The Factor Structure of the CVLT-C in Pediatric Epilepsy

The current study used archival data to evaluate the fit of six latent variable models, originally generated by Donders (1999) Donders. 1999. Structural analysis of the California Verbal Learning Test—Children's Version in the standardization sample. Developmental Neuropsychology, 15(3): 395–406. [CSA][Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], for the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, &; Ober, 1994 Delis, D. C., Kramer, J. H., Kaplan, E. and Ober, B. A. 1994. California Verbal Learning Test—Children's Version, San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.  [Google Scholar]) in a large (N = 289) sample of pediatric epilepsy cases presenting at three tertiary treatment centers. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we found that a model including factors of Attention Span, Learning Efficiency, Free Delayed Recall, Cued Delayed Recall, and Inaccurate Recall demonstrated the best relative fit for our data. These findings are consistent with those reported by Donders (1999) Donders. 1999. Structural analysis of the California Verbal Learning Test—Children's Version in the standardization sample. Developmental Neuropsychology, 15(3): 395–406. [CSA][Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] in his reanalysis of the CVLT-C standardization sample data, supporting the validity of this factorial model in pediatric epilepsy populations.     

Early Tests of Piagetian Theory Through World War II

ABSTRACT

Psychologists recognized the importance of Jean Piaget's theory from its inception. Within a year of the appearance of his first book translated into English, The Language and Thought of the Child (J. Piaget, 1926) Piaget, J. (1926). The language and thought of the child. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace. [Google Scholar], it had been reviewed and welcomed; shortly thereafter, psychologists began testing the tenets of the theory empirically. The author traces the empirical testing of his theory in the 2 decades following publication of his initial book. A review of the published literature through the World War II era reveals that the research resulted in consistent failure to support the theoretical mechanisms that Piaget proposed. Nonetheless, the theory ultimately gained traction to become the bedrock of developmental psychology. Reasons for its persistence may include a possible lack of awareness by psychologists about the lack of empirical support, its breadth and complexity, and a lack of a viable alternate theory. As a result, the theory still exerts influence in psychology even though its dominance has diminished.     

Book Notes: Adams,Frederick and Kenneth Aizawa,The Bounds of Cognition,Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008, pp. xiii + 197, AU$120.00 / NZ$130.00 (cloth)

Logical pluralism has been in vogue since JC Beall and Greg Restall 2006 articulated and defended a new pluralist thesis. Recent criticisms such as Priest 2006a Priest, Graham. 2006a. Doubt Truth to be a Liar, Oxford: Oxford University Press.  [Google Scholar] and Field 2009 Field, Hartry. 2009. Pluralism in Logic. Review of Symbolic Logic, 2/2: 342–59. doi:10.1017/S1755020309090182[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] have suggested that there is a relationship between their type of logical pluralism and the meaning-variance thesis for logic. This is the claim, often associated with Quine 1970 Quine, W. V. O. 1970. Philosophy of Logic, Oxford: Oxford University Press.  [Google Scholar], that a change of logic entails a change of meaning. Here we explore the connection between logical pluralism and meaning-variance, both in general and for Beall and Restall's theory specifically. We argue that contrary to what Beall and Restall claim, their type of pluralism is wedded to meaning-variance. We then develop an alternative form of logical pluralism that circumvents at least some forms of meaning-variance.     

The sacred geography of Dawei: Buddhism in peninsular Myanmar (Burma)

Starting point:Serge-Christoph Kolm suggests that ‘Buddhism advocating minimizing dukkha (pain, dissatisfaction)—rather than maximizing sukkha (from which “sugar” comes) may be a kind of negative welfarism’(Kolm2006 Kolm, Serge-Christoph. 2006. Macrojustice from Equal Liberty, www.ehess.fr/kolm/document.php?id = 135. [Google Scholar], 8). Christoph Fehige, after suggesting that ‘Maximizers of preference satisfaction should instead call themselves minimizers of preference frustration’, concludes that Buddha is on his side (Fehige1998 Fehige, Christoph. 1998. “A Pareto Principle for Possible People.” In Preferences, edited by C.Fehige and U.Wessels. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar], 518, 522).

Type of Problem:What are the common intuitions of negative utilitarianism and Buddhism?

Result:Negative utilitarianism and Buddhism share the following intuitions: Negative utilitarianism—understood as an umbrella term—models the asymmetry between suffering and happiness and therefore accords with the Buddhist intuition of universal compassion. The Noble Truths of Buddhism accord with the negative utilitarian intuition that (global) suffering cannot be compensated by happiness. Some forms of Buddhism and negative utilitarianism share the intuition that non-existence is a perfect state.     

“You Just Know It’s the Only Thing You Can Think”: A Conversation with Chodorow

ABSTRACT

Nancy Julia Chodorow (1944–) is a pioneer feminist theorist who brought together academic fields of sociology, anthropology, and psychoanalysis in her work related to feminist theories and psychoanalysis. Her first book, The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender (1978 Chodorow, N. J. (1978; second ed. 1999). The reproduction of mothering: Psychoanalysis and the sociology of gender. Berkeley: University of California Press. [Google Scholar]), gave primacy to a more generalized account of the developmental and familial origins of prevalent psychological differences between femininity and masculinity from a psychoanalytic sociological viewpoint. Her later books, Femininities, Masculinities, Sexualities: Freud and Beyond (1994 Chodorow, N. J. (1994). Femininities, masculinities, sexualities: Freud and beyond. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. [Google Scholar]), The Power of Feelings: Personal Meaning in Psychoanalysis, Gender, and Culture (1999 Chodorow, N. J. (1999). The power of feelings: Personal meaning in psychoanalysis, gender, and culture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. [Google Scholar]), and Individualizing Gender and Sexuality: Theory and Practice (2012 Chodorow, N. J. (2012). Individualizing gender and sexuality: Theory and practice. New York and London: Routledge.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), bring in a rich interplay among socio-structural influences (i.e., culture) as well as intra- and inter-psychic dynamic processes, emphasizing more the importance of individuality and subjectivity. Based on an interview I had with Chodorow on the development of her thought, this paper gives Chodorow’s account of her personal history and academic background, current manifestations in feminist social science research and feminist psychoanalysis based on her contribution and legacy, and reflective narratives on the unfolding of feminist and psychoanalytic theories from the 1970s onward. Chodorow’s note to the next generation of feminist psychotherapists is also included.     

