Development of Models for the Three-Dimensional Analysis of Jack-Up Structures. Mobile jack-up structures perform most of the world's offshore drilling in water depths up to 120m, but have a higher accident rate then fixed installations. To improve their safety, this research will develop the framework for the integrated assessment of jack-up behaviour in three dimensions. To achieve this, an advanced plasticity model that describes cyclic behaviour of the circular shallow foundations of jack-up ....Development of Models for the Three-Dimensional Analysis of Jack-Up Structures. Mobile jack-up structures perform most of the world's offshore drilling in water depths up to 120m, but have a higher accident rate then fixed installations. To improve their safety, this research will develop the framework for the integrated assessment of jack-up behaviour in three dimensions. To achieve this, an advanced plasticity model that describes cyclic behaviour of the circular shallow foundations of jack-ups in both clay and sand will be developed and incorporated with random wave loading of seas in a dynamic structural analysis program. The anticipated advantages of the modelling techniques will be assessed against existing two dimensional industry guidelines and monitored field data. Read moreRead less
Integrating Models of Memory for Serial Order. This research aims to compare and integrate computational models of memory for serial order. The applicants have independently developed theoretically novel models, and this collaboration will enable them to combine and strengthen their complementary perspectives.
Much psychologically important processing, for example speech perception and spelling, requires the representation and reproduction of serial order information. Existing models account ....Integrating Models of Memory for Serial Order. This research aims to compare and integrate computational models of memory for serial order. The applicants have independently developed theoretically novel models, and this collaboration will enable them to combine and strengthen their complementary perspectives.
Much psychologically important processing, for example speech perception and spelling, requires the representation and reproduction of serial order information. Existing models account for a wide range of data and collectively represent exciting progress in the understanding of basic mechanisms of memory. Can these models be unified and reconciled? To date, detailed comparisons of models are lacking. This proposal is for the applicants to elaborate and unify their contrasting theoretical approaches.
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The role of time and similarity in short-term memory. The project examines the role of time and similarity in memory for serial order, with the long-term goal to construct a new computational model of short-term memory. The investigators are internationally known for their models, and the collaboration will enable them to combine their complementary perspectives into a unifying theory. Theory construction will be guided by two sets of studies: The first will delineate the circumstances, if any, ....The role of time and similarity in short-term memory. The project examines the role of time and similarity in memory for serial order, with the long-term goal to construct a new computational model of short-term memory. The investigators are internationally known for their models, and the collaboration will enable them to combine their complementary perspectives into a unifying theory. Theory construction will be guided by two sets of studies: The first will delineate the circumstances, if any, under which temporal separation at encoding affects memory. So far, we have shown that temporal distinctiveness has no effect on memory, unless people use temporal gaps to 'chunk' the list. The second set of studies will examine whether phonological similarity determines the strength of encoding.Read moreRead less
Uncovering the processes underlying human category learning. There is a pervasive belief that complex tasks can somehow be learned via a 'smart' implicit or procedural learning mechanism, which operates independently of memory and attention. This idea has important implications for our understanding of cognition. If true, there seems little point in providing explicit instruction in such tasks, and efforts to do so are, at best, wasted time and, at worst, detrimental to the learning process. Th ....Uncovering the processes underlying human category learning. There is a pervasive belief that complex tasks can somehow be learned via a 'smart' implicit or procedural learning mechanism, which operates independently of memory and attention. This idea has important implications for our understanding of cognition. If true, there seems little point in providing explicit instruction in such tasks, and efforts to do so are, at best, wasted time and, at worst, detrimental to the learning process. This project will provide much-needed scrutiny of this idea and will help not only to re-orient our understanding of how we deal with complex information, but will also highlight issues about data interpretation that are fundamental for the research and wider communities.Read moreRead less
Binding in working memory. Cross-modal binding?the integration of verbal and spatial features of events?is central to human cognition. However, it has been neglected in the study of working memory, where the dominant theoretical framework includes separate subsystems for the retention of verbal and spatial information. Using novel paradigms involving the concurrent auditory presentation of verbal and spatial information, the proposed research is directed at discovering (1) the fundamental chara ....Binding in working memory. Cross-modal binding?the integration of verbal and spatial features of events?is central to human cognition. However, it has been neglected in the study of working memory, where the dominant theoretical framework includes separate subsystems for the retention of verbal and spatial information. Using novel paradigms involving the concurrent auditory presentation of verbal and spatial information, the proposed research is directed at discovering (1) the fundamental characteristics of binding, and (2) the extent to which benchmark effects previously identified with a particular modality are ?inherited? by the other modality under conditions conducive to binding. Outcomes of the research will provide important constraints on the development of theories of working memory. In addition, the research will develop paradigms that have potentially important applications to clinical psychology, where diverse forms of psychopathology have been linked to deficits in binding.Read moreRead less
