Enchanted nature,dissected nature: the case of Galen’s anatomical theology

Through the historical portrait of Galen, I argue that even an enchanted nature does not prevent the performance of violence against nature. Galen (129–c. 216 CE), the great physician-philosopher of antiquity, is best known for his systematization and innovation of the Hippocratic medical tradition, whose thought was the reigning medical orthodoxy from the medieval period into the Renaissance. His works on anatomy were the standard that Vesalius’ works on anatomy overturned. What is less known about Galen’s study of anatomy, however, is its philosophical and theological edge. In this paper, I show that it is precisely because nature is enchanted that Galen undertakes the grisly practices of anatomical dissection and vivisection, which entail violence against nature. First, I illustrate the violent character of Galen’s anatomical experiments. Second, I elucidate Galen’s anatomical methodology as a form of philosophizing and theologizing with a scalpel. Third, I explicate the importance of the demonstration of divine teleology that anatomical dissection reveals. Fourth, I sketch how anatomical dissection as a way of knowing nature and God becomes a kind of anatomical, liturgical theology. I conclude that, at least for Galen, an enchanted nature is not in itself exempt from violence.     

Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine among medical and psychology students

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing in Europe as well as in the USA, but CAM courses are infrequently integrated into medical curricula. In Europe, but also especially in the USA and in Canada, the attitudes of medical students and health science professionals in various disciplines towards CAM have been the subject of investigation. Most studies report positive attitudes. The main aim of this study was to compare the attitudes towards CAM of medical and psychology students in Germany. An additional set of questions concerned how CAM utilisation and emotional and physical condition affect CAM-related attitudes. Two hundred thirty-three medical students and 55 psychology students were questioned concerning their attitudes towards CAM using the Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Complementary Medical Treatment (QACAM). Both medical students and psychology students were sceptical about the diagnostic and the therapeutic proficiency of doctors and practitioners of CAM. Students' attitudes towards CAM correlated neither with their experiences as CAM patients nor with their emotional and physical condition. It can be assumed that German medical and psychology students will be reluctant to use or recommend CAM in their professional careers. Further studies should examine more closely the correlation between attitudes towards CAM and the students' worldview as well as their existing knowledge of the effectiveness of CAM.     

Religiosity,Spirituality, Sexual Attitudes,and Sexual Behaviors Among College Students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether religiosity, spirituality, and sexual attitudes accounted for differences in sexual behaviors among college students. The sample included 960 college students enrolled at four northeastern colleges. Results indicated differences in sexual attitudes, religiosity, and spirituality by gender. Moreover, sexual attitudes, religiosity, and spirituality were associated with sexual behaviors among college students. Sexual behaviors among males were influenced by their sexual attitudes, religiosity, and spirituality, while for females, their sexual behaviors were mostly influenced by their sexual attitudes. College health professionals can use these findings when discussing sexual practices with students.     

高中生学习力的探索研究

采用自编学习力问卷,对3245名高中生进行问卷调查,以探明高中生学习力的基本结构和特征。结果发现：（1）高中生的学习力可以4个维度表征,即：学习方法运用力、学习态度调控力、学习自控力和提问互惠力。（2）高中生的学习力与学业成绩关联显著,学业成绩优秀的同学具有较高水平的学习力测评得分;在学习力的4个维度上,成绩较差同学的学习力测评得分显著低于优秀与中等同学。（3）高二学生的学习态度调控力测评分显著高于高一学生,女生的提问互惠力测评分显著高于男生。（4）成绩优秀的高二学生学习方法运用力测评分显著高于高一学生,成绩优秀和中等的高二学生的学习态度调控力测评分显著高于高一学生。     

Medical Ethics Education: A Survey of Opinion of Medical Students in a Nigerian University

In Nigeria, medical education remains focused on the traditional clinical and basic medical science components, leaving students to develop moral attitudes passively through observation and intuition. In order to ascertain the adequacy of this method of moral formations, we studied the opinions of medical students in a Nigerian university towards medical ethics training. Self administered semi-structured questionnaires were completed by final year medical students of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. There were 82 (64.1%) male and 44 (34.4%) female respondents. The median age was 26 years. Most students (80.5%) responded that they did not receive enough training in medical ethics. The ethics instructions they received did not sufficiently prepare them for the ethical challenges they came across as medical students. Though inadequate, the few hours of lecture and discussion on human values and professional etiquette which they received positively influenced their moral reasoning. They identified end-of-life issues, dealing with financial issues and handling socio-cultural beliefs of patients and relations as some challenges that medical doctors are ill-prepared for by their current training. Most, 85.9% believed that formal medical ethics education would be worthwhile as it would enhance the making of complete and better doctors. They recommended incorporating bioethics as a course in the medical school curriculum. Nigerian medical students encounter ethical challenges for which they have not been adequately trained to resolve. They recommended formal medical ethics training in their curriculum and a uniform bioethics programme in the country.     

