bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kindergarten Screening Predictive Inaccuracy: First-Grade Teacher Variability
Authors: Fedoruk Genevieve M. , Norman Charles A.
Published: January 2017

Screening kindergarten students to predict first-grade achievement is characterized by rather gross errors of both over identification and underidentification. This lack of predictive validity may be the consequence of overly simplistic conceptualizations that fail to take into account differences in first-grade teachers. This study attempted to evaluate the extent to which first-grade teachers differ in their preferences, requirements, and expectancies of students. Twenty-one teachers ranked 86 student descriptors on a continuum ranging from “absolutely contributes to student success” to “absolutely contributes to student failure.” Results suggest that teachers vary considerably in the way they rank student descriptors and that these variations may be a factor in the predictive inaccuracy of kindergarten screening.
Making the Transition to Postsecondary Education and Training
Authors: Fairweather James S. , Shaver Debra M.
Published: January 2017

A nationally representative sample of youth with disabilities who recently exited high school was studied to determine the participation of the youth in postsecondary educational programs. The results show that youth with disabilities participate in postsecondary programs at only one-quarter the rate attained by their counterparts without disabilities and at only one-third the rate attained by economically disadvantaged youth. The relationship of postsecondary education for youth with disabilities to long-term success in employment is yet to be determined.
Do Public Schools Have an Obligation to Serve Troubled Children and Youth?
Authors: Nelson C. Michael , Rutherford Robert B. , Center David B. , Walker Hill M.
Published: January 2017

The exclusion of pupils considered socially maladjusted in the Public Law 94–142 definition of seriously emotionally disturbed has led to gaps in services to a population of schoolchildren having significant educational needs. Issues related to this exclusionary clause are discussed in light of current research evidence and school practices. Considerable support exists for the position that the exclusion of these students from special education and related services is neither logical not valid. A broader perspective is advocated, in which the needs of antisocial students (and their families) are addressed through early intervention for at-risk pupils, as well as in appropriate special education programs.
The Contribution of Skills Analysis to Curriculum-Based Measurement in Spelling
Authors: Fuchs Lynn S. , Fuchs Douglas , Hamlett Carol L. , Allinder Rose M.
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of ongoing skills analysis to Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). Thirty special educators were assigned randomly to treatment groups, including a control condition and different levels of CBM analysis, one of which included graphed performance indicators with skills analysis; one, graphed performance indicators only; and another, graphed performance indicators with ordered lists of student spellings. Teachers who used skills analysis effected, better achievement than controls and than CBM teachers who had no additional analysis. Although the mean achievement of students whose teachers had skills analysis was greater than that of teachers who inspected ordered lists of errors, the difference in achievement was not reliable, and the teachers who inspected errors effected greater growth than controls. Implications for CBM practice are discussed.
Use of Constant Time Delay and Attentional Responses with Adolescents
Authors: Wolery Mark , Cybriwsky Catherine A. , Gast David L. , Boyle-Gast Kathy
Published: January 2017

This study investigated the effectiveness of a constant time delay procedure in teaching adolescents with learning or behavior disorders. Subject matter included social studies and health facts presented in small-group settings. In addition, the study assessed the effects of two attentional responses (general—looking at the target stimuli, or specific—repeating the teacher's question) on students' acquisition of other students' facts and of related nontarget information. Two types of feedback for correct responses were presented: praise plus additional information, and general praise only. Results of various measures indicate that (a) the constant time delay procedure was reliable and effective; (b) students not only acquired targeted facts with few errors, but also acquired some other nontargeted facts, such as information presented along with feedback; and (c) specific attentional responses facilitated acquisition of observational and incidental facts and maintenance of learning.
Vocational-Technical Programs: Follow-up of Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Shapiro Edward S. , Lentz Francis E.
Published: January 2017

Recent research has examined the role of vocational-technical training in facilitating the transition from school to work of adolescents with learning disabilities. The present study provided 6-, 12-, and. 24-month follow-up data on such students who had attended vocational-technical programs. Matched groups of students without disabilities from vocational-technical programs, as well as randomly selected students without disabilities front regular high schools, were also included for comparisons. Results of the study raised several questions about the value and purpose of vocational-technical training for adolescents with learning disabilities.
Family-Oriented Early Intervention Policies and Practices: Family-Centered or Not?
Authors: Dunst Carl J. , Johanson Charlie , Trivette Carol M. , Hamby Debbie
Published: January 2017

