Claudine Mélan

SEQUENCE CLASS FORMATION FOLLOWING LEARNING OF SHORT SEQUENCES

The production of 3-item probe sequences by 20 adults was assessed after the participants were trained to respond to three 3-item sequences (A1→A2→A3, B1→B2→B3, and C1→C2→C3). Each sequence was learned progressively according to the successive phase method (1-item phase, 2-item phase, and then 3-item phase). Performance on the 3 probe sequences was consistent with the formation of classes of mutually substitutable sequence stimuli. Elsewhere, learning of these functional classes was enhanced when subjects were trained with a 5-min compared to a 24-hr intersessions delay. These results were discussed according to experimental conditions and acquisition of learning rules knowledge.

A multidisciplinary approach of workload assessment in real-job situations: Investigation in the field of aerospace activities

The present contribution presents two field studies combining tools and methods from cognitive psychology and from occupational psychology in order to perform a thorough investigation of workload in employees. Cognitive load theory proposes to distinguish different load categories of working memory, in a context of instruction. Intrinsic load is inherent to the task, extraneous load refers to components of a learning environment that may be modified to reduce total load, and germane load enables schemas construction and thus efficient learning. We showed previously that this theoretical framework may be successfully extended to working memory tasks in non-instructional designs. Other theoretical models, issued from the field of occupational psychology, account for an individual’s perception of work demands or requirements in the context of different psychosocial features of the (work) environment. Combining these approaches is difficult as workload assessment by job-perception questionnaires explore an individual’s overall job-perception over a large time-period, whereas cognitive load investigations in working memory tasks are typically performed within short time-periods. We proposed an original methodology enabling investigation of workload and load factors in a comparable time-frame. We report two field studies investigating workload on different shift-phases and between work-shifts, with two custom-made tools. The first one enabled workload assessment by manipulating intrinsic load (task difficulty) and extraneous load (time pressure) in a working-memory task. The second tool was a questionnaire based on the theoretical concepts of work-demands, control, and psychosocial support. Two additional dimensions suspected to contribute to job-perception, i.e., work–family conflicts and availability of human and technical resources were also explored. Results of workload assessments were discussed in light of operators’ alertness and job-performance.

Recall Performance in Air Traffic Controllers Across the 24-hr Day: Influence of Alertness and Task Demands on Recall Strategies

© 2012 Melan and Galy, licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Recall Performance in Air Traffic Controllers Across the 24-hr Day: Influence of Alertness and Task Demands on Recall Strategies

Étude sur la théorie de l’esprit chez des patients atteints d’ataxie spino-cérébelleuse génétique

Introduction: Le cervelet est surtout connu pour ses fonctions motrices. Or, des etudes recentes ont montre que les patients atteints de pathologies cerebelleuses presentent egalement des deficits de cognition sociale. Objectifs (1): Evaluer la theorie de l’esprit chez des patients atteints d’ataxie spino-cerebelleuse (ASC). (2) Mettre en lien la severite et la duree de maladie avec les performances de cognition sociale. Patients et methodes: Treize patients atteints d’ASC apparies en termes d’âge, de niveau scolaire et de genre a un echantillon de sujets sains. La theorie de l’esprit (capacite a attribuer des etats mentaux aux autres et a soi-meme) a ete testee par trois epreuves evaluant respectivement les capacites d’attribution d’intention a autrui, la reconnaissance d’emotions faciales et la comprehension de normes sociales. Les fonctions langagieres et la vitesse de traitement de l’information ont egalement ete evaluees. Resultats: Les patients obtiennent des performances significativement inferieures a celles des sujets controles aux epreuves de theorie de l’esprit. De plus, leurs performances aux epreuves de theorie de l’esprit sont correlees positivement entre elles, ainsi qu’avec celles obtenues dans le test evaluant la vitesse de traitement de l’information. Enfin, il ne semble pas exister de lien entre la duree et/ou la severite de la maladie et les performances aux epreuves neuropsychologiques.