The Creativity Paradox: An Introductory Essay

In this introductory article to the special issue, I explore the trope of paradox to think through the idea of creativity. Traditionally, metaphor has been the favored trope to conceptualize creativity: the combination of two existing elements into something different, something new. In this special issue, we focus on the trope of paradox as a trope defined by juxtaposition and an apparently irresolvable conflict to delineate creativity. Glossing the usefulness of paradox for artistic as well as scientific creativity, I show how the idea of Janusian thinking or being in two minds holds great potential to bridge creativity research in the humanities and social sciences. This issue starts building that bridge with multidisciplinary perspectives on creativity that, first, deconstruct apparent dichotomies in creativity research and, second, approach creativity as a situated, distributed concept.     

Policy information or information policy? information types in economics and policy

The economic distinction between technological and market information offers a useful guide to the relationship between information and policy. The two types create different problems for markets and require different emphases in public policy, focusing on either the production or the distribution of information. The interaction of the two types creates familiar policy problems such as underinvestment in information, adverse selection and moral hazard. Indicators and other means of dealing with such problems constitute policies and demonstrate not only the importance of information for policy but the necessity of policy for information. where he is also affiliated with the Environmental Studies Center. His primary research interests are in public policy, expecially environmental policy and science and technology policy, and in the relationship between policy, economics and information.     

Causality of action and circular thinking--systems therapy versus psychoanalysis

The authors point out that systems therapy offers no substantial critique of psychoanalysis. The arbitrary and reductionist recourse of systems therapy to systems theory prevents an adequate dialogue with psychoanalysis.     

Today I'll use a condom, but who knows about tomorrow: a daily process study of variability in predictors of condom use

OBJECTIVE: Most models of health behavior change applied to condom use behavior have focused on individual differences in theoretical constructs to explain condom use or nonuse, while ignoring the possibility that day-to-day within-person changes in these constructs may contribute to understanding behavior. The goal of the present study was to investigate day-to-day variability in condom use attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions and assess the utility of this variability in predicting the likelihood of condom use each day. DESIGN: A 30-day Web-based structured daily diary was used to collect daily reports of sexual behaviors and data on theoretical predictors of condom use behavior from sexually active college students (N = 116). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The authors investigated whether condom use attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions vary day to day; whether this within-person variability predicts condom use behavior; and whether negative affective states explain this variability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Within-person variability was found for each of the constructs. Within-person day-to-day changes in behavioral intentions and attitudes predicted the instances in which an individual used a condom and daily negative affect partially explained within-person day-to-day changes in behavioral intentions and self-efficacy. Implications for models of health behavior change and for behavior change interventions are discussed.     

Personal Narrative as a Medium for STD/HIV Intervention: A Preliminary Study1

Few brief interventions have been successful at producing changes in STD and HIV risk behavior. This preliminary study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 brief interventions designed to promote safer sex. Participants were 93 students enrolled in a health education course at a large midwestern university who watched a 40‐min slide presentation including behavioral‐skills training, a 40‐min personal narrative performance followed by behavioral‐skills training, or no presentation. Two weeks later, students completed measures of safer‐sex attitudes, motivation, behavioral intentions, behavioral skills, self‐efficacy, and decisional balance. Students in the personal narrative group scored higher on the behavioral‐skills measure than did students in the slide group or the control group. Personal narrative may be an effective medium for brief safer‐sex interventions.     

Why are you bringing up condoms now? The effect of message content on framing effects of condom use messages.

According to prospect theory (A. Tversky & D. Kahneman, 1981), messages advocating a low-risk (i.e., easy, low-cost) behavior are most effective if they stress the benefits of adherence (gain framed), whereas messages advocating a risky behavior are most effective if they stress the costs of nonadherence (loss framed). Although condom use is viewed as a low-risk behavior, it may entail risky interpersonal negotiations. Study 1 (N = 167) compared ratings of condom use messages advocating relational behaviors (e.g., discussing condoms) or health behaviors (e.g., carrying condoms). As predicted, loss-framed relational messages and gain-framed health messages received higher evaluations. Study 2 (N = 225) offers a replication and evidence of issue involvement and gender as moderators. Results are discussed with reference to the design of condom use messages.