Michael Hogan | University of Galway (original) (raw)

Papers by Michael Hogan

Journal articleQuality thinking and quality teaching are desirable but difficult to achieve. Alth... more Journal articleQuality thinking and quality teaching are desirable but difficult to achieve. Although lectures are necessary to teach information, one cannot rely on them to promote critical and constructive thinking skills. Nevertheless, didacticism remains the dominant teaching strategy in secondary education and in university, perhaps because it is viewed as the most efficient way of imparting large quantities of information. In this comment, research and theory in psychology are used to argue the case that the development of critical and constructive thinking skills necessarily involves the cultivation of dialectic, flexible attitudes toward thinking and teaching in context.peer-reviewe

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy

Purpose Dementia is a complex, progressively degenerative condition. It results in loss of cognit... more Purpose Dementia is a complex, progressively degenerative condition. It results in loss of cognitive and functional capabilities, along with a significant increase in the level of dependency. A reduction in the use of pharmacological interventions correlates with an increased in good quality non-pharmacological interventions in dementia care. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of 14-session face-to-face cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) and Sonas group interventions on individuals living with dementia with moderate cognitive impairment, from pre-intervention to post-intervention in terms of their cognition, communication, neuropsychiatric symptoms, activities of daily living and quality of life. Design/methodology/approach A pilot single blind prospective controlled trial evaluated two group intervention approaches, cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) and Sonas, with 28 participants with moderate dementia. Pseudorandomisation and single blinding were implemented. C...

Educational Research Review, Oct 31, 2006

Quality thinking and quality teaching are desirable but difficult to achieve. Although lectures a... more Quality thinking and quality teaching are desirable but difficult to achieve. Although lectures are necessary to teach information, one cannot rely on them to promote critical and constructive thinking skills. Nevertheless, didacticism remains the dominant teaching strategy in secondary education and in university, perhaps because it is viewed as the most efficient way of imparting large quantities of information. In this comment, research and theory in psychology are used to argue the case that the development of critical and constructive thinking skills necessarily involves the cultivation of dialectic, flexible attitudes toward thinking and teaching in context.

ion, as it requires the use and some semblance of understanding of logic, formal or otherwise.

ions are part of a living system and one of our tasks as scientists is to understand the structur... more ions are part of a living system and one of our tasks as scientists is to understand the structure, process, and function of this living system at the individual and group level of analysis. Obviously, this is no easy task: consider the intraand interindividual variability in the action state that needs to be mapped [2], and consider also the great variety of conscious states and associated abstractions linked to the concept "spirituality" throughout the agesions linked to the concept "spirituality" throughout the ages [12]. Nevertheless, in opening this dialogue, it will not help our cause to delete all the nouns, verbs, and adverbs that pertain to unobservable mental phenomena. We might develop a new language that allows us to replace the old word "spirituality" with other words, operational definitions, and theoretical formulations, but we will

International Review of Psychiatry, 2020

This paper introduces readers to collaborative positive psychology, a natural complement to trans... more This paper introduces readers to collaborative positive psychology, a natural complement to transdisciplinary systems science. Consistent with second wave positive psychology models (PP2.0), collaborative positive psychology highlights how negative emotions (e.g. sadness, guilt, shame, anger, anxiety) can act as key drivers of positive transformation in collaborative groups, providing a catalyst for critical systems thinking and collective responses to shared problems. Collaborative positive psychology emphasises pathways from the recognition of collective problems to problem-focused and method-driven responding supporting sustainable wellbeing. Key principles of collaborative PP include solidarity, empowerment, and teamwork, with a specific focus on the application of collective intelligence (CI) methods to address shared complex problems. An overview of the work of the Collective Intelligence Network Support Unit (CINSU) is used to highlight the power and potential of collaborative groups. Collaborative positive psychology highlights the need for the development of collaborative infrastructures that reinforce solidarity, collective empowerment, and collective intelligence.