This article includes a multimethod, multisource analysis and synthesis of the degree to which contemporary family-oriented early intervention policies and practices are family centered. Federal laws and legislation, state-level policy positions, and the viewpoints of service providers and consumers were analyzed as part of the study. The findings, taken together. Indicate a movement toward adoption of family-centered early intervention policies and practices at the different levels of analysis. There are, however, discrepancies between what state-level policymakers and “street-level” providers and consumers see as current beliefs and practices within states.
Legal Standards for an Appropriate Education in the Post-Rowley Era
Authors: Osborne Allan G.
Published: January 2017

In 1982 the U. S. Supreme Court held that an appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was one that was formulated in accordance with the Act's procedures and that conferred some educational benefit on students with disabilities. Initially, the lower courts applied this terminology strictly and approved any proposed individualized education program that conferred even minimal educational benefit. However, later courts began to take a more liberal approach and held that the educational-program must confer some meaningful benefit. A careful reading of the Supreme Court's 1982 decision indicates that this recent approach is consistent with Congress's and the Court's intent. The Court never intended to establish one test of appropriateness since it recognized that some flexibility was needed to determine what would be appropriate for a diverse population of students with disabilities.
Specialized Instruction within General Education: A Case Study of One Elementary School
Authors: Jenkins Joseph R. , Leicester Norma
Published: January 2017

This study examined how classroom teachers in one elementary school approached the problem of designing specialized instruction for students with reading problems. We asked 12 teachers to rate their confidence in designing effective interventions and then to diagnose a student's reading problem, select an intervention, and implement it. Teachers were moderately confident about their ability to design effective interventions; but some teachers expressed doubts about how to proceed. Their approach to intervention differed somewhat from that of special education resource teachers. Some teachers experienced considerable difficulty in implementing the interventions they selected.
Are Special Educators' Career Paths Special? Results from a 13-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Singer Judith D.
Published: January 2017

A statistical methodology relatively new to education—survival analysis—is used to describe the career paths of over 6,600 special education teachers newly hired in Michigan and North Carolina between 1972 and 1983, following them for up to 13 years, or until they stopped teaching in the state. Beginning special educators in both states continue to teach for an average of 7 years. They are most likely to leave teaching during the first few years after hire; those who survive this initial “hazardous” period typically teach for many years to come. Young women are particularly likely to leave, as are those special educators who provide support services or teach students with speech, hearing, or vision disabilities. Teachers with high test scores are at greater risk of leaving as are teachers paid comparatively low salaries.
Teaching Preschool Children with Disabilities to Respond to the Lures of Strangers
Authors: Gast David L. , Collins Belva C. , Wolery Mark , Jones Rebecca
Published: January 2017

An investigation was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a constant-time-delay procedure used in combination with multiple exemplars of strangers, lures, and sites to teach a generalized response to the lures of strangers to four preschool children with disabilities. Although the correct response was quickly acquired in the training site, the response failed to generalize to the probe sites until training was conducted in vivo. Instruction in vivo resulted in acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the response to strangers' lures. Generalization occurred across probes with novel exemplars of lures, strangers, and sites.
Two Approaches to Reading Instruction with Children with Disabilities: Does Program Design Make a Difference?
Authors: O'Connor Rollanda E. , Jenkins Joseph R. , Cole Kevin N. , Mills Paulette E.
Published: January 2017

This study examined the effects on reading achievement of variation in program design and tested the hypothesis that Distar Reading Mastery's (Engelmann & Bruner, 1988b) demonstrated effects with disadvantaged children in Project Follow Through can be generalized to children with disabilities. We compared the effects of two synthetic phonics reading programs, Direct Instruction (DI) Reading Mastery I and II and Addison Wesley's Meet the Superkids and The Superkids' Club, (Rowland, 1982a, 1982b) for 81 children in transitional kindergarten special education classes. No significant achievement differences were evident for the instructional program either at the end of the treatment year, or on follow-up testing 1 year later. However, among children who made advanced progress, the DI group showed larger reading gains.
Transition from School to Adulthood: Case Studies of Adults with Learning Disabilities Who Dropped Out of School
Authors: Lichtenstein Stephen
Published: January 2017

In-depth, structured interviews were conducted over a 2-year period with four young adults previously identified as having learning disabilities during their school years. All four had dropped out of high school; but overall, they reported that their early withdrawal was an important and affirming choice in their transition from youth to young adulthood. Themes emerging as noteworthy include their lack of involvement in formal vocational assessment, their own individualized education programs, and adult services. The personal stories and experiences cast doubt on the prevailing opinion that school dropouts are “losers” and “failures.” In contrast, their stories reveal a serious shortfall in their secondary special education programming and in the overall transition planning process.
How We Might Achieve the Radical Reform of Special Education
Authors: Kauffman James M.
Published: January 2017