Time and Updating of Memory. What could be simpler than reading a few items, such as the digits in a phone number, and recalling them in the right order a short while later? Notwithstanding its apparent simplicity, this short-term serial recall task underlies sophisticated language abilities such as vocabulary acquisition and utterance production. Similarly, serial retention can be a critical element in mental arithmetic. A better understanding of short-term memory for serial order therefore has ....Time and Updating of Memory. What could be simpler than reading a few items, such as the digits in a phone number, and recalling them in the right order a short while later? Notwithstanding its apparent simplicity, this short-term serial recall task underlies sophisticated language abilities such as vocabulary acquisition and utterance production. Similarly, serial retention can be a critical element in mental arithmetic. A better understanding of short-term memory for serial order therefore has wide implications across many areas of education, in particular in primary school settings. The community benefit of this project arises from the improved teaching methods that can be developed on the basis of these results.Read moreRead less
The role of retrieval cues when remembering over the short term. This project has two principal benefits: A basic scientific outcome concerning the development of a cue-driven memory model and an applied outcome that can inform the design of language learning tools. A core assumption proposed to explain short-term memory performance is that an event's salience affects its memorability. To date however, this salience dimension has escaped experimental vigour. This project examines the conditions ....The role of retrieval cues when remembering over the short term. This project has two principal benefits: A basic scientific outcome concerning the development of a cue-driven memory model and an applied outcome that can inform the design of language learning tools. A core assumption proposed to explain short-term memory performance is that an event's salience affects its memorability. To date however, this salience dimension has escaped experimental vigour. This project examines the conditions under which some events are perceived to be more salient than others. In addition, by determining when, and which cues are more salient, the project can inform future design of language learning tools (e.g., interactive memory games). Read moreRead less
Memory And Time. What could be simpler than remembering a few items, such as the digits in a phone number, for a brief time in the right order? Notwithstanding its simplicity, this serial recall task is essential for sophisticated human abilities such as vocabulary acquisition. This project investigates whether chronological time is a causal variable in short-term memory, as some?but by no means all?theorists assume. Experiments will manipulate time between items at study and retrieval using nov ....Memory And Time. What could be simpler than remembering a few items, such as the digits in a phone number, for a brief time in the right order? Notwithstanding its simplicity, this serial recall task is essential for sophisticated human abilities such as vocabulary acquisition. This project investigates whether chronological time is a causal variable in short-term memory, as some?but by no means all?theorists assume. Experiments will manipulate time between items at study and retrieval using novel techniques, and thus observe the effect of time on memory. Computational models of psychological time will be developed to better predict memory performance.Read moreRead less
Investigation of potential spudcan punch through failure. The safe and economic use of mobile jack-up structures is critical to the prosperous development of Australia's significant offshore oil and gas industry. However, their use is hindered by potential 'punch-through' failure during installation, when their large conical footings can unexpectedly and uncontrollably push a locally strong zone of soil into underlying softer material. To improve their safety, this research will investigate a po ....Investigation of potential spudcan punch through failure. The safe and economic use of mobile jack-up structures is critical to the prosperous development of Australia's significant offshore oil and gas industry. However, their use is hindered by potential 'punch-through' failure during installation, when their large conical footings can unexpectedly and uncontrollably push a locally strong zone of soil into underlying softer material. To improve their safety, this research will investigate a potential new site-investigation procedure and develop an appropriate calculation method for predicting failures for sites where sand overlies clay. Results will be based on a series of innovative physical and numerical experiments, and assessed against field data and existing industry standards.Read moreRead less
Categorization and Working Memory: Bridging two Pillars of Cognition. Categorization is a fundamental cognitive skill that underlies much expert behavior, including medical diagnosis. A given task often gives rise to widely divergent strategies across individuals, and flawed strategies have been implicated in prediction errors of experts (e.g., bush fire fighters). This project seeks to identify the underlying variables that determine an individual's strategy acquisition by relating working memo ....Categorization and Working Memory: Bridging two Pillars of Cognition. Categorization is a fundamental cognitive skill that underlies much expert behavior, including medical diagnosis. A given task often gives rise to widely divergent strategies across individuals, and flawed strategies have been implicated in prediction errors of experts (e.g., bush fire fighters). This project seeks to identify the underlying variables that determine an individual's strategy acquisition by relating working memory performance to categorization. Working memory is a core cognitive construct that is quite well understood, but its relationship to category learning has so far remained unexplored. Being able to predict the development of categorization strategies can help maximize expert performance.Read moreRead less