Jews, Christians, and sex in Renaissance Italy: a historiographical problem

Court cases involving sexual intercourse between Jews and Christians in Renaissance Italy have attracted a lot of attention from historians in recent years. This essay challenges the widely-held assumption that the evidence assembled reflects actual attitudes of social intermingling typical of the Renaissance period. The author argues that many discussions of this topic are fundamentally uncritical and distorted, in some cases even subjective attempts to promote a personal viewpoint.     

How Do Chinese Public Service Professional Trainees Attribute Responsibility to Victims and Perpetrators of Violence Against Women?

Two-hundred-and-twenty-five Chinese human service professional trainees (80 police trainees, 45 medical students, and 100 nursing students) participated in a study on responsibility attribution to violence against women (VAW). Results showed that compared to medical students and police trainees, nursing students had broader definitions of VAW, endorsed more liberal attitudes toward women, and perceived VAW as more prevalent and having more negative effects on the victims and society. Compared to police trainees, medical and nursing students assigned greater responsibility to VAW perpetrators. However, there was no group difference in the attribution of responsibility to VAW victims. Among the predictor variables for a low level of responsibility attribution to the victims, liberal attitude toward women was the only significant predictor. For a low level of responsibility attribution to the perpetrators, the most salient predictors were being police trainees and perceiving VAW as having little negative effects on the victims. Limitations and implications of the study will also be discussed.     

医学院校的艺术教育与医学生人文素质的提升

艺术教育是医学生人文素质教育的重要内容,它有助于医学生艺术技能、创新思维和心灵世界的开发,有助于全面提升医学生人文素质。医学院校应当认清艺术教育的地位、规律和特征,全面而有效地开展艺术教育。     

医学本科生基层就业意愿调查及其影响因素分析

通过对四川省五所医学院校本科生的抽样调查,了解到医学生到基层工作的积极性有待提高,"性别"、"生源"、"学习成绩"、"年级"、"就业指导"是影响医学生是否愿意到基层的重要因素。加强基层医疗机构的建设、加大学校就业指导工作力度,对改善当前基层医疗卫生人力资源结构,解决医学生就业具有重要意义。     

Social and moral norm differences among Portuguese 1st and 6th year medical students towards their intention to comply with hand hygiene

This study examines social and moral norms towards the intention to comply with hand hygiene among Portuguese medical students from 1st and 6th years (N = 175; 121 from the 1st year, 54 from the 6th year). The study extended the theory of planned behaviour theoretical principles and hypothesised that both subjective and moral norms will be the best predictors of 1st and 6th year medical students' intention to comply with hand hygiene; however, these predictors ability to explain intention variance will change according to medical students' school year. Results indicated that the subjective norm, whose referent focuses on professors, is a relevant predictor of 1st year medical students' intention, while the subjective norm that emphasises the relevance of colleagues predicts the intentions of medical students from the 6th year. In terms of the moral norm, 6th year students' intention is better predicted by a norm that interferes with compliance; whereas intentions from 1st year students are better predicted by a norm that favours compliance. Implications of the findings highlight the importance of role models and mentors as key factors in teaching hand hygiene in medical undergraduate curricula.     

Evaluative and skin-conductance responses to Renaissance and 20th-century paintings

Normative data on paintings from two periods are reported. Subjects rated the pleasingness and interestingness of 60 Renaissance and 60 20th-century (abstract) works, and indicated how much they wished to own a reproduction of each painting. Skin-conductance changes elicited by the paintings were also assessed. The data may facilitate the inclusion of real works of art in future experiments involving visual aesthetic materials (on either the independent- or the dependent-variable side) and are relevant for the research on some motivational and cognitive issues of current interest in the psychology of art.     

Knowledge and attitudes of Pakistani medical students towards HIV-positive and/or AIDS patients

As the incidence of HIV increases, one of the major steps in preventing a widespread epidemic is to make certain that medical students are prepared to recognize and treat HIV infections and their related conditions, and to counsel patients about avoiding risks that might lead to infections. This cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge level of 357 medical students and their attitudes about AIDS and HIV enrolled in a Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. Only 6% of the students had complete knowledge on symptoms of HIV/AIDS and 7% of the students had complete knowledge on the modes of transmission of HIV. Statistical analysis of demographic factors affecting knowledge was done. Linear regression and Maentel-Haenszel tests showed that older and clinical students were more knowledgeable of symptoms and modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS. Ten attitudes were correlated with knowledge and none of these showed an association. These results on knowledge indicate that education about HIV/AIDS should be incorporated in the curriculum and interventions must be taken by public health professionals to avoid poor treatment outcomes.     

Attitudes to doctors and medicine: The preliminary development of a new scale

Abstract

The preliminary development of a new scale to measure attitudes towards medicine and doctors is described. The scale comprises four factors: “positive attitude towards doctors,” “positive attitude towards medicine,” “negative attitude towards doctors,” and “negative attitude towards medicine.” Alpha coefficients for the four scales were satisfactory, ranging from 0.69 to 0.76. Test re-test reliabilities ranged from 0.69 to 0.81. Evidence of criterion-related validity was obtained from comparison of the attitudes of five groups involved in health care: nurses, medical students, patients, and sociologists and psychologists who are teachers in medical schools. Patients and medical students held significantly more positive attitudes towards doctors and medicine that did nurses and behavioural scientists. While nurses were as negative towards doctors as sociologists and psychologists, they were significantly less negative about medicine.     