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 2017

In a society which is calling for more productive modes of collaboration to address increasingly ... more In a society which is calling for more productive modes of collaboration to address increasingly complex scientific and social issues, greater involvement of students in dialogue, and increased emphasis on collaborative discourse and argumentation, become essential modes of engagement and learning. This paper investigates the effects of facilitator-driven versus peer-driven prompts on perceived and objective consensus, perceived efficacy, team orientation, discomfort in group learning, and argumentation style in a computer-supported collaborative learning session using Interactive Management. Eight groups of undergraduate students (N = 101) came together to discuss either critical thinking, or collaborative learning. Participants in the facilitator-driven condition received prompts in relation to the task from a facilitator throughout the process. In the peer-driven condition, the facilitator initially modelled the process of peer prompting, followed by a phase of coordinating participants in engaging in peer prompting, before the process of prompting was passed over to the participants themselves. During this final phase, participants provided each other with peer-to-peer prompts. Results indicated that those in the peer-driven condition scored significantly higher on perceived consensus, perceived efficacy of the IM methodology, and team orientation. Those in the peer-driven condition also scored significantly lower on discomfort in group learning. Furthermore, analysis of the dialogue using the Conversational Argument Coding Scheme revealed significant differences between conditions in the style of argumentation used, with those in the peer-driven condition exhibiting a greater range of argumentation codes. Results are discussed in light of theory and research on instructional support and facilitation in computer-supported collaborative learning.

BMC psychology, Jan 5, 2018

Arguments for including mindfulness instruction in higher education have included claims about th... more Arguments for including mindfulness instruction in higher education have included claims about the benefits of mindfulness practice for critical thinking. While there is theoretical support for this claim, empirical support is limited. The aim of this study was to test this claim by investigating the effects of an online mindfulness intervention on executive function, critical thinking skills and associated thinking dispositions. Participants recruited from a university were randomly allocated, following screening, to either a mindfulness meditation group or a sham meditation group. Both the researchers and the participants were blind to group allocation. The intervention content for both groups was delivered through the Headspace online application, an application which provides guided meditations to users. Both groups were requested to complete 30 guided mindfulness meditation sessions across a 6 week period. Primary outcome measures assessed mindfulness, executive functioning, cr...

New Ideas in Psychology, 2004

Normal aging is associated with deficits in both memory and executive control. While a number of ... more Normal aging is associated with deficits in both memory and executive control. While a number of theories of cognitive aging have proposed that decrements in frontally mediated executive control processes can account for many of the age-related changes observed, the models proposed to date have not adequately accounted for age changes in processing speed, intra-individual variability and automaticity of information processing. These basic aspects of information processing efficiency may be of central importance for our understanding of agerelated cognitive changes and more elaborate neurological models are needed that incorporate explanatory mechanisms which account for their influence. In this paper, it is proposed that the dual role played by frontal and cerebellar degeneration and the disruption of frontocerebellar feedback and feedforward control loops may be of central importance for a model of age-related changes in processing speed, intra-individual variability, automaticity, and higher level cognitive functions like memory and executive control.

International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 2016

The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of core entrepreneurial competencies an... more The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of core entrepreneurial competencies and their interdependencies. Developing entrepreneurial competencies is increasingly seen as important to foster entrepreneurship. Studies to date have highlighted different entrepreneurial competencies in the context of different sectors, regions and countries. However, there has been a lack of consensus in relation to the perceived relative importance of core entrepreneurial competences and their interdependencies among students, academic and entrepreneurs. Our paper focuses on two key questions: first, what are the core entrepreneurial competencies that need to be developed in educational contexts? Second, what are the interdependencies between these entrepreneurial competencies that need to be developed in educational contexts? Using a collective intelligence methodology a comparative study of Iran and Ireland was undertaken that involved three stakeholder groups of students, academics and entrepreneurs. This methodology was used to identify, rank, and structure entrepreneurial competencies considered important for university students. The results of the study indicated that productive thinking, motivation, interpersonal skills and leadership are core entrepreneurial competences that need to be developed in educational contexts. Findings also highlight critical interdependencies between entrepreneurial competencies and the relative influence of different competencies across groups and regions. We outline the implications of our findings for designing a curriculum for improving students' entrepreneurial competencies.

Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2006

Acquaintance with the details of fact is always reckoned, along with their reduction to a system,... more Acquaintance with the details of fact is always reckoned, along with their reduction to a system, as an indispensable mark of mental greatness. William James-Pragmatism The two keynote papers in the first issue of Thinking Skills and Creativity provide significant food for thought. Working to teach thinking skills and creativity is a real challenge. Many university professors shadow this path with passion and enthusiasm, with serious and playful engagement, often with little reward or recognition-many need the nourishment of understanding. Students demand quality. Even when students cannot define what quality is, they recognise it when they see it, hear it, read it. Like each new generation of thinkers, the young minds of tomorrow will instinctively recognise that modelling quality pays (Richerson & Boyd, 2005). Some people warn us of the dangers of rising expectations (Vickers, 1983), but, as implied by Arthur Costa, in the modern era-an era in which 'knowledge' grows with such ferocious speed-if human systems are to sustain development and optimize functioning, then students need to expect to gain the capacity to be self-initiating, self-modifying, and self-directing. A thought-full curriculum can help to satisfy "the growing need for informed, skilled, thoughtful and compassionate citizens who value truth, openness, creativity, interdependence, balance and love as well as the search for personal and spiritual freedom. . ." (p. 62). Psychologists who support positive psychology advocate the development of research studies that will help inform us on how best to fashion these strengths (Aspinwall & Staudinger, 2003; Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Naturally, the development of these strengths is potentially constrained by weaknesses in our evolved design (Pinker, 1997, 2002), and in the design of our science (Warfield, 2003, 2004). At the same time, we are far less constrained than are other animals-our behavioural programs are massively open (Heckhausen & Schulz, 1995). A central observation of lifespan theorists is that, as development unfolds from infancy to adulthood, individuals increasingly act on their environment and produce novel behaviour outcomes, thereby making the active and selective nature of human beings of paramount importance (Baltes & Barton, 1979). Further, as adolescents develop into adulthood, a capacity for systemic and meta-systemic thinking can emerge (Fischer & Bidell, 2006), allowing great potential for the construction of a life plan that fosters optimization of action for self and others. Unfortunately, the numerous models of "system dynamics" that are now emerging in developmental psychology say less about how human systems can be 'designed' to optimize action in a rapidly changing field of affordances and constraints. Quality design requires quality dialogue.

Understandably, few people think their own species is weird. Somehow being a very recently evolve... more Understandably, few people think their own species is weird. Somehow being a very recently evolved species that has exploded like none other seems as right and natural to most as when we still believed that God created us in his image. A little scientific theorizing is necessary to convince us that the existence of human culture is a deep evolutionary mystery on a par with the origins of life itself.

International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning, 2013

Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics, 2013

Some provisions of the UN's Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)... more Some provisions of the UN's Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are clearly important from the perspective of business ethics, particularly those calling for equal rights for women to employment and financial security. Some other provisions of CEDAW are equally as important for ethical business practices and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but are frequently overlooked because of the presumption that they are not strictly business concerns: the rights of women to participation in public life, marriage, and family rights; the rights of rural women to adequate living conditions; and general rights to equality. This chapter will discuss the conceptual commitments that underlie the assumption of a clear demarcation between work and life concerns, and examine the criticisms of this assumption made by feminism. It will, in particular, be interested in: • The public/private distinction • The meaning of "work" or "labor" • The relationship between CSR and care ethics • Fostering a broader understanding of the family or familial relations • Examining the connection between fair wages and work/life integration These discussions suggest that the ability for businesses worldwide to uphold the tenets of CEDAW is dependent upon a reconsideration of the character of the Ideal Worker and a nuanced understanding of the effects of workplace policies on the wider communities in which businesses operate. In particular, though work/life integration is not strictly speaking a "women's issue," the ethical and policy considerations addressed herein currently have disproportionately negative effects for women; thus, addressing them is crucial for achieving the aims of gender equality.

