Using Agent-Based Modeling to Study Construction Labor Productivity as an Emergent Property of Individual and Crew Interactions

Lean construction research has shown that managing work flow effectively and maintaining labor flow on site can improve construction labor performance. Related research also shows that congestion on construction sites often leads to lowered efficiency. Using these findings as a point of departure, we use the agent-based modeling method to represent the construction site as a system of complex interactions and explore whether labor efficiency can be treated as an emergent property resulting from individual and crew interactions in space. This allows us to use a “bottom-up” approach to analyzing labor efficiency, which supplements existing “top-down” approaches to modeling the impacts of space congestion on labor efficiency. A pilot implementation of the agent-based model, and preliminary results illustrating the relationships between congestion and labor efficiency are presented. The empirical studies exhibit system behavior that support published principles of work-force management. The primary contribution of this paper is that it provides a method that can be used to efficiently utilize construction space, and develop plans and schedules that account for congestion arising from crew interactions in space.     

Action Research as a Proactive Research Method for Construction Engineering and Management

Academic research in applied disciplines such as construction engineering and management (CEM) has the dual mission of simultaneously contributing to the solution of practical problems and creating theoretical and conceptual knowledge. To do so, appropriate research approaches are needed. However, extant literature in the field has paid little attention to this issue and research methods used have been almost entirely either quantitative surveys or case studies. In this paper, action research (AR) is proposed as an answer to this knowledge gap. AR aims at building and testing theory within the context of solving an immediate practical problem in a real setting. The paper describes the underlying philosophy and application procedure of AR and highlights its strengths and weaknesses. Then, the applicability of the method to CEM is illustrated through a case study of improving access to information to support planning and decision making in a construction owner organization through designing and implementing a data warehouse. The findings indicate that AR is a reliable, structured, and rigorous research approach that is very useful for conducting applied research in construction and enabling academia to influence and improve construction industry practices. It can also effectively help to improve collaboration between academic researchers and industry practitioners in research and development projects.     

Key Assessment Indicators for the Sustainability of Infrastructure Projects

Infrastructure projects have major effects on implementing the principles of sustainable development. Infrastructure projects will continue to be developed in the coming years, particularly in developing countries such as China and India; therefore, it is important to find methods and solutions for improving the sustainability of them. Although existing studies have suggested various methods for practicing sustainable development principles in the process of implementing infrastructure projects, effective assessment indicators are unavailable, which presents a barrier to the effective assessment of infrastructure project sustainability. This study introduces key assessment indicators (KAIs) for assessing the sustainability performance of an infrastructure project. The research data used for analysis were collected from a questionnaire survey given to three groups of experts, including government officials, professionals, and clients in the Chinese construction industry. The fuzzy set theory was used to establish KAIs. A procedure for using the KAIs is demonstrated by a case study. These research findings provide an alternative solution to appraise the sustainability of infrastructure projects.     

An ecological theory of expertise effects in memory recall.

Previous research has shown a significant correlation between domain expertise and memory recall performance after a very brief exposure time. Despite the large number of such studies, several findings in the literature have no satisfactory theoretical explanation. A novel theory based on an ecological approach is proposed to explain these results. This constraint attunement hypothesis provides a framework for identifying and representing the various levels of goal-relevant constraint in a domain. The theory predicts that there will be a memory expertise advantage in cases in which experts are attuned to the goal-relevant constraints in the material to be recalled and that the more constraint available, the greater the expertise advantage can be. The theory explains a number of diverse empirical findings in the literature in a coherent, unique, and parsimonious fashion and suggests a number of promising issues for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conflicting conclusions, gerontological theories and applications.

A theory explaining age-associated psychological changes can be formulated only after researchers agree on the age changes or age differences that the theory attempts to explain. The rapid recent increase in the output of research in the psychology of aging has produced more contradictory findings than is usual in a new subdiscipline. This creates special problems for teachers, for theory construction, and for professionals working with clients. Framing more principles with wider implications should be a major aim, rather than attempting to answer complaints that the theoretical base is insufficient. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The etiology and diagnosis of alcohol dependence: Differences in the professional literature.

Recent epidemiological studies indicate that alcohol-related problems continue to be widespread and include multiple medical, psychological, family, and social consequences. However, numerous debates exist among clinicians, recovery counselors, and researchers regarding a variety of issues related to alcohol dependence assessment and treatment. Controversies include different views about etiology, diagnosis, disease-versus-syndrome concepts, and the relationship between Alcoholics Anonymous and professional researchers and clinicians. This article informs and clarifies these controversies by highlighting recent findings from the empirical and theoretical literature. If the field of psychology is to effectively impact the alcohol treatment field, clinicians must implement specific diagnostic and intervention strategies that are based on the existing alcohol literature rather than theoretical bias. Recommendations include strategies for increasing collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and recovery counselors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Countertransference management.

