identity of the researcher with reference to professional bodies. An analysis of a document produced by the British Psychological Society is presented to illustrate conceptual issues addressed in the first sections. This illustrative analysis is designed to show how the material is structured by a series of six discursive complexes, and that the institutional structure facilitates, and inhibits, certain forms of action and reflection.

Situated evaluation for cooperative systems

Abstract: This paper discusses an evaluation of the MEAD prototype, a multi-user interface generator tool particularly for use in the context of Air Traffic Control (ATC). The procedures we adopted took the form of opportunistic and informal evaluation sessions with small user groups, including Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs). We argue that informal procedures are a powerful and cost effective method for dealing with specific evaluation issues in the context of CSCW but that wider issues are more problematic. Most notably, identifying the “validity” or otherwise of CSCW systems requires that the context of use be taken seriously, necessitating a fundamental re-appraisal of the concept of evaluation.

A field study of sleep disturbance: effects of aircraft noise and other factors on 5,742 nights of actimetrically monitored sleep in a large subject sample.

Abstract: This field study assessed the effects of nighttime aircraft noise on actimetrically measured sleep in 400 people (211 women and 189 men; 20-70 years of age; one per household) habitually living at eight sites adjacent to four U.K. airports, with different levels of night flying. Subjects wore wrist-actimeters for 15 nights and completed morning sleep logs. A sample of 178 nights of sleep electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded synchronously with actigrams. The EEG was used to develop filters for the raw actigrams, in order to: (1) estimate sleep onset and (2) compare actigrams with aircraft noise events (ANEs). Actigrams, filtered to detect the onset of discrete movements, were able to detect 88% of all EEG-determined periods of interim wakefulness of > 15 seconds and periods of movement time of > 10 seconds. The main findings were: (1) actimetry and self-reports showed that only a minority of ANEs affected sleep, and, for most of our subjects, that domestic and idiosyncratic factors had much greater effects; (2) despite large between-site variations in ANEs, the difference between sites in overall sleep disturbance was not significant; (3) there was a diminished actimetric response to ANEs in the first hour of sleep and, apparently, also in the last hour of sleep; and (4) men had significantly more discrete movements than women and were more likely to respond to ANEs.

Towards a Theory of Cooperative Problem Solving

Abstract: One objective of distributed artificial intelligence research is to build systems that are capable of cooperative problem solving. To this end, a number of implementation-oriented models of cooperative problem solving have been developed. However, mathematical models of social activity have focussed only on limited aspects of the cooperative problem solving process: no mathematical model of the entire process has yet been described. In this paper, we rectify this omission. We present a preliminary model that describes the cooperative problem solving process from recognition of the potential for cooperation through to team action. The model is formalised by representing it as a theory in a quantified multimodal logic. A key feature of the model is its reliance on the twin notions of commitments and conventions; conventions (protocols for monitoring commitments) are formalised for the first time in this paper. We comment on the generality of the model, outline its deficiencies, and suggest some possible refinements and other future areas of research.

The natural physical alternative to cognitive theories of motor behaviour: An invitation for interdisciplinary research in sports science?

Abstract: This review examines the viability of the natural physical alternative to traditional cognitive modelling of the sport performer. It is concluded that the natural physical perspective offers an attractive framework for the study of movement control and co‐ordination in sport, but, at present, does not seem capable of superseding cognitive explanations. As a consequence of the nature of the questions they are asking, natural physical theorists offer a significant avenue for interdisciplinary research in sports science. Significant differences in the philosophy underpinning both theoretical views are acknowledged, but growing support for an integrated approach to motor control is highlighted. A major task for sports scientists may be to verify empirically the nature of an integrated model of the sport performer.

Improving Service Quality in Person-to-Person Encounters: Integrating Findings from a Multi-disciplinary Review

Abstract: Although the core of most services is a person-to-person encounter, we still know very little about its underlying mechanisms as very few models or theories have been developed for these dynamic interactions between persons. An holistic approach to quality improvement is therefore suggested. Different prototypical person-to-person encounters may be studied on different levels and interfaces in service operations to eliminate inconsistencies. The aim of this contribution is to review some recent research findings for person-to-person encounters from the neighbouring management fields of services, operations and human resources in order to draw together their strategic implications for service managers. Some ontological and methodological considerations of studying person-to-person encounters from a qualitative perspective are discussed. The outline of a multi-disciplinary and learning-centred research approach is also suggested. Findings are integrated by a model of four generic and strategic processes for...

Atmospherics, Attitudes and Behaviour: Modelling the Impact of Designed Space

Abstract: The concept of atmospherics is discussed and redefined with service and product retailers in mind. A systematic aproach for investigating designed environment-behaviour relationships is then presented in the form of the indirect effects model. Utilizing techniques of design appraisal, measuring emotional states and service assessment, this model offers a framework for eliciting and evaluating the effects of the retail store or branch environment upon its users. To illustrate the approach and its practicality, the model is applied to the retail financial services sector, comparing the effects of modern and traditional-style bank branch designs upon customer opinions and behaviour. Preliminary analyses of over 2000 responses, from customers of eighteen different branches of five major UK banks involved in a survey, suggest that the modern styles have a more favourable impact on customers; some explanations for this outcome are offered. The direct implications of the approach and the value and use of the inf...

