Towards a Psychology of Rural Development Processes and Interventions

A psychosocial approach to rural development and development interventions, which we designate as ‘psychology of rural development’ (PsyRD), does not yet exist as an area of research or intervention within the field of psychology or development studies, even though rural development is in part obviously shaped by psychosocial factors. Thus, in this discussion paper, we argue the need for PsyRD, explore how it may provide new insights and tools for analysis vis‐à‐vis rural development scenarios and issues of social equity and outline the shape that, in our view, such a psychology should take. First, the multiple dimensions of rural development and the many practical problems faced by rural development agents contain strong psychosocial elements that require contributions from psychology. Yet at the same time, the psychological literature on this topic contains many limitations and biases, which leads us to, in the second part of the paper lay the groundwork for a PsyRD that focuses on the importance of adopting a critical and interdisciplinary approach capable of dealing with complexity and multidetermination. Finally, we conclude by outlining the challenges of PsyRD. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of context on boundary extension

Boundary extension (BE) is a memory error in which observers remember more of a scene than they actually viewed. This error reflects one’s prediction that a scene naturally continues and is driven by scene schema and contextual knowledge. In two separate experiments we investigated the necessity of context and scene schema in BE. In Experiment 1, observers viewed scenes that either contained semantically consistent or inconsistent objects as well as objects on white backgrounds. In both types of scenes and in the no-background condition there was a BE effect; critically, semantic inconsistency in scenes reduced the magnitude of BE. In Experiment 2 when we used abstract shapes instead of meaningful objects, there was no BE effect. We suggest that although scene schema is necessary to elicit BE, contextual consistency is not required.     

Imago Dei,DNA, and the Transhuman Way

Might genetic engineering or cyborgization turn mortal humans into immortal gods? How transformable are we? A proleptic model of the imago Dei signifies that a transformation is coming, that who we are as human beings is yet to be determined by our future. Of five theological models of the imago Dei—(1) rationality; (2) morality; (3) relationality; (4) prolepsis; and (5) created co-creator—the proleptic and co-creator models are particularly open to an alliance with technological transformation. However, even biological enhancement or intelligence amplification will not turn sinners into saints. Only divine grace can accomplish redemption; only divine grace can insure that we become who we truly are.     

Negative priming reduces affective ratings

The mere exposure effect is the commonly observed increase in pleasantness ratings of stimuli that have been given prior exposure. According to the fluency attribution account of the mere exposure effect, repeated presentations of a stimulus lead to increased ease of processing, which in turn is attributed to pleasantness. If so, processing fluency manipulated by means other than repetition should influence liking. In the present experiment, processing fluency was manipulated using a negative priming procedure, and its influence on affective judgement was examined. Previously ignored stimuli were responded to slower (negative priming) and were rated as less pleasant than controls. It was concluded that decreased processing fluency decreases liking of previously ignored stimuli.     

品牌延伸条件下的广告说服——双中介影响模型的拓展

采用实验调查和认知编码的方法,探讨消费者的广告前后品牌态度,品牌认知反应、广告认知反应、广告态度和购买意向之间的关系。结果表明：（1）广告前的品牌态度对广告认知反应、品牌认知反应和广告后的品牌态度有影响;（2）广告认知反应直接影响广告态度,但不直接影响品牌认知反应;（3）消费者的广告态度不但直接影响品牌认知反应和广告后的品牌态度,还直接影响购买意向。这说明在品牌延伸条件下,广告态度的双中介影响模型需要修正     

Exploring the emotional territory for brands

It has become a truism that brand marketing is in the business of selling emotional connections rather than product benefits. Because of the relatively small number of primary emotions, however, brands in the same categories often end up standing for the same sort of emotions. Let us face facts: telecoms brands either connect or empower people; most whisky brands tend to occupy the emotional territories of maturity or discernment; cleaning product brands have at their core the idea of the good carer, be it mother/father/spouse/self; many vodka and pre‐mix vodka brands play within the territory of transgression. Therefore, the key questions to ask about these brands are: What kind of connecting or empowerment? What kind of maturity? What kind of carer? What kind of transgression? It is this specific differentiated expression within an emotional territory that makes the difference between success and failure for brands. This paper highlights a different approach to exploring these emotional territories through using research stimulus (called Brandcepts) that can actively help respondents to make the sort of fine distinctions in the world of emotional territories that they would never be able to make on their own. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications.     

