The effectiveness of creativity training: A quantitative review

Over the course of the last half century, numerous training programs intended to develop creativity capacities have been proposed. In this study, a quantitative meta‐analysis of program evaluation efforts was conducted. Based on 70 prior studies, it was found that well‐designed creativity training programs typically induce gains in performance with these effects generalizing across criteria, settings, and target populations. Moreover, these effects held when internal validity considerations were taken into account. An examination of the factors contributing to the relative effectiveness of these training programs indicated that more successful programs were likely to focus on development of cognitive skills and the heuristics involved in skill application, using realistic exercises appropriate to the domain at hand. The implications of these observations for the development of creativity through educational and training interventions are discussed along with directions for future research.     

The Clicker Technique: Cultivating Efficient Teaching and Successful Learning

The clicker technique is a newly developed system that uses frequent testing in the classroom to enhance students' understanding and provide feedback to students and teachers. Using a laboratory model of the clicker technique, Experiment 1 explored the effects of the clicker technique, via its potential for compressing learning time and its partially individualized instruction, on the acquisition, retention, and generalization of knowledge at immediate and delayed tests. Results supported the clicker technique as a viable method for instructors to promote generalizable learning and to conserve teaching time. Experiment 2 examined the clicker technique in terms of its components, studying and testing, to determine which components are crucial to its effectiveness. Results indicated that the combination of studying and testing promotes superior performance only during acquisition, relative to either studying or testing alone, and neither study, test, nor the combination of study and test led to a retention advantage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Word Diagrams in Teaching Classical Conditioning

The Psychological Record - The present experiment examined the value of word diagrams on the concept learning of university students. All students learned the concept of classical conditioning by...     

Electrode placement,EMG feedback,and relaxation for tension headaches

Fifteen tension headache subjects were allocated to one of three groups: direct EMG feedback (from a site corresponding to the source of pain), indirect EMG feedback (from a site not corresponding to the source of the pain) and relaxation instructions. There were two base-line, six treatment and one post-treatment sessions. No significant differences were found between base-line and post-treatment EMG levels, for any of the groups; however, some significant reductions in levels were obtained within sessions. EMG levels recorded during headache attacks did not differ significantly from levels recorded during base-line. Frequency and intensity of headaches were significantly reduced, particularly in the relaxation group. At follow-up this improvement was maintained for subjects with forehead pain, but differences between the groups had disappeared.     

Old evidence and new theories

Conclusion The discussion above indicates that there is some reason for optimism with regard to the project of incorporating logical-mathematical learning within Bayesianism, though it is obvious that there are many difficulties to be overcome. The biggest obstacle in this regard is overcoming the tension that exists between considerations of formal tractability and the desire to avoid demanding too much of rational agents. Jeffrey's solution seems more flexible in this regard than Garber's, but that may very well be because the general mechanisms underlying Jeffrey's rule of reparation have not been specified. In any case, in my view the verdict we should draw with regard to the problem of old evidence is a bit more pessimistic. Jeffrey's and Garber's solutions only address certain aspects of the problem, and thus can only provide partial solutions at best. The basic strategy of using logical-mathematical learning to induce a confirmation event does not completely evade the problem, which reemerges when the required logical-mathematical knowledge becomes old news. Thus, despite the solutions that have been offered to date, the problem of old evidence remains a fundamental challenge to the Bayesian point of view.This paper has benefited greatly due to valuable input from Bas van Fraassen, Richard Jeffrey, Alan Hájek, Gil Harman, Mike Thau, and Ned Hall.     

Reconciling Compensatory and Noncompensatory Strategies of Cue Weighting: A Causal Model Approach

When forming a judgment about any unknown item, people must draw inferences from information that is already known. This paper examines causal relationships between cues as a relevant factor influencing how people determine the amount of weight to place on each piece of available evidence. We propose that people draw from their beliefs about specific causal relationships between cues when determining how much weight to place on those cues, and that understanding this process can help reconcile differences between predictions of compensatory and lexicographic heuristic strategies. As causal relationships change, different cues become more or less important. Across three experiments, we find support for the use of causal models in determining cue weights, but leave open the possibility that they work in concert with other strategies as well. We conclude by discussing relative strengths and weaknesses of the causal model approach relative to existing models, and suggest areas for future research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.