Alison Green

Technical Inefficiency in Manufacturing Industries

This article examines technical inefficiency of manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, based on data for 19,023 establishments in 151 industries. These data, drawn from the Annual Census of Production for 1977, have been used to estimate technical inefficiency in each industry by fitting translog stochastic frontier production functions and decomposing the residuals into two components, one measuring inefficiency and the other unobservable random factors. The work is the first step in a larger project to explain the sources of technical inefficiency, and to compare efficiency between Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Norway. Copyright 1991 by Royal Economic Society.

Limitations for Change Detection in Multiple Gabor Targets

We investigate the limitations on the ability to detect when a target has changed, using Gabor targets as simple quantifiable stimuli. Using a partial report technique to equalize response variables, we show that the log of the Weber fraction for detecting a spatial frequency change is proportional to the log of the number of targets, with a set-size effect that is greater than that reported for visual search. This is not a simple perceptual limitation, because pre-cueing a single target out of four restores performance to the level found when only one target is present. It is argued that the primary limitation on performance is the division of attention across multiple targets, rather than decay within visual memory. However in a simplified change detection experiment without cueing, where only one target of the set changed, not only was the set-size effect still larger, but it was greater at 2000 msec ISI than at 250 msec ISI, indicating a possible memory component. The steepness of the set-size effects obtained suggests that even moderate complexity of a stimulus in terms of number of component objects can overload attentional processes, suggesting a possible low-level mechanism for change blindness.

Individual differences and effective learning procedures: the case of statistical computing

This paper reports two experiments examining individual differences in procedures for learning to use MINITAB (1982 edition). In Experiment 1, ten novices provided think aloud protocols over five sessions of learning to use MINITAB. On the basis of overall performance, novices were divided into two groups of five faster and five slower learners. The protocols suggested that subjects used two major classes of learning strategy: learning by doing and learning by thinking. Each class of learning strategy comprised a set of learning procedures. Differences in procedure usage were confined primarily to the learning by doing procedures. Faster learners used the mapping and exploratory procedures more frequently than slower learners, paid more attention to prompts and error messages and acted appropriately on evaluation feedback. In contrast, slower learners used the trial and error and repetition procedures more frequently than faster learners. In Experiment 2,26 novices were allocated to one of three experimental groups. Group 1 received no instruction, Group 2 received instruction in the use of ineffective procedures (those procedures that did not serve to differentiate between fast and slow learners in Experiment 1) and Group 3 received instruction in the use of effective procedures (those procedures that did differentiate between fast and slow learners in Experiment 1). The overall performance of the effective procedures groups was significantly better than either the control or the ineffective procedures groups. Effective procedure usage ratings correlated significantly with overall performance. The negative correlations between effective procedure usage ratings and both requests for help and mean time to complete the MINITAB tasks were significant. Finally, on a free recall task, the effective procedures group remembered significantly more of the procedures they had been taught than the ineffective procedures group.

Diversity in the British NHS: the business versus the ‘moral’case

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the business case for ethnic diversity in the British National Health Service (NHS). It seeks to contextualise issues around diversity within the current political environment, and identify the barriers to diversity in the NHS. The business case has been very strongly argued as justification for introducing both managing diversity and equal opportunity initiatives – here the paper examines the inconsistencies of using that argument, and maintains that the only justification worth presenting is that based on (deontological) moral arguments.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual in nature exploring the respective cases for diversity using a broad range of the available literature brought together as part of a rapid evidence assessment. It does so in order to make some far‐reaching claims about the future justifications for active diversification of senior management in key public sector institutions.Findings – The distinctions between the busi...

Reduction of task-relevant information in skill acquisition

Haider and Frensch (1996, 1999a, 1999b) argue that people learn through practice to separate task-relevant from task-irrelevant information, and that this is a major element in the acquisition of complex skills. However, in more complex tasks, there are multiple elements that are relevant to the solution. Here, we investigate a basic example of this kind of task. Where either of two information sources associated with a task may be used to determine a response, do individuals learn to ignore one source? If so, which attributes of the two information sources bias individuals towards selecting one source rather than the other? We report two experiments, each using a variant of the alphabetic arithmetic task (Haider & Frensch, 1996). We asked participants to verify strings, such as H[4] M N O P. In Experiment 1, participants completed either three or seven practice blocks in which an error occurring in the initial letter-digit-letter triplet always coincided with an error in the post-triplet string. All participants then completed a test block in which incorrect strings included only one type of error. The large string-length effect we obtained for correct strings suggests that participants learned to ignore one of the two sources of task-relevant information. There was a higher incidence of post-triplet errors over triplet errors in the test block. Experiment 2 followed a similar procedure to Experiment 1, but with two modifications. In two conditions, we asked participants to verify strings where we located the triplet at the end of the sequence. In two other conditions, we asked participants to verify strings used in Experiment 1, but presented in reverse order and by reading the strings from right to left. Results for the two triplet-last conditions are consistent with participants reducing to the pre-triplet string rather than to the triplet. Results for the two reverse-order conditions suggest that participants reduced to the triplet, as in Experiment 1. We propose that the hypothesised information reduction mechanism gives priority to information processed first, and acts to reduce processing time.

