bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deficits in pain treatment in nursing homes in Germany: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kölzsch M. , Wulff I. , Ellert S. , Fischer T. , Kopke K. , Kalinowski S. , Dräger D. , Kreutz R.
Published: December 2011

Background

Current knowledge about the quality and appropriateness of pharmacological pain treatment in nursing home residents (NHR), particularly in NHR with moderate to severe cognitive impairment, is poor.

Methods

This observational cross‐sectional study assessed pain treatment in a random sample of NHR with or without cognitive impairment from nursing homes in Germany. Prescribed drugs, pain intensity and frequency, diagnoses, and surgical procedures and injuries during the last 4 weeks were documented. Quality and appropriateness of pain medication were assessed by analysis of pain medications and the Pain Medication Appropriateness Scale (PMAS) score (SPMAS), with a cut‐off value of >67% indicating appropriate pain treatment.

Results

A total of 321 residents (62% women) were studied, including 152 (47%) with severe cognitive impairment. The most frequently prescribed analgesics were dipyrone, fentanyl, tramadol and ibuprofen. The mean SPMAS was 48.5 ± 1.5 (range, −33 to +100). Residents with prescribed scheduled analgesics had a significantly better SPMAS than patients without such treatment (SPMAS 58 ± 1.5 vs. 37 ± 2.5, p < 0.01). NHR without current pain had significantly better SPMAS than residents suffering from pain (SPMAS 47 ± 1.9 vs. 59 ± 4.2, p = 0.01). With an SPMAS of 69 ± 1.5, residents (n = 106) with scheduled pain medication plus PRN analgesics achieved the highest scores in the population. Overall, similar results were found in NHR with and in NHR without cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

Our study points to a significant deficit in pain treatment in German NHR, including NHR with or without cognitive impairment.
How the pain of others enhances our pain: Searching the cerebral correlates of ‘compassional hyperalgesia’
Authors: Godinho F. , Faillenot I. , Perchet C. , Frot M. , Magnin M. , Garcia‐Larrea L.
Published: December 2011

Observing other people's pain increases our own reports to painful stimuli, a phenomenon that can be defined as ‘compassional hyperalgesia’ (CH). This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the neural correlates of CH, and whether CH could emerge when exposure to the driving stimulus was subliminal. Subjects received electric somatosensory stimuli while observing images of people undergoing painful or enjoyable somatic sensations, presented during a period allowing or not allowing conscious perception. The intensity attributed to painful stimuli increased significantly when these were delivered close to images showing human pain, but only when such images were consciously perceived. The basic core of the Pain Matrix (SI, SII, insula, mid‐anterior cingulate) was activated by painful stimuli, but its activation magnitude did not increase during CH. Compassional hyperalgesia was associated with increased activity in polymodal areas involved in emotional tuning (anterior prefrontal, pregenual cingulated) and areas involved in multisensory integration and short‐term memory (dorsolateral prefrontal, temporo‐parieto‐occipital junction). CH appears as a high‐order phenomenon needing conscious appraisal of the eliciting visual stimulus, and supported by polymodal areas distinct from the basic Pain Matrix. This suggests that compassion to pain does not result from a mere ‘sensory resonance’ in pain networks, but rather from an interaction between the output of a first‐line processing in the Pain Matrix, and the activity of a high‐order network involving multisensory integration (temporo‐parietal), encoding of internal states (mid‐prefrontal) and short‐time memory encoding (dorsolateral prefrontal). The Pain Matrix cannot be considered as an ‘objective’ correlate of the pain experience in all situations.
Metamizol, a non‐opioid analgesic, acts via endocannabinoids in the PAG‐RVM axis during inflammation in rats
Authors: Escobar W. , Ramirez K. , Avila C. , Limongi R. , Vanegas H. , Vazquez E.
Published: December 2011

The most commonly used drugs against pain act by inhibiting the cyclooxygenases (COXs). Metamizol (dipyrone) inhibits the COXs and is widely used in Europe and Latin America as a non‐opioid analgesic. One target of metamizol and other non‐opioid analgesics is the periaqueductal grey matter (PAG), where they trigger descending inhibition of spinal nociceptive transmission. Also, cannabinoids exert an analgesic action at several structures in the peripheral and central nervous system, including the PAG. The present study investigates whether the antinociceptive action of metamizol in the lateral‐ventrolateral (LVL) PAG during inflammation is related to endocannabinoids. In anaesthetized rats, unitary action potentials were recorded from spinal nociceptive neurons with receptive fields in the ipsilateral hind paw. Inflammation of the paw induced neuronal hyperexcitability, which was attenuated by intra‐LVL‐PAG microinjection of metamizol either at the beginning of inflammation or when hyperexcitability was fully established. In both cases, the antinociceptive effect of metamizol was reduced by a microinjection of AM251, an antagonist at the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, either into the LVL‐PAG or into the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM). The RVM is a downstream structure that funnels PAG‐derived descending inhibition into the spinal cord. These results show that endocannabinoids and their CB1 receptor (1) contribute at the LVL‐PAG to the antinociceptive effects of metamizol, and possibly other non‐opioid analgesics; and (2) participate in the PAG‐derived activation of RVM descending antinociceptive influences.
The effect of catechol‐O‐methyltransferase polymorphisms on pain is modified by depressive symptoms
Authors: Schwahn C. , Grabe H.J. , Schwabedissen H. Meyer zu , Teumer A. , Schmidt C.O. , Brinkman C. , Kocher T. , Nauck M. , Völzke H. , Biffar R. , Bernhardt O.
Published: December 2011

