JournalTOCs

Possibility Studies & Society
Number of Followers: 5

Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)
ISSN (Online) 2753-8699
Published by Sage Publications

[1176 journals]

Dark intelligence: When the possibility of 1984 becomes reality
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  Authors: Robert J. Sternberg
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This essay reviews a concept that is too rarely dealt with, if at all, in the literature on human intelligence, namely, dark intelligence. I argue that dark intelligence is the possession and, as relevant, deployment of creative, analytical, and practical abilities and attitudes that, in particular tasks confronted in particular situations, can be, and are used for negative, harmful, and, sometimes, malign purposes. Dark intelligence is extremely common, and the world is the worse for it. Yet intelligence research continues to focus largely on solving test-like problems that do not speak to how intelligence is deployed on particular tasks in particular situations, either for good or for evil purposes. The world is facing severe crises, such as climate change, weapons of mass destruction, violence, and enormous income disparities. Creativity researchers, recognizing these problems, have developed a thriving field of “dark creativity.” Intelligence researchers have been largely absent, however, largely ignoring the dark side of intelligence. Yet dark intelligence can be and is being used to cause harm. The world is at increasing peril from its intended and unintended consequences; understanding dark intelligence may help to mitigate some of that peril.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-08-09T06:25:23Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241267189
Becoming augmented: The latent possibilities of ethnography in a pandemic
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  Authors: Craig Ryder
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  For all its wretched ways, COVID:19 has installed new possibilities to the way we do ethnographic research. Due to pandemic restrictions, my research on how digital activists in Sri Lanka acquire influence on social media fell into three distinct phases: (i) digital ethnography from London, (ii) datafied approaches in Helsinki and (iii) traditional fieldwork in Colombo. The article’s objective is not to provincialise the three cases, but to demonstrate how each phase is tightly bound together and serve to imagine new possibilities in research design. Vlad Glăveanu contents that ‘human beings live “amphibious” lives – at once in the realm of the actual and the possible’ to emphasis the misty line between what is real and what can be manifested by innovation and action. Not dissimilar to this amphibiousness, I argue that human beings also live ‘augmented’ lives, at once in the realm of in real life (IRL) and online spaces and experiences mediated by digital technologies. My fingers, ears and eyes, while in London, Helsinki or Colombo, were always partly submerged in digital worlds, and it was this augmentation that enabled the long-term engagement that good ethnography demands.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-07-26T10:59:55Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241264608
Reaching the hinterlands' COVID-19’s unexpected challenges to conducting
participatory research on Inuit Arctic politics
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  Authors: Ellen A. Ahlness
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  The Arctic is a strange sort of hinterland. While geographically distant from most global decision-makers, its role in global economics—and therefore politics—are increasingly centered in international dialogue. Early 2020, 2 years into a 4-year project studying the political organization and strategies of Canadian and American Inuit, a policy project’s research design and methodology were thrown into upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel to the Far North became impossible, and already stressed participants became at risk of even greater burnout. These changes necessitated rapid pivoting and methodological flexibility to finish data collection in a rigorous way to allow for subsequent trustworthy thematic content analysis.Subsequent methodological choices and use of digital technologies demonstrated the importance of design flexibility and benefits of data stream merging: findings validated across multiple data sources were more trustworthy. The process also necessitated continuous researcher self-evaluation of whether data collection practices truly enhanced the project. These lessons learned may inform future projects involving Indigenous communities or other populations at risk of disproportionate participant burnout and support the accessibility of projects involving remote populations. Further, they encourage centering research design choices around respect for participants.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-07-25T11:29:23Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241258880
Why psychological scientists should disdain determinism
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  Authors: Roy F Baumeister, Stephan Lau
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This essay strives to challenge a conceptual foundation of psychology that is questioned all too rarely: causal determinism. Specifically, the issue we have an argument with is the idea that human behavior is characterized by strict and inevitable sequences of cause and effect. We make two arguments against this notion. First, we argue that, even if true, this conception of determinism is useless and misleading for psychological theories, because psychological theories typically must explain how agents respond to situations defined by having multiple alternative possible outcomes. Second, we argue that this determinism is probably wrong, outdated, and circular in its reasoning. Alongside these arguments, we present results of a survey among fellow researchers, assessing their beliefs on the topic. Results show that psychologists are indeed discordant about this issue, and tendencies to endorse notions of causal determinism are more prevalent in younger than older scientists. We respect this diversity of opinion and seek to make the case that psychology theory would be best served by abandoning the wrongheaded idea of human behavior being inevitable and physically predetermined and replacing it with a brain-based agent operating in a world defined by multiple genuine possibilities and probabilistic causation.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-07-25T11:29:22Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241258002
Navigating collaborative and participatory research during and after the
COVID-19 pandemic: Emerging possibilities from a network of PhD students
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  Authors: Gonzalo Guerrero, Julia Dobson
