Tests commonly used to examine creativity rarely relate to daily life, which is why they have only limited suitability for exploring creative processes in everyday situations. Researchers from Graz and Cologne have now developed special test tasks for soccer players that can also be applied in a neuroscience laboratory. Continue reading “Creativity in soccer now measurable”
A research team from Graz simulated creative thought processes using a computer and investigated the role played by creativity in the way people use digital media. First results indicate that those who think outside the box get more out of the web, even though personalised search recommendations make access to new information more difficult. Continue reading “Escaping the (mental) echo chamber”
Is there such a thing as objective morality? And what do philosophical laypeople think about this idea? These are questions explored by the philosopher Thomas Pölzler from Graz. At the College of Charleston, Schrödinger fellow Pölzler produced exciting results on this issue, implemented new research ideas and, last but not least, learned a great deal […] Continue reading “Now tell me, how do you feel about morality?”
In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a research group led by psychologist Laura Bishop is investigating how people who play classical music together communicate with each other. To this end she is working on a computer system that can play music like a human being. Continue reading “Exploring communication in music ensembles”
In a joint project researchers from the Universities of Graz and Munich have investigated dyslexia as the most common learning disorder at primary school age. They have been able to identify causes of reading difficulties at both cognitive and behavioural level which can occur independently of spelling deficiencies. Continue reading “Taking a close look at reading and spelling”
You are either wise, or you aren’t: this take on wisdom falls short of reality. The world’s first long-term study on how wisdom develops shows that emotions play a central role and, in conjunction with life events, influence the dynamics of wisdom. Continue reading “Wisdom is inclusive”
The ability to recognize the thoughts, desires, and intentions of others is known in scientific circles as “Theory of Mind.” The psychologist and Schrödinger Fellow Matthias Schurz explores this human mind-reading phenomenon at Oxford University by investigating the workings of the brain. Continue reading “Oxford – venerable and cutting-edge”
Music can have the effect of a “pacer” promoting coordinated, prosocial behaviour in human beings. Under a Lise-Meitner grant from the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the neurobiologist Dan Bowling is looking for evidence of the power of music. He wants to know, for instance, how music affects our bodies and whether singing in a choir […] Continue reading “Grooving together for more cohesion”
A group of Salzburg-based researchers led by the psychologist Eva Jonas investigates the neuro-psychological mechanisms behind existential threats. What exactly happens in the process between threat and defensive reaction is at the centre of an ongoing study funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF. Continue reading “From anxiety to action”
At Boston University, Robert Baumgartner, holder of a Schrödinger grant, investigates the influence of the pinna on spatial hearing and is confronted with an interesting behavioural phenomenon. Continue reading “Research in the land of (un)limited opportunities”