On the Conceptual Overlap between the Fluency Contamination Effect in Divergent Thinking Scores and the Chance View on Scientific Creativity

The equal odds baseline is a parsimonious model that describes the relationship between quantity and quality of output in scientific creativity. Specifically, it is posited that quality is a linear function of quantity, and therefore, strong positive correlations between these two variables are expected. Strong positive correlations also play a crucial role in a recurring issue in divergent thinking research: the fluency contamination effect. This effect refers to the problem that any other summative scoring of divergent thinking tests such as the number of original responses (i.e., quality of responses) is confounded by fluency (i.e., quantity of responses). The current work sheds further light into the conceptual overlap between the equal odds baseline, and the fluency contamination effect by demonstrating that a recent formalization of the fluency contamination effect can be used to derive the equal odds baseline. This result is then utilized within a structural equation modeling approach with simulated datasets to thoroughly examine the equal odds baseline. The findings of the structural equation modeling approach are discussed with respect to their potential to better understand the relationship between quantity and quality of productions in creativity research.     

Exploration evoked by the environment is balanced by the need to perform in cricket spin bowling.

In the theory of ecological dynamics, adaptive responses emerge through exploration when an individual interacts with their environment. This study investigates how when competing, the environment guides perceptual-motor exploration that is balanced by the need to meet performance requirements. To understand this, eight emerging expert cricket spin bowlers aged 21 ± 3 years competed in three small-sided simulated practice matches where pitch conditions were manipulated to present familiar and unfamiliar environmental pitch constraints. It was hypothesized that bowlers would explore the unfamiliar pitch by searching for an action mode that allowed them to best exploit the conditions to achieve a successful outcome (e.g., take a wicket) while simultaneously attempting to satisfy the immediate performance requirements (e.g., limit runs per over). A mixed methodology was used to first identify the perceptions and intentions of the bowlers (dimensions, themes, and action modes), followed by analysis of the resultant action characteristics (delivery speed, spin rate, and pitching position) and performance outcomes (economy rate, strike rate, and bowling average). Overall, when competing on the familiar pitch, the bowlers reported primarily attuning to task constraints (75%). In contrast, when bowling on the unfamiliar pitch, all bowlers reported that their attention was more focused upon picking up key affordances related to environmental pitch constraints (100%). The majority of bowlers indicated that they bowled differently on the unfamiliar pitch by using more “side-spin” and less “over-spin”. Interestingly, it was not until the second performance on this pitch that execution variables significantly changed. Despite these changes, bowlers continued to pay attention to the opposing batters’ strategies throughout all three practice matches. The consistency of this response can be explained by an overarching strategy for all types of bowling in cricket that is more closely linked to the ongoing individual-opponent interaction. That is, the bowlers must perform and ‘stay in the game’ whilst simultaneously adapting to any environmental changes. Therefore, demonstrating the need to continually satisfy the immediate performance requirements to afford the opportunity to explore new affordances in the environment that may offer exploitation.     

A multi-criterion experimental comparison of three multi-attribute weight measurement methods

The research compared three major multi-attribute weight measurement methods using multiple criteria: theoretical validity, predictive performance, and perceived performance. Major findings include (1) all three methods are theoretically valid using the EAM (Equal Weight Averaging Model) as the standard of comparison, (2) EAM outperforms SMART (Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique) and SMART outperforms AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) in terms of predictive performance, (3) in terms of perceived performance, EAM is considered more difficult and less preferred than AHP, but has equal trustworthiness. The research has demonstrated how self-estimation methods for multi-attribute analysis can be verified and improved theoretically and empirically by using weights and values from the EAM model as a theoretical validity standard. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A one-way random effects model for trimmed means

The random effects ANOVA model plays an important role in many psychological studies, but the usual model suffers from at least two serious problems. The first is that even under normality, violating the assumption of equal variances can have serious consequences in terms of Type I errors or significance levels, and it can affect power as well. The second and perhaps more serious concern is that even slight departures from normality can result in a substantial loss of power when testing hypotheses. Jeyaratnam and Othman (1985) proposed a method for handling unequal variances, under the assumption of normality, but no results were given on how their procedure performs when distributions are nonnormal. A secondary goal in this paper is to address this issue via simulations. As will be seen, problems arise with both Type I errors and power. Another secondary goal is to provide new simulation results on the Rust-Fligner modification of the Kruskal-Wallis test. The primary goal is to propose a generalization of the usual random effects model based on trimmed means. The resulting test of no differences among J randomly sampled groups has certain advantages in terms of Type I errors, and it can yield substantial gains in power when distributions have heavy tails and outliers. This last feature is very important in applied work because recent investigations indicate that heavy-tailed distributions are common. Included is a suggestion for a heteroscedastic Winsorized analog of the usual intraclass correlation coefficient.     