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Collaborative and Participatory Research (CPR) presents different challenges for doctoral students, compared to other researchers. Even under ‘normal’ circumstances, engaging with CPR poses intricate practical and ethical challenges. For instance, understanding CPR or forming alliances to co-create knowledge can be particularly challenging. Moreover, the increasing popularity of CPR within universities is not always accompanied by sufficient training in these approaches for doctoral students. In this paper, we first present reflections on a participatory research project developed by one of the authors during the COVID-19 emergency. Specifically, we discuss the difficulties faced during their PhD fieldwork in Santiago, Chile, in 2020. One of the main obstacles was the need for a university network of peers to support and facilitate discussions regarding practical and ethical issues that emerged during the collaborative process. Secondly, we present our reflections on our shared experience of participating in and facilitating an interdisciplinary and inter-university reading group about CPR. This group was set up due to a need for more spaces to discuss CPR and an ongoing need for an in-person doctoral community in the hybrid post-lockdown world. We ask and reflect upon two questions: how can we negotiate the tensions involved in employing CPR during and after the COVID-19 emergency to produce an individual PhD thesis' How can an in-person community help us to navigate ethical and practical challenges' We suggest the significance of enabling community-driven, student-led spaces that foster interdisciplinary collaboration within universities. In particular, we advocate for dialogic spaces to discuss ethical issues and express shared vulnerabilities. We suggest that these spaces can help to nurture reflexive openness to new and unexpected possibilities in research. Such spaces are particularly important for tackling the complexities of CPR.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-07-25T11:29:21Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241258883
Remapping trans-Himalayan studies in the digital domain during the
COVID-19 pandemic: Constraint-based innovation, multimodality and the way
of knowing
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  Authors: Zezhou Yang
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This article offers a critical reflection on the adaptive reconfiguration of my South Asian Studies-based PhD project into a multimodal and collaborative endeavour in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenging the binary narrative that constraint-based methodological innovations are merely reactive measures to restore research projects to their pre-pandemic state, this paper posits that such innovations are integral, yet often overlooked, elements of social dynamics and relationships in Asian contexts. These innovations call for heightened attention, action and emotion that are typically marginalised in what is perceived as normalcy. The paper begins by contextualising my positionality, PhD project and fieldwork within the broader discourse on remapping Asian Studies, multimodal research and constraint-based innovation. Following this, I explore my interactions with Jade and her transnational charity group, describing how I conducted remote, virtual ethnography within this virtual community. This methodological shift is then discussed, with a focus on how it contributes to alternative, decolonial approaches to knowledge production in Asian Studies. The paper concludes by advocating for constraint-based innovation as a vital method of knowing diverse social and cultural experiences at the grassroots level.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-07-25T11:29:20Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241263217
Limits of self and Other xenosophic responsiveness: Including complex
emotions, power differences and possible futures
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  Authors: Gavin Brent Sullivan, Aldani Putri Wijayanti
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  In a complementary commentary on Streib, we highlight complexities of self and Other responsiveness when researching and attempting to enact xenosophic alternatives to xenophobic relations with a wide range of others and including related problematic forms of personal and group ‘egocentricity’. Using our similar attempts to be reflexive in theory and practice about self and Other responsiveness in our own social, political, community and cultural psychology research (extending Streib’s focus on developmental psychology), we use the later philosophical approach of Ludwig Wittgenstein – rather than the phenomenological philosophy of Waldenfels – to explore instances of self and ‘extraordinary Other’ relations via examples of everyday and form-of-life disagreements. We then focus on complex emotions and investigations of affective and discursive patterned features of self and Other relations to highlight features of responsiveness and collective wisdom evident in a dynamic typology of group-based and collective pride, shame and guilt relations in contexts of celebration, competition, challenge and conflict. The need to explore the limits of self and extraordinary Other responsiveness is shown by considering how possible futures and power considerations might lead us to step back from potentially becoming other to ourselves.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-07-25T11:29:19Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241265284
Xenocentric responsiveness: Challenges and Future Directions. Response to
the Commentaries
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  Authors: Heinz Streib
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This article presents responses to the 13 commentaries of colleagues to my text “Wisdom and the Other” that is published as target article in this special issue. My response deals with three questions that have been addressed throughout several commentaries: 1. What is the contribution of xenocentric responsiveness to wisdom research, does xenocentric responsiveness aspire to constitute a new model of wisdom' 2. What happens with xenocentric responsiveness in the face of extreme challenges, when alterity is abhorrently violating human rights and posing a threat' 3. Is there a research agenda' How can pathos and responsiveness, how can the development of xenocentric responsiveness be empirically investigated'
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-06-22T10:32:59Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241261413
Wisdom and Possibility Studies
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  Authors: Vlad Glaveanu
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Wisdom is an important yet seldomly discussed topic within Possibility Studies. The present issue, with a lead paper by Heinz Streib and commentaries by colleagues from across disciplines, intends to change this state of affairs. This editorial reinforces these links and argues that Self – Other relations are fundamental for wisdom and the possible alike. It focuses on the consequences of placing xenosophia and ‘responsiveness to the other’ at the heart of living together, in a shared society, and being able to engage in wise explorations of the possible. The urgency of recognizing the otherness within the self and others as selves is emphasized in the end and a call is launched for a deeper integration between wisdom research and Possibility Studies.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-06-18T11:11:48Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241260520
