Creativity of undergraduates with and without family history of alcohol and other drug problems

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopic surveillance is a standard procedure in many patients with long standing, extensive ulcerative colitis (UC), in order to avoid death from colorectal cancer. No conclusive proof of its benefits has been presented however. AIMS: To evaluate the association between colonoscopic surveillance and colorectal cancer mortality in patients with UC. PATIENTS: A population based, nested case control study comprising 142 patients with a definite UC diagnosis, derived from a study population of 4664 patients with UC, was conducted. METHODS: Colonoscopic surveillance in all patients with UC who had died from colorectal cancer after 1975 was compared with that in controls matched for age, sex, extent, and duration of the disease. Information on colonoscopic surveillance was obtained from the medical records. RESULTS: Two of 40 patients with UC and 18 of 102 controls had undergone at least one surveillance colonoscopy (relative risk (RR) 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.06 to 1.31). Twelve controls but only one patient with UC had undergone two or more surveillance colonoscopies (RR 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.03 to 1.74), indicating a protective dose response relation. CONCLUSION: Colonoscopic surveillance may be associated with a decreased risk of death from colorectal cancer in patients with long standing UC.     

The criterion problem and creativity in film: Psychometric characteristics of various measures.

Creativity in movies is a topic of growing interest in both the psychological and the marketing literature. Much research has been invested into determining the impact of cinematic quality on film success and finding successful predictors of cinematic creativity. For these reasons, research into the way creativity is measured in film is of considerable importance. This study examines a variety of measures of cinematic quality (movie ratings from a variety of sources) and determines the degree of agreement among different types of measures, the predictive value of these measures, and the effect of the timing of these measures on their predictive value. Results indicate that there is a high degree of agreement among types of movie ratings, that reviews through release day tend to be marginally higher than those that appear later, and that reviews are more highly correlated with later box office success (gross) than with early box office success. A surprising result of this study was that the number of ratings a movie received was a slightly better predictor of box office success than the actual movie ratings. Possible explanations for and implications of these results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparation versus practice: How do teacher education programs and practicing teachers align in their use of technology to support teaching and learning?

Researchers have called for renewed efforts in exploring both what knowledge should be taught in preservice teacher education programs with regard to technology, and how to best prepare teachers to effectively use that knowledge to support teaching and learning. This study compared the importance of technology topics from teacher educators and teachers’ perspectives. A two-phase mixed-methods research design utilized surveys and multiple case studies (interviews, documents) to collect data from both teacher educators and practicing teachers. Findings indicate that teachers and teacher educators demonstrated similarities in their views regarding the use of technology for personal productivity, information presentation, and the access and use of electronic resources to support teaching and learning. Teacher educators and teachers differed with regard to their use of technology for communication, analysis of student data, documenting professional growth, and facilitating higher-order thinking skills. Recommendations for how teacher education programs can incorporate and address technology topics in order to increase relevance for teachers are discussed.     

Review of The International Handbook of Creativity.

Reviews the book, The International Handbook of Creativity by James Kaufman and Robert Sternberg (Eds) (see record 2006-05841-000). The International Handbook of Creativity, edited by James Kaufman and Robert Sternberg, provides global perspectives on conceptions of creativity. An edited volume with 35 international contributing authors of 17 chapters, this handbook achieves the goal stated on its back cover of "present[ing] a truly international and diverse set of perspectives on the psychology of human creativity." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It's Not How the Pond Makes You Feel, but Rather How High You Can Jump.

Comments on the article by Marsh and Hau (see record 2003-06802-005), in which they provide an analysis of achievement and academic self-concept in 26 countries. The current authors agree with them on several points but have several concerns about the conclusion that highly selective programs, such as accelerated high schools, should be avoided because these settings may modify student self-concept. They suggest that rather than provide blanket pronouncements about programming options for gifted students, psychologists and educators should consider individual differences in each student's general level of self esteem and mental health, family expectations, the presence or absence of an encouraging environment, the ability of the particular school to meet the particular student's academic needs, the nature of the student body and their acceptance of new students, the student's willingness to leave friends, and so forth. Furthermore, student characteristics should be matched to the characteristics of specific programs for talented students, many of which have a measurable impact on outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The downside of being talented.

Comments on D. Lubinski and C. P. Benbow's (see record 2000-13324-013) discussion of individual differences and optimal development of exceptional talent, and E. Winner's (see record 2000-13324-015) discussion of giftedness. The articles, which have direct implications for the development of talent in children and adults, left J. A. Plucker and J. J. Levy with one serious concern: Practitioners could easily infer that being talented is an overwhelmingly positive experience with little downside. Research suggests otherwise. Plucker and Levy strongly advocate for improvements in the way psychologists and educators develop talent or--more generally--build on individuals' strengths, but any serious discussion of talent development should address strategies that help to mediate the negative consequences of excellence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)