Default Probability

A probability may be called “default” if it is neither derived from preestablished probabilities nor based on considerations of frequency or symmetry. Default probabilities presumably arise through reasoning based on causality and similarity. This article advances a model of default probability based on a featural approach to similarity. The accuracy of the model is assessed by comparing its predictions to the probabilities provided by undergraduates asked to reason about mammals.     

Descartes' Quantity of Motion: 'New Age' Holism Meets the Cartesian Conservation Principle

This essay explores various problematical aspects of Descartes' conservation principle for the quantity of motion (size 3 speed), particularly its largely neglected dual role as a measure of both durational motion and instantaneous tendencies towards motion. Overall, an underlying non-local, or holistic, element of quantity of motion (largely derived from his statics) will be revealed as central to a full understanding of the conservation principle's conceptual development and intended operation; and this insight can be of use in responding to some of the recent and traditional criticisms of Descartes' physics.     

Interventions With Juvenile Offenders: Strategies to Prevent Acting Out Behavior

In this article Moral Dilemma Discussion Groups, Just Communities, Positive Peer Culture and the EQUIP program are reviewed for their appropriateness for intervening with juvenile offenders in residential settings. The suitability of these interventions for diverse populations is also examined.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Emotion‐Focused Coping Among Disaster Mental Health Counselors

The authors surveyed 235 disaster mental health counselors (DMHCs) for levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. A correlational design was used to examine the roles of adult attachment security, emotion regulation, and mindfulness in predicting PTSD symptoms among this group. Each of the 3 predictors was negatively correlated with PTSD symptom severity, and data supported a mediating role for emotion regulation. Results may inform DMHCs, other counselors, and individuals who train or deploy DMHCs.