A rational analysis of rule-based concept learning

This article proposes a new model of human concept learning that provides a rational analysis of learning feature-based concepts. This model is built upon Bayesian inference for a grammatically structured hypothesis space—a concept language of logical rules. This article compares the model predictions to human generalization judgments in several well-known category learning experiments, and finds good agreement for both average and individual participant generalizations. This article further investigates judgments for a broad set of 7-feature concepts—a more natural setting in several ways—and again finds that the model explains human performance.     

The Method of Levels of Abstraction in Pluralism and Governance of Dialogical Interaction

This paper deploys elements of the philosophy of information (PoI) in order to explore ideas of dialogical governance. Dialogue in the governance of contentious issues is at least partly a response to the recognition of pluralism among perspectives on various issues. This recognition is prevalent in the context of European governance. However, it is a first step to a better understanding of diverging opinion, rather than an end point. This paper argues that the PoI offers a fruitful path to follow up this first step. Specifically, PoI provides epistemological tools that can be used to clarify the meanings of terms and relevance of perspectives at issue in dialogical scenarios. Importantly, this approach revises the enlightenment view of the individual, offering a more nuanced and ultimately more accurate view of the self as internally complex. This represents a step beyond the status quo wherein these things are taken as unproblematic. This paper argues that PoI’s resources ought to feature as a methodological background to a reinvigorated dialogical governance paradigm. This method and these resources can inform an improved view of dialogical governance in Europe and, in their generality, beyond.     

Introducing an existential-phenomenological approach Part 2—theory for practice

Part one of this paper concentrated on phenomenological theory and research. This second section seeks to describe how existential-phenomenological therapy developed, and how the concepts apply in sessions. This direction for therapy could be called making conscious the preconscious, in the production of new information by reinterpreting the same scenes and experiences. This approach is compared to the psychoanalytic style of working. The existential-phenomenological approaches of Binswanger, Boss and Sartre, three key existential writers, are briefly mentioned, each of which evolved from the work of Husserl, Heidegger and Freud. But much detail is omitted in the aim of providng a succinct overview. This paper shows part of the sources of counselling and humanistic psychotherapy in the existential critique of psychoanalysis.     

Homo moralis strikes back

Restorative justice presents a morally relevant method for alternative conflict resolution. However, this potential is not always applied fully. Instead, the practice may be used in ways foreign to it. This claim comes to the fore in the practice of restorative justice in domestic violence cases. Despite the persistent feminist critique of it the practice is widely offered. This suggests that the practice can cater to needs not originally depicted in the rationale of it. This paper works out of a wittgensteinian approach and argues that there is a confusing language use going on around mediation. The argument is based on an analysis of public talk of mediation in Finland which shows that it is predominantly conducted in the light of homo economicus. This is problematic. The paper suggests that instead of referring to mediation in terms of homo economicus, the value of it should be counted in terms of homo moralis. This is what restorative justice originally intended to do. The paper establishes a new perspective on the critique of restorative justice in general and offers a fruitful way forward.     

Basic principles of MRI and morphometry studies of human brain development

Magnetic resonance imaging has undergone dramatic development in the past years. This has been paralleled by developments in the tools for extracting quantitative information from these images in support of capturing the anatomic features of brain development in living humans. This has revolutionized our expectations for current and future diagnostic and investigative work with the developing brain. This paper will cover the classes of information that are readily available in the MR image, the mechanisms for extracting quantitative results, and a sample of the application of these types of methods to developmental issues. These applications highlight tissue‐ and anatomic‐based contrasts in the nature and rate of developmental maturation within the brain. This will be followed by a discussion of the emergent themes of developmental science as elucidated by these classes of observation.     

Parental language and verbal responsiveness to children in crowded homes.

This article is a secondary data analysis of the University of Kansas Language Acquisition Project, which intensively studied, on a regular basis, parent and child language from age 6 months to 30 months. The association between residential density and parent-child speech was examined. Parents in crowded homes speak in less complex, sophisticated ways with their children compared with parents in uncrowded homes, and this association is mediated by parental responsiveness. Parents in more crowded homes are less verbally responsive to their children. This in turn accounts for their simpler, less sophisticated speech to their children. This mediational pathway is evident with statistical controls for socioeconomic status. This model may help explain prior findings showing a link between residential crowding and delayed cognitive development.     

Construing in Action: Experiencing Embodiment

Construing anticipation as an embodied process implies including experience and action within personal construct theorization and application. This has led many authors to read somatic disorders in psychological terms and to consider psychotherapy as an experiential process. This article exemplifies a possible transposition of personal construct psychology in action through experimenting with ways of construing. Some simple body movement experiences are presented as means for exploring our personal anticipations in relation to others. This may represent a starting point for the elaboration of our personal theories and practices.     

Toward an epistemology of “addictive disease”

This article examines the social perception of disease. Understanding medical perceptions provides an opportunity to gain insight into factors that influence health care seeking behavior patterns, treatment compliance and social policy. This paper views addictive disease models as metaphorical substitutes for moral turpitude models. This conclusion suggests that it is important for health care providers to carefully and instrumentally apply their language to facilitate patient compliance with treatment protocols, in general, and psychotherapy in particular.     

