1,720,983 research outputs found
IL CONTRARIO DI UN PROCESSO VISUO-SPAZIALE RAPPRESENTATO. I REQUISITI DELLA CONTARIETÀ: DALLA PERCEZIONE AL RAGIONAMENTO RELAZIONALE.
Full text linkEsistono numerosi studi nell’ambito delle scienze cognitive che mostrano che i contrari costituiscono una relazione fondamentale nella percezione dello spazio e nella percezione motoria (ad es., Bianchi et al., 2017, 2014), nel linguaggio (ad es., Jones et al., 2012; Paradis, 2013) ed in diversi processi di ragionamento (ad es., Augustinova, 2008; Bianchi et al., 2019; Gale & Ball, 2012; Rothenberg, 2001, Dumas, 2016). Un test grafico del ragionamento relazionale (TORR) è stato sviluppato (Alexander et al., 2012) al fine di misurare la capacità di ragionare per contrari. Gli studi sulla percezione hanno mostrato che sia la produzione spontanea che il riconoscimento di una figura contraria richiedono il mantenimento della sua identità globale mentre inverte la sua direzione (ad esempio, Bianchi & Savardi, 2008). Abbiamo testato se questi criteri sono stati osservati nella produzione spontanea dei nostri partecipanti di un processo grafico opposto ad uno dato. Quaranta studenti universitari sono stati assegnati in modo casuale a due condizioni sperimentali. Nella prima, è stato chiesto loro di disegnare uno o più processi contrari (max. 3) per ciascuno dei cinque processi grafici dati e successivamente di descrivere sia quelli dati che quelli prodotti. Nell'altra condizione, i partecipanti sono stati invitati a descrivere prima il processo target e, solo poi, a disegnare i suoi contrari ed, infine, a descrivere i processi disegnati. In entrambe le condizioni, i materiali erano una selezione di cinque stimoli della sezione antitesi del TORR. I nostri risultati evidenziano relazioni tra le caratteristiche spaziali di un processo grafico contrario ad uno dato, prodotto spontaneamente da un soggetto adulto non esperto ed i criteri per la percezione della contrarietà in figure bidimensionali semplici, da un lato, ed i criteri delle risposte corrette della sezione antitesi del TORR, dall'altro.There is evidence in Cognitive Science that opposites constitute a fundamental relation in space and motor perception (e.g., Bianchi et al., 2017, 2014), language (e.g., Jones et al., 2012; Paradis, 2013) and several reasoning processes (e.g., Augustinova, 2008; Bianchi et al., 2019; Gale & Ball, 2012; Rothenberg, 2001, Dumas, 2016). A graphical Test of Relational Reasoning (TORR, Alexander et al., 2012) was developed in order to measure the ability to reason by means of opposites. Studies in perception have shown that both the spontaneus production and recognition of an opposite figure required to maintain its global identity while inverting its direction (e.g, Bianchi & Savardi, 2008). We tested if these criteria have been observed in our participants’ spontaneous production of a graphical opposite process. Forty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions. In the first one, they were asked to draw one or more (max. 3) opposite processes for each one of five given stimuli and then to describe both the given and the produced ones. In the other one, they were invited to describe the target stimulus, then to draw its opposites and finally to describe the drawn processes. In both conditions, the materials were a selection of five TORR stimuli. Our results highlight the relations between the spatial characteristics of an opposite graphical process spontaneously produced and the criteria for the perception of contrariety in simple bidimensional figures, on the one hand, and the criteria of the antithetical answer choices of the TORR, on the other hand
I contrari come euristica nell’insight problem solving: processo consapevole o inconsapevole?
