Explanatory Roles for Minimal Content

A standard objection to so‐called ‘minimal semantics’ (Borg 2004, 2012, Cappelen and Lepore 2005) is that minimal contents are explanatorily redundant as they play no role in an adequate account of linguistic communication (those making this objection include Levinson 2000, Carston 2002, Recanati 2004). This paper argues that this standard objection is mistaken. Furthermore, I argue that seeing why the objection is mistaken sheds light both on how we should draw the classic Gricean distinction between saying and implicating, and how we should think about the key philosophical notion of assertion. Specifically, it reveals that these ideas are best understood primarily in socio‐linguistic terms (resting on the degree of liability a speaker is held to have for linguistically conveyed content).     

Field dependence in relation to alcohol consumption: a co-twin control study.

20 male, alcohol-discordant twin pairs, aged 45 to 65 yr. were compared for field-dependent cognitive style and general intelligence by means of one-sample t and multivariate Td2-tests. The high alcohol group was more field-dependent (p less than .01) than the low alcohol group, mainly because of poorer scores on the Embedded-figures Test. When general intelligence was controlled for, the amount of embedded-figures variance accounted for by consumption of alcohol dropped considerably.     

The eukolos-dyskolos dimension: locus of control and personal satisfaction

It is first asked how Hofst?tter's (1986) personality dimension dyskolos-eukolos could be validated without directly using self-assessments of subjective well-being. It is argued that internal and external locus-of-control beliefs could be tied to this construct. A study with 264 respondents shows that internal beliefs lead to well-being ratings that are higher in every life aspect than those associated with ratings of external beliefs. The effects are only marginally greater for control beliefs directly related to the different life aspects. It is hypothesized that internal control beliefs and high satisfaction are both generated by experiences of behavior that is both successful and causally self-attributed.     

Young People,Sexuality, and HIV Prevention Within Christian Faith Communities in South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Faith communities exert a powerful influence on the life of their members, and studies are needed about how they may be able to influence young people’s attitudes regarding sexuality and HIV prevention. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from young people (811), aged 15–24 years, affiliated to the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and the Assemblies of God. The majority of participants perceived themselves at risk of HIV infection (53 %). Premarital sexual abstinence was the most frequently (88 %) reported prevention message, followed by faithfulness (23 %), HIV testing (18 %) and condom use (17 %). Furthermore, religious affiliation was associated with education on sexuality and HIV in youth groups, with better information given to members of the Lutheran and Catholic churches. Faith communities need to strengthen their capacity to educate young people in a more holistic way about sexuality and HIV prevention.     

Good and bad effects of phonological similarity on word and nonword recall: The role of beginnings and ends

This study explored whether earlier results of differential (harmful vs. helpful) short-term memory effects of shared syllables at nonword beginnings compared to ends could be replicated for lists of bisyllabic real words. We studied immediate serial recall of lists that had phonologically redundant syllables at the beginnings or ends of two-syllable words or nonwords. The results showed that redundancy at the beginning had a negative effect on both types of material. Redundancy at the end did not impair memory for nonwords but harmed the serial recall of words. Irrespective of lexicality, lists of beginning-redundant items were more difficult to recall than end-redundant items. The distribution of errors suggested that the better recall of end-redundant lists compared to beginning-redundant lists was related to a positive effect at encoding and/or retention, independent of effects at recall, for both words and nonwords.     

Faith, Premarital Sex and Relationships: Are Church Messages in Accordance with the Perceived Realities of the Youth? A Qualitative Study in KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa

Since religious messages on life style have a strong impact in South Africa, it is important to assess how they relate to the situation for young people at risk of HIV infection. Nine focus group discussions were conducted with youth (n = 62), aged 13–20 years, from the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, and the Assemblies of God. Young people were ambivalent toward sexual contacts since these generally were expected to be part of a relationship even though the church condemns premarital sex. Girls perceived the moral norms to concern them more than the boys for whom sexual needs were more accepted. These moral barriers lead to lack of information about protection and may increase the risk of HIV. The realities young people facing should be a major concern for the faith communities.