Sour Grapes: Transgenerational Family Pathology in the Hebrew Bible

An analysis of Bible stories about the patriarchs' treatment of their children reveals pathological family patterns, which reoccur in subsequent generations. The outcome of parental favoritism and of unhealthy coalitions is sibling rivalry, leading to hatred and to violence among the children. The transgenerational chain of pathologies is traced back to God's differential treatment of Cain and Abel and to the resultant murder. The legitimization of family pathologies by the biblical stories is discussed.     

Client Precounseling Preparation in an Employment Service Setting

It is hypothesized that vocational clients who receive precounseling preparation adopt a role in counseling that is more realistic and effective than the role adopted by clients who do not receive such preparation. Twenty-four Ss who were given a precounseling lecture-discussion were compared to twenty-three control Ss. The hypothesis was verified. Other implications of the study are discussed.     

An analysis of memory-based theories of automaticity

Memory-based theories of automaticity predict that performance in a memory search task which is automatic will not require a representation of the memory set in working memory. The information contained in working memory was manipulated by inserting an interference task between the presentation of a memory set and a probe stimulus in a memory search task. The interference task prevented rehearsal, necessitating the retrieval of the memory set from long-term memory in variably mapped (VM) conditions. Performance in consistently mapped (CM) conditions provided strong support for memory-based theories of automaticity. With CM practice, both the effects of memory load and the effect of the interference task were eliminated. Furthermore, there was a temporal coupling in the reduction of these two effects with consistent practice. Monte Carlo simulations of memory-based automaticity predict such a temporal coupling. Automaticity is viewed as a continuum reflecting the relative contribution of the direct memory access of past solutions from long-term memory on performance.     

Higher frequency of left-breast cancer: a possible explanation

A study of 1027 women with unilateral breast cancer showed that ipsilateral breast cancer was more common before age 45 and contralateral thereafter. The data suggest a possible explanation of the higher incidence of left-breast cancer in American women. A higher percentage of left-handed women developed breast cancer before age 45, but the over-all incidence of unilateral breast cancer was not greater in left-handed women than in right-handed or ambihanded subjects.     

Asymmetric option effects on ease of choice criticism and defense

Individuals often criticize others’ choices and seek to defend their own. In theory, the ease of criticizing a particular choice should correspond to the ease of defending it. However, we demonstrate that differences in the types of arguments put forth in choice criticism and defense result in a systematic discrepancy in the ease with which these tasks are performed. Specifically, criticism arguments tend to be based on norms or conventions, and defense arguments on idiosyncratic tastes or circumstances; accordingly, whether the chosen option is perceived as un/conventional has a significantly greater effect on the ease of choice criticism than on the ease of choice defense. Furthermore, assessing the ease of choice defense increases the choice share of unconventional options, whereas judging the ease of choice criticism has only a small impact on choice. We discuss the implications of our findings with respect to research on reason-based choice in socially-intensive environments.     

Age Influences on Multi-Dimensional Set Switching

Using a task switching paradigm, we investigated age effects on switch costs as a function of the number of sets to be switched. In Experiment 1, younger and older subjects determined a color or shape of an object presented on the computer screen, responding either by moving the joystick or by pressing a button on the joystick. The switch costs were assessed with differences between switch trials (task-set switch, response-set switch, and double switch) and non-switch trials. Contrary to the prediction that age would negatively influence performance on the double switch trials, age effects on switch costs were observed only for the single switch trials (i.e., response-set switch condition). Additionally, both younger and older adults were capable of preparing for task and response-set switches in parallel. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the time available to prepare for a task and response-set switch. Both younger and older adults were able to utilize extra time to reduce switch costs. Furthermore, the age deficit found in Experiment 1 for response-set switching was eliminated in the second experiment in which preparation for task and response-set switching was temporally decoupled. The data are discussed in terms of task component coordination across the adult lifespan.     

On negativity in Revolution in Poetic Language

Kristeva’s Revolution in Poetic Language offers a challenge to theories of the subject in psychoanalysis, linguistic theory, and in philosophy. Central to that challenge is Kristeva’s conception of negativity. In this article, I trace the development of the concept of negativity in Revolution in Poetic Language from its root in Hegel, to rejection, which Kristeva develops out of Freud. Both are crucial to the development of the material dialectic between the semiotic and the symbolic that makes up Kristeva’s subject-in-process/on trial. I argue that a clearer understanding of Kristeva’s conception of negativity helps us to better appreciate the force of Kristeva’s challenge, both philosophically and politically. Finally I argue that Kristevan negativity also helps us to clarify the relation between the delimited space of politics and its conditions, laying the groundwork for constitutive exclusion as political critique and opening a space for the possibility of political re-constitutions.