No full textI contrari risultano caratterizzare gran parte delle nostre abilità cognitive: qualificano i modi attraverso i quali gli esseri umani percepiscono lo spazio (e.g. Bianchi, Savardi, & Kubovy, 2011); sono una struttura linguistica primaria, comune nell’organizzazione di tutti i linguaggi naturali (e.g. Jones, Murphy, Paradis, & Willners, 2012); sono alla base della comprensione umoristica (e.g. Colston & O'Brien, 2002; Canestrari & Bianchi, 2013) e sono fondamentali nei processi di ragionamento, quali l’induzione (Gale & Ball, 2009, 2012), la deduzione (e.g. Augustinova, 2008; Evans, 2007) e il pensiero divergente e creativo (e.g. Dumas, Schmidt, & Alexander, 2016; Vartanian, Martindale, & Kwiatkowski, 2003). La ricerca contemporanea ha altresì messo in evidenza che stimolare il solutore ad utilizzare un pensiero per contrari aiuta a superare una situazione di impasse e a risolvere correttamente il problema (Branchini, Savardi, & Bianchi, 2015; Branchini, Burro, Bianchi, & Savardi, 2015; Murray & Byrne, 2013). In questo contributo presenteremo i risultati di alcuni studi condotti al fine di testare in che modo i contrari supportano il processo di pensiero attivato da piccoli gruppi, di tre membri ciascuno, durante la ricerca della soluzione in compiti di insight problem solving visuo-spaziale (Branchini, Bianchi, Burro, Capitani, & Savardi, 2016, in preparazione). Nello specifico, in una condizione ai partecipanti veniva suggerito implicitamente l’utilizzo di una strategia basata sulla sistematica trasformazione delle proprietà spaziali del problema nei rispettivi contrari; in una diversa condizione, i solutori venivano invitati ad utilizzare tale strategia dopo essere stati sottoposti ad un training che mostrava in che modo un pensiero per contrari potesse facilitare la soluzione. I risultati ottenuti hanno dimostrato che trasformare le proprietà spaziali del problema nelle rispettive proprietà contrarie ha influenzato positivamente sia il numero di soluzioni che i comportamenti di soluzione attivati, come emerge dai disegni prodotti e dagli scambi dialogici tra i componenti di ciascun gruppo. Saranno, infine, discusse le possibili implicazioni di tali risultati all’interno del dibattito contemporaneo relativo al ruolo di meccanismi consapevoli ed inconsapevoli nell’insight problem solving, in cui è necessario attivare un cambiamento di rappresentazione per superare l’impasse e risolvere correttamente il problema (Knoblich, Ohlsson, & Raney, 2001; Öllinger, Jones, & Knoblich, 2008)
Overtly prompting people to “think in opposites” supports insight problem solving
No full textThis study aims to investigate the hypothesis that “thinking in opposites” might facilitate insight problem solving. For example, if the image relating to a problem is oriented horizontally, it may be that making it vertical makes it easier to see the solution. We focus on visuo-spatial insight problem solving and study four conditions (training vs. hint, overt vs. covert identification of opposites) which differ in terms of the participants’ awareness of how considering the opposites relating to a problem might lead to possible representational transformations which would help them in their search for the solution. The training condition was associated with a greater proportion of correctly solved problems. Participants who found the solution after training also made fewer attempts and did it in a shorter time. Furthermore, they referred more frequently to the instructions they had received to use opposites and made more use of the opposites they had listed in their initial exploration (overt listing condition). Overall the results show that suggesting to the participants that they “think in opposites” worked better when it was proposed as an explicit, systematic strategy.
Keywords: Problem solving, visuo-spatial insight problems, opposites, hint versus training, representational change, Type 1 and Type 2 processe
La funzione dei contrari nell'insight problem solving in un contesto di gruppo
No full textAlcune ricerche contemporanee sul ragionamento hanno evidenziato l'importanza di una strategia non confermativa e basata sul contrasto in compiti di hypothesis testing perfomance (Branchini, Burro, Bianchi, Savardi, 2015; Gale & Ball, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012; Oaksford & Charter, 1994) e di soluzione di sillogismi (Evans, Handley, Harper, Johnson-Laird, 1999; Johnson-Laird, 1983) e la superiorità della perfomance di gruppo rispetto a quella del singolo (Augustinova, 2008; Laughlin et al., 2006; Lombardelli et al., 2005; Smith et al. 2010). La presente ricerca contribuisce ad indagare il ruolo dei contrari nella soluzione degli spatial insight problems (Dow e Maier, 2004); in particolare abbiamo studiato se un pensiero per contrari facilita il processo di soluzione in compiti di gruppo vs individuali. Lo studio ha coinvolto 156 studenti del Dipartimento di Scienze Umane dell'Università di Verona (136 hanno partecipato singolarmente, 120 in gruppi di tre persone ciascuno). Sono state studiate due condizioni: in una condizione ai partecipanti veniva richiesto di risolvere sette classici problemi spaziali (condizione di controllo); in un’altra condizione (condizione training), prima di risolvere gli stessi sette problemi, i partecipanti venivano sottoposti ad un breve training che mostrava il funzionamento di una strategia di soluzione basata sulla trasformazione sistematica delle proprietà spaziali del problema nelle rispettive contrarie. Gli effetti del training nelle due condizioni, individuale e di gruppo, sono stati studiati (attraverso GLMMs) analizzando numero di problemi risolti, tempi di soluzione, numero di tentativi effettuati e proprietà manipolate nei vari tentativi. È emerso che il "pensare per contrari" in gruppo permette di estendere in maniera focalizzata lo spazio di ricerca della soluzione conducendo ad un maggior numero di soluzioni. Tale conclusione spinge ad indagare ulteriormente i fattori specifici responsabili di questi risultati
Naïve intuitions about what constitutes “an opposite process”
No full textThree studies investigate adults' naive intuitions about what constitutes an "opposite process". In Study one, the task involves iconic stimuli, that is, simple diagrams showing a transformation. In Study two, the participants were asked to produce a written description of the transformation process shown in the diagram and then to write what they considered to be the opposite process. In Study three, they were presented with pairs of sentences and were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed that the second sentence described a process which was opposite to the first sentence. Overall, the results are consistent and show that adults associate the idea of an opposite process with a reversal of the initial and final stages, rather than a process starting from the same initial point and leading to an opposite end. Secondary differences emerged relating to the conditions studied
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of midwives
Full text linkObjective. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed the therapeutic relationship
between women and midwives and these changes have been perceived as stressors.
