Evolution of the brain and intelligence

Intelligence has evolved many times independently among vertebrates. Primates, elephants and cetaceans are assumed to be more intelligent than 'lower' mammals, the great apes and humans more than monkeys, and humans more than the great apes. Brain properties assumed to be relevant for intelligence are the (absolute or relative) size of the brain, cortex, prefrontal cortex and degree of encephalization. However, factors that correlate better with intelligence are the number of cortical neurons and conduction velocity, as the basis for information-processing capacity. Humans have more cortical neurons than other mammals, although only marginally more than whales and elephants. The outstanding intelligence of humans appears to result from a combination and enhancement of properties found in non-human primates, such as theory of mind, imitation and language, rather than from 'unique' properties.     

Development and validation of the Self‐Gifting Consumer Behaviour scale

Self‐gifting consumer behaviour (SGCB) is on the rise as consumers seek reward and therapeutic benefits from their shopping experiences. SGCB is defined as personally symbolic, self‐communication through special indulgences, which tend to be premeditated and highly context bound. Prior research into the measurement of this growing behavioural phenomenon has been fragmented because of differences in conceptualisation. This research builds upon the prior literature and through a series of qualitative and quantitative studies, develops a valid, multidimensional measure of SGCB that will be useful for future quantitative inquiry into self‐gifting consumption. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glücksspielsucht in der Rechtsprechung des Bundesgerichtshofs

Among the non-substance-related addictions, pathological gambling is the only one that has gained noteworthy forensic relevance. There are numerous parallels to substance-related addictions and not only in the symptomatology. A high proportion of pathological gamblers commit criminal offences to enable them to continue gambling or to pay gambling debts. According to the jurisdiction of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) pathological gambling in itself cannot be considered as a pathological mental disorder or other serious mental abnormality that substantially diminishes the responsibility of the offender (German Penal Code § 21 StGB); however, the BGH recognizes that in serious cases of pathological gambling mental changes and personality defects can evolve that show similar structure and severity to substance-related addictions and severe withdrawal symptoms might also develop. As with substance-related addictions a substantial diminution of the offender’s responsibility can be assumed, therefore, also with pathological gambling if it has led to most severe personality changes or if the offender suffered from severe withdrawal symptoms while committing an addiction-related crime. According to these criteria a substantial diminution of the offender’s responsibility can be stated only in very rare cases. A custodial addiction treatment order (§ 64 StGB), which is also possible for fully responsible delinquents, is not applicable to cases of mere pathological gambling because the order requires an addiction to alcohol or other drugs. A mental hospital commitment order (§ 63 StGB) can be issued by the court under the same strict conditions that are applied to cases of substance-related addictions. Based on these principles this can only be issued if the defendant is addicted to gambling due to a mental defect that can be distinguished from the addiction itself or if the dependence has already been manifested in very severe personality changes. Pathological gambling can cause a propensity to commit serious offences and therefore, under the further conditions of §§ 66, 66a StGB justify detention for the purpose of incapacitation or a deferred incapacitation order. Even during imprisonment, detainees must be offered a suitable therapy (§ 66c para 2 StGB); however, penitentiaries do not offer the best environment for the treatment of pathological gamblers. The treatment in an addiction therapeutic setting appears to be more promising. Criminal political demands to make custodial addiction treatment orders also applicable to pathological gamblers have, however, very little chance of success.     

Counting on fine motor skills: links between preschool finger dexterity and numerical skills

Finger counting is widely considered an important step in children's early mathematical development. Presumably, children's ability to move their fingers during early counting experiences to aid number representation depends in part on their early fine motor skills (FMS). Specifically, FMS should link to children's procedural counting skills through consistent repetition of finger‐counting procedures. Accordingly, we hypothesized that (a) FMS are linked to early counting skills, and (b) greater FMS relate to conceptual counting knowledge (e.g., cardinality, abstraction, order irrelevance) via procedural counting skills (i.e., one–one correspondence and correctness of verbal counting). Preschool children (N = 177) were administered measures of procedural counting skills, conceptual counting knowledge, FMS, and general cognitive skills along with parent questionnaires on home mathematics and fine motor environment. FMS correlated with procedural counting skills and conceptual counting knowledge after controlling for cognitive skills, chronological age, home mathematics and FMS environments. Moreover, the relationship between FMS and conceptual counting knowledge was mediated by procedural counting skills. Findings suggest that FMS play a role in early counting and therewith conceptual counting knowledge.     

