EXPLANATION, SOCIAL SCIENCE, AND THE STUDY OF RELIGION: A RESPONSE TO SEGAL WITH COMMENT ON THE ZYGON EXCHANGE

Abstract. In the issue of Zygon devoted to methodological reflection on the boundaries between natural science, social science, and theology (September 1990), Edward 0. Wilson pointed to the hierarchical tension between disciplines and antidisciplines. Working within this framework, Robert Segal outlined several “misconceptions of social science” held by religionists who fear it reduces, or “explains away” their subject. Philip Gorski, Nancey Murphy, and Kenneth Vaux suggested greater harmony but left Segal's challenge largely unaddressed. Religionists, says Segal, distrust social science because they think it ignores “the believer's point of view,” denies the “irreducibility” of religion, prefers materialist and mechanical explanations, and denies religious truth. Do religionists really claim all, or just some of these things? Are some perhaps not misconceptions, but accurate understandings of a real conflict? This article contends that distinctions need to be made; that at most, the humanistic assumptions of religionists compete with only one form of social science–reductionism; and further, that where conflict does arise, it is scientifically beneficial. Religionists differ from theologians, who argue from confessional premises, but the two are allied in opposing reductionism. Precisely because it is genuine, the debate with reductionist social science promises to advance understanding.     

Perfectionism,burnout and engagement in youth sport: The mediating role of basic psychological needs

Recent research indicates perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings share divergent associations with athlete burnout and athlete engagement. Guided by self-determination theory, the present study examined whether these associations were explained by basic psychological needs. Youth athletes (n = 222, M age = 16.01, SD = 2.68) completed measures of multidimensional perfectionism, athlete burnout, athlete engagement, basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting. Structural equation modelling revealed that basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting mediated the perfectionism–engagement and perfectionism–burnout relationships. Perfectionistic concerns shared a negative relationship (via need satisfaction) with athlete engagement and a positive relationship (via need satisfaction and thwarting) with athlete burnout. In contrast, perfectionistic strivings shared a positive relationship (via need satisfaction) with athlete engagement and a negative relationship (via need satisfaction and thwarting) with athlete burnout. The findings highlight the role of basic psychological needs in explaining the differential associations that perfectionistic concerns and strivings share with athlete burnout and engagement.     

马斯洛人本主义心理学与中国道家思想

中国道家思想的中心价值是“自然”,“无为”是其这一价值追求的方法论的必然选择。马斯洛人本心理学在价值取向和方法运用上都与中国道家思想有一定的相通之处,该文对两者间的关联试作了列举分析,并考察了这两者的相关研究对于未来的意义。     

Paying for sanctions in social dilemmas: The effects of endowment asymmetry and accountability

The present research examines whether or not endowment asymmetry leads those with many endowments to contribute more than those with few endowments towards the public good (i.e., a first-order dilemma), but also towards the implementation of a sanctioning system (i.e., a second-order dilemma). In Experiment 1, we found that those with many endowments contributed more than those with few endowments in a public good dilemma without a sanctioning system present, whereas those with many endowments did not contribute more than those with few endowments toward the implementation of a sanctioning system. The latter effect, however, was eliminated when participants were accountable (i.e., when expectations that they would have to justify their decisions to others in the group were high). Experiment 2 showed that when participants were accountable, the contributions of those with many endowments (and not those with few endowments) toward the sanctioning system increased, but only when they perceived the group to be more self-evaluative in terms of morality (i.e., high-evaluation expectancy). Experiment 3 showed that this effect of evaluation expectancy only emerged when participants were accountable to the whole group rather than to only one group member.     

For love or money? How activation of relational versus instrumental concerns affects reactions to decision-making procedures

We investigate how the direct activation of relational versus instrumental concerns affects reactions to decisions made by an authority. It is demonstrated that when instrumental concerns are experimentally induced, people’s evaluations of the authority (Studies 1 and 2) as well as their intentions to protest (Study 3) are more strongly affected by how the procedures used by the authority affect anticipated outcomes (i.e., whether procedures are favorably or unfavorably inaccurate) than when relational concerns are activated. By contrast, authority evaluations (Study 2) and protest intentions (Study 3) are more strongly affected by whether procedures used are fair (accurate) or unfair (inaccurate) when relational (versus instrumental) concerns are activated. These findings extend previous research where relational versus instrumental concerns were inferred, but not directly examined, to explain differences in responses to authorities’ decisions.     

诚信:人文奥运之道德诉求

人文,是一种以约束为前提的人类自由。人文精神是人类文明不断进步的精神动力源;诚信是组成人文精神的基本要素。人文奥运包括了对诚信道德的价值追求;奥林匹克运动需要诚信作为道德支撑;奥运中出现的多方面诚信缺失现象,是对奥运精神的背离。北京奥运将人文奥运作为核心理念,反映了人们对奥运向人文精神回归的渴望,也反映了北京奥运对以诚信为道德基础的人文奥运的强烈期待。     

哲学视野下的汉易卦气说

卦气说是汉代易学家在融旧铸新的哲学诠释学进路下所显发的基本学说。此说始彰于孟喜,大显于焦赣、京房,深化于《易纬》,发皇于马融、荀爽、郑玄诸人,达其极致于虞翻,透显着相关易学家独特的总体宇宙关怀和终极人文关切,昭示着汉代儒者本天道以立人道、法天道以开人文的基本社会人生理念,也部分地反映出神学的人文化与人文的神学化这双重并行而互补的学术文化过程在该时代的演进轨迹。     

Competence in Language at 24 Months: Relations with Attachment Security and Home Stimulation

This study explored the interrelations among attachment, home stimulation, and language development in 58 toddlers (36 medically high risk and 22 low risk) at 24 months of age. The results indicated that there were additive effects of attachment and home stimulation on language competence, especially on receptive abilities. Mothers who had established secure relationships and provided stimulating home environments had children with the highest language scores.