Perceptual asymmetry for chimeric stimuli in children with early unilateral brain damage

The present study used a chimeric stimuli task to assess the magnitude of the left-hemispace bias in children with congenital unilateral brain damage (n = 46) as compared to typically developing matched controls (n = 46). As would be expected, controls exhibited a significant left-hemispace bias. In the presence of left hemisphere (LH) damage, the left-hemispace preference was found to be present, but attenuated, whereas right hemisphere (RH) damage resulted in a less lateralized process. Examination of lesion severity revealed that large lesions in the RH were associated with a reversal of the typical left-hemispace bias, while small lesions resulted in a left bias approximating that of controls. In contrast, the left-hemispace preference in children with LH damage was similar across lesion size. We conclude that damage to either hemisphere early in brain development may alter hemispheric preference for processing of nonverbal stimuli, and that at least in the case of RH damage, alteration of the normal perceptual asymmetry may depend on the interaction between lesion side and severity.     

Wisdom and aging: irrational preferences in college students but not older adults

A decision-maker is "irregular" if she would choose B from [A, B, C] but not from [A, B] (for example, preferring vanilla ice cream in a choice between vanilla and chocolate, but chocolate in a choice among vanilla, chocolate and strawberry). Similarly to previous studies we observed irregular choices by college students faced with hypothetical discount cards for supermarkets. However, older adults showed no such tendency. The same pattern was observed in three separate studies. We interpret the results in terms of a choice strategy by older adults that protects them from excessive spending.     

Physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and Christian bioethics: moral controversy in Germany.

Discussions in Germany regarding appropriate end-of-life decision-making have been heavily influenced by the liberalization of access to physician-assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia in the Netherlands and Belgium. These discussions disclose conflicting moral views regarding the propriety of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, threatening conflicts within not only the medical profession, but also the mainline churches in Germany, whose membership now entertains views regarding end-of-life decision-making at odds with traditional Christian doctrine. On the surface, there appears to be a broad consensus supporting the hospice movement and condemning physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. The German Supreme Court has held that treatment decisions should, in absence of known patients' wishes, be made in light of commonly shared values, unless these violate the principle of "in dubio pro vita". The Roman Catholic church and the Evangelical Lutheran church in Germany have developed an advance directive for treatment choices at the end of life, while condemning physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. This stance is in tension with the strong emerging support for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, a development that promises to open up foundational disagreements within mainline German Christianity regarding the appropriate approach to intentionally terminating human life.     

Disappearance elicited by contrast decrements

The observation that physically present visual stimuli can sometimes disappear from consciousness has intrigued vision scientists for centuries. Two situations are known to cause such disappearance: stationary peripheral images and images (centrally or peripherally viewed) masked by abrupt contrast increments of stimuli in adjacent retinal areas. Both of these situations require near-image stabilization on the retina. Here, we describe a third way to remove stimuli from conscious awareness. It involves contrast decrements (CDs) of nearly stabilized images in the periphery. Unlike the Troxler effect, with sufficient CD, complete disappearance can be achieved almost instantaneously without significant adaptation periods. Unlike traditional masking effects, CD disappearance does not result in an after-image at or near the locus of stimulation. We report the results of four experiments in which some of the characteristics of this newly discovered phenomenon were examined. The results indicate that CDs produced by changes in the luminance of the target (see Experiment 2) or by changes in background luminance (see Experiment 3) result in an immediate loss of sensitivity to stimuli that would take much longer to fade with Troxler-like adaptation (see Experiment 1). However, the duration of such loss of sensitivity (approximately 2 sec) is comparable for the two paradigms. The frequency of disappearance increased with greater contour eccentricity, but disappearance duration remained fairly constant.     

Tactical differences in coping with rejection sensitivity: the role of prevention pride

Prevention pride reflects a person's subjective history of success in preventing negative outcomes, leading to a strategic avoidance of errors of commission (e.g., explicit mistakes) in new situations. Two studies examined the impact of prevention pride on the strategies that highly rejection sensitive (HRS) people use to cope with the anxiety of anticipated rejection and the negative feelings elicited by perceived rejection. It was hypothesized that prevention pride orientation would lead HRS people toward covert and passive rather than overt and active forms of negative coping. Results indicated that HRS individuals who were also high in prevention pride reported increased use of self-silencing, presumably to prevent rejection. When rejection was perceived, however, they expressed hostility passively, by reducing positive behavior (e.g., withdrawing love and support) while inhibiting direct, active acts of hostility (e.g., yelling).     

Modern Gnosticism: F.W.J. Schelling's Philosophy as an Expression of Valentinian Theology

According to scholars as influential as Hans Urs von Balthasar, Eric Voegelin and Cyril O'Regan, what was once rejected as an esoteric second century Christian heresy, has, and indeed continues to, exert a significant amount of influence over modern philosophy and theology in the form of ancient Gnosticism. While a variety of major studies have applied this hermeneutical lens to evaluate and better grasp Hegel's philosophical system, very few have sought to interpret Schelling's philosophy in this manner, when there seems to be ample evidence to suggest that Schelling consciously adopted Gnostic philosophy, particularly Valentinian speculation, alongside other theosophic proposals, when constructing his own ideas. And, given the rise of theological systems, notably from the East, although not exclusively, in the guise of Sergius Bulgakov, that are heavily indebted to Schelling and are currently exerting a notable influence on contemporary Anglophone systematic theology (theologians such as John Milbank), it would seem beneficial for such a study to be conducted to better grasp certain trends in current, mainstream, theological proposals.     

Research on effects of color reversal on the visual perceptual and visuomotor performances of spastic cerebral palsied and other exceptional individuals

Research pertaining to the effects of color-reversal (black and white) on the visual perceptual and visuomotor performances of spastic cerebral-palsied children and other exceptional individuals was examined. In general, evidence to date suggests that spastic cerebral-palsied children show significant improvement in visuomotor and visual perceptual performance with the color-reversal of the standard black-on-white figure-ground relationship in stimulus and response materials of standardized tests.     

Communicating fundamentals of water and sanitation in Moslem communities

According to the World Health Organization, 80 percent of all human diseases in the Third World relate to inadequate sanitation and the lack of clean water. Moreover, the incidence of these water-borne diseases shows no sign of-diminishing, despite the installation of improved water systems in many rural communities. The beneficiaries of these systems, and particularly the women, remain as unaware of the benefits of improved water use and sanitation practices as they are of the germ theory of disease causation. Accordingly, this paper suggests the use of a community's existing values and belief structures in developing a strategy for communicating the need of behavioral change in water and sanitation practice. The author discusses how Koranic religious values can help promote this change, and suggests an operational strategy for use by international agencies in Moslem communities.This paper was presented on behalf of U.N.D.P. at the International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria in Calgary, Canada.     

Some limitations of the interview form in careers counselling for the mildly mentally handicapped

An examination is offered of the structure of talk in interviews in which careers officers ask mildly mentally handicapped teenagers about their preferences for post-school placement. Careers interviews in the special school represent a particularly asymmetrical version of professional/client interaction, in which the direction and scope of talk is determined almost wholly by the professional. The difficult task of getting mentally handicapped leavers to 'take the floor' in the formal interview situation is one that careers officers typically approach by moving towards certain highly directive elicitation practices. It is argued that information gathered via traditional interviews amounts to an extremely problematic basis for placement. Possible directions for changes in the focus of careers work with such leavers are suggested.