The empirical literature on countertransference (CT) and, in particular, CT management as they relate to immediate, proximate, and distal treatment outcomes, is examined. Although there is a paucity of research connecting CT and its management to distal outcomes, the existing empirical literature strongly supports the idea that the acting out of CT hinders therapy, whereas effective CT management aids treatment. A theory of five factors that are central to CT management has received provisional empirical support and is described here. These factors are self-insight, self-integration, anxiety management, empathy, and conceptualizing ability. Further research is needed on the relation of CT and its management to distal outcomes, and on how CT management operates and affects treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The place of attachment in human mating.

Application of the principles of evolution and natural selection to the phenomena of human mating does not lead inevitably to a single theoretical model. According to the standard evolutionary model, formally known as sexual strategies theory (D. M. Buss & D. P. Schmitt, 1993), biologically based sex differences in parental investment have resulted in hard-wired sex differences in mate preferences and mating strategies. A critical analysis of the logical and empirical foundations of the theory reveals several weaknesses and limitations. This article demonstrates how attachment theory (J. Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973, 1979, 1980, 1988) can be used to integrate a diverse set of ideas and research findings and provide a more grounded account of human mating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Grounded theory: issues for research in nursing

The grounded theory approach to research appears to be well suited to providing nurses with understanding of social behaviours so that they can enhance patient care Here, the author examines the principles of grounded theory and describes how the approach can influence the way that nurses practise.     

A theoretical and empirical review of the death-thought accessibility concept in terror management research.

Terror management theory (TMT) highlights the motivational impact of thoughts of death in various aspects of everyday life. Since its inception in 1986, research on TMT has undergone a slight but significant shift from an almost exclusive focus on the manipulation of thoughts of death to a marked increase in studies that measure the accessibility of death-related cognition. Indeed, the number of death-thought accessibility (DTA) studies in the published literature has grown substantially in recent years. In light of this increasing reliance on the DTA concept, the present article is meant to provide a comprehensive theoretical and empirical review of the literature employing this concept. After discussing the roots of DTA, the authors outline the theoretical refinements to TMT that have accompanied significant research findings associated with the DTA concept. Four distinct categories (mortality salience, death association, anxiety-buffer threat, and dispositional) are derived to organize the reviewed DTA studies, and the theoretical implications of each category are discussed. Finally, a number of lingering empirical and theoretical issues in the DTA literature are discussed with the aim of stimulating and focusing future research on DTA specifically and TMT in general. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sequential vs. Simultaneous Lineups: A Review of Methods, Data, and Theory.

A considerable amount of empirical research has been conducted on ways to improve the eyewitness identification process, with emphasis on the use of lineups. Public policy changes are currently underway with respect to lineup procedures: Sequential lineups are being recommended to police as the best practice. This may be premature because the conditions under which sequential lineups are superior to simultaneous lineups are not well understood given the current literature: Many studies are reported with insufficient detail needed to judge the adequacy of the research design, new data show that the sequential superiority effect may vary as a function of study methodology, theoretical assumptions have not been adequately tested, and important comparisons that may rule out the ostensible superiority of the sequential lineup have not been studied. This review summarizes the literature, presents new data, and identifies the need for further empirical work before appropriately grounded recommendations as to the superiority of sequential lineups can be made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

冶金分析文献资源及检索方法

文献资料是所有科研工作者开展工作的基础。由于网上冶金分析相关的信息和文献数量巨大,如何快速有效地获取有用信息成为一项具有挑战性的工作。本文对常用冶金分析文献资源进行了分类,分别对期刊、著作、专利、会议、新闻、标准化信息以及实验室管理信息等文献信息的主要来源以及国内外各种综合性搜索资源进行了介绍,并以电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定矿石中各种元素为例,就冶金分析文献的检索途径和检索策略进行了较为系统的探讨。     

Determination of Key Performance Indicators with Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in Engineering Construction Firms

The study focuses on developing a unified approach to define information specificities for key performance indicators (KPIs). Borrowing from the time-system theory, the paper defines different types of KPI and identifies that a KPI has two dimensions—knowledge specificity and time specificity. Different approaches are presented to analyze knowledge and time sensitivities. This paper addresses a key question related to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems applications in the engineering construction industry: what are the areas of business processes within the engineering construction industry where ERP cannot be used to collect KPIs related to business processes? The writers review empirical and specialized processes within the construction industry to identify business processes not covered by existing ERP systems. A survey focused on qualitative aspects of ERP systems implementation in engineering construction firms was conducted among ERP-enablers in the construction industry and provided a basis for the presented case study. Data collected are from major engineering and construction firms in the United States and therefore the results are relevant for researchers and industry practitioners concerned with application of enterprise management systems in the respective firms.     

Estimation of Collapse Load of Single-Cell Concrete Box-Girder Bridges

The simplified equations available at present to predict the collapse loads of single-cell concrete box-girder bridges with simply supported ends are based on either space truss analogy or collapse mechanisms. Experimental studies carried out by various researchers revealed that, of the two formulations available to predict the collapse load, the one based on collapse mechanisms is found to be more versatile and better suited to box sections. Under a pure bending collapse mechanism, the existing formulation is found to predict collapse load with high accuracy. However, in the presence of cross-sectional distortion, there are significant errors in the existing theoretical formulation. This paper attempts to resolve this problem, by proposing a modification to the existing theory, incorporating an empirical expression to assess the extent of corner plastic hinge formation, under distortion–bending collapse mechanism. The modified theoretical formulations are compared with the experimental results available in the literature. New sets of experiments are also conducted to validate the proposed modified theory to estimate the collapse load. In all cases, it is seen that the modified theory to predict the collapse load match very closely with the experimental results.     