Numerical and nonnumerical estimation in children with and without mathematical learning disabilities

There are currently multiple explanations for mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). The present study focused on those assuming that MLD are due to a basic numerical deficit affecting the ability to represent and to manipulate number magnitude (Butterworth, 1999 Butterworth, B. 1999. The mathematical brain, London, , United Kingdom: Macmillan.  [Google Scholar], 2005 Butterworth, B. 2005. “Developmental dyscalculia”. In Handbook of mathematical cognition, Edited by: Campbell, J. I. D. 455–467. New York, NY: Psychology Press.  [Google Scholar]; A. J. Wilson &; Dehaene, 2007 Wilson, A. J. and Dehaene, S. 2007. “Number sense and developmental dyscalculia”. In Human behavior, learning, and the developing brain: Atypical development, 2nd, Edited by: Coch, D., Dawson, G. and Fischer, K. 212–237. New York, NY: Guilford Press.  [Google Scholar]) and/or to access that number magnitude representation from numerical symbols (Rousselle &; Noël, 2007 Rousselle, L. and Noël, M. P. 2007. Basic numerical skills in children with mathematics learning disabilities: A comparison of symbolic vs non-symbolic number magnitude processing. Cognition, 102(3): 361–395. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The present study provides an original contribution to this issue by testing MLD children (carefully selected on the basis of preserved abilities in other domains) on numerical estimation tasks with contrasting symbolic (Arabic numerals) and nonsymbolic (collection of dots) numbers used as input or output. MLD children performed consistently less accurately than control children on all the estimation tasks. However, MLD children were even weaker when the task involved the mapping between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers than when the task required a mapping between two nonsymbolic numerical formats. Moreover, in the estimation of nonsymbolic numerosities, MLD children relied more than control children on perceptual cues such as the cumulative area of the dots. Finally, the task requiring a mapping from a nonsymbolic format to a symbolic format was the best predictor of MLD. In order to explain these present results, as well as those reported in the literature, we propose that the impoverished number magnitude representation of MLD children may arise from an initial mapping deficit between number symbols and that magnitude representation.     

Dissociative effects of true and false recall as a function of different encoding strategies

Goodwin, Meissner, and Ericsson (2001 Goodwin, K. A., Meissner, C. A. and Ericsson, K. A. 2001. Toward a model of false recall: Experimental manipulation of encoding context and the collection of verbal reports. Memory & Cognition, 29: 806–819. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) proposed a path model in which elaborative encoding predicted the likelihood of verbalisation of critical, nonpresented words at encoding, which in turn predicted the likelihood of false recall. The present study tested this model of false recall experimentally with a manipulation of encoding strategy and the implementation of the process-tracing technique of protocol analysis. Findings indicated that elaborative encoding led to more verbalisations of critical items during encoding than rote rehearsal of list items, but false recall rates were reduced under elaboration conditions (Experiment 2). Interestingly, false recall was more likely to occur when items were verbalised during encoding than not verbalised (Experiment 1), and participants tended to reinstate their encoding strategies during recall, particularly after elaborative encoding (Experiment 1). Theoretical implications for the interplay of encoding and retrieval processes of false recall are discussed.     

Learning to listen to trans and gender diverse children: A Response to Zucker (2018) and Steensma and Cohen-Kettenis (2018)

ABSTRACT

The authors answer recent responses by Steensma & Cohen-Kettenis (2018 Steensma, T. D., & Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. (2018). A critical commentary on “A critical commentary on follow-up studies and “desistence” theories about transgender and gender non-conforming children”. International Journal of Transgenderism. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/15532739.2018.1468292[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Zucker (2018 Zucker, K. (2018). The myth of persistence: Response to AA critical commentary on follow-up studies and “Desistance” theories about transgender and gender non-conforming children. International Journal of Transgenderism. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/15532739.2018.1468293[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to our critical commentary on “desistance” stereotypes and their underlying research on trans and gender diverse children (Temple Newhook et al., 2018 Temple Newhook, J., Pyne, J., Winters, K., Feder, S., Holmes, C., Tosh, J., … Pickett, S. (2018). A critical commentary on follow-up studies and “desistance” theories about transgender and gender-nonconforming children. International Journal of Transgenderism. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/15532739.2018.1456390[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). We provide clarification in the following areas: (1) the scope of our paper; (2) our support of longitudinal studies; (3) consequences of harm to trans and gender diverse children; (4) clinical practice implications; (5) concerns about validity of research methodology; and (6) the importance of learning to listen to trans and gender diverse children.     

Deception Meets Enlightenment: From a Viable Theory of Deception to a Quirk About Humanity's Potential

This article seeks to further suggestions made by C. West Churchman (1979) Churchman, C. W. 1979. The systems approach and its enemies, New York: Basic Books.  [Google Scholar] that a full inquiry into human systems requires a viable theory of deception. It argues that such a theory of deception requires an understanding of deception, a recognition of errors in perception, and an ability to see simultaneously from competing points of view. The intent here is to provide some insights that are useful in our understanding of deception, and thereby contributing to a viable theory of deception. Insights are used from what Huxley (1944) Huxley, A. 1944. The perennial philosophy, New York: Harper and Row.  [Google Scholar] calls the “perennial tradition,” found particularly within the esoteric traditions of the Buddhist, Sufi, and Taoist esoteric teachings, as well as many other spiritual traditions of the world. The perennial tradition emphasizes the role and continual presence of deception, alongside enlightenment, within human experience. In accord with C. West Churchman's view, this tradition suggests that, by a simultaneous recognition of both our enlightenment and our deception in any given situation, we have the proper perspective to meet the problems we face. A thought experiment, using insights from the perennial tradition, is offered as a challenge to all involved in human systems inquiry.     