Objects as knowledge: A case study of outsight
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  Authors: Frédéric Vallée-Tourangeau, Anna Green, Paul L. March, Sune Vork Steffensen
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  A laboratory procedure employing insight problems allows researcher to capture how new ideas are discovered or constructed. Insight problems are relatively simple riddles designed to encourage an initially incorrect interpretation of the problem that leads to an impasse: Researchers are then poised to capture the moment the impasse is overcome, that is when a new productive interpretation of the problem is developed resulting in the solution. Researchers call this process ‘restructuring’: while the term describes the phenomenon, it is not clear how it explains it nor how restructuring comes about. The case study we describe here reveals the micro-processes involved in restructuring by using an interactive problem-solving procedure involving matchstick arithmetic problems. Originally developed by Knoblich et al., these problems present a simple but false arithmetic expression using Roman numerals: Participant must discover which matchstick can be moved and where to turn it into a true expression. The participant can manipulate matchsticks, and in doing so creates a dynamic object, the behaviour of which triggers new actions and cues new hypotheses about the solution. We present the case-study data in the form of a video of a participant instructed to narrate hunches and hypotheses as she interacts with a physical model of the solution, over three separate problems. On the basis of a granular coding of the participant’s verbal protocol along with an equally granular coding of the changes to the object (using ELAN; https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/elan), the case study is the first to clearly reveal the restructuring process that results in the phenomenon of ‘outsight’, that is when the behaviour and polymorphic changes to the object qua model of the solution guides the participant to the solution.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-06-18T01:11:10Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241256021
Rethinking big P: Integrating personal and academic psychology knowledge
in university teaching
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  Authors: Emelie Rack
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Looking at how people get oriented towards the psychological discipline, it is striking that students are often initially drawn to psychology because they wish better to understand their personal experiences and the world around them. However, these initial aspirations often remain unmet by the content of academic psychology classes and the teachers conveying it. Building on my experiences as a psychology lecturer, I explore the challenges of connecting personal experiences to psychological content in academic practice for students and teachers and how this can be traced back to the ongoing contested nature of psychology’s subject matter. In doing so, I mainly draw on the distinction between ‘big P’ academic psychology knowledge and ‘small p’ everyday psychology knowledge to explain the current conditions and discursive dynamics in psychology classrooms. I then turn to insights from other disciplines concerned with facilitating academic teaching experiences integrating personal engagement and everyday experience to explore how the role of psychology instructors can be redefined and expanded in the future. Given that university classrooms play a pivotal role in shaping students’ professional identity and perception of the discipline, I advocate for acknowledging and utilizing the personal relevance of seminar contents to bridge the gap between ‘big P’ and ‘small p’ psychology in academic teaching.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-06-07T05:39:45Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241240608
A word to the wise
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  Authors: Henderikus J. Stam
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Heinz Streib’s appeal for a wisdom that takes seriously the deep problem of “the other” is not only profound but timely. In my comments I ask if this question might even benefit from a research agenda or if that is a distraction and then I suggest an additional point of view, based on the work of the late John Shotter, that might assist us in understanding how we come to know from within our activities rather than “about” our activities. Will this lead us to be wiser' I don’t have an answer to this but I provide a plea for a psychology that is focused on the everyday.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-05-23T12:12:32Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241253321
Possibilities of imitation
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  Authors: Danna Oomen, Oliver Genschow
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Humans tend to automatically imitate others. This tendency is generally explained by a common representation of observed and executed actions. However, people do not imitate each and any behavior they observe. Instead, they have different possibilities in terms of when, what, and whom they imitate. Here, we review the literature on the various factors that modulate imitative behavior to get an overview of these possibilities. While the reviewed literature supports the idea of possibilities in terms of how people imitate, this overview also emphasizes that the evidence for most factors has been rather mixed or preliminary. This calls for more replication studies, both conceptual and direct, before firm conclusions can be made for each modulating factor.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-05-22T12:09:05Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241252883
From online to offline: Getting ready for in-person fieldwork through
social media ethnography
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  Authors: Luca Proietti
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant emphasis on finding solutions to continue academic research in light of closed borders. The inability to travel has prompted academic researchers to reconsider their approaches to fieldwork, with a particular focus on utilizing modern technology effectively to conduct accurate ethnographic research even while working remotely. This has entailed navigating the vast expanse of the internet carefully and acquiring additional tools in the field of ethnography. The primary concerns surrounding conducting remote fieldwork and ensuring the proper selection of data can be summarized by exploring strategies to overcome the challenges imposed by restrictions, as well as leveraging modern technology to study distant cultures without compromising comprehension. Taking into consideration my research on the Japanese experimental noise music scene and the necessity to collect information about the response and activities of these artists at the brink of the pandemic, I challenged my need to collect data by practising through the internet and modern technologies new ways to undertake ethnographic research through distance. In this sense, social networks