Facets of autobiographical memory in adolescents with major depressive disorder and never‐depressed controls

Adolescence is a crucial developmental window because it involves elaboration of the self‐concept, the laying down of lifelong autobiographical memories, and the development of emotional resilience during a time of substantial risk for mood problems. Autobiographical memory retrieval plays an important role in depression both in adults (van Vreeswijk & de Wilde, 2004 van Vreeswijk, MF and de Wilde, EJ. (2004). Autobiographical memory specificity, psychopathology, depressed mood and the use of the Autobiographical Memory Test: a meta‐analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42: 731–743. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and adolescents (Kuyken, Howell, & Dalgleish, 2005; Park, Goodyer, & Teasdale, 2002 Park, RJ, Goodyer, IM and Teasdale, JD. (2002). Categoric overgeneral autobiographical memory in adolescents with major depressive disorder. Psychological Medicine, 32: 267–276. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This study examined facets of autobiographical memory associated with memory retrieval in never‐depressed and currently depressed adolescents: personal importance, imagery, recency, source monitoring, and field‐observer perspective. Compared with never‐depressed adolescents, adolescents with depression were significantly more likely to retrieve memories from an observer perspective and more recent time period, preferentially rehearsed negative memories and rated their memories as more personally important. Depressed adolescents who reported a history of trauma retrieved more vivid autobiographical memories than depressed adolescents not reporting such a history, had rehearsed them more frequently, and reported more confidence in their veracity.     

Bridging developmental systems theory and evolutionary psychology using dynamic optimization

Interactions between evolutionary psychologists and developmental systems theorists have been largely antagonistic. This is unfortunate because potential synergies between the two approaches remain unexplored. This article presents a method that may help to bridge the divide, and that has proven fruitful in biology: dynamic optimization. Dynamic optimization integrates developmental systems theorists’ focus on dynamics and contingency with the ‘design stance’ of evolutionary psychology. It provides a theoretical framework as well as a set of tools for exploring the properties of developmental systems that natural selection might favor, given particular evolutionary ecologies. We also discuss limitations of the approach.     

Dimensions of temperament and depressive symptoms: Replicating a three-way interaction

High negative emotionality (NE), low positive emotionality (PE), and low self-regulatory capacity (i.e., effortful control or EC) are related to depressive symptoms and furthermore, may moderate one another’s relations to such symptoms. Indeed, preliminary evidence suggests they may operate in a three-way interaction (Dinovo & Vasey, 2011), but the replicability of that finding remains unknown. Therefore, we tested this NE × PE × EC interaction in association with depressive symptoms in 5 independent samples. This interaction was significant in 4 of the 5 samples and a combined sample and approached significance in the fifth sample. In contrast, the NE × PE × EC interaction was unrelated to general anxious symptoms and thus may be specific to symptoms of depression. Implications, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed.     

Willful Ignorance

Michelle Moody-Adams suggests that “the main obstacle to moral progress in social practices is the tendency to widespread affected ignorance of what can and should already be known.” This explanation is promising, though to understand it we need to know what willful (affected, motivated, strategic) ignorance actually is. This paper presents a novel analysis of this concept, which builds upon Moody-Adams (1994) and is contrasted with a recent account by Lynch (2016).     

Sadism linked to loneliness: psychodynamic dimensions of the sadistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer

In this article the psychodynamic link between loneliness and sadism is examined on basis of a case report of the sadistic and cannibalistic serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. Envy, shame/rage mechanism, a disturbed oral-sadistic development, castration fear and severe feelings of inferiority, the conviction of being unlovable and unacceptable, need to diminish tension, powerful and sadistic fantasies as a consequence of inadequate and frustrated parenting, and reality distortion appear to be involved in sadistic etiology.     

Hegelian Spirits in Sellarsian bottles

Though Wilfrid Sellars portrayed himself as a latter-day Kantian, I argue here that he was at least as much a Hegelian. Several themes Sellars shares with Hegel are investigated: the sociality and normativity of the intentional, categorial change, the rejection of the given, and especially their denial of an unknowable thing-in-itself. They are also united by an emphasis on the unity of things—the belief that things do “hang together.” Hegel’s unity is idealist; Sellars’ is physicalist; the differences are substantial, but so are the resonances.     

The analytic-synthetic distinction and the classical model of science: Kant,Bolzano and Frege

This paper concentrates on some aspects of the history of the analytic-synthetic distinction from Kant to Bolzano and Frege. This history evinces considerable continuity but also some important discontinuities. The analytic-synthetic distinction has to be seen in the first place in relation to a science, i.e. an ordered system of cognition. Looking especially to the place and role of logic it will be argued that Kant, Bolzano and Frege each developed the analytic-synthetic distinction within the same conception of scientific rationality, that is, within the Classical Model of Science: scientific knowledge as cognitio ex principiis. But as we will see, the way the distinction between analytic and synthetic judgments or propositions functions within this model turns out to differ considerably between them.