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The Relative Importance of Social Roles in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis of Stability and Change
No full textRewiring the Mind: How Optimism Training Builds a Bridge to Mental Health and Reduces Depression
No full textAbstract
The transition to university life presents significant psychological challenges, including increased stress, anxiety, and depression among students. Despite the established benefits of optimism in promoting mental well-being, limited research has examined the direct impact of structured optimism training on students' mental health. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates optimism training as a novel intervention to mitigate depressive symptoms in first-year university students. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, 200 first-year students were recruited and assigned to either an experimental group (n=100), which received optimism training, or a control group (n=100), which received Low-Intensity Treatment (LIT). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was administered at baseline and post-intervention to measure depression severity. Statistical analyses, including repeated measures ANOVA, were conducted to assess the intervention’s effectiveness. Results revealed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the experimental group, with mean PHQ-9 scores decreasing from 17.19 (pre-test) to 13.57 (post-test), whereas no notable change was observed in the control group. These findings highlight optimism training as a cost-effective and scalable mental health intervention that could be integrated into university counseling services to support students' psychological well-being and resilience
Task and Participants
No full textWho the participants are, what they have to do and which devices we will us
A Large-Scale Comparison of Divergent Creativity in Humans and Large Language Models
No full textHuman-machine partnerships are increasingly used to address grand societal challenges, yet knowledge of the comparative strengths of humans and machines to innovate is nascent. This research compares the ability of humans (N = 9,198) and large language models (LLMs, N = 215,542 observations) to generate novel ideas in an established creativity task. We present three key results. First, human creativity on average is slightly higher than that of LLMs. Second, creativity differences are pronounced at the extremes of the distribution with humans exhibiting greater variability and higher levels of creativity in the right-hand tail of the distribution. Third, attempts to increase LLMs’ creativity through instructing LLMs to take on genius personas or different demographic roles lifted performance up to a threshold beyond which output became opposite real-life patterns, whereas strategic prompt engineering efforts yielded mixed to negative results. We discuss the implications of our findings for human-machine collaboration and problem-solving
The paradox of the conscious “now” in the block universe: the multitrack consciousness conjecture
No full textThis essay examines the important inconsistency between the relativistic block universe view of spacetime and subjective conscious experience, particularly the paradox of the privileged now moment in the context of a timeless reality. Addressing two postulates—that we live in a four-dimensional block universe where all moments are embedded within spacetime, and that conscious experience of the present moment is real—in this essay, the multitrack consciousness conjecture (MCC) is advanced as a solution for this paradox. This conjecture suggests the existence of multiple identical instances of our conscious selves in time, each one only being capable of experiencing a single moving now. The implications of the MCC for self-identity, emotion, memory, and shared experiences are discussed within the block universe framework and in more heterodox physical scenarios. The MCC offers a new perspective on the relations among the subjective nature of time, consciousness and the structure of events in spacetime
Do retrospective judgments of confidence improve working memory in a within-subject paradigm?
No full textThis study aims to explore how metacognitive evaluations influence working memory (WM) performance in a within-subject paradigm. We want to determine whether the positive influence of judgments of confidence on WM, previously observed between different subjects, remains consistent in a within-subject paradigm
Performance of Convolutional neural networks in breast cancer segmentation: a systematic review and meta analysis
No full textAn artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system utilizing machine learning approaches can enhance screening accuracy and efficacy. This study sought to thoroughly examine and conduct a meta-analysis on the diagnostic accuracy of mammography for breast cancer using various Convolutional Neural Network methodologies
Identity in Context: A Systematic Review of Research on Diversity Climate in School and Students’ Ethnic-Racial Identity
No full textEthnic-racial (see Footnote) identity captures individuals’ beliefs (cognition) and feelings (affect) about their ethnicity, race, and cultural background, as well as their exploration of these beliefs and feelings (Rivas-Drake et al., 2014). When individuals develop their ethnic-racial identity, an increasingly stable connection between their ethnic-racial group membership and their self-conceptions emerges (Chatman et al., 2005; Huguley et al., 2019; Phinney, 1990). Ethnic-racial identity is understood as a multi-dimensional construct (Ashmore et al. 2004; Umaña-Taylor et al. 2014; Rivas-Drake et al., 2014). Based on Rivas-Drake et al. (2014), who consolidated existing conceptualizations into five dimensions, this review considers these five dimensions of exploration, resolution, centrality, positive affect, and public regard.