demonstrated how modern ethnographic methods can be effectively applied to conduct functional social media ethnography, mitigating the challenges brought about by physical distance constraints. Specifically for my research, Reddit’s feature of organizing communities into subtopics named “subreddits” provides me with the possibility to keep in touch with reliable users and information by selecting specific subreddits related to Japan and music topics (e.g. “r/japaneseunderground”, “r/noisemusic”). Along with the existing literature and the constant online research for news related to my project, social media ethnography played a functional role not only in collecting relevant data but also in providing me with more clarity about how to further move my fieldwork once I can travel to Japan. By emphasizing the potential of social media as a valuable avenue to enhance research strategies in times of crisis, this paper aims to consider how online fieldwork created to overcome the impossibility of fieldwork travel can result in a profitable social media ethnography not only to collect data by distance but also to gain appropriate preparation for following in-person fieldwork by relying on our primary findings. By retracing step by step my research project on Japanese noise music, I will explain how undertaking online research provided me with further ideas to achieve more findings and add clarities to my research intent once I had to switch to offline fieldwork.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-05-17T12:37:14Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241244418
‘But why is a Ghanaian studying Liberia'’ Leveraging positionality for
online data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic
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  Authors: Franka Vaughan
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This paper explores the significance of my positionality as a Ghanaian interested in a Liberian identity question and examines how it influenced the dialogical process of research design and online data collection. Emphasising the fluidity of the insider/outsider binary, the study unveils its potential to cultivate positive online interview experiences, augmenting the overall depth and quality of interview data. Notably, my dual status as an outsider, owing to Ghanaian nationality and pandemic-induced physical distance, and as an insider, being a racialised Black African like some participants, significantly influenced unique relationships with study participants, facilitating access and contributing to an enriched data collection experience.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-04-26T06:06:48Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241248850
Having a seat at the table—A feminist autoethnography of the
university kitchen
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  Authors: Julia Struppe-Schanda
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Research on the social construction of the scientific personality has shown that one is not simply born a scientist, but rather becomes one through processes of social recognition and attribution. By emphasizing the reciprocal constitution of gender and science, the notion of science as (gender) neutral and objective has been rejected. Although feminist scholars have always recognized the complex ways in which gender (and other social categories) play an important role in how people can or cannot inhabit spaces, little attention has been paid to the role of the university kitchen and its practices in becoming a scholar, and the role of gender in the appropriation of this academic space. The article addresses this research void by using a feminist autoethnographic approach to situate the author’s personal experiences within a broader cultural and social context. The findings show that the practices that take place in the university kitchen (e.g. conversations around the kitchen table) can be understood as symbolic practices in which symbolic capital can be accumulated. These practices are a crucial initiation rite for early career researchers, as they show whether one belongs to the scientific field. Findings suggest that (bodily) orientations shape how the university kitchen appears and what it means to inhabit this space. The results indicate that female early career researchers encounter physical and psychological borders when trying to access the university kitchen. The article thus points to the subtle mechanisms of exclusion and distinction that contradict the self-image of science. Implications for early career researchers and scientific practice are discussed.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-04-24T06:10:04Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241246410
Responsiveness in context: Unpacking the causal model of the
wisdom-responsiveness link
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  Authors: Niyati Kachhiyapatel, Igor Grossmann
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  By exploring the nuances of responsive phenomenology, Streib extends the science of wisdom beyond person-centric phenomena to include the social, interpersonal, and intersubjective dimensions. We applaud Streib’s efforts to enrich wisdom models and highlight several areas requiring further clarity, particularly regarding the causal relationship between responsive phenomenology and wisdom, and the role of broader cultural-historical factors for understanding the wisdom of responsiveness. Our commentary highlights the need for greater conceptual precision to differentiate responsiveness from related constructs in social psychology and calls for future research to delineate when responsiveness contributes to wisdom in varied contexts. Through this critical examination, we aim to advance the science of wisdom by emphasizing the significance of responsiveness within a comprehensive social-ecological framework, thereby fostering a deeper understanding of interpersonal and intergroup relations.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-04-11T04:48:34Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241244510
Perceived mental illness is associated with judgments of less agency, yet
more moral wrongness
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  Authors: Charul Maheshka, Meriel Doyle, Brett Mercier, Azim Shariff, Cory J. Clark
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  For a set of 10 conditions (e.g. homosexuality, obesity, drug addiction), we explored associations between moral judgments, agency evaluations, and perceptions that a condition is a mental illness. In a preregistered study (n = 1,249 U.S. adults), we found that perceptions of lower agency were associated with decreased moral wrongness judgments, as well as increased perceptions of mental illness, yet perceived moral wrongness was the most robust predictor of perceived mental illness. In other words, although perceived mental illness was associated with evaluations that tend to be morally exonerating (such as less control and greater difficulty changing), we observed positive associations between wrongness judgments and perceived mental illness. We also found that—at least within our set of conditions—political conservatives tended to evaluate conditions as more controllable, more morally wrong, and more of a mental illness, yet on the whole, ideology was not a reliable predictor of perceived mental illness. Instead, liberals and conservatives with similar wrongness evaluations tended to similarly ascribe mental illness. These findings raise questions about potential causal relationships between mental illness perceptions and moral evaluations and the possibility that perceived moral wrongness might sometimes contribute to perceptions that a condition ought to be considered a mental illness.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-04-03T06:36:13Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241240611
