Belief in altruistic human nature and prosocial behavior: a serial mediation analysis

According to the theory of internal working model, belief in altruistic human nature positively influences prosocial behavior. However, the precise influencing mechanism remains unclear. Based on the determinants of human behavior theory and self-efficacy theory, we hypothesized that belief in altruistic human nature indirectly influences prosocial behavior through causally linked multiple mediators of prosocial attitude and prosocial self-efficacy. The results of the current research supported our hypothesis and demonstrated that this serial mediation model could be generalized across individualistic and collectivistic cultures.     

Friendlessness and theory of mind: A prospective longitudinal study

Chronic friendlessness in childhood predicts adverse mental health outcomes throughout life, yet its earliest roots are poorly understood. In theory, developing a theory of mind (ToM) should help children gain mutual friends and one preschool study (Peterson & Siegal, 2002. Br J Dev Psychol, 20, 205) suggested a cross‐sectional connection. We therefore used a 2‐year prospective longitudinal design to explore ToM as a predictor of mutual friendship in 114 children from age 5 to 7 years after controlling potential confounds including language ability and group popularity. Confirming friendship's distinctiveness from group sociometric status, numerous group‐rejected children (53%) had a mutual friend whereas 23% of those highest in group status did not. Five‐year‐olds with a mutual friend significantly outperformed their friendless peers on a comprehensive ToM battery (basic and advanced false belief). Longitudinally, chronically friendless 7‐year‐olds (no friends at either testing time) stood out for their exceptionally poor Time 1 ToM understanding even after controlling for group popularity, age, and language skill. Extending previous evidence of ToM's predictive links with later social and cognitive outcomes, these results for mutual friendship suggest possible interventions to help reduce the lifelong mental health costs of chronic friendlessness.     

Urban cyclists’ perspectives on post-collision behaviour change: A qualitative study

This study explores whether urban cyclists change on-road cycling behaviour following a collision(s) with a motor vehicle, an area that has not been explored in quantitative and qualitative transportation research. Purposive sampling was employed and data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 9 males and 9 females from Toronto, Canada. An inductive realist thematic method was used to analyze the data. Overall, three main themes were drawn out: cycling reflexivity, cycling behavioural change and resistance to cycling behavioural change. Eliciting the theme of cycling reflexivity, these findings reveal that all post-collision cyclists actively contemplated behavioural change, and the adoption or resistance toward cycling behavioural change was influenced by intersectional internal and external dispositions emanating from pre-collision cycling behaviours. By adopting general modifications and or defensive cycling practices, in total, 12 cyclists described cycling behavioural change. In contrast, eliciting the resistance toward cycling behavioural change theme, 6 participants indicated that there were no observable modifications in post-collision cycling behaviour. Grounded in the locus of control theory and the health belief model, this study elucidates cycling behavioural change as a psychological and behavioural coping mechanism employed by this particular cohort of cyclists in an effort to mitigate future collisions with motor vehicles. These novel findings set the stage for future research into cyclists’ post-collision experiences grounded in psychological and or behavioural research paradigms.     

From false belief to friendship: Commentary on Fink,Begeer, Peterson,Slaughter, and de Rosnay

Fink, Begeer, Peterson, Slaughter, and de Rosnay (Brit. J. Dev. Psychol, 2015; 33, 1–17) represent a welcome contribution in providing empirical evidence of the link from false belief understanding at Time 1 to mutual friendship 2 years later, controlling for several other possible contributors. This opens a new and important line of inquiry into the practical significance of a Theory of Mind. As is typical of pioneering research, further study is needed to address some issues; here, we point out some of these issues and then briefly discuss the broader implications of Fink et al.'s findings.     

儒家学说中关于"天"的观念和信仰及其历史演变

本文认为,儒家学说中的"天"具有宗教意义,自秦汉至宋明,它经历了一个从既有道德理性又有好恶等意志情感的"天"到只有道德理性没有具体情感意志的"天"的历史演变过程;与此相应,"天"主宰世界的方式,也从直接通过天人之间的相互感应转变为一种间接的方式,即通过"天命"使"天理"内在于万物和人类,从而使万物和人类直接受其天赋之理(性)的支配.     

The Wretchedness of Belief

In Culture and Value Wittgenstein remarks that the truly “religious man” thinks himself to be, not merely “imperfect” or “ill,” but wholly “wretched.” While such sentiments are of obvious biographical interest, in this paper I show why they are also worthy of serious philosophical attention. Although the influence of Wittgenstein's thinking on the philosophy of religion is often judged negatively (as, for example, leading to quietist and/or fideist‐relativist conclusions) I argue that the distinctly ethical conception of religion (specifically Christianity) that Wittgenstein presents should lead us to a quite different assessment. In particular, his preoccupation with the categorical nature of religion suggests a conception of “genuine” religious belief which disrupts both the economics of eschatological‐salvationist hope, and the traditional ethical precept that “ought implies can.” In short, what Wittgenstein presents is a sketch of a religion without recompense.     

The relationship between anomalistic belief,misperception of chance and the base rate fallacy

Abstract

A poor understanding of probability may lead people to misinterpret every day coincidences and form anomalistic (e.g., paranormal) beliefs. We investigated the relationship between anomalistic belief (including type of belief) and misperception of chance and the base rate fallacy across both anomalistic and control (i.e., neutral) contexts. Greater anomalistic belief was associated with poorer performance for both types of items; however there were no significant interactions between belief and context. For misperception of chance items, only experiential (vs. theoretical) anomalistic beliefs predicted more errors. In contrast, overall anomalistic belief was positively related to the base rate fallacy but no specific subtype of anomalistic belief was a significant predictor. The results indicate misperception of chance may lead people to interpret coincidental events as having an anomalistic cause, and a poor understanding of base rates may make people more prone to forming anomalistic beliefs.