According to Mednick’s (1962) theory of individual differences in creativity, creative individuals appear to have a richer and more flexible associative network than less creative individuals. Thus, creative individuals are characterized by “flat” (broader associations) instead of “steep” (few, common associations) associational hierarchies. To study these differences, we implement a novel computational approach to the study of semantic networks, through the analysis of free associations. The core notion of our method is that concepts in the network are related to each (...) other by their association correlations - overlap of similar associative responses (“association clouds”). We began by collecting a large sample of participants who underwent several creativity measurements and used a decision tree approach to divide the sample into low and high creative groups. Next, each group underwent a free association generation paradigm which allowed us to construct and analyze the semantic networks of both groups. Comparison of the semantic memory networks of persons with low creative ability and persons with high creative ability revealed differences between the two networks. The semantic memory network of persons with low creative ability seems to be more rigid, compared to the network of persons with high creative ability, in the sense that it is more spread out and breaks apart into more sub-parts. We discuss how our findings are in accord and extend Mednick’s (1962) theory and the feasibility of using network science paradigms to investigate high level cognition. (shrink)

Our reply to Fabian Freyenhagen’s article “Was ist orthodoxe Kritische Theorie?” (DZPhil 65.3 [2017], 456-469) raises the question whether his proposal that Critical Theory only “be adequately and appropriately critical” without a program of justification spares the search for any general criteria. Answering negatively we conversely want to recall, particularly with regard to Horkheimers’s and Adornos’s Dialectic of Enlightment as well as Habermas‘s concept of an emancipatory interest, that such a criterion as a normative foundation of critique is crucial not (...) only for systematical purposes, but also recognised as necessary in this respect by Adorno, who Freyenhagen wants to play off against programs of justification. Critical Theory needs to be clear in this respect. Against this background we are questioning Freyenhagen‘s recourse to an “interest in abolishing social injustice” as the “only criterion for Critical Theory.” Because Freyenhagen ignores the fact that Critical Theory has been understood by its representatives in a twofold manner – as a theoretical program of justification for one and secondly as a cultural diagnosis – his plea for an orthodox Critical Theory is endangered by decisionism. (shrink)

The associative theory of creativity states that creativity is associated with differences in the structure of semantic memory, whereas the executive theory of creativity emphasises the role of top-down control for creative thought. For a powerful test of these accounts, individual semantic memory structure was modelled with a novel method based on semantic relatedness judgements and different criteria for network filtering were compared. The executive account was supported by a correlation between creative ability and broad retrieval ability. The associative account (...) was independently supported, when network filtering was based on a relatedness threshold, but not when it was based on a fixed edge number or on the analysis of weighted networks. In the former case, creative ability was associated with shorter average path lengths and higher clustering of the network, suggesting that the semantic networks of creative people show higher small-worldness. (shrink)

We prove that if λ is a strong limit singular cardinal and κ a regular uncountable cardinal < λ, then NSκλ, the non-stationary ideal over [Formula: see text], is nowhere precipitous. We also show that under the same hypothesis every stationary subset of [Formula: see text] can be partitioned into λκ disjoint stationary sets.

We show that if κ is an inaccessible cardinal then P κ λ splits into $\lambda^{ many disjoint stationary subsets. We also show that if P κ λ carries a strongly saturated ideal then the nonstationary ideal cannot be λ + -saturated.

Ivancovsky et al. explore the relationship between curiosity and creativity, by suggesting they align through novelty-seeking mechanisms. We argue that a general mechanism linking both capacities together is question-asking: Curiosity drives question-asking that leads to creative problem solving. Yet, current findings from our lab suggest that question complexity relates to creativity, but not necessarily to curiosity, warranting further investigation.

In their examination of elementary science classrooms, Amerine and Bilmes (1988) found that following instructions requires students to understand the relationship between the projected outcome and the corresponding course of actions. One of the most important resources for instructions is the lesson plan, which prescribes the sequence of teaching. However, there is often a gap between what is planned and what actually happens in the classroom. This raises the question of how teachers come to terms with contingent variants and unexpected (...) outcomes that real-time interactions occasion and how lesson plans are configured into these processes. This study examines a teacher education program that uses lesson plans as a central resource for teaching mathematics. The results suggest that classroom teachers use lesson plans as communicative resources to identify problems, specify assumptions about their teaching and act on the evolving contingency of classroom interaction. The interactional contingency is the locus of teaching practices, not an obstacle to the application of procedures in lesson plans. (shrink)

