Ethik des methodologischen Humanismus: Kritische Bemerkungen zur Relativit?t von Normen und zum Pluralismus von Systemen der Moral

According to the author, moral systems deal with our unconditional ultimate values. An ethical theory fixes the rules which allow us to distinguish good grounds and valid arguments in moral matters. The general attitude is decidedly antinaturalistic. Since value statements do not describe (perceptible) states of affairs they cannot have a truth value. Being ultimate, moral values give rise to commands which have to be obeyed most urgently, i.e., before any requirements of pudence.The author proposes his own hierarchy of values which is supposed to correspond to the convictions of most normal people. The justification of a norm can only be given internally, i.e., relative to the accepted system of values. To the external question concerning the system as a whole there can be no absolute answer. Moral systems must influence the real human communicites; with respect to concrete situations within which an individual will have to take decisions a so-called system of defeasible deontic logic will be needed. The general conception is close to ``Pflichtethik' resting on the principle ``noblesse oblige'.     

An exploration of the tripartite influence model of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating among Australian and French college women

The aim of the study was to compare levels of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and risk factors, and to examine the tripartite influence model of body image and eating disturbance among French and Australian young adult females. Participants were 188 Australian (mean age=19.6 years, SD=1.0) and 190 French (mean age=20.7 years, SD=2.6) students. Media, peer and family influences, internalisation of media ideals, appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, bulimia and self-esteem were assessed. Australian participants reported perceiving more peer and media influence, and higher levels of appearance comparison, internalisation of media ideals and bulimic symptoms than French participants (p<.001). Path analyses revealed that the tripartite model was a good fit in both samples, with similarities and differences. Findings suggest the importance of identifying cultural specificities, and developing a global framework of body image and eating disturbance with a view to prevention.     

From Altruistic Donation to Conditional Societal Organ Appropriation After Death

Since we have learned that human organs can be used to treat severe health problems, only donation has been considered for organ procurement. Among the other possibilities that can be used after a person’s death, purchase or systematic removal have been a priori rejected. However, we will show that the appeal to individual altruism have resulted in some of the aporias of the present situation. Subsequently, we will consider how systematic organ removal from deceased persons can be made acceptable in liberal and democratic societies. Finally, we will suggest that individual choices with regard to systematic organ removal could well be registered in a way that allows proper implementation of present French legislation.     

The Loneliness of the Therapist in the Public Outpatient Clinic

The therapist's work in a public outpatient clinic is a unique combination as an individual and as a team member. Although the therapist may enjoy working within a team framework, sharing common goals and providing support and supervision, when he feels this environment failing to help or becoming critical, he may begin to experience loneliness. Individual psychotherapy occasionally evinces feelings of loneliness. The therapist has to contend with his patient's powerful feelings and try to contain them. We examined issues of loneliness, teamwork, and burnout during open meetings with the staff of three outpatient clinics. In addition, 50 questionnaires were sent to the therapists. Thirty-one were answered anonymously. Most of the therapists (80%) reported interest and enjoyment in their work with only 15% reporting tension and feelings of burnout. In the Pearson statistic correlation, there was a significant relationship between satisfaction at work and the lack of loneliness (p < 0.01). There was an inverse statistical correlation between satisfaction and burnout (p < 0.01) and a connection between staff meetings and not feeling lonely (p < 0.05). We found that the therapist in the outpatient clinic does not feel lonely. The staff meetings and consultations support him as a team member. A disparity was found between feelings felt at the open meetings and those in the questionnaires. Although the therapist is satisfied with his work, problems of overload and the danger of burnout are always present. It should be noted that clinic administrators should pay close attention to the entire picture.     

Do patients with OCD and pathological gambling have similar dysfunctional cognitions?

The obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD) theory postulates that a wide range of disorders is closely related to OCD. Current cognitive models ascertain that certain beliefs leading to misinterpretation of the significance of intrusions are important in the etiology and maintenance of OCD. This study examined whether pathological gambling, a disorder belonging to the OC spectrum, is characterized by similar dysfunctional cognitions as OCD. Dysfunctional beliefs of OCD patients were compared to those of patients with pathological gambling, panic disorder and normal controls. These beliefs were measured by the Obsessive-compulsive Beliefs Questionnaire-87 (OBQ-87), which was developed by a group of leading OCD researchers [Behav. Res. Ther. 35 (1997) 667]. It was hypothesized that according to the OCSD theory, pathological gamblers would exhibit similar cognitions to OCD patients, as well as increased levels of OCD symptoms. Analysis showed that OCD patients exhibited higher OBQ-87 scores than both panic patients and normal controls, but equal to pathological gambling patients. Pathological gamblers exhibited, however, no increase in OCD symptoms. These mixed results do not seem to support the OC spectrum theory for pathological gambling, moreover being contradictory to contemporary cognitive OCD models.     

A cross-linguistic data bank for oral picture naming in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish (PEDOI)

The well established effect of word frequency on adult's picture naming performance is now called into question. This is particularly true for variables which are correlated with frequency, as is the case of age of word acquisition. Since the work of [Carrol and White, 1973] there is growing agreement among researchers to confer an important role in lexical access to this variable. Indeed, it has been shown ( [Hodgson and Ellis, 1998]) that for normal English-speaking adults only the variables 'age-of-acquisition' and 'name agreement' are independent predictors of naming success among the various variables considered. However, when brain-damaged subjects with and without degenerative pathologies are studied, word frequency and word length as well as concept familiarity all give significant effects ( [Hirsh and Funnell, 1995]; [Lambon Ralph et al., 1998]; [Nickels and Howard, 1995]). Finally, it has been suggested that the production of specific error types may be related to such variables. According to [Nickels and Howard, 1994] the production of semantic errors is specifically affected by 'imageability' and in the recent study by [Kremin et al., 2001] 'age of acquisition' predicts (frank) word finding difficulties.     

The Hope That Will Never Be Realized

The migration of Jewish musicians from Arab countries to Israel in the 1950's generated many personal difficulties. The musicians were unable to achieve professional success in their homelands due to their religion, but the Israeli audience's understanding and appreciation of their talents was extremely limited during these formative years. We present a case report of an immigrant married couple, both musicians, who suffer narcissistic injuries stemming from their immigration and their way of coping. Failure in understanding the problems associated with issues of self-esteem, led to a chronic clinical stalemate. When this problem was addressed, forward movement became possible. The specific technical interventions and transference/countertransference dynamics are herein described.     

Procrastinators and fear of failure: an exploration of reasons for procrastination

Procrastination, the act or tendency of putting things off that should be done today until tomorrow, has recently become a field of interest in the study of academic underachievement. In constructing tests for the measurement of procrastination, and in comparing test scores with self-attributions of reasons for procrastination, an unexpected discrepancy has been observed between fear of failure as a prominent reason for procrastination and test fear of failure being unrelated to procrastination. This study was meant to clarify this discrepancy. Students who procrastinate generally endorse many reasons for procrastination simultaneously. For some relatively homogeneous groups of students fear of failure is one of these reasons. Other groups of students do not attribute procrastination to fear of failure at all. For the sample as a whole, procrastination and fear of failure appear unrelated. However, trait procrastination and fear of failure may interact and result in increased levels of actualprocrastinatory behaviour.     

In Memoriam / Georges Bourgin

Sans résumé

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In Memoriam / Georges Bourgin