Modal structuralism simplified

Since Benacerraf’s ‘What Numbers Could Not Be,’ there has been a growing interest in mathematical structuralism. An influential form of mathematical structuralism, modal structuralism, uses logical possibility and second order logic to provide paraphrases of mathematical statements which don’t quantify over mathematical objects. These modal structuralist paraphrases are a useful tool for nominalists and realists alike. But their use of second order logic and quantification into the logical possibility operator raises concerns. In this paper, I show that the work of both these elements can be done by a single natural generalization of the logical possibility operator.     

Gender and gender role differences in student–teachers’ commitment to teaching

Low commitment to teaching amongst teachers is a problem facing the teaching profession in many countries. Gender might be an important factor in explaining what kinds of prospective teachers are attracted to teaching. This empirical study examined the relationship between student–teachers’ gender, gender roles and commitment to teaching within the context of a large, university-based teacher education program in Tanzania. A self-report questionnaire was administered, comprising commitment to teaching items, gender as a demographic variable and items from Bem sex role inventory (BSRI). Cluster analysis on the masculine and feminine scale of the BSRI indicated three clusters: (1) highly androgynous students with high scores on both masculine and feminine scales, (2) medium androgynous students with relatively high scores on both masculine and feminine scales, and (3) low androgynous students with low scores in relation to the other two groups on both masculine and feminine scales of the BSRI. More female than male student–teachers reported to be highly androgynous. Covariance analysis showed that gender roles were significantly related to commitment to teaching and to intention to enter the teaching profession. Highly androgynous student–teachers reported significantly more commitment to teaching and higher intentions to enter the teaching profession compared to medium and low androgynous student–teachers. No significant relationships were found between gender, on the one hand, and commitment to teaching and the intention to enter the teaching profession, on the other hand. Findings are discussed in the context of teacher and teacher education in Tanzania.     

Working Hours and Life Satisfaction: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Latin America and the United States

This paper compares the life satisfaction and working hours of Latin Americans and U.S. Americans using the AmericasBarometer and General Social Survey. While there are many common determinants of happiness, hours worked is not among them. Differences in cultural values, especially the distinction between collectivism (familism) and individualism that has long been a foundation of social development theory, may be why married Latin American males are less happy than married U.S. American males when working longer hours. The distinction is not apparent among females or the unmarried.     

Trajectories of Happiness 5 Years Following Medical Discharge for Traumatic Disability: Differences Between Insider and Outsider Perspectives

We studied the predictive impact of proxy “outsider” reports, injury type, and functional independence on trajectories of happiness over the first 5 years following medical treatment for a traumatic spinal cord injury, brain injury, severe burns or inter-articular fractures (total N = 1,271). It was anticipated that lower functional independence and outsider status would predict lower happiness trajectories, with injury type having little effect over time. A measure of functional impairment and the life satisfaction index containing the items that assessed happiness were administered 12, 24, 48, and 60 months post-discharge. Trajectory modeling revealed that lower functional independence significantly predicted lower happiness, regardless of injury type. Outsider reports predicted significantly higher happiness scores than the insiders reported themselves. These differences persisted across time and injury type. Additional analyses found that insider/outsider status accounted for one percent of the variance in happiness scores and functional independence accounted for twenty percent of the variance. Moreover, for all injury groups, there was no evidence for changes in happiness trajectories over time. Outsider accounts differ significantly from insider estimations of variables of positive adjustment accounts but explain little variation in the reports of happiness overall and still have practical and clinical value as secondary sources of information about positive emotional experiences, particularly when reports from the “insider” are not possible.     

Nonasymptotic significance tests for two measures of agreement.

The kappa agreement coefficient of Cohen from 1960 and Brennan and Prediger from 1981 are defined and compared. A FORTRAN program is described that computes Cohen's kappa and Brennan and Prediger's kappa and their associated probability values based on Monte Carlo resampling and the binomial distribution, respectively.     

Why egalitarianism might be good for your health: physiological thriving during stressful intergroup encounters

We compared how evaluations by out-group members and evaluations by in-group members affected participants' stress responses--their neuroendocrine reactivity, cognitive appraisals, and observed anxiety--and how participants' implicit racial bias moderated these responses. Specifically, White participants completed measures of racial bias prior to the experiment. During the experiment, participants performed speech and serial subtraction tasks in front of White or Black interviewers. Several saliva samples were obtained, and they were assayed for catabolic ("breaking down") and anabolic ("building up") hormones. Interviewers' race and participants' racial bias interacted in predicting stress responses. When interviewers were Black, lower racial bias was linked with more salutary stress responses: lower threat appraisals, less anxiety, and increased levels of anabolic hormones. When interviewers were White, no effect was found for threat appraisals or anabolic hormones, and the reverse effect was observed for anxiety. Egalitarianism may have physical and psychological benefits for people living in a diverse society.     

Two-sample multivariate similarity permutation comparison

A multivariate permutation test of similarity between two populations with corresponding unordered disjoint categories is described. The test statistic, resampling probability value, and measure of effect size are described.     

A note on permutation tests of significance for multiple regression coefficients

In the vast majority of psychological research utilizing multiple regression analysis, asymptotic probability values are reported. This paper demonstrates that asymptotic estimates of standard errors provided by multiple regression are not always accurate. A resampling permutation procedure is used to estimate the standard errors. In some cases the results differ substantially from the traditional least squares regression estimates.     

Translating Empirically Supported Strategies Into Accessible Interventions: The Potential Utility of Exercise for the Treatment of Panic Disorder

Many patients suffering from panic disorder do not receive adequate care. Advances in the conceptualization and treatment of panic disorder encourage innovative strategies for targeting core fears (fears of anxiety sensations) that underlie this disorder. In this article, we discuss the use of exercise as a potential strategy for therapeutic exposure to these feared sensations, and the role that exercise may play as an acceptable intervention to aid the dissemination of exposure-based approaches to the treatment of panic disorder. Evidence for the efficacy of exercise for the treatment of anxiety and panic is presented; along with strategies to enhance the role exercise can play as an interoceptive (internal sensation) exposure procedure. Finally, issues of comorbidity and exercise acceptability are discussed. Our conclusion is that exercise-based interventions are promising strategies for improving the utilization of exposure-based interventions for panic disorder. Clinical guidelines and future research directions are discussed.     

Comparison of delay discounting of different outcomes in cigarette smokers,smokeless tobacco users,e-cigarette users,and non-tobacco users

Delay discounting is the process by which a commodity loses value as the delay to its receipt increases. Rapid discounting predicts various maladaptive behaviors including tobacco use. Typically, delay discounting of different outcomes has been compared between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. To better understand the relationship of delay discounting to different modes of tobacco use, we examined the differences in delay discounting of different outcomes between cigarette smokers, smokeless tobacco users, e-cigarette users, and non-tobacco users. In the present study, all participants completed 8 titrating delay-discounting tasks: $100 gain, $500 gain, $500 loss, alcohol, entertainment, food, a temporary health gain, and a temporary cure from a disease. Non-tobacco users discounted most outcomes less than tobacco users overall; however, there were no differences in discounting among the different types of tobacco users. These results suggest that nicotine consumption of any kind is associated with a higher degree of impulsivity compared to non-tobacco users. Adoption of tobacco products that have been perceived as less harmful (e.g., e-cigarettes) is not associated with a baseline difference or decrease in delay discounting if adopted after a history of cigarette use.