Validade e confiabilidade da versão informatizada do inventário Million de estilos de personalidade

Currently, several psychological and non-psychological tests can be found in publishes without standardization on procedures set in different psychological areas, like intelligence, emotional states, attitudes, social skills, vocation, preferences and others. The computerized psychological testing is a extension of traditional testing psychological practices. However, it has own psychometrics qualities, either by its matching in a computerized environment or by the extension that can be developed in it. The current research, developed from a necessity to study process of validity and reliability on a computerized test, drew a methodological structure to provide parallel applications in numerous kinds of operational groups, evaluating the influences of the time and approach in the computerization process. This validity refers to normative values groups, reproducibility in computerized applications process and data processing. Not every psychological test can be computerized. Therefore, our need to find a good test, with quality and plausible properties to transform in computerized application, leaded us to use The Millon Personality Inventory, created by Theodore Millon. This Inventory assesses personality according to 12 bipolarities distributed in 24 factors, distributed in categories motivational styles, cognitive targets and interpersonal relations. This instrument doesn t diagnose pathological features, but test normal and non adaptive aspects in human personality, comparing with Theodore Millon theory of personality. In oder to support this research in a Brazilian context in psychological testing, we discuss the theme, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of such practices. Also we discuss the current forms in computerization of psychological testing and the main specific criteria in this psychometric specialized area of knowledge. The test was on-line, hosted in the site http://www.planetapsi.com, during the years of 2007 and 2008, which was available a questionnaire to describe social characteristics before test. A report was generated from the data entry of each user. An application of this test was conducted in a linear way through a national coverage in all Brazil regions, getting 1508 applications. Were organized nine groups, reaching 180 applications in test and retest subject, where three periods of time and three forms of retests for studies of on-line tests were separated. Parallel to this, we organized multi-application session offline group, 20 subjects who received tests by email. The subjects of this study were generally distributed by the five Brazilian regions, and were noticed about the test via the Internet. The performance application in traditional and on-line tested groups subsidies us to conclude that on-line application provides significantly consistency in all criteria for validity studied and justifies its use. The on-line test results were related not only among themselves but were similar to those data of tests done on pencil and paper (0,82). The retests results demonstrated correlation, between 0,92 and, 1 while multisessions had a good correlation in these comparisons. Moreover, were assessed the adequacy of operational criteria used, such as security, the performance of users, the environmental characteristics, the organization of the database, operational costs and limitations in this on-line inventory. In all these five items, there were excellent performances, concluding, also, that it s possible a self-applied psychometric test. The results of this work are a guide to question and establish of methodologies studies for computerization psychological testing software in the country

Investigação da capacidade intelectiva de pacientes pediátricos diagnosticados com tumores de fossa posterior

Central Nervous System are the most common pediatric solid tumors. 60% of these tumors arise in posterior fossa, mainly in cerebellum. The first therapeutic approach is surgical resection. Malignant tumors require additional strategies - chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The increasing survival evidences that childhood brain tumors result in academic and social difficulties that compromise the quality of life of the patients. This study investigated the intellectual functioning of children between 7 to 15 years diagnosed with posterior fossa tumors and treated at CEHOPE - Recife / PE. 21 children were eligible - including 13 children with pilocytic astrocytoma (G1) who underwent only surgery resection, and eight children with medulloblastoma (G2) - submitted to surgical resection, chemotherapy and craniospinal radiotherapy. Participants were evaluated by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - WISC-III. Children of G1 scored better than children of G2. Inferential tools (Mann-Whitney Ü Test) identified significant diferences (p ≤ 0.05) between the Performance IQ (PIQ) and Processing Speed Index (PSI) as a function of treatment modality; Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), PIQ and PSI as a function of parental educational level; PIQ, FSIQ, IVP and Freedom from Distractibility (FDI) as a function of time between diagnosis and evaluation. These results showed the late and progressive impact of radiotherapy on white matter and information processing speed. Furthermore, children whose parents have higher educational level showed better intellectual performance, indicating the influence of xxii socio-cultural variables on cognitive development. The impact of cancer and its treatment on cognitive development and learning should not be underestimated. These results support the need to increase the understanding of such effects in order to propose therapeutic strategies which ensure that, in addition to the cure, the full development of children with this pathology

Avaliação da relação entre qualidade de sono e uma intervenção com jogos para o desempenho de crianças e adolescentes

