Berkeley and the Primary Qualities: Idealization vs. Abstraction

In the First of the Three Dialogues, Berkeley’s Hylas, responding to Philonous’s question whether extension and motion are separable from secondary qualities, says:

What! Is it not an easy matter, to consider extension and motion by themselves, . . . Pray how do the mathematicians treat of them?

After some introductory comments I propose to contrast Philonous’s (Berkeley’s) answer to this question, with an alternative, arguing for the following. (1) A distinction, Berkeley would accept should be made between abstraction as Berkeley conceives it in The Introduction to the Principles of Human Knowledge and idealization, exemplified by Galileo’s ignoring friction in formulating the law of free-fall. (2) Idealizations, being neither sensible objects nor Platonic forms, illustrate the way mathematically inclined natural philosophers of the time would treat some sensible objects. (3) Therefore one puzzle Berkeley raises, whether extension can exist without color or tactile qualities, disappears. (4) So too can the resemblance puzzle be easily avoided, that is how ideas (taken here to be sensible objects) can resemble what’s in principle insensible. Lastly I suggest this way of developing Hylas’s above remark is consistent with, though not requiring, Berkeley’s idealist metaphysics.     

Locke on Primary and Secondary Qualities

Abstract: In this paper, I argue that Book II, Chapter viii of Locke' Essay is a unified, self-consistent whole, and that the appearance of inconsistency is due largely to anachronistic misreadings and misunderstandings. The key to the distinction between primary and secondary qualities is that the former are, while the latter are not, real properties, i.e., properties that exist in bodies independently of being perceived. Once the distinction is properly understood, it becomes clear that Locke's arguments for it are simple, valid and (in one case) persuasive as well.     

Augustine on the Impossibility of Teaching

The information-transference account of teaching takes it to be a process in which information is transferred from one person's mind to another's. Augustine argues that this is impossible, since in order to understand something the person who understands must come to see why it is so, and that is an internal episode of awareness that isn't caused by an outside source. Augustine's insight here is contrasted with the contemporary view, following Wittgenstein, that learning is a matter of conformity to rules (public norms). The case is made that teaching and learning pose philosophical problems that contemporary theories don't address, and a brief examination of Searle's Chinese Room example suggests that its plausibility derives from Augustine's insight that mere rule-following behavior isn't enough to explain the phenomenon of understanding at the heart of knowledge. A reconstruction of Augustine's epistemological claims, divorced from his discredited views in the philosophy of language, is also provided.     

Davidson on the Impossibility of Psychophysical Laws

Donald Davidsons classic argument for the impossibility of reducing mental events to physicallistic ones is analyzed and formalized in relational logic. This makes evident the scope of Davidsons argument, and shows that he is essentially offering a negative transcendental argument, i.e., and argument to the impossibility of certain kinds of logical relations. Some final speculations are offered as to why such a move might, nevertheless, have a measure of plausibility.     

Berkeley on the Activity of Spirits

This paper propounds a new reading of Berkeley's account of the activity of finite spirits. Against existing interpretations, the paper argues that Berkeley does not hold that we causally contribute to the movement of our bodies. In contrast, our volitions to move our bodies are but occasions for God to cause their movement. In answer to the question of wherein then consists our activity, the paper proposes that our activity consists in the dual powers to produce (1) our volitions – the acts of willing – and (2) our ideas of imagination.     

Adult Bullying and Primary and Secondary Psychopathic Traits: Insights from a Community Sample

This study aimed to: (a) comprehend the relationship between primary and secondary psychopathy variants and bullying behaviors in adults; (b) to test for mediation effects of the experiences of victimization in strengthening the bonds between bullying and psychopathy; and (c) to explore how far gender and psychopathic variants predict bullying. Results showed that psychopathy (both primary and secondary) and gender (male) significantly predicted bullying perpetrator behaviors. These same predictors were also significant in explaining total involvement with bullying; primary psychopathy displayed, however, better explanatory power. Being a victim of bullying also mediated the relationship between psychopathic variants and bullying perpetrating. The magnitude of the correlations between bullying and both psychopathic variants detected in this study were bigger than the average reported in studies with children and adolescents, which could inform about greater severity of these behaviors in adult life. Specifically, findings from regression analyses suggest that components of cold-blooded psychopathy could be driving the engagement of this sample with aggressive behaviors. Implications of these findings, along with limitations and directions for further research are discussed.     

Abstracting and extracting: Causal coherence and the development of the life story

This study compared life story memories of emerging adults and early adolescents to other autobiographical memories. Participants described three scenes of their respective life stories, a high point, low point, and turning point narrative, and described the connections between them in a fourth narrative. Participants also related four autobiographical narratives from corresponding time periods for comparison. Narratives were analysed for two measures of causal coherence, narrative complexity and meaning making, and for thematic coherence. Life story narratives contained more self-related lessons and insights and greater recognition of complexity than non-life-story narratives, but these differences were confined to narratives of turning points and connections between events. Thematic connections between narratives were more abstract and self-related in life story narratives. Emerging adults' narratives, when compared to those of early adolescents, showed more evidence of self-related abstract thinking and recognition of multiple dimensions. Findings indicate consistent ways in which life story memories differ from other autobiographic memories, and show evidence of development in adolescence.     

