Bruno Campello de Souza

MMORPGS and cognitive performance: A study with 1280 Brazilian high school students

The present paper attempts to empirically study the cognitive impacts of Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) in uncontrolled contexts in light of the Cognitive Mediation Networks Theory, a new model of human intelligence that aims to explain cognition as the result of brain activity combined with the information-processing done by external structures such as tools, social groups and culture. A sample of 1280 students Brazilian high school students answered a form inquiring about socio-demographic information plus the use of computer games, and also was submitted to a short knowledge exam and a mini psychometric test. The findings indicated that, due to their underlying structure and sociocultural nature, MMORPGs are associated to a greater level of insertion into the Digital Age, higher levels of logical-numerical performance, and better scholastic ability. Finally, suggestions are made for future studies on the subject.

Repensando a inteligência

O conceito de inteligencia e um conceito amplo, com variacoes enormes entre leigos ou peritos ,relativas ao significado efetivo da palavra. Nao surpreendentemente, tambem ha variacoes enormes entre autores sobre quais seriam os componentes basicos e as dinâmicas de inteligencia, com algumas destas diferencas originando-se de alteracoes em conceito e outras surgindo de diferencas no tipo de metodo de investigacao adotado. Este artigo revisa a discussao sobre este controverso topico, apontando os pontos fracos das abordagens tradicionais e atuais sobre este assunto, particularmente em relacao ao objetivo das habilidades consideradas, e a tendencia para desconsiderar os componentes social, cultural e ambiental do pensamento humano. Enfim, tendo como base uma nova teoria do processamento da informacao de tipo contextualista, e apresentada uma nova abordagem para o estudo da inteligencia.

Putting the Cognitive Mediation Networks Theory to the test: Evaluation of a framework for understanding the digital age

The Cognitive Mediation Networks Theory (CMNT) is a novel approach to human intelligence that, among other things, attempts to understand the cognitive changes associated to the emergence and dissemination of information and communication technologies throughout the last few decades. The present paper aims to investigate a central claim of the model, which is that the greater interaction of individuals with the changes emanating from the Digital Revolution and its implications (Hyperculture) tends to, in and of itself, produce psychological changes that lead to enhanced Cognitive Performance. For that purpose, a total of 1291 Brazilian adults and adolescents were investigated by means of an especially prepared form and cognitive tests. The results obtained indicated that a greater degree of Hyperculture is positively associated to Cognitive Performance and Sociability, regardless of sex, age, income, and level of education. These findings, taken together with those from other studies, strongly support the predictions of the CMNT, which emerges in this paper as a valid model of human cognition, at least when applied to the impacts of the Digital Revolution.

Estudo Exploratório da Conceitualização de Criatividade em Estudantes Universitários

This study aimed to investigate how university students conceive the concept of creativity. We used a multidimensional analysis based on Facet Theory. Initially, we requested that students express what they think following the evocation of the stimulus word creativity; on the basis of this free association, 15 of the more frequently evoked words were selected. Next, we investigated the structure of the creativity concept of the 15 words through a free sort non-verbal task. The results of the interrelations among all the variables were analyzed by means of a Similarity Structure Analysis that produced a radex structure with item creativity in the central area and with five areas distributed around it. These areas identified five dimensions: Aesthetics, Emotion, Genesis, Cognition, and Volition. The meanings of these dimensions in relation to the major conceptual issues in the literature are discussed to seek better to understand the representational structure of the creativity concept.

Psychocultural Mechanisms of the Propensity toward Criminal Homicide: A Multidimensional View of the Culture of Honor

Introduction: Theory of the Culture of Honor is one of the few models in criminology specifically geared toward homicide. It proposes that, in certain societies, men must never show weakness and are required to react violently to any perceived threats to their reputation, thereby increasing their probability of committing a homicide. This has been suggested as the main explanation for the high rates of this type of crime in Brazil, particularly in the Northeast. Underlying this explanation there are complex mechanisms and processes that have yet to be clarified. Objectives: The present research aimed to investigate the workings of the possible psychocultural mechanisms underlying the culture of honor and the process through which they might affect the individual propensity toward homicide. Methods: A total of 336 Brazilian adults were assessed regarding a broad range of sociodemographic, psychological, and sociocultural variables, including their attitudes toward homicide. The resulting dataset was analyzed using Smallest Space Analysis and Facet Theory. Results: It seems that certain cultural elements associated to traditional masculinity and enhanced anger tend to promote negative personality traits and increase one’s propensity toward committing homicide. Conclusion: The findings obtained not only confirm the Theory of the Culture of Honor for the propensity toward homicide, but also explicit and clarify some of the psychocultural processes and mechanisms involved, suggesting a new scientific framework.

