Distinguishing Subgroups of Narcissists with Latent Class Analysis

This study investigated grandiose narcissism from a categorical perspective. We tested whether subgroups of narcissists can be distinguished that differ in their expressions of more agentic (narcissistic admiration, ADM) and more antagonistic (narcissistic rivalry, RIV) pathways of narcissism. We analysed three German samples (total N = 2211; M_age = 26; 70% female) and one US sample (N = 971; M_age = 35; 74% female) using latent class analysis. Four subgroups of narcissists were consistently identified across samples from Germany and the United States: low narcissists, moderate narcissists primarily characterized by agentic aspects (ADM), moderate narcissists characterized by both agentic and antagonistic aspects (ADM + RIV), and high narcissists. The subgroups were systematically related to a number of personality traits (e.g. Machiavellianism, impulsivity) and adjustment indicators (e.g. self‐esteem, empathy). Members in the moderate narcissists—ADM subgroup showed the most adaptive characteristics while members in the moderate narcissists—ADM + RIV subgroup showed the most maladaptive characteristics. Investigating grandiose narcissism—a primarily quantitative trait—from a categorical perspective can yield valuable insights that would otherwise be overlooked. In addition, our results underline the utility of a self‐regulatory process approach to grandiose narcissism that distinguishes between agentic and antagonistic dynamics. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Prototypes are Key Heuristic Information in Insight Problem Solving

Evidence from a range of fields indicates that inventions are often inspired by drawing a parallel to solutions found in nature. However, the cognitive mechanism of this process is not well understood. The cognitive mechanism of heuristic prototype in scientific innovation was tested with 3 experiments. First, 84 historical accounts of important scientific innovations were collected and the prototype solution underlying them was extracted. Experiment 1 tested the validity of these materials and showed that knowledge of the prototype facilitated insight solutions. Experiment 2 and 3 suggested that activation of the prototype was indeed the critical element in the process of insight. Also, the mechanism of this activation was linked to the semantic similarity between the feature function of the prototype and the required function of the problem. In addition, Experiment 3 showed that participants who were better at excluding interference information more readily activated the relevant prototype. To sum up, the experiments suggested that activating a memory of the heuristic prototype was important in solving scientific innovation insight problems. Activating the feature function of right heuristic prototype and linking it by way of semantic similarity to the required function of the problem was the key mechanism people used to solve scientific insight problem.     

Working memory limitation as a source of confusion in the abstract THOG task

Limitations of working memory are proposed as a major determinant of problem difficulty in the THOG task. This task is a logical reasoning task which uses an exclusive disjunction and requires hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Four experiments with students of mathematics or psychology were used to test the hypotheses that, first, guiding participants' attention facilitates the task and, second, the use of paper and pencil as external problem representation reliefs working memory load. Focusing participants' attention upon a critical aspect of the task does not improve solution rates. Students of mathematics were better than students of psychology, but only if they were allowed to use paper and pencil or to work on the task repeatedly. These results partially support the working memory hypothesis. They point toward the importance of training and practice in relatively simple meta-cognitive skills in logical reasoning. Received: 20 March 2000 / Accepted: 22 January 2001     

Acute non-traumatic transverse syndrome from a neurosurgical standpoint]

With a seventh of 233 neuro-surgical patients operated on in the area of the spinal canal, an acute or sub-acute transverse syndrome had become manifest before operation. The analysis of these cases shows that 2 out of 12 cervical, and 12 out of 100 lumbar cases of dislocation of the disk cause an acute or sub-acute transverse lesion of the cord with paraplegia. In 56 cases of intradural extra-medullary tumours, no acute development was observed. However, this was seen in 55% of the extra-dural tumour growths. The role of a vasal component in the event of speedy development of the transverse symptomatology in such cases is mentioned.     

Eine informationstheoretische Methode zur Bestimmung der ästhetischen Wirkung von Flächenmustern

Zusammenfassung In dieser Arbeit entwickeln wir eine Form der informationsanalytischen Charakterisierung von Flächenmustern, welche es ermöglicht, schön wirkende von häßlich wirkenden Mustern zu trennen. Wir betrachten ein Flächenmuster als eine Menge von Rasterpunkten. Jeder Rasterpunkt kann hinsichtlich der drei Variablen horizontale Lage, vertikale Lage und Farbton kategorisiert werden. Wir charakterisieren durch eine multivariate Informationsanalyse die statistischen Beziehungen zwischen den genannten Variablen mit zwei Kennwerten. Diese Kennwerte sind die Interaktion zwischen den drei Variablen und ein Balancekoeffizient für die Variablen horizontale und vertikale Lage. Hinsichtlich dieser beiden Kennwerte unterscheiden sich Muster, die von Vpn als schön empfunden werden von solchen, die als häßlich empfunden werden. Schöne Muster haben signifikant höhere Interaktionen und signifikant niedrigere Balancekoeffizienten als häßliche. Hinsichtlich beider Parameter streuen schöne Muster signifikant weniger als häßliche.