New Ideas in Psychology, 2008

This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author f... more This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author for non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author's institution, sharing with colleagues and providing to institution administration. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit:

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2009

Background The nature of the relationship between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) h... more Background The nature of the relationship between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) has been a topic of debate for some time. In particular, there are gaps in our knowledge of the independent effects of PA and NA on health under stress. Purpose The study examined the effects of a laboratoryinduced stressor on the experience of PA and NA, and the effects of affect on cardiovascular (CV) reactivity and recovery. Method A sample of 56 female college students was randomly assigned to a public speaking (stress) task or a silent reading (control) task. Pre-and posttask PA and NA were measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS Watson J Pers Soc Psychol 54:1,063-1,070, 1988). Baseline, task, and posttask cardiovascular measures were also recorded. Results The results indicated that PA and NA responded differently to the stressor and contributed independently to the prediction of both CV reactivity and recovery. Of particular interest was the finding that higher levels of both PA and NA predicted greater CV recovery. Conclusion Results are discussed in light of the debate concerning the (in)dependence of positive and negative emotions and the importance of understanding the dynamics of emotions, stress, and health.

Experimental Brain Research, 2011

The current study examined the EEG of young, old and old declined adults performing a visual pair... more The current study examined the EEG of young, old and old declined adults performing a visual paired associate task. In order to examine the eVects of encoding context and stimulus repetition, target pairs were presented on either detailed or white backgrounds and were repeatedly presented during both early and late phases of encoding. Results indicated an increase in P300 amplitude in the right parietal cortex from early to late stages of encoding in older declined adults, whereas both younger adults and older controls showed a reduction in P300 amplitude in this same area from early to late phase encoding. In the right hemisphere, stimuli encoded with a white background had larger P300 amplitudes than stimuli presented with a detailed background; however, in the left hemisphere, in the later stages of encoding, stimuli presented with a detailed background had larger amplitudes than stimuli presented with a white background. Behaviourally, there was better memory for congruent stimuli reinstated with a detailed background, but this Wnding was for older controls only. During recognition, there was a general trend for congruent stimuli to elicit a larger amplitude response than incongruent stimuli, suggesting a distinct eVect of context reinstatement on underlying patterns of physiological responding. However, behavioural data suggest that older declined adults showed no memory beneWts associated with context reinstatement. When compared with older declined adults, younger adults had larger P100 amplitude responses to stimuli presented during recognition, and overall, younger adults had faster recognition reaction times than older control and older declined adults. Further analysis of repetition eVects and context-based hemispheric asymmetry may prove informative in identifying declining memory performance in the elderly, potentially before it becomes manifested behaviourally.