The sleep is an active brain process that allows the efficient realization of daily tasks. The changes on sleep patterns may influence the different cognitive processes performance. Many recent studies show the possibility of cognitive performance improvement, through the cognitive training with the use of computer games. The question is if these interventions may be influenced by the sleep quality. Thus, we evaluated the sleep quality effect about the efficacy of an intervention with computers games based on the working memory and attention for a cognitive performance training of elementary school students. The sample was constituted by 42 students with average age of 10,43 years old (SD=1,23), with 22 male participants and 20 female participants. We used to evaluate the sleep with the parents a sleep questionnaire, a sleep diary and the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire. In regard to intervention, the subjectives were distributed in an experimental and in a control group, both with 21 participants. In the first group occurred the intervention that consisted in the working memory and attention training with two cognitive tasks (Safari e Brain Workshop) during 30 daily minutes, for a 6 weeks period. In an equal period, the students from the control group should reproduce an artwork using drawing software. To evaluate the cognitive performance we applied before and after the intervention period the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III). The results showed that in both the groups the performance of the intelligence, working memory, attention and visuospatial skills was below of the mean. The cognitive processes evaluated after of intervention in the experimental group had a performance significantly higher in the Perceptual Reasoning Index (t = -6,24; p < 0,01) and in the Full Scale IQ (t = -5,09; p < 0,01) and Performance IQ (t = -6,52; p < 0,01), suggesting a improvement on the visuospatial skills, attention, working memory and processing speed. On the control group, the performance was significantly higher in the Coding subtest (t = -5,38; p< 0,01) and in the Perceptual Reasoning Index (t = -3,66; p = 0,01), suggesting a improvement on the visuospatial skills and attention. The mean obtained with the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire was 53,76 (SD=14,96) for an experimental group and 61,19 (SD=12,82) for a control group, indicating tendency for a bad sleep quality in that last one. Not only during the first days, but also in the last fifteen days of the intervention we verified in the two groups an adequate time to sleep, duration and regularity, in the weekdays and on the weekends. We didn t find significant differences between the two groups in none of the sleep variables. We verified statistically meaningful improvement on the performance of the experimental group with the intervention in the two games. We didn t verify significant correlations between the games performance index and in the sleep variables of the experimental group individuals. We verified significant correlations among the performance on the Brain Workshop and the Cubes subtest, the Perceptual Reasoning Index and the Scale Performance IQ, suggesting that the significant improvement of the visuospatial skills and of the attention was correlated with the performance in the Brain Workshop. Although the absence of correlations with the performance in the Safari, possibly it also has relieved in the improvement of the cognitive performance. The findings support the hypothesis that the computer games might be a satisfactory tool for the improvement of the performance in visuospatial skills and attention. This can be resulted of the insertion of visuospatial stimulations in the task, for example, graphical elements with thematic for children that increase the interest. The IQ below mean the individuals might have influenced the improvement absence on the cognitive processes like the working memory with games. Moreover, it wasn t verified a relation between the sleep quality and the intervention efficacy. It might have been influenced by the n of the sample. Future studies must focalize in the improvement of the effect of the interventions with games

Prospecção e formação no domínio das competências e habilidades em tecnologia da informação: o caso do projeto metrópole digital em Natal/RN

This study deals with cognitive competences and abilities that are relevant to selection and education regarding Information Technology (IT). These competences relate to problem solving, decision making, and practical intelligence that regard scholar and extracurricular knowledge mobilization. The research aimed to contribute for the improvement of a selection instrument, consisting of five arrays of skills (dealing with objectives and prospection), as well as the development and comprehension of those skills that are involved in IT education. This is done by means of an analysis on the selection instrument used in the first selective process that occurred at Metropole Digital an Institute at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. This was evaluated aiming to acknowledge IT education (with basic training and emphasis on Web programming and electronics). The methodology used was of quantitative method involving performance scores relating education delivery. An Anova analysis of variance was done along with descriptive analysis involving socioeconomic data that was not observed in the meaningful relations between parental instruction and student performance in the graduate course. These analyses were able to point out the importance and need of the policies for vacancy reservation on behalf of public school students. A Spearman correlation analysis was done considering the instrument selection performance in the training course. The instrument is presented as a predictor that is significantly moderate and presents a good performance in the course as a whole. A Cluster and Regression analysis was also realized in the process. The first analysis allowed finding performance groups (Clusters) that ranged from medium and inferior. The regression analysis was able to point out association amongst criterion variables and the (average performance in basic and advanced modules) and explanatory (five matrixes). Regression analysis indicated that matrix 1 and matrix 3 were pointed out as being the strongest ones. In all the above analysis, the correlation between the instrument and the course was considered moderate. Thus this can be related in some of the aspects present in the course such as emphasis on evaluation itself as well as in technical contents and practical skills (educational ones) and competences and selection skills. It is known that the mediation of technological artifact in cultural context can foster the development of skills and abilities relevant to IT training. This study provides subsidies to reflect on the adoption of selection instrument and IT training in the Institute. Thus the research offers means to achieve a interdisciplinary discussion and enriching of areas such as Psychology and Information Technology; all of which regarding competencies and skills relevant in IT training

