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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Desperately seeking fusion: on 'joined-up thinking', 'holistic practice' and the new economy of welfare professional power.

This paper argues that social welfare research on joined-up thinking is underpinned by two theses. The 'systemic move' thesis suggests that joined-up thinking is needed to fill gaps in welfare service provision arising from a lack of interorganizational co-ordination. The 'epistemological move' thesis advises that joined-up thinking is needed to overcome deficiencies in the institutional division and distribution of welfare knowledge. Both theses macro-systematize blame for previous social welfare failures, and both are teleological because they present joined-up thinking as a progressive solution that results in a more effective (and thus less fallible) welfare system. In this paper, I argue thatjoined-up thinking can also create a new economy of welfare professional power. First, I show how some versions of 'joined-up' thinking manifest themselves in holistic practices that can 'see everything', 'know everything' and 'do anything', and thus a 'holistic power' to discipline and control every aspect of welfare recipients lives. Since holistic power is seen as infallible, its failure to produce 'active bodies' necessitates the creation of secondary 'joined-up powers' that individualize blame and exclude those to blame from welfare resources. These 'secondary powers' match the social disciplines enforced by one welfare agency (e.g. the responsibility to work enforced by the employment service) with legal rights under another agency (e.g. the right to housing from social landlords), so that breach of the former leads to exclusion from the latter. I conclude that this power strategy is primitive and punitive because it simply excludes welfare recipients. Exclusion is also uneconomic because it pushes welfare recipients into the shade of welfare institutional power.

Employment↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hypervigilance to pain in fibromyalgia: the mediating role of pain intensity and catastrophic thinking about pain.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mediating role of pain intensity, catastrophic thinking about pain, and negative affectivity in explaining enhanced attention for pain in patients with fibromyalgia. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with fibromyalgia and 46 patients with chronic low back pain completed self-report instruments of vigilance to pain, negative affectivity, and catastrophic thinking about pain. These measures, along with diagnostic group and pain intensity, were entered into a partial correlational analysis to investigate which variables mediate the relationship between diagnostic group (fibromyalgia vs. chronic low back pain) and vigilance to pain. RESULTS: Fibromyalgia patients reported significantly greater vigilance to pain than patients with chronic low back pain. They also reported higher pain intensity, more negative affectivity, and more catastrophic thinking about pain than patients with chronic low back pain. Vigilance to pain was correlated significantly with pain intensity, negative affectivity, and catastrophic thinking about pain. Further analyses revealed that pain intensity and catastrophic thinking about pain, but not negative affectivity, mediated the relationship between diagnostic group and vigilance to pain. CONCLUSION: Fibromyalgia patients report a heightened vigilance to pain. This vigilance is not a unique characteristic of fibromyalgia but is related to the intensity of pain and catastrophic thinking about pain.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A comparison of the effects of problem-based learning and lecturing on the development of students' critical thinking.

BACKGROUND: Educational approaches are thought to have facilitative or hindering effects on students' critical thinking development. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) and lecturing approaches on the development of students' critical thinking. METHODS: All 79 Year 1 undergraduate nursing students at a university in Hong Kong were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 parallel courses delivered by either PBL (n = 40) or lecturing (n = 39) over 1 academic year. The primary outcome measure was students' critical thinking disposition as measured by the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). Individual interviews were also conducted to elicit the students' perceptions of their learning experience. Data were collected at 4 timepoints spanning 3 years. RESULTS: The overall CCTDI and subscale scores for the PBL group were not significantly different from those of the lecture group at the first timepoint (pretest). Compared with lecture students, PBL students showed significantly greater improvement in overall CCTDI (P = 0.0048), Truthseeking (P = 0.0008), Analyticity (P = 0.0368) and Critical Thinking Self-confidence (P = 0.0342) subscale scores from the first to the second timepoints; in overall CCTDI (P = 0.0083), Truthseeking (P = 0.0090) and Analyticity (P = 0.0354) subscale scores from the first to the third timepoints; and in Truthseeking (P = 0.0173) and Systematicity (P = 0.0440) subscale scores from the first to the fourth timepoints. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in the development of students' critical thinking dispositions between those who undertook the PBL and lecture courses, respectively.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

Psychoticism and thinking.

In view of evidence linking psychosis with high creative ability, an attempt was made to evaluate the relationship between thinking abilities and personality traits. Tests of divergent thinking and convergent thinking were administered, along with the Eysencks' Personality Questionnaire, to 100 university students. The hypothesis that 'psychoticism' is related to divergent thinking was strongly confirmed. The hypothesis that psychoticism would be related inversely to speed in a convergent-thinking task was rejected. No evidence was found for any relationship between extraversion--introversion or neuroticism--stability and either thinking style.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Fostering critical thinking skills: a strategy for enhancing evidence based wellness care.

