THE GANDHIAN EXPERIENCE: OPEN QUESTIONS FOR TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND SOCIAL PRACTICE

The self-presentation of the book The Gandhian Mode of Becoming approaches in an explicit interrogative mode the following topics: (1) the contrast between the Gandhian solution and the Machiavellian solution to the means-ends problem and the consequences of these two conflicting solutions on the dialectics means-ends in the human actions; (2) the holistic meaning on non-violence as it was conceived and practiced by Gandhi; (3) the theoretical challenges generated by the Gandhian mode of becoming for diff erent models of human development; (4) the transcultural character of the Gandhian experience and its practical value for the genesis of an active non-violent resistence within totalitarian regimes; (5) the practical and cognitive utility of a non-violence scale (ahimsa) rooted in the Gandhian experience; (6) the exploratory and explanatory value of the construct of motivational intelligence implied in Gandhi's experiences.     

THE CREATED CO-CREATOR: WHAT IT IS AND IS NOT

Abstract In this article I briefly assesses Philip Hefner's concept of the created co‐creator by considering both what it does and does not claim. Looking at issues of reductionism, biological selfishness, biology and freedom, and environmental ethics, I point out strengths and weaknesses in Hefner's conception of the created co‐creator.     

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL A ROSE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RETICENCE,COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION,UNWILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE,AND SHYNESS

Theorists claim that reticence, communication apprehension, unwillingness to communicate, and shyness are different problems, but the interrelationships among those constructs has not been systematically explored. The purpose of this paper is to examine theoretical assumptions underlying these four constructs regarding the nature of the problem, how it is identified, its etiology, and proposed solutions. This analysis reveals that the four labels do not denote four discrete problems; rather, the constructs overlap to a great extent. A systematic interview in conjunction with self-report scales is recommended as the means of identification of the problem, since present methods do not provide a precise account of the specific nature of individual difficulties. The particular treatment used should depend on the exact nature of the problem as it is reported by the individual, rather than applying one specific mode of treatment in every case.     

幼儿对误信念与元表征受干扰的真信念的理解

采用阶段性错误信念任务和阶段性元表征干扰任务对101名3-5岁幼儿误信念和真实信念的理解能力及其关系进行研究,结果发现:(1)幼儿完成两种任务经历了相似的发展趋势,但后者比前者简单；(2)幼儿完成前者的心理过程很可能卷入了其完成后者的心理过程,结果符合但不完全支持表达论；(3)幼儿完成后者可能只需抑制干扰信息表达已有元表征,而完成前者则需要在形成元表征的同时抑制干扰因素,而这两种心理过程的结合可能需要更为复杂的心理过程参与.     

PARRHESIA,PHAEDRA, AND THE POLIS: ANTICIPATING PSYCHOANALYTIC FREE ASSOCIATION AS DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE

This essay explores the mostly unexamined analogy of psychoanalytic free association to democratic free speech. The author turns back to a time when free speech was a matter of considerable discussion: the classical period of the Athenian constitution and its experiment with parrhesia. Ordinarily translated into English as “free speech,” parrhesia is startlingly relevant to psychoanalysis. The Athenian stage—in particular, Hippolytus (Euripides, 5th century BCE)—illustrates this point. Euripides's tragic tale anticipates Freud's inquiries, exploring the fundamental link between free speech and female embodiment. The author suggests that psychoanalysis should claim its own conception of a polis as a mediated and ethical space between private and public spheres, between body and mind, and between speaking and listening communities.     

POSITIVE PRACTICE OVERCORRECTION: THE EFFECTS OF DURATION OF POSITIVE PRACTICE ON ACQUISITION AND RESPONSE REDUCTION

The effects of long and short durations of positive practice overcorrection were studied, for reduction of off-task behavior after an instruction to perform an object-placement task. Off-task behavior, correct responses, and approximate responses were all observed. Off-task behavior received positive practice. The short and long practice durations (30 seconds and 3 minutes) produced equally rapid reduction of off-task behavior and acquisition of correct object-placement performance. Over sessions, much less time was required for positive practice when the short practice duration was used. Approximate responses, which also avoided positive practice, occurred at low rates relative to correct responding. Negative side effects were observed to occur primarily during sessions with long positive practice. These results indicate that use of short durations of positive practice can reduce the practice time required and negative side effects, with no loss of training effectiveness either for reducing inappropriate behavior or increasing a desired alternative behavior.     

THE UNIFORMITY OF NATURAL LAWS IN VICTORIAN BRITAIN: NATURALISM,THEISM, AND SCIENTIFIC PRACTICE

Abstract. A historical perspective allows for a different view on the compatibility of theistic views with a crucial foundation of modern scientific practice: the uniformity of nature, which states that the laws of nature are unbroken through time and space. Uniformity is generally understood to be part of a worldview called “scientific naturalism,” in which there is no room for divine forces or a spiritual realm. This association comes from the Victorian era, but a historical examination of scientists from that period shows that uniformity was an important part of both theistic and naturalistic worldviews. Victorian efforts to maintain the viability of miracles and divine action within a universe ruled by natural laws receives special attention. The methodological practices of theistic and naturalistic scientists in the nineteenth century were effectively indistinguishable despite each group's argument that uniformity was closely dependent on their worldview. This similarity is used to reexamine both the reasons for the decline of the role of religion within the scientific community and claims made by the intelligent design movement about the relationship of science and religion.