Familiar and unfamiliar face recognition: A review

Since the 1970s there has been a continuing interest in how people recognise familiar faces (Bruce, 1979 Bruce, V. 1979. Searching for politicians: An information processing approach to face recognition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 31: 373–395. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Ellis, 1975 Ellis, H.D. 1975. Recognising faces. British Journal of Psychology, 66: 409–426. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This work has complemented investigations of how unfamiliar faces are processed and the findings from these two strands of research have given rise to accounts that propose qualitatively different forms of representation for familiar and unfamiliar faces. Evidence to suggest that we process familiar and unfamiliar faces in different ways is available from cognitive neuropsychology, brain scanning, and psychophysics. However, in this review we focus on the evidence, available from experimental investigations of how people recognise faces, for different types of representation existing for each type of face. Factors affecting recognition are evaluated in terms of how they apply to familiar and unfamiliar faces and categorised according to the nature of their impact. In the final section this evidence, along with recent advances in the field, is used to explore the way in which unfamiliar faces may become familiar and the factors that may be important for the development of familiar face representations.     

Re-acquaintance with qualia

Frank Jackson argued, in an astronomically frequently cited paper on ‘Epiphenomenal qualia’[Jackson 1982 Jackson, F. C. 1982. Epiphenomenal Qualia. Philosophical Quarterly, 32: 127–136. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] that materialism must be mistaken. His argument is called the knowledge argument. Over the years since he published that paper, he gradually came to the conviction that the conclusion of the knowledge argument must be mistaken. Yet he long remained totally unconvinced by any of the very numerous published attempts to explain where his knowledge argument had gone astray.

Eventually, Jackson did publish a diagnosis of the reasons why, he now thinks, his knowledge argument against materialism fails to prove the falsity of materialism [Jackson 2005 Jackson, F. C. 2005. Foreword to There's Something About Mary: Frank Jackson's Knowledge Argument, Edited by: Ludlow, P., Nagasawa, Y. and Stoljar, D. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.  [Google Scholar]. He argues that you can block the knowledge argument against materialism—but only if you tie yourself to a dubious doctrine called representationalism.

We argue that the knowledge argument fails as a refutation of either representational or nonrepresentational materialism. It does, however, furnish both materialists and dualists with a successful argument for the existence of distinctively first-person modes of acquaintance with mental states. Jackson's argument does not refute materialism: but it does bring to the surface significant features of thought and experience, which many dualists have sensed, and most materialists have missed.     

Parental Bullying,Aggression, and Assertion: A Philosophical and Psychoanalytic Revisioning of Frank Summers' Case of Anna

Historically, psychoanalysis has failed to differentiate adequately between aggression and assertion. It is uncontroversial to state that bullying is a form of aggression. However, if aggression and assertion are not adequately distinguished, bullying could also be viewed as a form of assertion. Some psychoanalysts have attempted to resolve this by using the terms aggression and assertion as synonyms but introducing the notion of nondestructive aggression. Bullying, then, is understood to be hostile aggression or hostile assertion. In this article, I aim to prepare psychoanalytic and philosophical groundwork for a meaningful differentiation between aggression and assertion, and, at the same time, to shed light on the nature of bullying, parental bullying in particular. To achieve these aims, I critique an aspect of the case material presented by Frank Summers in his (2005) Summers, F. 2005. Self Creation: Psychoanalytic Therapy and the Art of the Possible, Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press.  [Google Scholar] book, Self Creation: Psychoanalytic Therapy and the Art of the Possible. I also critique Parens' (2008) Parens, H. 2008. The Development of Aggression in Early Childhood, Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.  [Google Scholar] notion of nondestructive aggression as used by him and by Summers. Additionally, I discuss some of the philosophical notions Summers introduces and discusses relevant to a critique of his notion of the analyst's vision of the patient's development in its relevance to his case of Anna.     

Self-generation amplifies the errorless learning effect in healthy older adults when transfer appropriate processing conditions are met

ABSTRACT

Older adults have considerable impairment in associative recognition despite minimal age differences in item recognition. The magnitude of this associative deficit varies by type of stimuli, strategy utilization, and other mediators and moderators (Old &; Naveh-Benjamin, 2008 Old, S. R., &; Naveh-Benjamin, M. (2008). Differential effects of age on item and associative measures of memory: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 23, 104–118. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.23.1.104[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], Psychology and Aging, 23, 104–118). Name pair stimuli have not been used to test the associative deficit hypothesis (ADH), although tests using name–face stimuli support the ADH. Additionally, metacognitive awareness of the ADH has not been investigated. We tested the ADH with word and name pair stimuli, and predicted that age-related associative deficits would be larger for words than names because names, unlike most common nouns, lack certain semantic properties that could be used to bind pairs of names together. Results supported the ADH for words but not names: Younger and older adults recognized equivalently fewer names on the associative test relative to the item test. As predicted, self-efficacy was higher for younger than older adults. Surprisingly, self-efficacy for the associative test was higher than for the item test but post-test estimates of performance success (postdictions) were higher for the item test than for the associative test, suggesting sensitivity by participants to different task demands in the item and associative tests following recognition attempts. Metacognitive accuracy was better for words than names and for the item test than associative test, and equivalent between age groups. Overall, participants overestimated their name recognition abilities. Our findings extend support for the ADH to a conceptually important and ecologically valid domain (names) and provide new data on metacognitive aspects of the ADH.     