Possibility Thinking Scale: An initial psychometric exploration
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  Authors: Vlad P. Glăveanu, Maciej Karwowski, Wendy Ross, Ronald A. Beghetto
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Although there has been longstanding work on possibility thinking (PT), there is no current scale that researchers can use to measure and study this important action-based orientation. In this paper, we report on four studies with English and Polish speaking participants (N > 1,500) focused on developing and providing an initial evaluation of the Possibility Thinking Scale (PTS). Across the four studies, we examined the factor structure of the PTS by comparing one- and three-factor models and tested the links between PT and relevant correlates: divergent thinking, creative agency factors, and facets of Openness and Extraversion. After a series of replications presented in Studies 1 to 3, Study 4 (N = 491) explored revisions to the scale, using new items developed with input from Large Language Models. Taken together, our results indicate that the final version of PTS reflects three factors of one’s orientation to the possible (i.e. awareness, excitement, and exploration). Our results also indicate that the factors were associated with, but sufficiently distinct from related constructs. We close by discussing strengths and weaknesses of PTS and propose future directions for research.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-04-02T11:27:13Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241241827
Human innovation and the creative agency of the world in the age of
generative AI
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  Authors: Markus F. Peschl
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  With the advent of Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, and, more generally, generative AI/cognitive technologies, global knowledge production faces a critical systemic challenge. It results from continuously feeding back non- or poorly-creative copies of itself into the global knowledge base; in the worst case, this could not only lead to a stagnation of creative, reliable, and valid knowledge generation, but also have an impact on our material (and subsequently our social) world and how it will be shaped by these rather uninspired automatized knowledge dynamics. More than ever, there appears to be an imperative to bring the creative human agent back into the loop. Arguments from the perspectives of 4E- and Material Engagement Theory approaches to cognition, human-technology relations as well as possibility studies will be used to show that being embodied, sense-making, and enacting the world by proactively and materially interacting with it are key ingredients for any kind of knowledge and meaning production. It will be shown that taking seriously the creative agency of the world, an engaged epistemology, as well as making use of future potentials/possibilities complemented and augmented by cognitive technologies are all essential for re-introducing profound novelty and creativity.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-04-02T11:23:34Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241238049
Which virtues work together to foster the xenocentric style'
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  Authors: Eranda Jayawickreme
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Streib builds on the work of Waldenfels to provide a compelling account of how xenocentric (as opposed to xenophobic) responsiveness to members of out-groups can lead to wisdom. He further discusses how distinctive manifestations of characteristics such as perspective-taking and intellectual humility can facilitate the development of a xenocentric style. In this reflection, I discuss other characteristics that may play a role in facilitation style and offer some recommendations for studying manifestations of the xenocentric style in daily life. I question whether xenocentric responsiveness (a) has to always result in transformative change, and (b) be understood as a “type” rather than an individual difference. Finally, I point to one tension inherent in Streib’s argument—that embracing the xenocentric style can sometimes involve the “othering” of people who do not share one’s values.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-03-28T10:46:05Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241241579
NOT PARTS, BUT HOLISTIC TOTALITY. Comment on Streib’s
“xenosophia”
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  Authors: Eeva K. Kallio
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Recent research shows that there seems to be some preliminary agreement of the definition of wisdom. Two main strands of wisdom research can be identified. On the one hand, it is suggested that wisdom is attained through life experience and self-reflection as a deep self-understanding. On the other hand, multi-perspective openness, flexibility, and orientation toward others are signs of wisdom. Thus, both external and internal realms of the mind are included in the definitions. Streib (2023) emphasizes the latter, as perspective-taking, intellectual humility, moral concern for others are the characteristics of wisdom, and he calls it “xenosophia.” I argue that it is impossible to define wisdom in this way alone, since psychological self-understanding is necessarily required. If there is no inner human change, there can be no outer social change. Both dimensions are necessary in a holistic understanding of wisdom.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-03-28T09:59:45Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241241556
“Can the radical other be operationalized'” A commentary to Heinz
Streib’s article “Wisdom and the Other: Responsiveness in Development
between the Egocentric and Xenocentric Style”
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  Authors: Bernhard Leistle
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  In this commentary to Heinz Streib’s article “Wisdom and the Other,” I provide a different reading of Bernhard Waldenfels’ responsive phenomenology. In contrast to the author, I stress the relationality of Waldenfels’ conception of the radical Other which can only appear experientially by withdrawing from a meaning-bestowing, ordering response. It is only indirectly, through the inevitable insufficiency of our responses that the Other or alien presents itself. The intertwinement of alienness and order, I argue, leads to a responsive ethics in which morality und amorality must be distinguished contextually and situationally, not in absolute, timeless terms. This is problematic for Streib’s attempt to operationalize the radical Other in wisdom research, in at least two respects. For one, to integrate the radical Other as an evidential object into psychological models of wisdom goes against the alienness of the Other in Waldenfels. Secondly, from the perspective of a relational responsive ethics, wisdom cannot be defined by certain psychological and ethical traits. This second point is illustrated by Waldenfels’ understanding of Socrates which deviates significantly from the one presented in the article.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-03-20T11:47:56Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241240100