中小学生课堂问题行为研究述评

学生的课堂问题行为是中小学教师在课堂管理中迫切需要解决的问题。通过对近20年来国内外研究进行梳理分析,发现学生的课堂问题行为具有普遍性。教师和学生知觉到的问题行为具有一致性。课堂问题行为受到学校、家庭、学生自身、文化等因素的影响。该领域的研究存在基础理论研究比较薄弱;对学生课堂问题行为产生的神经生理机制研究不足,缺少长期追踪研究和跨学科研究等问题。未来研究应借鉴认知神经科学的研究成果和研究方法,深入探索课堂问题行为产生的神经机制;加强对特殊群体的研究,研究对象向低龄延伸;加强教师培养培训和干预研究,不断提升教师解决学生课堂问题行为的专业化水平。     

中小学生数学知识观的调查研究

本研究采用12道假设性情境题目和包含数学涉及运算、思考、实用性三个维度的数学认识问卷,选取90名六年级小学生和106名初二学生作为被试,探讨中小学生的数学知识观。结果表明:1)中小学生数学知识观形成及发展与学校数学课程内容紧密相关。2)中小学生数学知识观存在差异,主要表现在初二学生对假设性情境的认同程度显著地高于六年级学生;在数学认识问卷的数学实用性维度上,六年级学生的肯定程度显著地高于初二学生。3)从总体上看,学生的学业水平与数学知识观的关系不大。     

中小学生心理素质双因子结构的构建

尝试构建双因子模型来验证中小学生心理素质结构的理论构想。采用整群抽样法先后两次选取被试,第一次选取重庆、四川、广东各一所小学4-6年级共1607名学生,重庆、四川、湖北、江西、浙江5个省市初一到高三共2106名中学生,第二次选取重庆市潼南区五所小学4-6年级共1334名学生、北碚区两所中学初一到高三共1057名学生,尝试构建中小学生心理素质的双因子结构,同时比较双因子模型与传统维度结构模型拟合中小学生心理素质的优劣。结果表明:相比传统维度结构模型,双因子结构模型拟合数据最优。结论:双因子模型更适用于解释中小学生心理素质的结构。     

中小学生情绪调节策略的发展特点

情绪调节策略近年已成为发展与教育心理学的研究热点.本研究采用问卷法考察了中小学生情绪调节策略的年级、性别、学业水平发展特点.结果表明在认知重评策略上无性别差异,有年级差异,有学业水平差异,高年级较低年级、高学业水平较低学业水平更倾向采用认知重评策略;在表达抑制策略上无年级差异,无学业水平差异,有性别差异,男生较女生更倾向采用表达抑制策略.     

Masculinity and Emotionality: An Investigation of Men's Primary and Secondary Emotional Responding

In this study, we investigated the role of masculinity in men's affect intensity and men's fear of emotions. Men's masculine ideology and self-reported masculine gender role stress were assessed as cognitive and experiential factors of adherence to traditional masculine gender norms. Masculine ideology was negatively related to men's global affect intensity. However, on a 3-factor model of affect intensity, only negative reactivity was significantly related to masculine ideology. Both masculine ideology and masculine gender role stress were positively related to men's fear of emotions. Results are discussed in the context of theories of gender differences in emotion.     

中小学教师的职业压力源研究

以北京市5255名中小学教师为被试,研究考察了中小学教师职业压力源的表现特点。结果发现:(1)中小学教师职业压力源的五个因素,即工作负荷、学生学业、社会及学校评价、专业发展及学生问题所带来的压力,能够较好地解释教师职业压力源问卷的结构效度。(2)随着教龄的增加,教师面临的各种压力表现出增加的趋势,11～15年教龄段的教师感知到最大的压力,之后逐渐减少。(3)小学教师感受到的各项压力明显高于中学教师。学生问题如安全、行为问题是小学教师主要的压力源,而中学教师的压力更多来源于学生学业,特别是考试压力。     

中小学教师心理健康维度的初步构建

本研究通过开放式问卷调查和深度访谈,构建出教师心理健康的八个维度,编制了初测问卷,对初测问卷的结果进行探索性因素分析,形成了六个维度6、1个项目的正式问卷,对正式问卷进行验证性因素分析。结果得到中小学教师心理健康的六个维度是:挫折应对问题、职业倦怠、人格障碍、躯体症状、社会适应问题和人生态度问题。对问卷进行描述性统计分析,发现中小学教师在这六个维度上存在一定的心理健康问题。