Elite quizzers are renowned for their extraordinary memories – but how do they acquire and retain such vast swathes of general knowledge? Philip Fine and Kathryn Friedlander explore their latest findings on quizzing expertise.
Continue readingKathryn Friedlander highlights the recent launch of a Journal of Expertise Special Issue centred on her 2024 book, The Psychology of Creative Performance and Expertise (Taylor & Francis).
Continue readingKathryn Friedlander introduces us to her new book, which addresses a gap in the field of expertise studies, offering insights that range across diverse creative domains, from the arts to STEM fields, to puzzles and board games.
Continue readingOur blog may not have been that active recently, but we’ve been very busy behind the scenes preparing our latest series of free public online lectures, and finally they are here!
Three University of Buckingham experts in our Creativity and Performance Expertise research area will be speaking about some exciting new research areas and the overlaps between creativity, expertise and the real world. They will be taking place fortnightly on Wednesday evenings (UK time – 19.00 BST), starting this week!
On Wednesday 26th July, Dr Gillian Hill will be talking about the rise of AI and its links to creativity in her talk Creativity and AI – Are Robots Smart? You can book your place here.
We are hearing a lot about AI in the news and online at the moment, particularly from experts thinking about this from a technical perspective. But psychology has a lot of offer in this debate too, and Gillian will discuss how psychological theories of creativity can inform the picture.
For our second lecture in the series, Dr Kathryn Friedlander will be talking about what makes film such a mesmerising art. This takes place on Wednesday 9th August and you can book your place here.
In her talk, Kathryn turns the spotlight on the film-industry, zooming in on the features which elevate it to a creative art-form, such as cinematography, mental storyboarding, and conceptual expansion. She’ll also take a look at why some films win Oscars, while others win a Golden Raspberry; and she will explore the personalities of those who develop and communicate the creative story.
Finally, Dr. Philip Fine asks how successful quizzers know so much. This is on Wednesday 23rd August and you can book your place here.
Quizzes are everywhere: on television, in the pub, online, at home on a Sunday afternoon around the Trivial Pursuit board. Expert quizzers all over the country can win large and luxurious prizes, and even TV fame (think The Chasers). But how do these successful super-quizzers develop their remarkable knowledge and have all those facts at their fingertips? Philip will discuss and explore possible answers to this question.
We very much hope you will join us for this exciting online lecture series Robots, Quiz, Action! The Psychology of Creativity and Expertise. We look forward to hearing your comments and questions at the webinars.
Sign up links are above and please do spread the word…as creatively as you can!
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Do you sew garments at home for yourself or others? We’re currently running a survey looking at the reasons people sew garments, together with some other aspects of personality which may be relevant. This is a really interesting leisure activity, but it’s heavily under-researched, so the findings are going to be fascinating.
The survey should only take about 20 minutes to complete, and it’s totally anonymous. Please do consider taking part, by clicking the link here to find out more!
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When it comes to thinking about cryptic crossword solvers, what kind of image springs to mind? Maybe Chief Inspector Morse, a vicar, or a bowler-hatted Civil Servant? But would you be right…? Kathryn Friedlander shares new research lifting the lid on the mind of the cryptic solver – and finds that they are an academically able group, tending towards science, with fantastically flexible problem-solving abilities.
Continue readingKathryn Friedlander explores the ‘kick’ we get from cracking a really good cryptic crossword clue.
A number of stories in the press earlier this year reported work carried out in Vienna and London on solving puzzles in a brain scanner. The study suggested that solving a clue to a puzzle can trigger a highly rewarding ‘Aha!’ (or ‘Eureka!’) insight moment, which releases dopamine into the brain. This is the reward chemical associated with daily activities such as eating, winning money … and having sex. This led to headlines promising that cryptic crosswords were ‘better than sex’… but what’s the reality behind the hype?
Want to come and research with us? Check out our latest opportunity: Creativity in Medical School Education: Enhancing the Diagnostic Skills of Tomorrow’s Doctors on FindAPhD!
We’ve just advertised for applicants to undertake a full-time research PhD at the University of Buckingham CREATE hub. This is a really exciting opportunity to work with our Medical School to look at the role of creativity in medical diagnosis. Continue reading
Want to help improve medical education? Fancy the opportunity to win a £40 Amazon voucher? Want to boost our donation to Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders (MSF)? Know any doctors who could help? Paige Vanleer explains what to do …
I’m Paige Vanleer, and I’m currently engaged in an MSc project at the University of Buckingham which aims to help us ensure that the process of medical education is as effective as possible. As part of my research, I’ve launched a survey comprising a series of questions about the professional status, medical training and thinking styles of trainee and qualified doctors, and I’m still looking for more participants before it closes. Do you, or anyone you know, qualify for the survey? Continue reading
Kathryn Friedlander reviews ‘The Joy of Quiz‘ and explores its relevance to the study of expert performance, puzzle solving and niche hobbies.
‘Here’s a question: ‘Why do we spend our childhood in fear of exams, then quite willingly put ourselves through pretty much the same tests as adults?’ … The short answer is: fun. The joy of quiz is in making a gratifying game out of all that knowledge sploshing around in our heads – fascinating information, but information for which our jobs and our personal lives stubbornly refuse to find any use’.
So begins this engaging romp through the world of quizzing: an engrossing compendium of trivia and analysis drawn from social history, psychology and real-life ‘behind-the-scenes’ knowledge, based on Alan Connor‘s own experiences as a quiz editor for the BBC2 quiz Only Connect.
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