The Road to Creative Achievement: A Latent Variable Model of Ability and Personality Predictors

This study investigated the significance of different well‐established psychometric indicators of creativity for real‐life creative outcomes. Specifically, we tested the effects of creative potential, intelligence, and openness to experiences on everyday creative activities and actual creative achievement. Using a heterogeneous sample of 297 adults, we performed latent multiple regression analyses by means of structural equation modelling. We found openness to experiences and two independent indicators of creative potential, ideational originality and ideational fluency, to predict everyday creative activities. Creative activities, in turn, predicted actual creative achievement. Intelligence was found to predict creative achievement, but not creative activities. Moreover, intelligence moderated the effect of creative activities on creative achievement, suggesting that intelligence may play an important role in transforming creative activities into publically acknowledged creative achievements. This study supports the view of creativity as a multifaceted construct and provides an integrative model illustrating the potential interplay between its different facets. © 2013 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology.     

Therapeutic activities and the assimilation model: A preliminary exploratory study on the Insight stage

The assimilation model describes the process of change assuming that the self is enriched when there is a dialogue between nondominant voices or problematic experiences and the dominant voices. This dialogue is best seen in the Insight stage. The aim of this paper is to study the Insight stage during the assimilation process in relation to the main therapeutic activities performed by the therapist. All the Insights from the assimilation process of a patient, María, were analysed. In assimilation terms, María could be described through the nondominant voices of “dizziness,” “tiredness,” and “inability to cope with daily demands,” and through the dominant voices of “control,” “overcome and solve,” and “why something is happening.” María showed a successful assimilation of her problematic experiences. The therapeutic context was the Linguistic Therapy of Evaluation (LTE), a kind of cognitive therapy based on the theory of General Semantics. María was considered a good outcome case in the LTE sample. Results showed that there were some general therapeutic activities related to these Insights. A high percentage of activities pointed to one of the main issues of LTE: the development of an extensional orientation. At the same time, some of these activities were related to María’s voices. Results are discussed in relation to the relevance of the development of an extensional orientation for the assimilation process; how voices are recognized or challenged in therapy, and to the importance of considering relationship issues during the assimilation process.     

The factors associated with geriatric depression in rural China: stratified by household structure

Depressive symptoms and empty nest phenomenon of rural elderly people are both important public health issues, which should not be ignored. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and related factors of the empty nest elderly in rural China. We recruited 3182 eligible subjects and gathered data by face-to-face interview. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the related factors of depressive symptoms. The present study showed that the prevalence of depressive symptoms significantly differed between empty nest old adults and non-empty nesters (24.1% vs. 19.0%). The elderly living alone had highest OR of depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms of empty nest elderly was associated with sleep quality, economic status, pain, social support and ADL. While it was associated with gender, economic status, pain and PSMS in non-empty nest group. Number of chronic disease showed significant associations with depressive symptoms in the elderly living alone. Subjective support, support utilization and pain were positively associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly living with spouse. Sleep quality, economic status and ADL were common factors. Depressive symptoms obviously prevail among empty nest elderly than non-empty nesters. It reminded us that complementary social support from family and society is essential.     

(Spi)ritual interaction in musical activity for infants in the church space – a qualitative analysis

Abstract

Early mother–infant interaction has been seen as very important for the development of religiosity and spirituality. This case study examines one specific musical activity for infants and mothers from the perspective of human interaction. The studied activity is ‘Babysalmesang’, or baby hymn singing (BHS), within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. Meetings are held in church buildings and include singing hymns and other songs, playing in and exploring the church space. The qualitative empirical data on BHS activities were collected through video recording, observing and interviewing. The initial analysis on the data showed that four types of interaction can be found: mother–infant interaction, interaction between the participants, interaction between the participants and instructors and ritual interaction. BHS can be seen as a space for (spi)ritual interaction. In this context, nurturing spirituality combines with religious elements. Together with mother–infant interaction, also other types of interaction might nurture spirituality in early childhood.     