UNLABELLED: Chiropractic has traditionally regarded itself a wellness profession. As wellness care is postulated to play a central role in the future growth of chiropractic, the development of a wellness ethos acceptable within conventional health care is desirable. This paper describes a unit which prepares chiropractic students for the role of "wellness coaches". Emphasis is placed on providing students with exercises in critical thinking in an effort to prepare them for the challenge of interfacing with an increasingly evidence based health care system. METHODS: This case study describes how health may be promoted and disease prevented through development of personalized wellness programs. As critical thinking is essential to the provision of evidence based wellness care, diverse learning opportunities for developing and refining critical thinking skills have been created. Three of the learning opportunities are an intrinsic component of the subject and, taken together, contributed over 50% of the final grade of the unit. They include a literature review, developing a client wellness contract and peer evaluation. In addition to these 3 compulsory exercises, students were also given an opportunity to develop their critical appraisal skills by undertaking voluntary self- and unit evaluation. Several opportunities for informal self-appraisal were offered in a structured self-study guide, while unit appraisal was undertaken by means of a questionnaire and group discussion at which the Head of School was present. RESULTS: Formal assessment showed all students capable of preparing a wellness program consistent with current thinking in contemporary health care. The small group of students who appraised the unit seemed to value the diversity of learning experiences provided. Opportunities for voluntary unit and self-appraisal were used to varying degrees. Unit evaluation provided useful feedback that led to substantial changes in unit structure. CONCLUSION: Students have demonstrated themselves capable of applying critical thinking in construction of evidence based wellness programs. With respect to unit design, selective use of learning opportunities highlighted the desirability of using obligatory learning opportunities to ensure exposure to core constructs while student feedback was found to provide useful information for enriching unit review. It is hoped inclusion of critical thinking learning opportunities in the undergraduate chiropractic curriculum will contribute to the development of an evidence based ethos in chiropractic care.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Evaluating critical thinking in clinical concept maps: a pilot study.

Today, the complexities in the health care system are challenging nurses to be skillful and knowledgeable critical thinkers and decision makers. To adequately prepare future nurses to meet the challenges, nurse educators must nurture and facilitate critical thinking. One strategy believed to promote critical thinking in nursing education is concept maps. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the level of critical thinking in the clinical concept maps developed by second year baccalaureate nursing students. Students enrolled in a five-week clinical practicum course were asked to submit their final concept map and participate in a focus group. The data for the study included eighteen concept maps, 1 student focus group and 1 instructor focus group. The Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric (Facione & Facione, 1994) was used to measure levels of critical thinking, and content analysis was used to analyze focus group data. Results from this study indicated that developing concept maps in the clinical setting fostered critical thinking and improved clinical preparedness.

Concept Formation↗

PubMed2003

Predictive validity of critical thinking skills for initial clinical dental hygiene performance.

This study collected validity evidence on the utility of critical thinking skills and critical thinking disposition in predicting initial clinical performance. The predictive value of critical thinking skills scores and disposition scores was examined to determine their unique contribution beyond that provided by traditional predictors: grade point average, age, and number of college hours. The study involved three phases: establishing content validity of three outcome measures; assessing students' baseline critical thinking skills and disposition using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI); and assessing students' initial clinical competence, clinical reasoning, and clinical knowledge. All baccalaureate-level dental hygiene programs in the United States affiliated with a dental school (N=22) were invited to participate; of those, seven volunteered. A convenience sample of 207 first-year dental hygiene students was obtained. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that CCTST scores explained a statistically significant (p<.05) proportion of variance in students' initial clinical reasoning scores, acquired knowledge scores, and faculty ratings, above and beyond that explained by other predictor variables. CCTDI scores were not significant predictors of any outcome measure. It was concluded that CCTST is a good predictor of initial student outcomes and may have utility for student selection and retention.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed1996

Enhanced dynamic complexity in the human EEG during creative thinking.

