Face recognition: cognitive and computational processes. S. S. Rakover & B. Cahlon (eds). John Benjamins Publishing Co., Amsterdam,The Netherlands, 2001. ISBN 90 272 5151 7. Price EUR 55.00 (paperback)

An Erratum has been published for this article in Applied Cognitive Psychology 18(6) 2004, 787. No abstract     

Collective ideological work for an alternative to consumerism: How an intentional community balances ideals and practice

This paper extends the discussion on alternatives to consumerism by examining how consumers may distance themselves from the market by entering communal interdependency, aspiring to create alternative social structures and culture. We apply the lens of ideological work to analyse how an eco‐community in Turkey attempts to achieve a communally agreed ideal. A participatory ethnography allowed us to observe how this aspiring collective of individuals manage the tensions that arise between the variously derived ideals and the efforts to communally achieve the ideal. Specifically, our ethnography uncovers how aspirations for transformation from market dependence to communal interdependence are brought into existence through practical and symbolic ideological work. The paper presents the community members, their ideals and aspirations, and the community's activities. It discusses the challenges faced when the symbolism and practicalities of ideological work come together in quotidian life. The paper shows the role of ideological work in generating communally agreed alternatives to consumerism and in managing moral dilemmas.     

Does the presentation of multiple facial composites improve suspect identification?

Previous research that has evaluated the accuracy of facial composites has reported low identification rates. Two studies are reported here that consider whether showing more than one composite of the same suspect might improve the rate of identification. Sixteen participant‐witnesses saw one of two staged events, each involving a different unfamiliar target. Each participant‐witness worked with a police operator to construct a composite of the target they had seen. One, four or eight composites depicting the same target were then shown to individuals familiar with the target. Overall, the results showed that presenting more than one composite increased the rate of identification. In addition, the results of Study 2 suggest that if the police must select just one composite from a number produced by witnesses, then a promising method might be to choose the one which bears most similarity to the other composites in the set. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consumption of disposed goods for moral identities: a nexus of organization,place, things and consumers

• A complex intersection of a charity organization, a retail space, vintage fashion and the customers were investigated to better understand the effect of the re‐commodification of goods. The convivial retail space attracted customers through the promise of something special and different. Immersed in the space, customers' moral values aligned with a type of consumption that began with disposal. However, these consumers did not belong to a politically motivated collectivity but instead addressed personal moral identity projects. The organization achieved a moral layer to its identity through its interaction with the disposed of garments, but this moral intention was different from the customers. The charity retailer transformed discarded, donated goods through processes of selection and re‐presentation. It was a highly professionalized commercial outlet whose intention was to raise funds and to model ethical business practices. The retail setting was pivotal and extensive observation, visual and interview data were taken at the site. The analysis revealed that the customers espoused a view of anti‐consumption, which encompassed anti‐corporatism. At the centre of this nexus of practices were the garments which were disposed of through donation, re‐commodified by the charity organization for their specialized, immersive retail outlet and then purchased by consumers to address their individualized moral identity projects. It is concluded that all facets contributed to this nexus of disposal practices, although the garments had a significant linking and facilitating role to play, and that further investigation is required.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

'Not Empire, but Equality': Mary Wollstonecraft, the Marriage State and the Sexual Contract

Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Woman , first published in 1792, has proved a problematic 'classic text' for feminism. This paper focuses on the liberal concept of self-ownership to show how the Vindication both confronts and perpetuates the dilemmas of 'liberal feminism'. Self-ownership is not a term used by Wollstonecraft herself, but I make use of it in this paper because I believe it captures what she means by 'independence', arrived at by a combination of reflection, self-government and labour. It implies a natural right to resist oppression and arbitrary government and so reaches the heart of Wollstonecraft's argument against patriarchy as a particular form of arbitrary power. As Alan Ryan argues, 'each of us is obliged to obey the government so long as it upholds our natural rights, but if it violates them, we are not obliged to obey'. As a liberal concept, self-ownership is fraught with ambiguity for feminism. Donna Dickenson argues that it can be interpreted both as 'masculinist through and through' and as 'the essence of feminism'. Its very ambiguity makes it an appropriate conceptual lens through which to view Wollstonecraft's own contradictory arguments.     

Nonrelativist ethical standards for goal setting in psychotherapy

In this article, I discuss two principles that can be viewed as universally applicable in psychotherapy and counseling: respect for clients' welfare and respect for their self-determination. Consideration of the practical application of these principles leads to the formulation of a set of guidelines to aid therapists and counselors in making choices about instrumental and end goals. These guidelines are intended to be applicable regardless of the particular personal and cultural values of the therapist and client.     

When actions speak louder than words: improving children's flexibility in a card-sorting task

People often perseverate, or repeat habitual behaviors when they are no longer appropriate. For example, after sorting cards by one rule, children will reliably perseverate with this rule even when they are clearly and repeatedly instructed to switch to a new rule. Such perseveration may result from limitations in working memory abilities for holding instructions actively in mind. If so, children may switch more readily to a new rule following experiences that are less demanding on working memory, such as guided practice with the new rule. In a study testing this prediction, 3-year-old children received direct instructions to switch to a new rule, guided practice with the new rule, or both. Providing children with guided practice was much more effective than telling them what to do. These findings support theories of perseveration based on competing memory systems, challenge alternative theories, and suggest effective methods for countering prepotent behaviors.