Sensitive performance-based assessment of everyday action in older and younger adults

Everyday function is compromised by mild cognitive changes in aging. These changes predict risk for future decline and dementia but remain poorly characterized, largely due to a scarcity of sensitive, objective measures.Twenty-seven younger adults and 25 non-demented older adults completed the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT), a performance-based measure of everyday action involving simple and complex tasks. Performance was coded for overt errors and subtle inefficiencies. Participants also completed self-report functional measures and cognitive tests. Mixed ANOVAs revealed that older adults made more subtle NAT errors with high task demands; groups did not differ in overt errors. Correlations did not reveal significant relations between self-report and NAT errors, but NAT performance was correlated with learning and recall.The NAT provides a promising tool for detecting subtle age-related changes and examining decline across levels of impairment. Self-report may lack sensitivity to subtle changes, and episodic memory changes underlie early functional disruption.     

Incorporating reflection into computing classes: models and challenges

Literature has shown that the use of reflective practice is one way to assist students to understand and adjust to the expectations demanded by higher education. However, the implementation of reflective practice within the classroom can be challenging especially more so for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics discipline. It is often the case that reflective exercises are incorporated into the classrooms without further thought beyond the assignment of a reflective journal and students are asked to reflect without being taught how. This paper reviews existing models of reflection and discusses its application to the field of computing education particularly in the design of class activities to train students to reflect. Existing literature on how reflective activities are incorporated into assessments and classroom activities for different purposes are also reviewed to determine factors that contribute to its successful implementation in the classroom.     

Knowledge and quality-management activities’ influences on technology communication and innovation with African foreign investment experience

We examined how psychic distance moderates the association of South Korean chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) knowledge and quality management with their predisposition to invest in African technology and innovation markets. Participants were current and prospective South Korean African business investment senior managers (n = 64; 20 females; mean years in management = 19.4) or not (n = 187; 97 females, mean years in management = 15.9). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyse the relationships. Only quality management was significantly related to technology commercialisation capabilities and innovation performance among managers with African investment experience. However, both quality and knowledge management were significantly related to the outcomes among managers without African investment experience. The effect of psychic distance might be explained by risk averseness, in that those without experience of African investment might be with more risk avoidant than those with such experience.     

Stimulating performance: A scoping review on transcranial electrical stimulation effects on olympic sports

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is widely used to explore the role of various cortical regions involved in a multitude of motor and cognitive processes. Recently, tES has been discussed as being able to potentially enhance performance in sports and even been suggested as a potential way of boosting performance in competitions. In this scoping review, we systematically investigate the literature on tES-induced performance modulations on Olympic sports. The aim is to create a critical overview of the emerging field of tES-enhanced sports performance. Further, methodological approaches, research desiderata, and potential directions for future research will be identified. The final dataset shows a large variation in methodology and a lack of research into the area. Further, partially sub-optimal choices in study design, methodology, and lacking consistency in reporting procedures may impede valid conclusions and obscured the effects of tES on Olympic sports. Consequently, we outline future directions and areas to improve research.     

信号检测论在测定“人肉搜索”参与者社会认知辨别力中的应用

采用"人肉搜索结果期待问卷"对225位"人肉搜索"参与者进行在线问卷调查,运用UlehlaAdams构建的信号检测模式进行数据分析,以期探讨参与者的社会认知辨别力(Social Cognitive Discriminability,SCD)及其主要影响因素。结果表明:(1)参与者群体具有一定的SCD(d′=0.61±0.44),即对公权信息和私权信息具有一定的区分能力,且反应偏向β适中(1.24±0.39);(2)性别、受教育程度、月收入和上网时长对SCD及各分测量指标的影响均不显著,而不同居住地参与者的SCD差异边缘性显著,且在"自我体验"分测量指标上差异显著;(3)在"搜集信息"和"社会参与"上具有不同活动倾向的参与者,其SCD具有显著差异,且在"自我体验"和"同伴认同"分测量指标上也有显著差异。可见,SCD主要受参与者上网活动倾向的影响。