This article presents the results of an experiment with eleven students from two universities that translated and post-edited threeliterarytextsdistributed on the first and last days of their... Show moreThis article presents the results of an experiment with eleven students from two universities that translated and post-edited threeliterarytextsdistributed on the first and last days of their translation technology modules. The source texts were marked with units of creative potential to assess creativity in the target texts (before and after training). The texts were subsequently reviewed by an independentprofessional literary translator and translation trainer. The results show that there is no quantitative evidence to conclude that the training significantly affects students’ creativity. However, after the training, a change is observed both in the quantitative data and in the reflective essays, i.e. the students are more willing to try creative shifts and they feel more confident to tackle machine translation (MT)issues, while also showing a higher number of errors. Further, we observe that students havea higher degree of creativity in human translation (HT), but significantly fewer errors in post-editing (PE)overall, especially at the start of the training, than in HT. Show less
This article presents the results of an experiment with eleven students from two universities that translated and post-edited three literary texts distributed on the first and last days of their... Show moreThis article presents the results of an experiment with eleven students from two universities that translated and post-edited three literary texts distributed on the first and last days of their translation technology modules. The source texts were marked with units of creative potential to assess creativity in the target texts (before and after training). The texts were subsequently reviewed by an independent professional literary translator and translation trainer. The results show that there is no quantitative evidence to conclude that the training significantly affects students’ creativity. However, after the training, a change is observed both in the quantitative data and in the reflective essays, i.e. the students are more willing to try creative shifts and they feel more confident to tackle machine translation (MT) issues, while also showing a higher number of errors. Further, we observe that students have a higher degree of creativity in human translation (HT), but significantly fewer errors in post-editing (PE) overall, especially at the start of the training, than in HT. Show less
The recent surge in deployment and use of generative machine learning models has sparked an interest in the relationships between AI and creativity, or more specifically into the question and... Show moreThe recent surge in deployment and use of generative machine learning models has sparked an interest in the relationships between AI and creativity, or more specifically into the question and debate of whether machines can exhibit human-level creativity. This is by no means a new discussion, going back in time decades if not centuries. The debate was approached from multiple angles, and a general consensus was not yet reached. In this position paper, we present the long-standing debate as it formed across various fields such as cognitive science, philosophy, and computing, approaching it mainly from a historical perspective. Along the way we identify how the various views relate to recent developments in machine learning models and argue our own position regarding the question of whether machines can exhibit human-level creativity. As such we aim to involve computer scientists and AI practitioners into the ongoing debate. Show less
In deze aflevering richten we ons op de conferentie 'AI: de creatieve (R)evolutie in het onderwijs', een evenement gehost door het Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam en SintLucas. Onze podcast is rijk aan... Show moreIn deze aflevering richten we ons op de conferentie 'AI: de creatieve (R)evolutie in het onderwijs', een evenement gehost door het Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam en SintLucas. Onze podcast is rijk aan perspectieven, met bijdragen van experts, docenten en studenten over de impact van AI in het onderwijs.We beginnen met Maarten Lamers, wiens keynote ons meeneemt op een reis door de wereld van creativiteit en kunstmatige intelligentie. Hij verkent vragen zoals: Hoe functioneert AI? En is het mogelijk voor een computermodel om 'creatief' te zijn in een wereld waar AI steeds meer menselijke trekken vertoont?Daarna richten we ons op de meningen van studenten: wat is voor hen van belang? Zij benadrukken het belang voor docenten om AI te integreren, niet alleen voor vaardigheidsontwikkeling, maar ook voor het behoud van kwaliteit in het leerproces. Docenten delen op hun beurt hun verworven inzichten over AI en hoe dit hun onderwijs beïnvloedt, inclusief praktische toepassingen uit de workshops.Vervolgens gaan we in gesprek met Oscar Lepoeter, docent aan de pabo Windesheim. Hij benadrukt het belang van kritisch nadenken over de informatie die we delen en de omgang met studentgegevens, met de vraag of studenten nog wel met een schone lei kunnen starten. We sluiten de podcast af met Erno Mijland, hij zit in de organisatie van het evenement. Hoe heeft hij de dag ervaren en waarom was het zo'n succes? Show less
Muziek, koken, kunst, humor - AI kan het allemaal. Maar kan creativiteit in een computerprogramma worden vastgelegd? Hoe werken ‘creatieve’ computers? En hoe verhoudt zich dat tot creativiteit bij... Show moreMuziek, koken, kunst, humor - AI kan het allemaal. Maar kan creativiteit in een computerprogramma worden vastgelegd? Hoe werken ‘creatieve’ computers? En hoe verhoudt zich dat tot creativiteit bij mensen? In dit Luisterlab gaan informaticus Maarten Lamers, maker Zeno van den Broek en Fedor Teunisse in gesprek over de relatie tussen mens en machine.Dit programma is een inleiding bij het Soundsofmusic programma Blind van DJ en producer van experimentele elektronische jazz, Jameszoo, alias Mitchel van Dinther. Jameszoo heeft een algoritme ontwikkeld dat een disklavier bespeelt en een robot aanstuurt als non existent soloist. Blind wordt voorafgegaan door MA(N|CHINE) van Zeno van den Broek voor vier slagwerkers. Gemodificeerde bassdrums en drummachines onderzoeken de relatie tussen mens en machine in een intense visuele performance.Maarten Lamers is informaticus aan de Universiteit Leiden. Lamers doet cross-disciplinair onderzoek naar kunstmatige intelligentie, robots, biologisch-digitale hybride systemen en creativiteit in onderzoek. Zeno van den Broek is een Nederlandse componist en artiest die in zijn werk de relatie tussen mens en machine onderzoekt en op scherp stelt.Percussionist, motivator en onderwijzer Fedor Teunisse is de artistiek directeur van Slagwerk Den Haag (SDH) en van Asko|Schönberg. Hij werkt ook als docent aan het Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag.Dit programma wordt georganiseerd in samenwerking met Soundsofmusic, festival voor nieuwsgierige oren. Show less
In the realm of cognitive science, the quest to understand cognitive control has persisted for decades. Traditional notions of cognitive control have focused on inhibition through the prefrontal... Show moreIn the realm of cognitive science, the quest to understand cognitive control has persisted for decades. Traditional notions of cognitive control have focused on inhibition through the prefrontal cortex, but this dissertation challenges that perspective with a more comprehensive framework: The Metacontrol State Model (MSM). The MSM proposes that cognitive control emerges from the interplay between two opposing systems – one promoting flexibility and the other promoting persistence. These systems interact to shape our cognitive processing styles, thereby influencing our ability to effectively regulate our actions. This dissertation explores questions such as why individuals exhibit differences in cognitive control capacity and how state-related changes and trait-related predispositions impact cognitive control function. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to empirically test the MSM model and shed light on the factors that influence cognitive control. Through a series of experiments, it seeks to understand how altered states of consciousness, achieved through meditation techniques or serotonergic psychedelics, affect the balance between intentional and habitual processes. Additionally, it examines the extent to which individual trait biases serve as trans-diagnostic markers in various psychopathologies. This work comprises a literature review and six empirical articles. By integrating theory and empirical research, this dissertation takes us on a journey into the intricate world of cognitive control, shaping our understanding of how it influences our lives. Show less