Collaborative Sketching (C-Sketch) — An Idea Generation Technique for Engineering Design

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a technique (C-Sketch) for concept generation in a collaborative engineering design setting. The paper reviews both the intrinsic merit of C-Sketch, as well as relative merit compared to other techniques in the same class. This analysis is based on results from experiments conducted over five years. Both the process and outcome were evaluated, with greater emphasis on the latter. This study found that C-Sketch not only has intrinsic merit, but also measures higher in all outcomes when compared to Method 6-3-5. Also, C-Sketch was at least as good as the Gallery Method in the quality of ideas produced and better in variety and novelty of ideas. This paper is a consolidation of all empirical studies related to C-Sketch.     

Practicing Clinical Supervision in Chile: Lessons from 28 Years of Training

Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy - This article describes a model of supervision developed by Centro MIP in Santiago, Chile. This model is situated in the cultural history and legal context of...     

Cocaine—review of current literature and interface with the law

Cocaine use in the United States has currently reached epidemic proportions. This has resulted in syndromes of intoxication, overdose, and withdrawal, meeting all DMS-III criteria for a substance that can cause dependence as well as abuse syndromes. This paper reviews the current epidemiology of cocaine, its history and pharmacology with major focus on clinical syndromes. This is followed by a review of the current knowledge of the relationship between cocaine and violence and the forensic-psychiatric issues surrounding cocaine.     

Making Mayhew and Frisby effortlessly discriminable

Mayhew and Frisby (1978) demonstrated that patterns which differ markedly in their spatial-frequency content may be very hard to discriminate. This they took as evidence against any model which proposes that the processes underlying texture discrimination have direct access to some local piecewise Fourier analysis of the patterns performed by spatial-frequency channels. It is shown that Mayhew and Frisby's patterns can be discriminated easily if their components have been incorporated into a pattern-contingent colour aftereffect. This demonstration suggests that the location in the visual pathway for contingent aftereffect adaptation must lie before the construction of the raw primal sketch, to which, according to Marr, we have conscious access. This location must also allow the orientation specificity seen in the aftereffect. This points to a locus in the striate cortex.     

职业性别刻板印象研究模型及方法综述

近年来对职业性别刻板印象的探讨成了刻板印象研究领域的新研究方向,职业性别刻板印象成为社会认知领域的新课题。职业性别刻板印象与我们的生活休戚相关,是指人们对职业进行性别划分和性别归类的趋向。目前国内此方面的研究相当有限,采用的实验和调查研究也停留在起步阶段。本文对职业性别刻扳印象研究的模型及方法进行综述。     

Psychological Aspects of Biblical Apocalypticism

Pastoral Psychology - This essay develops and illustrates the role of psychological process in the development of the Master Stories of Judaism and Christianity. This formative process is shaped by...     

Role of the market maven in retailing: A general marketplace influencer

This article deals with the market maven. This maven is a general marketplace influencer which may be a significant constraint in the retail setting. This South African study highlights the importance of word-of-mouth communication in business. The South African market was chosen because of its cultural diversity and its unique set of European and African influences. This paper reviews the literature concerned with general marketplace influencers. It then reports the results of a study of 621 respondents. The results show that mavens appear to be good targets for general messages about marketing mix changes, messages spanning multiple product categories and messages concerning new product introductions. These results indicate that mavens appear to be good targets for retailers, provided they can be targeted effectively.     

Discipleship Training Of Children and Youth

Today, we all face an infinite number of faith choices, especially youth. This makes confirmation ministry as discipleship training most important in our churches. This article explores the confirmation ministry of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Depew, NY, and critically analyzes the methodology—4 turnings, 6 disciplines, and 19 assets—behind the ministry. This methodology has been developed from researchers such as Jean Piaget, James Fowler, Duffy Robins, and researchers at the Search Institute.     

Subject-pool record keeping: A database application

This paper describes a record-keeping system we developed for our subject pool, utilizing ORACLE database software on a VAX computer. This system consists of three data tables and four processes: set up, updating, report generation, and editing. This article describes the rationale and function of each of these four processes in detail. All input and output is in ASCII format. The combination of ASCII files and the ORACLE database system produces a subject-pool recordkeeping system that is adaptable, expandable, and exportable.     

The disintegrative factor in therapeutic groups as illuminated by kibbutz life

This article deals with the way individuals cope with the threat they experience in the framework of psychodynamic group psychotherapy. This threat, which is understood to be a disintegrative threat, is intensified in the therapeutic group. We see the therapeutic group as possessing attributes of a potential space, in which the participants are enabled to process the defense and coping mechanisms intended to preserve the sense of integration. This will be illustrated by the experiences of individuals who grew up in a kibbutz (an Israeli society in which infants were raised with their peer group) and participated in psychodynamic groups.     

Understanding Voter Vengeance

This article proposes that, in electoral contexts, decision makers may experience a desire for vengeance or a desire to “get even” with an entity, such as a political candidate, in response to a perceived wrongdoing. This article draws on research from the domains of psychology and sociology to develop a theoretical framework for examining factors that may influence the extent to which voters exact revenge on political candidates with their voting behavior. The results of 3 experiments are reported in which voters are shown to exact revenge on a candidate who has won an earlier round of elections by defeating a favored candidate. This process is mediated by damage to self‐identity and is strengthened by perceived share of blame attributed to the perpetrator candidate. This research shows how vengeful voters are delighted when a perpetrator candidate later performs poorly while in office. This research also shows how making salient a shared affiliation with the perpetrator candidate (such as race or university major) can attenuate vengeful voting behavior. The research builds on a growing body of work that explores negative and potentially counterproductive emotions in choice contexts.