JFloat: uma biblioteca de ponto flutuante para a linguagem Java com suporte a arredondamento direcionado

This work presents JFLoat, a software implementation of IEEE-754 standard for binary floating point arithmetic. JFloat was built to provide some features not implemented in Java, specifically directed rounding support. That feature is important for Java-XSC, a project developed in this Department. Also, Java programs should have same portability when using floating point operations, mainly because IEEE-754 specifies that programs should have exactly same behavior on every configuration. However, it was noted that programs using Java native floating point types may be machine and operating system dependent. Also, JFloat is a possible solution to that problem

Algoritmos de agrupamento aplicados a dados de expressão gênica de câncer: um estudo comparativo

The use of clustering methods for the discovery of cancer subtypes has drawn a great deal of attention in the scientific community. While bioinformaticians have proposed new clustering methods that take advantage of characteristics of the gene expression data, the medical community has a preference for using classic clustering methods. There have been no studies thus far performing a large-scale evaluation of different clustering methods in this context. This work presents the first large-scale analysis of seven different clustering methods and four proximity measures for the analysis of 35 cancer gene expression data sets. Results reveal that the finite mixture of Gaussians, followed closely by k-means, exhibited the best performance in terms of recovering the true structure of the data sets. These methods also exhibited, on average, the smallest difference between the actual number of classes in the data sets and the best number of clusters as indicated by our validation criteria. Furthermore, hierarchical methods, which have been widely used by the medical community, exhibited a poorer recovery performance than that of the other methods evaluated. Moreover, as a stable basis for the assessment and comparison of different clustering methods for cancer gene expression data, this study provides a common group of data sets (benchmark data sets) to be shared among researchers and used for comparisons with new methods

Lógica BDI fuzzy

Intendding to understand how the human mind operates, some philosophers and psycologists began to study about rationality. Theories were built from those studies and nowadays that interest have been extended to many other areas such as computing engineering and computing science, but with a minimal distinction at its goal: to understand the mind operational proccess and apply it on agents modelling to become possible the implementation (of softwares or hardwares) with the agent-oriented paradigm where agents are able to deliberate their own plans of actions. In computing science, the sub-area of multiagents systems has progressed using several works concerning artificial intelligence, computational logic, distributed systems, games theory and even philosophy and psycology. This present work hopes to show how it can be get a logical formalisation extention of a rational agents architecture model called BDI (based in a philosophic Bratman s Theory) in which agents are capable to deliberate actions from its beliefs, desires and intentions. The formalisation of this model is called BDI logic and it is a modal logic (in general it is a branching time logic) with three access relations: B, D and I. And here, it will show two possible extentions that tranform BDI logic in a modal-fuzzy logic where the formulae and the access relations can be evaluated by values from the interval [0,1]

Uma Análise de métodos de distriubuição de atributos em comitês de classificadores

The objective of the researches in artificial intelligence is to qualify the computer to execute functions that are performed by humans using knowledge and reasoning. This work was developed in the area of machine learning, that it s the study branch of artificial intelligence, being related to the project and development of algorithms and techniques capable to allow the computational learning. The objective of this work is analyzing a feature selection method for ensemble systems. The proposed method is inserted into the filter approach of feature selection method, it s using the variance and Spearman correlation to rank the feature and using the reward and punishment strategies to measure the feature importance for the identification of the classes. For each ensemble, several different configuration were used, which varied from hybrid (homogeneous) to non-hybrid (heterogeneous) structures of ensemble. They were submitted to five combining methods (voting, sum, sum weight, multiLayer Perceptron and naïve Bayes) which were applied in six distinct database (real and artificial). The classifiers applied during the experiments were k- nearest neighbor, multiLayer Perceptron, naïve Bayes and decision tree. Finally, the performance of ensemble was analyzed comparatively, using none feature selection method, using a filter approach (original) feature selection method and the proposed method. To do this comparison, a statistical test was applied, which demonstrate that there was a significant improvement in the precision of the ensembles

Avaliação de arquitetura de agentes emocionais : uma abordagem baseada em métrica de qualidade e na influência das emoções sobre usuários

