The inconsistency of higher order extensions of Martin-Löf's type theory

Martin-Löf's constructive type theory forms the basis of this paper. His central notions of category and set, and their relations with Russell's type theories, are discussed. It is shown that addition of an axiom — treating the category of propositions as a set and thereby enabling higher order quantification — leads to inconsistency. This theorem is a variant of Girard's paradox, which is a translation into type theory of Mirimanoff's paradox (concerning the set of all well-founded sets). The occurrence of the contradiction is explained in set theoretical terms. Crucial here is the way a proof-object of an existential proposition is understood. It is shown that also Russell's paradox can be translated into type theory. The type theory extended with the axiom mentioned above contains constructive higher order logic, but even if one only adds constructive second order logic to type theory the contradictions arise.     

The Justification of Identity Elimination in Martin-Löf’s Type Theory

Topoi - On the basis of Martin-Löf’s meaning explanations for his type theory a detailed justification is offered of the rule of identity elimination. Brief discussions are thereafter...     

Categorical and algebraic aspects of Martin-Löf Type Theory

In the paper there are introduced and discussed the concepts of an indexed category with quantifications and a higher level indexed category to present an algebraic characterization of some version of Martin-Löf Type Theory. This characterization is given by specifying an additional equational structure of those indexed categories which are models of Martin-Löf Type Theory. One can consider the presented characterization as an essentially algebraic theory of categorical models of Martin-Löf Type Theory. The paper contains a construction of an indexed category with quantifications from terms and types of the language of Martin-Löf Type Theory given in the manner of Troelstra [11]. The paper contains also an inductive definition of a valuation of these terms and types in an indexed category with quantifications.     

Social categories in the making: construction or recruitment?

Real kinds, both natural and social categories, are characterized by rich inductive potential. They have relatively stable sets of conceptually independent projectable properties. Somewhat surprisingly, even some purely social categories (e.g., ethnicity, gender, political orientation) show such multiple projectability. The article explores the origin of the inductive richness of social categories and concepts. I argue that existing philosophical accounts provide only a partial explanation, and mechanisms of boundary formation and stabilization must be brought into view for a more comprehensive account of inductively rich social categories.

     

Therapiekonzeption für traumatisierte Patienten mit schweren Persönlichkeitsstörungen

Comorbidity between severe personality disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder is a frequent clinical problem. Severe personality disorders are characterized by an impaired regulation of emotions, a low mentalization capacity and deficits in personality integration. For severe personality disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder, a variety of evidence-based treatment approaches of psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral origin are available. However, a closer inspection of these treatment concepts shows that they do not sufficiently take the respective comorbid condition into account. No single concept is able to cover all problem areas presented by patients with this comorbidity. Therefore, an attempt is made to present an integrative psychodynamically oriented therapy concept for traumatized patients with personality disorders which contains elements from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral and other concepts. The phase structure of the concept clarifies the sequence hierarchy of the therapeutic interventions. The content of the five phases are: (1) safety, holding and strengthening of coping capacities, (2) emotion regulation and self-care, (3) mentalization and development of stable representations, (4) gentle trauma processing and (5) conflict-oriented psychotherapy and treatment of maladaptive relationship patterns.     

The“response” in behavior theory

The term“response” is a basic one in behavior theory, particularly reflex theory, but its definition is not clear. The origin of the term in the common vocabulary has affected its later extensions in the analysis of behavior. Some contemporary theorists accept the existence of two“types” of response, coordinating one with the Pavlovian conditioning procedure, the other with the operant conditioning procedure of the so-called“contingent” variety. Reservations are expressed here about such distinctions between response classes and conditioning paradigms, emphasizing the difficulties that arise from certain conventions and inadequacies in current definitions and conceptions of“response.” The critical nature of the problem for behavior theory is illustrated once again by the recent laboratory finding that a familiar and accepted conditional reflex, that of the“conditioned cardiac CR,” can be fractionated into“parts” and is therefore perhaps no longer to be treated as a single unitary“response.”     