How many heuristics are enough' Testing a parsimonious theory of
possibility generation in problem-solving
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  Authors: Thomas C Ormerod
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Despite widespread recognition of the need for general-purpose mechanisms in unified theories of cognition, accounts of human thinking often propose that performance is best explained by task- or problem-specific knowledge and heuristics, elements found even in theories proposing general-purpose mechanisms. Here, we argue that many of the effects explained by task- or problem-specific knowledge or heuristics can be better explained by two general mechanisms: maximisation of progress and learning from experience. In Experiment 1, performance on the Taxicab problem, variously described as requiring or not requiring insight, was unaffected by removal of content presumed to trigger a problem-specific heuristic. In Experiment 2, the order of move selection in the Hobbits and Orcs problem, usually described as a transformation problem that does not require insight to solve, was successfully modelled by a maximisation heuristic with conceptual encoding of intermediate states, irrespective of problem context. In Experiment 3, solution rates to the eight-coin puzzle, a problem generally accepted as requiring insight to solve, were increased by cueing moves. A parsimonious theory, based on progress maximisation plus conceptual learning during solution, appears sufficient to model performance across a wide range of problems.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-03-09T04:15:41Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241237321
Creativity, aging, context and culture: Reimagining creativity in everyday
life in older adults
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  Authors: Carolyn E. Adams-Price, Linda W. Morse
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Despite increasing interest in creative aging, little connection has been made between creative aging research and research and theory on creativity. In part 1 of this paper, we will explain why 20th century psychological concepts of creativity were inadequate to describe the impact of creative participation for older adults, and how those theories promoted stereotypes of aging. In part 2, we discuss theory and research from gerontologists on why creative activities are important, and how more inclusive theories of creativity can guide researchers in their quest to determine how creative participation can benefit older adults, and the culture at large. Sociocultural theories of creativity highlight the importance of culture and context as essential components of creativity. For example, sociocultural creativity theory argues that the cultural artifacts called crafts deserve to be considered “creative” even if they do not seem particularly novel. Crafts, which are frequently created by older people, especially women, are cultural artifacts or heirlooms that can hold meaning for generations. Sociocultural theory can guide the study of late life creativity to expand the possibilities for meaningful engagement in creativity across the lifespan.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-03-06T03:13:01Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241235247
Does moral valence influence the construal of alternative
possibilities'
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  Authors: Neele Engelmann, Ivar R. Hannikainen
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  It is often thought that an agent may be held morally responsible for bringing about a negative outcome only if they could have done otherwise. Inspired by previous research linking moral judgment to free will ascriptions and representations of possibility, we probe the reverse link: Does learning about a morally undesirable outcome make preferable alternatives appear more possible' We find modest evidence that this could be the case. In a preregistered experiment, we presented 317 participants with animated footage of a traffic accident in which two bystanders fail to intervene as a third person gets run over by bus, and manipulated whether the victim was evil, virtuous, or neutral. Judging from the same visual input, people indicate that saving an evil victim would have been slightly less possible than saving a virtuous or neutral victim, and arriving at the conclusion that it would have been possible demanded more time. Using drift-diffusion modeling to better understand the underlying cognitive processes, we found that participants were biased against counterfactual attempts to save the evil victim’s life, but then gathered evidence toward their decisions at the same rate regardless of the victim’s morality.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-02-29T12:31:59Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241231026
Challenges for conceptualising otherness
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  Authors: Alex Gillespie
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Otherness is a deceptively simple concept. Ostensibly it refers to someone else, who is, in an ultimate sense, unknowable. But, there are many ways in which the self-other boundary is blurred. First, self is already other from the standpoint of the other. Second, in so far as perspective taking is possible, there is some otherness within the self, and some self within the other. Third, when people talk and think they routinely move between the perspectives of self and other, changing and shifting perspectives, and leveraging one perspective against the other. Overall, the core challenge for conceptualising otherness is that it does not exist without the self. Otherness is not ‘in’ the perspective of the other rather it is a two-sided relational quality that arises between the shifting perspectives of self and other.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-02-24T12:31:34Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241233630
The Creative Space Theory as a map to explore the mind
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  Authors: Jean-Christophe Goulet-Pelletier, Denis Cousineau
