Problem Parameter and Problem Finding in Art Education

The significance of problem parameters in art education is examined. Problem parameters are delineated by the art instructor in the problem finding stage of the creative process before problem solving occurs. Problem parameters define problems and focus students' creative processes. In the delivery of an assignment, the art teacher presents problem parameters to students and students respond to parameters. A model is proposed illustrating the relationship between the presented problem parameters of art assignments and the creative processes of students. Characteristics of the instructional implementations of parameters are examined: Incomplete Parameters; Overly and Inadequately Restrictive Parameters; and Expanding and Contracting Parameters. Student responses to parameters are explored: Disregarded, Self-imposed, and Stretched Parameters. The implications of the model in art education are discussed.     

On Runco's Problem Finding,Problem Solving,and Creativity

The relative significance of the "golden section" (? 0.618) and other notable proportions was investigated using a new unobtrusive methodology, a modified Fechnerian method of production. Fourteen professional painters each sketched under controlled conditions--"veridically, accurately, and realistically" (but without there being any mention of proportions)--27 complex stimuli presented as slides, thus producing a total of 378 sketches. The stimuli in the slides were (a) vase cutouts of various proportions placed in a mantelpiece context and (b) paintings by Kodama, Mondrian, and Whistler. The golden section and other significant and control proportions (a total of 120 occurrences) were identified beforehand by the researcher in the 27 stimuli. The 378 painters' sketches were subsequently measured by the researcher and two assistants to determine the accuracy with which the various proportions had been reproduced by the painters (a grand total of 1680--14 x 120--possible occurrences). The overall accuracy of rendering the proportions was found to be low for the vases and Kodama's paintings, but increased considerably for the Whistlers and Mondrians. As predicted, the accuracy of rendering the golden section increased from the vases to the Kodamas to the Whistlers and Mondrians. For the latter two, the golden section was in fact the most accurately rendered proportion, followed by 1.00 (found, for example, in the square and circle). The golden section is clearly important in art and to artists, but both its use and detection are subtle and must be pursued with great analytic care. The use of professional artists as informants and research participants may be of considerable help.     

Creative Scientific Problem Finding and Its Developmental Trend

This is a study of the development trend of creative scientific problem finding (CSPF) ability of a sample of 1,367 elementary, middle, and high school students in two Chinese cities. Students were instructed to generate science related questions in both open and closed conditions with responses scored for Fluency, Flexibility, and Originality. Results suggest that CSPF ability has a developmental trend characterized by a significant leap in the 5th grade, followed by a steady advance until it peaked in the 8th grade, and then declined and stabilized in the high school years (9th–11th grades). No difference between male and female students was found. The type of instruction showed significant differential influence on CSPF and its development.     

大学生问题发现过程的眼动研究

在潜藏式与矛盾式两类问题发现情境中, 以眼动仪为研究工具, 问题发现能力高与低的大学生各20名为被试, 探讨大学生在问题发现总体和4个兴趣区中的眼动特征及其与发现问题数量和质量之间的关系。研究表明：(1)不同能力大学生在不同情境及其兴趣区中的问题发现差异, 能够体现在眼动指标上。回视是反映问题发现能力的敏感指标。回视次数和发现问题数量与质量之间的正相关, 以及在高能力组学生上的优势, 体现了信息的联系和整合性加工在问题发现中具有积极意义。(2)潜藏式问题发现中, 个体平均注视时间更长, 反映其认知加工难度更大。在提供重要信息的区域, 被试会投入更多精力, 表现为在注视时间、注视次数和瞳孔直径大小等指标的上升。(3)眼睛注视区域与发现问题区域间存在对应关系, 显示出“眼随心动”现象。在问题发现的最初和最终阶段, 被试都会出现跨区信息搜寻行为, 分别代表了对问题线索的寻找和最后的检查评估。高能力被试在每个稳定注视阶段的注视时间更短, 这种信息转换的灵活性体现出其信息加工上的优势。动态眼动轨迹分析揭示了单个静态指标难以反映的新特点。     