Patterns of distribution in Japanese land mammals

Abstract: Distribution patterns among the terrestrial mammal species of Sakhalin and the main islands of Japan are shown to fall into 12 clear groups. The most fundamental distributional break (Blakiston's Line) is that separating Hokkaido and Sakhalin to the north, with their boreal fauna typical of northern Eurasia, from ‘Hondo’ (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) to the south, which demonstrates a high degree of endemism and supports a small number of Indo-Malayan elements. Distribution patterns may be explained by considering the Quaternary geohistory of the area, particularly the formation of land bridges and the changes in climatic conditions during this period. A dynamic classification based upon origin of the fauna recognizes seven categories, although on evidence currently available the allocation of some species to categories is not yet possible. Hondo underwent two main periods of land bridge connection to the Asiatic mainland. The first, prior to the Pleistocene, allowed immigration of forms which have since developed into distinctive elements of the endemic fauna (‘Old Hondo Endemics’). The second, during the Middle Pleistocene, brought in widespread Palaearctic species as well as components from South-East Asia (‘Early Colonists’), some of which have since undergone vicariant speciation (‘New Hondo Endemics’); it also allowed several of the Old Hondo Endemics to extend their range to the mainland and Hokkaido (‘Expanding Hondo Endemics’). Sakhalin and Hokkaido have been more intimately connected to the mainland (most recently until less than 10 000 years ago), such that endemism is very restricted. Species groups here are the ‘Late Colonists’, cold-adapted tundra species which expanded with the glacial advances, but which are now restricted in distribution, and ‘Recent Colonists’, postglacial forest species which recolonized before the severance of land bridges. Moving the other way were ‘Expanding Northern Endemics’, which arose in Hokkaido or Sakhalin during the last glacial and colonized the adjacent mainland before severance of land links. There are, additionally, several possible Expanding Hondo Endemics in Hokkaido, although human intervention in determining their current distributions cannot be ruled out. Bats, to which the sea barriers of the Japanese area are less complete, exhibit somewhat different patterns of distribution, confirming predictions about the role of even narrow marine straits in restricting ranges of nonflying mammals.

The controlled versus natural indexing languages debate revisited: a perspective on information retrieval practice and research

Abstract: This article revisits the debate concerning con trolled and natural indexing languages, as used in searching the databases of the online hosts, in-house information retrieval systems, online public access catalogues and databases stored on CD-ROM. The debate was first formu lated in the early days of information retrieval more than a century ago but, despite significant advances in technology, remains unresolved. The article divides the history of the debate into four eras. Era one was characterised by the introduction of controlled vocabulary. Era two focused on comparisons between different indexing languages in order to assess which was best. Era three saw a number of case studies of limited generalisability and a general recognition that the best search performance can be achieved by the parallel use of the two types of indexing languages. The emphasis in Era four has been on the development of end-user-based systems, including online public access catalogues and databases on CD-ROM. Recent developments in the use of expert systems techniques to support the representation of meaning may lead to systems which offer significant support to the user in end-user searching. In the meantime, however, information retrieval in practice involves a mixture of natural and controlled indexing languages used to search a wide variety of different kinds of databases.

Future directions for performance‐related sports science research: An interdisciplinary approach

Abstract: The present paper is based on a review which was commissioned by the Sports Council (London) on behalf of the Open Section of the British Association of Sports Sciences (BASS). This was one of four such reviews which were collectively designed to provide information pertinent to the formulation of a strategy that would guide fundamental sports science research in the UK until the year 2000. All of the reviews were expected to focus on research that was relevant to the performance of the elite athlete and the specific brief of the Open Section Review was to concentrate on interdisciplinary research. The current paper established the unique value of interdisciplinary sports science research. Four themes were considered in some detail in order to review the extant interdisciplinary research and propose directions for future research involving an interdisciplinary approach. The four topics were talent identification, adherence, injuries and peaking. A critical review of each area revealed a lack of interdisci...

The Marketing Mix Redefined and Mapped: Introducing the MIXMAP Model

Abstract: Addresses the question of how the Marketing Mix framework can be used to analyse the competitive standing of a business organization and how the outcome of this analysis can then be translated into practical tactics which capitalize on the organization′s strengths. The MIXMAP model developed as a guide for marketing this transition from the strategic to the tactical level.

Psychosocial Factors and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract: This study investigated the number and severity of life events, Type A behaviour, coping strategies and social support differences between chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome patients prior to illness and between these groups and healthy controls. Although few differences were found between the groups for life events, a number of interesting results emerged with regard to different aspects of Type A behaviour, various coping strategies and social support. These findings are discussed with respect to existing research in the field.

Development of packed capillary column electrochromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract: The enhanced performance of electro-osmotically driven high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using reversed-phase packed capillaries has been evaluated for coupling to mass spectrometers, as an alternative to both conventional pressure-driven elution, and to micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography for the separation of neutral analytes. An off-line comparison of electro-osmotically driven versus pressure driven chromatography for the separation of an aromatic mixture shows the superiority of the method over conventional HPLC. Coupling of the technique with continuous-flow fast-atom bombardment for the analysis of a steroid mixture is described.