Background

Variations within the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene have been associated with pain severity in temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Psychological factors such as personal conflicts, life stress and depression, are well known to be associated with onset, severity and chronicity of pain disorders.

Aim

We hypothesized that the relationship between the COMT gene and TMD pain is modified by depressive symptoms.

Methods

Cross‐sectional data from the population‐based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) in Germany were used to estimate additive interactions between depressive symptoms and 22 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the COMT gene and the neighbouring thioredoxin reductase 2 (TXNRD2) gene on TMD pain. All participants were Caucasian subjects from a rural area in Northeast Germany. After exclusion of 79 subjects with antidepressant medication, 29.9% of the remaining 3904 subjects reported lifetime depressive symptoms. TMD pain was assessed by a standardized clinical examination. Among various TMD signs, only those that assessed muscle or joint pain on palpation were used as recommended.

Results

Six SNPs from the first of three COMT/TXNRD2 haploblocks interacted with depressive symptoms on TMD pain (smallest p‐value: 2.7 × 10−10). In subjects without depressive symptoms, rs5993882 was identified as the SNP most likely to be related to TMD pain. In subjects with symptoms of depression, rs1544325 was the corresponding top COMT SNP.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that variants within the COMT gene are associated with pain perception. However, this association is highly moderated by the absence or presence of lifetime depressive symptoms.
Randomized controlled trial of the combined monoaminergic and opioid investigational compound GRT9906 in painful polyneuropathy
Authors: Sindrup S.H. , Konder R. , Lehmann R. , Meier T. , Winkel M. , Ashworth J. , Baron R. , Jensen T.S.
Published: December 2011

GRT9906 is an investigational novel compound with μ‐opioid receptor agonism and inhibition of noradrenalin/serotonin re‐uptake. In this randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, three‐way cross‐over trial in painful polyneuropathy, the efficacy and safety of GRT9906 was assessed and compared with tramadol. During 4‐week treatment periods, daily oral doses of either GRT9906 120–240 mg, or placebo, or tramadol 200–400 mg were given. These were separated by 1‐week washout periods. The primary endpoint was the average pain intensity (average of daily current pain intensity over the last 3 days of each treatment period rated on a 0 to 10‐point numeric rating scale). One hundred seventeen patients were enrolled and 64 were randomized to one of six treatment sequences. Forty‐seven patients qualified for the per protocol analysis. GRT9906 reduced average pain intensity by 2.1 points compared with a reduction of 0.6 points on placebo (p < 0.0001) and 2.4 points on tramadol. GRT9906 also improved scores on the sleep problem scale and the neuropathic pain symptom inventory and scored better than placebo on the patient global impression of change. Numbers needed to treat to obtain one patient with more than 50% pain relief was 3.9 (95% CI 2.4–11.5) for both GRT9906 and tramadol. The most frequently reported adverse events were nausea, fatigue, constipation and sleep disorder for GRT9906 and tramadol. Four patients dropped out due to adverse events during both GRT9906 and tramadol treatment and two dropped out during placebo treatment. In conclusion, in painful polyneuropathy, GRT9906 demonstrated analgesic efficacy with a magnitude of effect comparable with tramadol and was well tolerated.
Questioning and Creating: A Model for Curriculum Reform
Authors: TAYLOR CALVIN W. , HARDING HAROLD F.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT Creativity research has unsettled education by newly defining neglected abilities, and by proposing new methods like training in questioning abilities, but conventional methods do not encourage students to learn or think by asking good questions. We need to cultivate the full spectrum of talents by bridging the research—classroom practice gap. A proposed three‐dimensional model for analyzing curricula, courses, and classes would show us where we are not doing a good job in teaching students to think while we are simultaneously teaching them subject‐matter content. Content is best learned as a by‐product of thinking or learning processes. The proposed model capitalizes on transfer effects of both processes and content, and may be of value in working, not only with those highest in a talent, but also with the educationally deprived. Every student should learn to use each of his abilities at some point in the educational process, but different teachers may specialize in various contents, processes, or methods.
Actions Speak Louder*
Authors: PAPANEK VICTOR J.
Published: December 2011

If the current trend of participatory programs catches on, we may get more design and less rhetoric at design conferences in the future.
Information Processing and New Ideas — Lateral and Vertical Thinking*
Authors: de BONO EDWARD
Published: December 2011

‘Vertical thinking is concerned with digging the same hole deeper. Lateral thinking is concerned with digging the hole somewhere else.’ This is how the author differentiates between the two types of thinking.

