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The Research Management Programme in Africa (ReMPro Africa) is an initiative of The African Academy of Sciences (The AAS) which aims to fill critical gaps in the African research ecosystem to support a vibrant research culture and leadership at universities and research institutions. The AAS recognizes that the business of doing research is all-encompassing and the lack of specialist research management profesionals threatens the integrity and quality of research coming out of African institutions. ReMPro Africa aims to transform research management at the institutional level by addressing the key interconnected strands of leadership, sustainability, standards and individual capacity development.

God is Dead: Long Live God

Scholarship programs need to be durable; they benefit greatly from prestige and recognition built up over time. Equally, they need the flexibility to respond to changing needs. This chapter describes how the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan has balanced these needs over the past 50 years. After describing the origins of the Plan, the chapter outlines how attitudes have changed toward both scholarships and the Commonwealth, and their impact on the Plan. Outlining the move toward development objectives in recent years, the author defines key characteristics of ‘development’, rather than ‘public diplomacy’ and ‘merit-based’ scholarship programs, before considering outcomes and methods of assessing the impact of the scholarships. The evidence suggests that this has been significant, although in ways different to those envisaged by the founders.

“Points-of-View” analysis has been promoted as an appropriate analysis for similarity data collected with the Method of Sorting. It can be regarded as an extension of Cultural Consensus Analysis (cca). The latter assumes that subjects all base their responses on a single shared ‘model’ of the items to be sorted (while varying in the level of reliability with which they consult that model). Conversely, the titular “points-of-view” are multiple models, sampled singularly by some subjects’ responses, while other subjects combine the models in various proportions. The analysis appears to be comparatively insensitive to the artefacts to which sorting data are prone, which affect how easily they can be interpreted with (for instance) multidimensional scaling (mds). Here we apply the Points-of-View approach to two sets of data from the colour domain, a sensory modality well-suited for the sorting procedure. One study extracted three viewpoints – i.e., factors, prototypal ways of organising the stimuli – with one viewpoint specific to colour-vision-deficient observers, capturing independently-measured differences among the subjects. In the second study, two viewpoints proved to be appropriate: one arranged the items by two dimensions, lightness/saturation as well as hue, while the second was essentially a one-dimensional hue-based arrangement. This distinction could not be recovered from the raw data by applyingmdswith the weighted-Euclidean model of individual difference. We discuss some demographic factors which might dispose subjects to attend to hue only or saturation/lightness as well.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities has just celebrated its centenary. As with many Commonwealth organisations, it is rich in history, traditions and the diversity of its membership. Yet all of these features can be seen both as strengths and as weaknesses. This article considers ways in which the future Association can distinguish itself from the growing number of international networks that have developed in recent years, and what lessons their approach might have for the wider Commonwealth.

“Cultural consensus analysis” (CCA) of similarity data involves analyzing the matrix of inter-subject correlations with Factor Analysis. If the pattern of correlations can be explained by a single dominant factor, one can assume that the subjects grouped the items according to a shared mental model – a cultural consensus – and their responses can safely be merged in subsequent stages of analysis. In the negative case where no consensus exists and the pattern of correlations contains more than one factor, we argue that a logical extension of CCA is the Points-of-View approach of Tucker and Messick. Each “point of view” (PoV) is an idealized or prototypal mode of organizing the items, obtained by rotating the factors to simple structure. The distinct organization present in each PoV can be made explicit by considering it as a matrix of item proximities, suitable for clustering or multidimensional scaling. To account for each subject’s data, these idealized modes are combined in proportions given by the subject’s factor loadings. Following a canonical application of CCA, subjects sorted a list of animal names. The Points-of-View model accommodated the variations among subjects, while clarifying the distinct mental models forming the extremes of their variation.

Harvey and Evans (2003) have proposed that teachers’ emotional skills, as required in the classroom, can be organized into a five-dimensional model. Further research is necessary to validate this model and evaluate the importance of each dimension of teacher emotion competence for educational practice. Using a statistical method for mapping psychological constructs, teachers’ emotional practices were transformed into a ‘map’ with three spatial dimensions, which was supported by comparative validity checks. The nature of emotional practice was further investigated by administering a Q-Sort of emotional practice items to 100 teachers. Ten highly applicable clusters of emotional behavior across six profile patterns with teachers were identified. Authors’ model and the applicability of emotions were generally supported.