This study shows that divergent thinking, considered the general process underlying creative production, can be distinguished from convergent, analytical thought based on the dimensional complexity of ongoing electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. EEG complexity over the central and posterior cortex was higher while subjects solved tasks of divergent than convergent thinking, and also higher than during mental relaxation. Over the frontal cortex, EEG complexity was comparable during divergent thinking and mental relaxation, but reduced during convergent thinking. Results indicate that the basic process underlying the generation of novel ideas expresses itself in a strong increase in the EEG's complexity, reflecting higher degrees of freedom in the competitive interactions among cortical neuron assemblies. Frontocortical EEG complexity being comparable with that during mental relaxation, speaks for a loosened attentional control during creative thinking.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effects of an educational program with interactive videodisc systems in improving critical thinking dispositions for RN-BSN students in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an educational program with interactive videodisc systems (IVS) in improving affective dispositions toward critical thinking for RN-BSN students in Taiwan. A pre-/post-test quasi-experimental design was used. The IVS program was provided. A sample of 126 students was obtained from one nursing college. The California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory was used. The results showed significant differences in all dispositions toward critical thinking, except inquisitiveness, between before and after the IVS program. With the IVS program, the subjects are educated in situations simulating real scenarios prior to clinical practice so that they not only have opportunities to learn how to approach the problem, formulate thinking, participate in discussions, and solve the problem, but they also are willing to keep thinking critically during clinical practice.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Critical thinking, self-esteem, and state anxiety of nursing students.

This study aimed at exploring the existing predominant critical thinking disposition(s) of baccalaureate nursing students and the relationship among their critical thinking (CT), self-esteem (SE), and state anxiety (SA). Cross-sectional correlational design was utilized to achieve the said aim. A voluntary convenient sample consisted of first year (n=105) and fourth year (n=60) nursing students. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory were used for data collection after their translation to Arabic language and test for validity and reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Results showed that both groups overall CT was marginal indicating no serious deficiency, their SE was average, and their SA was relatively high; they reported analyticity, open-mindedness, systematicity, inquisitiveness, and truth seeking as predominant critical thinking dispositions with no significant difference between them. However, the two groups were weak with significant difference on CT self-confidence (t=-2.053, df=136.904, p=.042) with beginning students reporting poorer level of CT self-confidence. Significant correlation results showed that critical thinking is positively correlated with SE, negatively correlated with SA, and SE is negatively correlated with SA; however, all correlations were actually quite low.

Anxiety↗

PubMed2005

Thinking about intentions.

In this fMRI study, we investigated the convergence of underlying neural networks in thinking about a scenario involving one's own intentional action and its consequences and setting up and holding in mind an intention to act. A factorial design was employed comprising two factors: i. Causality (intentional or physical events) and ii. Prospective Memory (present or absent). In each condition, subjects answered questions about various hypothetical scenarios, which related either to the link between the subject's own intentions and consequential actions (Intentional Causality) or to the link between a natural, physical event and its consequences (Physical Causality). A prospective memory task was embedded in half the blocks. In this task, subjects were required to keep in mind an intention (to press a key on seeing a red stimulus background) whilst carrying out the ongoing Causality task. Answering questions about intentional causality versus physical causality activated a network of regions that have traditionally been associated with Theory of Mind, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the superior temporal sulcus and the temporal poles bilaterally. In addition, the precuneus bordering with posterior cingulate cortex, an area involved in self-awareness and self-related processing, was activated more when thinking about intentional causality. In the prospective memory task, activations were found in the right parietal cortex, frontopolar cortex (BA 10) and precuneus. Different subregions within the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex were activated in both main effects of intentional causality and prospective memory. Therefore, the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex subserves separately thinking about one's own intentions and consequent actions and bearing in mind an intention to make an action. Previous studies have shown that prospective memory, requiring the formation of an intention and the execution of a corresponding action, is associated with decreased activation in the dorsal mPFC, close to the region activated in Theory of Mind tasks. Here, we found that holding in mind an intention to act and at the same time thinking about an intentional action led to reduced activity in a dorsal section of the mPFC. This was a different region from a more anterior, inferior dorsal mPFC region that responded to intentional causality. This suggests that different regions of mPFC play different roles in thinking about intentions.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

It is time to move from the nursing process to critical thinking.

As we reflect on the concept of critical thinking in perioperative nursing practice, we should ask ourselves whether we think critically. If not, we must learn the principles of critical thinking and apply them in our clinical practice settings. Our perioperative nurse managers and directors must demonstrate critical thinking in leading other nurses in the delivery of quality, cost-effective, service-oriented patient care. They also must identify peers who use critical thinking skills to support and sustain them in their quest.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal↗

PubMed2000

Effect of worrisome and relaxing thinking on fearful emotional processing.