Special education is experiencing great pressures toward change. We face three immediate tasks created by these pressures: keeping the issue of place in perspective, choosing idea over image, and avoiding fanaticism. To achieve substantive reform, we must disaggregate special education populations, repair and elaborate our conceptual foundations, and strengthen our empirical base. Lasting change is more likely to be achieved by persistent, mundane, but carefully chosen activities than by fashionable actions and images of radical reform.
Self-Monitoring of Attention versus Self-Monitoring of Performance: Effects on Attention and Academic Performance
Authors: Reid Robert , Harris Karen R.
Published: January 2017

This study compared the effects of two types of self-monitoring on attention and academic performance. Twenty-eight students with learning disabilities were taught a spelling study procedure (SSP), followed by instruction in self-monitoring of performance (SMP) and self-monitoring of attention (SMA). Results showed that on-task behavior was significantly higher in both SMA and SMP than in SSP. Number of correct practices was significantly higher in SMP than in SSP. Spelling achievement was significantly lower in SMA than in SSP, and spelling maintenance was significantly lower in SMA than in SSP and SMP. Student interviews indicated that SMA is experienced as intrusive. The type of self-monitoring used may have direct, significant effects on academic outcomes; there does not appear to be a “best” method of self-monitoring for all students on all tasks.
Acceptability and Feasibility of Classroom-Based Social Interaction Interventions for Young Children with Disabilities
Authors: Odom Samuel L. , McConnell Scott R. , Chandler Lynette K.
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this study was to assess teachers' judgments of the acceptability, feasibility, and current use of child specific, peer-mediated, and environmental arrangement intervention strategies for promoting social interaction skills of young children with disabilities. One hundred thirty-one teachers from five geographical areas participated in this study. Using the Social Interaction Program Features Questionnaire, these teachers reported that a high percentage of their students needed to acquire peer social interaction skills and that there was a moderate to great need for curricular or instructional materials. The overall mean ratings for the three types of intervention strategies were generally positive and did not differ significantly, suggesting that teachers found all three types of interventions acceptable and feasible. However, the range of item ratings for specific techniques within the broader classes of interventions suggested that certain procedures were relatively more or less acceptable and feasible than others. Barriers to implementing the program included limited teacher time, resources available to teachers (i.e., space, staff, materials), and access to peers without disabilities. Teacher ratings of feasibility were related more closely to current use of procedures than were ratings of acceptability.
An Ethnic Comparison of Parent Participation and Information Needs in Early Intervention
Authors: Sontag Joanne Curry , Schacht Robert
Published: January 2017

This study investigated ethnic differences in (a) parent perceptions of their information needs and their sources of information, and (b) the nature of parent participation in early intervention and participation preferences. Interviews were conducted with 536 families with infants and toddlers who had developmental problems. Comparative analyses were conducted on white, Hispanic, and American Indian groups. Results suggested the need to provide more and better information to all parents and the importance of medical doctors as a source of information, individualizing the type and source of information to different ethnic groups, and identifying unique strategies to support the participation of parents from different ethnic groups.
The Negative Effects of Positive Reinforcement in Teaching Children with Developmental Delay
Authors: Biederman Gerald B. , Davey Valerie A. , Ryder Christine , Franchi Dina
Published: January 2017

Interactive modeling is frequently used in teaching skills to children with developmental delay. This study compared the performance of 12 children (7 males, 5 females; 4–10 years of age) each trained in two tasks, one through interactive modeling (with or without verbal reinforcement) and the other through passive observation. Results showed that passive modeling produced better rated performance than interactive modeling and that verbal reinforcement was counterproductive. These findings suggest that current instructional strategies may need to be reconsidered for children with developmental delay.
A Qualitative Policy Study of the Least Restrictive Environment Provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Authors: Hasazi Susan Brody , Johnston A. P. , Liggett Annette M. , Schattman Richard A.
Published: January 2017

A multistate, qualitative policy study, conducted from 1989 to 1992, investigated how 6 states and 12 local school districts implemented the least restrictive environment (LRE) provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Eight sites were relatively high users of separate facilities for educating students with disabilities, and 10 were low users. Six factors, including financing and the state-local context, influenced the implementation of LRE. Although the LRE policy has influenced the way that states and districts educate students with disabilities, the federal law and regulations have little control over how leaders view the policy, the structure and political realities present, and the recursive nature of policy systems at all levels.
Building Consensus from Transition Experts on Social Integration Outcomes and Interventions
Authors: Chadsey-Rusch Janis , Heal Laird W.
Published: January 2017

