Connectionist models of artificial grammar learning: what type of knowledge is acquired?

Two experiments are presented that test the predictions of two associative learning models of Artificial Grammar Learning. The two models are the simple recurrent network (SRN) and the competitive chunking (CC) model. The two experiments investigate acquisition of different types of knowledge in this task: knowledge of frequency and novelty of stimulus fragments (Experiment 1) and knowledge of letter positions, of small fragments, and of large fragments up to entire strings (Experiment 2). The results show that participants acquired all types of knowledge. Simulation studies demonstrate that the CC model explains the acquisition of all types of fragment knowledge but fails to account for the acquisition of positional knowledge. The SRN model, by contrast, accounts for the entire pattern of results found in the two experiments.

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“Dependency, subordination, and recognition: On Judith Butler's theory of subjection”

Judith Butler's recent work expands the Foucaultian notion of subjection to encompass an analysis of the ways in which subordinated individuals becomes passionately attached to, and thus come to be psychically invested in, their own subordination. I argue that Butler's psychoanalytically grounded account of subjection offers a compelling diagnosis of how and why an attachment to oppressive norms – of femininity, for example – can persist in the face of rational critique of those norms. However, I also argue that her account of individual and collective resistance to subjection is plagued by familiar problems concerning the normative criteria and motivation for resistance that emerge in her recent work in new and arguably more intractable forms, and by new concerns about her conceptions of dependency, subordination and recognition.     

On a problematic procedure to manipulate response biases in recognition experiments: the case of “implied” base rates

The experimental manipulation of response biases in recognition-memory tests is an important means for testing recognition models and for estimating their parameters. The textbook manipulations for binary-response formats either vary the payoff scheme or the base rate of targets in the recognition test, with the latter being the more frequently applied procedure. However, some published studies reverted to implying different base rates by instruction rather than actually changing them. Aside from unnecessarily deceiving participants, this procedure may lead to cognitive conflicts that prompt response strategies unknown to the experimenter. To test our objection, implied base rates were compared to actual base rates in a recognition experiment followed by a post-experimental interview to assess participants’ response strategies. The behavioural data show that recognition-memory performance was estimated to be lower in the implied base-rate condition. The interview data demonstrate that participants used various second-order response strategies that jeopardise the interpretability of the recognition data. We thus advice researchers against substituting actual base rates with implied base rates.     

Correction to: “Offensiphobia” is a Red Herring: On the Problem of Censorship and Academic Freedom

The Journal of Ethics -     

“One is what one does”: from pragmatic to performative disclosure of the who

Continental Philosophy Review - After taking into consideration the most relevant criticisms questioning the capacity of the thinking “I” to grasp itself in a transparent and...     

On Psychodynamic Meanings of Psychiatric Treatment: Discussion of “From Dyad to Triad”

Dr. Bar-Haim has covered vast territory in her contribution “From Dyad to Triad: On Psychodynamic Meanings of Psychiatric Treatment,” (this issue) and I welcome the opportunity to offer my thoughts on her contribution and this important topic more generally. The issues touched upon include the various meanings of psychiatric treatment for patient and therapist; factors that impact compliance; resistances to suggesting medication consultation on the part of the therapist; challenges of the prescribing therapist; the role of a “disease” model in mental suffering; the overdetermined meaning of “symptom”; and, most important, recommendations for establishing effective treatment when a treatment triangle exists. I address some of these issues and comment on two clinical vignettes to illustrate my way of thinking.     

On the definability of the quantifier “there exist uncountably many”

In paper [5] it was shown that a great part of model theory of logic with the generalized quantifier Q x = there exist uncountably many x is reducible to the model theory of first order logic with an extra binary relation symbol. In this paper we consider when the quantifier Q x can be syntactically defined in a first order theory T. That problem was raised by Kosta Doen when he asked if the quantifier Q x can be eliminated in Peano arithmetic. We answer that question fully in this paper.I would like to thank Kosta Doen and Zoran Markovi who made valuable suggestions and remarks on a draft of this paper.     

Assessing Couple Therapy as a Treatment for Individual Distress: When is Referral to Couple Therapy Contraindicated?

In order to better understand the effects of initial level of psychological disturbance on treatment outcome, a retrospective case control study of 95 couples who received couple therapy was conducted by sorting couples into one of four groups based on the degree of distress reported by individuals at intake: Neither distressed; both distressed; male distressed, female not distressed; female distressed, male not distressed. When partners started treatment with similar levels of disturbance both responded well in couple therapy. However, if the female reported clinical levels of disturbance at intake but her partner did not, outcome for the female was especially poor in contrast to outcomes for females receiving individual therapy. Clinically disturbed males showed significant gains in treatment even when their partners were not disturbed. These suggestive results argue for the possible value of conducting controlled studies of treatment assignment decisions that maximize positive outcomes.     

