Developmental changes in application of the majority rule in group decisions

This study examined age-related changes in the child's application of the principle of majority rule in group decisions. Following a problem posed by Moessinger (1981), we enquired whether children routinely apply the majority rule when the majority consists of a shifting (variable) set of members across decisions, and alternate between majority and minority when the majority and minority is fixed, i.e. consists of the same individuals each time. In Geneva, Moessinger found that 8-year-olds failed to discriminate between fixed and shifting majorities, while most 13-year-olds (75 per cent) did so. An altered replication was conducted in Australia modifying Moessinger's procedure to control for extraneous variables such as ‘set’ and the need for variety in choice. It was found that on the task 7 per cent of 8-year-olds, 20 per cent of 10-year-olds, 32 per cent of 12-year-olds, and 39 per cent of 14-year-olds discriminated on a behavioural criterion between fixed and shifting majorities. Ten per cent of 8-year-olds, 40 per cent of 10-year-olds, 52 per cent of 12-year-olds, and 55 per cent of 14-year-olds made the discrimination on Moessinger's cognitive ‘reason’ criterion. The results show that development of the conceptual distinction between fixed and shifting majorities is gradual and continuous.     

文昌信仰的神谕性训诫研究——以文昌劝善书为中心

劝善书产生于北宋时期,是一种宣传伦理道德、劝诫世人行善去恶并建立道德规范的指导书.文昌信仰是由产生于远古的星宿信仰、晋朝武将张恶子信仰等合流的一种民间信仰.文昌劝善书是以文昌信仰为基础所造做的劝善书,成为明清时期劝善书的主流.本文主要以一些明清时期重要文昌劝善书为例,探讨文昌神谕性的训诫及其对社会的影响.     

Behaviors of ADHD and Peer Relationship Difficulties in Chinese and American Youths: Role of Co-Occurring Behaviors of Depression and Anxiety

Abstract

The co-occurrence of behaviors of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with behaviors of anxiety or behaviors of depression is the norm, but little is known on how the co-occurrence accounted for youths’ peer relations. The authors report results on difficult peer relations in relation to behaviors of ADHD, co-occurring behaviors of depression, and behaviors of anxiety from three studies on 862 youths in China and in the United States. Study 1 included 313 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse American youths; Study 2 included 250 youths who were adopted out of Chinese orphanages by American parents; and Study 3 included 299 youths from Beijing, China. Data on difficult peer relations and behaviors of ADHD, depression, and anxiety were collected with the third edition of Behavior Assessment System for Children-Self Report of Personality. In all three studies, each type of problems alone significantly predicted difficult peer relations, but behaviors of ADHD were not significant when co-occurring behaviors of depression or co-occurring behaviors of anxiety were considered. Despite that the youths in our study had different cultural and personal backgrounds, there was no evidence that behaviors of ADHD were detrimental to youths’ peer relations when behaviors of depression or anxiety were considered. Implications for intervention were discussed.     

潜在思想再论

思想是行为的先导,行为反映思想。然而实然思想与外显行为不匹配、不一致的现象却时有发生,究其缘由乃潜在思想使然。因此,从潜在的层面把握思想,进而分析思想与行为的辨证统一关系不失为一个好的路径选择。     

政治的优先性及其限度——对《政治自由主义》一个理论预设的反思

罗尔斯的《政治自由主义》不仅是只在政治的范围内、而且是直接在政治的范围内运作,因而除了主张政治的独立性,它事实上还同时预设了政治的优先性。但由于政治与人性的内在关联不再是现代社会的共识,疏离于政治与强调政治的优先性就成了两种对立的政治哲学思路。政治自由主义强调政治的优先性,是要优先考虑政治的背景制度和合理的政治关系,因为由此构成的政治社会是一种人们应当共享的、内在的政治之善。但政治的优先性被限制在正义问题的理论建构方法与思维方式上,它并不在实质性的正义原则中对公民课以积极参与政治的责任,这就使得《政治自由主义》在两种对立的政治哲学思路之间取得了某种平衡。