Abstract: Parameter Influence In Structural Equation Models

In applications of SEM, investigators obtain and interpret parameter estimates that are computed so as to produce optimal model fit in the sense that the obtained model fit would deteriorate to some degree if any of those estimates were changed. This property raises a question: to what extent would model fit deteriorate if parameter estimates were changed? And which parameters have the greatest influence on model fit? This is the idea of parameter influence. The present paper will cover two approaches to quantifying parameter influence. Both are based on the principle of likelihood displacement (LD), which quantifies influence as the discrepancy between the likelihood under the original model and the likelihood under the model in which a minor perturbation is imposed (Cook, 1986 Cook, R. D. 1986. Assessment of local influence. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series B (Methodological)., 48: 133–169. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). One existing approach for quantifying parameter influence is a vector approach (Lee &; Wang, 1996 Lee, S-Y. and Wang, S. J. 1996. Sensitivity analysis of structural equation models. Psychometrika, 61: 93–108. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that determines a vector in the parameter space such that altering parameter values simultaneously in this direction will cause maximum change in LD. We propose a new approach, called influence mapping for single parameters, that determines the change in model fit under perturbation of a single parameter holding other parameter estimates constant. An influential parameter is defined as one that produces large change in model fit under minor perturbation. Figure 1 illustrates results from this procedure for three different parameters in an empirical application. Flatter curves represent less influential parameters. Practical implications of the results are discussed. The relationship with statistical power in structural equation models is also discussed.

Abstract: Parameter Influence In Structural Equation Models

All authors

Taehun Lee &; Robert MacCallum

https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170802640491

Published online:

19 December 2008

FIGURE 1 Influence mapping for single parameters.     

15.

Abstract: A Multi-Level Model of Individual Differences in Speed/Accuracy Tradeoff (SATin)     

Dan R. Johnson  William H. Beasley  David E. Bard 《Multivariate behavioral research》2013,48(4):654-655

Individuals performing an experimental cognitive task have a choice whether to favor accuracy, speed, or weight them both equally. Models of speed/ accuracy tradeoff have been proposed in the assessment literature (van der Linden, 2007 van der Linden, W. J. 2007. A hierarchical framework for modeling speed and accuracy on test items. Psychometrika, 72: 287–308. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and experimental literature (Ratcliff &; Rouder, 1998 Ratcliff, R. and Rouder, J. N. 1998. Modeling response times for two-choice decisions.. Psychological Science, 9: 347–357. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, these models do not estimate individual differences in choice of speed/ accuracy tradeoff at between- and within-subjects levels.

The top of Figure 1 presents the equations and path diagram for the SATin model. Individual differences in speed/ accuracy tradeoff will be modeled at two levels with, 1) variability in Tradeoff (between-subject level, Level 2) and 2) variability in c (within-subject level, Level 1). An individual's Tradeoff factor score represents the individual's distributional position relative to others regarding whether they favor speed (values < 0), accuracy (values > 0), or neither (value = 0). A negative c indicates that the individual is trading off speed and accuracy for these particular trials, whereas a positive and zero c indicate the individual is not trading off.

Abstract: A Multi-Level Model of Individual Differences in Speed/Accuracy Tradeoff (SATin)

All authors

Dan R. Johnson, William H. Beasley &; David E. Bard

https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170802640475

Published online:

18 December 2008

FIGURE 1 SATin Model Diagram.     

16.

Abstract: Adequacy of Semiparametric Approximations for Growth Models with Nonnormal Random Effects     

Sonya K. Sterba  Ruth E. Mathiowetz  Daniel J. Bauer 《Multivariate behavioral research》2013,48(4):658-659

Abstract

Conventional growth models assume that the random effects describing individual trajectories are conditionally normal. In practice, this assumption may often be unrealistic. As an alternative, Nagin (2005) Nagin, D. 2005. Group-based modeling of development, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] suggested a semiparametric group-based approach (SPGA) which approximates an unknown, continuous distribution of individual trajectories with a mixture of group trajectories.

Prior simulations (Brame, Nagin, &; Wasserman, 2006 Brame, R., Nagin, D. and Wasserman, L. 2006. Exploring some analytical characteristics of finite mixture models.. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 22: 31–59. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Nagin, 2005 Nagin, D. 2005. Group-based modeling of development, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) indicated that SPGA could generate nearly-unbiased estimates of means and variances of a nonnormal distribution of individual trajectories, as functions of group-trajectory estimates. However, these studies used few random effects—usually only a random intercept. Based on the analytical relationship between SPGA and adaptive quadrature, we hypothesized that SPGA's ability to approximate (a) random effect variances/covariances and (b) effects of time-invariant predictors of growth should deteriorate as the dimensionality of the random effects distribution increases. We expected this problem to be mitigated by correlations among the random effects (highly correlated random effects functioning as fewer dimensions) and sample size (larger N supporting more groups).

We tested these hypotheses via simulation, varying the number of random effects (1, 2, or 3), correlation among the random effects (0 or .6), and N (250, 500). Results indicated that, as the number of random effects increased, SPGA approximations remained acceptable for fixed effects, but became increasingly negatively biased for random effect variances. Whereas correlated random effects and larger N reduced this underestimation, correlated random effects sometimes distorted recovery of predictor effects. To illustrate this underestimation, Figure 1 depicts SPGA's approximation of the intercept variance from a three correlated random effect generating model (N < eqid1 > 500). These results suggest SPGA approximations are inadequate for the nonnormal, high-dimensional distributions of individual trajectories often seen in practice.

Abstract: Adequacy of Semiparametric Approximations for Growth Models with Nonnormal Random Effects

All authors

Sonya K. Sterba, Ruth E. Mathiowetz &; Daniel J. Bauer

https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170802640509

Published online:

18 December 2008

FIGURE 1 SPGA-approximated intercept variance from a three correlated random effect generating model. Notes. The dashed horizontal lines denote + 10% bias. The solid horizontal line denotes the population-generating parameter value; * denotes the best-BIC selected number of groups. The vertical bars denote 90% confidence intervals.     

17.