Boarding School Attendance and Physical Health Status of Northern Plains Tribes

Our hypothesis was that boarding school attendance among Northern Plains tribal members was associated with lower self-reported physical health status controlling for demographic, socioeconomic variables, the number of mental health and physical health problems. This secondary analysis used the American Indian Service Utilization, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Risk and Protective Factors Project data collected from 1997 to 1999. This analysis included (n = 1638) Northern Plains tribally enrolled members, aged 15–54, who lived on or within 20 miles of their reservations. Using linear regression and path analysis we examined the indirect, direct, and combine associations of boarding school attendance and physical health status. Results confirm boarding school attendance contributed indirectly (beta = ?.83, CI = ?1.33,-.33, p. ≤ .001) through number of physical health conditions to lower physical health status. Combined direct and indirect results (beta = ?.39, CI = ?1.20, .42) show American Indians who attended boarding school have lower physical health status (beta = ?1.22, CI = ?2.18,-.26, p. ≤ .01) than those who did not. The relationship of American Indian boarding school attendance and physical health status is complex with more than one path existing. We need to better understand the relationship of boarding school attendance and American Indian health, identify risk factors, and develop interventions for families and younger generations.     

Construct Validity Evidence for the Intercultural Readiness Check against the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire

The psychometric qualities of the intercultural readiness check (IRC) were evaluated against an existing instrument for multicultural effectiveness: the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). The IRC has scales for intercultural sensitivity, intercultural communication, intercultural relationship building, conflict management, leadership and tolerance of ambiguity. A sample of in majority employees who were trained for an international position (N=137) participated in the study. The IRC scales were moderately to sufficiently reliable. Correlations with the MPQ scales were in the expected direction. Both instruments were equally strongly related to international inspiration, with open‐mindedness (MPQ) and intercultural sensitivity (IRC) as most important predictors. The IRC scales explained more variance in international experience.     

When smiling back helps and scowling back hurts: individual differences in emotional mimicry are associated with self-reported interaction quality during conflict interactions

Motivation and Emotion - Conflicts or disagreements during which negative, antagonistic emotions are expressed are perceived as uncomfortable. By contrast, disagreements accompanied by positive,...     

The Purpose-in-Life Scale (PILS): internal consistency reliability,concurrent validity and construct validity among Catholic priests in Italy

ABSTRACT

The Purpose in Life Scale was designed to provide a 12-item unidimensional measure of purpose in life employing a five-point Likert rating for each item. The present study supports the psychometric properties of the Italian translation of this instrument among 155 Catholic priests (mean age?=?46 years, SD?=?12.16). Internal consistency reliability generated an alpha coefficient of .90. The first factor generated by principal component analysis accounted for 49.5% of variance. Concurrent validity against the Purpose in Life Test was supported by a correlation of .63. Construct validity was supported by a correlation of .54 with the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale and by a correlation of ?.51 with the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry. These properties commend the scale for future use among Catholic priests.     

Cassirer’s enlightenment: on philosophy and the ‘Denkform’ of reason

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the way in which Cassirer implicitly commented on current issues in his historical studies, proposing a case study on his monograph The Philosophy of the Enlightenment, published in November 1932. It begins with a general overview of a few famous and a few neglected instances of Cassirer’s position-takings through historical studies, before discussing briefly the context in which this monograph was written and examining how the Enlightenment is presented in the monograph from 1932. The paper claims that at the centre of Cassirer’s engagement with the Enlightenment was his concern with the autonomy of reason. The way in which Cassirer elaborated on this further shows that his defense of the Enlightenment was not just directed against the threats of totalitarian politics, but also had the aim of clarifying the nature of philosophy and its place in culture. This, however, the paper concludes, does not refute the notion that Cassirer was concerned with current politics when writing The Philosophy of the Enlightenment. The point is rather that he comprehended philosophy as political just in virtue of its exercising the autonomy that characterizes reason.