Sarune Savickaite, Kimberley McNaughton, Elisa Gaillard, Jo Amaya, Neil McDonnell, Elliot Millington and David R. Simmons
Global and local processing is part of human perceptual organisation, where global processing helps extract the “gist” of the visual information and local processing helps…
Abstract
Purpose
Global and local processing is part of human perceptual organisation, where global processing helps extract the “gist” of the visual information and local processing helps perceive the details. Individual differences in these two types of visual processing have been found in autism and ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Virtual reality (VR) has become a more available method of research in the last few decades. No previous research has investigated perceptual differences using this technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of the research is to threefold: (1) identify if there is association between ADHD and autistic traits and the performance on the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) task, (2) investigate practical effects of using VR drawing tools for research on perceptual experiences and (3) explore any perceptual differences brought out by the three-dimensional nature of the VR. The standard ROCF test was used as a baseline task to investigate the practical utility of using VR as an experimental platform. A total of 94 participants were tested.
Findings
Attention-to-detail, attention switching and imagination subscales of autism quotient (AQ) questionnaire were found to be predictors of organisational ROCF scores, whereas only the attention-to-detail subscale was predictive of perceptual ROCF scores.
Originality/value
The current study is an example of how classic psychological paradigms can be transferred into the virtual world. Further investigation of the distinct individual preferences in drawing tasks in VR could lead to a better understanding of individual differences in the processing of visuospatial information.
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Rikki Hunt, Janet Tapsell and David Simmons
Outlines a management development programme introduced by the managingdirector of Burmah Petroleum Fuels Ltd, the overall objective being totarget the thinking processes of the…
Abstract
Outlines a management development programme introduced by the managing director of Burmah Petroleum Fuels Ltd, the overall objective being to target the thinking processes of the participants. Gives the progress of the programme to date and provides a summary of the outcomes with comments from the authors and others involved in the programme.
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David E. Simmons, Mark A. Shadur and Arthur P. Preston
Reviews the main tenets of TQM and strategic HRM, and identifiesboth similarities and tensions between the two approaches. Presents acase study of Tubemakers Australia, winner of…
Abstract
Reviews the main tenets of TQM and strategic HRM, and identifies both similarities and tensions between the two approaches. Presents a case study of Tubemakers Australia, winner of an Australian Quality Award. Illustrates how Tubemakers managed the integration of TQM and strategic HRM. Particular strengths of Tubemakers′ approach were its ability to centralize strategic elements of TQM while still providing the workplaces with sufficient latitude to address the specific needs of their employees.
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During the year under consideration the work of inspectors of foods was continued on the special lines which have characterised it throughout the war. Opportunity for reviving the…
Abstract
During the year under consideration the work of inspectors of foods was continued on the special lines which have characterised it throughout the war. Opportunity for reviving the routine work of the branch on such matters as the administration of the Unsound Food and Foreign Meat Regulations, Sale of Food and Drugs Acts and other measures dealing with food subjects had not yet arisen, and the energies of the branch were directed chiefly to carrying on the work of supervising the conditions under which food for the Armies was being manufactured, and dealing with a large number of special questions arising out of the abnormal conditions of food supply and distribution which continued to exist during this period.
Clive Smallman, Kevin Moore, Jude Wilson and David Simmons
We report field research undertaken in five sites in New Zealand in which we explored the process of tourists’ in-destination decision-making. We then critique our experiences of…
Abstract
We report field research undertaken in five sites in New Zealand in which we explored the process of tourists’ in-destination decision-making. We then critique our experiences of conducting this project.
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Lisa Hewerdine and Catherine Welch
Cochlear's first product, the 22-channel Nucleus implant, was the result of a research programme that has been dated back to 1967, when Graeme Clark, an ear, nose and throat (ENT…
Abstract
Cochlear's first product, the 22-channel Nucleus implant, was the result of a research programme that has been dated back to 1967, when Graeme Clark, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon, commenced doctoral work on the electrical stimulation of the hearing nerve. Following the completion of his PhD in 1969, Clark was appointed the inaugural Chair in Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne. When he joined the university in 1970, his primary objective was the practical application of his PhD research: namely, the development of a ‘bionic ear’, an electronic device that would stimulate the hearing nerve in the profoundly deaf. He realised early on that lack of resources would be one of his major impediments:across the road [from my office] the experimental research laboratory was in a disused hospital mortuary. When I looked at the mortuary my heart sank. It was dilapidated and bare. There was a stone table in the centre, but little else. The walls needed painting, and the light diffused poorly through the high windows. Anyway, I had no money to buy equipment even if the laboratory itself were satisfactory. (Clark, 2000, p. 54)
Maria Amoamo is a post-doctoral fellow in Te Tumu, the School of Māori Pacific and Indigenous Studies at University of Otago in New Zealand. Maria's research interests include the…
Abstract
Maria Amoamo is a post-doctoral fellow in Te Tumu, the School of Māori Pacific and Indigenous Studies at University of Otago in New Zealand. Maria's research interests include the representation of indigenous, cultural and heritage tourism. Her PhD thesis examined the issue of identity in relation to Māori regional tourism within a post-colonial framework. She is currently examining the economic value of identity in relation to determining ‘what is the profile of Māori tourism in Dunedin?’ Maria is also examining the issue of social vulnerability and resilience of Pacific Island communities in relation to tourism.