Anticipatory spatial representation of 3D regions explored by sighted observers and a deaf-and-blind-observer

Viewers who study photographs of scenes tend to remember having seen beyond the boundaries of the view [boundary extension; J. Exp. Psychol. Learn. Mem. Cogn. 15 (1989) 179]. Is this a fundamental aspect of scene representation? Forty undergraduates explored bounded regions of six common (3D) scenes, visually or haptically (while blindfolded) and then the delimiting borders were removed. Minutes later they reconstructed boundary placement. Boundary extension occurred: mean areas were increased by 53% (vision) and by 17% (haptics). A deaf-and-blind woman (KC) haptically explored the same regions. Although a "haptic expert", she too remembered having explored beyond the boundaries, with performance similar to that of the blindfolded-sighted. Boundary extension appears to be a fundamental aspect of spatial cognition. Possibly constrained by the "scope" of the input modality (vision>haptics), this anticipatory spatial representation may facilitate integration of successively perceived regions of the world irrespective of modality and the perceiver's sensory history.     

La perception multisource : une nouvelle approche de la perception de scènes

Research conducted these last years in the field of spatial cognition report empirical findings that are difficult to account for with the traditional visual cognitive model of scene perception. One of the major contributions of these findings has been to invite rethinking scene perception, which would benefit from not being apprehended as centered mainly on the sensory modality considered. On the contrary, the Multisource model of scene perception developed by Intraub et al. offers an alternative theoretical framework considering visual perception as an act of spatial cognition, with spatial information at its core. According to this model, during the initial understanding of a view, the cognitive system would be elaborating a multisource representation, with spatial information constituting an egocentric framework that conveys to the observer a sense of the environment in which he/she is embedded. Scene representation would be organized around an amodal spatial structure combining different sources of information: a bottom-up and external source of information derived from different modalities (e.g., visual, haptic), as well as internal sources of high-level information (i.e., amodal, conceptual and contextual information). These different sources of information would work together to create a simulation of the likely environment, integrating the perceived view into a broader spatial context. Beyond rethinking scene perception, one of the advances of the model is to unify different fields of cognition apprehended until then in isolation. The current paper aims to present this model and some of the results it allows to account for.     

Wahrheit und Selbstrückbezüglichkeit

This paper is intended to discuss the problems occurring in the relation between the notion of truth and the question of self-reference. To do this, we shall review Tarski's (T) convention and its related terminology. We shall clarify the relation between truth and extension in order to lead into the question of semantic paradoxes appearing in the theoretical models concerned with truth. Subsequently, we shall review the logical system which develops in the reformulation of the modal proposal of the (T) convention. In closing, we shall critically examine Kripke's interpretation from the proposals made by Tarski.     

Effects of antagonistic and synergistic muscles’ co-activation on mechanics of activated spastic semitendinosus in children with cerebral palsy

ObjectivesMost activities involve co-activation of several muscles and epimuscular myofascial force transmission (EMFT) can affect their mechanics. This can be relevant for spastic muscles of cerebral palsy (CP) patients. Isometric spastic semitendinosus (ST) forces vs. knee angle (KA-F_ST) data were collected intra-operatively to test the following hypotheses: (i) Inter-antagonistic EMFT elevates F_ST, (ii) changes the shape of KA-F_ST characteristics, (iii) reduces the muscle’s joint range of force exertion (Range-F_ST) and (iv) combined inter-antagonistic and synergistic EMFT further changes those effects.Methods11 limbs of 6 patients with CP (mean (SD) = 7.7 (4.7) years; GMFCS levels = II–IV) were tested in 3 conditions from 120° to full extension: ST activated (I) exclusively, (II) simultaneously with an antagonist, and (III) with added activation of synergists.ResultsCondition II increased F_ST (e.g., peak force = 87.6 N (30.5 N)) significantly (by 33.6%), but condition III caused no further change. No condition changed the muscle’s wide Range-F_ST (100.7° (15.9°)) significantly. Therefore, only the first hypothesis was confirmed.ConclusionsCo-activating its antagonist elevates forces of activated spastic ST substantially, but does not change its joint range of force exertion. Added activation of its synergists causes no further effects. Therefore, EMFT effects in CP can be relevant and need to be tested in other knee flexors.