The preferred level of face categorization depends on discriminability

People usually categorize objects more quickly at the basic level (e.g., “dog”) than at the subordinate (e.g., “collie”) or superordinate (e.g., “animal”) levels. Notable exceptions to this rule include objects of expertise, faces, or atypical objects (e.g., “penguin,” “poodle”), all of which show faster than normal subordinate-level categorization. We hypothesize that the subordinate-level reaction time advantage for faces is influenced by their discriminability relative to other faces in the stimulus set. First, we replicated the subordinate-level advantage for faces (Experiment 1) and then showed that a basic-level advantage for faces can be elicited by increasing the perceptual similarity of the face stimuli, making discrimination more difficult (Experiment 2). Finally, we repeated both effects within subjects, showing that individual faces were slower to be categorized in the context of similar faces and more quickly categorized among diverse faces (Experiment 3).     

The latent structure of anxiety sensitivity--revisited

Anxiety sensitivity has been implicated as a risk factor for the development and maintenance of panic and other anxiety disorders. Although researchers have generally assumed that anxiety sensitivity is a dimensional, rather than categorical, variable, recent taxometric research has raised questions concerning the accuracy of this assumption. The present study examined the latent structure of anxiety sensitivity by applying four taxometric procedures (MAXEIG, MAXCOV, MAMBAC, and L-Mode) to data collected from two large nonclinical samples (n = 1,025 and n = 744) using two distinct measures of anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Profile and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised). In contrast to previous taxometric analyses of anxiety sensitivity, results of the present research provided convergent evidence for a latent anxiety sensitivity dimension. Several potential explanations for the discrepancy between these findings and those of previous research are discussed, as well as the implications of these findings for the conceptualization and measurement of anxiety sensitivity.     

Foucault’s turn from literature

This paper lays the groundwork for formulating an approach to literature which pushes Foucault’s thought in directions which he perhaps envisaged, but never pursued. However, one of the major obstacles to formulating a Foucauldian philosophy of literature is the fact that Foucault’s thought itself turned away from literature in the late 1960s. Why does literature apparently disappear from Foucault’s writings after 1969? And why does Foucault’s own re-writing of his theoretical biography elide this earlier interest in literature? In order to answer these questions we will have to find out what role literature played in his early thought. What is at stake here, is not just a better understanding of Foucault’s thought, but more importantly, the possibility of reviving one of the potential lines of flight which that thought cut short as a result of its own endless turning. Hence, my ultimate aim will be to address the question of what can be reclaimed today from Foucault’s abandoned engagement with literature.     

Cognitive processes in dissociation: an analysis of core theoretical assumptions

Dissociation is typically defined as the lack of normal integration of thoughts, feelings, and experiences into consciousness and memory. The present article critically evaluates the research literature on cognitive processes in dissociation. The authors' review indicates that dissociation is characterized by subtle deficits in neuropsychological performance (e.g., heightened distractibility). Some of the cognitive phenomena (e.g., weakened cognitive inhibition) associated with dissociation appear to be dependent on the emotional or attentional context. Contrary to a widespread assumption in the clinical literature, dissociation does not appear to be related to avoidant information processing. Rather, it is associated with an enhanced propensity toward pseudo-memories, possibly mediated by heightened levels of interrogative suggestibility, fantasy proneness, and cognitive failures. Evidence for a link between dissociation and either memory fragmentation or early trauma based on objective measures is conspicuously lacking. The authors identify a variety of methodological issues and discrepancies that make it difficult to articulate a comprehensive framework for cognitive mechanisms in dissociation. The authors conclude with a discussion of research domains (e.g., sleep-related experiences, drug-related dissociation) that promise to advance our understanding of cognition and dissociation.     

Component Models for Fuzzy Data

The fuzzy perspective in statistical analysis is first illustrated with reference to the “Informational Paradigm” allowing us to deal with different types of uncertainties related to the various informational ingredients (data, model, assumptions). The fuzzy empirical data are then introduced, referring to J LR fuzzy variables as observed on I observation units. Each observation is characterized by its center and its left and right spreads (LR₁ fuzzy number) or by its left and right “centers” and its left and right spreads (LR₂ fuzzy number). Two types of component models for LR₁ and LR₂ fuzzy data are proposed. The estimation of the parameters of these models is based on a Least Squares approach, exploiting an appropriately introduced distance measure for fuzzy data. A simulation study is carried out in order to assess the efficacy of the suggested models as compared with traditional Principal Component Analysis on the centers and with existing methods for fuzzy and interval valued data. An application to real fuzzy data is finally performed. We would like to express our gratitude to the Editor, the Associate Editor, and the Referees whose comments and suggestions improved significantly the quality of the paper.     

Conscious and Preconscious Uses of Memory in Patients with Depressive and Somatoform Disorders

This study investigated whether conscious and preconscious memory features contribute to discrimination between depressive and somatoform disorders. Thirty-one participants fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for a somatoform disorder and 28 participants fulfilling the criteria for depression were examined within the framework of the process–dissociation paradigm using neutral, health-threatening, and general threatening words in a lexical decision task. Parameters of conscious memory, preconscious memory, and chance were used to compare memory features of both the groups. There was an inverse relationship between conscious and preconscious memory effects for health-threatening stimuli in the group of patients with somatoform disorders but not in the group of depressive patients. Patients with somatoform disorders showed a significantly lower level of conscious memory for health-threatening stimuli than depressive participants. Compared to depressive patients, a more dynamic relationship between decreased conscious and increased preconscious memory for health-related stimuli seems to be characteristic for patients with somatoform disorders.     

Otherness and the problem of evil: How does that which is other become evil?

In seeking to answer the question “How does that which is other become evil?” the author provides a discussion of four entwined aspects of the issue at stake; (1) difficulty in achieving clarity on the grammar of evil; (2) genocide as a striking illustration of otherness becoming evil; (3) the challenge of postnationalism as a resource for dealing with otherness in the socio-political arena; and (4) the ethico-religious dimension as it relates to the wider problem of evil.