The Effectiveness of Different Representations for Managerial Problem Solving: Comparing Tables and Maps

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable decision makers to view tabular data geographically, as maps. This simple yet powerful visual format appears to facilitate problem solving, yet how it does so is not clear, nor do we know the types of problems that benefit from this representation. To begin to understand the contributions of geographic representations over tabular representations, we conducted a three-factor experiment in problem solving. The experiment contained two different representations (map and table), three different geographic relationships (proximity, adjacency, and containment), and three levels of task difficulty (low, medium, and high). We found that maps generally produced faster problem solving than tables, and that problem-solving time increased with task difficulty. Most importantly, for the proximity and adjacency geographic relationships we found that maps kept problem-solving time low, while tables tended to increase time dramatically. However, we found that the number of knowledge states for each task explains performance times quite well and is a useful tool for understanding performance differences and interaction effects. As tasks become more difficult, representing them as maps generally keeps the number of knowledge states small, while for tables, the number of knowledge states increases dramatically. Correspondingly, problem-solving times increase dramatically with tables, but not with maps. In sum, as difficulty increases, maps are more effective for problem-solving tasks. Using maps, the tasks are simplified using visual heuristics that keep problemsolving times and error rates from rising as quickly as they do with tables.     

Using visual vignettes to explore sensitive topics: a research note on exploring attitudes towards people with albinism in Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study is one of the first to explore the use of (drawn) visual vignettes in qualitative research in Africa. The vignette method was used to discuss the sensitive topic of people’s attitudes towards people with albinism in Tanzania among high school students. Focus was on two key questions: (i) To what extent was the vignette method implemented as intended?; (ii) Has the vignette method achieved its goal?. This research note discusses the effectivity of the visual vignette method as a tool to gain a better insight into people’s attitudes towards people with albinism, but also describes the possibilities of visual vignettes as a tool for research on other sensitive topics.     

A visual methods approach for researching children’s perspectives: capturing the dialectic and visual reflexivity in a cross-national study of father-child interactions

ABSTRACT

The paper presents a visual methods approach from a cross national methodological project that used digital visual technologies to examine young children's perspectives in father-child interactions. The approach combines capturing the dialectic with visual reflexivity. The notion of ‘capturing the dialectic’ specifically by analysing conflict to gather the child’s intention as their perspective, is underpinned by finding the contradictions in a situation of which children are a part. Visual technologies and in particular digital film does this, because it can identify difference, as it observes and captures the dialectic process. Researchers collected between 5–10 hours of film footage and twenty-four film elicitation interviews from young children and their fathers in twelve families within England, Hong Kong, Norway and India. In the study, participants took footage of routine father-child interactions chosen by the children; and researchers sampled the footage for situations of conflict and emotionally charged moments in order to capture the dialectic. Researchers then conducted film elicitation interviews with the children and fathers, which were recorded for the purpose of visual reflexivity. This visual methods approach can support social science researchers to address differences in representation and truth, for a better understanding of a young child’s perspective in cross-national projects.     

民族志舞蹈影像的早期实践与文化建构

作为一种以肢体动作与表情神态为主要表达方式的人类文化形态,舞蹈与影视人类学的渊源较为长远。电影自最初发明时期,就以舞蹈为主要的拍摄对象之一,在展示不同地区、民族的文化特征方面起到了重要的作用;人类学者第一次深入田野开展民族志电影记录,舞蹈也是最具代表性的文化表征,象征着地方、民族传统消亡与抵抗的并存。随着电影技术的不断发展,以土著民族舞蹈为核心元素的影片,不仅在大众文化领域成为一种娱乐电影类型,也在某种意义上延续着人类学影像民族志的血脉,并且逐渐从单纯的素材记录走向学术阐释与文化建构的新方向。20世纪后半叶以来,民族志电影与舞蹈的关系逐渐以简单的形态记录,逐渐走向更超多元表达的舞蹈影像志。此外,基于非物质文化遗产传承体系,舞蹈影像志也具有了影音档案的功能和价值。     

20世纪20年代新诗的文体建设

2 0世纪 2 0年代是中国新诗最重要的建设时期 ,社会的相对稳定为新诗的文体建设提供了较好的环境 ,五四时期新诗的政治化革命向艺术化改良发展 ,使 2 0年代真正成为了中外诗歌大融合的时期。 2 0年代中期 ,特别是 1 92 6年是新诗文体建设最重要的年代 ,诗的建筑美和音乐美的确立标志着新诗文体由自发进入自觉。新诗在 2 0年代不但建设起诗的建筑美和音乐美两大诗形 ,还建立起小诗、长诗、新格律诗三大诗体 ,散文诗和自由体诗的建设也较有成就     

利用VB实现复杂数据报表的输出

针对目前常见的数据报表设计软件(或控件)只能生成简单格式数据报表的问题,通过实例,给出了在VB中实现复杂报表输出的具体方法.     

海明威《白象似的群山》叙事艺术的独特性

《白象似的群山》故事情节简单,但人物刻画细腻;对话虽简练直白,却生动地描述了人物丰富的内心世界;语言朴实无华,却揭示了深刻的主题思想。而这一切的生成都与海明威本人独特的叙事风格有着不可分割的联系。小说以含蓄而戏剧性的对话贯穿始终,没有用传统小说那种事无巨细,讲究前因后果、起承转合、层层交代的铺陈的叙述方式,而是选用了外聚焦的叙述视角。客观的展示所传达出的独特情感成就了小说富于魅力的存在。     

"VC++"与"图像处理与分析"的组合教学及其网络CAI的研制

"Visual C++"是"图像处理与分析"的最佳编程软件,将二者结合起来组织教学是最理想的选择.文章重点介绍"VC++图象处理"网络课件的研制方法及其功能特点.     

利用VB开发的多媒体数据结构CAI课件

阐述了用Visual Basic开发的多媒体数据结构辅助教学软件系统(DSCAD的功能及特点,并讨论了该课件实现中的一些关键技术.     

多模态视角下诗画语篇解读

中国自古有之的诗配画语篇是比较早的多模态语篇类型,但从多模态角度对其研究却不多见。根据语类研究理论对诗画语篇进行了界定并分类,将其分为题画诗(诗配画)和题诗画(画配诗)两种类型。在多模态语篇分析理论框架下,依照Kress & Leeuwen的视觉语法和张德禄的多模态话语形式及关系,以郑板桥的诗配画语篇(竹石图)为例,分析该语篇诗文与图画的关系及其对语篇连贯的促进作用,帮助读者更好地理解和欣赏诗配画语篇的意义及多模态语篇中模态的关系及连贯。