Storytelling is a central aspect of everyday interaction, frequently observed in the routines of conversational exchanges. It involves managing multiple turns where utterances are linked to form a coherent sequence. This connectedness allows recipients to interpret a series of turns as a unified whole. However, recipients may sometimes question this coherence. Such challenges can disrupt the progressivity of storytelling, obliging tellers to resume their narratives. Following the analytic traditions of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (CA), this study examines how topical coherence (...) is questioned and managed in storytelling sequences when factual details and narrative content are problematized. Although CA has explored interactive storytelling, less attention has been given to the work of topical maintenance. Analyzing 27 storytelling sessions with second-language tellers, this paper reveals how recipient challenges can interrupt the story’s anticipated trajectory, and how tellers restore coherence through interactive negotiation. The findings illustrate that coherence maintenance involves more than language adjustments; it reveals the methodical nature of commonsense reasoning during conversational storytelling. (shrink)

In this paper we will present a simple condition for an ideal to be nowhere precipitous. Through this condition we show nowhere precipitousness of fundamental ideals onPkλ, in particular the non-stationary idealNSkλunder cardinal arithmetic assumptions.In this sectionIdenotes a non-principal ideal on an infinite setA. LetI+=PA/I(ordered by inclusion as a forcing notion) andI∣X= {Y⊂A:Y⋂X∈I}, which is also an ideal onAforX∈I+. We refer the reader to [8, Section 35] for the general theory of generic ultrapowers associated with an ideal. We recallIis said (...) to be precipitous if ⊨I+“Ult(V, Ġ) is well-founded” [9].The central notion of this paper is a strong negation of precipitousness [1]:Definition.Iis nowhere precipitous ifI∣Xis not precipitous for everyX∈ I+i.e., ⊨I+“Ult(V, Ġ) is ill-founded.”It is useful to characterize nowhere precipitousness in terms of infinite games (see [11, Section 27]). Consider the following gameG(I) between two players, Nonempty and Empty [5]. Nonempty and Empty alternately chooseXn∈I+andYn∈I+respectively so thatXn⊃Yn⊃n+1. After ω moves, Empty wins the game if⋂n<ωXn=⋂n<ωYn= Ø.See [5, Theorem 2] for a proof of the following characterization.Proposition.I is nowhere precipitous if and only if Empty has a winning strategy in G(I). (shrink)

A complete picture of shamanism's cultural evolution requires an understanding of how the professionalization of shamanism affects the distribution of knowledge within societies. We suggest that limiting knowledge to fewer people could impede the accumulation of functional knowledge within shamanism. On this basis, we make further predictions about how the domain of shamanism could change and collapse.

Aṣṭāvakragītā, Hindu philosophical work; retold.

Introduction : what is policy thought? -- The principle of policy statism -- The principle of policy goodness -- The principle of policy balance -- The principle of policy practicality -- The principle of policy humans : interpenetrated policy humans with nonhumans -- Concluding remarks.

We introduce the notion of skinniness for subsets of $\mathcal{P}_\kappa \lambda$ and its variants, namely skinnier and skinniest. We show that under some cardinal arithmetical assumptions, precipitousness or $2^\lambda$-saturation of $\mathrm{NS}_{\kappa\lambda}\mid X$, where $\mathrm{NS}_{\kappa\lambda}$ denotes the non-stationary ideal over $\mathcal{P}_\kappa \lambda$, implies the existence of a skinny stationary subset of $X$. We also show that if $\lambda$ is a singular cardinal, then there is no skinnier stationary subset of $\mathcal{P}_\kappa \lambda$. Furthermore, if $\lambda$ is a strong limit singular cardinal, there (...) is no skinny stationary subset of $\mathcal{P}_\kappa \lambda$. Combining these results, we show that if $\lambda$ is a strong limit singular cardinal, then $\mathrm{NS}_{\kappa\lambda}\mid X$ can satisfy neither precipitousness nor $2^\lambda$-saturation for every stationary $X \subseteq \mathcal{P}_\kappa \lambda$. We also indicate that $\diamondsuit_\lambda(E^{\lambda}_{<\kappa})$, where $E^{\lambda}_{<\kappa} \stackrel{\mathrm{def}}{=} \{\alpha < \lambda \mid \mathrm{cf}(\alpha) < \kappa\}$, is equivalent to the existence of a skinnier (or skinniest) stationary subset of $\mathcal{P}_\kappa \lambda$ under some cardinal arithmetical hypotheses. (shrink)

Husserl comenzó oponiéndose a la posibilidad de considerar el yo como centro de referencia esencial de los actos intencionales. Sin embargo, luego aceptó incluirlo en la descripción fenomenológica como centro de referencia de las vivencias intencionales. Se analizan esos dos momentos y se estudia su posible correlación con la teoría kantiana del yo, para hacer énfasis, finalmente, en una importante diferencia entre ambos autores.

