This thesis is concerned with two kinds of 'singular' psychological phenomena. The first is the commonsense psychological explanation of action directed upon particular things and stuffs. The second is the nature of (visual) perceptual demonstrative thought. The two topics are brought together in an account of psychological explanation I call 'de re psychological explanation'. The primary aim of the thesis is to articulate and defend this account. The main thesis I seek to establish is that an adequate psychological explanation of an agent's action upon an object requires a relational or de re ascription of thought that (1) relates the agent to the object and (2) makes reference to a perceptual demonstrative mode of presentation of the object. This thesis is defended in two stages. In the first chapter I argue for the first half of the thesis, that relational ascriptions are necessary in any explanation of an action involving an object. In the fourth chapter I argue for the second half, that it is necessary that these relational ascriptions make reference to a perceptual demonstrative mode of presentation of the object acted on. The second half of the thesis involves the notion of a perceptual demonstrative mode of presentation. This necessitates an account of the nature of perceptual demonstrative thoughts, which is undertaken in chapters two and three. In the second chapter I explore two prominent theories of perceptual demonstrative thought. In the third chapter I sketch a new account 'property-dependent externalism' and argue that it is more adequate than the others. In chapter four, I return to de re explanation and develop it further into a covering-law account of psychological explanation. The rest of the thesis is given over to defending the elaborated covering-law account against two objections. I draw the claws of the first objection in the second half of the fourth chapter and answer the second objection in the final chapter.

This thesis looks at two critical urges in Critical Systems Thinking that both complement and critique each other. Firstly, there is an urge to construct in a critical manner. Secondly, there is an urge to be critical about such constructions. They complement and critique each other in the manner in which the second urge requires the first urge in order to understand what it means when one begins to create by construction, and also in which the first urge requires the second in order to understand the privileged position that construction is given in epistemology. These two urges give two stages. Construction relates to four clear conditions that develop from an Architectural study. This study offers two definitions of Architecture : structural longevity and relational modification. Consequently, a Structure and Process are established (first two stages) which together content an Architecture of Critical Systems Thinking (third stage). This Architecture is then applied to Systems Thinking through a study of five Systems Thinkers, this application offers an Architecture as commensurability (fourth stage). The Architecture is thereby offered as author. De-construction relates to four clear conditions that develop from the Architecture of Critical Systems Thinking. Each condition questions the Architectural authority to construct. The Process (reversed to complement and critique) questions the Structural consistency of the Architecture (first). A Structure of Acuity develops that maintains meaning where the Architecture neutralised meaning (second). A Contentless Acuity follows (third), thereby allowing the contentlessness of paradigm (in)commensurability to be discussed as an application of the Acuity of Critical Systems Thinking. The Acuity is thereby offered as reader. To balance these two urges is to read with authority.

The specific aims of this investigation were to establish the nature of the relationship between creativity, art, and art education, to study the characteristics and abilities of students, then to identify and test a teaching method favoured by art teachers for improving creative response. This study traces a chronology of the history of art and art education, from pre-history to the National Curriculum, charting the changes in philosophy and social contexts. It presents a review of current literature on creativity, framed in the psychological paradigm o division into three parts:- the creative process, the creative product, and the creative person. Based on the conclusions of this review, a series of tests and questionnaires was devised to test the hypotheses that art students have creative ability to a higher degree than non-art students, and that aspects of their personality, cognitive abilities, and cognitive style influence the production of their creative graphic artwork. The principal study was carried out on 194 subjects from 35 Institutions. These subjects comprised 73 Sixth Form, and 56 Higher Education art students, with 36 6th Form, and 25 HE non-artists as controls, formed into 22 groups for comparison for age / ability I gender. The data collected comprised eleven variables:- SES, average"O"grade, motivation, creative factors, pattern preference, original image production, spatial ability, creative personality, divergent thinking, self-actualisation, and cultural awareness. The qualitative answers to questions were transposed into scores, and together with the scores from the test items, were subjected to statistical analysis and computed by SPSS-X.The aim was to ascertain whether the obtained factors would discriminate between the groups, and thus support the hypotheses derived from the literature search. The results of these tests showed that art students did score significantly higher on tests o originality, self-actualisation, spatial ability, and aspects of personality related to independence and open-mindedness, but not on tests of divergent thinking and pattern preference. A further 20 HE art students were interviewed to support the data findings with actual case studies. The 3rd section of the investigation concerned the analysis of the effects of teaching on the production of creative graphic artwork. Based on the answers of students and art teachers to questions about their art lessons, a "teaching intervention" was devised and tested on 150 Year 11 pupils, with the aim of testing the influence of subject matter, and the effectiveness o stimulus on the production of original graphic artwork. The results showed that the "fit" between pupils and subject matter was important, but that the amount and type of stimulus was less influential than was expected; and also supported the earlier fmdings that age and gender were not significant factors. general conclusions of this study were:- 1. Creativity is a necessary contemporary social activity. 2. Creativity is a high level cognitive activity, but is not domain specific. 3. The brain is itself primarily a creative instrument; interpreting new information, and generating responses are its main function. 4. As creativity is an essential component of contemporary art, creative thinking should be encouraged in the art curriculum.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 353-358). / Microfiche. / ix, 358 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