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Despite significant transformations in most domains of activities, there might still be some constancies in the creative spaces explored throughout history. This paper introduces the Creative Space Theory (CST), a conceptual framework delineating 10 distinct creative spaces, analogous to creative landscapes. These creative spaces are proposed as navigational terrains for an array of media, tools, activities, and domains. The 10 spaces of the theory are movement, sound, image, sensation, emotion, strategy, story, symbol, network, and system. Notably, these creative spaces transcend specific media, and cover artistic as well as intellectual domains. For example, the sound space would be relevant to music, poetry, filmmaking, and acting among others, whereas the system space may be relevant to engineering, medicine, science, and design among others. The proposed theory holds potential utility in three key areas: (1) nurturing individual’s creative potential, (2) helping creators adapt to continuously changing circumstances, and (3) fostering positive creative self-beliefs in overlooked domains of creation. The current paper is a theoretical elaboration. We describe the creative spaces and discuss the implications of the theory towards individuals, educational practices, and research within the fields of cognition and Artificial Intelligence.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-02-24T12:28:35Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241233195
Navigating the AI frontier: Should we fear ChatGPT use in higher education
and scientific research' Finding a middle ground through guiding
principles and practical applications
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  Authors: Daniele Saccenti, Matilde Buattini, Silvia Grazioli, Dalila Torres
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  The adoption of Artificial Intelligence-based chatbots, including ChatGPT, in various sectors has raised concerns about their implications in higher education and scientific research. While the academic world aims to foster critical thinking and produce reliable research, the use of chatbots has elicited resistance from some academics due to fears of inaccuracies. In this paper, we extensively examine this phenomenon in higher education and scientific research, seeking to understand its practical applications, limitations, and potential risks. We investigated how ChatGPT is currently being used by academia, young researchers, and students. We also identified its areas of application and conducted trials by engaging ChatGPT, with transcripts included in the paper. Based on our findings, we discuss the results in the context of the needs in higher education and scientific research, presenting guidelines for responsible adoption. We distinguish positive use cases, areas requiring caution, explicit limitations of ChatGPT, and cases of unethical use. Importantly, we view ChatGPT as a valuable technological innovation but emphasize the necessity for thoughtful and responsible implementation. While we do not consider its use inherently deceitful, consistent, and shared guidelines are essential to ensure its ethical and effective application.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-02-23T04:01:19Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241231862
Wisdom development and self-transcendence: A merging of self and Other
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  Authors: Monika Ardelt
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Streib proposed that xenocentric responsiveness to the extraordinary Other will lead to wise reasoning and wise behavior because listening to and getting (rather than taking) the perspective of the Other will broaden one’s horizon and provide new, non-normative, innovative, creative, and wise responses to social issues. By contrast, I argue that wisdom development leads to self-transcendence and a consciousness of oneness, which is a merging of self and other. Therefore, when responding to the Other, the wise do not focus on otherness but on our common humanity.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-02-16T12:49:17Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241233092
The possibility paradox: How technology both expands and contracts
possibilities
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  Authors: Constance de Saint Laurent
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  As we turn more and more to technology to solve the problems it has created – from misinformation to climate change – it is crucial to understand how innovations can both expand the possible and contract it. In this editorial, I first outline how technological advances increase what is possible, probable and feasible, and our sense of it, through four main processes: (1) Expanding what is possible, (2) broadening our sense of what could be, (3) making the possible reachable and (4) freeing up resources to explore new possibilities. I then look at six processes through which technology reduces them and narrows our horizon: (1) by destroying possibilities, (2) forcefully replacing tasks and jobs, (3) leading to a loss of skills, (4) bringing social and environmental destruction, (5) making existing systems obsolete and (6) creating possibility tunnels. This nomenclature is not meant to be exhaustive. It is instead an invitation to fellow researchers interested in possibilities, technologies and their intersection, to explore how novel tools affect our perceptions of what could be and as well as our actual actions.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-02-14T03:51:18Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241232742
The existential value and challenge of intellectual humility
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  Authors: Daryl R. Van Tongeren
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Streib provides a compelling account for the role of wisdom in transforming the view of the “other” from a threat to a source of growth and self-expansion. By moving from a purely self-focus toward an other-focus, people can shift from prejudicial xenophobia toward xenosophia or xenocentrism. Such a transformation requires the perspective-taking of intellectual humility. I briefly describe how intellectual humility can facilitate this wise response toward others and discuss its limitations in the area where it is needed the most—existential concerns. Finally, I suggest ways possible ways in which intellectual humility may offer solutions for othering.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-31T12:14:33Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241228665
On the way to thinking otherwise
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  Authors: Mark Freeman
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Heinz Streib’s article “Wisdom and the Other” marks a significant step in moving toward a more “ex-centric” psychology—that is, one more oriented toward “thinking Otherwise” about the human condition. Streib’s article is also a valiant attempt to marry responsive phenomenology to the psychology of wisdom. Nevertheless, there is reason to question this marriage in terms of both the philosophical fit between the two and the methodological framework deemed necessary to empirically investigate it. Although Streib is to be commended for undertaking this important work, therefore, there is more to be done in the service of truly recognizing and affirming the priority of the Other in psychology and psychological life.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-30T12:11:56Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241230140
The centrality of the Other: Self-development, values, and democracy
