INFINITE REGRESS ARGUMENTS

Abstract

Gerald Cohen's critique of John Rawls's theory of justice is that it is concerned only with the justice of social institutions, and must thus arbitrarily draw a line between those inequalities excluded and those allowed by the basic structure. Cohen claims that a proper concern with the interests of the least advantaged would rule out ‘incentives’ for ‘talented’ individuals. I argue that Rawls's assumption that the subject of justice is the basic structure of society does not arbitrarily restrict the concerns of political justice, as Cohen claims. Further, I argue that it does not allow ‘deep’ inequalities within a just basic structure. When properly understood, Rawls's theory of justice is strongly egalitarian, taken as a theory of fairness in the way the burdens and benefits of social cooperation are distributed, even if it is not as egalitarian as Cohen wishes.     

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTIONS OF LONGEVITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE ELDERLY FROM THREE SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS*

A study of the positive and negative attributions of longevity among the elderly was conducted by using elderly subjects from three socioeconomic backgrounds. The purpose was to try to understand attributions of longevity in terms of prototypical response patterns of the elderly. It was hypothesized that several prototypes exist in the population of the elderly and that these prototypes correspond to the given life style of the elderly from different socioeconomic conditions. Thus overall, the study was intended to elucidate the structure and contents of the elderly people's perceptions of longevity. For this purpose factor analysis and discriminant function analyses were done in order to identify significant factors which differentiated the responses of subjects from the three socioeconomic groups. Results indicated that there are strong and interpretable factors which distinguish the perceptions of the elderly from three different socioeconomic conditions; there are also common core factors. The results are discussed in terms of their usefulness for understanding the perceptual framework and implicit belief systems of the elderly concerning longevity.     

THE INFLUENCE OF SUBORDINATE AGE ON PERFORMANCE RATINGS AND CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS

Three issues were examined in this study relative to the role of subordinate age in performance evaluations. First, it was found that supervisors rated older subordinates lower than younger subordinates doing the same job. Second, differences between self-ratings of performance and supervisory ratings seemed to be a function of the subordinate's age. Third, a significant age × performance interaction was detected on ability attributions.     

VISIONARY COMMUNICATION QUALITIES AS MEDIATORS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NARCISSISM AND ATTRIBUTIONS OF LEADER CHARISMA

This study seeks to answer questions that have been raised regarding the precise nature of the relationship between narcissism and charismatic leadership. Specifically, we test a model that portrays the roles of socialized vision and visionary boldness as mediators in the relationship between narcissism and attributions of leader charisma. Our findings suggest that narcissism is positively related to vision boldness but negatively related to socialized vision. In turn, both aspects of vision are positively associated with attributions of leader charisma. These results add clarity to the literature regarding the personal basis of charismatic leadership by providing insight into how aspects of visionary communication may mediate the indirect relationship between narcissism and attributions of charismatic leadership.     

四组中国被试的归因在维度上相对位置的评定

本文研究了中国被试对十项归因(心境、技巧、知识、机会、努力、帮助、能力、任务、偏好和运气)在五个维度(基源性、稳定性、控制性、预见性和普遍性)上相对位置的评定。并与钱德拉等人(Cbandler & Spies,1984),用美国被试所得的结果进行了比较。实验结果表明中国被试与美国被试评定的一致性达62%。此外,没有一项归因的评定是在维度的极端等极(1.0-2.0或6.0-7.0)。     

REACTANCE AND INTENTIONALITY ATTRIBUTIONS AS DETERMINANTS OF THE INTENT TO FILE A GRIEVANCE

Experimental studies were conducted in two unions to examine the effects of perceptual variables–namely, reactance and intentionality attributions–on the intent to seek redress from management action. Participants responded to a series of vignettes, each of which described a management action (formal punishment, informal warning, promotion denial) taken against an employee. The vignettes varied systematically in terms of the perceived threat to worker freedom posed by the action and the degree to which the action was motivated by a dispositional rather than an environmental attribution. Both studies demonstrated that greater threat and dispositional attributions provoked stronger intent to file a grievance. Implications of the findings were discussed for investigating and screening grievances.     