"Identidad personal y donación. La configuración del yo en la acción dramática", de Ana Álvarez Garrido, relata como un deseo de verdad y una intuición genuina, unidos a la insatisfacción acerca de las corrientes dominantes en el estudio de la identidad personal, llevaron a su autora a iniciar este trabajo. Con una pregunta casi infantil, por su atrevimiento y por la esperanza que la anima de una respuesta justa, se abre esta aventura de la búsqueda del yo, a la que (...) es invitado el lector desde la primera página: ¿Quién soy yo? Este interrogante nos conduce, atravesando el fuego positivo de la duda, a veces de tintes narrativos, hasta un espacio y un tiempo capaces de vestir al yo, de darle una voz y un gesto únicos, capaces de regalarle un nombre. Un teatro será ese lugar donde Yo puedo ser y donde vengo a ser Yo, porque en él se puede representar una acción esencial. Ésta, como el yo, se revelará al final de nuestra aventura investigadora, sorprendente y deliberadamente dramática. Como la vida misma. (shrink)

El presente artículo da cuenta de las actitudes hacia los inmigrantes entre los estudiantes de educación secundaria de edades comprendidas entre 12 y 13 años en Extremadura, España. Los datos proceden de una investigación financiada por el Gobierno Regional de Extremadura y en ellos se muestran ¿mediante análisis de contenido y utilización de citas textuales¿ los componentes estructurales que alimentan las actitudes positivas y/o negativas hacia la inmigración y los inmigrantes por parte de los adolescentes extremeños, en la medida en (...) que son plenamente representativos en cuanto a actitudes y valores del conjunto nacional. El análisis nos permite establecer un modelo actitudinal frente a la inmigración que deberá ser probado en futuras investigaciones. (shrink)

Despite its theoretical importance, little is known about how semantic memory structure facilitates and constrains creative idea generation. We examine whether the semantic richness of a concept has both benefits and costs to creative idea generation. Specifically, we tested whether cue set size—an index of semantic richness reflecting the average number of elements associated with a given concept—impacts the quantity (fluency) and quality (originality) of responses generated during the Alternate Uses Task (AUT). Across four studies, we show that low-association, sparse, (...) AUT cues benefit originality at the cost of fluency compared to high-association, rich, AUT cues. Furthermore, we found an interaction with individual differences in fluid intelligence in the low-association AUT cues, suggesting that constraints of sparse semantic knowledge can be overcome with top-down intervention. Our findings indicate that semantic richness differentially impacts the quality and quantity of generated ideas, and that cognitive control processes can facilitate idea production when conceptual knowledge is limited. (shrink)

Spirituality and religiosity have a significant impact on one's well-being. Although previous studies have indicated that the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin is associated with spirituality/religiosity, existing findings remain inconsistent. Some studies have reported a positive relationship between oxytocin and spirituality/religiosity, while other studies have reported a negative association. Herein, we examined the association between endogenous oxytocin and spirituality/religiosity in 200 non-Abrahamic Japanese individuals by measuring the level of salivary oxytocin and spiritual/religious faith. We found that the level of salivary oxytocin was (...) negatively associated with spiritual/religious faith. Individuals with higher levels of salivary oxytocin tend to have more negative spiritual/religious faith compared with those with low oxytocin levels. Moreover, this tendency was only significant in individuals who were not interested in a specific religion. The uniqueness of spirituality/religiosity in Japan could help interpret the current findings. (shrink)

v.1. La sustancialidad y subjetividad humanas -- v. 2. La temporalidad humana.