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  Authors: Angela Uchoa Branco
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This paper aims at analyzing the centrality of the Other in human ontogeny, by highlighting its ontological role in the development of self, values, and democracy. Inspired by Streib’s thoughtful contributions I argue for the intrinsic relations between wisdom, ethics, and values, as well as how those relations can become an important venue in the cultural construction of democratic societies. By assuming a dialogical cultural approach, I stress the role of affective-semiotic processes in promoting individuals’ ethical sensibility toward others, and values’ openness to different perspectives and wisdom, stressing the role of education in this process.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-30T12:10:37Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241229113
Developing adaptive leadership in post-information societies: The possible
role of creative orientation, identity and metacognition
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  Authors: Oana Velcu-Laitinen
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This paper expands on creativity theories to enhance the understanding of leaders’ psychological resources in effectively adapting themselves and steering their employees to adapt to organisational change. Creativity is an essential skill for effective leadership. Creative leaders can motivate their teams more effectively and can handle novel challenges by being more flexible in going outside the typical routines. Yet, how do leaders understand and act on their creativity in dealing with change' How do leaders recognise their people’s creativity' This paper introduces three personal resources – creative orientation, identity and metacognition – as psychological mechanisms that reflect leaders’ abilities to notice, interpret and act on opportunities to respond to shifting workplaces. I hypothesise that leaders can develop two creative orientations while leading change – focus on strengthening their social network and focus on taking new action. Also, the paper argues for the importance of leaders’ creative identity and hypothesizes that leaders can deliberately enact their creative identities in their roles, based on two ways to understand their creativity: as a way of thinking or as a personality type. Lastly, leaders’ creative metacognition can empower followers’ creativity.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-27T08:22:16Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699231226173
The pursuit of unattainable goals
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  Authors: Alan R. King
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  Liminality is a sociological construct that describes the process of identity transitions and group assimilations that occurs over time as a function of rites of passages. Liminal Commitment Theory (LCT) represents an extension of an analysis of the psychological factors that motivated people to search over a decade for a bronze treasure chest hidden in the Rocky Mountains. LCT postulates that many seductive factors that motivate treasure hunting generalize to other equally “unattainable” goal pursuits. Unattainability in this theory is defined by the goal’s distal nature and markedly low public or personal estimate of achievability. The aspiration may be viewed as laudable or unsettling, and outcomes can vary from monumental achievements to utter hardship. A central tenet of the theory is that meaningful long-term commitments occur in a stepwise leveling process with transitions through serial impasses into increasingly sophisticated plateaus of competence. LCT examines the psychological needs, traits, and environmental contingencies that compel people to pursue lofty objectives. The Fenn treasure hunt was relied upon to illustrate how LCT principles might account for audacious goal pursuits.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-27T08:16:19Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699231225551
What is wise' A commentary on Streib’s “Wisdom and the
Other”
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  Authors: Jack Martin
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  “Wisdom” is considered to be an “essentially contested concept”. As such, wisdom resists precise definition and has been interpreted very differently across interpreters, historical times, and sociocultural contexts. Particular attention is given to Streib’s equation of wisdom and xenosophia. Xenosophia, as a pathos and openness to the alien other seems necessary for the kind of perspective taking and humility that Streib describes. However, it is insufficient by itself to constitute wisdom. As an essentially contested, ill-defined concept subject to historical and sociocultural change that is unpredictable, the value of wisdom lies in its status as an ideal toward which we might channel our nobler actions and attitudes to persevere in our never-ending struggles to achieve a human flourishing that includes all of us.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-25T11:19:42Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699241228669
The Constantly expanding goal fields: Turning the discourse of goals into
fields
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  Authors: Campill Marc Antoine
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  The human being as an individual has unique ways of perceiving the dynamic interrelation between self-environments. The shift in the irreversible time interrelates with the organic notion of development. Still, change does not simply mean that we are physically changing, but it also implies that our way of seeing the changing reality-construct is constantly in change. But how do we actually see the world and what goal does the concept of goals/dreams play in all of that' In the following article the construct “goal” is redefined into a more phenomenological-based understanding in which goals are transformed into fields that inhabit our vision field and flourish in the deep spheres of imagination.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-17T08:31:48Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699231225789
Anecdote, fiction, and statistics: The three poles of empirical
methodology
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  Authors: Michael Wood
  Abstract: Possibility Studies & Society, Ahead of Print.
  This article clarifies the role and value of three types of evidence used in empirical research – anecdotes derived from case studies or small samples of data, fictions (including both thought experiments and works of art such as novels and plays) and statistics. The conclusion is that all three have an important part to play. Many conventional stereotypes are deeply unhelpful: contrary to the usual assumptions, science is often dependent on anecdote and fiction for exploring possibilities, qualitative research is often statistical in spirit, and social science is more likely to lead to useful conclusions about future possibilities if it draws on anecdotes and fictions.
  Citation: Possibility Studies & Society
  PubDate: 2024-01-10T01:01:16Z
  DOI: 10.1177/27538699231222379

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