A New Solution to Moore's Paradox

Moore's paradox pits our intuitions about semantic oddnessagainst the concept of truth-functional consistency. Most solutions tothe problem proceed by explaining away our intuitions. But``consistency' is a theory-laden concept, having different contours indifferent semantic theories. Truth-functional consistency is appropriateonly if the semantic theory we are using identifies meaning withtruth-conditions. I argue that such a framework is not appropriate whenit comes to analzying epistemic modality. I show that a theory whichaccounts for a wide variety of semantic data about epistemic modals(Update Semantics) buys us a solution to Moore's paradox as a corollary.It turns out that Moorean propositions, when looked at through the lenseof an appropriate semantic theory, are inconsistent after all.     

Spatial-frequency-contingent color aftereffects: Adaptation with two-dimensional stimulus patterns

The spatial-frequency theory of vision has been supported by adaptation studies using checkerboards in which contingent color aftereffects (CAEs) were produced at fundamental frequencies oriented at 45\dg to the edges. A replication of this study failed to produce CAEs at the orientation of either the edges or the fundamentals. Using a computer-generated display, no CAEs were produced by adaptation of a square or an oblique checkerboard. But when one type of checkerboard (4 cpd) was adapted alone, CAEs were produced on the adapted checkerboard and on sine-wave gratings aligned with the fundamental and third harmonics of the checkerboard spectrum. Adaptation of a coarser checkerboard (0.80 cpd) produced CAEs aligned with both the edges and the harmonic frequencies. With checkerboards of both frequencies, CAEs were also found on the other type of checkerboard that had not been adapted. This observation raises problems for any edge-detector theory of vision, because there was no adaptation to edges. It was concluded that spatial-frequency mechanisms are operating at both low- and high-spatial frequencies and that an edge mechanism is operative at lower frequencies. The implications of these results are assessed for other theories of spatial vision.     

The influence of spectral composition of complex tones and of musical experience on the perceptibility of virtual pitch

A matching paradigm was used to evaluate the influence of the spectral characteristics number, relative height, and density of harmonics on the perceptibility of the missing fundamental. Fifty-eight musicians and 58 nonmusicians were instructed to adjust mistuned sinusoids to the subjectively perceived fundamental pitches of corresponding overtone spectra. Analyses of variance were used to compare the average of absolute and relative deviations of the tunings from the highest common divisors of the complex tones. The results indicate that musical experience is the most influential single factor determining the assessment of fundamental pitch. Nevertheless, all spectral parameters significantly affect tuning performance. Systematic relative deviations (stretching/compression effects) were observed for all considered variables. An increase of the optimum subjective distance between an overtone spectrum and its corresponding fundamental was characteristic of musicians and unambiguous spectra, whereas the compression effect was typical of nonmusicians and complex tones containing spectral gaps.     

A reanalysis of Lord’s statistical treatment of football numbers

Stevens’ theory of admissible statistics [Stevens, S. S. (1946). On the theory of scales of measurement. Science, 103, 677680] states that measurement levels should guide the choice of statistical test, such that the truth value of statements based on a statistical analysis remains invariant under admissible transformations of the data. Lord [Lord, F. M. (1953). On the statistical treatment of football numbers. American Psychologist, 8, 750-751] challenged this theory. In a thought experiment, a parametric test is performed on football numbers (identifying players: a nominal representation) to decide whether a sample from the machine issuing these numbers should be considered non-random. This is an apparently illegal test, since its outcomes are not invariant under admissible transformations for the nominal measurement level. Nevertheless, it results in a sensible conclusion: the number-issuing machine was tampered with. In the ensuing measurement-statistics debate Lord’s contribution has been influential, but has also led to much confusion. The present aim is to show that the thought experiment contains a serious flaw. First it is shown that the implicit assumption that the numbers are nominal is false. This disqualifies Lord’s argument as a valid counterexample to Stevens’ dictum. Second, it is argued that the football numbers do not represent just the nominal property of non-identity of the players; they also represent the amount of bias in the machine. It is a question about this property-not a property that relates to the identity of the football players-that the statistical test is concerned with. Therefore, only this property is relevant to Lord’s argument. We argue that the level of bias in the machine, indicated by the population mean, conforms to a bisymmetric structure, which means that it lies on an interval scale. In this light, Lord’s thought experiment-interpreted by many as a problematic counterexample to Stevens’ theory of admissible statistics-conforms perfectly to Stevens’ dictum.     

Accidents,aberrant behaviours,and speeding of young moped riders

Moped riders, particularly youngsters, are amongst the highest risk group in traffic. We used an adapted version of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire to examine why moped riders are often involved in traffic accidents. We conducted a questionnaire study among 146 young moped riders in the Netherlands. We found that aberrant behaviour of moped riders can indeed be classified as errors, lapses, and violations. Accidents involvement appeared not to be significantly related to errors, lapses, and violations. As hypothesised, moped riders were more likely to speed, and had a stronger intention to disobey speed limits when they have a positive attitude towards speeding, and when they think that others expect them to speed. Perceived control did not affect self-reported speeding and intention to speed. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study.     

Mathematics instruction in Head Start: Nature,extent, and contributions to children's learning

This study employed the most recent (2006) cohort of the nationally representative Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) to explore the nature of mathematics instruction in Head Start and the child, family, and teacher factors that contribute to children's mathematics learning over the preschool year. In total, 2501 preschoolers and their families, as well as their teachers (n = 335), participated in the study from fall 2006 to spring 2007. Results showed that teachers reported frequent mathematics instruction, although direct observations did not entirely confirm this frequency. A variety of factors predicted children's mathematics knowledge at Head Start entry, and several – including instructional quality – were linked to learning over time. No thresholds in instructional quality emerged. Overall, this study provides new information about classroom mathematics instruction and child learning among the nation's most vulnerable early learners.     

Mary – ‘Mother of the Church’: challenging conciliar ecclesiology

On 21 November 1964, at the end of the third session of the Second Vatican Council, the Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium (LG), was solemnly adopted together with its final chapter on Mary. Simultaneously, Pope Paul VI proclaimed the Marian title Mater Ecclesiae. This article will both review the Council’s debate and identify the specifics of the title Mater Ecclesiae. The Council had rejected the idea of awarding this title to Mary, even though chapter VIII of Lumen Gentium mentions her ‘function as mother’ (LG 60). In proclaiming this title, Paul VI did not follow the Council, which had located Mary within the Church. The question therefore arises as to whether Mary, as the ‘Mother of the Church’, is now placed outside the Church.