Ethical Considerations in Psychotherapeutic Systems

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics - In the process of individual psychotherapy, the client and the therapist work together towards clarifying the client's problems, unlocking vicious circles,...     

The statistical analysis of general processing tree models with the EM algorithm

Multinomial processing tree models assume that an observed behavior category can arise from one or more processing sequences represented as branches in a tree. These models form a subclass of parametric, multinomial models, and they provide a substantively motivated alternative to loglinear models. We consider the usual case where branch probabilities are products of nonnegative integer powers in the parameters, 0_s1, and their complements, 1 - _s. A version of the EM algorithm is constructed that has very strong properties. First, the E-step and the M-step are both analytic and computationally easy; therefore, a fast PC program can be constructed for obtaining MLEs for large numbers of parameters. Second, a closed form expression for the observed Fisher information matrix is obtained for the entire class. Third, it is proved that the algorithm necessarily converges to a local maximum, and this is a stronger result than for the exponential family as a whole. Fourth, we show how the algorithm can handle quite general hypothesis tests concerning restrictions on the model parameters. Fifth, we extend the algorithm to handle the Read and Cressie power divergence family of goodness-of-fit statistics. The paper includes an example to illustrate some of these results.This research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant BNS-8910552 to William H. Batchelder and David M. Riefer. We are grateful to David Riefer for his useful comments, and to the Institute for Mathematical Behavior Sciences for its support.     

Child protection investigations: Discourse analysis and the management of incommensurability

This paper asks whether discourse analytic approaches in social psychology have yet produced methodologies adequate to the investigation of institutional ‘gaze’. Institutional language has been explored to the extent that state agencies construct members of the public by speaking about them in particular ways. This has often provided insight into the co-existence and competition of incommensurable discourses. However, studies of representation in the sense of speaking for have been notably absent from social psychology. It is argued that this aspect of discourse is a vital component in the study of contemporary governmental multi-agency strategy in the area of child protection, where recent legislation and policy aims at the coordination of incommensurable discourses. A methodology for studying this strategy is outlined through an account of the actor network approach in science studies, accounts of the State under the post-modern condition, and analyses of sections of interviews with social workers.     

Measuring nominal scale agreement between a judge and a known standard

Two designs for comparing a judge's ratings with a known standard are presented and compared. Design A pertains to the situation where the judge is asked to categorize each ofN subjects into one ofr (known) classes with no knowledge of the actual number in each class. Design B is employed when the judge is given the actual number in each class and is asked to categorize the individuals subject to these constraints. The probability distribution of the total number of correct choices is developed in each case. A power comparison of the two procedures is undertaken.     

Estimation in the power law

Most psychophysicists neglect to consider how error should be characterized in applications of the power law. Failures of the power law to agree with certain theoretical predictions may be due to bias of parameter estimates. A power law with lognormal product structure is proposed and approximately unbiased parameter estimates are given for several common estimation situations.     

Do maternal power assertive discipline and warmth interact to influence toddlers' emotional reactivity and noncompliance?

Emotional and behavioural self-regulation emerges during infancy and toddlerhood and is heavily influenced by parenting. Parents facilitate toddlers' behavioural regulation (e.g., compliance) by using appropriate control with warmth and managing children's emotional reactivity during situational demands. In contrast, power assertive discipline may strain children's regulatory skills, for example by evoking toddlers' negative affect. However, we have more to learn about how discipline relates to toddlers' self-regulation in the moment and whether concurrent displays of parental warmth may moderate these relations. Mother–toddler dyads (N = 74, M_age = 13.30 months) from low-to-middle income Turkish families participated in a 3-min laboratory task, in which toddlers needed to delay playing with an attractive toy. Maternal discipline, warmth, toddler's emotional reactivity, and noncompliance were coded from observations. Results showed that higher power assertive discipline was associated with more frequent emotional reactivity in toddlers whose mothers' showed warmth during the <84% of the task duration. Maternal warmth was negatively associated with child noncompliance, but warmth did not interact with power assertive discipline in relation to noncompliance. Results suggest that observed power assertive discipline is meaningfully related to toddlers' emotional reactivity and higher levels of expressed maternal warmth attenuates these relations.     

人际愤怒的利与弊：来自元分析的证据

愤怒是因愿望落空、目标受挫或边界被犯而产生的负性情绪, 指向他人的愤怒即为人际愤怒。人际愤怒对接收者的影响有争议, 有人认为人际愤怒弊端极大, 有人认为人际愤怒是可资利用的工具。这种分歧可能源于评价指标、参照对象和应用场景的不同, 有必要用元分析系统考察人际愤怒的利与弊。本研究对67篇文献, 总样本量为15462人的185个效应值进行了分析, 结果发现：人际愤怒会让接收者让步更多、亲社会行为减少、问题解决行为提升, 同时情境不公平感增加, 对愤怒表达者的态度和能力评价均降低, 这些效应受接收者文化背景和相对权力大小的调节。这提示人际愤怒利弊相依, 能改变愤怒接收者的某些行为, 却增加对表达者的消极评价, 应视情景谨慎使用。     

Trainer–Trainee Bullying

This paper considers the abuse of the trainer–trainee relationship by the trainer. Such abuse occurs in the context of power and gender imbalances and is afforded little attention by professional organizations. A specific example of inappropriate behaviour between trainers and trainees, that of sexual contact, is discussed in detail. Research on positive and negative supervision is considered in terms of a model of objectionable supervisory styles, and it is suggested that trainer–trainee bullying is an area which requires further research attention. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An interactive multicriteria decision model for multipurpose reservoir management: the Shellmouth Reservoir

Reservoir management is inherently multicriterial, since any release decision involves implicit trade-offs between various conflicting objectives. The release decision reflects concerns such as flood protection, generation of hydroelectric power, dilution of wastewater and heated effluent, supply of municipal, agricultural and industrial water, maintenance of environmental standards and satisfaction of recreational needs. This paper presents a framework for analysing trade-offs between several decision criteria and includes the dilution of heated effluents from downstream thermoelectric power generation in an optimization model for reservoir management. The model is formulated and analysed in an interactive multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) modelling framework. Rather than providing specific target levels or ad hoc constants in a goal-programming framework as proposed elsewhere, this multicriteria framework suggests a systematic way of evaluating trade-offs by progressive preference assessment. The MCDM model, based on a Chebyshev metric and a contracted cone approach, is learning-oriented and permits a natural exploration of the decision space while maintaining non-dominated decisions. A detailed case study of the Shellmouth Reservoir in Manitoba, Canada serves as an illustration of the model. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国共产党执政道德建设研究论纲

文章探讨了为什么要研究“中国共产党执政道德建设”;分析了中国共产党执政道德建设的内在规定性;梳理了中国共产党执政道德建设的研究基础,指出了中国共产党执政道德建设的研究路向与视角;构想了中国共产党执政道德建设的研究框架;阐述了中国共产党执政道德建设的研究方法;这对于加强中国共产党执政道德建设的研究,提升中国共产党执政道德水平,进而提高中国共产党的执政能力和领导水平具有重要的理论和实践指导意义。