This study surveyed transition experts—individuals with federally funded model demonstration programs in transition—to build consensus on the validity of a range of social integration outcomes and interventions related to youths' making the transition from school to employment. Experts were asked if they had assessed any of the outcomes proposed or had implemented any suggested interventions. Respondents ranked harriers to achieving social integration, and respondent characteristics were related to these rankings. Transition experts agreed that social integration is a multidimensional concept whose outcomes need to be measured from multiple perspectives; this multidimensionality implies that varying interventions are needed to enhance the social lives of youths with disabilities.
What Do Students with Disabilities Tell Us about the Importance of Family Involvement in the Transition from School to Adult Life?
Authors: Morningstar Mary E. , Turnbull Ann P. , Turnbull H. Rutherford
Published: January 2017

This qualitative study used focus groups to explore student perspectives on family involvement in the transition from school to adult life. Four focus groups, including students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and mild mental retardation, identified pertinent issues concerning how families influence the development of a personal vision for the future, how students with disabilities perceive family involvement in transition planning, and how families influence the development of student self-determination. Results showed the importance to students of family input and support. Implications for transition planning, family roles for support during adulthood, and family-student-school partnership models are discussed.
Comparing the Effects of Educational Placement on the Social Relationships of Intermediate School Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Kennedy Craig H. , Shukla Smita , Fryxell Dale
Published: January 2017

Two groups of intermediate school students with severe disabilities were studied across one school year. One group of students participated full time in general education classrooms; the other group was supported via special education classrooms. Using a posttest-only control group design with matched comparisons, each students social interactions, social support behaviors, and friendship networks were measured. The results indicate substantive social benefits for the general education group, relative to students who received support in special education classrooms. In particular, students in the general education group interacted more frequently with peers without disabilities, provided and received higher proportions of social support, and had larger, and more durable, networks of peers without disabilities. The findings are discussed in relation to current efforts to understand the empirical outcomes of inclusive education.
Self-Regulated Strategy Development and the Writing Process: Effects on Essay Writing and Attributions
Authors: Sexton Melissa , Harris Karen R. , Graham Steve
Published: January 2017

The Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model was used to assist six students with learning disabilities (LD) develop a strategy for planning and writing essays, self-regulation of the strategy and the writing process, and positive attributions regarding effort and strategy use. These students received all services in a team-based inclusion setting; the process writing model was used in the team. Instructional effects were investigated using a multiple-baseline across-subjects design. Instruction had a positive effect on students' approach to writing, writing performance, and attributions for writing. Effects transferred across settings and teachers; maintenance data was mixed. Collaborative practice of the composition and self-regulation strategies appears critical for students with LD based on the results of this and other studies.
Why We Can't Say Much about Students with Disabilities during Education Reform
Authors: Vanderwood Mike , McGrew Kevin S. , Ysseldyke James E.
Published: January 2017

Education reform initiatives throughout the entire educational system have focused attention on outcomes and quantifiable data. With increasing frequency, the data needed to monitor and evaluate reform initiatives are being drawn from large-scale state and national data collection programs. Although sufficient national level school completion outcome indicators and state goal statements suggest the potential for evaluating the outcomes of students with disabilities, the exclusion of significant numbers of these students from both state and national data collection programs made it all but impossible to describe their status. Recommendations are offered for improving the collection and reporting of information in state and national data collection programs.
Increasing Regulatory Flexibility of Special Education Programs: Problems and Promising Strategies
Authors: McLaughlin Margaret J. , Verstegen Deborah A.
Published: January 2017

This study investigated the perceptions of federal, state, and local program administrators related to increasing regulatory flexibility. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 58 individuals representing 8 states, 11 local school districts, the U.S. Department of Education, and selected national organizations. Individuals were asked to respond to a number of questions regarding how their state or local district is attempting to increase flexibility in implementing the Indiviual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title I of the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), and bilingual education and to identify barriers to increasing the consolidation of resources across these programs. Strategies for consolidating programs and services were also identified. Interviewees generally perceived a number of benefits in consolidation, including more efficient use of resources, enhanced collaboration, and more inclusive education. They also identified a number of policy and organizational barriers including fear of audits, lack of leadership, and lack of personnel training or support. Challenges included the dilution of services, lack of targeting, and loss of special protections to special populations.
Teacher Expectations of Minority Exceptional Learners: Impact on “Accuracy” of Self Concepts
Authors: Obiakor Festus E.
Published: January 2017