History, language, ideas and post‐modernism : A materialist view∗

Abstract: (1994). History, language, ideas and post‐modernism : A materialist view. Social History: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 221-240.

Development of a Framework for the Determination of Attributes used for Hotel Selection–-Indications from Focus Group and In-Depth Interviews:

Abstract: The aim of the research was to establish a framework of hotel attributes to be used in the design of a research instrument to question hotel managers and consumers in the United Kingdom. The starti...

Crime and drug misuse: economic and psychological aspects of the criminal activities of heroin and amphetamine injectors'

Abstract: Much of the theorizing about the relationship between acquisitive crime and illicit drugs is based upon studies of heroin misusers. In this paper the association between crime and drug misuse is explored using data from two groups of respondents-heroin injectors and amphetamine injectors. Comparisons between these two groups of drug misusers revealed differences that are incompatible with simple theorizing in terms of economic factors. Results suggest that a variety of factors are involved which include those that are non-economic in origin and may be related to the drug of choice.

Macroaggregation of platelets in plasma, as distinct from microaggregation in whole blood (and plasma), as determined using optical aggregometry and platelet counting respectively, is specifically impaired following cardiopulmonary bypass in man.

Abstract: We determined changes in platelet aggregability following cardiopulmonary bypass, using optical aggregometry to assess macroaggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and platelet counting to assess microaggregation both in whole blood and PRP. Hirudin was used as the anticoagulant to maintain normocalcaemia. Microaggregation (%, median and interquartile range) in blood stirred with collagen (0.6 micrograms/ml) was only marginally impaired following bypass (91 [88, 93] at 10 min postbypass v 95 (92, 96] prebypass; n = 22), whereas macroaggregation (amplitude of response; cm) in PRP stirred with collagen (1.0 micrograms/ml) was markedly impaired (9.5 [8.0, 10.8], n = 41 v 13.4 [12.7, 14.3], n = 10; p < 0.0001). However, in PRP, despite impairment of macroaggregation (9.1 [8.5, 10.1], n = 12), microaggregation was near-maximal (93 [91, 94]), as in whole blood stirred with collagen. In contrast, in aspirin-treated patients (n = 14), both collagen-induced microaggregation in whole blood (49 [47, 52]) and macroaggregation in PRP (5.1 [3.8, 6.6]) were more markedly impaired, compared with control (both p < 0.001). Similarly, in PRP, macroaggregation with ristocetin (1.5 mg/ml) was also impaired following bypass (9.4 [7.2, 10.7], n = 38 v 12.4 [10.0, 13.4]; p < 0.0002, n = 20), but as found with collagen, despite impairment of macroaggregation (7.2 [3.5, 10.9], n = 12), microaggregation was again near-maximal (96 [93, 97]). The response to ristocetin was more markedly impared after bypass in succinylated gelatin (Gelofusine) treated patients (5.6 [2.8, 8.6], n = 17; p < 0.005 v control), whereas the response to collagen was little different (9.3 v 9.5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Factors That Lead Young Amphetamine Misusers to Seek Help: Implications for drug prevention and harm reduction

Abstract: A source of concern for health professionals in the UK is the increasing misuse of amphetamine among the young. Few of them make contact with drug treatment services and may be endangering their health. This paper explores patterns of drug use, physical and psychological health, drug-related behavioural abnormalities, and attitudes to risk and to treatment among 200 amphetamine users. Analyses show that factors such as physical health problems were not effective predictors of their attitudes towards treatment and its perceived relevance to them. More potent were psychological problems and behavioural abnormalities that were attributed to the use of amphetamine. Most of the respondents were highly sociable and belonged to cohesive peer groups. Interventions might be more effective if they emphasized those visible, social conse- quences that risk alienation by peers because they are associated with mental ill-health, rather than focusing on physical damage. Amphetamine has for some time been second in popularity to cannabis in the UK (Pickering & Stimson, 1994), particularly for the young. Increases in am- phetamine use have been noted in Australia (Hando & Hall, 1994) and in the US, where several field studies have been initiated as a result (Miller & Kozel, 1991). Increases are most pronounced among adolescents, and fears are expressed that this is a 'gateway' drug to other drugs that have more serious consequences

Effectiveness of social skills training with children: A meta-analytic study

Abstract: This meta-analytic study examined the relative effectiveness of three methods of social skills training with socially isolated children: coaching, interpersonal cognitive problem solving, and modelling. An exhaustive search of the published literature in the area produced a total of 43 studies that met stringent criteria for inclusion in the subsequent analysis. Social skills training produced significant improvements in children's levels of social interaction, sociometric status and cognitive problem solving abilities. No training technique produced a significantly greater improvement than either of the others. Isolated children showed larger increases in their levels of social interaction and sociometric status than non-isolate children. Multi-modal training programmes were recommended to capitalize on the independent therapeutic effects which derive from a number of different social skills training techniques.