When asked to evaluate the effects of the French Revolution on history, Chairman Mao famously replied that it was too early to tell. Asked to consider the effects of the withdrawal of the United Ki...

We examined colour perception among a group of women heterozygous for colour vision deficiency. Judgements of colour dissimilarity were collected by presenting colour stimuli in groups of three for odd-one-out decisions. The judgements were summarised as one consensus colour space for the heterozygotes and another for age-matched controls. Individual differences MDS was also applied, resulting in a single colour space which can be adjusted to fit each subject’s responses individually by compressing it along its axes. Heterozygous women showed a trend towards colour-space compression in a red–green dimension, or reduced salience of that dimension compared to controls, though less extreme than found in overt colour deficiency.

This report examines the structure of similarities underlying the lexicon of personality-trait description, when “similarity” is defined and measured in terms of (a) semantic judgment and (b) covariance in actual use. A lexicon of 60 trait adjectives was examined, using several procedures for collecting semantic judgments. Similarity data of both kinds were analyzed with multidimensional scaling (MDS) to provide a parsimonious representation of underlying structure. The convergence between semantic judgments and covariance within trait-attribution data was substantial; both kinds of data evinced the same structure when collected for subsets of adjectives. Canonical correlation was employed to find the number of dimensions shared across MDS solutions. Interpretation of the results was facilitated by individual-differences MDS, which can select an optimal set of underlying dimensions, and at the same time accommodate the differences between data sets that arise when data-collection procedures differ in the relative emphasis they place upon those dimensions. We interpret the small number and shared nature of the dimensions by arguing that the lexicon's structure relates to trait perception rather than personality structure per se, even when probed with trait-attribution covariance.

The underlying "architecture of the decision to pursue a degree in psychology was quantified using the Method of Sorting technique to identifying the critical issues neces- sary to make this choice. Multidimentsional scaling procedures were employed to construct a three-dimensional map representing the relationships between reasons for selecting psychol- ogy as a major. Freshman and senior psychology majors (N = 165) from a regional uni- versity and a large research-based institution rated the relative importance of items in their decision-making process. Hierarchical clustering procedures revealed seven different groups of students. Although significant differences associated with class standing were not found, institutional affiliation did influence cluster composition. Reflecting local emphases, students at the regional institution had a greater interest in Counseling Psychology, whereas those at the research-based school focused on Clinical Psychology. This semantic map and the asso- ciated item clusters arising from psychology student data provides an empirical basis for, amongst other things, course selection, faculty-initiated program design or revision, strate- gic niche marketing, and student retention.

A ‘trilemma’ procedure is introduced for collecting ‘dominance data’ (i.e. rankings of a set of items along a scale of relevance, preference, etc.). Trilemmas are three-way forced choices where the three items comprising each trilemma are selected on the basis of a multidimensional scaling solution (MDS) for the item set, ensuring that each choice is as stark and informative as possible. A questionnaire designed on this principle is easily understood and rapidly administered. The data are convenient to record and show less fluctuation among informants than existing techniques. We demonstrate the procedure with a set of 45 short generalisations about behaviour, designed for assessing child attachment. A three-dimensional ‘map’ of these items was obtained by applying MDS to multiple sets of similarity data. The same structure emerged from English-language and Japanese translations of the items. Thirty trilemmas based on this map were used to rank the items by degree of association with the Japanese concept of amae, characterising the concept in terms of its behavioural correlates.

The current study integrates descriptive (though primarily social-psychological) statements about youth suicide into a coherent, empirically supported taxonomy. Drawing from relevant literature, a set of 107 items characterizing these contributions about youth suicide was created. Seventy-two participants sorted these statements according to their "face-value" by following two separate procedures. Analyses of these two data sets using multi-dimensional scaling resulted in a common "map" depicting inter-item (dis)similarities. Non-arbitrary rotation of this map revealed three bipolar and orthogonal dimensions labelled as under- and overengagement, rejection-turmoil, and self- to death-identification. It is suggested this dimensional analysis could provide a viable frame for examining and interpreting descriptions about suicide risk and may serve to extend theoretical accounts.

