Cosmological choices

Present physics is a mix of theories of time, logic, and matter. These may have a common origin in a unitary quantum cosmology founded on process alone. A quantum theory of sets, or something like it, is helpful for such a cosmology, and one is constructed by adding superposition to a slightly reformulated classical set theory. There is an elementary or atomic process in such theories. The size of its characteristic time is estimated from the mass spectrum, although this gives a much larger time than is usually accepted. In a discussion of the foundations of quantum theory, the problem of the collapsing state-vector is attributed to statism, the ideology, alien to quantum theory, that the system under study has a state. The origin of metrical and gauge structure is considered. Using von Neumann's work on the lattices of algebras, we may represent almost any gauge structure by enlarging the ring of c-numbers of quantum theory beyond the complex (or quaternion) field. Ultimately the gauge structure and c-numbers may express a transport relation defined by the discrete network of the world.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-8007921.     

Do your high potentials have potential? The impact of individual differences and designation on leader success

We propose an integrated model of leadership potential, the high‐potential designation process, and leader success that is intended to clarify the theoretical and practical relationships among these concepts. Drawing on research in the areas of social judgment and cognition, cognitive abilities, personality, leadership development, and motivation and on practice‐oriented observations and writings, we propose a process model of potential, the designation of individuals as high potential, and the antecedent and moderating variables that combine to impact success. We conclude that by using this model we can understand better the individual, social, and organizational factors that impact potential and the high‐potential identification process, and help develop more successful leaders and organizations.     

Correspondence between MMPI PTSD measures and clinical diagnosis

Correspondence of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subscale and the clinical scale decision rules reported by Keane, Malloy, and Fairbank (1984) with clinical diagnoses of PTSD was measured on a sample of 595 veterans. The measures demonstrated good sensitivity and selectivity, but the false-positive rate was high. It is suggested the MMPI measures be used to rule out, but not to establish, the diagnosis of PTSD. The construct validity of the PTSD subscale was supported by the finding of a higher mean score in combat than noncombat veterans.     

Awe and premature efaculation: a case study.

The analysis of a man suffering from premature ejaculation is described. As is typical of a large group of men who ejaculate prematurely, he was passive and masochistic in his marriage and obsessive-compulsive in his character. Analysis of his affect of awe led first to a deeper understnding of his self-representations and object relationships, and later, with the discovery of the specific unconscious fantasies associated with the feeling of awe, to the alleviation of his symptom of premature ejaculation.     

Minor illness and social behavior of infants and caregivers

Fourteen infants attending day care were observed during the first year of life when well and during acute minor illnesses. Comparisons of behavior during 46 afebrile illnesses and a like number of well observations revealed no differences in infant or caregiver behavior. During 24 febrile illness observations, however, infants moved less, contacted toys less, were in closer proximity to teachers, cried more, and looked at teachers more. During a subset of these febrile illnesses, in which teachers recognized that infants were ill, teachers vocalized, gave toys, looked at, touched, held, and fed infants more than when infants were well. Analysis of teacher behavior during infant crying demonstrated that infant cries played an important role in eliciting social responses from teachers during febrile illness. These results suggest that both caregiver perception of illness state and illness-induced changes in infant behavior contribute to increased sociability by caregivers during acute febrile illness.     

WHAT IS PURE,WHAT IS GOOD? DISINTERESTEDNESS IN FÉNELON AND KANT

Two philosophers, Robert Spaemann and Henri Gouhier, have identified a similarity between Fénelon and Kant in the prominence of motive in their thought: disinterestedness in Fénelon's pure love and in Kant's good will . Spaemann emphasizes their common detaching of the ethical in terms of motivation from the context of happiness. In this article I explore further similarities and differences under the topics of perfectionism, pure love, good will, happiness, and disinterestedness, as these are pertinent to their thought. On perfectionism there appears a stark contrast; on pure love over against good will, on happiness, and on disinterestedness, however, there seems a balance between likenesses and differences. Finally I point out a qualification set on pure love by Fénelon and on the good will by Kant.     

Autoeroticism,sexual satisfaction,and sexual adjustment among university females: Past and current patterns

A review of the research literature reveals a general paucity of rigorous scientific analyses of masturbatory behavior in adult females. The availability of a data base from a pilot study concerned with self‐perceptions of the orgasmic response during masturbation and sexual intercourse has provided the opportunity to investigate the role of masturbation in the sexual repertoire of university female students. This data base also permitted an assessment of what differences, if any, exist among those respondents who are currently masturbating, have masturbated but not currently masturbating, and have never masturbated.

Questionnaire data were obtained from 512 never‐married, female university students enrolled in lower and upper division courses in anthropology, biology, psychology, and sociology. Respondents in the currently masturbating group were more likely to have experienced their first orgasm via masturbation, to have had greater success in achieving orgasm via masturbation, and to enjoy masturbating alone more when contrasted with the not currently masturbating group. Other findings suggest that masturbating to orgasm serves as an enhancement and/or supplement to sexual intercourse. The currently masturbating respondents were more likely to have experienced sexual intercourse and those who had experienced sexual intercourse reported a greater number of sex partners than those respondents in the never masturbated group. Finally, no statistically significant differences were found in sexual adjustment, using self‐evaluations of physiological satisfaction and psychological satisfaction, between the three respondent groups.     

An experimental investigation into judgment and behavioral implications of disability‐based stereotypes in simulated work decisions: Evidence of shifting standards

We investigated the explanatory relevance of the shifting standards model to the role of employee disability in two simulated organizational processes: (a) job performance appraisal and (b) resource allocation. Two experimental studies found evidence of the shifting standards effect—employees with and without a disability received similar ratings when subjective judgment standards were employed, but those without a disability received significantly higher performance ratings than their counterparts with a disability when rated with objective standards. Furthermore, the analysis of the ranking process on the dimension of deservingness of limited resources yielded evidence that disability‐related stereotypes can differentially affect perceptions of deservingness through the allocation of organizational resources.