Acting and Believing Under the Guise of Normative Reasons

In this paper, I defend an account of the reasons for which we act, believe, and so on for any Ф such that there can be reasons for which we Ф. Such reasons are standardly called motivating reasons. I argue that three dominant views of motivating reasons (psychologism, factualism and disjunctivism) all fail to capture the ordinary concept of a motivating reason. I show this by drawing out three constraints on what motivating reasons must be, and demonstrating how each view fails to satisfy at least one of these constraints. I then propose and defend my own account of motivating reasons, which I call the Guise of Normative Reasons Account. On the account I defend, motivating reasons are propositions. A proposition is the reason for which someone Ф‐s when (a) she represents that proposition as a normative reason to Ф, and (b) her representation explains, in the right way, her Ф‐ing. As I argue, the Guise of Normative Reasons Account satisfies all three constraints on what motivating reasons must be, and weathers several objections that might be leveled against propositionalist views.     

Revisiting Ego Depletion: Moderators and Measurement

We developed and validated two web-based tasks to induce and measure ego depletion in two online experiments (N?=?122 and N?=?788). Ego depletion describes the phenomenon that exerting self-control temporarily reduces people’s capacity to subsequently control themselves. To induce ego depletion, we adapted the e-crossing task, and to measure ego depletion, we adapted the color Stroop task. We successfully induced ego depletion. Participants’ implicit theories about willpower as well as their mood moderated ego depletion. We also discuss several methodological issues and compare different approaches of measuring ego depletion using aggregated reaction times.     

Bedroom design and decoration: gender differences in preference and activity

This investigation examined gender differences in niche-building preference and activity among 238 8th and 9th grade boys and girls. A questionnaire was developed to measure both the actual and preferred bedroom content, bedroom design activity, and the level of perceived influence by the immediate and extended family, friends, and social institutions. Gender differences were identified for preference, activity, and influence in bedroom design and decoration. Girls and boys differed in the type of items contained in their bedrooms. Girls' rooms contained stuffed animals and pictures of people, including themselves, more frequently than the boys' rooms. In contrast, boys' rooms contained sports-related items, and things for building or that they had built themselves. Although bedroom design activity for both boys and girls was influenced by older teens, friends, media, and popular culture, boys (but not girls) were also influenced by their mothers, fathers, girlfriends, and activities such as sports, Boy or Girl Scouts, and music lessons.     

Promoting foot–leg movements in children with multiple disabilities through the use of support devices and technology for regulating contingent stimulation

The present study assessed the possibility of promoting pre-ambulatory foot–leg movements in children with multiple disabilities by motivating their action through contingent stimulation combined with a support device. Two children aged 10 and 8 years participated. Microswitch technology (i.e., pressure sensors under the shoes or optic sensors at the front–inner side of the shoes) served for detecting the foot–leg movements and providing contingent stimulation on their occurrence. Sensor activation produced 5 s of stimulation during intervention. Data showed that both children had significant increases in foot–leg movements during the intervention phases. Implications of the data in terms of skill acquisition and further intervention prospects are discussed.     

Promoting adaptive foot movements and reducing hand mouthing and eye poking in a boy with multiple disabilities through microswitch technology

This study assessed the viability of a microswitch cluster (i.e. a combination of microswitches) plus contingent stimulation for promoting adaptive responding and reducing aberrant behavior in a boy with profound multiple disabilities. The boy was initially taught an adaptive foot-movement response that activated a motion microswitch and produced preferred stimuli. Subsequently, his foot response led to preferred stimuli only if it occurred in the absence of aberrant behavior (i.e. hand mouthing and eye poking which were detected through optic microswitches). Moreover, full access to the stimuli required that the boy refrain from aberrant behavior during their presentation as well. The study also included a 3-month post-intervention check and a social validation assessment. Data showed that the boy (i) increased his adaptive responding, (ii) learned to perform this responding largely free from aberrant behavior and refrained from that behavior for most of the session time, and (iii) maintained this performance at the post-intervention check. The social validation ratings of 40 teachers and teacher assistants significantly favored the last intervention period (in which aberrant behavior was reduced) over the initial period.     

Legal abortion worldwide: incidence and recent trends

CONTEXT: Information on abortion levels and trends can inform research and policies affecting maternal and reproductive health, but the incidence of legal abortion has not been assessed in nearly a decade. METHODS: Statistics on legal abortions in 2003 were compiled for 60 countries in which the procedure is broadly legal, and trends were assessed where possible. Data sources included published and unpublished reports from official national reporting systems, questionnaires sent to government agencies and nationally representative population surveys. The completeness of country estimates was assessed by officials involved in data collection and by in-country and regional experts. RESULTS: In recent years, more countries experienced a decline in legal abortion rates than an increase, among those for which statistics are complete and trend data are available. The most dramatic declines were in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where rates remained among the highest in the world. The highest estimated levels were in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, where surveys indicate that women will have close to three abortions each on average in their lifetimes. The U.S. abortion rate dropped by 8% between 1996 and 2003, but remained higher than rates in many Northern and Western European countries. Rates increased in the Netherlands and New Zealand. The official abortion rate declined by 21% over seven years in China, which accounted for a third of the world's legal abortions in 1996. Trends in the abortion rate differed across age-groups in some countries. CONCLUSIONS: The abortion rate varies widely across the countries in which legal abortion is generally available and has declined in many countries since the mid-1990s.     

Assessing a new response-microswitch combination with a boy with minimal motor behavior

This study assessed whether a boy with profound multiple disabilities and minimal motor behavior could learn to use a new response-microswitch combination to control environmental stimulation. The response selected was a chin movement; a mechanical microswitch was set up for this response. The boy learned to use the microswitch, increasing the frequency of the chin response and the level of pleasant stimulation following such response. The performance was retained at a 2-mo. post-intervention check.     

Technological aids to promote basic developmental achievements by children with multiple disabilities: evaluation of two cases

Technological aids such as microswitches may be critical to foster learning and development in children with multiple disabilities. In study I, a child with minimal motor behavior was provided with a microswitch for chin movements to assess whether he could learn to use these movements to activate environmental stimuli. In study II, a child with dystonic (difficult-to-control) behavior was provided with microswitches for two motor responses and two vocal utterances. We wanted to assess whether he could use both types of responses effectively (varying within each pair, consistent with choice performance). The results were highly encouraging with both children. In study I, there was a significant increase in the childs responding, suggesting learning and contingency awareness. In study II, there was a significant increase in responding as well as response variation that suggested choice behavior. The importance of microswitch devices in promoting new learning/developmental objectives and improving quality of life is discussed.