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An information analytic method to estimate the esthetical effect of pictures

Summary In this paper we show, that multivariate information analysis can be used to separate pictures regarded as nice from pictures regarded as ugly. A picture may be considered as a set of pictureelements. Each pictureelement can be classified with regard to three variables, namely vertical position, horizontal position and colour tone. We characterize the statistical relations between these variables by multivariate information analysis which results in two parameters. These parameters are the interaction between the variables and a balance coefficient for the variables vertical- und horizontal-position. In respect of these parameters pictures, which are regarded as nice by human subjects are separable from ugly pictures. Nice pictures show significantly higher interactions and lower balance coefficients than ugly ones. The dispersion of interactions and balance coefficients is lower at nice pictures.

     

What is magic about the magical number four?

Summary Previous studies have shown that the apprehension of number can be represented by three models according to the experimental procedure and the data analysis. The present experiment was designed to test the effect of figural characteristics of pattern on the response time. The subjects were asked to perform a same/different judgment, i.e., they were requested to decide whether a dot pattern, shown on a monitor, equalled a previously defined target number (n=2–6) or not. Different types of pattern were used and learning effects were studied. As was expected, the slopes for random and linear patterns were not so steep when the target number was low. With patterns in the dice mode, however, the slope was zero. Repeated presentations led to a slight reduction in slope for random and linear patterns only. In the case of the patterns in the dice mode, the repeated presentations caused only a change in the absolute reaction times (RTs) but had no effect on the slope. When the target numbers were larger (n=5–6), the repeated presentations led to remarkable reductions in slope for random and linear patterns. The slope discontinuity at n=4 occurred with all types of pattern but it became less pronounced in the course of training at least in the case of random and linear patterns. This result is explained by clustering effects, use of figural cues, and a more efficient scanning process.     

Possible decision-making preadaptations in the molly Poecilia sphenops

In many species females choose a mate from among several available males; in other species, the social system provides no apparent opportunity for making a decision among alternative suitors, and decision-making capacity is assumed to be minimal. The origins, bases, and logic of female mate choices are contentious questions with important cognitive implications. Female short-finned mollies, Poecilia sphenops, have never been observed to choose mates in the wild, where instead a male-contest social system prevails. Nevertheless they readily choose between models of males in the laboratory. Some of their decisions anticipate features found in males in more recently evolved species where the social system permits female choice. The willingness of females to choose traits in a species without such traits or evident need or opportunity for female choice in the wild is remarkable. These observations suggest that choice behavior can be latent in a species, and may direct or bias the development of behavioral preferences.     

The effects of attractiveness, dominance, and attribute differences on information acquisition in multiattribute binary choice

Two process tracing studies investigated how the information acquisition process in a binary choice task is influenced by the overall level of attractiveness of alternatives, by the magnitude of differences in attractiveness of alternatives, and by the dominance of one alternative. All three factors influenced the subjects' information selection process regarding the multiattribute choice alternatives. Subjects selected more information when the attractiveness difference was small and when one of the alternatives was not dominant. Moreover, they considered more information when the choice alternatives were both unattractive. These findings were obtained when information was presented about the alternatives both numerically and nonnumerically. The experimental results were explained within a sequential sampling strategy framework.     

Building blocks of idea generation and implementation in teams: A meta-analysis of team design and team creativity and innovation

Although organizations increasingly rely on teams to innovate, little systematic knowledge exists about how to design teams to do so. Building on the model of collaborative creativity and innovation and synthesizing findings from published and unpublished studies, this meta-analysis examines the role of team design on team creativity and innovation. We used random-effects meta-analysis to cumulate the correlations between different features of team design and team creativity or team innovation from 134 field studies representing 11,353 teams and 35 studies representing 2,485 student teams. We found that team tenure is curvilinearly related, autonomy-supportive leadership, task interdependence, and goal interdependence are positively related, and demographic diversity and team size are unrelated to team creativity and innovation. Examining meta-analytic path models, we found that task interdependence and supportive leadership positively relate to team creativity and innovation via team collaboration and team potency. In accounting for the literature, we found a dearth of studies examining team processes, some types of diversity such as racial diversity, and the role of team member turnover. We conclude by providing directions for future research and practical guidance about increasing team creativity and innovation through team design.