Social contexts have a considerable influence on the ethnic-racial identity development of children and adolescents. In addition to the widely studied role of parental socialization practices in shaping students’ ethnic-racial identity (see, e.g., Huguley et al., 2019), schools also serve as critical developmental contexts. Particularly relevant to students’ ethnic-racial identity development is how schools address issues related to race, ethnicity, and culture—a concept encapsulated by the term “diversity climate” (also referred to as cultural diversity climate or [inter]racial climate, among other terms; e.g., Bardach et al., in press; Byrd, 2017; Schachner et al., 2021). Diversity climate is often conceptualized multi-dimensionally. In line with previous work on diversity climate in schools, this review considers five dimensions: optimal contact conditions from intergroup contact theory, multiculturalism climate, colorblind climate, critical consciousness climate, and polyculturalism climate (see Bardach et al., in press; Schachner et al., 2021).
However, the literature on diversity climate and students' ethnic-racial identity remains fragmented, particularly in terms of how these constructs are defined, measured, and understood in relation to one another, and there is a lack of research syntheses examining multiple dimensions of both diversity climate and ethnic-racial identity. Therefore, the goal of this systematic review is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the two constructs by synthesizing and discussing the current state of school-based research on diversity climate and ethnic-racial identity outcomes:
(1) Which diversity climate dimensions have been studied in relation to which ethnic-racial identity dimensions?
(2) What are the main findings regarding effects of diversity climate dimensions on ethnic-racial identity outcomes (or [reciprocal] relationships between diversity climate dimensions and ethnic-racial identity dimensions)?
(3) What additional findings, such as those from mediator and moderator analyses, have been reported that contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between diversity climate and dimensions of ethnic-racial identity? For instance, are there differences in the relationships between diversity climate and ethnic-racial identity outcomes between different ethnic, racial, and cultural minority and majority groups? Additionally, do these relationships vary based on factors such as developmental stages (e.g., childhood, early adolescence, mid-adolescence), school levels (e.g., elementary, middle, high school), or specific school or classroom characteristics (e.g., the percentage of minority versus majority children)?
Based on the findings for research questions 1-3, we will also discuss the following research question:
(4) What are strengths and limitations of the current body of research on cultural diversity climate and ethnic-racial identity outcomes? What are the most needed and promising directions for future research?
Footnote: In contrast to the U.S., the term “race” is not commonly used in most European countries. Instead, ethnic-racial identity is often referred to as cultural heritage identity or ethnic identity in European contexts (e.g., Juang et al., 2022). In this review, we use the term “ethnic-racial identity” to align with common usage in the field but refer to the specific terms used by study authors (e.g., “cultural heritage identity” in European studies) when discussing individual studies in our systematic review
Mapping and Increasing Americans’ Actual and Perceived Support for Initiatives Protecting Future Generations
No full textAcross eight pre-registered studies featuring convenience and representative American samples (N = 6,464), we apply an approach informed by Social Norm Theory to investigate perceptions and realities of support for Initiatives for Future Generations (IFGs)—institutions and policies designed to ensure political representation for and protection of the rights of future generations. Our findings reveal widespread bipartisan support for IFGs but also significant pluralistic ignorance, as Americans vastly underestimate their peers’ support. Moreover, we find that correcting these misperceptions enhances individual support, demonstrating the critical role of social norms in shaping collective action. Furthermore, interventions targeting intergenerational concern, effectively increase support for IFGs without reinforcing pluralistic ignorance, suggesting their complementary potential. These results highlight the value of addressing social norms and correcting misperceptions to inspire greater advocacy for IFGs. Policymakers have an opportunity to act by aligning with public sentiment to implement policies that protect future generations and ensure long-term welfare