Theory as a Tool in the Social Scientific Study of Religion and Martin Riesebrodt's The Promise of Salvation

No single paradigm or debate currently orients the social scientific study of religion. Because of this, those engaged in the multidisciplinary study of religion find that a public conversation is often difficult. In this article and the Forum it introduces, we explore Martin Riesebrodt's recently published book, The Promise of Salvation: A Theory of Religion. Responding to the inadequacies of secularization paradigms, rational choice models, and postmodern criticism, Riesebrodt proposes an approach that ideal‐typically reconstructs the subjective meanings of institutionalized religious practices (liturgies). These subjective meanings center on the prevention and management of crises—social, natural, and bodily—through appeal and access to superhuman powers. This pragmatic emphasis on the superhuman defines religion as a distinct sphere of social action transhistorically and transculturally. Riesebrodt's theory creates new analytical possibilities, especially for understanding the modern resurgence of religion under conditions of secularization.     

Existential Boundary Crossings: An Archival Exploration of Identity Projects in Nineteenth-Century American Parricides

As a domain of philosophical enquiry that examines what it means to be, existentialism is a moral project that is centered on the self. While a few have applied the precepts of existentialism to the philosophical implications of homicide offenders, one question that has been overlooked in previous literature is ‘what is the offspring attempting to do by killing his/her parent(s)’? Using historical work on nineteenth century parricides in America, this paper examines parricide as an identity project.     

Emotion and appraisal: A study using ecological momentary assessment

This study employed Ecological Momentary Assessment to test predictions from appraisal theories of emotion about the relationships between emotions and appraisals, using a sample of police officers from Singapore. Strong support was obtained for the predictions, thus demonstrating ecological validity of appraisal theories while circumventing shortcomings of previously used methods in appraisal studies. The results also indicate that the emotions were accounted for by specific configurations of appraisals over and above those accounted for by individual constituent appraisals.     

An economic perspective on the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory postulates personality factors of ‘reward sensitivity’ and ‘punishment sensitivity’ linked to neural systems that control approach and avoidance, respectively. In contrast, behavioural economics distinguishes gain (‘reward’) and loss (‘punishment’) valuation systems that are orthogonal to approach/avoidance behaviour. We combined gain and loss with both their presentation and omission and found evidence for separate gain valuation, loss valuation, approach, and avoidance systems. This suggests that it is possible to integrate valuation/input and behaviour/output views of ‘reward’ and ‘punishment’ in a way that may be of use to both personality theory and economics and so forge closer links between these two major perspectives on decision-making and behaviour.     

延迟时间与反应设置对任务切换的影响

采用任务线索范式,探讨了在不同反应设置条件下,延迟时间对任务切换的影响,以揭示在延迟时间内之前任务设置延迟的认知加工。以切换代价为主要测量指标,结果表明,反应设置和延迟时间的主效应均不显著,但是二者的交互作用显著。简单效应分析发现,在双向设置条件下,切换代价随着延迟时间的延长而显著减少,但是在单向设置条件下无显著差异。这说明,在任务切换中反应设置对延迟时间的影响效应具有调节作用。由此可见,在延迟时间内之前任务设置延迟的是反应设置。     

临床隐私保护的案例分析

通过明确医疗活动中病人隐私权的涵义,结合案例,分析新形势下医疗活动中医院、医务人员应如何保护病人的隐私,防止病人隐私权受到侵犯.     

Correlates of Academic Procrastination and Students’ Grade Goals

This study examined correlates of academic procrastination and students’ grade goals in a sample of 226 undergraduates from Singapore. Findings indicated that self-efficacy for self-regulated learning was significantly and negatively related to procrastination. High self-efficacy for self-regulated learning also predicted students’ expectations of doing well and low self-efficacy for self-regulated learning predicted students’ expectations of not doing well academically. Additionally, help-seeking predicted students’ expectations of doing well academically while academic stress predicted students’ expectations of not doing well academically. Implications for education and educational practice were discussed. This project was partially supported by the Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) program from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.     

青少年科学创造力测验的编制

基于科学创造力的结构模型、青少年科学创造力的表现及托兰斯的创造性测验,编制了青少年科学创造力测验,并用该测验施测于英国的1087名中学生和中国的1087名中学生,结果表明:(1)《青少年科学创造力测验》具有较高的信度,Cronbachα系数、评分者信度、重测信度均达到心理测验学要求的水平;(2)《青少年科学创造力测验》具有较高的结构效度。