Violent and prosocial music: Evidence for the impact of lyrics and musical tone on aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Although there is a large research base on the psychological impacts of violent and prosocial visual media, there is little research addressing the impacts of violent and prosocial music, and which facets of the music have the greatest impact. Four experiments tested the impact of lyrics and/or musical tone on aggressive and prosocial behavior, and on underlying psychological processes, using purpose-built songs to avoid the effect of music-related confounds. In study one, where mildly aggressive, overtly aggressive and violent lyrics were compared to neutral lyrics, any level of lyrical aggression caused an increase in behavioral aggression, which plateaued for all three aggression conditions. Violent lyrics were better recalled than other lyrics one week later. In studies two-three no significant effects of lyrics, or of aggressive versus nonaggressive musical tone, were found on aggressive or prosocial behavior. In terms of internal states, violent lyrics increased hostility/hostile cognitions in all studies, and negatively impacted affective state in three studies. Prosocial lyrics decreased hostility/hostile cognitions in three studies, but always in tandem with another factor. Aggressive musical tone increased physiological arousal in two studies and increased negative affect in one. In study four those who listened to violent lyrics drove more aggressively on a simulated drive that included triggers for aggression. Overall, violent lyrics consistently elicited hostility/hostile cognitions and negative affect, but these did not always translate to aggressive behavior. Violent music seems more likely to elicit behavioral aggression when there are aggression triggers and a clear way to aggress. Implications are discussed.

Counterfactual thinking induces different neural patterns of memory modification in anxious individuals.

Episodic counterfactual thinking (eCFT) is the process of mentally simulating alternate versions of experiences, which confers new phenomenological properties to the original memory and may be a useful therapeutic target for trait anxiety. However, it remains unclear how the neural representations of a memory change during eCFT. We hypothesized that eCFT-induced memory modification is associated with changes to the neural pattern of a memory primarily within the default mode network, moderated by dispositional anxiety levels. We tested this proposal by examining the representational dynamics of eCFT for 39 participants varying in trait anxiety. During eCFT, lateral parietal regions showed progressively more distinct activity patterns, whereas medial frontal neural activity patterns became more similar to those of the original memory. Neural pattern similarity in many default mode network regions was moderated by trait anxiety, where highly anxious individuals exhibited more generalized representations for upward eCFT (better counterfactual outcomes), but more distinct representations for downward eCFT (worse counterfactual outcomes). Our findings illustrate the efficacy of examining eCFT-based memory modification via neural pattern similarity, as well as the intricate interplay between trait anxiety and eCFT generation.

The vmPFC-IPL functional connectivity as the neural basis of future self-continuity impacted procrastination: the mediating role of anticipated positive outcomes.

Procrastination is universally acknowledged as a problematic behavior with wide-ranging consequences impacting various facets of individuals' lives, including academic achievement, social accomplishments, and mental health. Although previous research has indicated that future self-continuity is robustly negatively correlated with procrastination, it remains unknown about the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of future self-continuity on procrastination. To address this issue, we employed a free construction approach to collect individuals' episodic future thinking (EFT) thoughts regarding specific procrastination tasks. Next, we conducted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis to explore the neural substrates underlying future self-continuity. Behavior results revealed that future self-continuity was significantly negatively correlated with procrastination, and positively correlated with anticipated positive outcome. The VBM analysis showed a positive association between future self-continuity and gray matter volumes in the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Furthermore, the RSFC results indicated that the functional connectivity between the right vmPFC and the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was positively correlated with future self-continuity. More importantly, the mediation analysis demonstrated that anticipated positive outcome can completely mediate the relationship between the vmPFC-IPL functional connectivity and procrastination. These findings suggested that vmPFC-IPL functional connectivity might prompt anticipated positive outcome about the task and thereby reduce procrastination, which provides a new perspective to understand the relationship between future self-continuity and procrastination.

Elucidating the difference between mind-wandering and day-dreaming terms.

Self-generated thoughts have been widely investigated in recent years, while the terms "mind-wandering" and "day-dreaming" are usually used interchangeably. But are these terms equivalent? To test this, online study participants were presented with situations of a protagonist engaged in self-generated thoughts. The scenarios differed with regard to type of situation, the activity in which the protagonist was engaged in, and the properties of the self-generated thoughts. Two different groups evaluated the same situations; one group evaluated the extent to which the protagonist mind-wandered and another the extent to which the protagonist day-dreamt. Our key findings were that the situations were perceived differently with regard to mind-wandering and day-dreaming, depending on whether self-generated thoughts occurred when the protagonist was busy with another activity and the type of self-generated thoughts. In particular, while planning, worrying, and ruminating thoughts were perceived more as mind-wandering in situations involving another activity/task, the situations without another activity/task involving recalling past events and fantasizing thoughts were perceived more as day-dreaming. In the additional experiment, we investigated laypeople's reasons for classifying the situation as mind-wandering or day-dreaming. Our results altogether indicate that mind-wandering and day-dreaming might not be fully equivalent terms.

