The Relationships between Cognitive Styles and Creativity: The Role of Field Dependence-Independence on Visual Creative Production

Previous studies explored the relationships between field dependent-independent cognitive style (FDI) and creativity, providing misleading and unclear results. The present research explored this problematic interplay through the lens of the Geneplore model, employing a product oriented task: the Visual Creative Synthesis Task (VCST). The latter requires creating objects belonging to pre-established categories, starting from triads of visual components and consists of two steps: the preinventive phase and the inventive phase. Following the Amabile’s consensual assessment technique, three independent judges evaluated preinventive structures in terms of originality and synthesis whereas inventions were evaluated in terms of originality and appropriateness. The Embedded Figure Test (EFT) was employed in order to measure the individual’s predisposition toward the field dependence or the field independence. Sixty undergraduate college students (31 females) took part in the experiment. Results revealed that field independent individuals outperformed field dependent ones in each of the four VCST scores, showing higher levels of creativity. Results were discussed in light of the better predisposition of field independent individuals in mental imagery, mental manipulation of abstract objects, as well as in using their knowledge during complex tasks that require creativity. Future research directions were also discussed

Cognitive Tools and Cognitive Styles: Windows into the Culture-Cognition System

In recent years, researchers have begun to identify cross-cultural and within-cultural variation with respect to several domains of human cognition. These include the effects of language background on executive control, differences in the attentional patterns of individuals in the United States and East Asia, and the relationship between personality and the use of language. The underlying mechanisms for how cognitive variation arises is likely due to interactions within a complex system that spans the cognition of individuals and the dissemination of information at a cultural level. This culture-cognition system can be seen as dynamic system of cognitive tools, instruments – biological or technological – through which people interact with and understand the world. Each individual acquires a unique bias for using particular cognitive tools – or a cognitive style. Differences in cognitive style arise for two reasons. First, individuals who are exposed to different cognitive tools will acquire different cognitive styles. Second, individuals may need to strengthen certain preexisting cognitive tools if they cannot optimally support the acquisition of a new cognitive tool. In this dissertation, I argue that the understanding of cognitive tools and styles is critical for research on cognitive variation. I illustrate this point with three case studies that examine the effects of language learning on executive control, US-Japan differences in attentional style, and the relation between personality and vocabulary size

Primary objects: developing a new type of furniture for the early elementary classroom

The traditional North American elementary classroom is dominated by traditional passive furniture. With the continual use of the traditional typologies of desks and chairs, the classroom furniture fails to challenge the student's development and engage the imagination of the users. As research shows that children learn most through movement, emotions, and exploration, the passive furniture hinders a well-rounded learning experience. In this study, the approach for designing new furniture that fosters a sense of creativity, independence, and active learning is not only guided by the researcher's experiences, but also involves insight from elementary students and teachers. This thesis investigation used a participatory approach to enable the examination of the current activities and interactions occurring within the first and second grade classroom. Using the characteristics of middle childhood, the third teacher theory, and affordance, the researcher developed a line of furniture for active learning that enables the students to shape their learning environment and experience. The resulting classroom furniture provides for intimate interactions, physical activity, social development, and personal customization

Evaluating achievement on mathematics and science problems: The role of global and local processing

This thesis sought to clarify relationships between whole-part constructs; where responses are thought to reflect a focus on the whole stimulus or context, or on individual elements (the parts). Children aged 5 to 10 years completed a number of tasks allowing developmental changes to be measured on a cross-sectional and longitudinal basis. Global and local processing tasks (Navon tasks: free choice, selective attention, and divided attention) revealed a change in response patterns between the ages of 6 and 7 years, the precise nature of which varied depending on the attentional demands of the task. Field independence tasks (Children’s Embedded Figures Test (CEFT) and Design Organisation Test (DOT)) revealed that children became more field independent with increasing age. A parental questionnaire measuring systemizing (the analysis or construction of a rule-based system) was administered at a single timepoint and revealed no cross-sectional age-related changes. Behavioural tasks and eye-tracking technology were employed to understand possible mechanisms underlying field independence performance. Visuospatial IQ and working memory explained variation on both field independence tasks. Higher accuracy on the CEFT reflected fewer and shorter fixations on distractor areas as well as longer and more fixations on target areas. Better response inhibitory control related to higher disembedding accuracy, while better semantic inhibitory control related to fewer and shorter fixations on distractor areas. Together, these explain how domain-general factors contribute to performance on the CEFT. The second part of this thesis examined associations between whole-part constructs and mathematics and science achievement. Global and local processing and systemizing revealed few significant associations with the academic scores. Better field independence was associated with higher scores on both mathematics and science. After controlling for age and domain-general factors, the field independence tasks explained additional variance on specific mathematics and science tests, which likely reflect common processes involved in the tasks

Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

Parting A Read Sea Of Images: An Exploration Of Field Dependent-Independent Responses To Minimalist, Pictographic And Infographic Data Displays

ABSTRACT Western society reflects an âeikoncentric eraâ when contemporary instruction has become image -centered. Textbooks, journals, popular media as well as computer-based and web- based instructional media are filled by pictures that are intended to accomplish learning. Imagery is widely believed to represent an efficient, understandable method for relaying information and clarifying instruction for nearly all learners. However, those who subscribe to the adage âa picture is worth a thousand wordsâ often fail to acknowledge individual differences in visual comprehension and cognition. The field dependent-independent (FDI) cognitive style describes individual learner differences that can thwart visual learning. Information graphics are among the frequently used types of imagery that portray data. There is little empirical evidence to guide their design, and their creation is often based on intuition or opinion. This study researched the ways FDI learners comprehend and aesthetically assess minimalist information graphics, pictograms and infographics. Those participants who represented the most extreme field-dependent or field-independent learners were invited to participate in a two-part study. An instrument named the Comparative Information Graphic Test (CIG-T) was developed for testing comprehension of and perceived aesthetic efficacy, value and preference for minimalist information graphics, pictograms and infographics by FDI learner

Understanding Novice Users\u27 Help-seeking Behavior in Getting Started with Digital Libraries: Influence of Learning Styles

Users\u27 information needs have to be fulfilled by providing a well-designed system. However, end users usually encounter various problems when interacting with information retrieval (IR) systems and it is even more so for novice users. The most common problem reported from previous research is that novice users do not know how to get started even though most IR systems contain help mechanisms. There is a deep gap between the system\u27s help function and the user\u27s need. In order to fill the gap and provide a better interacting environment, it is necessary to have a clearer picture of the problem and understand what the novice users\u27 behaviors are in using IR systems. The purpose of this study is to identify novice users\u27 help-seeking behaviors while they get started with digital libraries and how their learning styles lead to these behaviors. While a novice user is engaged in the process of interacting with an IR system, he/she may easily encounter problematic situations and require some kind of help in the search process. Novice users need to learn how to use a new IR environment by interacting with help features to fulfill their searching needs. However, many research studies have demonstrated that the existing help systems in IR systems cannot fully satisfy users\u27 needs. In addition to the system side problems, users\u27 characteristics, such as preference in using help, also play major roles in the decision of using system help. When viewing help-seeking as a learning activity, learning style is an influential factor that would lead to different help-seeking behaviors. Learning style deeply influences how students process information in learning activities, including learning performance, learning strategy, and learning preferences. Existing research does not seem to consider learning style and help-seeking together; therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effects of learning styles on help-seeking interactions in the information seeking and searching environment. The study took place in an academic setting, and recruited 60 participants representing students from different education levels and disciplines. Data were collected by different methods, including pre-questionnaire, cognitive preference questionnaire, think-aloud protocol, transaction log, and interview. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed to analyze data in the study. Qualitative methods were first applied to explore novice users\u27 help-seeking approaches as well as to illustrate how learning styles lead to these approaches. Quantitative methods were followed to test whether or not learning style would affect help-seeking behaviors and approaches. Results of this study highlight two findings. First, this study identifies eight types of help features used by novice users with different learning styles. The quantitative evidence also verifies the effect of learning styles on help-seeking interactions with help features. Based on the foundation of the analysis of help features, the study further identified fifteen help-seeking approaches applied by users with different learning styles in digital libraries. The broad triangulation approach assumed in this study not only enables the illustration of novice users\u27 diversified help-seeking approaches but also explores and confirms the relationships between different dimensions of learning styles and help-seeking behaviors. The results also suggest that the designs and delivery of IR systems, including digital libraries, need to support different learning styles by offering more engaging processing layouts, diversified input formats, as well as easy-to-perceive and easy-to-understand modes of help features