Neutralizing substitutes for leadership theory: Leadership effects and common-source bias.

The purpose of this research was to examine alternative models of substitutes for leadership theory given the general lack of empirical support for the moderating effects postulated by the theory. On this basis, the research posited that the effects of substitutes also could be conceptualized as mediated relations. The research examined moderated and mediated relations for several sets of leader behaviors and substitutes that have been examined in the literature. The research design sampled 49 organizations, with 940 subordinates rating 156 leaders. Results, although generally not supportive of the moderator or mediator hypotheses, essentially demonstrated that leadership matters. The findings also suggest that prior significant effects in substitutes literature may be merely a statistical artifact, resulting from common-source bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does vicarious instigation provide support for observational learning theories? A critical review.

Critically reviews vicarious instigation literature since 1962 for its adequacy as support for the observational learning theories of J. Aronfreed, A. Bandura, S. M. Berger, and S. Hygge. These theories are examined for conditions purported to be necessary to vicarious instigation. The different theories imply the possibility of research differentiating them; however, most literature does not test any of the theories directly. Only 3 of 30 studies reveal conditions necessary to vicarious instigation, and no single theory is unequivocally supported or disconfirmed. It is concluded that, given the small portion of literature that successfully isolates the effective UCS in vicarious instigation and the equivocal nature of findings regarding that effective UCS, observational learning theory garners only weak support from existing empirical evidence for the vicarious instigation construct. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A philosophical value analysis of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Explored, philosophically, the rationale for the ranking of the principles of the Canadian Psychologists' code of ethics. While this ranking has received some empirical support, it has yet to be grounded in theory. In order to overcome this conceptual deficiency, C. Hodgkinson's (1996) value paradigm was used as a critical framework for validating the hierarchical structure of the principles of the code. The analysis revealed general acceptance for the ranking. As a result, the code has gained not only the needed theoretical grounding for comprehensive support (i.e., theoretical and empirical) but also a more complete understanding of its content and axiological rationale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiperspective Approach to Exploring Comprehensive Cause Factors for Interface Issues

The severity of interface issues and the necessity of interface management (IM) have not received adequate recognition from both industry and academia. The understanding of interface issues is still insufficient and the proposed or employed measures are unilateral, which result in unsatisfactory IM performance in construction projects. After establishing IM’s importance in the construction industry, this paper presents a multiperspective approach that systematically explores comprehensive cause factors for various interface issues. From six interrelated perspectives, namely people/participants, methods/processes, resources, documentation, project management, and environment, hierarchical cause factors are identified and presented in a structured way. These cause factors are further converted into a series of interface management and control elements that allow for the development of an object data model and a systematic model-based IM strategy dealing with all interface issues. The multiperspective approach outperforms other research methods that analyze selected interface issues in a loose and isolated way. The findings contribute a holistic view of what causes interface issues as well as provide a solid theoretical basis for practitioners and researchers to seek all-around IM solutions.     

Effect of quinapril or metoprolol on heart rate variability in post-myocardial infarction patients

The aim of this study was to examine doctoral theses written by nurses on the same subject, namely diabetes. The five theses were published during three years. The text analysis emphasized the purposes, theoretical framing, methods for collection and analyzing the data, ways of presenting the texts and, finally, the references in the five theses. The findings indicate that the authors make use of different paradigms. Experimental approach was used in some theses and one thesis was based on grounded theory. Two theses could be said to be more concise that the others because they made use of only one technique each--physiological measurements and an open-ended interview. The remainder used of a number of methods--in other words, they were eclectic in approach. The conclusion is that there is a freedom for nurse researcher to affiliate to different scientific traditions inside academia--the two in question here are biomedical research and interpretative traditions inside social science. The author encourage all researchers inside the nursing domain to subject herself to criticism and reflection to the same extent as she analyzes other people or phenomena in order to increase epistemological awareness of the use of research tools, perspectives and theories.     

Measurement error in psychological research: Lessons from 26 research scenarios.

As research in psychology becomes more sophisticated and more oriented toward the development and testing of theory, it becomes more important to eliminate biases in data caused by measurement error. Both failure to correct for biases induced by measurement error and improper corrections can lead to erroneous conclusions that retard progress toward cumulative knowledge. Corrections for attenuation due to measurement error are common in the literature today and are becoming more common, yet errors are frequently made in this process. Technical psychometric presentations of abstract measurement theory principles have proved inadequate in improving the practices of working researchers. As an alternative, this article uses realistic research scenarios (cases) to illustrate and explain appropriate and inappropriate instances of correction for measurement error in commonly occurring research situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)