Be curious: Strategic curiosity drives creativity.

Ivancovsky et al. provide a compelling argument for the role of curiosity in creative thinking. We argue that (a) trait-like curiosity is necessary to engage in creative actions and (b) state-like curiosity might be effectively and strategically induced during interventions. Thus, we posit that curiosity works in an agentic and strategic way in strengthening creativity.

The Perceived Functions and Phenomenological Characteristics of Future Thinking and Clinically Significant Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms.

Current research indicates that anxiety disorders and elevated levels of trait anxiety are associated with biases and impairments when thinking of personally relevant future events, that is, future thinking. However, to date, little research has been conducted into how people with symptoms of clinical anxiety perceive the functions of future thinking. The current study presents a cross-sectional survey comparing individuals with elevated symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and related functional impact (N = 51, 43.1% female, Mage = 33.1, SD = 10.2) matched on age and gender with individuals with no clinically significant symptoms of GAD (N = 51, 43.1% female, Mage = 33.3, SD = 10.1) on self-reported functions of future thinking and a battery of items assessing the phenomenological characteristics. The results indicated various significant differences in the perceived functions of future thinking and its phenomenological characteristics in those with elevated GAD symptoms. Broadly, they indicate more frequent future thinking and more commonly for self-distraction or processing negatively valenced future events, and generally less adaptive mental representations that support current thinking on the psychopathological process of increased worry, anxious arousal and maladaptive cognition in clinical anxiety symptoms.

Long-lasting negativity in the left motoric brain structures during word memory inhibition in the Think/No-Think paradigm.

In this study, we investigated the electrical brain responses in a high-density EEG array (64 electrodes) elicited specifically by the word memory cue in the Think/No-Think paradigm in 46 participants. In a first step, we corroborated previous findings demonstrating sustained and reduced brain electrical frontal and parietal late potentials elicited by memory cues following the No-Think (NT) instructions as compared to the Think (T) instructions. The topographical analysis revealed that such reduction was significant 1000 ms after memory cue onset and that it was long-lasting for 1000 ms. In a second step, we estimated the underlying brain generators with a distributed method (swLORETA) which does not preconceive any localization in the gray matter. This method revealed that the cognitive process related to the inhibition of memory retrieval involved classical motoric cerebral structures with the left primary motor cortex (M1, BA4), thalamus, and premotor cortex (BA6). Also, the right frontal-polar cortex was involved in the T condition which we interpreted as an indication of its role in the maintaining of a cognitive set during remembering, by the selection of one cognitive mode of processing, Think, over the other, No-Think, across extended periods of time, as it might be necessary for the successful execution of the Think/No-Think task.

Multiple paths to rumination within a network analytical framework.

Theories of rumination have proposed different psychological factors to place one at risk for repetitive negative thinking. A comprehensive empirical test that captures the most relevant contributors to rumination is lacking. Building on influential self-regulatory and metacognitive frameworks, we modeled how key constructs in this context relate to ruminative thinking. 498 participants completed online questionnaires including indicators of rumination, metacognition, promotion goal orientation, effortful control, and depression. We estimated regularized partial correlation networks to investigate unique associations between the different constructs and followed these analyses up with directed acyclic graphs to identify potential pathways towards rumination. Results demonstrated that: (1) both self-regulatory and metacognitive factors were directly linked to rumination, amongst these were (2) positive beliefs, negative beliefs about uncontrollability and harm, cognitive self-consciousness, depression, effortful control, perfectionism, and (lack of) cognitive confidence, and (3) we identified multiple directed pathways, suggesting three direct contributors to rumination while controlling for the influence of all other variables: diminished effortful control, positive beliefs, and cognitive self-consciousness. This study is the first to comprehensively assess metacognitive and self-regulatory frameworks of rumination in a data-driven manner. Our findings suggest that there are multiple pathways towards rumination, which should be incorporated in clinical case conceptualization of rumination and related disorders.

Application of flipped classroom teaching method based on ADDIE concept in clinical teaching for neurology residents.

