Nontransitive Decomposable Conjoint Measurement

Traditional models of conjoint measurement look for an additive representation of transitive preferences. They have been generalized in two directions. Nontransitive additive conjoint measurement models allow for nontransitive preferences while retaining the additivity feature of traditional models. Decomposable conjoint measurement models are transitive but replace additivity by a mere decomposability requirement. This paper presents generalizations of conjoint measurement models combining these two aspects. This allows us to propose a simple axiomatic treatment that shows the pure consequences of several cancellation conditions used in traditional models. These nontran- sitive decomposable conjoint measurement models encompass a large number of aggregation rules that have been introduced in the literature.     

Impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder on comorbidity: a controlled investigation

This study examined the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for principal panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, on comorbidity in 30 individuals (16 female). To test the hypothesis that improvements in co-existing conditions were not due to spontaneous fluctuations across time, patients receiving immediate CBT were compared to those assigned to wait list (n = 11). Results indicated clinician-rated severity of comorbid specific phobia declined significantly following immediate CBT compared to no change after wait list. The number of patients without comorbidity of any severity increased after immediate CBT, with no such increase following wait list. However, the groups did not differ in the frequency of additional diagnoses or overall severity of comorbidity. In the total sample, results indicated reductions in comorbidity by 9-month follow-up, with marked declines in the severity of comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social and specific phobia. Our findings suggest that targeted CBT for panic disorder has beneficial effects on comorbidity over the longer term and that some of its immediate effects exceed those due to the passage of time alone.     

Speech act conditions as tools for reconstructing argumentative discourse

According to the pragma-dialectical approach to argumentation, for analysing argumentative discourse, a normative reconstruction is required which encompasses four kinds of transformations. It is explained in this paper how speech act conditions can play a part in carrying out such a reconstruction. It is argued that integrating Searlean insights concerning speech acts with Gricean insights concerning conversational maxims can provide us with the necessary tools. For this, the standard theory of speech acts has to be amended in several respects and the conversational maxims have to be translated into speech act conditions. Making use of the rules for communication thus arrived at, and starting from the distribution of speech acts in a critical discussion as specified in the pragma-dialectical model, it is then demonstrated how indirect speech acts are to be transformed when reconstructing argumentative discourse.     

Nausea During Pregnancy: Relation to Early Childhood Temperament and Behavior Problems at Twelve Years

Associations between maternal nausea during pregnancy and child behavioral outcomes were investigated in a large birth cohort. Generally, 2nd- and 3rd-trimester nausea were more predictive of child outcomes than 1st-trimester nausea. Children whose mothers reported nausea in middle or late pregnancy had lower sensory thresholds and higher levels of activity and emotional intensity in infancy and were reported to be lower in task persistence at age 5. At age 12, these children were viewed by teachers as more careless with their school work and as having more attentional and learning problems.     

Champ et effets de la négation argumentative: contre-argumentation et mise en cause

An argument can be taken as an operation of justification or as the product of this operation. But what about a counter-argument? This article is based on the hypothesis that there exists an operation of argumentative negation, which is both the argumentative and the negative equivalent of the operation of justification. Justification and argumentative negation necessarily act on assertions, for they are active at the level of the epistemic modalities of statements. As an operation, a counter-argument can thus be described, as the application of an argumentative negation; as a product, it can be described as an argument the conclusion of which shows traces of negative modality. Two uses of argumentative negation are distinguished here: counter-argumentation and calling into question. The former can lead only to assertive conclusive statements, but the latter can also lead to directives or commissives. This leads the authors to introduce the notion of pseudo-argument, besides those of argument and counter-argument. It is shown in particular that when a pseudo-argument is rejected, argumentative negation has the effect of making evident an underlying argument. With respect to the latterit functions as a counter-argumentation, whereas with respect to the illocutionary act accomplished by the conclusive statement, it functions as a calling into question of a condition of satisfaction for this act. This article also defines certain characteristics of argument, proposes criteria for identifying argumentative negation in polemical conversations, and distinguishes four modes of counter-argumentation.     

Choice by rats for enriched versus standard home cages: Plastic pipes, wood platforms, wood chips, and paper towels as enrichment items

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether simple additions to the home cages of rats made those cages preferable to standard housing arrangements. Results indicated that most rats preferred cages with wood platforms, wood chips, and paper towels to otherwise identical cages without these items. Wood chips were not, however, practical with the cages used in the present study. Plastic pipes caused no problems but were not preferred by most animals. Both wood platforms and paper towels created no problems and appeared to be useful as enrichment items. The latter were preferred to the former in a direct comparison.     

领导者对员工主动行为的心理与行为反应

员工主动行为因有利于个人和组织的长远发展而受到学界和业界的广泛关注。以往的研究主要关注主动行为对员工本人的人际内影响,而较少考虑对领导者的人际间影响;同时,考虑到员工在领导过程中扮演的重要角色,对员工的主动行为如何影响领导的心理与行为反应做理论性整理将极大丰富对员工主动行为的认识。学界基于归因理论、内隐追随理论、自我-他人评价一致性理论等对上述自下而上的影响过程进行了初步探索,发现领导者对员工主动行为的态度评价和行为反应受到多重边界条件的影响。未来研究可具体化员工主动行为所诱发的领导者心理与行为反应,探索员工主动行为与领导方式的循环关系,以及深挖主动行为与绩效评价之间的内在机理。     

知觉运动学习中的背景干扰效应和元认知监测

选取大学生为被试,采用两因素混合实验设计,以预期按键反应作为知觉运动学习任务.在运动学习任务中,设置了集中练习和分散练习两种练习方式以及三个练习一测试组块.通过分析不同练习方式和练习-测试组块对练习成绩、测试成绩以及元认知监测的影响,考察运动知觉学习的背景干扰效应、练习伴随低估效应以及元认知监测的依据.结果发现: (1)缩短练习与测试之间的时间间隔,经典的背景干扰效应没有出现; (2)在知觉运动学习的多组块练习过程中.元认知监测准确性没有出现练习伴随低估效应; (3)集中练习组更多地以当前的练习成绩作为依据进行预测,从而导致了对预测的高估.     

The New Person-Specific Paradigm in Psychology

ABSTRACT— Most research methodology in the behavioral sciences employs interindividual analyses, which provide information about the state of affairs of the population. However, as shown by classical mathematical-statistical theorems (the ergodic theorems), such analyses do not provide information for, and cannot be applied at, the level of the individual, except on rare occasions when the processes of interest meet certain stringent conditions. When psychological processes violate these conditions, the interindividual analyses that are now standardly applied have to be replaced by analysis of intraindividual variation in order to obtain valid results. Two illustrations involving analysis of intraindividual variation of personality and emotional processes are given.     

A Modest Solution to the Problem of Rule-following

A modest solution to the problem(s) of rule-following is defended against Kripkensteinian scepticism about meaning. Even though parts of it generalise to other concepts, the theory as a whole applies to response-dependent concepts only. It is argued that the finiteness problem is not nearly as pressing for such concepts as it may be for some other kinds of concepts. Furthermore, the modest theory uses a notion of justification as sensitivity to countervailing conditions in order to solve the justification problem. Finally, in order to solve the normativity problem, it relies on substantial specifications of normal conditions such as those that have been proposed by Crispin Wright and Mark Johnston, rather than on Philip Pettit's functionalist specification. This theory is modest in that it does not meet the demands of Kripke's sceptic in full. Arguments are provided as to why this is not needed.