Onlineberatung für Betroffene von Essstörungen und deren Angehörige

An independent online consulting service for persons with eating disorders and their relatives (www.ab-server.de) exists in Germany since 1998, which was developed by physicians and psychologists. This study aims to comprehend the individual use of the online consulting for affected persons and their relatives. In order to do this, two online questionnaires were developed for these two groups. The questionnaires were sent digitally in two phases to those people who had posted an e-mail to the online consulting service from January 1999 to November 2003 and from January 2004 to July 2006 (phase 1: n=2,760; phase 2: n=1,419). A total of 493 data sets of affected persons and 127 of relatives were included in the analysis. The online consulting service is of great importance especially to establish the user’s first contact with professional help. The main reported effects were an improved understanding of the disease and the motivation to seek further professional help. This specific setting of internet-based intervention fulfils the function of a signpost within the German supply system.     

Category norms for verbal items in 25 categories for children in Grades 2–6

Three hundred and seventy-five children in Grades 2, 3, 4, and 6 were asked to generate instances of 25 different categories within a time period of 1 min per category. Data were tallied so that category instances are ranked as to proportion of subjects making each response at each grade level. Indications of the average number of category instances generated by children at each grade level within each category are provided.     

Typicality effects in artificial categories: is there a hemisphere difference?

In category classification tasks, typicality effects are usually found: accuracy and reaction time depend upon distance from a prototype. In this study, subjects learned either verbal or nonverbal dot pattern categories, followed by a lateralized classification task. Comparable typicality effects were found in both reaction time and accuracy across visual fields for both verbal and nonverbal categories. Both hemispheres appeared to use a similarity-to-prototype matching strategy in classification. This indicates that merely having a verbal label does not differentiate classification in the two hemispheres.     

Dialektisk beteendeterapi för suicidala borderline-kvinnor: En presentation

Abstract

Patients showing the features of Borderline Personality Disorder as defined in DSM-IV are notoriously difficult to treat. They are difficult to keep in therapy, frequently fail to respond to therapeutic efforts, and make considerable demands on the emotional resources of the therapist, particularly when suicidal and parasuicidal behaviors are prominent. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, (DBT) devised by Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington in Seattle, is an innovative method of treatment that has been developed specifically for this difficult group of patients. In the present paper, the theoretical grounds for DBT are summarized, as well as the treatment format and different treatment techniques. The empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the method, which has so far been demonstrated in a few controlled studies, is also summarized. Finally, there is a presentation of a research project led by Professor Marie Åsberg at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, where a group of female patients at high risk of suicide will be scientifically investigated and described. Besides this careful investigation, Otto Kernberg's treatment model (PDT), Marsha Linehan's treatment model (DBT) and treatment as usual (TAU) will be to be implemented and compared in a controlled treatment study for this group of patients.     

Wichtige Strömungen in der französischen Psychoanalyse

After describing the institutional development of French psychoanalysis, the author presents different important theories of selected individual psychoanalysts from the neighbouring country. Psychoanalysis could only slowly gain ground in France, much later than when the Freudian concepts were accepted in other European countries and the United States. The social and cultural reasons for this delay are pointed out. When Jacques Lacan introduced the technique of temporal variable sessions, severe institutional conflicts occurred, which led to a split in French psychoanalysis. The author tries to highlight the most important non-Lacanian developmental lines by presenting authors, such as Serge Viderman, Daniel Lagache, Serge Lebovici, Pierre Marty, René Diatkine, René Roussillon, André Green, Jean Laplanche and others.     

What is learned in knowledge-related categories? Evidence from typicality and feature frequency judgments

When a category’s features are tied together by integrative knowledge, subjects learn the category faster than when the features are not directly related. What do subjects learn about the category in such circumstances? Some research has suggested that the subjects can use the knowledge itself in performing the category learning task and, thus, do not learn the details of the category’s features. Two experiments investigated this hypothesis by collecting feature frequency estimates after category learning. The results showed that integrative knowledge about a category did not decrease subjects’ sensitivity to feature frequency—if anything, knowledge improved it. A third experiment found that integrative knowledge did reduce sensitivity to feature frequency in typicality ratings. The results suggest that knowledge does not inhibit the learning of detailed category information, though it may replace its use in some tasks.