The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of these stressors on midwives
through an online questionnaire.
Materials and Methods. The VRS tool was used, and statistical analysis was performed
using Stata.
Results. Significant differences were found in the somatization cluster and in
subjective stress cluster.
Conclusions. The analysis shows that there is a need to implement resilience-enhancing
factors such as communication, sharing of distress and the presence of
support
Contraries in insight problem solving: their role in Type 1 and Type 2 processes relating to representational change
No full textOur research focuses on the hypothesis that thinking in terms of contraries might facilitate the process of representational change involved in visuo-spatial insight problem solving. In particular, we will present a series of studies aimed at investigating whether the explicit or implicit suggestion to use contraries (i.e. horizontal-vertical, up-down) during the solution process improved performance in problem solving. Italian undergraduate students (M age = 21.83 years) took part in the studies in small groups of three. In all the conditions considered, problem solvers were required to analyse the spatial features of the problems to be solved and transform them in their corresponding contraries before embarking on the search for the solution. Success rate was increased and the solution behaviours (revealed by both dialogues and the drawings they performed in the search phase) were modified when participants were explicitly prompted to use contraries, i.e., they made fewer attempts in a shorter time and in the search phase they used the contraries identified and the suggested strategy more frequently . These results show that the suggestion “to use contraries” worked better when contraries were explicitly used as part of a systematic and analytical solution approach. In relation with the contemporary debate on facilitating factors and interplay between automatic (Type 1) and conscious (Type 2) processes in changing the mental representation (thus overcoming impasse) during the solution of insight problems, these findings seem to emphasize the importance of Type 2 processes in representational change
"Try turning it upside-down!" Contraries facilitate insight in problem solving
No full textContraries has been shown to be relevant to many cognitive abilities, such as spatial perception (e.g. Bianchi, Savardi, & Kubovy, 2011), language (e.g. Jones et al., 2012), understanding humor (e.g. Colston & O'Brien, 2002; Canestrari & Bianchi, 2013) hypothesis testing (e.g. Gale & Ball, 2012), relational reasoning (e.g. Alexander, 2012), creativity and divergent thinking (e.g. Duncker, 1945; Rothenberg, 1996). We will add to this list with recent evidence that thinking in terms of contraries support the thought processes of small groups of people whose task is to solve visuo-spatial insight problems. They were specifically told that systematically transforming the spatial features of each problem into their contraries would help them to find the correct solution. The participants either took part in a training program including explanations of the strategy to follow or they were given hints which acted as a kind of ‘priming’ (Branchini et al., 2015, 2016, in preparation). The results varied in these two conditions but in general the suggestion to use contraries turned out to be beneficial in terms of success rates and it impacted on the behavior of the groups judging from the drawings they did and their dialogues. Possible explanations are discussed as to how this might have impacted on the process of representational change necessary to overcome an impasse (Knoblich et al., 2001; Öllinger et al., 2008). We will also relate these findings to the debate on the role of conscious and unconscious processes in non-routine problems (e.g. Gilhooly et al., 2015)
Contraries stimulate insight in spatial problem solving
No full textThe importance of contraries in human cognition has been widely investigated in Cognitive Sciences. Contraries constitute a key structure in spatial perception (Bianchi & Savardi, 2000; Bianchi, Savardi, & Kubovy, 2011; Casasola, 2005, 2008) and studies in psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics and semantics have emphasized the existence of an antonymic structure common all natural languages (e.g. Croft & Cruse, 2004; Jones, 2002; Jones, Murphy, Paradis & Willners, 2012; Miller & Fellbaum, 1991; Murphy, 2003). Contrariety is also fundamental to various other cognitive abilities related to reasoning, for example hypothesis testing (i.e. inductive reasoning ;Evans, 2007; Politiek, 2001; Gale & Ball, 2006, 2009, 2012), deductive reasoning (Evans, Handley, Harper, Johnson-Laird, 1999;), divergent and productive thinking as applied to problem-solving (Branchini, Burro, Bianchi & Savardi, 2015; Wertheimer, 1945) and understanding humour (Canestrari & Bianchi, 2012, 2013; Colston & O’Brien, 2000; Cundal, 2007). We carried out two studies in order to investigate the hypothesis that opposites/contraries/contrasts might be of some help in overcoming an impasse in visuo-spatial insight problem solving. In study 1 (with 120 participants divided in 80 inter-observational groups) opposites acted as hints; in study 2 participants (with 136 in individual participation condition and 120 in group participation condition) there was a specific training program based on the explicit manipulation of contraries. The results demonstrate that contraries positively affected the search for a solution process in terms of number of correct solutions and the behaviour of the participants. The use of contraries acted as a cognitive heuristic permitting perceptual constraints to be relaxed while at the same time expanding the search space in such a way that there was not a haphazard multiplication and the participants focused on properties which were relevant to the solution
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