Non-ideal prescriptions for the morally uncertain

Philosophical Studies - Morally speaking, what should one do when one is morally uncertain? Call this the Moral Uncertainty Question. In this paper, I argue that a non-ideal moral theory provides...     

Rule prescriptions for initial male-female interaction

This study concerns aspects of initial interaction between male-female student peers and aimed to uncover the social rules which prescribe how such interactions should be conducted. The study demonstrated that the respondents' (n=50) common stock of knowledge contains a set of precise rules for initial male-female interaction that are organized according to the actor's interest in the situation. In addition the study demonstrated that the rules held by participants prescribe actions that are consonant with patterns of male and female behavior observed in previous social psychology studies of social interaction.     

Psychometric Stability of MMPI-A Item Modifications

The 478-item Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) is a revision of the original test instrument for use in the assessment of adolescents. As part of the MMPI-A development, process, 70 items were modified from their appearance in the original test instrument to eliminate obsolete or sexist language, reduce awkward phrasing, increase item clarity, or improve item relevancy to adolescents' life experiences. If these modifications in the original item pool resulted in substantial differences in the frequency of respondents' endorsements of these lest items, such differences could pose a threat to the generalizability of research findings from the original form of the MMPI to the MMPI-A. This study examined the psychometric stability of modified items by comparing item endorsement frequency and item test-retest correlations in a group of 265 adolescents evaluated in repeated administrations design. Results of item analyses indicate that item modifications designed to improve the content or grammatical structure of these 70 items did not result in significant changes in response patterns.     

Control of Trajectory Modifications in Target-Directed Reaching

Human reaching movements to fixed and displaced visual targets were recorded and compared with simulated movements generated by using a two-joint arm model based on the equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis (λ model) of motor control (Feldman, 1986). The aim was to investigate the form of central control signals underlying these movements. According to this hypothesis, movements result from changes in control variables that shift the equilibrium position (EP) of the arm. At any time, muscle activations and forces will depend on the difference between the arm's EP and its actual position and on the limb's velocity. In this article, we suggest that the direction of EP shift in reaching is specified at the hand level, whereas the rate of EP shift may be specified at the hand or joint level. A common mechanism underlying reaching to fixed and displaced targets is proposed whereby the EP of the hand shifts in a straight line toward the present target. After the target is displaced, the direction of the hand EP shift is modified toward the second target. The results suggest that the rate of shift of the hand EP may be modified for movements in different parts of the work space. The model, with control signals that vary in a simple fashion over time, is able to generate the kinematic patterns observed empirically.     

Control of Trajectory Modifications in Target-Directed Reaching

Human reaching movements to fixed and displaced visual targets were recorded and compared with simulated movements generated by using a two-joint arm model based on the equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis (lambda model) of motor control (Feldman, 1986). The aim was to investigate the form of central control signals underlying these movements. According to this hypothesis, movements result from changes in control variables that shift the equilibrium position (EP) of the arm. At any time, muscle activations and forces will depend on the difference between the arm's EP and its actual position and on the limb's velocity. In this article, we suggest that the direction of EP shift in reaching is specified at the hand level, whereas the rate of EP shift may be specified at the hand or joint level. A common mechanism underlying reaching to fixed and displaced targets is proposed whereby the EP of the hand shifts in a straight line toward the present target. After the target is displaced, the direction of the hand EP shift is modified toward the second target. The results suggest that the rate of shift of the hand EP may be modified for movements in different parts of the work space. The model, with control signals that vary in a simple fashion over time, is able to generate the kinematic patterns observed empirically.     

Modifications to the Technique of Analysis of BPD Adolescents

In this article I discuss certain modifications in technique that I applied working with borderline adolescents that enabled me to preserve the therapeutic bond and which, in my opinion, allowed me to obtain successful results. The differences with classical analysis are clear cut and concern, for example, the setting, the frequency of sessions, the nature of the transference, and modes of interpretation. It is important to keep our dialogue with the adolescent alive and avoid long silences that can be destructive. Part of the analyst’s work, in fact, consists in loaning his/her “images” (the product of his/her mind or imagination) to the concreteness of the patient. In the session these images seize something that is already present in the adolescent’s narrative as a creative hint to be developed that the analyst sees in the dialogue and deposits as a seed in his/her mind and which gives rise to a fruit produced by the analytical couple.     

Line Spacing in Mondrian Paintings and Computer-Generated Modifications

Students compared computer-generated pictures of which I had line spacing and orientation proportional to that in a Mondrian picture (Mondrian-like), and 9 had divergent line spacing (divergently spaced). Preference was above average for the Mondrian-like picture compared with that for the divergently spaced pictures. However, participants did not prefer the Mondrian-like picture to divergently spaced pictures that were preselected as aesthetically pleasing by other participants. The results of the present experiments suggest that a computer algorithm can be developed to modify a picture in a way that is comparable with the way in which humans modify a picture to obtain a preferred picture. If aesthetic appeal is used in the storage and retrieval of visual information, then the algorithm could provide a better understanding of human perceptual processes. The results are related to consistency of aesthetic judgments across participants, levels of processing, and apparent contrast effects.     

Metaphysics and methodology: Some prescriptions for social psychological research

By comparison with the physical sciences psychologists tend to pay little attention to ontology. This has had unfortunate consequences. Contemporary trends suggest a dual ontology, with psychology rooted in neurophysiology and social conversation. The notion of a ‘conversational skill’ bridges the two basic categories of psychological reality. The use of causal concepts in writing up psychological research is to be avoided since it enshrines a misunderstanding of the kind of necessity that is important in the normative control of social activity including conversing. Classical psychological experimental methodology needs radical revision since it is not appropriate to the investigation of collective semiotic structures. These points are illustrated with examples from recent empirical work by social constructivist psychologists.     

Rational suicide: a test of the prescriptions of Epicurus concerning suicide

The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that the individual who believes death is the end and who expects to experience more displeasure than pleasure over the remainder of his life will choose suicide. College students (N = 272) completed questionnaires measuring their beliefs about after-life, expectations of pleasure and displeasure should certain negative events happen to them, and expectations of suicide should these negative events happen to them. Support was not found for the hypothesis. The students who believed that death was the end stated that they would choose to live even if negative events promised them a life of greater displeasure than pleasure.     

香港青松观访问团参访北京白云观

一、葱自粥 组成：葱白３０克，粳米６０克，食盐少许。 制法：将粳米淘净，入沸水中，熬成粥，投入洗净的葱白和食盐，混匀即可。 服法：早晚皆可，温服。 作用：发汁解毒。 二、泻肺粥 组成：葶苈１０克，大枣１５克，粳米６０克。 制法：１．将大枣、葶苈洗净后用纱布包裹。２．将大枣、葶苈粳米同入沸水锅中，用文火熬煮成粥。 服法：早晚餐食服。 作用：泻肺逐痰。 适应症：肺气肿、肺心病之咳嗽、气喘、咳吐泡沫清痰，胸胁满闷而痛，苔浊腻等痰浊阴肺之症。 （以上二方见安浚等编著，科学技术出版社出版《季节性疾病的食疗》） 三、强…     

Analysis and its Modifications - Work in a School

Work as a school psychotherapist in a secondary school is described, with the aim of considering the varied ways in which the provision was used by staff and students. A brief view is given of the history of work in school in the development of psychoanalysis. The creation of an analytic space in school is described. The contribution made to the individual's psychological growth, of a space in which to think, freely emerges; and the ways in which the simplicity of the analytic setting allows its adaptation, by the institution and by the individual, to meet the particular developmental needs of the moment, are shown.