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    Exploring the effects of outdoor activities and connectedness with nature on cognitive styles and creativity : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Leong, Lai Yin Carmen
    The natural environment’s potential to improve education, work, and lifestyles is receiving increasing attention by policy makers and practitioners. Psychological research has demonstrated that stress reduction, attention restoration, and increased creativity can result from exposure to nature. Such evidence notwithstanding, the precise psychological mechanisms explaining these effects remain unclear. This thesis provides a systematic examination of how contact with nature might affect humans. Four studies were conducted. Study 1 reports two meta-analyses (N = 10701, k = 100) involving: (i) 66 studies using preand post-test designs, and (ii) 32 experimental studies that include a control group. Although outdoor activities have been found overall to affect personal and social outcomes positively, there has been limited research into the effects on cognitive variables of exposure to outdoor environments. To address this gap in the literature, I aim to investigate whether contact with nature (in two dimensions–the psychological attachment to nature and the physical exposure to it) is associated with processes related to creativity (i.e., cognitive styles and divergent thinking creativity). Study 2 (N = 138) tests the relationship between connectedness with nature and cognitive styles and reports a significant positive association between connectedness with nature and both innovative and holistic thinking styles. Building on this finding, Study 3 (N = 185) not only replicates the results of Study 2 by controlling for wellbeing processes, but includes a new creativity test to examine the link between connectedness with nature and creative processes (connectedness with nature is found to be positively linked with divergent-thinking creativity). As these three studies employ cross-sectional data where causality cannot be inferred, the last study involves an experimental design. Study 4 (N = 93) manipulates active versus passive engagement with nature and examines the mediating impact of connectedness with nature on the link between outdoor activities and divergentthinking creativity. Some theoretical explanations as to how nature might affect our creativity are proposed. Potential limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed. The findings are intended to provide supporting evidence for the relationship between nature and creativity, and hopefully inform educational pedagogy and lifestyle choices likely to enhance creativity.
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    A case study of gifted visual-spatial learners : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education, Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Mansfield, Sharon
    This thesis explores a group of learners who have exceptional visual-spatial abilities relative to their same age peers. These abilities give them the potential to achieve success in areas where the capability to visualise three dimensional images and manipulate those images in space contributes to a creative problem-solving mindset that is highly valued in today’s globally competitive world of innovative technology. Literature reviewed to background the investigation topic suggested characteristic differences in the way these learners process information can create barriers to successful classroom learning. It was reported that consequent areas of challenge within traditional academic domains, together with their exceptional ability being not often recognised or valued in schools, contributes to gifted visual-spatial learners being an “invisible group”. These findings lead to the development of a primary research aim to describe these differences and explore how they affect the learning experiences of these students. As part of this investigation, the extent to which the exceptional visual-spatial abilities were recognised and how well their need for a differentiated curriculum was understood was also evaluated. A case study approach has been utilised to create in-depth descriptions of three students who, following completion of a cognitive assessment profile by a professional with acknowledged expertise and knowledge about gifted students, had been identified as gifted visual-spatial learners. A photo elicitation technique was incorporated into the case study methodology as it was considered that this would mesh well with the characteristic processing style of the participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants using photographs that they had taken in response to stimulus questions posed at an initial meeting. The photographs provided a concrete visual product that linked to personal experiences as a prompt for communication to encourage meaningful discussion. Observations were undertaken of the learners in learning environments and semi-structured interviews were carried out with teachers and parents. Further data was gathered from analysis of unobtrusive artefacts such as assessment reports and samples of work. The resulting information is presented as three case descriptions followed by a discussion section. Particular attention has been given to describing learning characteristics that set these students apart and discussion of how these differences impact on academic achievement. Aspects that supported successful learning experiences were also identified and recommendations for classroom practice and for future research have been made.
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    Achievement, cognitive style and ethnic group membership : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1976) Harker, Richard Kendall
    Relationships between Ethnicity, environmental variables, Cognitive Style and achievement are examined with a sample of 679 Standard Three children. No relationship is found between Ethnicity (Maori-Pakeha) and Cognitive Style, although the correlations between Cognitive Style and Achievement are different for Maori and Pakeha children, and are sustained when the comparisons are controlled for SES, Family Size, Rural-Urban location, Sex and Age. Using two criteria of achievement (PAT Tests and Ravens Progressive Matrices), Pakeha children score higher than Maori children, differences which are reduced but not eliminated when control (in a Multiple Regression Analysis) for the five environmental variables mentioned above is undertaken. Using a third achievement criterion (Teacher Ratings), the initial correlation with ethnicity (similar to the other two criteria) is reduced to near zero in a Multiple Regression Analysis.