Exploring an Alternative Justification for the Importance of Curiosity in Education: Social Curiosity and Løgstrup’s Sovereign Expression of Life

Studies in Philosophy and Education - There seems to be a broad agreement that curiosity is important in education. However, current research often seeks to answer the question of how best to...     

The selective action of Cfunc control

According to relational frame theory Cfunc stimuli select which stimulus properties are transformed via derived stimulus relations. To date there has been no demonstration of the selective action of Cfunc control. We provide an analysis of the requirements for such a demonstration, and describe the results from four experiments employing a paradigm consistent with these requirements. We employed a paradigm based on virtual car races. The paradigm had two components: i) a sample racecar screen which showed the performance of a sample racecar, and used experimentally engineered symbols to communicate how the performance of each real racecar would compare with that of the sample racecar, and ii) a car race screen showing other racecars race. Two symbols were established as Crels for the relations of same and different, and two symbols were established as Cfuncs for the functional properties of speed and direction. The results from these experiments demonstrate Cfunc stimuli can select which functions transform via derived stimulus relations, a central component of relational frame theory. The study has implications for the study of relational responding in complex settings and for applied work aimed at refining repertoires of relational responding.     

Factors Influencing Women's Participation in Consciousness-Raising Groups

The results of a nationwide survey point out both commonality and diversity in the experiences of women in consciousness-raising (CR) groups. Women commonly joined CR groups through women's organizations, and their most important reason for entering CR was to examine women's roles and experiences. Most groups encouraged self-disclosure and openness and discouraged domineering and lack of commitment. The backgrounds and personal characteristics of CR participants were diverse. Housewives, women with children, and women with higher levels of symptoms more strongly valued psychological help as a reason for joining CR; in contrast, working women and students, women without children, and women with fewer symptoms more strongly endorsed strengthening their feminism. Women's reasons for joining in turn predicted which CR experiences they valued. Nearly all women were highly satisfied with CR. Satisfaction with CR was not related to members' personal characteristics, but rather to the processes occurring in their groups.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Clusters and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide in a Large Military Sample

Prior studies examining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters and the components of the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) have yielded mixed results, likely stemming in part from the use of divergent samples and measurement techniques. This study aimed to expand on these findings by utilizing a large military sample, gold standard ITS measures, and multiple PTSD factor structures. Utilizing a sample of 935 military personnel, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to test the association between PTSD symptom clusters and the ITS variables. Additionally, we tested for indirect effects of PTSD symptom clusters on suicidal ideation through thwarted belongingness, conditional on levels of perceived burdensomeness. Results indicated that numbing symptoms are positively associated with both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and hyperarousal symptoms (dysphoric arousal in the 5‐factor model) are positively associated with thwarted belongingness. Results also indicated that hyperarousal symptoms (anxious arousal in the 5‐factor model) were positively associated with fearlessness about death. The positive association between PTSD symptom clusters and suicidal ideation was inconsistent and modest, with mixed support for the ITS model. Overall, these results provide further clarity regarding the association between specific PTSD symptom clusters and suicide risk factors.