Convergence of parent checklists and child psychiatric diagnoses

This study examined the correlation between the Childrens' Behavior Questionnaire by Rutter, Tizard, and Whitmore (1970) and clinical diagnoses in a total of 1,468 in-and outpatients. The following diagnoses were considered: conduct disorder, emotional disorder, mixed disorder of conduct and emotions, and the hyperkinetic syndrome. In general, correlations were low, but subscores indicating conduct or neurotic disorders had somewhat higher correlation with these respective disorders than the hyperactivity subscore. Sensitivity figures (i.e., percentage of true positives) were moderate to low, while specificity figures (i.e., percentage of true negatives) were high. It is concluded that convergence of parent checklists and child psychiatric diagnoses in unselected samples is only moderate.     

Intersensory facilitation in the motor component?

Summary In the bimodal detection task the observer must respond as soon as a signal is presented in either of two modalities (e.g., a tone or a flash). A typical finding is a facilitation of reaction time for redundant signal trials, that is, when both signals are presented simultaneously or with a short delay. Models advanced for this effect imply either statistical facilitation (separate activation) or intersensory facilitation (coactivation). This paper reports a study investigating whether part of the facilitation can be accounted for by coactivation in the motor component. An analysis of the distributions of reaction time differences between left and right hand responses from a double response paradigm gave some evidence in favor of this hypothesis. In particular, our data suggest a u-shaped functional dependence of the amount of facilitation in the motor component on the interstimulus interval.     

A jiffy clock for the Apple IIc,II+, and IIe with a mouse

A “jiffy clock” is presented for the Apple lIc or other Apple II having Apple’s mouse card. The clock allows timing of events to tenths of a second, and is read from BASIC. A convenient elapsed timer function is provided as well.     

Kants Kritik der reinen Vernunft Ein Grundbuch der modernen Philosophie

Zusammenfassung Kants kritische Philosophie hat Epoche gemacht. Sie bildet den Höhepunkt der neuzeitlichen Aufklärung. Mit der Kritik der reinen Vernunft hat Kant ein klassisches Werk geschaffen, das noch heute als Grundbuch der neueren Philosophie angesehen werden muss. Es erörtert die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der menschlichen Vernunft und entwickelt dabei die normativen Grundlagen unseres Erfahrungswissens ebenso wie der wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnis. Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über Inhalt, Perspektiven und Bedeutung dieses Werkes und sucht zu verdeutlichen, inwiefern es Massstäbe für alle theoretischen wie praktischen Bereiche unseres Wissens gesetzt hat, die bis heute bestimmend geblieben sind.     

Technology: Autonomous or neutral

Two conflicting visions of technology nevertheless agree that scientists and engineers bear little moral responsibility for their inventions. According to one vision, technology is largely autonomous,” that is, self‐determinative operating according to its own blind laws independently of human will. According to the other, technology is fully controllable, but control rests solely with ‘end‐users’ as technology is, in itself, value‐neutral. After a brief characterization of the domain of technology, each vision of technology is criticized in turn. Despite the many penetrating insights offered by the best exemplar of the first approach— Jacques Ellul—it is shown that his approach rests on unacceptable metaphysical and epis‐temological assumptions: because it seemingly explains so much, it explains nothing; and it anthropomorphizes technology. Champions of the value neutrality thesis fail to sustain their argument because they overlook the ways in which various technologies embody the values of particular persons, institutions, or classes. Undermining these two prominent visions of technology opens the way for afresh consideration of the moral responsibilities of the creators and users of technology.     

Reaction time task as unconditional stimulus

Nonaversive unconditional stimuli (USs) are seldom used in human classic conditioning of autonomic responses. One major objection to their use is that they produce deficits in electrodermal (ED) second- and third-interval response conditioning. However, a nonaversive reaction time (RT) task that includes feedback of success has been shown to be an effective US while avoiding this disadvantage (Lipp and Vaitl 1988). The present study compared this new RT task (RT-new) with a traditional RT task (RT-old) and with a standard aversive US (shock) in differential classic conditioning of ED, heart rate (HR), and digital pulse volume (DPV) responses. Eight-second-delay differential conditioning was applied in three groups of 12 subjects each. Simple geometric features (square, cross) displayed on a television screen served as conditional stimuli (CS⁺ and CS^?). In acquisition, there were no statistically significant differences among the groups; differential conditioning did occur in HR, first- and second-interval ED responses, and first-interval DPV responses. Separate analyses within each group, however, revealed that there was no second-interval ED conditioning in the RT-old group. During extinction, neither DPV nor second-interval ED conditioning could be obtained, whereas HR and first-interval ED conditioning occurred in each group. In third-interval omission ED responses, RT-old and shock groups exhibited extinction, while response differentiation was maintained in the RT-new group throughout extinction. The RT task including feedback proved to be as reliable a US as a standard aversive US, whereas application of a traditional RT task again yielded some weaknesses in second-interval ED conditioning.     

GOD'S PLACE IN A SPACE AGE

Abstract. The shift from a pre-Copernican to a Copernican world view has caused an ever increasing sense of homelessness for the idea of a theistically conceived God. This paper first traces the historical development of this problem and its implications for the Christian faith. Next it presents some historically evolved "rescue" attempts and examines them critically. Then follows an inquiry concerning the biblical understanding of God's relation to space and a critical presentation of some contemporary proposals to make God's presence intelligible. In conclusion we propose a dimensional model of relating God and the world, a model which allows for a reasonable discourse of God's immanence and transcendence.     

Conditionals and theory change: Revisions,expansions, and additions

This paper dwells upon formal models of changes of beliefs, or theories, which are expressed in languages containing a binary conditional connective. After defining the basic concept of a (non-trivial) belief revision model. I present a simple proof of Gärdenfors's (1986) triviality theorem. I claim that on a proper understanding of this theorem we must give up the thesis that consistent revisions (additions) are to be equated with logical expansions. If negated or might conditionals are interpreted on the basis of autoepistemic omniscience, or if autoepistemic modalities (Moore) are admitted, even more severe triviality results ensue. It is argued that additions cannot be philosophically construed as parasitic (Levi) on expansions. In conclusion I outline somed logical consequences of the fact that we must not expect monotonic revisions in languages including conditionals.I wish to thank Peter Gärdenfors for a number of helpful comments, André Fuhrmann and Wolfgang Spohn for extensive discussion of parts of this paper, and Winfred Klink for kindly checking my English.