On Silencing and Systematicity: The Challenge of the Drowning Case

Silencing is a speech‐related harm. We here focus on one particular account of silencing offered by Jennifer Hornsby and Rae Langton. According to this account, silencing is systematically generated, illocutionary‐communicative failure (of a very specific sort). We here raise an apparent challenge to that account. In particular, we offer an example—the drowning case—that meets these conditions of silencing but does not intuitively seem to be an instance of it. First, we explore several conditions one might add to the Hornsby‐Langton account, but we argue that none are satisfactory. Then, we further explore the systematicity condition, which is insufficiently characterized in the current literature. Although we explore several promising ways to further characterize this condition, we ultimately conclude that more work needs to be done. Consequently, because this systematicity condition is under‐specified, the Hornsby‐Langton account of silencing is incomplete.     

The teacher as observer and experimenter in the modification of disputing and talking-out behaviors

Disputing and talking-out behaviors of individual pupils and entire classroom groups in special education classes and regular classes from white middle-class areas and from all black poverty areas ranging from the first grade to junior high school were studied. The classroom teacher in each case acted as the experimenter and as an observer. Various means of recording behaviors were used and reliability of observation was checked by an outside observer, another teacher, a teacher-aide, a student, or by using a tape recorder. Observation sessions varied from 15 min to an entire school day. After baseline rates were obtained, extinction of inappropriate disputing or talking-out behaviors and reinforcement of appropriate behavior with teacher attention, praise and in some cases a desired classroom activity or a surprise at the end of the week brought a decrease in undesired verbalizations. A reversal of contingencies brought a return to high levels of inappropriate talking with a return to low levels when reinforcement for appropriate talking was reinstated. The experiments demonstrated that teachers in a variety of classroom settings could obtain reliable observational records and carry out experimental manipulations successfully using resources available in most schools.     

Development of comprehension of sentences with “because” or “if”

The comprehension of sentences with “because” or “if” was investigated in children aged 2;9–11;11. Imitation, comprehension (choosing one of two picture sequences to go with a sentence), recognition (judging sentences with connective or structure differences as heard before or not), and synonymy (judging equivalence of meaning in sentences with different connectives or structures) tasks were administered, along with logical ordering, reversibility, and classification tasks. Above-chance responding in the comprehension task occurred by age 8, and in recognition and synonymy by age 10. Cognitive performance predicted 28.4% of the variance in the linguistic scores and cognitive success was concurrent with or preceded linguistic success. Comprehension of “because” and “if” appears to develop gradually, and is related to the development of certain operative rules.     

Covert discrimination against gay men by U.S. college students.

This study examined the use of sexual orientation as a meaningful social category and the consequences of using this category. The sample consisted of 260 U.S. college students who viewed a video and completed a 29-item scale (L. L. Thompson & J. Crocker, 1990) and the 7-item Homophobia Scale (R. A. Bouton et al., 1987). Results showed that participants' adjective ratings of targets favored gay men. Participants did not exhibit greater bias toward gay men when provided with justification. However, there was a pattern of bias in which participants showed favoritism toward heterosexual male targets when provided with no justification for bias.     

NEWSART: Negative binomial weighted spectral analysis in real time

In this paper, digital filters are described for concurrent adaptive estimation of the spectral powers at several target frequencies. Least-squares estimation is used, with a tapered weight function that discounts time-series data according to age. Frequency selectivity and reliability of spectral estimates are controlled by different parameters. The spectral windows are closely approximated by Student’st distribution, which is useful in the planning of experiments.     

... In the parish

Conclusion In the past fifteen years there has been change in the field of pastoral theology. Titles of anniversary books and annual conferences do have a new look. This progress gives hope that pastoral theology in the parish of the next two decades will have grown as much beyond today as today has grown beyond the early fifties. Redefinition of model, clarification of vocation for the whole parish, and a new clericalism are possible. When they come alive, pastoral theology will have kept faith with those who minister; more important, it will have contributed to the relevancy of Christianity for a changed world; most important, it will have kept faith with faith experienced.     

Effect of a kickboxing match on salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A

The hypothesis that salivary cortisol would increase and salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) decrease after a kickboxing match was tested among 20 male athletes. Saliva samples collected before and after the match were analyzed. Salivary cortisol and salivary IgA concentrations (absolute concentration, salivary IgAabs) and the secretion rate of IgA (salivary IgArate) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A Wilcoxon test for paired samples showed significant increases in salivary cortisol from pre- to postmatch. No significant changes were observed in salivary IgAabs or secretory IgArate and saliva flow rate. This study indicates that a kickboxing match might increase salivary concentration and thereafter it could be considered a significant source of exercise-related stress. On the other hand, the effect of a kickboxing match on mucosal immunity seems not to be relevant.