This article presents results from a multidisciplinary research project on the integration and transfer of language knowledge into robots as an empirical paradigm for the study of language development in both humans and humanoid robots. Within the framework of human linguistic and cognitive development, we focus on how three central types of learning interact and co-develop: individual learning about one's own embodiment and the environment, social learning (learning from others), and learning of linguistic capability. Our primary concern is how these (...) capabilities can scaffold each other's development in a continuous feedback cycle as their interactions yield increasingly sophisticated competencies in the agent's capacity to interact with others and manipulate its world. Experimental results are summarized in relation to milestones in human linguistic and cognitive development and show that the mutual scaffolding of social learning, individual learning, and linguistic capabilities creates the context, conditions, and requisites for learning in each domain. Challenges and insights identified as a result of this research program are discussed with regard to possible and actual contributions to cognitive science and language ontogeny. In conclusion, directions for future work are suggested that continue to develop this approach toward an integrated framework for understanding these mutually scaffolding processes as a basis for language development in humans and robots. (shrink)

En Muerte y alteridad (2002), de reciente publicación en lengua española (2018), Byung-Chul Han analiza una trayectoria filosófica que atraviesa el pensamiento de Kant, Heidegger y Lévinas para señalar la que identifica como una postura caracterizada por la interioridad, desde la cual se entiende al yo como positividad unitaria frente a la negatividad de lo heterogéneo, la alteridad y la muerte. Estas premisas incurrirían en solipsismos, aporías y contradicciones que nos proponemos examinar, a fin de afinar y valorar críticamente la (...) caracterización llevada a cabo por Han. Tanto el heroísmo del yo como del amor constituirían, concluye el filósofo de origen coreano, respuestas equivocadas al hecho de la muerte, proponiendo a este respecto una apertura a la exterioridad de rasgos budistas que implicaría un vaciamiento del yo. Esta alternativa, de ecos religiosos, invita a una reflexión sobre la naturaleza de su proyecto filosófico, no solo con respecto al afrontamiento de la muerte, sino como respuesta a las problemáticas de la modernidad. (shrink)

In classifications of vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary size and depth have often been separately conceptualized (Schmitt, 2014). Although size and depth are known to be substantially correlated, it is not clear whether they are a single construct or two separate components of vocabulary knowledge (Yanagisawa & Webb, 2020). This issue has not been addressed extensively in the literature and can be better examined using structural equation modeling (SEM), with measurement error modeled separately from the construct of interest. The current study reports (...) on conventional and Bayesian SEM approaches (e.g., Muthén & Asparouhov, 2012) to examine the factor structure of the size and depth of second language vocabulary knowledge of Japanese adult learners of English. A total of 255 participants took five vocabulary tests. One test was designed to measure vocabulary size in terms of the number of words known, while the remaining four were designed to measure vocabulary depth in terms of word association, polysemy, and collocation. All tests used a multiple-choice format. The size test was divided into three subtests according to word frequency. Results from conventional and Bayesian SEM show that a correlated two-factor model of size and depth with three and four indicators, respectively, fit better than a single-factor model of size and depth. In the two-factor model, vocabulary size and depth were strongly correlated (r =.945 for conventional SEM and.943 for Bayesian SEM with cross loadings), but they were distinct. The implications of these findings are discussed. (shrink)

Las Confesiones de San Agustín son una obra muy peculiar. Lectores e investigadores convienen en ello. No es fácil ‘definir’ ni comprender ese escrito. El presente estudio intenta una aproximación a su contenido mediante un examen de ciertos rasgos característicos de la obra que derivan de su propia singularidad. Y denunciamos también algunos impedimentos de comprensión y lectura. Confiemos en que esta mirada pueda ofrecer una guía inicial, pero orientadora, a la misma. Además, el estudio formal y temático revela una (...) dinámica interna, de su estructura misma, que va del relato autobiográfico a la reflexión (consideratio), de lo narrativo al pensamiento. Este avance tendencial culmina al concluir el libro IX, donde la dimensión narrativa de la obra termina. Razón por la cual los libros X-XI alcanzan el vértice teorético de las Confesiones, con su investigación de la memoria y del tiempo. El presente estudio concluye con una breve exposición del problema agustiniano de la subjetividad o el yo, en la base de esos dos libros. (shrink)

Catalysed by conversations amongst a group of colleagues, this article is an initial exploration of what happens to women academics aged 60+ who work in a university in Aotearoa New Zealand. This work is an example of when academic theories, in this case feminism, are called forth by real-world experiences – in this case, increasing academic job insecurity, catalysed by post-pandemic economic shortfalls. We blend together personal anecdotes and feminist analysis to show how women’s academic careers, which are commonly constrained (...) by motherhood in their younger years, are also curtailed at the senior end by processes of voluntary/involuntary retirement, as and when demanded by adverse fiscal conditions. (shrink)