Marina Liontou-Mochament's doctoral research investigates how metric improvisation practice can enhance inspiration in improvisation and creation of composed works. By employing a variety of... Show moreMarina Liontou-Mochament's doctoral research investigates how metric improvisation practice can enhance inspiration in improvisation and creation of composed works. By employing a variety of methodological tools (intensive listening to recordings and videos of live and studio performances, music transcription and analysis, ethnographic research (interviews), participatory observation, improvising and composing), and by focusing on the work of carefully chosen figures (Marko Melkon, Udi Hrant, John Berberian, Ara Dinkjian, Tamer Pınarbaşı and Kyriakos Tapakis), this research proposes ways of enriching melodic and rhythmic vocabulary, and substantially developing skills in structuring metric improvisations and composed works. Show less
Hoe creatief is kunstmatige kunst? Kunnen computers creatief zijn? Met literatuurwetenschapper prof. Kiene Brillenburg Wurth en computerwetenschapper dr. Maarten Lamers.Creativiteit wordt door... Show moreHoe creatief is kunstmatige kunst? Kunnen computers creatief zijn? Met literatuurwetenschapper prof. Kiene Brillenburg Wurth en computerwetenschapper dr. Maarten Lamers.Creativiteit wordt door velen gezien als iets uniek menselijks. En dus steekt er iets als AI ineens prachtige schilderijen maakt, rapt als Drake en literaire thrillers schrijft. Voor leken is het steeds moeilijker om computerkunst van echte kunst te onderscheiden: begin dit jaar won een door AI gegenereerde foto zelfs een prestigieuze fotoprijs. Hoe houdbaar zijn onze ideeën over originaliteit en creativiteit? Is creëren slechts het samenvoegen van eerder opgedane kennis en ervaring, of gebeurt er iets nieuws, iets magisch, iets menselijks als een kunstenaar aan de slag gaat? Kan je kunst maken zonder begrip te hebben van emoties, en zonder de ervaring van een lichaam? Computerwetenschapper dr. Maarten Lamers (LEI) legt uit hoe computers kunst maken en literatuurwetenschapper prof. Kiene Brillenburg Wurth (UU) vertelt wat computers ons kunnen leren over onze eigen creativiteit. Show less
AI wordt steeds menselijker. Zo lijkt AI in staat tot creatieve dingen, denk aan de schilderijen die DALL-E kan maken of de gedichten die ChatGPT schrijft. Maar creativiteit, dat is toch ons... Show moreAI wordt steeds menselijker. Zo lijkt AI in staat tot creatieve dingen, denk aan de schilderijen die DALL-E kan maken of de gedichten die ChatGPT schrijft. Maar creativiteit, dat is toch ons menselijke ding? Zijn we nog wel bijzonder als mens? Informaticus Maarten Lamers (Universiteit Leiden) legt uit of er nog wel verschil is tussen ons menselijke brein en de computer. Show less
Sinds de opkomst van AI vraagt men zich af of computers ook creatief kunnen zijn, en steeds vaker zien we voorbeelden van zogenaamde “artificial creativity”. Computers componeren muziek, bedenken... Show moreSinds de opkomst van AI vraagt men zich af of computers ook creatief kunnen zijn, en steeds vaker zien we voorbeelden van zogenaamde “artificial creativity”. Computers componeren muziek, bedenken recepten, maken visuele kunstwerken en tappen zelfs moppen. Maar kunnen we creativiteit wel in een computerprogramma vatten? En hoe dan? Maarten Lamers bespreekt wat computers op dit vlak eigenlijk kunnen, en net zo belangrijk: wat niet. Aan de hand van klassieke en actuele voorbeelden van “creatieve” computers wordt duidelijk hoe deze systemen werken, en wat dit met AI te maken heeft. Zo wordt het eenvoudiger om te begrijpen wat er in de media over creatieve AI geschreven wordt, zonder technisch diepgaande kennis.Deze lezing is georganiseerd in samenwerking met Studium Generale en vindt plaats tijdens de Art & Science Week van het Leiden European City of Science programma. Show less
This paper examines mentorship as a mechanism for individuals to acquire and develop creativity. More specifically, we study the effect of mentor creativity on protégé creativity and how this... Show moreThis paper examines mentorship as a mechanism for individuals to acquire and develop creativity. More specifically, we study the effect of mentor creativity on protégé creativity and how this effect is moderated by the mentoring styles of autonomy and exploration. Our empirical analysis focuses on formal PhD supervision and training, drawing on survey and bibliometric data for 143 life-science professors (mentors) and their 685 PhD students (protégés). We find that the effect of mentor creativity on protégé creativity is insignificant during protégés’ PhD studies but becomes significantly positive after protégés hold faculty positions, suggesting that the mentorship effect takes time to manifest but is enduring. Furthermore, the effect of mentor creativity on protégé creativity is significant only when protégés have high levels of autonomy and exploration during PhD studies. This suggests the importance of autonomy and exploration in the effective transfer of creativity from mentors to protégés. Show less