Attachment Q‐Sort (AQS) is a tool for quantifying observations about toddler/caregiver relationships. Previous studies have applied factor analysis to the full 90 AQS item set to explore the structure underlying them. Here we explore that structure by applying multidimensional scaling (MDS) to judgements of inter‐item similarity. AQS items are arranged in the MDS solution along three easily interpretable axes: a model that is compatible with but more parsimonious than factor analysis solutions. This geometrical approach suggests ways to modify the AQS—primarily a research tool—to make it more practical for clinical applications. Sets of AQS data are represented and interpreted in the three‐dimensional model as vectors. Summaries at a finer‐grained level are obtained by finding points in the model where variability across datasets is greatest. We report re‐analyses of archival (published) data, and also data collected with streamlined procedures more suitable in the field. Although not reported here, colle...

Individuals differ in the biological substrate of vision, often as a result of genetic differences. There are also subtle variations within the normal population in aspects of colour behaviour (for example, colour naming and unique-hue judgements) but it is surprisingly hard to connect these to the genetic variation. Perceptions of inter-colour similarities (and variations in the structure of colour space, reconstructed from them) may show a closer link to the biological basis of vision.To quantify the spectrum of variation, each subject used caps from the D-15 panel test to make 70 odd-one-out triad judgements. Analysis yielded the parameters of individual observers' colour structure: specifically, the weights they placed on the axes of a standard colour space. Similarities between 19 pairs of monozygotic twins and between 16 pairs of dizygotic twins were compared.Monozygotic pairs were significantly more concordant than dizygotic or unrelated pairs.The procedure provides sufficiently precise measurements to replicate earlier findings from more complex, time-consuming methods. By extension to other family relationships, the triadic procedure can clarify the genetic contribution. Weighting of colour axes is an important form of variation among normal individuals, with a contribution to these weights from genetic factors.

Tobacco smoke contains a range of toxins including carbon monoxide and cyanide. With specialized cells and high metabolic demands, the optic nerve and retina are vulnerable to toxic exposure. We examined the possible effects of smoking on color vision: specifically, whether smokers perceive a different pattern of suprathreshold color dissimilarities from nonsmokers. It is already known that smokers differ in threshold color discrimination, with elevated scores on the Roth 28-Hue Desaturated panel test. Groups of smokers and nonsmokers, matched for sex and age, followed a triadic procedure to compare dissimilarities among 32 pigmented stimuli (the caps of the saturated and desaturated versions of the D15 panel test). Multidimensional scaling was applied to quantify individual variations in the salience of the axes of color space. Despite the briefness, simplicity, and “low-tech” nature of the procedure, subtle but statistically significant differences did emerge: on average the smoking group were significantly less sensitive to red–green differences. This is consistent with some form of injury to the optic nerve.

The structure of color perception can be examined by collecting judgments about color dissimilarities. In the procedure used here, stimuli are presented three at a time on a computer monitor and the spontaneous grouping of most-similar stimuli into gestalts provides the dissimilarity comparisons. Analysis with multidimensional scaling allows such judgments to be pooled from a number of observers without obscuring the variations among them. The anomalous perceptions of color-deficient observers produce comparisons that are represented well by a geometric model of compressed individual color spaces, with different forms of deficiency distinguished by different directions of compression. The geometrical model is also capable of accommodating the normal spectrum of variation, so that there is greater variation in compression parameters between tests on normal subjects than in those between repeated tests on individual subjects. The method is sufficiently sensitive and the variations sufficiently large that they are not obscured by the use of a range of monitors, even under somewhat loosely controlled conditions.

We report a search for group differences in color experience between male and female subjects, focusing on the relative prominence of the axes of color space. Dissimilarity data were collected in the form of triadic (odd-one-out) judgments, made with the caps of the D-15 color deficiency test, with lighting conditions controlled. Multidimensional scaling reduced these judgments to a small number of dimensional-weight parameters, describing each subject's sensitivity to color axes, i.e., how much each axis contributes to the inter-color dissimilarities perceived by each subject. Normal trichromatic subjects in two age bands were examined, teenagers and university students, and in both cases males placed significantly less weight on a ‘red-green’ axis, and more on ‘lightness’. We consider the implications and possible explanations. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 29, 128–134, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.10232