BACKGROUND: As an important medical personnel training system in China, standardized residency training plays an important role in enriching residents' clinical experience, improving their ability to communicate with patients and their clinical expertise. The difficulty of teaching neurology lies in the fact that there are many types of diseases, complicated conditions, and strong specialisation, which puts higher requirements on residents' independent learning ability, the cultivation of critical thinking, and the learning effect. Based on the concept of ADDIE (Analysis-Design-Development-Implementation-Evaluation), this study combines the theory and clinical practice of flipped classroom teaching method to evaluate the teaching effect, so as to provide a basis and reference for the implementation of flipped classroom in the future of neurology residency training teaching. METHODS: The participants of the study were 90 neurology residents in standardised training in our hospital in the classes of 2019 and 2020. A total of 90 residents were divided into a control group and an observation group of 45 cases each using the random number table method. The control group used traditional teaching methods, including problem based learning (PBL), case-based learning (CBL), and lecture-based learning (LBL). The observation group adopted the flipped classroom teaching method based on the ADDIE teaching concept. A unified assessment of the learning outcomes of the residents was conducted before they left the department in the fourth week, including the assessment of theoretical and skill knowledge, the assessment of independent learning ability, the assessment of critical thinking ability, and the assessment of clinical practice ability. Finally, the overall quality of teaching was assessed. RESULTS: The theoretical and clinical skills assessment scores achieved by the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group, and the results were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The scores of independent learning ability and critical thinking ability of the observation group were better than those of the control group, showing statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). The observation group was better than the control group in all indicators in terms of Mini-Cex score (P < 0.05). In addition, the observation group had better teaching quality compared to the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the concept of ADDIE combined with flipped classroom teaching method can effectively improve the teaching effect of standardized training of neurology residents, and had a positive effect on the improvement of residents' autonomous learning ability, critical thinking ability, theoretical knowledge and clinical comprehensive ability.

"It doesn't matter if you are in charge of the trees, you always miss the trees for the forest": Power and the illusion of explanatory depth.

Power can increase overconfidence and illusory thinking. We investigated whether power is also related to the illusion of explanatory depth (IOED), people's tendency to think they understand the world in more detail, coherence, and depth than they actually do. Abstract thinking was reported as a reason for the IOED, and according to the social distance theory of power, power increases abstract thinking. We linked these literatures and tested construal style as a mediator. Further, predispositions can moderate effects of power and we considered narcissism as a candidate because narcissism leads to overconfidence and may thus increase the IOED especially in combination with high power. In three preregistered studies (total N = 607), we manipulated power or measured feelings of power. We found evidence for the IOED (regarding explanatory knowledge about devices). Power led to general overconfidence but had only a small impact on the IOED. Power and narcissism had a small interactive effect on the IOED. Meta-analytical techniques suggest that previous findings on the construal-style-IOED link show only weak evidential value. Implications refer to research on management, power, and overconfidence.

Undergraduate Biology Lecture Courses Predominantly Test Facts about Science Rather than Scientific Practices.

Scientific practices are the skills used to develop scientific knowledge and are essential for careers in science. Despite calls from education and government agencies to cultivate scientific practices, there remains little evidence of how often students are asked to apply them in undergraduate courses. We analyzed exams from biology courses at 100 institutions across the United States and found that only 7% of exam questions addressed a scientific practice and that 32% of biology exams did not test any scientific practices. The low occurrence of scientific practices on exams signals that undergraduate courses may not be integrating foundational scientific skills throughout their curriculum in the manner envisioned by recent national frameworks. Although there were few scientific practices overall, their close association with higher-order cognitive skills suggests that scientific practices represent a primary means to help students develop critical thinking skills and highlights the importance of incorporating a greater degree of scientific practices into undergraduate lecture courses and exams.

The impact of critical thinking skills on student pharmacist GPA at a historically Black university.

INTRODUCTION: Limited information is available regarding whether malleable factors such as critical thinking skills are associated with academic performance among underrepresented minority pharmacy students. This study assessed the relationship between critical thinking skills and grade point average (GPA) among pharmacy students attending a Historically Black College. METHODS: A cross sectional study design was utilized to evaluate the association between student's GPA and critical thinking skills. Demographic data and GPA were abstracted from student records. The health sciences reasoning test with numeracy was administered to pharmacy students at Howard University during the 2017 to 2018 academic year. Critical thinking scores were classified as weak, moderate, or strong/superior. A one way analysis of variance was conducted to ascertain if the average GPA differed based on critical thinking skills category. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine whether student's critical thinking skill category was associated with the cumulative GPA after accounting for other factors. RESULTS: Among 217 students, the mean GPA among students with a weak critical thinking skills score (3.22 ± 0.40) was lower compared to students with a strong/superior score (3.39 ± 0.33) with a p-value of 0.029. After adjusting for other factors, a strong/superior critical thinking skills score was associated with a higher GPA (p-value = 0.024) in comparison to weak critical thinking skills. CONCLUSION: Stronger critical thinking skills scores are associated with better academic performance among underrepresented minority pharmacy students.