Why are there limits on theory of mind use? Evidence from adults' ability to follow instructions from an ignorant speaker     

《Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)》2013,66(6):1201-1217

Keysar et al. (Keysar, Barr, Balin, & Brauner, 2000 Keysar, B., Barr, D. J., Balin, J. A. and Brauner, J. S. 2000. Taking perspective in conversation: The role of mutual knowledge in comprehension. Psychological Sciences, 11: 32–38. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Keysar, Lin, & Barr, 2003 Keysar, B., Lin, S. H. and Barr, D. J. 2003. Limits on theory of mind use in adults. Cognition, 89(1): 25–41. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) report that adults frequently failed to use their conceptual competence for theory of mind (ToM) in an online communication game where they needed to take account of a speaker's perspective. The current research reports 3 experiments investigating the cognitive processes contributing to adults' errors. In Experiments 1 and 2 the frequency of adults' failure to use ToM was unaffected by perspective switching. In Experiment 3 adults made more errors when interpreting instructions according to the speaker's perspective than according to an arbitrary rule. We suggest that adults are efficient at switching perspectives, but that actually using what another person knows to interpret what they say is relatively inefficient, giving rise to egocentric errors during communication.     

18.

The bipolarity of momentary affect: Reply to Schimmack     

Michelle Yik 《Cognition & emotion》2013,27(3):605-610

In his commentary on my paper (Yik, 2007 Yik, M. 2007. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect. Cognition and Emotion, 21: 664–680. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), Schimmack (2009 Schimmack, U. 2009. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect: A critical re-examination. Cognition and Emotion, 23: 599–604. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] this issue) reanalysed the published correlations and concluded that dialectical thinking moderates bipolarity in rating momentary affect. In this response, I attempt to integrate our interpretations of the data. Overall, bipolarity prevails in all five language groups. At one point of time, when one is happy, one is not sad. The explanations for the small differences provide avenues for future research.     

19.

Graham Priest's Mathematical Analysis of the Concept of Emptiness†     

Eberhard Guhe 《逻辑史和逻辑哲学》2017,38(3):282-290

In his article ‘The Structure of Emptiness’ (cf. Priest 2009 Priest, G. 2009. ‘The structure of emptiness’, Philosophy East and West, 59 (4), 467–80. doi: 10.1353/pew.0.0069[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Graham Priest examines the concept of emptiness in the Mādhyamaka school of Nāgārjuna and his commentators Candrakī?rti and Tsongkhapa from a mathematical point of view. The approach attempted in this article does not involve any commitment to Priest's more controversial dialethic Mādhyamaka interpretation. The purpose of the present paper is to explain Priest's sketchy but very insightful interpretation of objects as non-well-founded sets in greater detail. Some problems concerning his idea to model the Mādhyamaka claim of the emptiness of emptiness by means of this kind of framework will be noted. Moreover, we will also discuss the possibility to represent the Mādhyamika's denial of the existence of irreducible constituents of empirical reality within a well-founded system of set theory. Finally, some slight mistakes in Priest's mathematical construction need to be pointed out.     

20.

Valedictory     

Stewart Candlish 《Australasian journal of philosophy》2013,91(4):631-632

Contingentism, generally contrasted with law necessitarianism, is the view that the laws of nature are contingent. It is often coupled with the claim that their contingency is knowable a priori. This paper considers Bird's [2001 Bird, Alexander 2001. Necessarily, Salt Dissolves In Water, Analysis 61/4: 267–74.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2002 Bird, Alexander 2002. On Whether Some Laws Are Necessary, Analysis 62/3: 257–70.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2005 Bird, Alexander 2005. Unexpected A Posteriori Necessary Laws of Nature, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83/4: 533–48.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007 Bird, Alexander 2007. Nature's Metaphysics: Laws and Properties, Oxford: Clarendon Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]] arguments for the thesis that, necessarily, salt dissolves in water; and it defends his view against Beebee's [2001] and Psillos's [2002 Psillos, Stathis 2002. Salt Does Dissolve In Water, But Not Necessarily, Analysis 62/3: 255–7.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] contingentist objections. A new contingentist objection is offered and several reasons for scepticism about its success are raised. It is concluded that certain higher-level laws describing the behaviours of molecular compounds may be necessary due to their dependence on underlying physical laws, and that the modal status of laws of nature cannot be determined a priori, as the structural features of the substances and properties they govern must first be investigated.     

Abstract: A Multi-Level Model of Individual Differences in Speed/Accuracy Tradeoff (SATin)

Individuals performing an experimental cognitive task have a choice whether to favor accuracy, speed, or weight them both equally. Models of speed/ accuracy tradeoff have been proposed in the assessment literature (van der Linden, 2007 van der Linden, W. J. 2007. A hierarchical framework for modeling speed and accuracy on test items. Psychometrika, 72: 287–308. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and experimental literature (Ratcliff &; Rouder, 1998 Ratcliff, R. and Rouder, J. N. 1998. Modeling response times for two-choice decisions.. Psychological Science, 9: 347–357. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, these models do not estimate individual differences in choice of speed/ accuracy tradeoff at between- and within-subjects levels.

The top of Figure 1 presents the equations and path diagram for the SATin model. Individual differences in speed/ accuracy tradeoff will be modeled at two levels with, 1) variability in Tradeoff (between-subject level, Level 2) and 2) variability in c (within-subject level, Level 1). An individual's Tradeoff factor score represents the individual's distributional position relative to others regarding whether they favor speed (values < 0), accuracy (values > 0), or neither (value = 0). A negative c indicates that the individual is trading off speed and accuracy for these particular trials, whereas a positive and zero c indicate the individual is not trading off.

Abstract: A Multi-Level Model of Individual Differences in Speed/Accuracy Tradeoff (SATin)

All authors

Dan R. Johnson, William H. Beasley &; David E. Bard

https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170802640475

Published online:

18 December 2008

FIGURE 1 SATin Model Diagram.     

16.