The Method of Sorting is a widely-used research tool for quantifying human cognition. It allows informants to provide data that are generally analysed with multidimensional scaling. Here the method was extended to collect additional information. In combination with the Method of Triads, it was applied to 36 brands of cigarette, resulting in a three-dimensional `Cigarette space', where the dimensions correspond to the main criteria on which brands were compared. Previous research, including reports from within the tobacco industry, provides points of comparison. One dimension resulting from tapping into the informants' accumulated expertise was closely correlated with tar content and can be identified as `strength' – in effect, a Strength scale for cigarette brands, allowing the informal distinction between light and heavy smokers to be refined. Other dimensions correspond to other aspects of taste. In a validity test, the map proved to be congruent with the same informants' preferences.

Recent studies have shown that the perception of facial expressions of emotion fits the criteria of categorical perception (CP). The present paper tests whether a pattern of categories emerges when facial expressions are examined within the framework of multidimensional scaling. Blends of five “pure” expressions (Angry, Sad, Surprised, Happy, Neutral) were created using computerised “morphing”, providing the stimuli for four experiments. Instead of attempting to identify these stimuli, subjects described the proximities between them, using two quite different forms of data: similarity comparisons, and sorting partitions. Multidimensional scaling techniques were applied to integrate the resulting ordinal-level data into models which represent the interstimulus similarities at ratio level. All four experiments yielded strong evidence that the expressions were perceived in distinct categories. Adjacent pairs in the models were not spaced at equal intervals, but were clustered together as if drawn towards a “...

A combination of established and novel multivariate techniques was applied to the problem of school truancy. Informants described 104 truants they were acquainted with by ranking the applicability of 73 motives and causes for absence from school. Individual rankings were analyzed in the context of a multidimensional representation of the motives, derived from sorting data provided by other informants. Each ranking was interpreted as a three-dimensional vector within this “similarity space” and as a profile of 10 weights indicating the contributions of 10 “hotspots” (broad themes summarizing the motives) located in the space. The broad spectrum of motivational profiles was subdivided using clustering techniques. Five main relatively homogeneous clusters emerged, of which two cover a previously recognized pattern of parent-condoned truancy, whereas the other three are related to recognized syndromes of adolescent delinquency. There may be considerable differences between these clusters in terms of developmental antecedents, prognosis, and most effective form of intervention.

Forty years on, the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Scheme remains a major source of educational assistance and collaboration. Over 20 000 award holders have benefited worldwide and, as recent tracer studies confirm, many have gone on to make a major impact in their home countries. As with all publicly funded initiatives, however, CSFP is increasingly being held accountable for its activities. This article examines its current structure and recent performance in the United Kingdom, and looks at the implications of this for the Plan as a whole. Finally, it raises three issues which will merit particular consideration at the forthcoming Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM).

Panel tests of colour vision such as the D15 and Farnsworth–Munsell 100-Hue tests are designed to classify people into broad categories of normal or deficient colour vision. Our interest lies in finer measurements within these categories. We apply the insights and methods of multidimensional scaling to individuals’ performances on the D15 and 100-Hue tests, by interpreting these as information about the similarities between pairs of the test stimuli (16 and 85 stimuli, respectively). The results are quantitative descriptions of individual performances on the tests. There are implications for more objective test interpretations and diagnosis of colour-vision deficiencies. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 25, 160–169, 2000

This involves effective relations with the corporate sector, within an adaptive, evolving, bargaining framework. Based on an extensive interview programme, this paper explores the nature of that relationship in the context of the organisation and objectives of both partners and in the light of the developing competitive environment. It identifies the key elements on which bargaining tends to be focused and, in the light of organisational and market analysis which is ultimately developed into a bargaining model, offers predictions as to the likely outcomes of the bargaining.

38, 349–357.A new algorithm for multidimensional scaling analysis of sorting data and hierarchical-sorting data is tested by applying it to facialexpressions of emotion. We construct maps in ‘‘facial expression space’’ for two sets of still photographs: the I-FEEL series (expressionsdisplayed spontaneously by infants and young children), and a subset of the Lightfoot series (posed expressions, all from one actress). Theanalysis avoids potential artefacts by fitting a map directly to the subject’s judgments, rather than transforming the data into a matrix ofestimated dissimilarities as an intermediate step. The results for both stimulus sets display an improvement in the extent to which they agreewith existing maps. Some points emerge about the limitations of sorting data and the need for caution when interpreting MDSconfigurations derived from them.