动态信息呈现对问题发现的影响研究

在多轮次动态和一次性静态两种呈现方式下,采用出声思维研究20名大学生潜藏与矛盾情境的问题发现特点。研究表明:(1)动态呈现促进被试更全面加工信息,发现问题数量和变通性优于静态呈现,但也阻断信息间的关联,不利于发现跨区问题。(2)动态呈现下,问题均匀分布在每个区域并按轮次先后顺序出现,静态呈现与此相反。(3)被试在新信息呈现后发现的问题分全新、改变方向、改变程度、一致性和联系性五类,潜藏情境中问题与先前信息关联更多。(4)被试对新信息影响做出积极评价。     

On the Content of Experience*

The intentionalist about consciousness holds that the qualitative character of experience, “what it’s like,” is determined by the contents of a select group of special intentional states of the subject. Fred Dretske (1995) , Mike Thau (2002) , Michael Tye (1995) and many others have embraced intentionalism, but these philosophers have not generally appreciated that, since we are intimately familiar with the qualitative character of experience, we thereby have special access to the nature of these contents. In this paper, we take advantage of this fact to show that intentionalism is incompatible with the idea that these contents are singular or general propositions, and thus that intentionalism is incompatible with one dominant trend in thinking about contents in general. In particular, there appear to be insoluble difficulties in explaining how the phenomenology of place and time can be explained by any intentionalist theory appealing to singular or general propositions.     

Bonjour, Externalism and The Regress Problem*

In this paper I assess the two central ingredients of Laurence BonJour’s position on empirical knowledge that have survived the transition from his earlier coherentist views to his current endorsement of the doctrine of the given: his construal of the problem of the epistemic regress and his rejection of an internalist solution to the problem. The bulk of the paper is devoted to a critical assessment of BonJour’s arguments against externalism. I argue that they fail to put real pressure on externalism, as they rely on a highly questionable conception of epistemic rationality and responsibility. Then, more briefly, I take issue with BonJour’s endorsement of the irrelevance thesis—the claim that even if externalism were true it would not offer a satisfactory solution to the epistemic regress problem. I contend that he is not entitled to subscribe this thesis unless he is prepared to abandon his construal of the problem. *I have presented some of this material at UCL, Trinity College Dublin and the 10th Italo-Spanish meeting of Analytic Philosophy, held in Pamplona. I am grateful to these audiences.     

The Effect of Mood on Problem Finding in Scientific Creativity

This study examined the influence of different mood states on Creative Science Problem Finding (CSPF). CSPF was measured in terms of Fluency, Flexibility, and Originality. Imagery techniques were used to induce positive or negative mood states in participants, with results suggesting that positive mood led to a significant increase in CSPF performance compared with neutral mood, especially for the dimensions of fluency and flexibility. No difference was found between negative mood and neutral mood. Results provide evidence that anger had no impact on CSPF performance compared with neutral mood. However, fear appeared to inhibit the performance of CSPF. The interaction between specific moods and CSPF provide evidence that moods influenced CSPF with open instructions more than with closed instructions.     

个体变量、材料变量对大学生创造性问题提出能力的影响

研究以139名大学生为被试,采用2(信息素养:高、低)×2(批判性思维倾向:强、弱)×2(信息量:高、低)×2(批判情境:有、无)四因素混合设计,考察个体变量和材料变量对创造性问题提出能力的影响。结果显示:(1)从个体变量看,批判性思维倾向在信息素养预测创造性问题提出能力时起调节作用;(2)从材料变量看,信息量高且含批判情境的材料对创造性问题提出能力有促进作用;(3)个体变量和材料变量在灵活性和独创性上存在交互作用。高信息素养或强批判性思维倾向的被试在含批判情境材料下灵活性、独创性表现更好;低信息素养或弱批判性思维倾向的学生在无批判情境材料下灵活性表现更好,在两种批判情境下独创性无显著差异。