Education, according to the author, only teaches vertical thinking because lateral thinking has always seemed impossible to teach. He then outlines why (with the increased interest in creativity and the computer) there is growing interest in the thinking processes.

Describing how the brain operates and how creative behaviour may be increased Dr. de Bono goes on to discuss the nature of vertical thinking. It is sequential, based on the idea that one must not be wrong, works on the most promising approach, only moves in a planned direction, only considers the relevant, and tends to build up large established patterns.

To describe the lateral thinking process the author poses a number of problems discussing their solution and the difficulties which people normally encounter in solving these problems.

Finally, he sets out the four main categories of the techniques of lateral thinking; and the reader's attention is drawn to several books which Dr. de Bono has written on the subject.
A Comparative Analysis of Entrepreneur and College Business Student Values
Authors: SOLOMON GEORGE T. , FERNALD LLOYD W.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT Both entrepreneurs and senior‐level college business students were surveyed to determine similarities and differences in their values, under the premise that students who share similar values with those held by entrepreneurs may have promise of entrepreneurial potential. All respondents were administered the Rokeach Value Survey which, through a process of rank‐ordering, is used to determine two hierarchies of value importance for individuals.

The first hierarchy reflects an individual's terminal value system, or those values associated with end‐states of existence. The second hierarchy reflects an individual's instrumental value system, or those values associated with modes of conduct. The resulting data provided a tabulation of medians, rank order composites and levels of significance for the terminal and instrumental values, respectively, of both samples.

Rank order composites were used as general indices in comparing the position of a particular value in the total hierarchy of values and for comparing the position of a particular value across the two groups. Emphasis was placed on those values which were ranked very low or very high by the entrepreneurs. Comparisons of student value rankings relative to those values the entrepreneurs held highest and lowest were then conducted. The findings indicated that there were value differences between the total sample of entrepreneurs and students, as well as between female entrepreneurs and female student values, but there were few differences between male entrepreneur and male student values.

In addition to the above comparisons, median analysis between entrepreneur and student terminal and instrumental values were conducted. An examination of the general population of entrepreneurs and students revealed that twelve of the eighteen terminal values of the entrepreneurs and students were significantly different at the (.05) level Only four of the eighteen instrumental values were significantly different (.05) level between the entrepreneurs and students.

The median analysis between male entrepreneurs and male student values showed no significant differences. However, the median analysis between female entrepreneur and female student values showed that seven of the eighteen instrumental and eleven of the eighteen terminal values were significantly different at the (.05) level.

Although not examined, it is likely that individual students in the sample do share the value profiles of the entrepreneurs. If so, and if generally accepted value profiles are established for entrepreneurs, such students might be counseled to consider the entrepreneurial life.
Differential Motivating Factors Among Intrapreneurial and Traditional Managers?: A Look At The Influence Of Reward Systems and Structures On Performance Among Intrapreneurial and Traditional Managers
Authors: BRAZEAL DEBORAH V. , WEAVER K. MARK
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT This paper examines the influence of rewards and structures on the performance of managers in positions defined as intrapreneurial and those defined as traditional managerial. Results indicated that financially oriented rewards and loosely coupled structures more strongly influenced the performance of intrapreneurial managers than the performance of traditional managers. The findings suggest that such measures may be key ingredients to enhance organizational environment.
Leadership of Creative Teams*
Authors: KOLB JUDITH A.
Published: December 2011

Where there is a history of teamwork and cooperation, where multiple centers of resources exist, and where integrative sentiments prevail over territoriality, then the efforts of innovation are more likely to succeed … Innovation may be the only hope for the time ahead. (Kanter, 1984, p. 55)
Assessment of the Long Term Effects of the Master of Science Degree in Creative Studies on its Graduates
Authors: FIRESTIEN ROGER L. , LUNKEN HEDRIA PORRATH
Published: December 2011

This article will report the results of a study that was conducted to determine the long‐term impact of the Master of Science Degree in Creative Studies, at Buffalo State College, on the personal and professional lives of the program graduates.

A questionnaire designed to assess how graduate study in creativity has impacted graduates' personal and professional lives was sent to all program graduates.

Analysis of the responses of the 38 Creative Studies graduates who completed the questionnaire indicated that study in creativity has significantly influenced their lives and is an integral part of their personal and professional activities.