Minority exceptional learners confront multidimensional problems in schools and communities. One such problem is the issue of teacher expectation. Current laws require general and special educators to identify, assess, place, and instruct their students in a manner that does not label them or destroy their self-concepts. Ironically, these special education processes are loaded with presumptions and expectations that in themselves lead to discriminatory generalizations and illusory conclusions. In this article, I respond to this critical issue using pertinent cases that reveal the impact of teacher expectations on the “accuracy” or “inaccuracy” of self-concepts of minority exceptional learners. In addition, I discuss innovative techniques that reduce stereotypic labels and enhance “accurate” self-concepts.
Cultural Reciprocity in Sociocultural Perspective: Adapting the Normalization Principle for Family Collaboration
Authors: Harry Beth , Rueda Robert , Kalyanpur Maya
Published: January 2017

The principle of normalization/social role valorization provides a powerful framework for improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. However, the principle needs to be adapted to the increasing cultural heterogeneity of the United States. Decisions about the goals of service provision should be informed by two principles: (1) cultural reciprocity, whereby professionals work in a collaborative manner with families, and (2) a sociocultural view of learning and development, which targets social rather than individual processes. Findings from a collaborative action research project with culturally diverse families are used to illustrate how professionals can provide assistance in a family's zone of proximal development, rather than targeting goals that are normative for the mainstream, but not for the family.
From Bilateral to Multilateral Investment Treaty
Authors: Rai Sheela
Published: January 2017

While the need for FD! has necessitated a tremendous increase in Bilateral Investment Treaties all over the world, there are different opinions about the desirability for Multilateral Investment Treaty. While the “globalisation school” advocates for the conclusion of MAI, the “internalisation school” is against it advocating policy autonomy for the sovereign countries and pointing to development needs of the developing countries. Earlier these agruments in investment area were put forward in relation to issues like expropriation, stability of contract, compensation, etc. which have now got settled in international law. But there are new issues like right to market access to foreign investors, extent of regulatory powers of host country, performance requirements and investment incentives and code of conduct for multinational corporations which are yet to be settled and will be important issues in any negotiation for MAI. The paper studies the trend of international law on foreign investment as it is growingfrom customary international law developed by bilateral investment treaties and various legal writings into a more legislative law by various regional investment agreements and endeavours for a Multilateral Investment Treaty now under WTO. Various suggestions regarding a prospective MAI under the WTO have been discussed.
The Psychophysical Testing of an Aircraft Visual Approach Aid
Authors: Day R. H. , Baxter J. R. , Lane J. C.
Published: January 2017

An aircraft visual approach aid, based on the perception of a misalignment between bars of lights on the ground, is described. Psychophysical tests to establish its sensitivity at long range under various viewing conditions are discussed, including tests in the field and in a laboratory simulator.
A New Look at System Research and Analysis
Authors: Kidd J. S.
Published: January 2017

This report is an attempt to integrate some conceptual and methodological divergencies in man-machine system research. A. conceptual format and a procedure for input analysis are proposed which are derived from a cybernetics model. The format is suggested as a means to organize theoretical propositions. Some problems related to real-time simulation as a research method for system research are considered and an approach to methods improvement is discussed.
Development of a Peripheral Vision Command Indicator for Instrument Flight
Authors: Fenwick Charles A.
Published: January 2017

A laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the effects and interactions of seven variables germane to establishing the optimum design of a peripheral vision display. The display was a simple pattern of black lines and white squares which could move in any direction in the vertical plane faced by a subject. The variables were (1) width of the black lines, (2) black-to-white ratio, (3) display area, (4) display shape, (5) visual fixation point (6) rate of movement and (7) diagonal vs. horizontal/vertical lines. All variables were involved in significant interaction effects with one four-way interaction being significant. With the best combinations of display variables, direction of motion could be perceived with considerable accuracy when the display was located as far as 35 degrees from the subjects' line of regard.
The Effect of “Natural” Grouping of Numerals on Short Term Memory
Authors: Thorpe Calvin E. , Rowland George E.
Published: January 2017

When individuals undertake to memorize long sequences of items, they show a strong tendency to break the sequences into smaller subgroups. This type of spontaneous grouping can be called “natural” grouping. This report reveals that certain specific grouping patterns are spontaneously utilized significantly more often than others for various particular sequence lengths. Furthermore, those persons who employ these “natural” grouping patterns obtain significantly better recall results. The most “natural” subgroup size was found to be three digits with two digits being the next most “natural.”

