De Finetti’s No-Dutch-Book Criterion for Gödel logic

We extend de Finetti’s No-Dutch-Book Criterion to Gödel infinite-valued propositional logic.     

Quantifiers and propositional attitudes: Quine revisited

Quine introduced a famous distinction between the ‘notional’ sense and the ‘relational’ sense of certain attitude verbs. The distinction is both intuitive and sound but is often conflated with another distinction Quine draws between ‘dyadic’ and ‘triadic’ (or higher degree) attitudes. I argue that this conflation is largely responsible for the mistaken view that Quine’s account of attitudes is undermined by the problem of the ‘exportation’ of singular terms within attitude contexts. Quine’s system is also supposed to suffer from the problem of ‘suspended judgement with continued belief’. I argue that this criticism fails to take account of a crucial presupposition of Quine’s about the connection between thought and language. The aim of the paper is to defend the spirit of Quine’s account of attitudes by offering solutions to these two problems. See also chapters four and five of Word and Object (Quine, 1960) and ‘Intensions Revisited’ (Quine, 1977).     

Rasch analysis and item reduction of the hypomanic personality scale

The aim of the current study was to reduce the number of items in the 48-item hypomanic personality scale (HPS) and determine whether a unidimensional scale of the hypomanic trait could be derived. Previously collected HPS data from University students (n = 318) were applied to the Rasch model (one-parameter item response theory). Overall scale and individual item fit statistics were used to judge fit to the model and item maps employed to determine coverage of the trait. Cronbach’s Alpha and correlations with other questionnaires pre- and post-item reduction were evaluated. Rasch analysis indicated that the original HPS was not unidimensional, had significant redundancy and differential item functioning by age and gender. An iterative process of item reduction produced a 20-item HPS (HPS-20) that retained the concepts of the original HPS and had excellent fit to the Rasch model (χ² p = 0.27). Unidimensionality of the HPS-20 was confirmed. The traditional psychometric properties of the HPS-20 and coverage of the underlying hypomanic construct were similar to the original. It was possible to derive a unidimensional measure of the hypomanic trait. Further use of the HPS-20 is encouraged as it may increase understanding of the risk factors for affective disorders.     

Utilisation des intervalles de confiance au lieu des tests de signification : aspects épistémologiques et pratiques

The use of confidence intervals instead of significance tests is strongly recommended by the fifth edition of the manual of the American Psychological Association (2001). This possibility as well as other improvements in statistical practice are discussed in the framework of the major theoretical options subtending statistical inference and the way they have been applied in psychology for about 50 years. First, the suggestion of a complete ban on statistical testing is examined and rejected. Next, a procedure consisting in measuring the fit of two competing models based on the likelihood ratio is judged interesting and commendable. Finally, the superiority of an approach based on confidence intervals instead of significance tests is assessed and illustrated by its application to an experimental study aiming to demonstrate the absence instead of the presence of an effect of the independent variable.     

EPQ信度概化的跨文化比较及其启示

对中国7种主要的心理学杂志,于1998-2008年间发表的与EPQ有关的研究报告或论文做信度概化分析,并与Caruso等人对其他国家的EPQ信度概化分析结果作比较。分析结果表明：中外心理量表使用者都存在严重的“信度引入”的状况;分量表的分数的标准差是信度系数最重要的预测变量;但其他预测变量有所不同。提供的启示是：使用心理量表时一定要报告当前样本的信度系数;不符合心理量表特性要求而增加项目,不一定能提高测验结果的信度。     

Attachment and Family Processes in Children's Psychological Adjustment in Middle Childhood

This study examined the links between parent–child attachment, whole family interaction patterns, and child emotional adjustment and adaptability in a sample of 86 community families with children between the ages of 8 and 11 years. Family interactions were observed and coded with the System for Coding Interactions and Family Functioning (SCIFF; Lindahl, 2001). Both parents and each target child completed the appropriate form of the Behavior Assessment System for Children‐2nd Edition (BASC‐2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). Target children also completed the Children's Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CCSQ; Yunger, Corby, & Perry, 2005). Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that Secure mother–child attachment was a robust predictor of children's emotional symptoms, but father–child attachment strategies were not significant independent predictors. Positive Affect in family interactions significantly increased the amount of variance accounted for in children's emotional symptoms. In addition, Family Cohesion and Positive Affect moderated the relationship between father–child attachment and children's emotional symptoms. When data from all BASC‐2 informants (mother, father, child) were considered simultaneously and multidimensional constructs were modeled, mother–child security directly predicted children's adjustment and adaptive skills, but the influence of father–child security was fully mediated through positive family functioning. Results of the current study support the utility of considering dyadic attachment and family interaction patterns conjointly when conceptualizing and fostering positive emotional and behavioral outcomes in children.