Abstract: Adequacy of Semiparametric Approximations for Growth Models with Nonnormal Random Effects     

Sonya K. Sterba  Ruth E. Mathiowetz  Daniel J. Bauer 《Multivariate behavioral research》2013,48(4):658-659

Abstract

Conventional growth models assume that the random effects describing individual trajectories are conditionally normal. In practice, this assumption may often be unrealistic. As an alternative, Nagin (2005) Nagin, D. 2005. Group-based modeling of development, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] suggested a semiparametric group-based approach (SPGA) which approximates an unknown, continuous distribution of individual trajectories with a mixture of group trajectories.

Prior simulations (Brame, Nagin, &; Wasserman, 2006 Brame, R., Nagin, D. and Wasserman, L. 2006. Exploring some analytical characteristics of finite mixture models.. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 22: 31–59. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Nagin, 2005 Nagin, D. 2005. Group-based modeling of development, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) indicated that SPGA could generate nearly-unbiased estimates of means and variances of a nonnormal distribution of individual trajectories, as functions of group-trajectory estimates. However, these studies used few random effects—usually only a random intercept. Based on the analytical relationship between SPGA and adaptive quadrature, we hypothesized that SPGA's ability to approximate (a) random effect variances/covariances and (b) effects of time-invariant predictors of growth should deteriorate as the dimensionality of the random effects distribution increases. We expected this problem to be mitigated by correlations among the random effects (highly correlated random effects functioning as fewer dimensions) and sample size (larger N supporting more groups).

We tested these hypotheses via simulation, varying the number of random effects (1, 2, or 3), correlation among the random effects (0 or .6), and N (250, 500). Results indicated that, as the number of random effects increased, SPGA approximations remained acceptable for fixed effects, but became increasingly negatively biased for random effect variances. Whereas correlated random effects and larger N reduced this underestimation, correlated random effects sometimes distorted recovery of predictor effects. To illustrate this underestimation, Figure 1 depicts SPGA's approximation of the intercept variance from a three correlated random effect generating model (N < eqid1 > 500). These results suggest SPGA approximations are inadequate for the nonnormal, high-dimensional distributions of individual trajectories often seen in practice.

Abstract: Adequacy of Semiparametric Approximations for Growth Models with Nonnormal Random Effects

All authors

Sonya K. Sterba, Ruth E. Mathiowetz &; Daniel J. Bauer

https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170802640509

Published online:

18 December 2008

FIGURE 1 SPGA-approximated intercept variance from a three correlated random effect generating model. Notes. The dashed horizontal lines denote + 10% bias. The solid horizontal line denotes the population-generating parameter value; * denotes the best-BIC selected number of groups. The vertical bars denote 90% confidence intervals.     

17.

Why are there limits on theory of mind use? Evidence from adults' ability to follow instructions from an ignorant speaker     

《Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)》2013,66(6):1201-1217

Keysar et al. (Keysar, Barr, Balin, & Brauner, 2000 Keysar, B., Barr, D. J., Balin, J. A. and Brauner, J. S. 2000. Taking perspective in conversation: The role of mutual knowledge in comprehension. Psychological Sciences, 11: 32–38. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Keysar, Lin, & Barr, 2003 Keysar, B., Lin, S. H. and Barr, D. J. 2003. Limits on theory of mind use in adults. Cognition, 89(1): 25–41. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) report that adults frequently failed to use their conceptual competence for theory of mind (ToM) in an online communication game where they needed to take account of a speaker's perspective. The current research reports 3 experiments investigating the cognitive processes contributing to adults' errors. In Experiments 1 and 2 the frequency of adults' failure to use ToM was unaffected by perspective switching. In Experiment 3 adults made more errors when interpreting instructions according to the speaker's perspective than according to an arbitrary rule. We suggest that adults are efficient at switching perspectives, but that actually using what another person knows to interpret what they say is relatively inefficient, giving rise to egocentric errors during communication.     

18.

The bipolarity of momentary affect: Reply to Schimmack     

Michelle Yik 《Cognition & emotion》2013,27(3):605-610

In his commentary on my paper (Yik, 2007 Yik, M. 2007. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect. Cognition and Emotion, 21: 664–680. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), Schimmack (2009 Schimmack, U. 2009. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect: A critical re-examination. Cognition and Emotion, 23: 599–604. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] this issue) reanalysed the published correlations and concluded that dialectical thinking moderates bipolarity in rating momentary affect. In this response, I attempt to integrate our interpretations of the data. Overall, bipolarity prevails in all five language groups. At one point of time, when one is happy, one is not sad. The explanations for the small differences provide avenues for future research.     

19.

Graham Priest's Mathematical Analysis of the Concept of Emptiness†     

Eberhard Guhe 《逻辑史和逻辑哲学》2017,38(3):282-290

In his article ‘The Structure of Emptiness’ (cf. Priest 2009 Priest, G. 2009. ‘The structure of emptiness’, Philosophy East and West, 59 (4), 467–80. doi: 10.1353/pew.0.0069[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Graham Priest examines the concept of emptiness in the Mādhyamaka school of Nāgārjuna and his commentators Candrakī?rti and Tsongkhapa from a mathematical point of view. The approach attempted in this article does not involve any commitment to Priest's more controversial dialethic Mādhyamaka interpretation. The purpose of the present paper is to explain Priest's sketchy but very insightful interpretation of objects as non-well-founded sets in greater detail. Some problems concerning his idea to model the Mādhyamaka claim of the emptiness of emptiness by means of this kind of framework will be noted. Moreover, we will also discuss the possibility to represent the Mādhyamika's denial of the existence of irreducible constituents of empirical reality within a well-founded system of set theory. Finally, some slight mistakes in Priest's mathematical construction need to be pointed out.     

20.