The authors would like to thank the following individuals for their valuable assistance in the development of this study: Scott Isaksen, Mary Murdock, Donald Treffinger, E. Paul Torrance, Ruth Noller, Sidney Parnes, Andrew Joniak, Gerard Puccio, K. Brian Dorval, and graduates of the Master of Science Degree in Creative Studies at Buffalo State College.
Qualitative Changes in Creativity in the Second Half of life: A Life‐Span Developmental Perspective
Authors: SASSER‐COEN JENNIFER R.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT Research on the relationship between creativity and age has been based on two seemingly incompatible sets of assumptions. The deficit approach maintains and has demonstrated that creative productivity and age have a linear relationship—that is, creativity declines over the life‐span. The alternate approach, upon which the present paper is founded, maintains that creative productivity and creative ability are not identical. Further, this life‐span developmental approach posits that supposed declines in creativity actually may reflect qualitative changes in the underlying creative process. Thus, different stages of the life‐span are characterized by different kinds of creativity. Empirical and theoretical literature on wisdom and mature forms of thinking will be used to further answer the central questions of this paper: what might creativity in the second half of life look like?
Two Alternative Approaches to Creating Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Activity: Bridging the Divide Between Academics and Entrepreneurs
Authors: WEAVER K. MARK
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT The concept of University based centers for the development of entrepreneurial activities is often seen as ivory tower feather bedding. This paper shows how an emerging center in Norway and an award winning center in Alabama have set goals and established procedures to bridge gaps and misconception between academics and entrepreneurs.
A Critical Path Analysis of Scientific Productivity
Authors: LOEHLE CRAIG
Published: December 2011

Critical path analysis is proposed as a framework for problems of scientific productivity. Scientific productions are critical path problems because a single failed step in a project is sufficient to ruin an experiment or keep a paper from being published. For critical path processes, the probability of failure is a power function of the number of steps. Thus, project success is nonlinearly related to both the skill level and the number of sequential or critical path steps. A queuing model simulation of scientific production is presented. Results for short and long productions are shown to match documented lifetime publication rates of the most prolific (high skill level) and of average scientists (lower skill level). In this model creativity may decrease productivity by shifting the focus to more time consuming problems, increase productivity if the creativity resolves bottlenecks or eliminates problem steps, or have no effect if technique (e.g., observational skill) dominates the project's time budget. Sociological factors affecting productivity can also be integrated into the model. The model has the advantage that it can be tested against scientific diaries and by constructing time budgets and failure analyses of ongoing projects.
The Du Pont Oz Creative Thinking Network
Authors: TANNER DAVID
Published: December 2011

The OZ Creative Thinking Network is a volunteer group of Du Pont employees devoted to educating themselves and others in the field of creativity and innovation. This network was organized in 1986 and has a current membership of over 600 employees. It illustrates the power of grass roots support for learning and applying the skills of creative thinking, a field that people intrinsically value. An OZ project led to publication in 1990 of a book entitled “ARE WE CREATIVE YET?” that couples essays expressing concepts in creativity and innovation with Bob Thaves' Frank and Ernest cartoons.
The Imagery‐Creativity Connection
Authors: DANIELS‐McGHEE SUSAN , DAVIS GARY A.
Published: December 2011

This paper reviews historical and contemporary highlights of the role of imagery in creativity. Plato linked imagery to memory, while Aristotle felt images provided substance for thought. Simonides and renaissance philosophers recognized imagery as a useful memory aid. Imagery was replaced by a focus on words in both the Protestant Reformation period and behavioristic psychology. Imagery appears in the theories of Freud, Jung, Piaget, Guilford, and Gardner; the prescriptions of educators Pestalozzi and Montessori; and contemporary cognitive psychology. Quotes from Beethoven, Einstein, and others confirm their imagery in all sensory modes and often cross‐modal imagery. Recent creativity models emphasize voluntary (executive) and involuntary control of imagery, including decoupling of perceptual mechanisms. Creativity techniques and imagery exercises seem to aid creative thinking.

Our common‐sense and dictionary definitions of creativity include the concept of imagination, the ability to form a mental image of something not present. Anecdotal reminiscences by Einstein, Beethoven, and other eminent innovators confirm the obvious — that mental imagery and creativity are related intimately. For example, creative writing has been conceived as creating images based on memories and/or current experiences and combining and synthesizing them in novel ways. The writing is described as a recursive process of moving back and forth between these representations and the prose itself (Flower & Hayes, 1984; Long & Hiebert, 1985).