ATTRIBUTIONS,COMPLEXITÉ ATTRIBUTIONNELLE ET SATISFACTION CONJUGALE*

The present study investigates the relation among attributions, attributional complexity, and marital satisfaction. More specifically, we examine the value of attributional complexity as a possible moderator in the relationship between attributions and marital satisfaction. Seventy-four French Canadian couples completed the Marital Attributional Style Questionnaire, the Conflict Rating Scale, the Attributional Complexity Scale, and the Dyadic Adjustement Scale. The results corroborate the existence of a relationship between attributions and marital satisfaction. Against predictions, attributional complexity does not seem to moderate the relation between attributional style and marital satisfaction. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

ATTRIBUTIONS OF THE TERM FEMINIST: A FACTOR ANALYTIC DEVELOPMENT OF A MEASURING INSTRUMENT

This study attempts to develop a measure of the attributions of the term feminist . Seven hundred and sixty-eight undergraduate students (361 males and 407 females) completed a 91-item semantic differential test relevant to the label feminist . Principal components analysis with orthogonal rotation produced five factors indicating that when the term feminist is used, attributions of General Evaluation, Behavioral Characteristics, Political Orientation, Sexual Preference, and Gender Classification are likely to be made. Factor analysis of split halves of the sample shows an internal replication and consequently, a stability of the obtained factor structure. This study presents students' judgments on specific items defining these factors, thereby indicating the evaluative associations of the term.     

时间信息在情景模型建构中的作用

考察时间信息在情景模型建构中的作用 ,探讨被试能否把一系列相关的事实整合进基于时间组织的情景模型中。实验一、二考察明确的空间信息条件下 ,被试能否把绝对和相对的时间信息整合到情景模型中 ;实验三考察无明确的空间信息条件下 ,被试能否把绝对的时间信息整合到情景模型中。运用扇效应研究的提取干扰技术评定是否出现了整合。 3个实验结果一致表明 ,当几个相关的事实发生在相同的时间段时 ,都发现被试建构了基于时间的情景模型的证据。实验三结果同时也表明 ,无明确的空间信息的条件下 ,阅读材料中时间信息本身足以使被试建构基于时间组织的情景模型。     

时序信息提取特点的实验研究

时距区分性理论认为提取时序信息是在包含一定项目的检索系中检索抽样的过程,通道因素应当对正确率和速度都产生影响.本文分别以英文字母和汉字为材料,对时序信息的提取特点作了两个实验研究.结果表明,只有材料的呈现顺序对时序信息提取的正确率和速度都有影响,通道因素只影响提取的正确率,而速度则未受其影响。显然,用时距区分性理论来说明时序信息提取特点是缺乏足够证据的.本文提出,对时序信息提取机制尚值得进一步研究.     

时点,时距和时序信息加工之间相关性研究

本研究分为两个实验,分别采用预期式和回溯式范型,探讨时距、时序和时点三者之间信息加工的相关性,结果发现：同一时间经历,时距估计与时序判断随注意参与程度的增加,由负相关趋势向正相关变化;时距估计与时点离散度可能呈正相关趋势;时序判断与时点离散度随注意参与程度的增加,由负相关趋势向正相关变化。     

MATHESIS AND ANALYSIS: FINITUDE AND THE INFINITE IN THE MONADOLOGY OF LEIBNIZ

There is an infinity of figures and of movements, present and past, which enter into the efficient cause of my present writing, and in its final cause, there are an infinity of slight tendencies and dispositions of my soul, present and past. 1     

时序信息提取机制的探索

对时序信息加工的经典研究是采用新近性判断范型,结果发现其提取机制是以新近性为基础的逆向串行搜索过程。本研究采用新近性判断范型和早远性判断范型对时序信息的提取机制进行了深入的考察,结果表明：（ｌ）提取时序信息既存在逆向串行搜索,又存在顺向串行搜索;（２）早远性判断和新近性判断任务对不同部分时序信息恢复的效应不同,其中早远性判断易化早远部分,新近性判断易化新近部分──表现为对相应部分辨别力的提高和正确反应潜伏期的缩短;（３）在不同的时序信息提取任务中,被试会根据具体条件进行反转反应。