Valedictory     

Stewart Candlish 《Australasian journal of philosophy》2013,91(4):631-632

Contingentism, generally contrasted with law necessitarianism, is the view that the laws of nature are contingent. It is often coupled with the claim that their contingency is knowable a priori. This paper considers Bird's [2001 Bird, Alexander 2001. Necessarily, Salt Dissolves In Water, Analysis 61/4: 267–74.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2002 Bird, Alexander 2002. On Whether Some Laws Are Necessary, Analysis 62/3: 257–70.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2005 Bird, Alexander 2005. Unexpected A Posteriori Necessary Laws of Nature, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83/4: 533–48.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007 Bird, Alexander 2007. Nature's Metaphysics: Laws and Properties, Oxford: Clarendon Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]] arguments for the thesis that, necessarily, salt dissolves in water; and it defends his view against Beebee's [2001] and Psillos's [2002 Psillos, Stathis 2002. Salt Does Dissolve In Water, But Not Necessarily, Analysis 62/3: 255–7.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] contingentist objections. A new contingentist objection is offered and several reasons for scepticism about its success are raised. It is concluded that certain higher-level laws describing the behaviours of molecular compounds may be necessary due to their dependence on underlying physical laws, and that the modal status of laws of nature cannot be determined a priori, as the structural features of the substances and properties they govern must first be investigated.     

Abstract: Adequacy of Semiparametric Approximations for Growth Models with Nonnormal Random Effects

Abstract

Conventional growth models assume that the random effects describing individual trajectories are conditionally normal. In practice, this assumption may often be unrealistic. As an alternative, Nagin (2005) Nagin, D. 2005. Group-based modeling of development, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] suggested a semiparametric group-based approach (SPGA) which approximates an unknown, continuous distribution of individual trajectories with a mixture of group trajectories.

Prior simulations (Brame, Nagin, &; Wasserman, 2006 Brame, R., Nagin, D. and Wasserman, L. 2006. Exploring some analytical characteristics of finite mixture models.. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 22: 31–59. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Nagin, 2005 Nagin, D. 2005. Group-based modeling of development, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) indicated that SPGA could generate nearly-unbiased estimates of means and variances of a nonnormal distribution of individual trajectories, as functions of group-trajectory estimates. However, these studies used few random effects—usually only a random intercept. Based on the analytical relationship between SPGA and adaptive quadrature, we hypothesized that SPGA's ability to approximate (a) random effect variances/covariances and (b) effects of time-invariant predictors of growth should deteriorate as the dimensionality of the random effects distribution increases. We expected this problem to be mitigated by correlations among the random effects (highly correlated random effects functioning as fewer dimensions) and sample size (larger N supporting more groups).

We tested these hypotheses via simulation, varying the number of random effects (1, 2, or 3), correlation among the random effects (0 or .6), and N (250, 500). Results indicated that, as the number of random effects increased, SPGA approximations remained acceptable for fixed effects, but became increasingly negatively biased for random effect variances. Whereas correlated random effects and larger N reduced this underestimation, correlated random effects sometimes distorted recovery of predictor effects. To illustrate this underestimation, Figure 1 depicts SPGA's approximation of the intercept variance from a three correlated random effect generating model (N < eqid1 > 500). These results suggest SPGA approximations are inadequate for the nonnormal, high-dimensional distributions of individual trajectories often seen in practice.

Abstract: Adequacy of Semiparametric Approximations for Growth Models with Nonnormal Random Effects

All authors

Sonya K. Sterba, Ruth E. Mathiowetz &; Daniel J. Bauer

https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170802640509

Published online:

18 December 2008

FIGURE 1 SPGA-approximated intercept variance from a three correlated random effect generating model. Notes. The dashed horizontal lines denote + 10% bias. The solid horizontal line denotes the population-generating parameter value; * denotes the best-BIC selected number of groups. The vertical bars denote 90% confidence intervals.     

17.

Why are there limits on theory of mind use? Evidence from adults' ability to follow instructions from an ignorant speaker     

《Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)》2013,66(6):1201-1217

Keysar et al. (Keysar, Barr, Balin, & Brauner, 2000 Keysar, B., Barr, D. J., Balin, J. A. and Brauner, J. S. 2000. Taking perspective in conversation: The role of mutual knowledge in comprehension. Psychological Sciences, 11: 32–38. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Keysar, Lin, & Barr, 2003 Keysar, B., Lin, S. H. and Barr, D. J. 2003. Limits on theory of mind use in adults. Cognition, 89(1): 25–41. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) report that adults frequently failed to use their conceptual competence for theory of mind (ToM) in an online communication game where they needed to take account of a speaker's perspective. The current research reports 3 experiments investigating the cognitive processes contributing to adults' errors. In Experiments 1 and 2 the frequency of adults' failure to use ToM was unaffected by perspective switching. In Experiment 3 adults made more errors when interpreting instructions according to the speaker's perspective than according to an arbitrary rule. We suggest that adults are efficient at switching perspectives, but that actually using what another person knows to interpret what they say is relatively inefficient, giving rise to egocentric errors during communication.     

18.

The bipolarity of momentary affect: Reply to Schimmack     

Michelle Yik 《Cognition & emotion》2013,27(3):605-610

In his commentary on my paper (Yik, 2007 Yik, M. 2007. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect. Cognition and Emotion, 21: 664–680. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), Schimmack (2009 Schimmack, U. 2009. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect: A critical re-examination. Cognition and Emotion, 23: 599–604. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] this issue) reanalysed the published correlations and concluded that dialectical thinking moderates bipolarity in rating momentary affect. In this response, I attempt to integrate our interpretations of the data. Overall, bipolarity prevails in all five language groups. At one point of time, when one is happy, one is not sad. The explanations for the small differences provide avenues for future research.     

19.

Graham Priest's Mathematical Analysis of the Concept of Emptiness†     

Eberhard Guhe 《逻辑史和逻辑哲学》2017,38(3):282-290

In his article ‘The Structure of Emptiness’ (cf. Priest 2009 Priest, G. 2009. ‘The structure of emptiness’, Philosophy East and West, 59 (4), 467–80. doi: 10.1353/pew.0.0069[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Graham Priest examines the concept of emptiness in the Mādhyamaka school of Nāgārjuna and his commentators Candrakī?rti and Tsongkhapa from a mathematical point of view. The approach attempted in this article does not involve any commitment to Priest's more controversial dialethic Mādhyamaka interpretation. The purpose of the present paper is to explain Priest's sketchy but very insightful interpretation of objects as non-well-founded sets in greater detail. Some problems concerning his idea to model the Mādhyamaka claim of the emptiness of emptiness by means of this kind of framework will be noted. Moreover, we will also discuss the possibility to represent the Mādhyamika's denial of the existence of irreducible constituents of empirical reality within a well-founded system of set theory. Finally, some slight mistakes in Priest's mathematical construction need to be pointed out.     

