Alan E. Kazdin: Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology

Presents Alan E. Kazdin, the 2011 winner of the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology. "For outstanding and pathbreaking contributions to the understanding of the development, assessment, and treatment of psychopathology. Alan E. Kazdin's theoretically innovative, methodologically rigorous, and scientifically informed research has significantly advanced knowledge of child and adolescent psychopathologies such as depression and conduct problems. His writings on research strategies and methods have set a high standard for rigor in the field. His work and his ideas have had an enormous impact on the science, practice, and teaching of psychology, and his research has strengthened assessment and treatment of children and adolescents in scientific and clinical settings. His passion, energy, wisdom, and wit have inspired countless colleagues and students over the years, and his work will no doubt continue to do so for many generations to come." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).     

A preliminary typology of organisational response to allegations of workplace bullying: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

Organisational representative response is an important factor to consider when counselling employees who have experienced bullying and are considering approaching their organisation for assistance. The author argues that not all responses are supportive and that some responses can further harm an employee. The author presents a review of representative responses, developed from bullying cases the author saw as a counsellor or trainer. The author reviews three organisational representative responses to allegations of bulling: (1) the behaviour is acceptable; (2) the behaviour is inappropriately equally attributed to both parties as a personality conflict; and (3) the behaviour is harmful and inappropriate. The author concludes that counsellors must review potential organisational representative responses with employees and recommends mandatory training for organisational representatives.     

No creation, no revelation

There is a strong claim that the world’s createdness, if true, cannot be known but through revelation. In this paper we try to dismiss this claim by arguing that creation cannot be merely a revealed truth (revelabile tantum), since it is on the contrary the very preamble to any genuine revelation. Ontologically, no revelation can happen in a self-existent world. No creation, no revelation. Epistemically, no revelation is to be admitted but on the assumption that the world depends, for its existence and operation, on a supernatural agent. No admittance of creative power, no justified identification of any revelatory activity.     

Many entities, no identity

The aim of this paper is to argue that some objections raised by Jantzen (Synthese, 2010) against the separation of the concepts of ‘counting’ and ‘identity’ are misled. We present a definition of counting in the context of quasi-set theory requiring neither the labeling nor the identity and individuality of the counted entities. We argue that, contrary to what Jantzen poses, there are no problems with the technical development of this kind of definition. As a result of being able to keep counting and identity apart for those entities, we briefly suggest that one venerable tradition concerning the nature of quantum particles may be consistently held. According to that tradition, known as the Received View on particles non-individuality, quantum particles may be seen as entities having both features: (i) identity and individuality do not apply to them, (ii) they may be gathered in collections comprising a plurality of them.     

Look, no hands!

Contrary to Vaesen's argument that humans are unique with respect to nine cognitive capacities essential for tool use, we suggest that although such cognitive processes contribute to variation in tool use, it does not follow that these capacities are necessary for tool use, nor that tool use shaped cognition per se, given the available data in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral biology.     

不吵不成相识

去年,初次访华,为所遭遇到的激烈争吵而震惊。可是,那对中国人来说却是不可或缺的……那还是中学二年级时候的事。当时,我业余爱好无线电,用每月的零花钱买了一些收音机零件,攒了一台真空管式的短波收音机。组装好,一试就烧了,后来几次返修,但信号始终微弱。可是,就是这台灵敏度极差的收音机,仍有一个台的广播可以清晰地收到,这就是中国北京广播电台功能强大的对日日语广播。这个节目我每晚必听。用自己攒的收音机能收听国外的广播,真叫人高兴。从此,我成为一名同中国结下不解之缘的青年。高中时代,我搜求与中国有关的书来读,孔子的《论语》…     

First, do no harm

Case vignette: sharing unanticipated genetic information. The Questor family has experienced an unusual number of malignancies in the past two generations and has been advised by an oncologist that the p53 oncogene known as Li-Fraumeni Syndrome may be present in the family genome. The option of predictive genetic testing has been raised and several branches of the family have chosen to undergo screening to determine whether they are at risk for cancer because of the gene. Roger and Liz Questor have arranged for screening of themselves and their three children, ages 12, 10, and 7. The couple has, by all appearances, been happily married for 14 years. None of the family members are found to carry the oncogene; however, the geneticist conducting the analyses has made an interesting incidental discovery. The 10-year-old child is not the biological progeny of Roger Questor. Although the 12-and 7-year-olds are clearly the biological children of the couple, it is evident that the 10-year-old born to Liz Questor was fathered by a person other than Roger. What are the ethical obligations of the geneticist with respect to any sharing or disclosure of the information that has been discovered incidentally? What course of action, if any, do you recommend?     

External memory: High speed,low speed,and no speed

This paper describes potential constraints on the selection of external memory devices (stimulus sources) and suggests options available to the would-be user of such systems for estimating research requirements and the functional parameters of the available external memory devices.     

Improvable,yes; insoluble,no: A reply to Flock

The relationship between apparent size and apparent depth in certain forms of the Müller-Lyer illusion is explored both Experimentally and theoretically. The Experimental results show that the apparent Sizes and apparent distances of the Müller-Lyer shafts in the normal and in the “reverse” illusions are related to each other. They also contradict specific predictions About the apparent depth location of Müller-Lyer shafts derived from the Misapplied size-constancy theory and Emmert’s Law. These results are interpreted In terms of the operation of the size-distance Principle, and this interpretation is supported by observations of other illusions.     

Cafcaf: an Islamic humor magazine, no joke!

Cafcaf is a humor magazine published by a group of religiously conservative Turks, who esteem and uphold what they consider to be Islamic norms and principles in their cartoons. By offering a close reading of Cafcaf, this article sheds light on transformations among Turkey’s Islamic communities. Scholars from a wide range of disciplines have been examining how the Islamic movement in Turkey has shifted course since the late 1990s. To this end, they have been studying the extent to which Islamists in the country have undergone changes with regards to their political aspirations and social attitudes. However, only a handful of these works have analyzed how genres of popular culture have responded to and echoed these transformations. A discussion of Cafcaf fills this gap by demonstrating how a group of Muslim youth reacts and responds to the changing outlooks and lifestyles of Turkey’s Islamists. The cartoons shed light on the efforts among young Muslims to establish a middle ground where they can negotiate their religious identities with their secular surroundings. The cartoons indicate that Muslim youth’s enthusiasm and willingness to attain this goal is sometimes coupled by a cascade of trepidations and hesitations.