ANIMAL PASSIONS AND BEASTLY VIRTUES: COGNITIVE ETHOLOGY AS THE UNIFYING SCIENCE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECTIVE,EMOTIONAL, EMPATHIC,AND MORAL LIVES OF ANIMALS

Abstract. In this essay, my response to four papers that were presented at the 2004 annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in a session devoted to my research on animal behavior and cognitive ethology, I stress the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration for coming to terms with various aspects of animal behavior and animal cognition. I argue that we have much to learn from other animals concerning a set of “big” questions including who we are in the grand scheme of things, the role science (“science sense”) plays in our understanding of the world in which we live, what it means to “know” something, what some other ways of knowing are and how they compare to what we call “science,” and the use of anecdotes and anthropomorphism to inform studies of animal behavior. I ask, Are other minds really all that private and inaccessible? Can a nonhuman animal be called a person? What does the future hold if we continue to dismantle the only planet we live on and persecute the other animal beings with whom we are supposed to coexist? I argue that cognitive ethology is the unifying science for understanding the subjective, emotional, empathic, and moral lives of animals, because it is essential to know what animals do, think, and feel as they go about their daily routines in the company of their friends and when they are alone. It is also important to learn why both the similarities and differences between humans and other animals have evolved. The more we come to understand other animals, the more we will appreciate them as the amazing beings they are, and the more we will come to understand ourselves.     

An experimental test of a core REBT hypothesis: evidence that irrational beliefs lead to physiological as well as psychological arousal

While numerous studies support Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Theory (REBT), they tend to be limited by their use of correlational designs, simulated scenarios and self-report measures. This study tested a core REBT hypothesis in an experimental design using multiple physiological as well as psychological measures. Ninety patients from a medical practice were placed in a real-life stressful situation while holding either a rational, an irrational, or an indifference belief. Those holding a rational belief reported the greatest increase in concern whereas those holding an irrational belief reported the greatest increase in anxiety. Of particular significance, those holding a rational belief showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure whereas those holding an irrational belief showed an increase (diastolic blood pressure increased in both conditions). These results not only support the core REBT hypothesis, but also suggest a way to differentiate between beliefs and emotions by measuring physiological as well as psychological changes.     

从麻木到复苏——对医学人文关怀的关注与期待

中国医学的人文关怀有着深厚的传统根基,只是到了市场经济发展的新阶段,随着经济发展的不平衡、人口的增长,客观上造就了医疗功能的利益驱动,使得医学的人文关怀退居麻木境地,因此必须扬人性化、温情化之长,避技术化、商业化之短,以多样化的人文关怀改善医患关系,为和谐社会营造健康氛围。     

Sender repertoires of pure and blended facial expressions of emotion

Six actors attempted to communicate by facial expression seven assumedly basic emotions (pleasure, surprise, fear, hate, sorrow, disgust and interest), and all pairwise blends, e.g., fear+sorrow. One hundred and eighty-two subjects (divided into groups as to the six actors) judged pictures of these emotions by three methods: (1) mapping, placing the pictures on coordinate systems with denotated axes, (2) identification and (3) sorting similar emotions into the same pile, followed by multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses. Recognition of the emotions was fairly good, though not equally good for all emotions and their blends; also the actors' ability to express emotions varied. Emotions of opposite hedonic tone did not blend well. Interest seemed to lend poignancy to the basic emotion with which it was blended rather than to constitute an emotion in itself. Expressions seemed to be more easily identified if the actor did not try to feel the emotion too deeply.     

Interaction of asthmatics and their spouses: A preliminary study of individual differences

Some asthmatics show evidence of airways reactivity triggered by strong emotions. Six case studies of married patients with severe asthma are reported. The videotaped interactions of the asthmatic and his/her spouse were coded for affect and behavior. Repeated measures of pulmonary function and affective state were recorded before and after two interaction tasks. Over the course of the experimental period, two patients' pulmonary function improved and four patients' deteriorated. In general, decreased pulmonary function was associated with more self-rated hostility and depression. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the intra- and interpersonal factors that are important in asthma management.     

Changes in Cognitions, Emotions, and Behaviors in Depressed Patients and Their Spouses Following Marital Cognitive Therapy, Traditional Cognitive Therapy, Pharmacotherapy, and No Intervention

This study evaluated specific influences of a cognitive marital treatment (CMT) for depression based on an integration of cognitive theory of depression and systems theory. The effects of CMT on variables representing cognitions, emotions, and behaviors were compared with the effects of traditional cognitive therapy (CT), pharmacotherapy (PT), and no treatment (NT). Subjects were Major Depression Disorder and Dysthymic outpatients and their spouses. The changes considered were for pre–post treatment and pre-treatment–follow-up. CMT affected a wider range of variables than other treatments. In most instances it was also superior to the NT condition. Most of the gains were manifested at termination and lasted through follow-up. The variables affected by CMT were patients' and spouses' cognitions and emotions. PT had best effects on patients' emotions. CT affected patients' cognitions, but did not achieve superiority on any of the compared variables. None of the treatments produced significant changes in behaviors.     

The Contribution of Music to Positive Aging: A Review

Many people value music as an important part of their everyday lives. The published literature reveals that the role of music in life is varied: it can be recreational, educational, social, emotional, therapeutic, and spiritual. The importance and relevance of music depends on the life needs and interests of the individual and the social group within which he/she lives. It is now widely recognized that music for many older people is crucial in supporting a sense of well-being. The article reviews the evidence on the role of music in promoting health and well-being, and how it can produce positive psychological and physiological benefits for individuals. The aim of this article is to increase awareness among health professionals of the importance of music and discuss how it can be used to add to older people's lives.     

Role of third parties in conflicts among Colombian children and early adolescents

Research on children's peer conflicts has focused almost exclusively on the conflicts' main parties. This study investigated the role played by third parties of those conflicts. During interviews, 56 participants (ages 8.0 to 14.5) living in poor and violent neighborhoods in urban Colombia narrated 128 recent conflicts they had with, or observed among, peers. Third parties were present in 73%, and actively involved in 65%, of the conflicts. Most commonly, peers supported one side, teachers used repressive means to promote settlements, and parents took over their children's conflicts. Virtually all the participants mentioned ways of promoting a settlement, but only a fraction used them in actual conflicts. Mediation was absent among peer or adult third parties. Third parties' emotions were less intense than those of main parties, suggesting that it might be easier for bystanders to use cognitive capacities acquired through educational interventions promoting peaceful relationships. Aggr. Behav. 31:40–55, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Reasonable Partiality from a Biological Point of View

Speculation about the evolutionary origins of morality has yet to show how a biologically based capacity for morality might be connected to moral reasoning. Applying an evolutionary approach to three kinds of cases where partiality may or may not be morally reasonable, this paper explores a possible connection between a psychological capacity for morality and processes of wide reflective moral equilibrium. The central hypothesis is that while we might expect a capacity for morality to include aspects of partiality, we might also expect these same aspects of the capacity to produce systemic forms of performance-based error. Understanding these errors helps point the way toward a theory of moral competence that includes aspects of both partiality and impartiality.