The forest revisited: More on global precedence

Summary Several issues pertaining to the notion of global precedence, its testing, and its ecological validity are discussed. Global precedence is presented as a claim that, other things being equal, global structure is available in the percept earlier than local features are. It does not state that local processing starts only after global processing is terminated. Since global precedence is a hypothesis about temporal development of percepts, a natural way to test it is to limit exposure duration. Global precedence predicts that local features will be more sensitive to stimulus duration than global ones.An experiment is reported in which subjects were presented with 150 ms exposures of large letters made up of small ones, and had to discriminate either just the large letters or just the small ones. In addition, they had to respond to the presence of a concurrent tone. Local letters were responded to more slowly than global ones, and were associated with more tone errors. The variation of the global level as well as the consistency between the identities of the levels affected the latency to the local letter, but not vice versa. A single small-letter control-condition was used to rule out an explanation in terms of relative size. The effects, albeit weaker than some previous results, are compatible with the hypothesis tested.The results of this experiment are interpreted in the context of an extensive discussion of findings in the paradigm and the generality of the phenomenon assumed to underly them. Possible mechanisms which may mediate global precedence are evaluated. Among them are relative size, lateral masking, diffuse attention, and spatial uncertainty. The magnitude, or even the presence, of global precedence depends on some factors, most prominent of which are visual angle and retinal position. Ecological considerations suggest that proximal sizes and eccentricities which favor global features may be very frequent. Some further subtleties of, as well as problems with, the logic of compound letters are discussed.     

The lost cause of mourning

This paper examines the evolution of Jacques Lacan’s concept of mourning from his treatment of Hamlet in Seminar 6, “Desire and Its Interpretation,” to its transformation in the tenth Seminar on “Anxiety.” It is a transformation that occurs in tandem with Lacan’s reconception of anxiety as lack of the lack and his reshaped conception of the objet a as object/cause of desire. The key point is the way that Lacan’s renovated conception upends the common sense notion of mourning, that which assumes that suffering the death of a loved one means accommodating oneself to an absence where there was previously a presence. On the contrary, says Lacan, part of what is most deeply to be mourned is the lack in the Other around which the love relation was constructed. The paper concludes by asking to what extent Lacan’s account of mourning should be distinguished from those of both Hegel and Freud.     

Multi‐group acculturation orientations in a changing context: Palestinian Christian Arab adolescents in Israel after the lost decade

Grounded in a contextual approach to acculturation of minorities, this study examines changes in acculturation orientations among Palestinian Christian Arab adolescents in Israel following the “lost decade of Arab–Jewish coexistence.” Multi‐group acculturation orientations among 237 respondents were assessed vis‐à‐vis two majorities—Muslim Arabs and Israeli Jews—and compared to 1998 data. Separation was the strongest endorsed orientation towards both majority groups. Comparisons with the 1998 data also show a weakening of the Integration attitude towards Israeli Jews, and also distancing from Muslim Arabs. For the examination of the “Westernisation” hypothesis, multi‐dimensional scaling (MDS) analyses of perceptions of Self and group values clearly showed that, after 10 years, Palestinian Christian Arabs perceive Israeli Jewish culture as less close to Western culture, and that Self and the Christian Arab group have become much closer, suggesting an increasing identification of Palestinian Christian Arab adolescents with their ethnoreligious culture. We discuss the value of a multi‐group, multi‐method, and multi‐wave approach to the examination of the role of the political context in acculturation processes.     

The Houston Conference: The Road More Traveled

Neuropsychology Review -     

The Houston Conference: The Need for More Discussion

Neuropsychology Review -     

The lost self changes: Gestalt and Christian concepts of rebirth

It is not for me to speak in general terms of the inner reality of him who refuses to believe in a transcendent being with whom he can communicate. I have only this to report: that I have met many men in the course of my life who have told me how, acting from the conscience of men who had become guilty, they experienced themselves as seized by a higher power. These men grew into an existential state to which the name of rebirth is due.Barrie Ryan, M. A., has taught English at the University of Arizona and children of varying ages in several experimental schools in Tucson. She is currently teaching extension courses for the University and a class in Ivan Illich for the Free University also in Tucson.     

张载佚书《孟子说》辑考

一、前言 自20世纪80年代初以来,陆续有学者从史籍中辑出张载佚文和佚诗①,然对张载佚书的辑录则迄今未见.     

Paradox lost: Understanding vague predicates

Abstract

The paper is concerned with the status of vague predicates. It is argued that they are for the most part ‘classifiers’, which are covertly comparatives and name not monadic properties but relations. The Sorites Paradox, it is claimed, is thus defused and a verdict theory of vague predicates is presented. Our practice in using vague words is described and it is contended that in our use of these predicates we always have a permanent possibility of independent demarcation. Wittgenstein's picture of the wall and the swamp is deployed to avoid the Transition Problem and it is argued against Fregeans that we need vague language for the advancement of knowledge and understanding.     

Effects of changing compatibility relationships on reaction time to the first stimulus in a double-stimulation task

This study investigated the effects of manipulating the response requirement to the second stimulus (S2) on reaction time (RT) to the first stimulus (S1) in a double-stimulation choice RT task. Forty subjects responded to the 100 msec presentation of a left or right light by pressing the key on the same or opposite side as the light. Treatment conditions included a single-stimulation control (no S2 presented), and two double-stimulation conditions each requiring two responses (R1 and R2) in close succession, in one of these latter conditions, the rule governing R2 was the same as that governing R1 while, in the other, the rule governing R2 changed. Results showed the typical double-stimulation effect; i.e., increased latency of R1 when it was followed by S2 - R2. More importantly, R1 latency was increased further when the rules governing R1 and R2 were different. Results are discussed in terms of divided preparation capacity as well as other theories of the psychological refractory period.     

The Scientist-Practitioner Model: Now More Than Ever

The scientist-practitioner model has been fundamental to the field of professional psychology for over 50 years. Although other training models have been offered in an attempt to improve training or meet other needs, we view many of the changes suggested by these models as consistent with the original intent of scientist-practitioner training. We argue that the reciprocal effects of science and practice within this model, if appropriately integrated, remain an excellent fit for integrating science and practice and enhancing the quality of both the practice and science of psychology. We address some of the problems with how the model has been implemented and offer recommendations for ways to enhance science and practice integration. Finally, we describe some of the mechanisms we have used to put these principles into practice in our counseling psychology training program.     

The N-Effect: More Competitors, Less Competition

ABSTRACT— This article introduces the N-effect —the discovery that increasing the number of competitors ( N ) can decrease competitive motivation. Studies 1a and 1b found evidence that average test scores (e.g., SAT scores) fall as the average number of test takers at test-taking venues increases. Study 2 found that individuals trying to finish an easy quiz among the top 20% in terms of speed finished significantly faster if they believed they were competing in a pool of 10 rather than 100 other people. Study 3 showed that the N-effect is strong among individuals high in social-comparison orientation and weak among those low in social-comparison orientation. Study 4 directly linked the N-effect to social comparison, ruling out ratio bias as an explanation of our results and finding that social comparison becomes less important as N increases. Finally, Study 5 found that the N-effect is mediated by social comparison. Limitations, future directions, and implications are discussed.     

The 1.5 Criterion Model of Creativity: Where Less Is More,More or Less

We argue that the future of creativity research should focus on the dual goals of the development of individuals with great creative genius as well as the enhancement of creative activity in society in general. To achieve these goals, we need basic research that will help us better understand the fundamental nature of creativity. We describe an approach to creativity that emphasizes novelty over utility.