大学生群体中价值观、感知环境质量与环境意识的关系研究

本研究利用一项大学生环境意识调查数据,探讨了价值观、感知环境质量和环境意识之间关系,并对英格尔哈特的“客观问题和主观价值”假设进行检验。研究结果基本支持该假设,后物质主义者比物质主义者的环境意识更强,感知环境质量差者比感知环境质量好者的环境意识更强。此外,研究还发现,感知环境质量比价值观对大学生的环境意识作用更强;感知中国环境质量比感知家乡环境质量对大学生的环境意识作用更强。     

COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING AND MENTAL CONTAMINATION: AN EMPIRICAL RE-CONCEPTUALIZATION

The main goal of this article is to propose a cognitive technology for blocking the impact of mental contamination during cognitive restructuring in cognitive-behavioral and rational-emotive therapy, by using fundamental research findings from cognitive psychology. In step 1, after a review of the relevant cognitive and social psychology literature, the authors elaborated several techniques hypothesized to control mental contamination. In step 2—Experiment I—the authors tested the efficacy of these techniques in blocking mental contamination. The three techniques that proved to be effective in controlling mental contamination were: (a) the global restructuring technique; (b) the rational anticipation technique; (c) the incompatible information technique. In step 3—Experiment II—these techniques were adapted and tested in clinical setting using a single case experiment design-multiple baselines across subjects (five subjects with simple phobia). The techniques were shown to be effective in both stimulating the assimilation of new adaptive cognitions (i.e., global restructuring and incompatible information technique) and in preventing relapse (i.e., rational anticipation technique). Future directions for research are discussed. Address correspondence to Daniel David, Ph.D., Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, Babes-Bolyai University, No. 37, Gh. Bilascu Street, 3400, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania; e-mail: danieldavid@psychology.ro.     

Identifying play characteristics of pre-school children with developmental coordination disorder via parental questionnaires

Motor coordination deficits that characterize children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affect their quality of participation. The aim of the current study was to identify play characteristics of young children with DCD, compared to those of children with typical development in three dimensions: activity and participation, environmental factors and children’s impairments.MethodSixty-four children, aged four to six years, participated. Thirty were diagnosed as having DCD; the remaining 34 children were age, gender and socioeconomic level matched controls with typical development. The children were evaluated by the M-ABC. In addition, their parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Children’s Activity Scale for Parents (CHAS-P), the Children’s Leisure Assessment Scale for preschoolers (CLASS-Pre), and My Child’s Play Questionnaire (MCP).ResultsChildren with DCD performed significantly poorer in each of the four play activity and participation domains: variety, frequency, sociability, and preference (CLASS-Pre). Furthermore, their environmental characteristics were significantly different (MCP). They displayed significantly inferior performance (impairments) in interpersonal interaction and executive functioning during play, in comparison to controls (MCP). Moreover, the children’s motor and executive control as reflected in their daily function as well as their activities of daily living (ADL) performance level, contributed to the prediction of their global play participation.DiscussionThe results indicate that the use of both the CLASS-Pre and the MCP questionnaires enables the identification of unique play characteristics of pre-school children with DCD via parents’ reports. A better insight into these characteristics may contribute to theoretical knowledge and clinical practice to improve the children’s daily participation.     

Folded Futurity: Epigenetic Plasticity,Temporality, and New Thresholds of Fetal Life

The life sciences are generating a transformative view of the biological body not as fixed and innate but as permeable to its environment and, therefore, plastic: development is open and malleable. Emblematic of these new sciences is environmental epigenetics, which investigates environmental factors that come into the body to shape expression of genes across the life course; prominent are environmental exposures during fetal development, which epigeneticists propose influence not only birth outcomes but also lifelong health. How does this new emphasis on permeability and plasticity during fetal development change how the fetus and fetal vulnerability are understood in the current scientific literature? Perspectives on genomic and reproductive temporality help conceptualize environmental epigenetics as a dynamic relationship between plasticity and determinism. This epigenetic temporality links past, present, and future in way that gives the fetus a keystone role as the vulnerable space-time of environmental epigenetics. Epigenetic temporality produces a new, folded futurity that brings multiple, future generations into the present, influenced by current environmental conditions. In doing this, epigenetics shifts thresholds of fetal vulnerability and intervention to incorporate other entities, including reproductive cells (gametes and primordial germ cells) and very young children. Epigenetic temporality folds in on itself, producing new versions of vulnerable, plastic life that require protection now, in the enduring present, even as the future toward which epigenetics is oriented constantly recedes.     

Suffering, Sympathy, and (Environmental) Security: Reassessing Rorty’s Contribution to Human Rights Theory

This article reassess Rorty’s contribution to human rights theory. It addresses two key questions: (1) Does Rorty sustain his claim that there are no morally relevant transcultural facts? (2) Does Rorty’s proposed sentimental education offer an adequate response to contemporary human rights challenges? Although both questions are answered in the negative, it is argued here that Rorty’s focus on suffering, sympathy, and security, offer valuable resources to human rights theorists. The article concludes by considering the idea of a dual approach to human rights, combining Rorty’s emphasis on sentiment with an analysis of patterns of responsibility for the underfulfilment of human rights.