On the hazards of whistleblowers and on some problems of young biomedical scientists in our time

This paper examines two different, but closely related, classes of problems. The first part deals with whistleblowers, and the difficulties and dangers that they have often faced, although their actions, in the rare cases where they become necessary, are indispensable for the maintenance of honest science. The problems are illustrated by discussion of several specific cases from 1960 to 1990. The second part deals with problems that face many young scientists today, and the stresses to which they are exposed in an increasingly competitive atmosphere. There are powerful pressures for premature publication, and many gifted scientists are driven to spend an inordinate amount of time in writing grant applications that are turned down for lack of funds, while receiving high praise from reviewers. Correction of conditions is an important matter for science policy; it is also important, among other things, to relieve pressures that would tend to encourage deviations from the standards necessary for trustworthy science.     

古代风水辨

“风水”是一种传统文化,是人们对居住环境进行理性选择的行为规范,体现着一种哲学意义上的精神追求。作为一门古老的环境文化,它源于先民对自然的敬畏和对美好生活的向望,虽然由于历史条件的限制,其中不乏一些迷信的成分,但就整体而言,古代风水文化更多的是倡导人与自然的和谐相处     

God,Truth and Mathematics in Nineteenth-century England

In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke created a special epistemological category for mathematical and religious knowing. This category of knowledge was quickly brushed to the side in the French Enlightenment, but the English preserved it well into the nineteenth century. This article considers the ways that the neo-Lockian joining of mathematics and theology fundamentally affected both mathematical and theological thinking in the first half of the English nineteenth century. It argues that these developments set the stage for the post-Darwinian conflicts between science—including mathematics—and religion.     

On counsellors' investment in theory

Abstract

Working as a counsellor presupposes some kind of relationship to theory. No such relationship could be acquired without considerable investment of personal resources. But sometimes the significance with which theories or theoretical outlooks are invested can interfere with actual communication, as, for instance, when the awkward issue of theoretical difference can seem to become the real agenda in discussions ostensibly about clinical material. Such occurrences are the product of strong mutual influence between individuals' investments and the current interpersonal situation.     

On the sampling theory roundations of item response theory models

Item response theory (IT) models are now in common use for the analysis of dichotomous item responses. This paper examines the sampling theory foundations for statistical inference in these models. The discussion includes: some history on the stochastic subject versus the random sampling interpretations of the probability in IRT models; the relationship between three versions of maximum likelihood estimation for IRT models; estimating versus estimating -predictors; IRT models and loglinear models; the identifiability of IRT models; and the role of robustness and Bayesian statistics from the sampling theory perspective.A presidential address can serve many different functions. This one is a report of investigations I started at least ten years ago to understand what IRT was all about. It is a decidedly one-sided view, but I hope it stimulates controversy and further research. I have profited from discussions of this material with many people including: Brian Junker, Charles Lewis, Nicholas Longford, Robert Mislevy, Ivo Molenaar, Donald Rock, Donald Rubin, Lynne Steinberg, Martha Stocking, William Stout, Dorothy Thayer, David Thissen, Wim van der Linden, Howard Wainer, and Marilyn Wingersky. Of course, none of them is responsible for any errors or misstatements in this paper. The research was supported in part by the Cognitive Science Program, Office of Naval Research under Contract No. Nooo14-87-K-0730 and by the Program Statistics Research Project of Educational Testing Service.     

On the logical structure of de Finetti's notion of event

This paper sheds new light on the subtle relation between probability and logic by (i) providing a logical development of Bruno de Finetti's conception of events and (ii) suggesting that the subjective nature of de Finetti's interpretation of probability emerges in a clearer form against such a logical background. By making explicit the epistemic structure which underlies what we call Choice-based probability we show that whilst all rational degrees of belief must be probabilities, the converse doesn't hold: some probability values don't represent decision-relevant quantifications of uncertainty.     

On the adequacy of prototype theory as a theory of concepts

Prototype theory construes membership in a concept's extension as graded, determined by similarity to the concept's “best” exemplar (or by some other measure of central tendency). The present paper is concerned with the compatibility of this view of concept membership with two criteria of adequacy for theories of concepts. The first criterion concerns the relationship between complex concepts and their conceptual constituents. The second concerns the truth conditions for thoughts corresponding to simple inclusions.     

On the logic of psychoanalytic theory

Psychoanalytic theory shows some specific features and problems. It exists in a number of variations, according to different schools as well as cultural and subcultural conditions, with different understandings even of core concepts. Instead of producing definite knowledge, results remain uncertain. They vary in use and imply a permanent reworking of ideas and conceptions. This is the effect of the kind of theory psychoanalysis has to use. Since psychodynamics are a special kind of heterogeneous, changing, always different, emergent-in a word, autopoietic-reality, psychoanalysis cannot use the methods of a denotative theory (algorithmic reduction leading to strictly defined and formulated calculations) but has to use connotative theories. Connotative theories use open concepts which provide an active and flexible access to autopoietic reality. They are able to cope with the difference between singularities as well as with the distance between general logic and empirical reality. Problems tied to this possibility are structural fuzziness, a dependence on forms of use, multiple paradigms and difficulties in legitimation and balance of theories. This causes problems of institutionalisation. These problems are not a sign of immaturity but the normal way in which connotative theories appear and develop. They can therefore not be eliminated but only be treated in a better way.     

卦主说刍议

卦主说是易学发展中一个比较重要的解易体例,其通过对《周易》经传的解构所蕴含的易学思想也是历代易学家研究的一个重要课题。卦主说发端于《易传》。后经西汉京房、魏王弼、清李光地等的阐述及运用,卦主说发展到相当完备的程度。虽然历代易学家所站的角度不同,认定卦主的标准也不尽一致,但他们之间毕竟存在着一定的承传关系。通过卦主说,他们阐明了一定的易学思想,也反映了当时的社会状况。     

On the falsifiability of matching theory.