There is a need for multi-agent system designers in determining the quality of systems in the earliest phases of the development process. The architectures of the agents are also part of the design of these systems, and therefore also need to have their quality evaluated. Motivated by the important role that emotions play in our daily lives, embodied agents researchers have aimed to create agents capable of producing affective and natural interaction with users that produces a beneficial or desirable result. For this, several studies proposing architectures of agents with emotions arose without the accompaniment of appropriate methods for the assessment of these architectures. The objective of this study is to propose a methodology for evaluating architectures emotional agents, which evaluates the quality attributes of the design of architectures, in addition to evaluation of human-computer interaction, the effects on the subjective experience of users of applications that implement it. The methodology is based on a model of well-defined metrics. In assessing the quality of architectural design, the attributes assessed are: extensibility, modularity and complexity. In assessing the effects on users' subjective experience, which involves the implementation of the architecture in an application and we suggest to be the domain of computer games, the metrics are: enjoyment, felt support, warm, caring, trust, cooperation, intelligence, interestingness, naturalness of emotional reactions, believabiliy, reducing of frustration and likeability, and the average time and average attempts. We experimented with this approach and evaluate five architectures emotional agents: BDIE, DETT, Camurra-Coglio, EBDI, Emotional-BDI. Two of the architectures, BDIE and EBDI, were implemented in a version of the game Minesweeper and evaluated for human-computer interaction. In the results, DETT stood out with the best architectural design. Users who have played the version of the game with emotional agents performed better than those who played without agents. In assessing the subjective experience of users, the differences between the architectures were insignificant

Arquitetura hardware/software de um núcleo NCAP segundo o padrão IEEE 1451.1: uma prova de conceito

Os sensores inteligentes são dispositivos que se diferenciam dos sensores comuns por apresentar capacidade de processamento sobre os dados monitorados. Eles tipicamente são compostos por uma fonte de alimentação, transdutores (sensores e atuadores), memória, processador e transceptor. De acordo com o padrão IEEE 1451 um sensor inteligente pode ser dividido em módulos TIM e NCAP que devem se comunicar através de uma interface padronizada chamada TII. O módulo NCAP é a parte do sensor inteligente que comporta o processador. Portanto, ele é o responsável por atribuir a característica de inteligência ao sensor. Existem várias abordagens que podem ser utilizadas para o desenvolvimento desse módulo, dentre elas se destacam aquelas que utilizam microcontroladores de baixo custo e/ou FPGA. Este trabalho aborda o desenvolvimento de uma arquitetura hardware/software para um módulo NCAP segundo o padrão IEEE 1451.1. A infra-estrutura de hardware é composta por um driver de interface RS-232, uma memória RAM de 512kB, uma interface TII, o processador embarcado NIOS II e um simulador do módulo TIM. Para integração dos componentes de hardware é utilizada ferramenta de integração automática SOPC Builder. A infra-estrutura de software é composta pelo padrão IEEE 1451.1 e pela aplicação especí ca do NCAP que simula o monitoramento de pressão e temperatura em poços de petróleo com o objetivo de detectar vazamento. O módulo proposto é embarcado em uma FPGA e para a sua prototipação é usada a placa DE2 da Altera que contém a FPGA Cyclone II EP2C35F672C6. O processador embarcado NIOS II é utilizado para dar suporte à infra-estrutura de software do NCAP que é desenvolvido na linguagem C e se baseia no padrão IEEE 1451.1. A descrição do comportamento da infra-estrutura de hardware é feita utilizando a linguagem VHDL

Síndrome de crouzon: fatores envolvidos no desenvolvimento neuropsicologico e na qualidade de vida

A síndrome de Crouzon é caracterizada por deformidade craniana, alterações faciais e exoftalmia. O retardo no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor é observado em alguns casos. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar a influência do momento da cirurgia, da classe sócio-econômica associada ao nível educacional dos pais e da ocorrência de malformações do sistema nervoso central no desenvolvimento cognitivo destes pacientes correlacionando estes achados à qualidade de vida deles e de suas famílias. Foram estudados 11 pacientes com diagnóstico de síndrome de Crouzon com idade entre um ano e quatro meses e treze anos. A avaliação multidisciplinar dos pacientes incluiu, avaliação social, avaliação cognitiva, estudo do encéfalo por ressonância magnética e avaliação da qualidade de vida. O quociente de inteligência variou de 46 a 102 (m=84,2) e foi correlacionado de forma inversa com o Fator 4 do Questionário de Recursos e Estresse Simplificado (incapacidade da criança); não se correlacionou com as alterações encefálicas, com a condição sócio-econômica dos pais e nem com o momento do tratamento neurocirúrgico.

