Positive and negative aspects of sociotropy and autonomy

The predictions of cognitive theory of depression with regard to personality modes have not been consistently supported. One explanation is that theoretical attention has been unduly centered on maladaptive aspects of personality. The content validity of the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (SAS) was explored with regard to the external correlates of positively and negatively self-evaluative items. One hundred twenty-four undergraduates completed the SAS and several criterion measures. Positively and negatively toned SAS items exhibited different external correlates, with only negatively toned items being associated with symptom and negative cognition measures. Moreover, the pattern of mood correlates reported by Clark and Beck (1991) for three subscales of a revised SAS Autonomy scale corresponded to the valence of each subscale's items, as determined by content analysis. Whereas sociotropy and autonomy are conceptually defined in terms of placing a high value on certain goals or experiences, the SAS may be overbalanced by expressions of self-criticism or insecurity about these values.     

Marx and God with anarchism: on Walter Benjamin’s concepts of history and violence

The article analyses relationships between profane and religious illumination, materialism and theology, politics and religion, Marxism and Messianism. For Walter Benjamin, every second is “the small gateway in time through which the Messiah might enter”. This is the starting point in the reading of Benjamin’s works, where we confront various liaisons and couplings of radical politics and messianic events. Through the reading of Benjamin and through the analysis of his conceptions of history and time, the article addresses the question what is possible in the world.     

The ethics of animal research: a survey of pediatric health care workers

Introduction

Pediatric health care workers (HCW) often perform, promote, and advocate use of public funds for animal research (AR). We aim to determine whether HCW consider common arguments (and counterarguments) in support (or not) of AR convincing.

Design

After development and validation, an e-mail survey was sent to all pediatricians and pediatric intensive care unit nurses and respiratory therapists (RTs) affiliated with a Canadian University. We presented questions about demographics, support for AR, and common arguments (with their counterarguments) to justify the moral permissibility (or not) of AR. Responses are reported using standard tabulations. Responses of pediatricians and nurses/RTs were compared using Chi-square, with P?<?.05 considered significant.

Results

Response rate was 53/115(46%) (pediatricians), and 73/120(61%) (nurses/RTs). Pediatricians and nurses/RTs are supportive of AR. Most considered ‘benefits arguments’ sufficient to justify AR; however, most acknowledged that counterarguments suggesting alternative research methods may be available, or that it is unclear why the same ‘benefits arguments’ do not apply to using humans in research, significantly weakened ‘benefits arguments’. Almost all were not convinced of the moral permissibility of AR by ‘characteristics of non-human-animals arguments’, including that non-human-animals may not be sentient, or are simply property. Most were not convinced of the moral permissibility of AR by ‘human exceptionalism’ arguments, including that humans have more advanced mental abilities, are of a special ‘kind’, can enter into social contracts, or face a ‘lifeboat situation’. Counterarguments explained much of this, including that not all humans have these more advanced abilities [the argument from species overlap], and that the notion of ‘kind’ is arbitrary [e.g., why are we not of the kind ‘sentient animal’ or ‘subject-of-a-life’]. Pediatrician and nurse/RT responses were similar.

Conclusions

Most respondents were not convinced of the moral permissibility of AR when given common arguments and counterarguments from the literature. HCW should seriously consider arguments on both sides of the AR debate.

     

Relative Difficulty of Understanding Foreign Accents as a Marker of Proficiency

Foreign‐accented speech is generally harder to understand than native‐accented speech. This difficulty is reduced for non‐native listeners who share their first language with the non‐native speaker. It is currently unclear, however, how non‐native listeners deal with foreign‐accented speech produced by speakers of a different language. We show that the process of (second) language acquisition is associated with an increase in the relative difficulty of processing foreign‐accented speech. Therefore, experiencing greater relative difficulty with foreign‐accented speech compared with native speech is a marker of language proficiency. These results contribute to our understanding of how phonological categories are acquired during second language learning.     

The Role of Family and Parental Characteristics in the Scope of Social Encounters of Children in Homeschooling

Homeschooling, a phenomenon that is increasingly widespread in the Western world, raises questions regarding the ability to supply children in this framework with adequate social encounters. Despite evidence regarding the importance of these encounters for children in homeschooling, there is insufficient data concerning the sources of differences between homeschooling families in the scope of these social encounters. The present study examined the relationships between a child’s social encounters and socioeconomic aspects of the family, parental personalities, and the way homeschooling is practiced. One hundred and forty parents who homeschooled their children completed questionnaires about themselves, their families, and their children, as well as the social interactions of their children. The findings indicate that parental personalities and the way homeschooling is practiced correlated significantly with the social encounters of homeschooled children. Parents’ conscientiousness was associated with a greater number of social encounters and more structure in the homeschooling. This article presents possible explanations for these findings, theoretical implications of the findings and possibilities for further research.     

3-Year-Olds’ Perseveration on the DCCS Explained: A Meta-Analysis

The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task is a widely used measure of preschoolers’ executive function. We combined data for 3,290 3-year-olds from 37 unique studies reporting 130 experimental conditions. Using raw pass/fail counts, we computed the pass rates and chi-squared value for each against chance (50/50) performance. We grouped data according to DCCS variants and computed the standard pass rate and chi-squared and phi for each variant relative to standard. For all standard versions, the mean pass rate was 36%. We compared all other variants to the standard and found robust improvements in performance for manipulations that involved spatial separation of the conflicting dimensions, use of distraction between pre and post-switch, elimination of all conflict, and extra practice. We also found that negative priming offers a better explanation for 3-year-olds’ perseveration than attentional inertia. The results support a theoretical model of 3-year-olds’ performance based on inhibitory control.     

Clinical ethics case report: questionable capacity and the guidance of living wills

After falling from a roof, an older man lost neurological function below his face. In two days, the patient regained consciousness, but it was unclear whether he could communicate his preferences, whether due to injuries or difficulties with language. His family believed he could communicate with them, and that he was capable of making treatment decisions. The staff did not think to contact the hospital's largely inactive ethics consultation service for assistance, and instead looked to the patient's living will for guidance, even though the patient was not terminally ill, and his lack of capacity had not been determined.     

Best Practices: A Critical Yet Inclusive Vision for the Counseling Profession

Substantial controversy has surrounded the concept of best practices (BPs) in counseling; in particular, the consequences of deriving practice guidelines from empirically supported treatments (ESTs). Criticisms of EST methodology, assumptions, and findings are summarized, and implications for core counseling values, including multiculturalism, are discussed. The authors further elaborate an inclusive view of BP that can facilitate the use of research to inform and enhance counseling services while rectifying problems associated with methodological and theoretical bias.