Historical explanation,folk psychology,and narrative

Abstract

The aim of this article is to review the recent popularity of casuistry as a model of moral inquiry. I argue that proponents of casuistry do not endorse the particularist epistemology that seems to be implied by their position, and that this is why casuistry does not seem to present something really new in comparison to ‘top-down’ generalist approaches. I contend that casuistry should develop itself as a (moderately) particularist position and that the challenge for the defender of casuistry is to come up with ideas that strengthen the (‘intuitionist’) model of rationality that underlies most forms of particularism.     

Behavioral Management of Inappropriate Masturbation in an 8-Year-Old Girl

An 8-year-old girl, previously diagnosed with infantile masturbation, was referred and treated for inappropriate masturbation. Treatment involved age-appropriate sexual education, reinforcement contingencies, the use of distraction and redirection, and when necessary, timeout. The inappropriate masturbation behavior was substantially reduced during treatment phase from daily occurrence to occasional occurrence, and at 6-week post-treatment follow-up, inappropriate masturbation was absent.     

Identity statuses in young adult employees: Prospective relations with work engagement and burnout

The importance of identity statuses for individuals' well-being and psychosocial functioning has been demonstrated abundantly in high school and college samples. The present longitudinal study complemented this research line by (a) focusing on identity clusters or statuses in a sample of 300 working young adults (21–40 years of age), and (b) investigating the concurrent and prospective implications of these identity statuses for work engagement and burnout. Based on a recently developed dimensional model of personal identity formation, five distinct statuses were obtained, largely replicating previous research on identity clusters. These five statuses were meaningfully differentiated on the basis of their associations with the outcome measures, with the identity achievement status showing the most optimal profile (low burnout, high engagement) and the diffused diffusion status the least adjusted profile across time. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The Business of Testing

Theodore Millon was a brilliant man: erudite, thoughtful, confident, deliberate, and curious. He was an integrative thinker. It is widely known how these characteristics manifested themselves in his landmark work in the areas of personality theory, personality development, and personality assessment. What is likely less well known is that he displayed these same characteristics in and to the world of business; in particular, his relationships with those who published and distributed his assessment measures. This article traces those relationships. Various components are explored, ranging from product development to product marketing, from the protection of intellectual property to the development and execution of contracts, from deciding how and when to revise a test to ensuring that his legacy continues long into the future. Although the primary dynamic of these relationships was commercial, the reasons for their success were personal. Common goals, clarity of communication, persistence, respect, and trust allowed these relationships to develop, prosper, evolve, and endure.     

Beyond Randomized Controlled Trials in Attempted Suicide Research

There is a lack of evidence about what is the best treatment for people who present to hospital after self harm. Most treatment trials have been small and involved unrepresentative groups of patients which result in inconclusive findings. Here we note some of the characteristics of attempted suicide which make it a difficult subject to study. We describe the problems of doing randomized controlled trials in attempted suicide and outline the advantages and difficulties of randomized controlled trials, Zelen designs, patient preference designs, and cluster randomized trials in attempted suicide intervention trials. Researchers and consumers should consider other research designs when asking what is effective after self harm.     

The Cognitive Organisation of Human Errors: A Gestalt Theory Perspective

Les erreurs humaines sont étudiées dans le cadre théorique de la gestalt theory comparée aux théories de l'erreur cognitive. II est démontré que les processus ou actes de cognition erronée ne sont pas toujours les conséquences de la routine, mais plutôt la suite naturelle d'une organisation de la forme, indépendante du fait qu'une certaine ligne d'action ait été apprise ou non. Des exemples issus des champs de la perception visuelle, de la pensée et de l'action dirigées vers un but sont présentés, dans lesquels le principes de la gestalt, finalité, bon déroulement et proximité conditionnent l'apparition d'échecs. Est aussi mis en discussion le fait que les erreurs pouvaient être ou pas considérées comme évaluation positive, comme elles pourraient être l'indication de la résolution d'un problème de production et dans certaines situations, fournir de l'information sur la manière la plus facile d'approcher un but.
Human errors are discussed within the theoretical framework of gestalt theory as compared with cognitive error theories. It is argued that erroneous cognitive processes or actions are not always the consequence of routinisation, but instead are a natural consequence of gestalt organisation independent of whether or not a certain line of action has been learned. Examples from the fields of visual perception, thinking, and goal-directed action are presented, in which the gestalt principles of closure, good continuation, and proximity are conditions governing the emergence of failures. Also discussed is the issue of whether or not errors should be given positive evaluation, as they may be a cue for productive problem solving and may, in certain situations, provide information as to the smoothest path to approaching a goal.     

Same-sex attraction, social relationships, psychosocial functioning, and school performance in early adolescence

The authors examined whether 13- to 15-year-old adolescents who experience feelings of same-sex attraction (SSA) differ from those without such feelings in the quality of relationships with parents, peers, and class mentors and in psychosocial functioning (health status and school performance). The authors also assessed whether differences in psychosocial functioning resulted from differences in the quality of social relationships. Data were collected from 866 Dutch high school students (mean age 13.61 years) by means of a computer-based questionnaire. Of the participants, 74 (8.5%) reported having feelings of SSA. The participants with SSA rated the quality of their relationships with their fathers and their peers lower than did those without SSA. Participants with SSA also had poorer mental health (higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem) and lower school performance. A mediation analysis revealed that differences in psychosocial functioning resulted from differences in the quality of the same-sex attracted youths' social relationships, especially with fathers and peers.