Alterações cognitivas em escolares de classe socio-econômica desfavorecida: resultados de intervenção psicopedagógica

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o resultado de intervenções psicopedagógicas no desempenho intelectual e em algumas funções cognitivas específicas em crianças provenientes de famílias de baixa renda, expostas a fatores pessoais e sociais adversos, como desnutrição, stress familiar, ambientes doméstico e de estimulação empobrecidos. Foram examinadas 63 crianças, alunas de escola, gratuita e em regime de semi-internato, que recebe crianças consideradas sob risco pessoal e social. Quarenta e três crianças receberam atividades que objetivam ativação cognitiva, durante período mínimo de 1 ano. Vinte crianças eram recém-admitidas. As técnicas da ativação escolhidas foram: método de aprendizagem ativa, com base em Piaget e método de ativação cognitiva para, através de exercícios psicomotores, desenvolver os pré-requisitos para aprendizagem e prevenção de dificuldades escolares, segundo Lambert. A avaliação das funções cognitivas mostrou: nível intelectual insatisfatório em 30% e médio ou superior em 70% e deficiências cognitivas específicas (noção do esquema corporal, percepção viso-motora, percepção de forma e perseveração) em 74%. Maior prevalência de crianças com inteligência superior (p < 0,05) associou-se a dois fatores: 1º: maior tempo de freqüência à escola (de 1 a 3 anos) e 2º: programas de ativação cognitiva. Não foram observadas diferenças entre os 2 grupos em relação à prevalência de alterações das funções cognitivas específicas examinadas. Os resultados demonstram que a recuperação de crianças com as dificuldades descritas é difícil. Exige investigação sistemática sobre os métodos psicopedagógicas selecionados e possivelmente, grande tempo de permanência da criança na escola, além de admissão mais precoce.

Características clínicas, comportamentais, cognitivas e comunicativa na síndrome Smith-Magenis

TEMA: o objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os aspectos clínico, comportamental, cognitivo e comunicativo de indivíduos com o diagnóstico genético da Síndrome Smith-Magenis. PROCEDIMENTOS: participaram dois indivíduos do sexo masculino, de nove e 19 anos. Realizou-se a avaliação genética clínica e laboratorial (teste FISH, utilizando sonda para região 17p11.2). A avaliação psicológica constou da observação comportamental e aplicação da Escala Wechsler de Inteligência. A avaliação Fonoaudiológica foi realizada por meio de procedimentos formais e informais e avaliação auditiva periférica. RESULTADOS: a análise genética clínica evidenciou as características fenotípicas da síndrome Smith-Magenis, confirmada pela avaliação laboratorial. A avaliação psicológica evidenciou o fenótipo comportamental peculiar da síndrome Smith-Magenis e comprovou a deficiência intelectual de grau moderado nos dois indivíduos. A avaliação fonoaudiológica mostrou alterações no desempenho linguístico, com alterações nos níveis fonológico, semântico, sintático e pragmático e nas habilidades psicolinguísticas, interferindo nas habilidades comunicativas e de aprendizagem. A avaliação auditiva indicou audição periférica dentro de parâmetros de normalidade. CONCLUSÃO: a avaliação multidisciplinar favoreceu a descrição dos aspectos clínicos, comportamentais, cognitivos que pertencem ao fenótipo comportamental da síndrome Smith-Magenis e permitiu verificar que estes apresentam graves alterações da linguagem oral, das habilidades psicolinguísticas e do processamento das informações visuais e auditivas com reflexos marcantes no desenvolvimento das habilidades comunicativas e processos de aprendizagem.

Semiótica peirceana e produção poética

Entre as diversas semióticas e semiologias atualmente existentes, devem-se distinguir dois projetos gerais: o de origem saussureana e o de origem peirceana. O primeiro recolhe da ciência lingüística seu modo de proceder e as características gerais do signo. O segundo pertence à tradição crítica filosófica. Para a inteligência capaz de aprender com a experiência, a dimensão temporal e histórica é essencial. O signo peirceano implica as relações de um tempo irreversível. À produção presente do signo cabe a função poética, a qual é essencial à vida de toda inteligência. A hipótese cientifica, as revoluções sociais em seu momento originário e a produção artística produzem novos signos, recortam novos objetos e abrem feixes de possibilidades para a conduta futura.

Aplicação de redes neurais na estimação da temperatura interna de transformadores de distribuição imersos em óleo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)