Despite the self‐evident general connection, a debate continues in education and psychology regarding the precise role that imagery plays in learning, thought, and creativity. For example, Forisha (1978, p. 209) noted that “we have tended to ignore the variability and complexity of imagery — as well as the varieties of creativity — and thus have only skirted the complexities and multiplicities of the interrelationships.” In this report we will review some historical highlights of the imagery‐creativity connection, including early and contemporary accounts, along with some notable examples of imagery in the creative process. We also will look at cross‐modal imagery (synesthesia); a model of image‐based creativity and the creative process; and some implications for strengthening creativity by fostering imagination.
Getting Out of Ruts A Laboratory Study of a Cognitive Model of Reframing
Authors: LIPSHITZ RAANAN , WAINGORTIN MARIO
Published: December 2011

The theory of Action Identification predicts that people are more likely to adopt a novel course of action if they concentrate on the how rather than the why aspects of their behavior. This study tested two hypotheses derived from the theory: (a) Operating at a low level of action identification increases the likelihood of problem reframing, and (b) High level of action identification induces perseverance with solutions that are compatible with currently held frames, whereas low level of action identification induces change to solutions that are compatible with alternative frames. The hypotheses were tested by presenting subjects with two case descriptions of problem solving in the real world. The results show that Action Identification can be used as a cognitive model of reframing.
Creativity, Gender and The Family: A Study of Creative Writers
Authors: POHLMAN LIVIA
Published: December 2011

Based on interviews with 20 creative writers, this study explores the relationship between creativity and the family. Although most research in this area addresses the effect of parental influences on young creators, this study examines the effect of being a parent and a spouse once adult creators establish families of their own. The family affects writers in terms of (a) gender expectations, (b) material and symbolic constraints of parenthood, and (c) social support provided by spouses. These social forces affect men and women differently, and may help explain why there have been so few female creators. Locating creativity within the context of family relationships will further expand the study of creativity from a psychological phenomenon to a social process.
The Creative Identity: Creative Behavior From The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Authors: PETKUS ED
Published: December 2011

This paper outlines a framework for understanding the motivation of certain creative behaviors from the perspective of symbolic interactionism. The fundamental tenets of symbolic interactionism are described, followed by a discussion of the mechanics of symbolic interactionist‐based role‐identity theory, and how the theory can be applied to the motivation of creative behavior. The paper also addresses directions for practical application and future research in this area.
Electronic Creativity Techniques for Organizational Innovation
Authors: SIAU KENG L.
Published: December 2011

Innovation is the key to survival. Domestic and international competitions, changing government regulations, and rapidly evolving global market conditions demand constant and visionary innovation. The aim of this paper is to explore ways of using advance electronic and communication technology to improve innovation in organizations. This paper proposes that two group creativity techniques, PMI and synectics, should be implemented electronically in Group Support Systems to complement electronic brainstorming and support group idea generation. Not only are these two group creativity techniques well‐developed and popular in the industry, their electronic counterparts have the added capability of transcending space and time constraints. A comparison of electronic brainstorming, PMI, synectics, and their verbal counterparts is discussed in the paper.
Creativity in the Workplace: People, Problems, and Structures
Authors: MUMFORD MICHAEL D. , SIMONTON DEAN KEITH
Published: December 2011

In a dynamic global economy, creativity and innovation are essential requirements for organizational success. Creativity, unfortunately, has not always been seen as playing an important role in the design and structure of organizations. In this article, we argue that creativity and innovation are key requirements for the growth and adaptation of organizations. Subsequently, we review a series of articles, appearing in this issue, about how we might encourage creativity and innovation in the workplace. Some potentially useful directions for future research are discussed along with the methodological issues likely to arise as we seek to understand creativity in the workplace.
Entrepreneurial Creativity Through Motivational Synergy
Authors: AMABILE TERESA M.
Published: December 2011

This paper defines and describes entrepreneurial creativity, which is the generation and implementation of novel, appropriate ideas to establish a new venture. Entrepreneurial creativity can be exhibited in established organizations as well as in start‐up firms. The central thesis of this paper is that entrepreneurial creativity requires a combination of intrinsic motivation and certain kinds of extrinsic motivation — a motivational synergy that results when strong levels of personal interest and involvement are combined with the promise of rewards that confirm competence, support skill development, and enable future achievement.
Perceptions of Brainstorming in Groups: The Quality Over Quantity Hypothesis
Authors: ROWATT WADE C. , NESSELROADE K. PAUL , BEGGAN JAMES K. , ALLISON SCOTT T.
Published: December 2011

Our research focused on the implicit beliefs of potential brainstormers about the possible outcomes of brainstorming. We conducted four studies to assess the relative importance of quality and quantity as goals of brainstorming. In Study 1, we found evidence for a quality over quantity hypothesis: participants indicated that it was more important to produce creative, original, and high quality ideas than to generate a large number of ideas. In Studies 2 and 3, participants displayed support for the quality over quantity hypothesis by showing in group favoritism for a quality dimension but not a quantity dimension. Study 4 showed that participants believed brain‐storming would enhance the quality of others' ideas more than one's own ideas, but they did not display a similar bias about idea quantity.
Traditional Education and Creativity in an Afro‐Arab. Islamic Culture: The Case of Sudan
Authors: KHALEEFA OMAR H. , ERDOS GEORGE , ASHRIA IKHLAS H.
Published: December 2011

