AFFIRMATIONS AFTER GOD: FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE AND RICHARD DAWKINS ON ATHEISM

Abstract. In this essay, I compare the atheism of Friedrich Nietzsche with that of Richard Dawkins. My purpose is to describe certain differences in their respective atheisms with the intent of showing that Nietzsche's atheism contains a richer and fuller affirmation of human life. In Dawkins’s presentation of the value of life without God, there is a naïve optimism that purports that human beings, educated in science and purged of religion, will find lives of easy peace and comfortable wonder. Part of my argument is that this optimism regarding the power of objective science is subject to Nietzsche's criticism of Socrates and what he calls the “theoretical man.” As such, it fails in terms of providing a true affirmation of life in the godless world.     

How careproviders can acquire and apply greater wisdom

In this issue of JCE, Baum-Baicker and Sisti present senior psychoanalysts' views of wisdom. Although views on wisdom differ widely, there is agreement that when ethical conflicts arise, wisdom may be critical in bringing about an optimal result. Here I will present recent empirical findings on wisdom and the ways careproviders may acquire and apply it, especially in ethical conflicts.The findings are not well-known and may seem counterintuitive; I selected them, in large part, for those reasons. A core challenge may be to decide when to give patients standard care and when to make exceptions. In this issue of JCE, Baum-Baicker and Sisti discuss exceptions and Bursztajn and colleagues consider how these exceptions may be further validated as evidence-based treatments.     

How should careproviders respond to patients' requests that may be refused?

Some requests made to careproviders by patients may be of great personal importance to patients. Careproviders may assign proportionally greater weight to these exceptional requests, and may choose to take exceptional measures to assist. A strong trust relationship may be formed with patients as a result.     

Analysing user’s reactions in advice-giving dialogues with a socially intelligent ECA

In this paper, we investigate the user’s reactions to received suggestion by an Embodied Conversational Agent playing the role of artificial therapist in the healthy eating domain. Specifically, we analyse the behaviour of people who voluntarily requested to receive information from the agent, and we compare it with the results of a previous evaluation experiment in which subjects were not properly motivated to interact with the agent because they were selected for evaluating the system. This study is part of an ongoing research aimed at developing an intelligent virtual agent that applies natural argumentation techniques to persuade the users to improve their eating habits.     

GENTLE QUANTUM EVENTS AS THE SOURCE OF EXPLICATE ORDER

Abstract. It is proposed that multiple emission and absorption of soft photons in a discrete quantum world (implicate order) generates the continuous Cartesian-Newtonian-Einsteinian space-time world of localizable objects and conscious observers with measuring rods and clocks (explicate order).     

The measurement of optimism and pessimism

Procedures employed in the development and validation of a new Optimism & Pessimism Scale are described, and information about test-retest reliability is reported. Internal consistency analyses and other data suggest that optimism and pessimism are not polar opposites and bring up questions about the intrerelatedness of the cognitive and affective realms. The magnitude of the correlation between pessimism and measures of anxiety suggests a link between this measure and the Negative Affectivity construct, and the potential relationships among optimism, pessimism, the Pollyanna Principle, and Positive and Negative Affect are discussed. Conceptually, it appears that optimism and pessimism may aid in psychological defense by helping to bind anxiety. This report was based on theses submitted separately by the second and third authors to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati, both in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree.     

Gender differences in enrollment in computer camps and classes

Informal reports suggest that computer literacy (computer awareness and programming skills) is sought more often by boys than girls. In order to gather more systematic data on this possibility, questionnaires were sent in the summer of 1982 to directors of summer camps and classes that offered training in programming for microcomputers. Twenty-three directors of summer programs, serving a total of 5,533 students, provided data on enrollment, type of sponsorship of programs (private, public schools, universities), level of difficulty of programming classes, cost, and residential versus day use. Three times as many boys as girls were enrolled in the total sample. The ratio of males to females increased with grade, cost of program, and level of difficulty of course offerings. Possible explanations for differences in enrollment are discussed.     

NYBORG'S ANALYTICAL ROD-AND-FRAME SCORING SYSTEM: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN ZIMBABWE*

Witkin's method of scoring the Rod-and-Frame Test (RFT), most generally used, has been criticized by Nyborg. On the basis of studies with Danish students he provided evidence that RFT performance is multi-determined, and devised a new scoring method to take this into account. The present study, conducted in Zimbabwe, replicated and extended Nyborg's work. The RFT scores of 80 subjects differing in ethnicity, sex and type of course were analyzed employing both Witkin's and Nyborg's methods. Our results confirm Nyborg's finding that factors other than frame dependence are involved in RFT performance, as indicated by differences in response patterns as a function of ethnic group, sex and type of course. It is suggested that Nyborg's scoring method is a valuable tool for the purpose of clarifying the nature and sources of cultural differences in RFT performance.     

Perceived and Actual Discrimination in the Salaries of Male and Female Managers1

This study uses a sample of over 1000 MBA graduates from a Middle Atlantic University to test for sex differences in perceived discrimination and for the actual effects of various physical characteristics and background factors on the starting salaries and later (1983) salaries of these men and women managers. Women more often reported experiencing discrimination, and they typically identified this as general discrimination against women. Fewer men perceived any discrimination. Those men who did claimed to be the victims of affirmative action programs favoring women and blacks over them. Salary data indicated that women did earn less than men, even when controlling for work experience. Evidence for other forms of discrimination was also found. Controlling for prior work experience and year of first professional employment, age and height had a positive effect on men's starting salaries and being overweight, a negative effect. For women, starting salaries were significantly and positively affected by social class. For 1983 income, taller, non-overweight, and older men earned more, as did those who grew up in a higher social class. For women, a positive salary correlate was again being from a higher social class. Areas for future research are discussed.     

Immunization against learned helplessness in the cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

Cockroaches exposed to one day of escapable shock prior to three days of inescapable shock did not become helpless on a shuttlebox-escape task. Like dogs and rats, cockroaches are immunized against learned helplessness by prior experience with escapable shock.