An Examination of the Psychologists' Attitudes Towards Complementary and Alternative Therapies Scale Within a Practitioner Sample

This study assessed the validity of a scale measuring psychologists' attitudes towards complementary and alternative therapies and compared the attitudes of psychologists with a previous sample of psychology students. The scale, derived from existing measures for medical professionals and previously tested on a sample of psychology students, was completed by practising psychologists (N = 122). The data were factor analysed, and three correlated subscales were identified, assessing the perceived importance of knowledge about available therapies, attitudes towards integration with psychological practice, and concerns about associated risks of use. This structure was similar, but not identical, to that found in a previous sample of psychology students; however, psychologists expressed more concern for risks associated with integration and were less likely to hold a positive attitude towards integration. This scale will be useful in gauging changes in psychologists' attitudes towards integrative practice over time.     

Masculinity-femininity and response to somatic discomfort

Multiple samples of male and female college students were studied to determine the relationship of sex and degree of masculinity-femininity to frequency of symptom reports, symptom site, frequency of medical treatment, and attitudes toward various aspects of the medical establishment. The results indicated that sex and sex role are not consistently or strongly correlated with total symptom frequency, delay in seeking medical consultation, or frequency with which medical treatment is obtained. They are also not correlated with attitudes toward physicians and other health care figures. However, interesting and rather consistent relationships were observed between masculinity-femininity and sites of somatic discomfort.This study was partially supported by Grant No. 5501RR0540212 (USPH). Special thanks are due to the Computer Center of the Upstate Medical Center for statistical assistance.     

ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR TOWARD HUMAN RIGHTS ACROSS DIFFERENT CONTEXTS: THE ROLE OF RIGHT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM,POLITICAL IDEOLOGY,AND RELIGIOSITY*

Three studies were carried out to examine attitudes and behavior toward human rights. ‘Universal’ human rights implies that there should be cross-situational consistency in attitudes and behavior toward human rights. An alternative interpretation is that attitudes and behavior toward human rights may shift across contexts, as a function of ideology. We reasoned that Canadian subjects would be more critical of the human rights records of Soviet and the Third World societies, and thus show stronger support for human rights in these than in Canadian society. Hypothesis two predicted that right-wing political ideology and support for human rights would be negatively correlated in contexts Canada and Third World, but not in the Soviet context; hypothesis three predicted the same pattern of associations between religiosity and support for human rights. Hypothesis four predicted that authoritarians, because of their fundamental opposition to individual liberties, would oppose human rights in all contexts. Study 1 involved 155 students expressing attitudes toward a range of human rights issues. Study 2 involved 74 Pro-Life supporters expressing attitudes on human rights, as well as on abortion. Study 3 involved a behavioral measure of support for human rights among 450 students. The findings generally supported hypotheses one and four, and provided some support for hypotheses two and three. The results seem to provide further evidence of an association between ideology and moral reasoning.     

医学本科新生的专业思想现况调查及入学思想教育的效果评价

通过对湘南地区某本科院校护理学与临床医学两专业315名医学新生进行问卷调查,探讨了医学本科新生的专业思想状况,并对入学专业思想教育的效果进行了评价。调查结果表明,教育后医学生对专业的认知程度、专业思想稳定性均明显好于教育前(P<0.05)。     

The impact of college experience on political and social attitudes

In the last two decades a considerable volume of research has focused on how the college experience affects students. The purpose of the research reported here was to investigate to what extent students (predominantly Caucasian) at a highly selective university on the East coast changed their political and social attitudes during college. In particular, the influences of religious background, gender, membership in a fraternity or sorority, and time in college on attitudes were examined. Results indicated that students as seniors scored higher on measures of liberalism, social conscience, homosexuality tolerance and feminist attitudes and lower on male-dominant attitudes than they did as first year students. Given the lack of previous studies of change in attitudes toward homosexuality in college and the current political debate about issues relating to sexual orientation, an important finding was the substantial increase in tolerance of homosexuality by all subgroups. Results are discussed with respect to the special characteristics and potential influence of Ivy League students.Research for this paper was funded in part by grants from the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation and the National Institute of Justice (Grant NIJ 89-IJ-CX-0048, Assessment and Evaluation of SMART and Related Programs, Robert Boruch, PI). Opinions expressed in it are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent official views of the University of Pennsylvania or NIJ.     

Substance abusers: role of personal and professional role traits in caregivers' causal attributions

Substance abuse continues to be a major health problem compounded by caregivers' negative attitudes toward these patients. We investigated attributions 55 primary care physicians and 315 senior medical students make toward substance abusers. Half of both groups expressed negative causal attributions, with women slightly less negative than men. Mental models based on LISREL regression coefficients showed that higher negative attributions by both physicians and students were related to their increased authoritarianism and depressed mood. Medical students choosing careers in primary care specialties, including psychiatry, expressed a less negative attributional style toward substance abusers than those students entering nonprimary careers. Health professional educators may find that using attribution theory to redefine successful outcomes in management of substance abuse can result in better attitudes for caregivers.