In 2001, Gerald Haman stormed the corporate world by generating 454 000 ideas in 60 minutes delivering "Thinkathon", which he defined as the “world's greatest brainstorming tool”. Easily replicated, Singapore corporate leaders saw the “Thinkathon” as a 'quick fix' to jumpstart mass ideas for Innovative Initiatives in the perennial search for that critical sustaining differentiator for the city state to compete regionally and ever more now, as a developed nation, globally. However, the “Thinkathon” merely provided a good harvest of ideas, but saw no gains in innovative breakthroughs. Alex Osborn (1953), the father of brainstorming, initiated brainstorming as a 3 phase program of fact-finding, idea finding and solution finding but “Thinkathon” provided only mass idea-finding. This thesis sets out to address the gaps in salvaging the effectiveness of mass brainstorming “Thinkathon” if organizations in Singapore still opt to engage this “perceived creative tool” as a jumpstart for Innovative Initiatives. / Since the original “Thinkathon” did not provide a literary foundation, in this thesis we re-examined the evolution of cognitive mental thinking processes from self to group and finally to creative mass brainstorming, to help failsafe the “Thinkathon”, rendering it literally structured and “ideaworthy” to be used independently as a jumpstart Innovative tool. Adapting the original “Thinkathon”, it was put through an empirical series of pilot runs that came along with feedback observations, ultimately metamorphising into a structured 4-step creative ideation approach by-product called “Thinkathon II”. The new Thinkathon II was injected with a new process “Co-Operacy” (Hunter, Dale 1977) which until then was a mere untested philosophy but had proven effective in 'mass consensus decision'. This was useful in filtering mass ideas from a quantitative to a qualitative stage, without premature eradication or adulteration to the original generated ideas, a process which was not available in the original “Thinkathon” by Gerald Haman. / After a series of successful pilot runs which endorsed its efficiency, Thinkathon II was marketed to the public which further reaffirmed its effectiveness as an innovative jumpstart tool for Innovative Initiatives. The final acid test came at the 7th International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Conference held in Singapore on 25th August that gave an added opportunity to showcase the Thinkathon II, sampled by worldwide Facilitators who welcomed the new 4-step structured mass ideation process. / Thus, this thesis, which resulted in a new by-product, the “Thinkathon II”, not only closed the gaps originally created by the founder of Thinkathon, it also provided literature on the art and science of mass idea brainstorming which until now was uncharted. It also disproved the claim made by Tony Proctor (1995) “that large numbers of ideas cannot find a place for quality”. This achievement was also acknowledged by the originator Mr Gerald Haman who saw the added value in rendering his original Thinkathon more "solution-focused". Hence, “Thinkathon II” is now a founded new approach where corporate leaders can use this new “mass idea brainstorming” process, which is worthy of its definition as an innovation tool to jumpstart any Innovation Initiative. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2005.

Bibliography: leaves 259-272. / xii, 271 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1999

Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, October 2006. / Major professor: Laura Holyoke. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-214). Also available online in PDF format.

Thesis (M. Nurs.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.