Moral error theories and folk metaethics

In this paper, I distinguish between two error theories of morality: one couched in terms of truth (ET1); the other in terms of justification (ET2). I then present two arguments: the Poisoned Presupposition Argument for ET1; and the Evolutionary Debunking Argument for ET2. I go on to show how assessing these arguments requires paying attention to empirical moral psychology, in particular, work on folk metaethics. After criticizing extant work, I suggest avenues for future research.     

Psychological and Religious Perspectives on Emotion

This article is devoted to examining theoretical issues on the interface of the psychology of religion and the psychology of emotion, something which recently has been surprisingly neglected. The broad range of psychological components involved in emotion, and the importance of emotional processes in religion, make it a particularly relevant area of general psychology as far as religion is concerned. The first issue to be examined is the centrality of emotion (or feeling ) in religion and the extent to which religion can be conceptualized as a kind of emotional state—an idea that can be found in different forms in Schleiermacher and James. Though both psychology and emotion are now seen as less private than previously supposed, the analogy remains potentially fruitful. The second issue arises from the notable tendency in the psychology of emotion to see emotion as functional, even rational, rather than disruptive. The view of Averill is endorsed that emotions can be psychologically creative when used appropriately. This leads to a review of attitudes toward emotional aspects of religion and religious attitudes to everyday emotions, where a positive but discriminating approach to emotions seems appropriate.     

Social marketing,parental purchasing decisions,and unhealthy food in developing countries: A Nigerian typology

Developing nations are emerging from food poverty and overcoming associated externalities such as malnutrition. However, there is a growing possibility that due to the globalization of food markets and widespread use of different marketing approaches, children immediately then become exposed to a new set of externalities associated with unhealthy food choices, such as obesity. In this article, we explore the relatively under‐researched area of the influence that marketing and packaging may have on parents' food purchasing behaviour in developing countries. We present the results of a multivariate analysis of a survey of parents in Nigeria as a case study, exploring the characteristics and attitudes of parents to develop a typology of consumers whose young children may be at risk from eating unhealthy food. In addition, we consider the role that social marketing could play in encouraging segments of parents to purchase more healthy food for their children and changing children's purchasing behaviour. While older parents appear to be more susceptible to children's food purchasing requests, younger households appear to be vulnerable to forming unhealthy consumption habits, which could create further economic, social, and humanitarian development issues as countries try to raise national incomes. The importance of segmented social marketing and globalized versus local marketing differentiation is emphasized A social marketing approach may not only reduce worrying trends relating to childhood obesity but also play a role in reducing malnutrition, as it is important that corporations and governments ensure that developing nations do not emerge from one food‐health crisis only to encounter another. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growth points in research on memory and hippocampus.

We present an overview of two of our on-going projects relating processes in the hippocampus to memory. We are trying to understand why retrograde amnesia occurs after damage to the hippocampus. Our experiments establish the generality of several new retrograde amnesia phenomena that are at odds with the consensus view of the role of the hippocampus in memory. We show in many memory tasks that complete damage to the hippocampus produces retrograde amnesia that is equivalent for recent and remote memories. Retrograde amnesia affects a much wider range of memory tasks than anterograde amnesia. Normal hippocampal processes can interfere with retention of a long-term memory stored outside the hippocampus. We conclude that the hippocampus competes with nonhippocampal systems during memory encoding and retrieval. Finally, we outline a project to understand and manipulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis in order to repair damaged hippocampal circuitry to recover lost cognitive functions.     

Behavioural aspects of the management of diabetes mellitus: Education,self-care and metabolic control

A review is presented of factors relevant to the level of the knowledge, self-care and metabolic control of diabetic patients. Methods of assessing each of these are described, and ways of improving them reviewed. Recommendations are made for further work in this field.It is suggested that traditional education programmes have little clinical value beyond improving knowledge about diabetes. Among the recommendations made are approaches to the assessment and change of relevant health beliefs, and the use of behavioural methods of self-regulation, to improve the quality of self-care. The difficulties created by the variety of factors influencing metabolic control are discussed, with particular attention to the relevance of emotional stress.     

Book reviews

Gleitman, H. Psychology. New York: Norton, 1981. Pp. xxii + 840. £11.50. ISBN 0 393 95102 2.

Darley, J., Glucksberg, D., Kamin, L. And Kinchla, R., Psychology. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1981. Pp. xvi+65z. £ 413.95. ISBN o 13 733154 I.

Valenstein, E. S. (Ed.).The Psychosurgery Debate : Scientific, Legal, and Ethical Perspectives. Freeman: San Francisco. 1980. Pp. 594. £14.80 (hbk); £7.60 (pbk). ISBN 0 7167 1156 7.

Gregory, R. L. Mind in Science. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 1981. £18.50. Pp. XIV+641. ISBN o 297 77825 0.

Oborne, D. J., Gruneberg, M. M. And Eiser, J. R. Research in Psychology and Medicine. Volume I Physical Aspects-Pain, Stress, Diagnosis and Organic Damage; Volume II Social Aspects-Attitudes, Communication, Care and Training. London : Academic Press. I979. Pp. 486 and 488. ISBN 0 12 523701 4 and ISBN 0 12 523702 02. £10.80 each.

Sarason, I. G. and Spielberger, C. D. Stress and Anxiety. Volume 7. Washington: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation. 1980. Pp. 308. $25.50. ISBN 0 89116 183 X.

Levitt, E. E.The Psychology of Anxiety, Second Edition. Hillsdale, New Jersey, Erlbaum Associates. 1980. Pp. 188. ISBN 0 89859 040 X.

McGuigan, F. J., Sime, W. E. and Wallace, J. M. (Eds). Stress and Tension Control. New York: Plenum. 1980. Pp. 320. $29.50. ISBN 0 306 40450 8.     

Changing Rates of Suicide Ideation and Attempts Among Inuit Youth: A Gender‐Based Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors

Inuit in Canada currently suffer from one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of suicide ideations and attempts among 15–24 year olds living in Nunavik, Québec, and to explore risk and protective factors of suicide attempts as a function of gender. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in 2004 across Nunavik. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. A total of 22% of young males and 39% of females adults reported past suicidal attempts. Gender differences were observed in relation to associated risk and protective factors as well as degree of exposure to risk factors. Suicide prevention must include alcohol and drug prevention programs and rehabilitation services, interventions to reduce physical and sexual violence and their long‐term impacts on Inuit youth, as well as exposure to culturally meaningful activities.