Education of those labelled as “Handicapped”: A response to Kauffman

Journal of Behavioral Education -     

“Age is opportunity”: Women’s personality trajectories from mid- to later-life

Previous scholarship examining Erikson’s (1980) constructs of generativity versus stagnation, and ego integrity versus despair has primarily focused on generativity or ego integrity, with little examination of stagnation or despair. The current study uses four waves of longitudinal data from a total of 166 women, ages 43–72, to assess whether these characteristics are best measured via four separate or two bipolar dimensions, and to examine developmental trajectories in resulting scales. We hypothesized developmental trajectory increases for generativity and ego integrity, and declines for stagnation and despair. Results indicated that generativity and ego integrity showed linear increases with no significant decline; however, stagnation and despair showed curvilinear patterns. Findings highlight the importance of examining these constructs independently and longitudinally.     

Culture and Social Obligation: When “Shoulds” Are Perceived as “Wants”

This study explored motivational differences in the perception of social obligations by respondents from individualist versus collectivist cultures. Participants were 120 undergraduate students (60 Latinos and 60 Anglos) who completed a lengthy questionnaire assessing the extent to which they felt obligated to help and wanted to help across a variety of social situations. Although individuals from the two cultures reported a strong sense of obligation with regard to close friends and family members, Latinos expressed a greater desire (i.e., greater perceived “want”) to engage in these “should” behaviors. Furthermore, compared to Anglos, Latinos felt a stronger sense of both shoulds and wants in their motivations to help more distant family and friends. The two groups did not differ in their motivations to help distant acquaintances and strangers. Although wants were associated with life satisfaction for both groups, shoulds were positively associated with life satisfaction for Latinos but not Anglos. Overall, compared to the Anglo students, Latino students perceived helping others as both more obligatory and more personally desirable, suggesting a more congruent view of personal autonomy and societal control in collectivist cultures than in individualist cultures.     

Exploring the Promise of Eudaimonic Well-Being Within the Practice of Health Promotion: The “How” is as Important as the “What”

A brief historical and philosophical analysis suggests that the biomedical model and prevention have been the pillars of health promotion practices with the underlying assumption that these concepts provide answers to people’s health woes. Another observation resulting from this analysis is that biomedical, prevention, and more recently, wellness, do not differ much from each other paradigmatically (e.g., instrumental rationality) and, hence, are severely restricted in their short- and long-term effectiveness for helping people with healthy living and quality of life. It is proposed that eudaimonic well-being—if explored, understood, and implemented in a manner that holds true to the purity of the concept—offers significant promise for shifts in health promotion practices that may lead to transformative health experiences and enhanced quality of life.     

A Review of: “Potency: Masculine Aggression as a Path to the Soul”

The wisdom of children's literature

The psychological symbiosis of child and adult merged together in a good story is the prima materia moment of the object relations theorist.

The root metaphor is one of finding a path whereby we can establish an ego in the world without developing violent body armor.

New fall releases

Omnibus review

Pushing at the boundaries of reality: the child and the dream

New books and magazines

M.a. and ph.d. programs with degree specialization in depth psychology

The secret world of drawings: healing through art. by gregg furth. boston: sigo press, 1988.

The chiron clinical series dreams in analysis

Spring 49-1989 a journal of archetype and culture

Jungian child psychotherapy: in-dividuation in childhood. edited by mara sidoli and miranda davies. London: karnac, 1988.

Children of psychiatrists and other psychotherapists. by thomas maeder. New york: harper &; row, 1989.

Analytical psychology notes of the seminar given in 1925

C. g. jung and the humanities toward a hermeneutics of culture

The father: mythology and changing roles. by arthur coleman and libby coleman. Wilmette, illinois: chiron publications, 1988.

When you're ready: a woman's healing from childhood physical and sexual abuse by her mother. by kathy evert. Walnut creek, ca: launch press, 1987.

Emotional child abuse: the family curse. by joel covitz. Boston: sigo press, 1986.

Inscapes of the child's world: jungian counseling hi schools and clinics. by john allan. Spring publications, 1988.

The plural psyche. by andrew samuels. London: routledge, 1989.     

Predicting anxiety and depression from personality: is there a synergistic effect of neuroticism and extraversion?

In a longitudinal study of college students, B. S. Gershuny and K. J. Sher (1998) found that high neuroticism and low extraversion had a synergistic effect in predicting anxiety and depression 3 years later. This article attempted to replicate their finding using data from 2 community samples: (a) a cross-sectional survey of 2,677 persons aged 18-79 years, and (b) a longitudinal study in which 441 persons aged 70 or older were followed over 3-4 years. Both studies found that neuroticism predicted anxiety and depression, but there were no Neuroticism x Extraversion interaction effects. These results cast doubt on the generalizability of the original findings.