Names Introduced with the Help of Unsatisfied Sortal Predicates: Reply to Aranyosi

In this paper I answer Aranyosi’s (Axiomathes 19(2):223–224, 2009) criticism of my “Is Phosphorus Hesperus?” (Axiomathes 19(1):101–102, 2009).     

Is Event-Based Prospective Memory Resistant to Proactive Interference?

Proactive interference builds up rapidly in recall with the presentation of successive lists comprising items from a single category (e.g., animals). In two experiments, we used a similar build-up paradigm in prospective memory. Interestingly, in Experiment 1, there was no evidence of proactive interference in prospective memory, although build-up emerged in a similar recall task. In Experiment 2, by also showing proactive interference build-up in a recognition task analogous to our prospective memory task, we ruled out the possibility that it was the recognition processes inherent in the prospective memory task that might make the task easier and prevent proactive interference. We suggest that, under normal conditions, prospective memory is resistant to build-up of proactive interference and propose that this resistance is a function of the strengthening afforded by a cue-to-intention association that is a part of prospective memory tasks. We discuss the finding using the classical paired-associate learning framework.     

Attribution of intentionality as a function of age,outcome quality and affect for the actor

Studied the degree to which 40 children (half boys, half girls) in each of three age groups of 5–6, 7–8 and 9–10 years would be affected by the qualities of the actors and the outcomes in perceiving certain acts as either intentional or accidental. Each subject was randomly assigned to either the liked-actor or the disliked-actor conditions and was then administered both the good- and the bad-outcome stories, represented by pictures. Upon listening to each story in which the motivation of the actor was left ambiguous, the subject was asked to specify whether the act was meant to be done or not. The results indicate that in general all children showed a significant tendency to interpret a bad outcome caused by a liked actor as being accidental and that caused by a disliked actor as being intentional; conversely, when the outcome was good, the behavior of the disliked actor was interpreted as being accidental and that of the liked one as being intentional. Although there were no age differences within the experimental conditions, differences were observed between the conditions for different age groups. In general a developmental lag was revealed in the attributive behavior with respect to the disliked-actor condition. One important implication of the study is that children by 5 years of age seem to have learned the evaluative difference between causing something intentionally or accidentally, depending on the outcome quality. The results were interpreted in terms of Heider's ‘balance principles’ which were suggested to serve as a vehicle for making causal inferences.     

Gender Inequality in Europe and the Life Satisfaction of Working and Non-working Women

Empirical analysis of data drawn from the European Social Survey reveals that—after individual characteristics are controlled for—women engaging in market work and housework have similar life satisfaction levels. Complementing the micro-level data from the survey with country-level variables, namely GDP per capita and gender inequality (measured by the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, GGGI), we estimate a multilevel regression model to shed light on the contextual factors of the life satisfaction of women in Europe. We find that working women’s well-being relative to housewives is greater in countries where the GGGI indicates a smaller gender gap, i.e. where women are in a better position in terms of equality with men in the public domains. We interpret this finding to mean that the so-called ‘paradox of declining female happiness’ is in part due to persistent gender roles which appear to have a larger impact on the well-being of working women.     

Motion, not masking, provides the medium for feature attribution

ABSTRACT— Understanding the dynamics of how separate features combine to form holistic object representations is a central problem in visual cognition. Feature attribution (also known as feature transposition and feature inheritance) refers to the later of two stimuli expressing the features belonging to the earlier one. Both visual masking and apparent motion are implicated in feature attribution. We found that when apparent motion occurs without masking, it correlates positively with feature attribution. Moreover, when apparent motion occurs with masking, feature attribution remains positively correlated with apparent motion after the contribution of masking is factored out, but does not correlate with masking after the contribution of apparent motion is similarly factored out. Hence, motion processes on their own provide the effective medium for feature attribution. Our results clarify the dynamics of feature binding in the formation of integral and unitary object representations in human vision.     

The role of personality factors in predicting the reported physical health symptoms of Turkish college students

This study investigates the role of optimism, health control beliefs, perceived health competence, and medical help-seeking variables in predicting the frequency of reported physical symptoms. A total of 345 college students (207 male and 138 female) were presented with the Life Orientation Test, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, Perceived Health Competence Scale, and Physical Symptom Checklist. Separate stepwise multiple regression analyses were applied to the data obtained from males, females, and the total group of students. Results showed that optimism, medical help seeking, chance health locus of control, and internal health locus of control predicted the reported physical symptom scores of the total sample. Also revealed were the different patterns for males and females. While optimism and internal health locus of control best predicted physical health for males, optimism and chance health locus of control best predicted the physical health symptoms of females.     

Familiarity,relative distinctiveness,and the generation effect

In Experiment 1, psychology experts and novices showed generation effects with both psychology related and other words. In Experiment 2, music experts who were sports novices and sports experts who were music novices showed a generation effect in a recognition test for all words regardless of domain (music or sports). Moreover, the effect was greater for words from the subjects’ “nonexpertise” area. In Experiments 3A and 3B, music experts showed a greater generation effect for sports words than for music words in a free recall test but only when the sports and music words were studied together. These results are inconsistent with the semantic elaboration -requirement for the generation effect that predicts less of an effect, if any, with less familiar materials. Rather, they provide evidence for the idea that the generation effect is influenced by relative distinctiveness of the to-be-remembered items.     

Therapeutic Effects of Islamic Intercessory Prayer on Warts

The present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of Islamic intercessory prayer on warts. Forty-five participants who are mostly Muslims and infected with warts were randomized into three groups: Group-1 (uncertain, with intercessory prayer), Group-2 (uncertain, no intercessory prayer), and control group (informed, no intervention). Stress symptoms were also measured before and after prayer sessions for these three groups. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of healing. Although participants believed in the therapeutic effects of prayer, when participants did not trust the intercessor, prayer had no effect on warts.     

The Reliability and Validity of Prostate Cancer Fatalism Inventory in Turkish Language

This study aimed to conduct the reliability and validity study of the Prostate Cancer Fatalism Inventory in Turkish language. The study carried out in methodological type and consisted of 171 men. The ages of the participants ranged between 40 and 82. The content validity index was determined to be 0.80, Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value 0.825, Bartlett’s test X ² = 750.779 and p = 0.000. Then the principal component analysis was applied to the 15-item inventory. The inventory consisted of one dimension, and the load factors were over 0.30 for all items. The explained variance of the inventory was found 33.3 %. The Kuder–Richardson-20 coefficient was determined to be 0.849 and the item-total correlations ranged between 0.335 and 0.627. The Prostate Cancer Fatalism Inventory was a reliable and valid measurement tool in Turkish language. Integrating psychological strategies for prostate cancer screening may be required to strengthen the positive effects of nursing education.     

Relationship of seat belt use to health and driver behaviors

Seat belts are effective safety devices for protecting car occupants from injuries and fatalities in road vehicle accidents. Seat belt use has been reported to be related to some health and driving-related behaviors. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what degree seat belt use can be seen as health behavior or driver behavior. Participants were 252 licensed Turkish drivers (180 males, 72 females) with the mean age of 30.8 (SD = 12.15). A questionnaire including questions related to health-related behaviors, driver behaviors and seat belt use was used. Results of factor analysis showed that seat belt use in front seat grouped with driver behaviors (e.g., driving errors and violations) but not with health-related behaviors (e.g., healthy diet and sports participation). Regression analyses showed that seat belt use in back seat; and, regular walking and adequate sleep were positively related to seat belt use in front seat, whereas being male, driving errors and smoking frequency were negatively related to seat belt use in front seat. The present findings suggest that seat belt use can be considered in the context of driver behaviors such as driving errors and violations.