Investigative and Suspensive Scepticism

Sextus Empiricus portrays the Pyrrhonian sceptics in two radically different ways. On the one hand, he describes them as inquirers or examiners, and insists that what distinguishes them from all the other philosophical schools is their persistent engagement in inquiry. On the other hand, he insists that the main feature of Pyrrhonian attitude is suspension of judgement about everything. Many have argued that a consistent account of Sextan scepticism as both investigative and suspensive is not possible. The main obstacle to characterizing Pyrrhonism as both investigative and suspensive is the fact that it seems that the mature sceptics, after they have suspended judgement and thus reached tranquillity, have no motivation for further inquiry. Any inquiry they seem to be interested in after they have suspended judgement is the refutation of (relevant) beliefs needed for maintaining tranquillity. I try to show that the mature sceptics' removal of distress does not ipso facto mean removal of the desire for knowledge. This is because distress is not just a matter of unsatisfied desire, but of belief that one of the opposed appearances must be true, or, more generally, of belief that the truth is the only worthwhile epistemic goal. Having abandoned this belief, the sceptics can still engage in philosophical inquiries. This is because Sextus does not assume that philosophy is the search for truth: it is so only for the dogmatists. In a more general sense, applicable to the sceptics as well, philosophy is just an inquiry into certain things, and for the sceptics, its epistemic goal is still open.     

How contact shapes implicit and explicit preferences: attitudes toward Roma children in inclusive and non‐inclusive environment

In two studies, the authors examined the effects of intergroup contact in inclusive and non‐inclusive environments on children's explicit and implicit prejudices. In both studies, supervised contact with Roma peers, instructed by inclusive program, led to a more positive explicit evaluation of Roma and less social distance, while it had no significant impact on implicit attitudes. In contrast, implicit attitudes were related to mere exposure to Roma (Study 2). Intergroup anxiety and self‐disclosure mediated the effect of inclusiveness level on explicit, but not on implicit attitudes. The results indicate that two types of attitudes might be formed via different routes, and that mere exposure and supervised contact influence them differently. This information could help tailor future prejudice reduction programs.     

The longitudinal relations between parenting and toddlers' attention problems and aggressive behaviors

The aim of the present study was to examine the normative developmental trajectories of toddlers’ externalizing behaviors and several maternal and paternal parenting dimensions. Latent growth models were used to determine intraindividual changes and interindividual differences in these changes. One hundred and eight boys were followed from 17 months of age to 35 months of age. A significant linear decrease in attention problems and a significant linear increase in aggressive behaviors were found. Additionally, multivariate models were tested that related the developmental trajectories of externalizing behaviors to the trajectories of the parenting dimensions. The results showed meaningful contemporary relations and relations between over-time trajectories of parenting dimensions and children's externalizing behaviors.     

Community Data Collection with Children of Mothers Living with HIV: Boundaries of the Researcher Role

The TRACK‐II program is a multi‐site, community‐based randomized controlled trial evaluating an intervention to assist mothers living with HIV (MLH) in disclosing their HIV status to their young children. Many participants—both mothers and children—reported significant depression and/or suicidal ideation, a phenomenon that presented ethical challenges. This article focuses on participants at one site (Atlanta). Through the vignette of “Jordan,” we describe ethical challenges that may arise when faced with the responsibility of maximizing participants’ safety while maintaining the boundaries of the researcher role. Guided by community psychology values, our team has taken measures within our role as researchers to empower and protect children and mothers endorsing suicidal ideation. For example, we have relied on relationships with community‐based organizations and AIDS service organizations to connect HIV‐affected families to mental health services. Furthermore, we have expanded our system of documentation to follow‐up adequately with families at risk, and we track family resources to promote a strengths‐based framework. We have solicited families’ feedback about their supports and needs to understand how we may best serve them by connecting them to the resources they report needing most and empowering them to care for themselves.     

Academic Cheating in Mathematics Classes: A Motivational Perspective

We investigated the frequency of secondary school students’ self-reported cheating in mathematics and relationships between cheating and motivational beliefs, as well as neutralizing attitudes. Two types of cheating were examined: active cheating, which is aimed to increase a person’s own success, and second-party cheating, aimed to help other students achieve success. Students use second-party cheating very often and more than active cheating. Motivational beliefs are significantly related to active cheating but uncorrelated with second-party cheating. Thus, although active and second-party cheating are both classified as dishonest acts, they do not have the same motivational mechanisms in their background.     

Safety in Online Research With Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: What About the Children?

The significant co-occurrence between men’s violence against female partners and child abuse and neglect is well documented. It is less clear how child safety should be managed in family violence research with their mothers. This issue is salient to isafe, a New Zealand–based Internet intervention study testing improvement in safety decisions and mental health outcomes for women experiencing intimate partner violence. This article discusses the legislative, professional, and ethical considerations that contribute to the development of the child safety protocols and discusses the development of the isafe protocol. Hypothetical scenarios of the application of the isafe protocol are used to illuminate the issues and provide a basis for future discussion.