Semantics and the sacred

ABSTRACT

This article looks at four different scholarly perspectives on ‘sacred’ – the ineffable sacred, the experienced sacred, the polarized sacred and the contextualized sacred – in order to draw out their implicit presuppositions about meaning. The first two stances presuppose that meaning depends on what bits of language are about (referentialism), and the other two stances presuppose that meaning depends on relations between bits of language (holism). The article concludes three things: these prominent views of ‘sacred’ rest on usually implicit or unrecognized assumptions about the nature of meaning; some of those assumptions explain why certain theories are contentious and problematic and others ground more promising and productive approaches.     

儿童期社交退缩的亚类型及与社会适应的关系

对20世纪80年代以来有关儿童期社交退缩的研究进行了综述,包括社交退缩的概念、研究方法、亚类型以及不同类型社交退缩行为与儿童社会适应之间的关系。对社交退缩的概念进行了总结,指出社交退缩包括安静退缩、活跃退缩和焦虑退缩3种亚类型,其中安静退缩在儿童中后期与社会适应的关系较为紧密,活跃退缩在整个儿童期都与社会适应水平负向联系,而焦虑退缩与社会适应之间的关系具有情境性的特点,只有熟悉情境下的焦虑退缩行为才与社会适应具有负向联系。最后,文章指出了现有研究的不足和今后的研究方向。     

执行功能研究方法评述

虽然对执行功能的研究长期以来都是从神经心理学角度出发的,但现在发展心理学领域中也出现了大量的研究,其研究方法也层出不穷。该文从发展心理学角度分析了研究儿童冷执行功能和热执行功能的常用方法,包括搜寻任务、规则运用任务、优势规则抑制任务、矛盾冲突任务、问题解决任务、图片工作记忆任务、心理理论任务、延迟满足任务、儿童博弈任务和反向择物。通过对这些方法的分析,作者发现,执行功能的概念已逐步扩展到包容整个认知过程,而已有的关于执行功能的观点都只强调了其中某一个或几个方面,还没有一种观点能够将上述方法所研究的执行功能概括完整。执行功能的本质还远远不能清晰地展示在我们面前。     

Evaluating gene x psychological risk factor effects in the pathogenesis of anxiety: a new model approach

The present study evaluated the singular and interactive effects of a functional polymorphism (variation) in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene and a psychological trait (anxiety sensitivity [AS], i.e., fear of arousal symptoms) in predicting subjective and physiological responses to a 35% carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge in a community sample (N = 72). Genotypes were divided into 2 groups in accord with prior research. Findings were partially supportive of the hypothesized risk model. These indicated that the Group L genotype (homozygous for the 1 allele), compared with the Group S genotype (homozygous for the s allele plus heterozygous individuals), predicted greater fearful response to the biological challenge. There was also an AS x Genotype interaction predicting heart rate variability (HRV) in response to the CO2, suggesting that high AS plus Group L status predicts decreased HRV.     

Perceptual assumptions and projective distortions in a three-dimensional shape illusion

We examine a shape illusion, in which the balconies of a building appear to tilt up or down, depending on the viewpoint. The balconies are actually level parallelogram shapes, but appear as tilted rectangles. We measured the illusory tilts observed when parallelogram shapes are viewed above the line of sight, using three-dimensional stimuli consisting of parallelograms of various tilts viewed at different orientations. Under perspective projection, parallelism and orthogonality are not preserved. However, perspective distortions alone cannot account for the perceived tilts measured in these experiments, since observers perceived illusory tilts even for stimuli in the frontoparallel plane. We introduce a model, based on the theory that observers assume ambiguously projected three-dimensional angles to be equal to 90 degrees, but revise their predictions on the basis of observation. In the model, perceived tilt is predicted as a weighted sum of the tilts predicted by the assumptions that the shape is rectangular, and that the shape is level (i.e. that the angle between the shape and the vertical backboard is equal to 90 degrees). We prove that it is mathematically impossible for a planar rectangle to share a projection with a nonrectangular parallelogram. A less restrictive assumption that just the two leading internal angles are equal to 90 degrees is suggested as an alternative, and it is further proven that this new configuration of angles leads to a unique perceived tilt. The relative weights in the model reflect the amount that each prediction is revised, and are shown to vary systematically with stimulus orientation. For some observers a better fit was found by replacing the level-tilt assumptions with an assumption that physical tilt was equal to the projected tilt.     

Adjusting To a New Racial Climate: Maintenance of Personal Integrity

This paper will focus on the writer’s experience as a native New Yorker relocating to Montgomery, Alabama. The writer will share how he adjusted and coped with overt discrimination and racism in the context of the high school in which he attended there-a majority white high school on the “other” side of town. The writer will share how he employed the following coping mechanisms as methods of adjusting to his new environment: translating emotional experiences into words (relaxation and talk therapy), involvement with other black positive peers, careful assessment before acting, withdrawal and avoidance, and consuming African-American literature.     

Circadian phase-shifted rats show normal acquisition but impaired long-term retention of place information in the water task

It is thought that circadian rhythms may influence learning and memory processes. However, research supporting this view does not dissociate a mnemonic impairment from other performance deficits. Furthermore, published reports do not specify the type of memory system influenced by the circadian system. The present study assessed the effects of phase shifting on acquisition and expression of place navigation in the water maze, a task sensitive to hippocampal dysfunction. The results showed that phase-shifting circadian rhythms in rats impaired the expression of place information on a retention test but not initial acquisition or encoding of place information. These results suggest that disruption of circadian rhythms may impair consolidation of previously encoded hippocampal place information.     

Models of self and others and their relation to positive and negative caregiving responses

The burden of providing informal care to a family member can lead to caregiver depression and potentially harmful caregiving behavior. Given the interpersonal nature of caregiving, the relationship between caregivers and care recipients may impact caregiver responses. We applied attachment theory to understanding caregiver depression, and both potentially harmful and exemplary caregiving responses. We present data from 430 caregivers in the Family Relationships in Late Life (FRILL 2) Project, a multisite, longitudinal study of caregiving. Age, gender, and model of self were related to caregiving responses, suggesting that model of self may help identify caregivers at risk for poor responses.