Counterfactual Logic and the Necessity of Mathematics

Journal of Philosophical Logic - This paper is concerned with counterfactual logic and its implications for the modal status of mathematical claims. It is most directly a response to an ambitious...     

Family Socioeconomic Status and Executive Function in Urban Chinese Children: The Effects of Cortisol Reactivity

Journal of Child and Family Studies - We examined hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal stress reactivity as an indicator of differential susceptibility in moderating the links between family...     

探究群体中的个体心灵--群体心理学与极端信仰

网上检索中无意间看到一段话,“不借助于个体心理学,也许不能彻底明白有人为何要杀人如麻;没有群体心理学,则人们永远无法理解,为何仍会有那么多人认为他不但做得正确,并且伟大无比。”这段话一下子把我打动留住了。因为我曾有过一段“认为自己不但做得正确,并且伟大无比”的经历。打开一看,原来是一篇书评,评法国心理学家塞奇·莫斯科维奇的群体心理学著作《群氓的时代》(江苏人民出版社2003年汉译精品新世纪版),于是找到了书并阅读。我曾是一名“法轮功”团体的成员,如果用褒意倾向的语言说,是信念极为坚定的一员,用贬意倾向的语言说,是痴…     

Various relationships between predatory dominance and aggressive behavior in Pairs of cats

The experiments were performed on adult male cats selected initially as good mousekillers. Cats were tested in pairs and each pair was introduced separately to the experimental compartment. The attitude toward the partner before and during the predatory competition test as well as superiority in catching and killing the mice, considered as an index of dominance, were registered. In the course of experiment five types of relations between the predatory dominance and aggressive behavior were observed. The concept of dominance as an outcome of several factors was discussed. It was concluded that predatory dominance is not based exclusively on aggressive mechanisms, as it may be formed and sustained without overt aggression.     

Defensive reactions of “wild-type” and “Domesticated” wild rats to approach and contact by a threat stimulus

Selective breeding of wild rats over many generations on the basis of low or high defensive threat and attack to human approach and contact has produced highly polarized “domesticated” and “wild-type” animals. Because the selection procedure selectively involves these two defense patterns, and these clearly differ in the two groups, it is of interest to determine if other, nonselected, defensive behaviors to threat stimuli also change. “Domesticated” and “wild-type” rats of the thirty-fifth generation were run in a fear defense test battery (F/DTB) to systematically evaluate defensive behaviors to a variety of present threat stimuli. “Domesticated” rats showed reduced avoidance and slower flight speed to an approaching experimenter, reduced jump/startle response to handelap and dorsal contact, less vocalization and boxing to vibrissae stimulation or to an anesthetized conspecific, and reduced defensiveness to an attempted pickup by the experimenter. These results indicate that selective bi-directional breeding for defensive threat and attack to human approach and contact produces group differences in a variety of defensive behaviors, and in defensiveness to stimuli other than those on which the selection was based. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Integrated learning communities as a peer support initiative for first year university students

Peer Mentoring schemes tend to be developed as retention strategies, however, they can also serve other purposes (psychosocial or career-related). However, evidence of the effectiveness of these presents mixed results and less is known about the horizontal peer support schemes which may help students capitalize on existing peer relationships. We developed an integrated learning communities (ILC) peer support scheme, building on the theoretical principles of social identity theory, which we embedded within our existing teaching framework and designed functional activities. Collective activities were undertaken to promote the processes of social identity with the intention that these may foster social and academic integration experiences. This intervention was undertaken with an entire cohort of first year undergraduate psychology students. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a self-selected sample of these students (N = 17). Thematic analysis revealed two main themes, each with two sub-themes. These were: “Divergent Experiences” with the sub-themes of “dependent on people” and “types of support”, and “Good idea in principle” with the sub-themes of “Theory ≠ Practice” and “Dependent on student engagement”. Although identifying with a peer group was not transparent in the interviews, the existence of a peer support scheme was perceived positively by students which might explain the success of the newly developed student-led Psychology Society. Indeed, this Psychology Society can provide a lasting framework for further amplification of the student voice. We conclude that our embedded ILC was both feasible and potentially valuable, but it is crucial for the peer support approach to have transactional significance.     

卢梭论文明与道德——重温《论科学与艺术》

《论科学与艺术》包含了卢梭许多后来思想著述的萌芽,它讨论的是科学艺术的"近代复兴"与道德的"社会风俗"的关系。卢梭仅将科学艺术视作文明,并把它们与道德对立起来,认为近代文明失去了本原的道德精神实质。但所有的成熟文明都包含有物质文明、政治文明和精神文明三个方面,道德也是文明的产物,同时也是文明的价值和规范的基础。卢梭没有意识到,否定文明也就等于否定了道德。但卢梭文中对科学艺术的批判反思,对道德乃至宗教救赎精神的推崇,赋予其思想一种特殊的吸引力与启示意义。时代发展到今天,科学的进展和艺术的普及已经发展到了卢梭难以想象的程度,科技的兴盛固然带来了普遍的福利,却也走近了这样一个门槛:高新技术给人类带来无数方便与好处,人类的控物能力不断大幅提高;与此相比较,人类的道德自控能力若没有相应的提高,科技的发展可能带来难以预测但却可能改变人类文明命运的后果。这种不平衡无疑会是人类文明一个持久的基本矛盾。