These findings should be useful for any application in which number codes are used (telephone numbers, license plates, stock numbers, etc.).
Diurnal Cycles and Work-Rest Scheduling in Unusual Environments
Authors: Trumbull Richard
Published: January 2017

The extension of man's working environment and its control have lead to a new consideration of his “normal“ neuro-physiological and psychological rhythms. There are some fifty such patterns of fluctuating functions within man which have various degrees of influence upon his level of performance and ability to maintain performance. Data are provided from physiological and psychological research in an attempt to provide perspective for selection of appropriate personnel and establishment of work/rest or duty cycles in deference to these influences.
A Methodology for the Determination of Driver Perceptual Latency in Car Following
Authors: Torf Arthur S. , Duckstein Lucien
Published: January 2017

An experiment was conducted to determine the feasibility of the use of motion picture testing in lieu of road testing for experiments concerning visual perceptual latency in car following. A second purpose was the determination of perceptual latencies for accelerations and decelerations at fixed speed and gap. The results show that motion picture testing is statistically acceptable. Details on instrumentation and test procedures are given and a discussion given on the findings that for the test conditions, acceleration detection time is lower than for deceleration.
Component-Total Task Relationships: Simple and Sequential Practice Effects
Authors: Zavala Albert , Geist Arlene M.
Published: January 2017

The Complex Coordinator was used to examine simple and sequential practice effects on component-total task relations. Part-tasks were three single-level (one rudder and two stick control) tasks, and three double-level (one stick-stick and two rudder-stick) tasks. Of 126 paid male volunteers, 63 practiced first on a part-task then on the total task, and 63 practiced in the reverse sequence. In each of these groups, 7 sub-groups of 9 subjects each were assigned randomly to each of the 6 part tasks and to the total task. Two sessions of five (two-minute) trials were given, with a 15 minute rest between sessions. All groups improved across trials and across sessions, regardless of the task practiced first. However, the single-level rudder task facilitated total practice most. Also, practice on the most difficult among single and double level tasks, respectively, led to the best total task performance. Evidence was also found for distinguishing between multi-limb coordination (coordinated movements of more than one limb, each in a single dimension), and multidimensional coordination (coordinated movements of one limb in more than one dimension).
The Effect of Breathing 100% Oxygen on Foveal Thresholds
Authors: Connors Mary M.
Published: January 2017

This study examined the effects of breathing 100% oxygen at sea level on the luminance thresholds necessary for perception of red (642 nm), green (521 nm), blue (468 nm), and yellow (584 nm), and the chromatic and absolute thresholds associated with these dominant wavelengths. Using two highly trained observers, thresholds were measured for one target size and exposure duration by the method of constant stimuli. For the foveal thresholds investigated, no differences were found between the condition of breathing 100% oxygen and breathing normal room air at sea level. There is at least some physiological basis for thinking that vision may improve in a high oxygen environment. At the other extreme, breathing high concentrations of oxygen under pressure is known to degrade vision. Evidence relating to the visual effects of high oxygen concentrations is evaluated and conclusions are drawn with reference to the findings of this and other studies.
Effects of Intermittent Noise on Human Target Detection
Authors: Warner Harold D.
Published: January 2017

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effects of intermittent noise on target detection performance. Specifically, the present study was designed to test whether the effects of noise presented at a 70% on-off, “neutral” ratio are independent of the noise intensity level. Four levels of noise were used: no noise, and 80, 90, and 100 db. The results revealed that detection time was not significantly affected by the noise level. The total number of errors recorded for each noise condition showed that, in general, as intensity level increased, the total number of errors decreased. These findings are related to the concept of “flexibility of attention.”
Ego Involvement in the Systems Design Process
Authors: Burgess John H.
Published: January 2017

Psychological interactions among members of a systems design team are frequently of major importance in the design process. Problems arise from specialized design interests as well as failure in systems discipline. Such problems can be resolved only by understanding the nature of the individual and his involvement in interpersonal design conflicts. Several areas may be considered for improving interpersonal relations in the systems design effort. Through increasing emphasis on significance of systems design, greater personal and professional involvement in the systems approach may be possible. Attention is required at the corporate-management organization level to orient individual engineering professional goals in terms of total system perspective. Indoctrination and discipline in systems philosophy and practices also require increased emphasis. Comprehensive design-team training might be considered as a means for improving the systems design process. Further study is suggested.
Geographical Orientation Under Water
Authors: Ross Helen E. , Dickinson D. J. , Jupp B. P.
Published: January 2017