What Is Your Faction? Multidimensional Evidence for the Divergent Series As the Basis for a New Model of Personality and Work Life

Introduction: The successful “Divergent” sci-fi trilogy by writer Veronica Roth portrays a dystopian and post-apocalyptic society where the population is divided into five groups called “Factions,” each with a specific social role and associated to a specific set of psychological traits. Though fictional, such typology is compelling and may provide a significant contribution to personality studies. Objectives: To investigate the accuracy of the classification of psychological and sociocultural traits into five Factions as described in Divergent and their potential practical usefulness for understanding work life choices and experiences in organizations. Method: A total of 217 Brazilian adult men and women of various ages, socioeconomic status and ethnicities were submitted to measures of several psychological and sociocultural variables, as well as of how strongly they supposedly manifest each Faction. The resulting dataset was studied using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) and Facet Theory. Results: The Factions were shown not only to be associated to psychological variables in ways consistent with the descriptions from Divergent, but also to be related to specific aspects of one’s work life in organizations. Conclusion: The five Factions conceived by Roth appear to constitute an original set of constructs that are psychologically valid and, at the same time, of practical use in predicting work life choices and experiences. This justifies engaging in future empirical and theoretical work toward a new scientific model of potential practical value.

Notice of Retraction The starting point in a classification task as a cognitive scaffold: The role of the key element

The procedure for the discovery of rules in a multiple classification task was analyzed within the context of a concrete activity performed by 3, 4, and 5 year-old children (N=211). The goal was to arrive at a better understanding of the development of logical-mathematical thinking and its implications for learning and education. Results suggest that the ability to produce a verbal response to a question regarding the reason for choosing a particular piece to start the discovery task with seems to be associated to the capacity to correctly complete the task. Furthermore, such ability seems to grow between the ages of three and four, which is a possible explanation for why the success on the task seems to also rise within that same age bracket. It is possible, therefore, to speculate that the verbalization behavior is somehow related to the cognitive mechanisms necessary for the accurate completion of the multiple classification task in its rules discovery modality.

A Influência da Propaganda no Processo de Decisão de Compra do Adolescente Brasileiro

O presente trabalho versa sobre aspectos referentes ao consumidor e a fatores que podem infl uenciar sua decisao de compra, como a propaganda. Concentra-se no comportamento do consumidor adolescente brasileiro recifense, uma vez que poucos estudos tem sido feitos nesta area no Brasil. Aborda inicialmente aspectos relativos ao contexto social brasileiro, relacionados a adolescencia e aspectos do marketing, de forma particular a uma de suas taticas promocionais, a propaganda. Analisa criticamente as possiveis relacoes diretas ou indiretas da propaganda com o processo de decisao de compra do consumidor. Teve como objetivo principal verifi car se a propaganda exerce infl uencia determinante na decisao de compra dos adolescentes. Apoia-se na teoria das facetas e na abordagem quali-quanti, usando como instrumentos a associacao livre, a classifi cacao dirigida, situacao hipotetica de compra e escala Likert relacionada ao peso da propaganda para decisao de compra. Analises descritivas, de variância Kruskall-Wallis e multidimensional atraves da tecnica SSA (Smallest Space Analysis) e de entrevista foram realizadas. Verifi cou-se que a propaganda nao se apresenta, na opiniao dos participantes, como uma infl uencia determinante na decisao de compra dos mesmos.

Formação de Redes de Consultoria Organizacional: o Lugar Especial dos Fatores Relacionais

Organizational consultancies has been spreading and influencing more and more the every-day life of organizations. In some markets, enough room can be found for little and middle sized firms providing this service. Nevertheless, the increasing need for specialization, which narrows competencies and structures, stimulates the formation of networks where consultants supplement and articulate themselves. In order to study this field, whose particularities are still unknown, the present article takes as reference the theory of social networks, mainly the factors of their formation. These factors were sought in the report of professional consultants, first in an on-line survey of ninety of them. Secondly, results were commented in-depth by a group of experienced consultants. Generally, findings are aligned to main factors of full social immersion networks (GRANOVETTER 1973; 1985). However, personal trust in the other consultant - inseparable of technical competence - and in the associate consultancy, as well as ethic behavior, stand out. They become manifest in rules, though not written, and they support other factors of formation and maintenance of network.