Pramono U. Tanthowi, Muslims and tolerance; Non-Muslim minorities under shariah in Indonesia

Book review of Muslims and Tolerance; Non-Muslim Minorities under Shariah in Indonesia written by Pramono U. Tanthowi.     

The differential processing of price in gains and losses: the effects of frame and need for cognition

Perhaps the most fundamental principle of decision theory is that more money is preferred to less: the principle of desired wealth. Based on this and other principles such as reference dependence and loss aversion, researchers have derived and demonstrated mental accounting (MA) rules for multiple outcome situations. Experiment 1 tested the invariance of the desired wealth principle and two mental accounting rules (mixed gain, e.g. $100 gain and a $50 loss; mixed loss, e.g. $100 loss and a $50 gain) across types of decision maker and frame. The desired wealth principle and the MA rule for mixed gains were found to vary depending upon (1) the thoughtfulness of the decision maker (need for cognition, NC), and (2) the frame used to describe gains and losses (e.g. a gain of $x versus a gain of y%). The MA rule for mixed losses, however, was found to be immune to framing effects, even among people who are generally less thoughtful. The differential processing of gains and losses across frames (dollar versus percentage) and individuals (less versus more thoughtful) was tested further in Experiment 2 where evaluations of mixed losses were made at the level of the gestalt as well as the constituent (the gain and the loss being evaluated separately). Framing effects were evidenced only among subjects lower in NC and only when the constituent gain was evaluated. Evaluations of the overall mixed loss and the constituent loss were comparable across situation and individual, suggesting that losses motivate greater processing among people otherwise inclined toward cognitive miserliness. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of the Y-chromosome of Rb/1Bg mice on agonistic behaviors

Males of the Rb/lBg and C57BL/10Bg strains, as well as of the Bl0RblF, and RblBlOF1, reciprocal hybrids, were tested for aggression over three daily trials beginning at 50 days of age. The BlORblF, hybrids were sired by Rb/lBg males, and the RblBlOF, hybrids were sired by C57BL/10Bg males. The mean scores for the agonistic acts of chase, wrestle, flank-bite (but not tail rattle or attack), and the mean “aggression” score (but not mean latencies to first agonistic act or first attack) were significantly higher for BlORblF, than for RblBlOF, hybrids. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that some aspect(s) of the Rb/lBg Y-chromosome strain can influence the occurrence of some of the motor patterns of offense but not defense. The Y-chromosomes of the DBA/1, DBA/2, CBA, and PHH inbred strains have a similar effect on agonistic behaviors.     

Freud and the problem of sexuality

This paper traces the development of Freud's views on sexuality and its relation to society from his early to his later writings. He shows that, although Freud provided important arguments for sexual reform, he also provided equally compelling arguments about its dangers and limits.     

Memory psychophysics

Summary The relationship between perceptual and cognitive processes has been a topic of increasing interest. This review focuses on the use of techniques and theory drawn from classical psychophysics and applied to the study of mental representation. Several issues including examination of the functions that relate remembered and perceived magnitude to physical intensity, the relationship of memorial to perceptual functions, the effect of time on the memorial function, considerations in the methodology of memory psychophysics experiments, the level of functional equivalence between memorial and perceptual representation, and the use of psychophysical techniques and theory in the study of visual imagery are addressed. While the data suggest that the relationship between remembered magnitude and physical intensity and between perceived magnitude and physical intensity can be described by power functions, a model capable of accounting for the behavior of the memory magnitude for all stimulus dimensions and at all time intervals has not yet been found. Several unresolved issues and typical difficulties with research in memory psychophysics are also discussed.     

Never say never

I. An argument is presented for the conclusion that the hypothesis that no one will ever decide a given proposition is intuitionistically inconsistent. II. A distinction between sentences and statements blocks a similar argument for the stronger conclusion that the hypothesis that I have not yet decided a given proposition is intuitionistically inconsistent, but does not block the original argument. III. A distinction between empirical and mathematical negation might block the original argument, and empirical negation might be modelled on Nelson's strong negation, but only on intuitionistically unacceptable assumptions. IV. Intuitionists may have to accept the original argument, and therefore be committed to a dubious view of time on which there cannot be merely inductive evidence for statements about the infinite future.