Herrnstein's matching theory requires the parameter, k, which appears in the single-alternative form of the matching equation, to remain invariant with respect to changes in reinforcement parameters like magnitude or immediacy. Recent experiments have disconfirmed matching theory by showing that the invariant-k requirement does not hold. However, the theory can be asserted in a purely algebraic form that does not require an invariant k and that is not disconfirmed by the recent findings. In addition, both the original and the purely algebraic versions of matching theory can be asserted in forms that allow for commonly observed deviations from matching (bias, undermatching, and overmatching). The recent finding of a variable k does not disconfirm these versions of matching theory either. As a consequence, matching remains a viable theory of behavior, the strength of which lies in its general conceptualization of all behavior as choice, and in its unified mathematical treatment of single- and multialternative environments.     

《易传》人性论探微

对<系辞>等传中论及人性及其与天道之关系的文字,古今学者的理解各有心得.作者认为,行<系辞>论性语义为一阴一阳的运行变化称之为道,人从天道变化中得到了善,人性使天道赋予人的这种善得到了完成和显现.并且认为,<易传>、<中庸>、<孟子>实际都是认为"性自命出,命从天降"的,都是在人性与天道有一致性的意义上肯定人性善的,故否定<易传>有性善论,以为<易>、<庸>、<孟>的人性说致思路数不同的观点,都是不合实际的.作者又认为,将天道赋予人道正义的意义又返而以支撑人道原则,自<易传>已然,宋儒的天道性命学说与此是一脉相承的,故否定理学与先秦儒学的联系也是不合事实的.作者还认为,中国古代思想家宣扬性善论的主题是弘扬理性,强化人们对人道的自觉与自信,其中凝聚的积极善良的正气,乃是我们民族文化的元神.     

On the Mirror Stage with Henry and Eliza or Play-ing with Pygmalion in Five Acts

This play-ful paper examines the Pygmalion myth as interpreted by George Bernard Shaw in the 1938 film, an adaptation of his 1912 play. This myth of creation is discussed as a cautionary parable for the psychoanalytic treatment situation; mirroring is viewed from the perspectives of Winnicott, Kohut, and Lacan. It is suggested that the wish to create and to be created may play a role in all analyses.     

On the role of language in social choice theory

Axiomatic characterization results in social choice theory are usually compared either regarding the normative plausibility or regarding the logical strength of the axioms involved. Here, instead, we propose to compare axiomatizations according to the language used for expressing the axioms. In order to carry out such a comparison, we suggest a formalist approach to axiomatization results which uses a restricted formal logical language to express axioms. Axiomatic characterization results in social choice theory then turn into definability results of formal logic. The advantages of this approach include the possibility of non-axiomatizability results, a distinction between absolute and relative axiomatizations, and the possibility to ask how rich a language needs to be to express certain axioms. We argue for formal minimalism, i.e., for favoring axiomatizations in the weakest language possible.     

简论帛书《易传》中的卦气思想

本文讨论分析了《二三子》、《要》、《衷》等帛书《易传》中所蕴含的卦气思想,说明帛书《易传》与今本《易传》之间有着密不可分的关系。这一卦气思想是与其前的卦气思想一脉相承的,汉代的卦气思想,就是在此基础上建构完善起来的。探讨帛书《易传》中卦气说的存在,对于推进两汉象数易学的研究有着重要意义.     

试论《周易参同契》以“易”为核心的发展变化观

本文尝试从汉易学所主张的“易一名而含三义”义理出发,来考察《周易参同契》所蕴含的易学思想。从“易简”之义看,《参同契》突出了乾坤二卦法象着宇宙天地的生成变化法则及乾坤体性表现为“自然”而无人为的情态。从“变易”之义看,《参同契》主要是借鉴汉易学的“纳甲说”和“十二消息卦说”,来探讨天地判分之后阴阳之气的变通迭更过程。进而法象修仙之秩序或步骤。以及所应注意的火候进退或身体气息变化等。从“不易”之义看,《参同契》以乾坤二卦为体,坎离二卦为用,来比拟宇宙的张设布列之结构及相应变化过程。《参同契》已将《周易》之义理创造性地运用于炼丹的实践当中。     

On normal theory based inference for multilevel models with distributional violations

Data in social and behavioral sciences are often hierarchically organized though seldom normal, yet normal theory based inference procedures are routinely used for analyzing multilevel models. Based on this observation, simple adjustments to normal theory based results are proposed to minimize the consequences of violating normality assumptions. For characterizing the distribution of parameter estimates, sandwich-type covariance matrices are derived. Standard errors based on these covariance matrices remain consistent under distributional violations. Implications of various covariance estimators are also discussed. For evaluating the quality of a multilevel model, a rescaled statistic is given for both the hierarchical linear model and the hierarchical structural equation model. The rescaled statistic, improving the likelihood ratio statistic by estimating one extra parameter, approaches the same mean as its reference distribution. A simulation study with a 2-level factor model implies that the rescaled statistic is preferable.This research was supported by grants DA01070 and DA00017 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a University of North Texas faculty research grant. We would like to thank the Associate Editor and two reviewers for suggestions that helped to improve the paper.     

文化心理学的元理论突破及其局限性

文化心理学作为一个新兴的心理学取向,在很大程度上突破了主流心理学的元理论局限,提出了新的构建心理学理论体系的指导思想。这些思想为心理学的发展注入了新的血液,在很大的程度上促进了心理学的发展。但是,文化心理学有点矫枉过正,其元理论也存在着一定的不足,对之应有正确的认识。