Kamp, M.T. van de; Admiraal, W.F.; Coertjens, L.; Goossens, M.; Rijlaarsdam, G. 2021
This study examinesspecificexploration activities in students’ visual arts portfolios from secondary edu-cation. Creating original visual arts products requires exploration according to Getzels... Show moreThis study examinesspecificexploration activities in students’ visual arts portfolios from secondary edu-cation. Creating original visual arts products requires exploration according to Getzels and Csiksentmihalyi(The creative vision. A longitudinal study of problem finding in Art. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc.,1976). Obtaining insight about the contribution ofspecificexploration activities to the originality of artsproducts is important for designing and supporting learning in arts education. The aim of this study is toexamine the contribution of activities within three types of exploration:association,combination, andab-stractionto originality of visual arts designs. Data consist of 196 portfolio events showing exploration activi-ties and art designs, from 11 Grade 11 visual arts students. Portfolio events were coded for three differenttypes of exploration:association,combination, andabstraction, on a dimension of ascendingabstractness.Wecoded activities within each of these types, on a scale ofremoteness, to determine the metaphorical distance.Visual originality of each portfolio event was assessed using the comparative judgment method. Multilevelregression analyses showed all three types of exploration significantly contributed to originality of visualdesigns. In total, 31% of the variance in originality at portfolio events level was explained by these types ofexploration. In general, the moreremoteexploration activities were, the moreoriginalthe visual design.These findings are discussed related to the literature on creative processes. Show less
This dissertation presents the results of the importance of creativity for ICT-students of Dutch universities of applied sciences (in Dutch: hogescholen), and the functioning of training courses... Show moreThis dissertation presents the results of the importance of creativity for ICT-students of Dutch universities of applied sciences (in Dutch: hogescholen), and the functioning of training courses that aim to promote creative abilities is highlighted. The ability to generate new and potentially useful ideas and problem-solving skills as a result of creative thinking is an important driver of human evolution. According to many, creativity is a very valued and sought-after accomplishment for today's society and for the future. In addition, computers, and everything related to them, have become an integral part of society. The ‘computer’ is one of the most important innovations in the history of mankind. Computers have radically changed our lives. It is even hardly conceivable to innovate without ICT. It is therefore logical that ICT-professionals play an extremely prominent role in innovation. This applies in particular to students taking a Bachelor of ICT-course in a Dutch University of Applied Sciences, because they are trained as leading IT-specialists.These phenomena led to two interrelated research questions: (i) ”Is creativity training important for ICT-students at Dutch hogescholen?”; and (ii): “Does creativity training work, as it is integrated in the curriculum of these ICT-students?” Show less
IntroductionTaking microdoses (a mere fraction of normal doses) of psychedelic substances, such as truffles, recently gained popularity, as it allegedly has multiple beneficial effects including... Show moreIntroductionTaking microdoses (a mere fraction of normal doses) of psychedelic substances, such as truffles, recently gained popularity, as it allegedly has multiple beneficial effects including creativity and problem-solving performance, potentially through targeting serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors and promoting cognitive flexibility, crucial to creative thinking. Nevertheless, enhancing effects of microdosing remain anecdotal, and in the absence of quantitative research on microdosing psychedelics, it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions on that matter. Here, our main aim was to quantitatively explore the cognitive-enhancing potential of microdosing psychedelics in healthy adults.MethodsDuring a microdosing event organized by the Dutch Psychedelic Society, we examined the effects of psychedelic truffles (which were later analyzed to quantify active psychedelic alkaloids) on two creativity-related problem-solving tasks: the Picture Concept Task