20.

Valedictory     

Stewart Candlish 《Australasian journal of philosophy》2013,91(4):631-632

Contingentism, generally contrasted with law necessitarianism, is the view that the laws of nature are contingent. It is often coupled with the claim that their contingency is knowable a priori. This paper considers Bird's [2001 Bird, Alexander 2001. Necessarily, Salt Dissolves In Water, Analysis 61/4: 267–74.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2002 Bird, Alexander 2002. On Whether Some Laws Are Necessary, Analysis 62/3: 257–70.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2005 Bird, Alexander 2005. Unexpected A Posteriori Necessary Laws of Nature, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83/4: 533–48.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007 Bird, Alexander 2007. Nature's Metaphysics: Laws and Properties, Oxford: Clarendon Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]] arguments for the thesis that, necessarily, salt dissolves in water; and it defends his view against Beebee's [2001] and Psillos's [2002 Psillos, Stathis 2002. Salt Does Dissolve In Water, But Not Necessarily, Analysis 62/3: 255–7.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] contingentist objections. A new contingentist objection is offered and several reasons for scepticism about its success are raised. It is concluded that certain higher-level laws describing the behaviours of molecular compounds may be necessary due to their dependence on underlying physical laws, and that the modal status of laws of nature cannot be determined a priori, as the structural features of the substances and properties they govern must first be investigated.     

Why are there limits on theory of mind use? Evidence from adults' ability to follow instructions from an ignorant speaker

Keysar et al. (Keysar, Barr, Balin, & Brauner, 2000 Keysar, B., Barr, D. J., Balin, J. A. and Brauner, J. S. 2000. Taking perspective in conversation: The role of mutual knowledge in comprehension. Psychological Sciences, 11: 32–38. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Keysar, Lin, & Barr, 2003 Keysar, B., Lin, S. H. and Barr, D. J. 2003. Limits on theory of mind use in adults. Cognition, 89(1): 25–41. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) report that adults frequently failed to use their conceptual competence for theory of mind (ToM) in an online communication game where they needed to take account of a speaker's perspective. The current research reports 3 experiments investigating the cognitive processes contributing to adults' errors. In Experiments 1 and 2 the frequency of adults' failure to use ToM was unaffected by perspective switching. In Experiment 3 adults made more errors when interpreting instructions according to the speaker's perspective than according to an arbitrary rule. We suggest that adults are efficient at switching perspectives, but that actually using what another person knows to interpret what they say is relatively inefficient, giving rise to egocentric errors during communication.     

The bipolarity of momentary affect: Reply to Schimmack

In his commentary on my paper (Yik, 2007 Yik, M. 2007. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect. Cognition and Emotion, 21: 664–680. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), Schimmack (2009 Schimmack, U. 2009. Culture, gender, and the bipolarity of momentary affect: A critical re-examination. Cognition and Emotion, 23: 599–604. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] this issue) reanalysed the published correlations and concluded that dialectical thinking moderates bipolarity in rating momentary affect. In this response, I attempt to integrate our interpretations of the data. Overall, bipolarity prevails in all five language groups. At one point of time, when one is happy, one is not sad. The explanations for the small differences provide avenues for future research.     

Graham Priest's Mathematical Analysis of the Concept of Emptiness†

In his article ‘The Structure of Emptiness’ (cf. Priest 2009 Priest, G. 2009. ‘The structure of emptiness’, Philosophy East and West, 59 (4), 467–80. doi: 10.1353/pew.0.0069[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Graham Priest examines the concept of emptiness in the Mādhyamaka school of Nāgārjuna and his commentators Candrakī?rti and Tsongkhapa from a mathematical point of view. The approach attempted in this article does not involve any commitment to Priest's more controversial dialethic Mādhyamaka interpretation. The purpose of the present paper is to explain Priest's sketchy but very insightful interpretation of objects as non-well-founded sets in greater detail. Some problems concerning his idea to model the Mādhyamaka claim of the emptiness of emptiness by means of this kind of framework will be noted. Moreover, we will also discuss the possibility to represent the Mādhyamika's denial of the existence of irreducible constituents of empirical reality within a well-founded system of set theory. Finally, some slight mistakes in Priest's mathematical construction need to be pointed out.     

Valedictory

Contingentism, generally contrasted with law necessitarianism, is the view that the laws of nature are contingent. It is often coupled with the claim that their contingency is knowable a priori. This paper considers Bird's [2001 Bird, Alexander 2001. Necessarily, Salt Dissolves In Water, Analysis 61/4: 267–74.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2002 Bird, Alexander 2002. On Whether Some Laws Are Necessary, Analysis 62/3: 257–70.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2005 Bird, Alexander 2005. Unexpected A Posteriori Necessary Laws of Nature, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83/4: 533–48.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007 Bird, Alexander 2007. Nature's Metaphysics: Laws and Properties, Oxford: Clarendon Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]] arguments for the thesis that, necessarily, salt dissolves in water; and it defends his view against Beebee's [2001] and Psillos's [2002 Psillos, Stathis 2002. Salt Does Dissolve In Water, But Not Necessarily, Analysis 62/3: 255–7.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] contingentist objections. A new contingentist objection is offered and several reasons for scepticism about its success are raised. It is concluded that certain higher-level laws describing the behaviours of molecular compounds may be necessary due to their dependence on underlying physical laws, and that the modal status of laws of nature cannot be determined a priori, as the structural features of the substances and properties they govern must first be investigated.