Creativity in old age

Sixty elderly subjects (M = 72 years) were tested and interviewed to find out how they experience and come to terms with the advent of illness, aging, and death. The choice of test instruments was steered by the necessity to learn how our subjects handled their anxiety (the Meta‐Contrast Technique [MCT]); to operationally define the concept of self‐image (the Identification Test [IT]); and to illuminate the findings from the perspective of creativity (the Creative Functioning Test [CFT]). The results revealed creativity to be a key factor in aging. The attitude of creative individuals towards aging was less negative and their attitude to illness less defensive. On the whole, their self‐projections were not only more flexible but also more emotional. However, creativity is not uninfluenced by context, particularly when it is of medium strength. The results also revealed that the subliminal messages used in the IT to manipulate the projected self‐image were effective.     

Morphological and magnetic response of copper-substituted nickel ferrite nanoparticles

Ferrite nanoparticles are interesting materials owing to their unique physical and chemical properties. The metal-doped ferrites have well-defined structures and magnetic response, such as high permeability for a specific frequency range. In this study, copper-substituted nickel ferrite (Ni_1?xCu_xFe₂O₄) nanoparticles with a compositional range of 0?≤?x?≤?0.3 were synthesised through a co-precipitation technique. Metal chlorides were used as precursors and NaOH as a precipitating agent for the growth of ferrite nanoparticles. To minimise the internal stresses and maximise the magnetic response, ferrite nanoparticles were annealed in a furnace at 700°C for 6 h. The structural and magnetic response of Ni_1?xCu_xFe₂O₄ ferrite with different values of x were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure of single phase for all the compositions. The lattice constant decreased with increase in the value of x. FT-IR study showed two main metal oxygen bonds in the range 500–700 cm^?1 confirming the formation of a single-phase cubic inverse structure of Cu-substituted Ni ferrite. VSM results revealed the formation of ferrimagnetic nanoparticles. The optical and magnetic response of the ferrite nanoparticles changed with Cu content.     

Timing strategies used in defensive blinking to optical collisions in 5- to 7-month-old infants

When objects approach on a collision course, young babies will blink to protect their eyes. The timing of the blink is crucial, since it serves to protect the eyes from being injured. The image of a looming virtual object approached infants under different constant velocities and constant accelerations. The youngest infants (5–6 months) blinked when the image of the virtual object reached a threshold visual angle, while older infants (6–7 months) geared their blinks to the image’s time-to-collision. Infants using a strategy based on time coped successfully with all approach conditions, while infants using a strategy based on visual angle had difficulty with the fastest accelerative approach condition. The findings indicate that infants around 6 months of age shift to a more sophisticated strategy based on time, allowing them to deal with more demanding perceptual tasks.     

Infants' timing strategies to optical collisions: a longitudinal study

Blinking is a good indication of awareness to optical collisions in early infancy. In the current longitudinal study, infants were presented with the image of a looming virtual object approaching on a collision course under different constant velocities and constant accelerations. The aim was to investigate which timing strategies the infants used to determine when to make the defensive blink. Blinking when the virtual object reaches a threshold visual angle (angle-strategy) or angular velocity would result in difficulties with accelerating approaches, while blinking when the object is a certain time away (time-strategy) would enable successful responses to all approaches. Eleven infants were tested longitudinally at 22, 26, and 30 weeks. Five infants switched from an angle- to a time-strategy, while one infant switched from using angular velocity to a time-strategy. Five infants used a time-strategy already at 22 weeks. These findings show that with age there is an attunement in the perceptual systems of infants which makes them switch to better specifying variables, enabling them to successfully time their defensive blinking to impending optical collisions.     

Goals as identities: Boosting perceptions of healthy-eater identity for easier goal pursuit

People who think of their personal goals as identities are more likely to engage in goal-consistent behavior. However, no research has explored whether learning to frame goals as identities can be an effective strategy for pursuing goals in daily life. Across a series of studies, we assessed how incorporating a goal as part of one’s identity impacts goal-consistent choices. In a pilot study, we established a positive correlational relationship between natural goal identification and goal-consistent decision-making. Individuals with stronger healthy-eater identities made healthier food choices in a behavioral choice task. In Studies 1 and 2, we employed longitudinal interventions to teach people to frame their healthy eating goals as identities. We found that people who learned to frame their goals as identities made healthier choices, felt their goals were easier to pursue, reported greater success at managing goals, and made food choices that they both perceived to be healthier and that were rated as healthier by independent evaluators. Across studies, our findings suggest that thinking of goals as identities makes it easier to engage in goal-consistent choices.

     

Work conditions and employees' self-set goals: goal processes enhance prediction of psychological distress and well-being

Although previous theory and research suggest that employee well-being should be predicted by work conditions (viz., Karasek and colleagues' job demands-control-social support [J-DCS] model), other factors are also likely to be important. In this study, the authors consider correlates of employee psychological distress and well-being using a goal-focused approach grounded in Ford's (1992) motivational systems theory. Specifically, work conditions and midlevel work goal processes (WGP) were examined in a questionnaire study of health care employees. Regarding predictions derived from the J-DCS model, the authors found full support for the iso-strain, partial support for the nonlinearity, and no support for the buffer hypothesis. Of importance, however, WGP (i.e., cognitions and emotions involved in the pursuit of self-set work goals) explained variance in job satisfaction, burnout, depression, and somatic complaints, over and above that of the J-DCS model. This suggests that investigation of WGP can enhance our understanding of employee psychological distress and well-being.