This study investigated the differing effect upon creativity of traditional and modern education in the Sudan. The salient characteristics of the two types are presented, with a brief discussion of their likely effects. Four creativity tests, suitably modified for local conditions, were administered to 264 male and female students, with an age range of 15–20 years. The results indicated that the group receiving modern education performed significantly better than the traditionally educated group on two of the four creativity tests, but with equal performance on one test. The traditionally educated group performed significantly better on the fourth test. The discussion suggests there are a number of factors, both sociocultural and methodological, which may account for these findings.
The Creative Mode of Being
Authors: KOKOT SHIRLEY J. , COLMAN JANE
Published: December 2011

Because of misperceptions about the nature of creativity, many creative children are misunderstood in and out of their classrooms. Based on a close association with creative adults and childrenn, the authors postulate that creativity is a state of being that is challenged by the socialization process in Western civilization. The authors envisage two differing states of being namely, an essential and a conventional. These states represent end points on a continuum. Creative adults speak of their struggle to try and regain something of their original state of being. Understanding creative children who are closer to the essential state is important for their emotional well‐being and the nurturing of their creativity.
Apollo 13 Creativity: In‐the‐Box Innovation
Authors: KING MARGARET J.
Published: December 2011

A study of the Apollo 13 mission, based on the themes showcased in the acclaimed 1995 film, reveals the grace under pressure that is the condition of optimal creativity. “Apollo 13 Creativity” is a cultural and creative problem‐solving appreciation of the thinking style that made the Apollo mission succeed: creativity under severe limitations. Although creativity is often considered a “luxury good,” of concern mainly for personal enrichment, the arts, and performance improvement, in life‐or‐death situations it is the critical pathway not only to success but to survival. In this case, the original plan for a moon landing had to be transformed within a matter of hours into a return to earth. By precluding failure as an option at the outset, both space and ground crews were forced to adopt a new perspective on their resources and options to solve for a successful landing. This now‐classic problem provides a range of principles for creative practice and motivation applicable in any situation. The extreme situation makes these points dramatically.
Creative Problem Solving Groups at the Edge of Chaos
Authors: GUASTELLO STEPHEN J.
Published: December 2011

Mathematical concepts of chaos and self‐organization were used to reinterpret the chance‐configuration process for creative problem solving. Transcripts from three problem solving discussions involving eight or fewer social scientists were analyzed by nonlinear regression to determine whether the groups' productivity was chaotic over time and if control variables were in evidence. It was shown that productivity was chaotic as evidenced by a positive Lyapunov exponent, strongly correlated with the number of active discussion threads, and also dependent on the people‐discussion combination. The number of discussion threads, in turn, acted as a driver function that triggered chaosticity in overall performance. The results suggested numerous new studies for investigating dynamical processes in creative thought.
Are Some Cognitive Styles More Creatively Productive than Others?
Authors: GUASTELL STEPHEN J. , SHISSLER JAMES , DRISCOLL JOHN , HYDE TREVOR
Published: December 2011

The conceptual similarities among several taxonomies of cognitive style were examined, and common themes emerged concerning their expected contributions to creative output. In the first of two studies, 626 adults from a range of creative occupations, including undergraduates, completed a measure of their quantity of creative output in several domains and their dominant cognitive style out of eight options. In the second, 277 undergraduates reported the extent to which they engaged in any of the eight styles along with the same indicator of creative output. Results showed substantial positive correlations between innovator, synthesizer, and planner styles with productivity, with negative and null relationships for other styles. Furthermore, creative output was highest for people who engaged in a wide repertoire of cognitive styles. It is recommended that creativity training or enhancement programs continue to allocate time to repertoire developement.
A Study of the Development of Young Artists: The Emergence of on Artistic and Creative Identity
Authors: ROSTAN SUSAN M.
Published: December 2011

This study explored what children have to say about making art and the sense of self as they begin to make art. Thirty‐nine children, ranging in age from 8 to 11 and enrolled in a private after‐school art enrichment class, participated in this study of young artists. The study involved individual interviews with all participants, inviting them to describe the focus of their painting projects, experiences in the process of making art, what it means to them to be an artist, and what it means to be creative. Two independent raters summarized the transcribed interviews, revealing age‐related qualitative changes in skill development as well as in ‘participants’ conceptions of what it means to be an artist and what it means to be creative. The investigation further revealed that conceptions of what it means to be an artist and to be creative reflected the artistic focus, just as the artistic focus reflected conceptions about being an artist and being creative. The motivation to work hard at developing skills was clearly evident in the young artists' descriptions of their artistic focus, and in their conceptions of just what it means to be an artist.
Problem Finding, Creativity Style and the Musical Compositions of High School Students
Authors: BRINKMAN DAVID J.
Published: December 2011

