An empirical study of the construct validity of social creativity

Creativity can be broadly defined as a combination of interacting individual and environmental resources leading to the production of valuable solutions. This paper concentrates on the type of creativity that can be expressed in solving social problems. After reviewing the potentially relevant psychological and contextual variables intervening in social creativity, leading to individual differences in this capacity, we present results of a study testing the nomological validity of social creativity in a group of 70 pre-adolescents. The findings indicate that social creativity performance is linked with socially relevant variables such as social competencies, popularity, and parenting style. Finally, we discuss the relevance of a creativity approach in social domains such as violence prevention programs and education.     

The launch of innovative product-related services: Lessons from automotive telematics

In the literature on new product development, most existing studies on the end of the design process concentrate on managing ramp-up in the field of manufactured products. This situation poses a problem at a time when our economies increasingly depend upon services and products are more and more related with sophisticated services that provide value for customers and producers. This article examines the management of the final phases of the design process of an innovative product-related service. Our research thus makes three contributions: (1) an analysis of the implementation process shows that the simultaneity of the production and consumption of a service means that three types of learning - technical, sales and uses - take place at the same time. Launch management strategies have thus to be adapted; (2) an analysis of the data collected confirms this difference by bringing to light great contrasts in these different aspects of learning; (3) this led us to identify a field that needs exploration by researchers in product and service innovation: the design of the sales process. Furthermore we underline two scenarios to manage the launch of innovative product-related services.     

Vocational education,on-the-job training,and labour market integration of young workers in urban West Africa

Young people in Africa encounter many difficulties in entering the labour market and in searching for decent and productive jobs. Research on the links between formal education and vocational training and their economic returns are especially crucial in understanding the inadequate demand for their labour. This article presents evidence based on the 1-2-3 Surveys conducted in seven West African countries; the surveys provide a consistent and comparable picture of the urban youth employment situation in these countries. The analysis also indicates that vocational education could be helpful in integrating the formal sector and that it often offers better earnings and better firm performance than general education, especially at higher levels of schooling. Overall, young workers with no formal vocational education and training face poorer working conditions, while those who have had a traditional apprenticeship in a small firm occupy an intermediate position. Finally, on-the-job training plays a crucial role in the informal sector of the West African cities.     

Toddlers Default to Canonical Surface‐to‐Meaning Mapping When Learning Verbs

Previous work has shown that toddlers readily encode each noun in the sentence as a distinct argument of the verb. However, languages allow multiple mappings between form and meaning that do not fit this canonical format. Two experiments examined French 28‐month‐olds' interpretation of right‐dislocated sentences (noun_i‐verb, noun_i) where the presence of clear, language‐specific cues should block such a canonical mapping. Toddlers (N = 96) interpreted novel verbs embedded in these sentences as transitive, disregarding prosodic cues to dislocation (Experiment 1) but correctly interpreted right‐dislocated sentences containing well‐known verbs (Experiment 2). These results suggest that toddlers can integrate multiple cues in ideal conditions, but default to canonical surface‐to‐meaning mapping when extracting structural information about novel verbs in semantically impoverished conditions.     

Developmental changes in the comparison of decimal fractions

Learning about decimal fractions is difficult because it requires an extension of the number concept built on natural numbers. The aim of the present study was to investigate developmental changes in children's misconceptions in decimal fraction processing. A large sample of children from Grades 3 to 6 performed a numerical comparison task on different categories of pairs of decimal fractions. The success rate and the type of error they made varied with age and categories. We distinguished the impact of the value of the digits from the impact of the length of the fractional part on children's pattern of responses. Although both kinds of impact affected the success rate, the digit values had a stronger impact and were mastered later than the length. Our results also showed that a zero just after the decimal point was understood better and earlier than a zero at the end of the fractional part of a number. Cluster analysis was conducted to determine groups of children who answered similarly regarding the response type across the various categories of decimal fractions. To interpret the data the conceptual change framework was used.     

Needs of thermodynamic properties measurements and modeling in the frame of new regulations on refrigerants

In 1987, the Montreal Protocol prohibited the worldwide use and production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) were proposed as alternative refrigerants. Unfortunately, HFCs have non negligible global warning potential and therefore new refrigerants must be proposed or old refrigerants must be used associated with HFC. Accurate experimental thermodynamic data and predictive techniques are required for better under-standing of the performance of the newly proposed refrigerants. In this communication, experimental techniques based on either analytic or synthetic methods are first described. Data are reported. Then two newly developed predictive models based on thermodynamic approach with the isofugacity criterion and artificial neural network method are presented. The results can provide better evaluation of refrigerants, especially with the aim of studying global warning effects.     

A pilot study on quantification of training load: The use of HRV in training practice

Recent laboratory studies have suggested that heart rate variability (HRV) may be an appropriate criterion for training load (TL) quantification. The aim of this study was to validate a novel HRV index that may be used to assess TL in field conditions. Eleven well-trained long-distance male runners performed four exercises of different duration and intensity. TL was evaluated using Foster and Banister methods. In addition, HRV measurements were performed 5 minutes before exercise and 5 and 30 minutes after exercise. We calculated HRV index (TL_HRV) based on the ratio between HRV decrease during exercise and HRV increase during recovery. HRV decrease during exercise was strongly correlated with exercise intensity (R = ?0.70; p < 0.01) but not with exercise duration or training volume. TL_HRV index was correlated with Foster (R = 0.61; p = 0.01) and Banister (R = 0.57; p = 0.01) methods. This study confirms that HRV changes during exercise and recovery phase are affected by both intensity and physiological impact of the exercise. Since the TL_HRV formula takes into account the disturbance and the return to homeostatic balance induced by exercise, this new method provides an objective and rational TL index. However, some simplification of the protocol measurement could be envisaged for field use.     

Deaf parents and pediatric cochlear implantation: an exploration of the decision-making process

The study examined factors in deaf parents' decision between cochlear implantation (CI) and traditional hearing aids for their child. The subjects were 6 Flemish children ages 5-9 years with severe/profound congenital hearing loss, with at least 1 deaf parent. The researchers, who conducted thematic content analysis of qualitative data collected through parent interviews, found that with the exception of a family with 1 hearing parent, parents gave priority to Deaf identity, sign language, and ethical issues in deciding between CI and hearing aids. Medical risks were also mentioned. The researchers conclude that the decision-making processes of the parents involved factors that have also been found among hearing parents, as well as aspects that have not been reported to play a role in hearing parents' decision making. A further conclusion is that deaf parents' perspective merits attention in professional practice and empirical research.