Adolescents' Contributions to Family Communication Patterns

Early explications of family communication patterns (FCP) suggested that a family's communication pattern arises as a result of interactions in which parents and adolescents influence each other. In contrast, empirical research usually treats FCP as parent‐imposed norms that influence socialization outcomes in adolescents, without testing whether adolescents' socialization influences FCP. This study revisits the assumption that adolescents influence FCP, using data from a longitudinal quasi‐experimental evaluation of a school‐based civics curriculum intervention (N = 313 parent‐adolescent pairs). Results show that the intervention‐stimulated adolescents to initiate discussion of politics at home and that these adolescent‐initiated discussions influenced adolescents' and parents' perceptions of FCP 6 months later.     

ARGUMENT TO BLISS: THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE SUMMA THEOLOGIAE

The essay examines intellectual virtue in the Summa theologiae, taking it as an interpretative key to the epistemology of the Summa theologiae as a whole. Because Aquinas blurs the line between the acquired and the theological virtues, and between virtues and the gifts of the Spirit, it becomes impossible to maintain the distinction between the realms of nature and grace, or between natural reason and revealed truth: grace permeates the most ordinary activities of human reasoning. This reading of the Summa theologiae raises questions about many contemporary debates, particularly those concerning natural law.     

Differential effects of prime-probe duration on positive and negative location priming: Evidence for opponent facilitatory and inhibitory influences in priming tasks

A series of four spatial localization experiments is reported that examined the effects of display duration and presentation mode on positive and negative priming using an attended-repetition and an ignored-repetition paradigm, respectively. Experiment 1 showed larger positive priming with response-dependent than with 150 ms display durations while negative priming remained unaffected. Experiments 2-4 were performed to further elucidate the effects of prime-probe durations. Data suggest largely independent effects of prime and probe duration on priming effects. Manipulation of prime duration affected facilitation due to repetition of the prime distractor location as well as inhibitory effects associated with ignored repetition. Furthermore, anticipated probe duration modulated the effectiveness of inhibition of return. Findings are discussed within a framework proposing two major components of priming effects—a stimulus-driven or automatic component, and a strategic component related to the participant's expectations towards the probe.