Implicit Theories of Mental Skills Abilities in Collegiate Athletes

We aimed at studying athletes' mental skills-related implicit beliefs and their susceptibility to changes. Collegiate athletes (n = 68) responded to the Theories of Mental Skills scale to determine their implicit beliefs of mental skills abilities within sport. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of two manipulation articles and complete a mental skills task. Following the manipulation, participants' beliefs were reassessed to determine changes from pre- to postmanipulation. The results revealed that implicit beliefs could be manipulated, shedding light on the malleability of implicit beliefs. The findings provide information on the nature of athletes' perceptions of mental skills.     

Hasidic Thought and the Holocaust (1933–1947): Optimism and Activism

Polish hasidic thought during the Holocaust exhibited optimism about the outcome. This was tied in part to the power of the inner point of faith (nekudah penimit) to impact upon the dialectical movement from darkness to light, on both the historical (sin-punishment) and metahistorical (exile-redemption) levels. Exponents of this view included the Admorim (rebbes, hasidic leaders) of Alexander, Bobov, and Gur, and Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (Warsaw). Immediately after the war, other Admorim from these streams continued with their optimism and faith-activism, even though they viewed the Holocaust through the lens of its non-redemptive aftermath. There was also a pessimistic and passive strain, shared by representatives of the Kotsk, Sokhachev, and Sokolov dynasties, in apparent response to the failure of inner faith to affect the catastrophic historical reality.     

A meta-analytic review of gender differences in ADHD

The present study examined gender differences in ADHD through a meta-analysis. Effect size estimates for the primary symptoms and correlates of ADHD were calculated in an attempt to replicate and extend a previous meta-analysis on gender differences in the disorder. Relatively lenient inclusion criteria were used in order to maximize the number of studies included in the effect sizes. The results indicated that in comparison to ADHD boys, ADHD girls had lower ratings on hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity, and externalizing problems. In addition, ADHD girls had greater intellectual impairments and more internalizing problems than ADHD boys. Overall, the results of the current meta-analysis indicated general agreement with the previous meta-analysis. The clinical implications of these gender differences and future research considerations are discussed.     

Estimating the validity of the guilty knowledge test from simulated experiments: the external validity of mock crime studies

This experiment was designed to examine the external validity of the standard mock-crime procedure used extensively to evaluate the validity of polygraph tests. The authors manipulated the type of mock-crime procedure (standard vs. a more realistic version) and the time of test (immediate vs. delayed) and examined their effects on the validity of the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) and the recall rate of the relevant items. The results indicated that only the type of mock-crime affected the 2 outcome variables. The realistic procedure was associated with a lower recall rate and weaker detection efficiency than the standard procedure. However, these effects were mediated by the type of GKT questions used. Practical implications of these results are discussed.     

Effects of Movement Improvisation and Aerobic Dancing on Motor Creativity and Divergent Thinking

Creativity is considered to be an embodied concept, where internal psychological and external behavioral processes are intertwined. Creativity enhancement programs often target the cognitive side of this bi‐dimensionality leaving the impact of motor interventions underexplored. To address this gap in the literature, we tested the effectiveness of two motor programs on motor creativity and divergent thinking (verbal and figural). A total of 92 college students (M_age = 25.36, SD = 2.66) were randomly allocated to a movement improvisation, an aerobic dance, or a control condition. Participants in both motor programs took part in ten 30‐minute classes twice a week over a period of 5 weeks. The findings revealed a significant effect of the motor programs on motor fluency and flexibility. Movement improvisation yielded the greatest effects on those variables, followed by aerobic dancing and control condition. Movement improvisation also impacted significantly more figural originality than the control condition. However, the effects were limited to the motor domain and failed to transfer into other divergent thinking variables. The findings highlighted the contribution of movement programs to creative potential development, and the imperative role of a non‐judgmental environment, where individuals are free to move spontaneously.