This study sought to understand the effect of problem finding and creativity style on the creative musical product. Participants (N= 32) were categorized by creativity style (adaptor or innovator) using theKirton Adaption‐Innovation Inventory. The participants completed two musical composition problems involving two different degrees of problem finding behaviors: an open (ill defined) and a closed (more defined) problem. The resulting products were scored for creativity by three judges using a modified version of Amabile's “consensual assessment technique.” A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The independent variables were composition problem type and creativity style, and the dependent variable was the creativity score on the open and closed problems. No significant differences due to problem type, creativity style, or the interaction of the two factors was found. This research supports the assertion of Kirton that adaption‐innovation theory is a measure of creativity style rather than creativity level, but calls into question its use in individual creativity style.
East‐West Difference in Views on Creativity: Is Howard Gardner Correct? Yes, and No
Authors: CHENG SOH KAY
Published: December 2011

The cultural aspect of creativity has in recent years begun to attract the attention of creativity researchers both at the conceptual and empirical levels. Howard Gardner posits a performance‐oriented regimental approach to creativity in China, based on his visit to the country a decade ago. He also proposes five assumptions underlying such an approach. The present study tests these conceptions empirically by contrasting the views of Singapore teachers steeped in Chinese culture with those in the Western tradition. Teachers' choices of action contradict Gardner's contention but his assumptions are largely supported.
Reanalyses of Student Responses to Creativity Checklists: Evidence of Content Generality
Authors: PLUCKER JONATHAN A.
Published: December 2011

The question of whether creativity is content general (i.e., applied similarly across content areas) or content specific (i.e., applied differently across content areas) is one of the most controversial issues in contemporary creativity research, with recent studies providing support for both positions. Reanalyses of data from three previously published studies suggest that, contrary to the results of recent research, a content general factor may explain 40 — 50% of the variance in creativity checklist scores. The results are analyzed in light of other studies, and a hypothesis regarding the content generality‐specificity of creativity is provided to guide future research efforts.
Supportive Classroom Environments For Creativity in Higher Education
Authors: COLE DARNELL G. , SUGIOKA HEATHER L. , YAMAGATA‐LYNCH LISA C.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT This qualitative study was an investigation of a supportive classroom environment for developing student creativity. Observations and interview data collected focused on assessment, classroom activities, and the teacher's effort in creating this supportive environment. Teacher‐student relationships, de‐emphasizing standardized assessment, and encouraging multiple perspectives was significant to this creative milieu.
Academic Performance of High School Students as a Function of Mental Capacity, Cognitive Style, Mobility‐Fixity Dimension, and Creativity
Authors: NIAZ MANSOOR , DE NÚÑEZ GRECIA SAUD , DE PINEDA ISÁNGELA RUIZ
Published: December 2011

The purpose of this study is to explore how creativity and the cognitive variables (mental capacity, cognitive style & mobility‐fixity dimension) can explain academic performance of high school students. Students at a high school in Maturin (Venezuela) were tested to determine creativity (Torrance Tests), cognitive variables and academic performance. Results based on multiple regression analyses showed that the mobility‐fixity dimension was the most consistent predictor of academic performance, by explaining a significant amount of the variance in Spanish, English, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Mathematics, Physics and the Mean score. Creativity scores explained a significant amount of the variance in Spanish, Geography, Earth Science and the Mean score. It appears that the mobility‐fixity dimension and creativity although related, perhaps represent different aspects of academic performance.
The Unbiased Mind: A Possible Resource for Medical Problems
Authors: BLUMENFELD AARON J. , BOOTH DAVID , LOSSING ALAN G.
Published: December 2011

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the problem solving abilities of school‐aged children. The study took place at the summer day camp program at Howard Public School, in Etobicoke, Ontario. There were 15 children (6 boys, 9 girls) with a mean age at the time of testing of 5.1 years. A medical problem with a known solution (concept of a flow‐directed device to determine pulmonary wedge pressure) was presented to 15 children in the form of a children's story. The children were then asked to solve the problem by completing the story. A successful answer was taken to be any that suggested a flow‐directed device. The results showed that of the 15 children who read the story, four suggested flow‐directed methodologies. Other non‐practical, but creative, solutions were suggested. The findings suggest that by translating a previously solved medical problem into a simplistic children's story, preschoolers may provide a conceptual solution.
The Second Chance Project: Creative Approaches to Developing the Talents of At‐Risk Native Inmates
Authors: PLACE DAVID J. , McCLUSKEY ANDREA L. A. , McCLUSKEY KEN W. , TREFFINGER DONALD J.
Published: December 2011

This study compared the recidivism rate of two groups of Native Canadian inmates. The experimental group of offenders received intensive pre‐release support, including counseling, training in Creative Problem Solving, career awareness sessions (including résumé writing, interviewing, and impression management), and on‐the‐job experience. Inmates in the control group received no such support; at sentences' end, they were simply released into society to fend for themselves. The results indicated that recidivism can be reduced by a meaningful support program. Individuals in the experimental group were much less likely to re‐offend than those in the untreated control group.
Transliminality and Creativity
Authors: THALBOURNE MICHAEL A.
Published: December 2011