Experimental Aging Research, 2003

It has been hypothesized that the disruptive effects of negative emotional states, such as anxiet... more It has been hypothesized that the disruptive effects of negative emotional states, such as anxiety and depression, may contribute to poorer performance in older age (Yesavage et al., 1988; Deptula et al., 1993). Some studies have reported that higher levels of anxiety are associated with poorer cognitive performance in older adults but not younger adults (Cohen, 1980; Deptula, 1993, but see Jennings et al., 1989). We examined if age and anxiety interact with performance by comparing the performance of normal healthy younger and older adults on cognitive and motor tests under conditions of selective and divided attention. Ninety-two older adults (Mean age = 70.1 years, SD = 7.1) and 78 younger adults (Mean age = 18.8 years, SD = 1.9) matched on education, vocabulary, and self-reported health performed a word comparison and pursuit-rotor task under conditions of selective and divided attention. Anxiety was assessed using the Speilberger State-Trait anxiety scale (Speilberger, 1983). The hypothesis was supported: higher anxiety was associated with poorer divided attention performance in older-but not younger adults. Anxiety was not associated with poorer motor performance in older adults. Implications of the results for cognitive-resource theories of aging cognition are discussed. ANXIETY AND DIVIDED ATTENTION 4 Age-related decline in cognitive performance has been attributed to a number of factors including central nervous system (CNS) degeneration, decline in processing speed and attentional abilities, and lack of practice in performing cognitive tasks (cf. Salthouse 1994 for a review). It has also been hypothesized that the disruptive effects of negative emotional states, such as anxiety and depression, may contribute to poorer performance in older age (Yesavage et al, 1988; Deptula, 1993). Research suggests that anxiety and depression are often associated with impairment in memory (Henry et al, 1973; Depulta et al., 1991) and other cognitive functions (Knox et al, 1970; Gur et al, 1988), although under certain circumstances anxiety may facilitate performance (Spielberger, 1962). In a review of the effects of anxiety on performance, Humphreys & Revelle (1984) suggest that high anxiety can facilitate performance on easy tasks or when the feedback is positive, but can hinder performance on difficult tasks or when the feedback is negative. While the relation between anxiety and performance on cognitive tasks has been well studied in the young, there are relatively few studies on this topic among older persons, and even fewer studies that have compared younger and older groups. Cohen et al. (1980) reported that whereas high trait anxiety was associated with augmentation of performance in younger subjects on a test of reasoning, higher levels of trait anxiety were associated with poorer performance on the same test in an older group. Cohen concluded that older persons may be more vulnerable than the young to the deleterious effects of 'negative' emotional states on performance. Deptula et al. (1993) examined the relation between emotional states (self-rated depression, anxiety, and withdrawal) and performance on a memory task in groups of normal young adults and normal older individuals. It was hypothesized that the older

American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 2011

Oil markets began the New Year confronting a host of supply issues, not least a pending EU ban on... more Oil markets began the New Year confronting a host of supply issues, not least a pending EU ban on Iranian oil imports and retaliatory threats from Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which flows roughly one-third of world oil exports. Oil prices jumped 4−5/bblonthereports,buteasedonmountingeurozonedebtissues.Brentwaslasttradingnear4-5/bbl on the reports, but eased on mounting euro zone debt issues. Brent was last trading near 4−5/bblonthereports,buteasedonmountingeurozonedebtissues.Brentwaslasttradingnear112/bbl and WTI at $100.50/bbl. • Clear signs of economic weakness tipped global oil demand into a declining year-on-year trend at the end of 2011, down 0.3 mb/d in 4Q11, its first such drop since the tail-end of the credit crunch. The significantly lower starting point has accordingly trimmed global oil demand growth to 1.1 mb/d for 2012 (from 1.3 mb/d previously). • Non-OPEC supply fell by 140 kb/d to 53.2mb/d in December, as rising North Sea output only partially offset a seasonal decline in biofuels and lacklustre supply from the FSU. Middle East unrest and other unplanned outages limited annual growth in 2011 to only 45 kb/d. A rebound to 340 kb/d growth is expected for 1Q12, and 1.0 mb/d for 2012 overall, as non-OPEC output averages 53.7 mb/d. • December OPEC crude output rose by 240 kb/d to 30.89 mb/d, the highest in more than three years, on a rapid recovery in supplies from Libya, and lesser increases from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. OPEC in December raised its output target to 30 mb/d for 2012, close to OMR projections for the 'call on OPEC crude and stock change'. • OECD industry oil inventories rose by 4.1 mb to 2 647 mb, or 57.5 days of forward cover, in November, led by North American and European gasoline. Stock levels nonetheless remained below the fiveyear average for a fifth consecutive month. December preliminary data show a seasonal 23.6 mb draw in OECD industry stocks. • Global refinery crude runs are revised down by 250 kb/d and 170 kb/d for 4Q11 and 1Q12, to 74.8 mb/d and 74.9 mb/d, respectively. Weak economic growth and mild weather led to global demand contraction in 4Q11. A weakening economic outlook and recent refinery shutdowns in Europe curb early-2012 activity levels.