In praise of "false" models and rich data

The authors argue that "true" models that aim at faithfully mimicking or reproducing every property of the sensorimotor system cannot be compact as they need many free parameters. Consequently, most scientists in motor control use what are called "false" models--models that derive from well-defined approximations. The authors conceptualize these models as a priori limited in scope and approximate. As such, they argue that a quantitative characterization of the deviations between the system and the model, more than the mere act of falsifying, allows scientists to make progress in understanding the sensorimotor system. Ultimately, this process should result in models that explain as much data variance as possible. The authors conclude by arguing that progress in that direction could strongly benefit from databases of experimental results and collections of models.     

Self-confrontation interview with suicide attempters

Psychiatric and psychological assessment after parasuicide is characterized by a number of difficulties. The interview is a strategically complex task for the patients trying to accommodate the wishes of the psychiatrist/psychologist and their own goals. The psychiatrist/ psychologist on the other hand needs to gain information about the event and the patient's mental state, has to assess the risk of further suicidal behaviour, and has to motivate the patient for treatment. In our experience a routine video prompted recall or self-confrontation interview, can be a helpful means of talking with the patient about his or her feelings and cognitions during the interview. Furthermore, it allows clarification of the processes leading to parasuicide. The procedure of administering a self confrontation interview is described, the theoretical background for interpreting the results is outlined and some examples of patient interviews are presented. It is demonstrated that this method allows access to additional information on the patients' thinking and emotions during the interview and that it also provides more details of the suicidal process.     

Limiting motor skill knowledge via incidental training protects against choking under pressure

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review - The paradoxical harmful effects of motivation and incentives on skilled performance (“choking under pressure”) are observed in a wide variety of...     

Suicide attempts as social goal-directed systems of joint careers, projects, and actions

In the present study we examined to what extent persons who attempt suicide describe their attempt in terms of social, joint processes. Psychotherapists interviewed 40 patients hospitalized in a general hospital for a few days after an attempted suicide. The content of the interviews was analyzed for the level of systemic processes the patients referred to (that is, action, project, and career). The most common processes to which the patients referred were relationship careers and projects and conflicts and argumentative actions. Our analysis indicates that a social process can be found at all levels of the patient's organization of the suicide attempt, within a system of goal-directed action, project, and career.     

Understanding and using the implicit association test: V. measuring semantic aspects of trait self‐concepts

Implicit Association Tests (IATs) often reveal strong associations of self with positive rather than negative attributes. This poses a problem in using the IAT to measure associations involving traits with either positive or negative evaluative content. In two studies, we employed non‐bipolar but evaluatively balanced Big Five traits as attribute contrasts and explored correlations of IATs with positive (e.g. sociable vs. conscientious) or negative (e.g. reserved vs. chaotic) attributes. Results showed (a) satisfactory internal consistencies for all IATs, (b) explicit–explicit and implicit–implicit correlations that were moderate to high and comparable in strength after both were corrected for attenuation and (c) better model fit for latent variable models that linked the implicit and explicit measures to distinct latent factors rather to the same factor. Together, the results suggest that IATs can validly assess the semantic aspect of trait self‐concepts and that implicit and explicit self‐representations are, although correlated, also distinct constructs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of Self-graphing on Written Expression of Fourth Grade Students with High-Incidence Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of self-graphing on the writing of 3 fourth grade students with high-incidence disabilities. Measures of written expression included total number of words written and number of correct word sequences. During intervention, students self-graphed their total number of words written in response to a timed story starter. A functional relationship was found between the self-graphing intervention and the total words written and number of correct word sequences. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

Metaphilosophy of Mind: how Do Minds Investigate Minds? Refutation of the Theocentric View

I shall propose metaphilosophy of mind as the philosophy of mind investigating mind. That is to say, I pose the question of how knowledge of mind provided by cognitive science, broadly construed, is constrained by the epistemic position of the knower, i.e. by the very fact that it is undertaken by a mind. Here I would like to propose a minimal framework, based on two distinctions: (i) the standard one between empirical and conceptual analysis; (ii) a new one, between the internal questions of mind and the boundary questions of mind. I shall then combine these distinctions to arrive at several ways of investigating the mind, the brain and cognition. On this ground, I will discuss the notion of epistemological theocentrism as outlined by Henry Allison and argue against the perspective I call theocentric philosophy of mind. From this angle I will be able to address skepticism which cannot be defeated but actually can be, as I put it, disarmed. Finally, metaphilosophy of mind based on the abovementioned distinctions elicits a perspective that is not sufficiently delineated by cognitive scientists and philosophers: empirical way of addressing the boundary questions of mind.