Testing the role of extended thinking in predicting craving and problematic social network sites use.

Background and aims Problematic Social Network Sites Use (PSNSU) mirrors substance use disorders with regard to symptoms (e.g., diminished control). Recent theoretical advances in the addiction research field recognize a central role of affective and cognitive processes in the development of addictive behaviors. For example, the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors sustains that cognitive processes like extended thinking, disruption in metacognitive monitoring, and thought suppression are associated with addictive behaviors leading to increased craving. The current study aims to test the mediating role of extended thinking (i.e., worry, rumination, and desire thinking) in the relationship between psychological distress and PSNSU. Methods A community sample of 548 individuals (F = 68.5%, Mage= 29.29 ± 12.04 years) completed an online survey. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the relationships among the variables under study. Results The assessed structural model adequately fits the data, accounting for 89% of PSNSU variance. Psychological distress predicted PSNSU through the mediation of desire thinking and rumination and the serial mediation of (i) worry and craving (ii) desire thinking and craving The model is gender invariant. Conclusions The current findings provide preliminary evidence for the role of extended thinking in PSNSU. Worry, rumination and desire thinking may be central cognitive processes in eliciting craving and PSNSU for individuals who experience psychological distress.

Effects of the design thinking pedagogy on design thinking competence of nursing students in Taiwan: A prospective non-randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Design thinking pedagogy was commonly adopted in higher education across professional fields, but not in nursing education. To enhance design thinking competence of nursing students, integrating design thinking pedagogy has been suggested. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of incorporating design thinking pedagogy into Leadership Development courses on design thinking competence in nursing students. DESIGN: Prospective non-randomized study. PARTICIPANT AND SETTING: This study was conducted in a University of Science and Technology in northern Taiwan. Nursing students taking elective Leadership Development courses were included as the experimental group (n = 150). Age- and gender-matched nursing students without taking Leadership Development courses were included as the control group (n = 150). METHODS: Two self-reported questionnaires, Taiwanese version of Creative Synthesis Inventory (CSI-TW) and Design Thinking Traits Questionnaire (DTTQ-TW), were used to assess design thinking competence of nursing students before and after test. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) after adjustment for pre-test mean scores was performed to assess differences in the adjusted post-test mean scores between the two groups. RESULTS: The ANCOVA analysis indicated nursing students in the experimental group had significantly improved total scores of and subscale scores of CSI-TW compared to those of the control group. Although total score of DTTQ-TW as well as subscale scores of feedback-seeking and experimentalism were significantly enhanced in the experimental group than their control counterparts, no significant differences in subscale scores of integrative thinking, optimism, and collaboration were observed between two groups. CONCLUSION: Design thinking pedagogy significantly improved overall design thinking competence of nursing students. This study provided quantitative evidence to support the implementation of design thinking pedagogy in nursing education to facilitate the design thinking competence of nursing students.

Savoring changes novel positive mindset targets of GAD treatment: Optimism, prioritizing positivity, kill-joy thinking, and worry mediation.

This study analyzed effects of savoring on unstudied positive mindset targets of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treatment (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05040061). 85 students with GAD were randomly assigned to one of two ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) on smartphone for seven days. The SkillJoy EMI promoted practices for savoring positive emotions. An active control EMI mirrored SkillJoy, yet did not include savoring or positive emotion. Optimism, worry, kill-joy thinking (lessening positive emotion with cognition), and prioritization of positive emotion activities and goals were assessed at pre-trial, eighth-day, post-trial, and 30th-day follow-up. Savoring was assessed pre-trial and fifth-day mid-trial. Longitudinal linear mixed models and simple slope analyses examined change between and within conditions. Bias-corrected bootstrapping path analysis examined mediation of worry change by increased savoring. SkillJoy led to significantly greater increases in both optimism and prioritizing positivity than the control from pre-trial to post-trial and pre-trial to follow-up. Both interventions significantly reduced kill-joy thinking at both timepoints with Skilljoy leading to marginally greater change at post-trial. Pre- to mid-trial increases in savoring mediated the relationships between treatment condition and reductions in worry at both post-trial and follow-up.