If structured propositions are logical procedures then how are procedures individuated?

This paper deals with two issues. First, it identifies structured propositions with logical procedures. Second, it considers various rigorous definitions of the granularity of procedures, hence also of structured propositions, and comes out in favour of one of them. As for the first point, structured propositions are explicated as algorithmically structured procedures. I show that these procedures are structured wholes that are assigned to expressions as their meanings, and their constituents are sub-procedures occurring in executed mode (as opposed to displayed mode). Moreover, procedures are not mere aggregates of their parts; rather, procedural constituents mutually interact. As for the second point, there is no universal criterion of the structural isomorphism of meanings, hence of co-hyperintensionality, hence of synonymy for every kind of language. The positive result I present is an ordered set of rigorously defined criteria of fine-grained individuation in terms of the structure of procedures. Hence procedural semantics provides a solution to the problem of the granularity of co-hyperintensionality.

     

自我解释的研究

本文从以下几个方面阐述了关于自我解释的研究,首先介绍了自我解释的研究背景,然后定义了自我解释,并且与其他学习活动进行了比较,随后从不同的研究视角揭示出自我解释效果,随即讨论了促进自我解释的方法,即提示自我解释,最后探讨了两种自我解释效果的认知机制：空缺填补假设和心理模型修补假设。     

对宗教的科学研究

科学的进步导致了宗教的观念不断被否定,例如进化论否定神创论,天文学否定了地球是宇宙的中心。在涉及事实的方面,宗教正在不断收缩阵地。然而长久以来,自然科学很少对宗教本身进行研究。近年来,科学家不断提出应该使用自然科学的方法研究宗教,这一"宗教科学"的学科正处于起步阶段。     

“非遗”视野下的塔尔寺酥油花

酥油花,是藏传佛教特有的供佛彩塑艺术,以青藏高原人民日常食用的酥油为原料,揉配鲜艳的矿物颜料,通过复杂精巧的技艺雕塑形成诸佛菩萨、人物、飞禽走兽、花鸟鱼虫、亭台楼阁等形象,内容多为佛教题材故事。青藏高原数以百计的格鲁派寺院,多会在每年的正月十五日这天供奉酥油花,但基本上都是单个的佛像和花草树木、动物的塑像,而塔尔寺的酥油花是成组的主题系列雕塑,技艺也更为精湛,因此脱颖而出备受关注。2006年塔尔寺酥油花成为我国第一批国家级非物质文化遗产项目。     

Difficult name,cold man: Chinese names,gender stereotypicality and trustworthiness

Names can play an important role in forming first impressions. While much of the literature has demonstrated how alphabet-based names influence impression formation, little is known about how character-based names (e.g., Chinese names) affect interpersonal trust. Across six studies, we demonstrated that a difficult-to-recognise Chinese name with less frequently used characters activated masculine perception, which in turn decreased trust in the name holder. The masculine inferences from difficult names were replicated across within-subjects (Study 1a and 1b) and between-subjects judgements and maintained irrespective of normative knowledge about difficult names as male names (Study 1c). The mediation of gender stereotypicality was manifested in both measured spontaneous gender inference (Study 2a and Study 2b) and manipulated gender information (Study 2c). The effects of recognisability on masculine and trust perceptions were independent of pronunciationability (Study 2b). This research extends previous research by revealing the implications of character-based names and pictographic language on the feeling-as-information theory, also in terms of interpersonal contexts.     

Testing Variance Components in Linear Mixed Modeling Using Permutation

Abstract

Inference of variance components in linear mixed modeling (LMM) provides evidence of heterogeneity between individuals or clusters. When only nonnegative variances are allowed, there is a boundary (i.e., 0) in the variances’ parameter space, and regular inference statistical procedures for such a parameter could be problematic. The goal of this article is to introduce a practically feasible permutation method to make inferences about variance components while considering the boundary issue in LMM. The permutation tests with different settings (i.e., constrained vs. unconstrained estimation, specific vs. generalized test, different ways of calculating p values, and different ways of permutation) were examined with both normal data and non-normal data. In addition, the permutation tests were compared to likelihood ratio (LR) tests with a mixture of chi-squared distributions as the reference distribution. We found that the unconstrained permutation test with the one-sided p-value approach performed better than the other permutation tests and is a useful alternative when the LR tests are not applicable. An R function is provided to facilitate the implementation of the permutation tests, and a real data example is used to illustrate the application. We hope our results will help researchers choose appropriate tests when testing variance components in LMM.     

先进文化中的价值尺度（二）——学习“以崇尚科学为荣、以愚昧无知为耻”心得

七与反科学或反科学主义相应的,还有捍卫“伪科学”的舆论。什么是伪科学?“水变油”之类是闹得最大的典范,而“人体科学”则是影响时间最长,社会效果最恶劣的标本。伪科学的共性,是造假作伪,盗名骗钱,韩国黄禹锡事件是一个样板。我国《科学技术普及法》规定,“科普工作者应当坚持科学精神,反对和抵制伪科学”。按韩国处理黄禹锡的原则,伪科学不但要科普工作者“反对和抵制”,而且还要采取行政措施,以至追究法律责任。但在我国,从张香玉的“大自然功”和“邱氏鼠药”事件开端,多是恶人先告状,而败诉的往往是科普工作者或科学家。这类个案,举…