Creative thinking in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A widened attentional focus, that is typically associated with ADHD, has been postulated to be accompanied by enhanced creative ability. However, creativity has been only limitedly examined in ADHD. Performance across several creativity measures were investigated in three groups: adolescents with ADHD, those with conduct disorder, and a healthy control sample. The ADHD group exhibited selective cognitive advantages and disadvantages by demonstrating an enhanced ability in overcoming the constraining influence of examples, but a reduced capacity to generate a functional invention during an imagery task. These findings are interpreted with reference to inhibitory control mechanisms and the contextual modulation of creative cognition.     

Memory Maintenance

ABSTRACT— Change in the synaptic communication between neurons—known as synaptic plasticity—plays a key role in learning and memory. It is not yet clear, however, whether the properties of synaptic plasticity are sufficient to account for long-term-memory maintenance. Recent studies have revealed that synaptic plasticity can indeed persist for weeks or months, as might be expected of a long-term-memory mechanism. However, memories encoded by neural systems are not static; they continue to evolve as new learning occurs. Furthermore, neural-network modeling has shown that synapses must be able to reconfigure their connection strengths during new learning if old information is to be preserved. Recent tests confirm that synapses, once modified, retain their capacity for further modification, indicating that they can indeed operate in the manner predicted to be necessary for memory maintenance in a dynamic learning network.     

Neuroticism and responses to social comparison among cancer patients

The present study examined how the effects of three audiotapes containing different types of social comparison information on the mood of cancer patients depended on the level of neuroticism. On the procedural tape, a man and woman discussed the process of radiation therapy, on the emotion tape, they focussed on emotional reactions to their illness and treatment, while on the coping tape they focussed on the way they had been coping. A validation study among 115 students showed that the tapes were perceived as they were intended. The main study was conducted among 226 patients who were about to undergo radiation therapy. Compared to patients in the control group, as patients were higher in neuroticism, they reported less negative mood after listening to the procedural and the coping tape. Furthermore, as patients were higher in neuroticism, they reported less negative mood after listening to the coping tape than to the emotion tape. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of the Talmudic Argumentum A Fortiori Inference Rule (Kal Vachomer) using Matrix Abduction

We motivate and introduce a new method of abduction, Matrix Abduction, and apply it to modelling the use of non-deductive inferences in the Talmud such as Analogy and the rule of Argumentum A Fortiori. Given a matrix \({\mathbb {A}}\) with entries in {0, 1}, we allow for one or more blank squares in the matrix, say a _i,j =?. The method allows us to decide whether to declare a _i,j = 0 or a _i,j = 1 or a _i,j =? undecided. This algorithmic method is then applied to modelling several legal and practical reasoning situations including the Talmudic rule of Kal-Vachomer. We add an Appendix showing that this new rule of Matrix Abduction, arising from the Talmud, can also be applied to the analysis of paradoxes in voting and judgement aggregation. In fact we have here a general method for executing non-deductive inferences.     

Four Keys to Success (Theory, Implementation, Evaluation, and Resource/System Support): High Hopes and Challenges in Participation

In this article, I attempt to merge two themes. First, there is often a large gap between high hopes about impacts of policies or programs and the demonstrated results. I describe four keys/threats to success in any social problem area: theory, implementation, evaluation, and resource/system support. Second, I present theory and research from over 30 years of work on participation, conducted by my colleagues and myself that can illuminate and be illuminated by theory, implementation, evaluation, and resource/system support. I offer ideas for solutions that increase the probability of success. I conclude with the need to have high hopes tempered by theory and research to develop realistically ambitious solutions to social problems.     

Resilience in Families that have Experienced Heart-Related Trauma

The aim of this study was to identify resilience qualities in families in the wake of heart-related trauma of one of their members. The theoretical framework of this study was the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, which represents a paradigmatic shift from a pathological to a strength-based view of a family. Self-report questionnaires and an open-ended question were used to collect data from 22 family members who experienced the heart-related trauma. The results indicate that family time and routines, parent–child togetherness, family chores and affirming communication are key qualities for mediating family adaptation, while inflammatory communication was found to be negatively associated with family adaptation. Other relevant qualities were social support, family hardiness and a coping style where problem situations are reformulated. The identification of these qualities can serve as the focus for intervention and prevention, enhancing the quality of life for families with a cardiovascular patient.     

Cognitive Social Learning Variables and the Characteristics of Leaders1

This study explored the potential of a person × situation approach to identifying the characteristics of leaders in a voluntary community organization. A set of variables based on Mischel's “cognitive social learning variables” was operationalized to provide variables which assess the characteristics of individuals in relation to the specific context in which some emerge as leaders. This set of variables was compared with a larger set of traditional demographic and personality variables. Analyses indicated the approximate statistical comparability of the two sets. Advantages of the cognitive social learning approach for understanding and intervening in leader emergence and development in voluntary community organizations are discussed.     

Diagnostic discrepancy and clinical inference: a social-cognitive analysis

This review posits that clinical inference be studied as an instance of human inference. Normative rules for clinical inference may be derived from those for human inference in general, but clinicians choose not to adhere to them, relying instead on possibly biasing and suboptimal methods. A seven-phase model of clinical inference, with each phase containing particular tasks, is presented. Performance on these tasks depends on the effect of cognitive and environmental influences and the application of cognitive strategies, with erroneous performance leading to impaired clinical inference.     

Health beliefs and teenage condom use: a prospective study

The authors investigated the extent to which Health Belief Model (HBM) measures can be used to predict subsequent sexual activity and consistency of condom use among teenagers, especially those who report having new sex partners. Results from a longitudinal survey of sex behavior and HIV-relevant cognitions among 258 sexually active 16 and 18 year olds in Dundee, Scotland, are reported. Participants responded to a confidential postal questionnaire on their demographic characteristics, previous sexual experience, prior condom use, beliefs specified by the HBM, peer norms regarding condom use, and condom use intentions. Measures of sexual behavior and condom use consistency were then included in a follow-up questionnaire 1 year later. Demographic and HBM measures, as determined through discriminant analysis, did not account for significant proportions of variance in the consistency of condom use or mediate the effects of prior sexual experience or demographic measures. The respondents who reported more frequent sexual intercourse were less likely to use condoms consistently while those who had used condoms previously reported more consistent use. Female respondents were less likely than the young men to follow through upon their intentions to consistently use condoms.