This study replicated and extended previous data suggesting that worry inhibits emotional processing of fearful imagery. Female participants categorized as either victimization-fearful (N = 24) or victimization and speech-fearful (N = 27) completed trials of worrisome or relaxing thinking and tone-cued imagery. For each trial, participants engaged in 30 s of relaxing or worrisome (speech or victimization) thinking and then imagined speech or victimization fear scenes for 15 s. Heart rate and facial electromyography activity at the corrugator supercilii region were measured during the think and imagery periods to estimate degree of emotional processing of the fear imagery. Consistent with earlier findings, there was greater heart rate suppression during fearful imagery after a period of worry as opposed to relaxation. This finding, however, may have been the result of physiological differences between worrisome and relaxation thinking. Corrugator activation during thinking showed a similar pattern as the heart rate data while corrugator activation during fearful imagery was dependent on the baseline employed. These data, in combination with the imagery ratings data, suggest that worry may be an unsuccessful strategy for avoiding the physiological activation associated with emotional processing.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Critical-thinking types among nursing and management undergraduates.

Watson and Glaser (1994) developed a short version, Form S, of their long-established Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA), as a quickly administered measure of critical thinking. This exploratory study used scores from the five sub-tests in Form S, with samples from two professional schools, nursing (n=233) and management (n=131) undergraduates, to identify the typology of critical-thinking types. Four clusters were identified, using a two-stage clustering procedure, in both samples. Discriminant analyses showed that 96% of participants were correctly classified using cluster membership and scores from the five sub-tests as discriminating variables. Implications and recommendations for education and training in critical thinking are presented as well as recommendations for future research on critical-thinking types.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Functional organization of different brain areas during convergent and divergent thinking: an EEG investigation.

This study examined the task-related changes in EEG patterns during the experimental condition of convergent and divergent thinking in 36 healthy male subjects. EEG was recorded from 16 sites (10/20 system). After FFT a power was calculated for all 16 loci, and a coherence was estimated for all 120 electrode pairs in six frequency bands (4-30 Hz). Different patterns of the significant changes for the obtained EEG parameters were found during the two thinking types. When compared with the rest, both mental experiences produced the significant desynchronization of alpha1,2 rhythms. At the same time, the convergent thinking induced coherence increases in the θ1 band that were more caudal and right-sided, whereas divergent thinking showed mainly amplitude decreases in the caudal regions of the cortex in theta1,2 bands and the massive increases of a amplitude and coherence in the beta2 indicating a close interaction between both hemispheres. Distinct task-related discrepancies of EEG pattern in the beta2 band between the subjects divided into groups of good and bad performers of divergent thinking are also found. Good performance is related to the special organization of the cerebral areas in the beta2 band: (i) increased functional connectivity of central-parietal areas of both hemispheres; and (ii) greater ipsilateral connections between the cortex regions of the right hemisphere.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

EEG complexity and performance measures of creative thinking.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) was used because of its dimensional complexity to establish a differentiation of divergent versus convergent thought, considered fundamental modes of cortical processing. In 28 men, the EEG was recorded while solving tasks of divergent and convergent thinking and during mental relaxation. The EEG during divergent thought was compared between subjects achieving high versus low performance scores on this type of task. The dimensional complexity of the EEG was greater during divergent thinking than during convergent thinking. While solving tasks of divergent thinking, subjects with high performance scores had a lower EEG dimension than did subjects with low scores, in particular over frontal cortical areas. The changes were not reflected in single frequency bands of conventional EEG analysis. Based on Hebb's view of neuron assemblies as functional processing units, the higher EEG complexity during divergent than convergent thinking could be the result of the concurrent activation of a greater number of independently oscillating processing units.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Philosophical dialogue among peers: a study of manifestations of critical thinking in pre-service teachers.

In this paper, we study manifestations of critical thinking in pre-service physical education (PE) teachers when exposed to regular practice of philosophical dialogue among peers. A 12-week research project involving 13 pre-service teachers in PE was conducted. Analysis of two (pre- and post-project) transcripts from pre-service teachers' discussions reveals greater use of higher-order thinking (HOT) skills in the post-project transcript than in the pre-project transcript, and reveals that the nature of their exchanges evolved from monologue to dialogue. The latter transcript reveals some characteristics of critical thinking among participants, which thinking appears to be critical, creative and caring; it also reveals that the participants' thinking was oriented toward social and ethical dimensions.

Canada↗

PubMed1989

Constructive thinking: a broad coping variable with specific components.

The structure of constructive thinking and the development of an instrument for measuring it, the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI), were discussed. Scales were derived from a factor analysis of an item domain of people's everyday automatic thinking. When the CTI and other tests were factor analyzed, separate intellective and nonintellective factors were found, with the CTI loading more strongly on the nonintellective factor than any other test. Only measures of IQ loaded on the intellective factor. The global constructive thinking scale correlated significantly with success in work, love, social relationships, and in maintaining emotional and physical well-being, but not with academic achievement, the only criterion with which the measures of IQ correlated strongly. The patterns of correlations between the CTI scales and the various criteria as well as the factor analysis demonstrated that the construct of constructive thinking is differentiated as well as integrated.

Achievement↗