Using 50 psychology undergraduates, an attempt was made to find positive correlations between, on the one hand, transliminality (psychological material crossing thresholds into or out of consciousness), and on the other hand, (item‐corrected) creative personality, and figure‐complexity preference (as given by the Revised Barron‐Welsh Art Scale: a measure of creativity). Only the correlation between transliminality and creative personality was significant. There was also a significant and high test‐retest reliability coefficient for the Transliminality Scale, as well as a significant positive correlation between creative personality and paranormal belief.
A Statistical Analysis of Special Cases of Creativity
Authors: HUBER JOHN C.
Published: December 2011

For some special cases of creativity, we find that its occurrence in each individual's career is random and Poisson‐distributed. That is, the rate of production of outputs is constant over each individual's career. The exceptions to this rule are no more than what would be expected by chance fluctuation alone. The distribution of individual productivity across each sample is exponential. That is, most individuals have low productivity and few have high productivity. Similarly, the distribution of career duration is also exponential. We show that these findings are in substantial agreement with the Campbell‐Simonton theory of creativity. We also show that these findings are consistent with the statistics of exceedances.
A Review on the Study of Creativity in Singapore
Authors: TAN AI‐GIRL
Published: December 2011

This paper reviews the study of creativity in Singapore. Three questions are asked. What is the current status of the study of creativity in Singapore? What kinds of creativity studies have been conducted? What are the future directions of Singaporean creativity research? PsycLIT and Eric databases, as well as resources in Singapore libraries such as journals, proceedings, and books are searched. The study of creativity is grouped into five categories, namely conceptual framework, conceptions of creativity (empirical), creative competence (empirical), creativity programs, and creative pedagogy. This review intends to contribute to the literature of creativity and the understanding of human creativity. Future directions of Singapore's creativity research should address several issues including theories or models, methods and instruments, the sample, research agenda, and research network.
Enhancing Creative Performance: Effects of Expected Developmental Assessment Strategies and Creative Personality
Authors: ZHOU JING , OLDHAM GREG R.
Published: December 2011

This study examined the independent and joint effects of expected developmental assessment strategies (self‐administered, other‐administered, and no assessment) and creative personality on individuals' creative performance. Data were collected from 68 participants who performed a role‐playing task in a laboratory setting. Results showed that individuals exhibited the highest creative performance when they expected a self‐administered assessment (i.e., an opportunity to assess their own work in order to develop their creativity‐relevant skills) and had creative personalities.
Collaborative Sketching (C‐Sketch) — An Idea Generation Technique for Engineering Design
Authors: SHAH JAMI J. , VARGAS‐HERNANDEZ NOE , SUMMERS JOSHUA D. , KULKARNI SANTOSH
Published: December 2011

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a technique (C‐Sketch) for concept generation in a collaborative engineering design setting. The paper reviews both the intrinsic merit of C‐Sketch, as well as relative merit compared to other techniques in the same class. This analysis is based on results from experiments conducted over five years. Both the process and outcome were evaluated, with greater emphasis on the latter. This study found that C‐Sketch not only has intrinsic merit, but also measures higher in all outcomes when compared to Method 6‐3‐5. Also, C‐Sketch was at least as good as the Gallery Method in the quality of ideas produced and better in variety and novelty of ideas. This paper is a consolidation of all empirical studies related to C‐Sketch.
Relations between University Teachers' Assessed Degree of Creativity and Productivity and Views Regarding Their Organization
Authors: RYHAMMAR LARS , ANDERSSON ALF L.
Published: December 2011

A stratified sample of 118 university teachers took part in an investigation in which they assessed their organization on 17 dimensions. Two of the dimensions, creativity and productivity, were regarded as consequences of organizational conditions. Each of two factor analyses carried out, one including gender and the other not, yielded five factors, one of them formed by the dimensions of creativity, productivity, sufficient resources, and organizational climate. Productivity was also found to be related to the variables of human orientation, developmental orientation and academic values.
Development and Validation of the Chinese Creative Writing Scale for Primary School Students in Hong Kong
Authors: CHEUNG WAI MING , TSE SHEK KAM , TSANG WING HONG HECTOR
Published: December 2011

The 13‐item Chinese Creative Writing Scale was expanded and modified from the Carlson Originality Scale to assess creativity elements in compositions of primary school students in Hong Kong. The content validity was endorsed by a small expert panel. Results show that the scale has excellent interrater reliability (.90 to .98), and moderate to good internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis shows that the three factors (flexibility, originality, and fluency) accounted for 59.1% of the variability, which is consistent with the design of the scale. The scale can also be used as an outcome measure for assessing the effectiveness of strategies which aim at enhancing creativity of students. With minor modifications, the scale can also be applied in mainland China, Taiwan, and Chinese societies elsewhere in the world.