Elaboration and intuitions of disagreement

Mark Richard argues for truth-relativism about claims made using gradable adjectives. He argues that truth-relativism is the best explanation of two kinds of linguistic data, which I call: true cross-contextual reports and infelicitous denials of conflict. Richard claims that such data are generated by an example that he discusses at length. However, the consensus is that these linguistic data are illusory because they vanish when elaborations are added to examples of the same kind as Richard’s original. In this paper I defend the reality of Richard’s data. I show that, in trying to make their point, Richard’s critics have focused upon examples that are similar in some respects to Richard’s original but which lack a crucial feature of that original. When we ensure that this feature is in place, elaborations which make the data vanish are not possible. Richard’s critics therefore fail to show that the data generated by Richard’s original example are illusory.     

Touching my face with my supernumerary hand: a cheeky illusion

A self-touch paradigm elicits a surprising illusion. With the participant's eyes closed, the examiner guides the participant's right index finger to administer strokes and taps to the right side of the participant's face. At the same time, the examiner strokes and taps the corresponding location on the left side of the participant's face. Although the participant administered touch to only the right side of the face, this paradigm elicited the illusion of self-touch to both sides of the face, and the illusion often implicated a third, disconnected or disembodied, hand. We propose an explanation, and draw parallels with the phenomenon of supernumerary phantom limb.     

Pain Catastrophizing and Functional Disability in Youth with Chronic Pain: An Examination of Indirect Effects

Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings - Pediatric pain conditions are not uncommon and may lead to functional disability. The purpose of this study is to examine indirect effects of...     

Measuring Associations of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Suicide Prevention Campaign on the Use of Crisis Support Services

Campaigns have become popular in public health approaches to suicide prevention; however, limited empirical investigation of their impact on behavior has been conducted. To address this gap, utilization patterns of crisis support services associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) suicide prevention campaign were examined. Daily call data for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, VCL, and 1‐800‐SUICIDE were modeled using a novel semi‐varying coefficient method. Analyses reveal significant increases in call volume to both targeted and broad resources during the campaign. Findings underscore the need for further research to refine measurement of the effects of these suicide prevention efforts.     

An examination of the impact of harsh parenting contexts on children's adaptation within an evolutionary framework

The current study tests whether propositions set forth in an evolutionary model of temperament (Korte, Koolhaas, Wingfield, & McEwen, 2005) may enhance our understanding of children's differential susceptibility to unsupportive and harsh caregiving practices. Guided by this model, we examined whether children's behavioral strategies for coping with threat and challenge cohered into 2 broad, phenotypic dimensions--hawk and dove--that have been maintained by frequency-dependent selection throughout our ancestral history: Hawk-like strategies are characterized by approach, dominant-negative affect, and activity, whereas dove-like strategies are evidenced by avoidance, inhibition, and vulnerable affect. In turn, we examined the moderating effect of hawk or dove profile membership on children's physiological and psychological adaptation to harsh rearing environments. Participants included 201 2-year-old toddlers and their mothers. Consistent with the Korte model, latent profile analyses extracted 2 profiles that cohered into hawk and dove strategies. Children were classified within hawk or dove profiles and separately examined in a process model of harsh caregiving. As predicted, associations between harsh caregiving practices and children's basal cortisol, parasympathetic nervous system, and sympathetic nervous system activity were moderated by profile membership. In turn, basal physiological levels were differentially predictive of children's psychological adaptation over time. Collectively, findings highlight the potential value of translating the study of evolutionary models to understanding developmental outcomes associated with harsh caregiving.