Analogical problem solving,

The use of an analogy from a semantically distant domain to guide the problemsolving process was investigated. The representation of analogy in memory and processes involved in the use of analogies were discussed theoretically and explored in five experiments. In Experiment I oral protocols were used to examine the processes involved in solving a problem by analogy. In all experiments subjects who first read a story about a military problem and its solution tended to generate analogous solutions to a medical problem (Duncker's "radiation problem"), provided they were given a hint to use the story to help solve the problem. Transfer frequency was reduced when the problem presented in the military story was substantially disanalogous to the radiation problem, even though the solution illustrated in the story corresponded to an effective radiation solution (Experiment II). Subjects in Experiment III tended to generate analogous solutions to the radiation problem after providing their own solutions to the military problem. Subjects were able to retrieve the story from memory and use it to generate an analogous solution, even when the critical story had been memorized in the context of two distractor stories (Experiment IV). However, when no hint to consider the story was given, frequency of analogous solutions decreased markedly. This decrease in transfer occurred when the story analogy was presented in a recall task along with distractor stories (Experiment IV), when it was presented alone, and when it was presented in between two attempts to solve the problem (Experiment V). Component processes and strategic variations in analogical problem solving were discussed. Issues related to noticing analogies and accessing them in memory were also examined, as was the relationship of analogical reasoning to other cognitive tasks.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/23210/1/0000139.pd

Exploring the potential of virtual reality technology to investigate the health and well being benefits of group singing

There is a growing body of academic research aiming to quantify and understand the associated health and well being benefits of group singing. The social interaction is known to strongly contribute to perceived improvements to mental and physical health but there are also indications that singing together elicits better well being outcomes that other community activities. This paper introduces the Vocal Interaction in an Immersive Virtual Acoustic (VIIVA) system, which allows the user to take part in a group singing activity in 360 degree virtual reality, hearing themselves in the recorded venue alongside the other singers. The VIIVA is intended to make group singing accessible to those unable to attend real community choirs but also as a tool for experimental research into the health and well being benefits of group singing. This paper describes the system and presents a number of methodologies and applications which are discussed in relation to three ongoing research projects. Preliminary work indicates that the VIIVA system and the devised setups provide a promising tool with which to study the health and well being benefits of group singing, and in particular to control for the social interactions inherent in real group singing activities

A Quantitative Study of Choral Singing and Psychological Well-being

Singing has been associated with benefits to psychological well-being. Hedonism and eudaimonism are two perspectives from which psychological well-being may be defined and measured. In this study we asked members of two choirs (N = 59) to complete hedonic and eudaimonic measures of well-being both before and after a single rehearsal. Results suggest that a single rehearsal of choral singing is associated with significant increases in positive affect, personal growth, and vitality. Psychosocial factors of personality and social support and the singer characteristic time spent singing per week were considered for their potential roles in changes in well-being. Perceived social support was found to be positively predictive of change in positive affect. Consideration was given to whether the benefits from choral singing stem from social interaction or the singing itself. This study adds to the quantitative evidence connecting singing and well-being, and it suggests well-being measures that could be useful for the evaluation of singing programs and for future research. Controlled and longitudinal studies are suggested as further directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved

Schema induction and analogical transfer

An analysis of the process of analogical thinking predicts that analogies will be noticed on the basis of semantic retrieval cues and that the induction of a general schema from concrete analogs will facilitate analogical transfer. These predictions were tested in experiments in which subjects first read one or more stories illustrating problems and their solutions and then attempted to solve a disparate but analogous transfer problem. The studies in Part I attempted to foster the abstraction of a problem schema from a single story analog by means of summarization instructions, a verbal statement of the underlying principle, or a diagrammatic representation of it. None of these devices achieved a notable degree of sucess. In contrast, the experiments in Part II demonstrated that if two prior analogs were given, subjects often derived a problem schema as an incidental product of describing the similarities of the analogs. The quality of the induced schema was highly predictive of subsequent transfer performance. Furthermore, the verbal statements and diagrams that had failed to facilitate transfer from one analog proved highly beneficial when paired with two. The function of examples in learning was discussed in light of the present study.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25331/1/0000776.pd

Medical care-seeking for menstrual symptoms

Fifty-six female undergraduates completed questionnaires regarding their menstrual symptoms, social learning experiences, and illness representations. The results showed that, compared to non-care-seekers, participants who had sought medical care for their menstrual symptoms reported more symptoms that had been problematic since menarche. Consistent with previous research, care-seekers reported more reinforcement for adolescent menstrual illness behaviours than non-care-seekers. Care-seekers also reported their symptoms as more serious and more difficult to ignore. The perceived seriousness and severity of symptoms were both correlated with reinforcement for adolescent menstrual symptoms. Lay referral was also a reported factor in care-seekers. The results of the present data are discussed with respect to previous research on care-seeking for menstrual and other symptoms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved

An investigation of the health beliefs and motivations of complementary medicine clients

The current study was concerned with factors associated with the use of complementary medicine (CM). The reasons for CM use were examined by dividing complementary medicine clients into two groups based on the frequency and length of their use of complementary therapies, and comparing them with conventional medicine clients as well as to each other. New/infrequent CM clients (n=70), established CM clients (n=71), and orthodox medicine clients (n=58) were distinguished on the basis of health beliefs, socio-demographic, medical, and personality variables. Different patterns of predictors of CM use emerged depending on which client groups were compared. In general, health-aware behaviors and dissatisfaction with conventional medicine were the best predictors of overall and initial/infrequent CM use, and more frequent health-aware behaviors were associated with continued CM use. Medical need also influenced the choice to use CM, and was the best predictor of committed CM use, with the established CM clients reporting more health problems than the new/infrequent CM group. Overall, income was a significant discriminator, but did not predict initial or continued CM use. Openness to new experience was associated with CM use in general, but was most notable in the decision to initially try or explore using CM. The findings support the utility of the three components (predisposing, enabling, and need factors) of the socio-behavioral model for explaining why some people choose CM. Overall, the results of the current study suggest that CM clients need to be looked at in more sophisticated ways, rather than being treated simply as a homogenous group with similar beliefs, motivations and needsComplementary medicine Motivation Beliefs Health awareness Canada

Can health psychology help the planet? Applying theory and models of health behaviour to environmental actions

Despite the links between the environment and health, campaigns designed to promote sustainable behaviour are rarely framed in terms of human health, and strategies to change health behaviour are not often applied to environmental behaviour. We illustrate the connections between health and the environment, and health behaviour and environmental behaviour. We also describe health behaviour models, and provide an analysis of how they might inform the research on environmental actions. We discuss research, education, and public policy implications of applying a health framework to environmental issues and promoting behaviour that is healthy for both the planet and human beings. Copyright 2008 by the Canadian Psychological Association

Reliability and validity of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-12: Attachment dimensions in a clinical sample with eating disorders

Objective: Attachment insecurity is a potential risk factor for the development and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs). To date, there are multiple psychometrically sound questionnaires for the evaluation of attachment in both clinical and healthy populations, such as the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR) scale. Composed by two subscales (i.e., attachment anxiety and avoidance), the ECR scale was recently adapted to a shorter, 12-item version (ECR-12). However, a validation of the ECR-12 among patients with EDs is still lacking. The present study sought to investigate the psychometric properties of the ECR-12