Divers were tested on three aspects of geographical orientation on land and under water. (1) They traveled blindfold around two sides of a triangle and then attempted to return without guidance to the starting post. On land, subjects walked in a straight line for about the right distance, but tended to turn outside the triangle. Under water, they tended to follow an irregular path, to swim too far, and to turn farther outside the triangle. (2) They attempted to travel various estimated distances. Novices tended to swim too far under water and to show high variability. More experienced divers usually swam for the correct distance. Estimates on land were fairly accurate for all subjects. (3) They attempted to walk or swim blindfolded in a complete circle or part of a circle. They traveled too far on land, and too short under water. Errors were not a simple function of the angle turned, but increased with the radius of the circle.
Planning Techniques for the Evaluation of Community Support Efficiency in Safety
Authors: Planek Thomas W.
Published: January 2017

Community support is defined and a brief description of the background of support development is presented. Evaluation of safety programs in terms of compliance to national standards only is questioned. It is recommended that a program's relation to the state or local accident problem be the focus of evaluation. The planning problems associated with community support are analyzed. Techniques for solving these problems are recommended. Political and communication problems reducing support efficiency are analyzed and solutions suggested. An approach to the evaluation of action programs combining both practical and scientific considerations is presented.
Peripheral Contrast Thresholds for Moving Images
Authors: Rogers James G.
Published: January 2017

Perceptual enhancement for image motion in the visual periphery was evaluated by threshold measurements with a moving-bar stimulus. Lowered peripheral thresholds were found for both forward and backward image movement with no significant elevation of the contrast threshold for an image in motion out to 55° eccentricity from the fovea. Either real or phi-phenomenon movement is recommended for the display of emergency or mission-critical signals.
Selection of the Necessary but Not Sufficient Skills for a Job
Authors: Atkinson Adrian P. C.
Published: January 2017

The skills shown by an experienced worker are necessary for the new candidate to acquire but are not sufficient for his becoming proficient. Other skills acquired during the learning process are necessary to successful execution of the job even though they are no longer needed when the experienced worker standard has been reached. This suggests that it is necessary to assess a candidate not only in terms of the skills found in the behavior of experienced workers but also in terms of the main skills required during the learning process. This approach would allow for greater predictive power of the selection assessment.
Lighting for Difficult Visual Tasks
Authors: Faulkner Terrence W. , Murphy Thomas J.
Published: January 2017

The visibility of difficult visual tasks can be improved by modifying the task, increasing the light level, or changing the character of the light. In practical applications the most effective approach is to determine the optimal character of light for each visual task. Seventeen different types of light are described and some typical applications are discussed.
Metarecognition in Time-Stressed Decision Making: Recognizing, Critiquing, and Correcting
Authors: COHEN MARVIN S. , FREEMAN JARED T. , WOLF STEVE
Published: January 2017

We describe a framework for decision making, called the recognition/metacognition (R/M) model, that explains how decision makers handle uncertainty and novelty while exploiting their experience in real-world domains. The model describes a set of critical-thinking strategies that supplement recognitional processes by verifying the results of recognition and correcting problems. Structured situation models causally organize information about a situation and provide a basis for metarecognitional processes. Metarecognitional processes determine when it is worthwhile to think more about a problem; identify evidence-conclusion relationships within a situation model; critique situation models for incompleteness, conflict, and unreliability; and prompt collection or retrieval of new information and revision of assumptions. We illustrate the R/M framework in the context of naval tactical decision making.
Decision Making in Complex Naval Command-and-Control Environments
Authors: KAEMPF GEORGE L. , KLEIN GARY , THORDSEN MARVIN L. , WOLF STEVE
Published: January 2017

This paper presents the findings of a study on how experienced naval officers make decisions in a complex, time-pressured command and control setting, the Combat Information Center of AEGIS cruisers. The decision processes invoked by the officers were consistent with the recognition-primed decision model. The majority of decisions concerned situation awareness and diagnosis in which the decision makers used feature-matching and story generation strategies to build situation awareness. Furthermore, awareness of the situation enabled the officers to recognize appropriate actions from published procedures or past experience. A recognitional strategy was used to identify 95% of the actions taken; decision makers compared multiple options in only 4% of the cases. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for framing command-and-control problems, for emphasizing situation awareness, for a descriptive model of decision making, and for designing decision supports.
When the Patient Chooses: Describing Unaided Decisions in Health Care
Authors: PIERCE PENNY F.
Published: January 2017

