God of Life,Lead Us to Justice and Peace: Reflection from an Asian and Korean Church Perspective

The 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) will be held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 30 October to 8 November 2013, on the theme “God of Life, Lead Us to Justice and Peace.” Having recognized the importance and urgency of the WCC theme, I would like to reflect on, and review it especially from the perspective of the Asian and Korean church. I suggest that we rethink the questions of:1. Hunger, Poverty, and Illness: Justice and Shalom. There is an urgent need for an ecumenical programme in Asia, and it ought to be focused on justice and shalom. 2. Cultures and Religions: The challenge for Asian Christianity is to find an authentic Asian identity for the sake of the gospel. 3. Ecological Destruction. What do we expect from the 10^th WCC Assembly? (1) A deepening of the topic justice: Discussing life and peace through the lens of justice; (2) A deepening of the economic‐political perspective: Critical analysis of the neo‐liberal economic system through theology and Christian faith in order to warn of it's the satanic character; (3) Recognition of the new Pentecostal and charismatic force in Christianity: Deepening its study and reflecting on potential theological reductionism; (4) Discussion of an inclusive rather than exclusive ecumenical mission: From monologue to dialogue. We continue our call, our action, and our reflection in order to participate in God's mission that people may have justice, life, and peace. This is God's shalom, so that we can fully enjoy the feast of the church worldwide, celebrating the 10th meeting of the WCC in the Korean city of Busan. As the church in Korea and Asia, we hope that the festival will be an opportunity to reaffirm that another world is possible.     

The Creativity Crisis: The Decrease in Creative Thinking Scores on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) was developed in 1966 and renormed five times: in 1974, 1984, 1990, 1998, and 2008. The total sample for all six normative samples included 272,599 kindergarten through 12th grade students and adults. Analysis of the normative data showed that creative thinking scores remained static or decreased, starting at sixth grade. Results also indicated that since 1990, even as IQ scores have risen, creative thinking scores have significantly decreased. The decrease for kindergartners through third graders was the most significant.     

Exploring the social aspects of goose bumps and their role in awe and envy

Both awe and envy are emotions that can result from observing a powerful other, but awe should stabilize social hierarchies while envy should undermine them. Three studies explored how the physiological reaction of goose bumps might help in understanding these distinctive reactions to powerful others, as goose bumps should be associated with awe rather than envy. In Study 1, participants kept a four-week journal and made a detailed entry each time they experienced goose bumps. Goose bumps resulting from the emotion of awe were the second most frequently occurring type after reactions to cold. Consistent with understanding awe as an emotional reaction to powerful or superior others (Keltner and Haidt in Cogn Emot 17:297?C314, 2003), many of these experiences had social triggers. In Study 2, accounts of goose bumps resulting from exposure to powerful or superior others contained greater awe than envy. Also, the intensity of goose bumps was positively correlated with awe and negatively correlated with envy. In Study 3, accounts of awe contained more goose bumps than accounts of envy, and goose bumps were positively correlated with awe.     

GSK-3β activity in the hippocampus is required for memory retrieval

Several molecules were recently found to be important for the memory retrieval process in the hippocampus; however, the mechanisms underlying the memory retrieval remain poorly understood. GSK-3β has been implicated in the control of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Here, we investigated the relationship between hippocampal GSK-3β activity and memory retrieval using behavioral and Western blotting methods. We found that GSK-3β was activated in the hippocampus after a retention session in the passive avoidance task. An intrahippocampal injection of the GSK-3β inhibitor, SB 216763, before the retention session blocked memory retrieval (but not reconsolidation) without affecting locomotor activity. These results suggest that GSK-3β activation would be essential for memory retrieval in the hippocampus.     

Filial Obligations and Expectations in China: Current Views from Young and Old People in Beijing

This study examines how 90 university students and 77 old people in Beijing view filial piety in Chinese society now. The results show that old people continue to hold high filial expectations for young people and that young people still endorse strongly filial obligations for old people. Obedience received the lowest rating while respect received the highest rating. "Looking after the aged parents" and "assisting them financially" are the top filial concerns for young males whereas "retaining contact with the elders" is the top filial concern for young females. "Respecting elders but necessarily obeying them" appears to be a new cultural protocol for fulfilling filial obligations in Chinese societies now.     

Computation of mean size is based on perceived size

The present study investigated whether computation of mean object size was based on perceived or physical size. The Ebbinghaus illusion was used to make the perceived size of a circle different from its physical size. Four Ebbinghaus configurations were presented either simultaneously (Experiment 1) or sequentially (Experiment 2) to each visual field, and participants were instructed to attend only to the central circles of each configuration. Participants’ judgments of mean central circle size were influenced by the Ebbinghaus illusion. In addition, the Ebbinghaus illusion influenced the coding of individual size rather than the averaging. These results suggest that perceived rather than physical size was used in computing the mean size.     

counselors' collective self‐esteem mediates job dissatisfaction and client relationships

Given the central role of professional identity (i.e., collective self‐esteem in this study), the authors examined whether collective self‐esteem mediated or moderated relations between job dissatisfaction and client relationships in a sample of 132 professional counselors in the United States. Results indicated that collective self‐esteem partially mediated the relationship between job dissatisfaction and client relationships. Furthermore, job dissatisfaction was negatively related to greater levels of private collective self‐esteem, and greater private collective self‐esteem was positively related to better client relationships.     

Assumed race moderates spontaneous racial bias in a computer‐based police simulation

We demonstrated that playing the roles of different outgroup races can elicit extrapersonal racial bias associated with respective racial groups. In a modified version of a computer‐based police simulation, the police officer's race was visually manipulated to be either Black or White. Korean participants made quick decisions whether to shoot targets (Black or White, armed or unarmed) on screen. Comparison of behavioral bias in the task revealed that, as expected, playing the role of a White police officer was associated with a stronger bias against Black targets compared to playing a Black police officer's role. The result suggests that when a social category is activated, one's race‐related behavior can reflect one's beliefs about the biases that members of that category hold.