A Qualitative and Quantitative Investigation of the Psychology Content of UK Physiotherapy Education Programs

Background and Purpose. A knowledge and understanding of psychology is recognized as being important to physiotherapy practice since psychological factors can impact upon physical recovery. However, little is known about the nature of psychology education within UK physiotherapy training programs. The purpose of the study was, therefore, to examine current psychology provision within physiotherapy programs in UK universities, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Subjects. The participants were self‐selected representatives from 17 UK universities. These representatives were program directors, program leaders, or lecturers teaching on the physiotherapy program. Methods. The participants were questioned regarding the nature and extent of psychology covered in their program, the delivery and assessment of any psychology content, the perceived importance of psychology in physiotherapy training, and factors influencing psychology provision in their physiotherapy programs. Results. All of the universities claimed to include some degree of psychology content within their physiotherapy programs and largely agreed that psychology is an important component in the education and training of physiotherapists. However, there appears to be great diversity both within and between universities in the provision of psychology education, and an underlying inconsistency between the reported importance of psychology and the demonstrated importance of psychology through its visibility within physiotherapy programs. Discussion and Conclusion. More needs to be done to standardize the psychology content of physiotherapy programs in order to ensure that students at all institutions receive a similar level of training in psychology, which can have a positive impact on their professional practice.

The use of memory by experts and novices

This chapter concerns symbolic problem-solving skills and discusses differences in memory use by experts and novices in a number of problem domains, including chess, physics, mathematics, computer programming, map reading and political science. Early studies of chess skill supported a pattern-recognition model of chess expertise. This model accounted for the observed superiority in recall for realistic chess position by experts and the lack of difference in recall for randomised positions between experts and novices. Further, the model suggested that move-choosing skill reflected superior pattern recognition coupled with appropriate actions in a production-system type of organisation. More recent studies of chess skill, however, suggest strongly that the pattern recognition model is over-simple; players at the same skill level can vary in efficiency of pattern encoding and more skilled players choose better moves even when no familiar patterns are present. Current research on chess skill stresses the role of mental search, position-evaluation and general knowledge of chess strategy and tactics. Chess inspired pattern-recognition models have been developed for many of the other fields reviewed here and have been successful in the analyses so far reported. However, given the re-examination of the role of search in chess skill, we argue that studies of expertise in non-adversary domains might benefit from a similar re-evaluation of search-based explanations. It is surmised that more complex models than those currently in use will ultimately be required for all areas of expertise.

Sport psychology education for sport injury rehabilitation professionals: a systematic review

Sport psychology education has been shown to have a positive impact on the practice of sport injury rehabilitation professionals (SIRPs). The purpose of this paper is to review recommendations relating to such education. The paper presents a review of existing literature relating to the content and mode of delivery for a sport psychology education programme for SIRPs. The review seeks to address four questions: (1) What topic areas do researchers suggest should be integrated into the sport psychology education of SIRPs? (2) What topic areas are currently being recommended by professional bodies? (3) What are the findings of research examining the impact of sport psychology education on SIRPs? and (4) What do researchers recommend to be the most appropriate mode of delivery for sport psychology education for SIRPs? The findings of the review suggest that in order to maximise adherence amongst already qualified SIRPs sport psychology education should be delivered in a flexible short duration package. Additionally three broad areas that sport psychology education should cover emerged: (1) understanding of the psychological impact of injury, (2) interventions and psychological skills/techniques, and (3) referral and professional boundaries. This has important implications for the future training of SIRPs.

Estimation of technical inefficiency in manufacturing industry

An extension of the method of estimation of technical ineficiency is presented based on the stochastic production frontier approach. A derivation of the estimation procedure is given and the technique applied at the industry level. The choice of production function is considered and empirical results pertaining to Australia and the UK are presented.

Equality, equal opportunities and diversity: Obfuscation as social justice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the aims of equal opportunities policies in the UK and to link them to market forces, European integration and the wider aims of economic growth.Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical literature around equal opportunities and managing diversity is examined. The paper looks at how these have been implemented in practice by examining a policy document relating to Higher Education.Findings – The paper concludes that the policy document examined exhibits a high degree of confusion and misunderstanding about many of the key principles underlying equal opportunity theory and practice.Originality/value – The arguments presented add to the wider debates about the nature and role of equal opportunities policies and their relationship to economic policy.