Patients make health care decisions in a complex and alien environment with little, if any, insightful aid from health care professionals; such professionals may be well intentioned but naive about how to provide decisional support. The search for information is unstructured, and once information is obtained, it is not easily understood by the layperson who may have difficulty understanding ambiguous and uncertain information. This paper addresses issues and concerns pertaining to the representation of unaided decision making in clinical practice among patients in two clinical contexts (breast cancer and cardiovascular disease). An analysis of qualitative clinical interviews provides indicators of naturalistic rule-based approaches patients use when making a medical decision. The relative salience of the alternatives plays a key role in discriminating rapid, intuitive decisions from those that are more deliberative. Empirical descriptions of real-world decision-making processes support a theoretical model of unaided decisions in health care.
Validation of the AGARD STRES Battery of Performance Tests
Authors: DRAYCOTT SIMON G. , KLINE PAUL
Published: January 2017

A battery of performance tests, the AGARD STRES battery, was validated against the Comprehensive Ability Battery (CAB) of primary abilities and was found to be measuring largely a speed factor, relatively independent of these CAB abilities. The implications of this finding are discussed in terms of the limitations of the cognitive theory underlying the AGARD STRES battery and the ultimate aim of developing this battery in attempting to assess the detrimental effect of stress on the performance of real-life tasks.
A Survey of The System of Higher Education for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Students in France, Compared with That of The U.K
Authors: Shaw Brian M.
Published: January 2017

A survey of the system of higher education for electrical and electronic engineering students in France, compared with that of the U.K.

Possible ‘links’ between U.K. Institutions of Higher Education and their counterparts in France and Germany are examined. The U.K. system of higher education is briefly described and then the French system is described in a similar way for comparison.
Computer Assisted Learning in An Electronics Course
Authors: Price T. E.
Published: January 2017

Computer assisted learning in an electronics course

The CAD software package Electronic Workbench has been used for computer assisted learning for analogue electronics in the second year of a degree course. After a description of the package, the approach used to generate text files to describe the subject matter for transistor biasing, small signal analysis and frequency response is described. The student response is considered, as are the problems encountered in using the package for CAL.
A Critique of Fuzzy Logic in Control
Authors: Wolkenhauer O. , Edmunds J. M.
Published: January 2017

The idea to incorporate the ‘experience’ of a human process operator in the design of a controller using fuzzy logic is discussed. Fuzzy control is typically introduced by pointing out that humans are able to control highly complex and non-linear problems. We argue heuristically, that this is not generally true, and furthermore limited only to special circumstances. The paper also briefly surveys concepts of fuzzy-set-theory.

‘The basic idea behind this approach was to incorporate the ‘experience’ of a human process operator in the design of the controller. From a set of linguistic rules which describe the operator's control strategy a control algorithm is constructed where the words are defined as fuzzy sets. The main advantages of this approach seem to be the possibility of implementing “rule of thumb” experience, intuition, heuristics, and the fact that it does not need a model of the process.’ Kickert and Mamdani, 19781
Analysis of a Twin Differential Motor for an Electric Vehicle
Authors: Eldhemy S. A. , Ghoneem G. A. , Abdel-Kader F. E.
Published: January 2017

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of the electric vehicle driven by twins of induction motors. An experimental simulator for the electric vehicle is also implemented. The carried out experimental tests verify the validity of the system as a simulator and agree with the theoretical results.
Laboratory Support for The Teaching of Neural Networks
Authors: Fulcher John
Published: January 2017

Experiences gathered over the past six years in teaching a graduate neural networks subject are reported. Various neural network software simulators have been critically evaluated during this time, as to their suitability for supporting the laboratory component of this subject. Specific examples obtained using the NeuralWorks Professional II + simulator are demonstrated.
A PC-Based Audio-Visual Alphabet Learning System
Authors: Rahman Md. Saifur , Sharif Uddin N. H. M.
Published: January 2017

The process of learning the alphabet of a language can be made interesting to the young learners by adopting an audio-visual approach. This paper describes the development of an audio-visual alphabet learning system using a sound card in a PC. The advantages of this approach are outlined, and some possible extensions to this work are suggested.
Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Sapphire Whisker-Aluminum Composites
Authors: Mehan R.L.
Published: January 2017

Methods were developed for fabricating sapphire whisker—alu— minum composites using air elutriation techniques and semi-auto matic methods for aligning the discontinuous fibers and compacting them into bundles prior to liquid infiltration. Properties determined were the longitudinal elastic modulus, tensile strength, creep-rupture strength, and fatigue strength. Significant improvement over matrix properties, particularly at elevated temperatures, can be achieved by the use of short whisker reinforcement.