On Quantum Propensities: Two Arguments Revisited

Peter Milne and Neal Grossman have argued against Popper's propensity interpretation of quantum mechanics, by appeal to the two-slit experiment and to the distinction between mixtures and superpositions, respectively. In this paper I show that a different propensity interpretation successfully meets their objections. According to this interpretation, the possession of a quantum propensity by a quantum system is independent of the experimental set-ups designed to test it, even though its manifestations are not.     

Scientific representation: against similarity and isomorphism

I argue against theories that attempt to reduce scientific representation to similarity or isomorphism. These reductive theories aim to radically naturalize the notion of representation, since they treat scientist's purposes and intentions as non-essential to representation. I distinguish between the means and the constituents of representation, and I argue that similarity and isomorphism are common but not universal means of representation. I then present four other arguments to show that similarity and isomorphism are not the constituents of scientific representation. I finish by looking at the prospects for weakened versions of these theories, and I argue that only those that abandon the aim to radically naturalize scientific representation are likely to be successful.     

Three-dimensional virtual environments for blind children.

Information technologies are increasingly helping to integrate and socially include people with visual disabilities. Computing technologies have contributed grandly to attain this goal through innovative techniques and applications. Virtual environments, I/O interfaces, and sound based applications altogether with usability and cognitive impact studies are some of the most used research designs for children with visual disabilities. This study presents the design and usability evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) interactive environments for children with visual disabilities. We introduce AudioChile and AudioVida, interactive virtual environments that can be navigated through 3D sound to enhance spatiality and immersion throughout the environments 3D sound is used to orientate, to avoid obstacles, and to identify the position of diverse personages and objects within the environment. Usability evaluation results indicated that sound can be fundamental for attention and motivation purposes during interaction.     

How I see me depends on how I see we: the role of attachment style in social comparison

The self-concept is a social, flexible construct that shifts in response to the salience of a relationship partner. Three related experiments found that the tendency to pursue closeness in relationships (as measured by attachment style) served as a moderator of the shift. Specifically, individuals who avoid closeness in relationships became less similar to salient friends via contrast effects, whereas those who pursued closeness in relationships became more similar to salient friends via assimilation effects. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the nature of the self-concept and the importance of friendships.     

The (un)reasonableness of reporting: antecedents and consequences of reporting sexual harassment

This study places the reporting of sexual harassment within an integrated model of the sexual harassment process. Two structural models were developed and tested in a sample (N = 6,417) of male and female military personnel. The 1st model identifies determinants and effects of reporting; reporting did not improve--and at times worsened--job, psychological, and health outcomes. The authors argue that organizational responses to reports (i.e., organizational remedies, organizational minimization, and retaliation) as well as procedural satisfaction can account for these negative effects. The 2nd model examines these mediating mechanisms; results suggest that these mediators, and not reporting itself, are the source of the negative effects of reporting. Organizational and legal implications of these findings are discussed.     

Coping in context: sociocultural determinants of responses to sexual harassment

The authors investigated coping responses to sexual harassment across 4 samples of working women from 3 cultures and 2 occupational classes. Complete-link cluster analyses provide preliminary support for D. E. Knapp, R. H. Faley, S. E. Ekeberg, and C. L. Z. Dubois's (1997) coping framework, suggesting that avoidance, denial, negotiation, advocacy seeking, and social coping are universal responses to sexual harassment. Further, L. F. Fitzgerald's (1990) internal-external dichotomy appears to capture higher order relationships among coping responses. In addition, regression analyses suggest that Turkish and Hispanic American women engage in more avoidance than Anglo American women, and Hispanic women also use more denial but less advocacy seeking. No differences emerged in social coping. The authors discuss these results in the context of coping theory, individualism-collectivism, power distance, and patriarchal gender norms.     

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT

An extensive body of literature has documented the widespread and damaging nature of sexual harassment and assault on college campuses, yet little research has investigated the impact of such victimization on the academic climate. This study examined experiences of sexual harassment and assault among 1,037 female undergraduate and graduate students, with a particular focus on educational outcomes. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed significant negative effects of harassment and assault on perceptions of academic climate. We also investigated the extent and effects of double victimization (i.e., experiences of both harassment and assault), as well as the relationships among sexual harassment types, incidence rates, and frequencies. Issues of sexual orientation and race/ethnicity are explored throughout the article, with membership in different groups affecting victimization incidence rates as well as harassment labeling.     

Effect of schedule and magnitude of reinforcement on instrumental learning in the toad, Bufo arenarum

Extinction after training with continuous (CR) or 50% partial (PR) reinforcement, and with different magnitudes of reward, was studied in the amphibian Bufo arenarum, in a runway situation. In Experiment 1, a group of toads received massed-trial, CR training with access to water as the reward. Performance improved during acquisition, including an improvement on the first trial of each session. Extinction was rapid and there was evidence for spontaneous recovery of the running response. In Experiment 2, groups of toads received PR or CR training at a rate of one trial per day. PR impaired acquisition and resulted in poor responding during extinction, compared to CR. Experiment 3 factorially studied the effects of schedule (PR vs CR) and distribution of practice (15 s vs 300 s intertrial interval). Acquisition was impaired by PR training but had little effect on extinction performance. Different magnitudes of water reinforcement were used in Experiment 4 in a one-trial-per-day situation. Terminal acquisition performance was a monotonic function of reward magnitude, but there were no differences in extinction performance across groups. The results are discussed in relation to comparative and developmental data on the paradoxical effects of reward.     

Sexual Harassment Mythology: Definition, Conceptualization, and Measurement

Using rape myth research as a template, we developed a conceptual definition and measurement instrument for the mythology regarding male sexual harassment of women, resulting in the 20-item Illinois Sexual Harassment Myth Acceptance (ISHMA) Scale. Surveys from 337 students in the Midwestern region of the United States revealed that this measure consists of four factors, which share predicted relationships with rape mythology, sexism, hostility toward women, traditional attitudes toward women, and ideological support for the feminist movement. We also found that women and individuals with prior training on sexual harassment reject these myths more than men and untrained individuals. It is hoped that this new definition, conceptualization, and measure will advance knowledge on attitudes that support and perpetuate violence against women.     

Criteria instability and the isolated option effect

In two-stage choices, decision makers often compare a new (isolated) option with the winner from the first stage. Previous research has identified a choice advantage for an isolated option, ostensibly due to loss aversion. We propose an alternative mechanism suggesting that instability of the criteria used in each choice stage is the main driver of the isolated option effect. Results from a series of experiments support the criteria instability account and not loss aversion as the explanation for the isolated option effect.