Positive Technology Journal

Via Humaine 

Two postdoc positions in cognitive/emotional robotics are available at the University of Skövde, Sweden.

These positions are part of the four-year European integrated project "Integrating Cognition, Emotion and Autonomy" (ICEA, Jan 2006 - Dec 2009). The project involves cognitive scientists, neuroscientists, psychologists, computer scientists, and roboticists, and aims to develop a cognitive systems architecture integrating cognitive, emotional and autonomic/bioregulatory processes in the control of robotic cognitive systems.

The two postdoc positions are focused on developing robotic/neural net models of (1) the role of anticipation, representation and emotion in agent-environment interaction, (2) the interaction between cognitive and emotional mechanisms. The application deadlines are March 20 and April 18, respectively.

For further information and detailed application instructions see:

* position 1 (deadline March 20)
http://www.career.edu/index.php?post_id=1081
http://www.his.se/templates/vanligwebbsida1.aspx?id=24698
* position 2 (deadline April 18)
http://www.career.edu/index.php?post_id=1105
http://www.his.se/templates/vanligwebbsida1.aspx?id=24811

Starting date (for both positions): spring/summer 2006 (as soon as possible).

Informal enquiries about the positions can be directed to Tom Ziemke at tom.ziemke@his.se.

Electronic Memory Aids for Community-Dwelling Elderly Persons: Attitudes, Preferences, and Potential Utilization

Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska, Creedon, Michael A., Malone, Thomas B., Kirkpatrick III, Mark J., Dutra, Lisa A., Herman, Randy Perse. The Journal of Applied Gerontology, Vol. 24 No. 1, February 2005 3-20.

This article focuses on the attitudes of community-dwelling elderly persons toward the use of electronic memory aids. Questionnaire data from 100 elderly volunteers indicate that more than one half were interested in an electronic memory device for at least one purpose. Those who said that they would use the device had higher levels of education, used more household electronic devices, were more likely to have someone available to help them use a device, and had more health problems than those who preferred to not use it. Most would use a memory aid to monitor medications and remember appointments, followed by remembering addresses and phone numbers. The expected use, design, preferred methods of instruction, and concerns about the device varied. Study results suggest the need to develop devices with different degrees of flexibility and complexity. Future studies should evaluate training methods to use such technology.