Technology transfer is a complex process which relies on informal communication between individuals. In promoting this activity, policy makers need a clear understanding of the main actors in this process, and the organizations where they work. This paper analyses the issue from the perspective of academics and universities in the UK. It concludes that, although higher education has become more competitive and entrepreneurial in the past decade, it cannot be assumed that lecturers and their institutions will regard technology transfer as a priority area. While government has assumed that the main barriers to technology are lack of will or understanding on the part of academics and universities, it is possible that lack of incentive is equally important. Policy makers must therefore adopt measures which are compatible with the interests and aspirations of those who are expected to implement them.

A tenet of attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969; Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters and Wall, 1978) is that attachments develop within the context of, and are thus influenced by, early interactions. “Sensitivity” has been asserted by many researchers to be the key feature of interactions promoting “secure” attachment relationships. Attachment theorists assume that attachment quality is based on the nature of a caregiver's responses to an infant's signals for proximity and contact. Although there appears to be broad agreement in the literature on the importance of maternal sensitivity in affecting attachment relationships, writers differ in their definition of “sensitivity” and the relative emphasis placed on particular aspects of parental behaviour in explaining its effect on attachment. This paper reviews the literature addressing the construct of “sensitivity”. The problem of defining this construct will be highlighted by summarising relevant literature and identifying the range of behaviours typically used as indica...

Current living styles often demand a busy schedule to meet the pressing needs of on‐going daily family activities. We are encouraged to pack more and more into an ever‐shrinking timeframe. One outc...

Purpose: To improve the management of all hospital admissions with head injuries, including mild and moderate by developing a clinical pathway and a head injury team. Methods: A head injury team was set up to take over the care of all admissions with head injury and to manage appropriate referrals and discharges. A key role was to facilitate communication between the different services involved in head injury care, arrange follow-up, support relatives and to educate healthcare staff. Results: In the first year, the team took over the care of 196 admissions of whom 128 attended for 3-month follow-up with 66% having a good outcome. Patients and relatives feedback was excellent with an average score of 4.8/5 on overall satisfaction rating. Other centers in the United Kingdom are aiming to set up similar pathways, and the team has presented on head injury pathways extensively. Conclusions: A clinical pathway can improve the quality of care for all admissions with head injury and enhance the role for rehabilit...

A therapeutic approach is proposed which accommodates attachment and feminist theories, and also recognises the essential place of narrative. Therapeutic relationships are conceptualised as occurring within a four-stage sequence which incorporates the trinity of motives: power, intimacy and affiliation. To help explain this process the metaphor of seasons is invoked.

The language of personality traits includes single-word trait descriptors, and longer phrases or sentences. Evidence has accumulated that abstract, semantic relationships among single words have the same underlying structure as the empirical relationships when words are applied to individuals. The present study examines whether these two kinds of structure are also isomorphic for longer trait descriptors. Empirical descriptions and judgements of semantic similarity were collected among the descriptors comprising the California Child Q-set, or CCQ, and analysed with multidimensional scaling. Canonical correlation showed the solutions to be closely related to one another, and to independent sets of ratings available for the CCQ items. Informants' similarity judgements were not affected by the context in which they were made. The dominant dimensions of the solutions reproduce dimensions found previously for the single-word personality lexicon, indicating the two trait-descriptive languages to be closely parallel.

This paper consists of four sections. It opens by suggesting parents offer affordances, which are behavioural expressions of invariants, to their infants. Next, nine classes of relationship affordance are identified. Results from separate groups of respondents providing semantic‐scale ratings for these classes revealed a single sequence with “aggressive” at one extreme and “tender contact” at the other. Third, descriptions of parental behaviours corresponding to the four infant attachment classification groups were gleaned from the literature. When these descriptions were aligned with the nine affordance terms a strong correspondence emerged; infant attachment classifications could also be arranged into a single sequence, each with distinct peak performance indicators. In the final section it is suggested this sequence has as a major invariant “parental mourning” since parallels between the separation‐reunion process, attachment classifications and parental affordances occur.