assessing convergent thinking and the Alternative Uses Task assessing divergent thinking. A short version of the Ravens Progressive Matrices task assessed potential changes in fluid intelligence. We tested once before taking a microdose and once while the effects were expected to be manifested.ResultsWe found that both convergent and divergent thinking performance was improved after a non-blinded microdose, whereas fluid intelligence was unaffected.ConclusionWhile this study provides quantitative support for the cognitive-enhancing properties of microdosing psychedelics, future research has to confirm these preliminary findings in more rigorous placebo-controlled study designs. Based on these preliminary results, we speculate that psychedelics might affect cognitive metacontrol policies by optimizing the balance between cognitive persistence and flexibility. We hope this study will motivate future microdosing studies with more controlled designs to test this hypothesis. Show less
Previous work on the threat-creativity link has mainly used paradigms in which participants had ample time to generate ideas. However, people under imminent threats have limited time to think of,... Show morePrevious work on the threat-creativity link has mainly used paradigms in which participants had ample time to generate ideas. However, people under imminent threats have limited time to think of, and select, the single best response for actual implementation. In three studies, we examined the effect of imminent threats on the generation and selection of threat responses. Participants facing self-directed or other-directed threats were asked to select one out of two alternative responses that differed on either originality or usefulness to deal with the displayed situation (Studies 1 and 2) or think of and decide on, a fitting response themselves (Study 3). They did so under high or low time pressure (Studies 1–3) and reported their perceived effectiveness of each alternative response in managing the threats (Study 2). Participants selected and generated useful rather than original responses. Whereas time pressure did not moderate this effect, threat direction impacted the selection and generation of imminent threat responses: Self-directed rather than other-directed threats increased the selection and generation of original and creative responses because original responses were seen as more effective. Show less
The research presented in this thesis focused on the effects of cannabis on mental functions and the brain. Specifically, the investigation aimed at exploring how cannabis affects creative... Show moreThe research presented in this thesis focused on the effects of cannabis on mental functions and the brain. Specifically, the investigation aimed at exploring how cannabis affects creative thinking, awareness of errors, and the neurotransmitter dopamine among regular cannabis users. It was discovered that cannabis does not improve creativity and that it can decrease error awareness and impair dopaminergic functioning. Consequently, these findings allow for a better understanding of the nature of subtle mental impairments among chronic cannabis users. Show less
This thesis focused on the development of creative thinking across adolescence and into adulthood. To this end, a range of creativity tasks, both with and without an fMRI scanner, and before and... Show moreThis thesis focused on the development of creative thinking across adolescence and into adulthood. To this end, a range of creativity tasks, both with and without an fMRI scanner, and before and after training paradigms has been used to ex_amine both age- and experience-related effects on creative thinking performance during functional brain develop_ment. Chapter 1 provides a theoretical background for the research described in chapters 2 to 6. In Chapter 2, developmental trajectories of creative cognition across adolescence and early adulthood were examined using a set of tasks gauging both insight and divergent thinking in the verbal and visual domain. In Chapter 3, behavioral and neural differences for creative problem solving in middle-adolescents and adults were examined. Chapter 4 examined the neural correlates of divergent thinking in adults and adolescents. Chapter 5 focused on the effectiveness of creative ideation training in adolescents and adults. In Chapter 6, the benefits of training creativity in adolescents were examined using fMRI techniques. Finally, Chapter 7 summarizes the main results of the empirical studies presented in this thesis. Here, implications of the results are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented. Show less
