Fertile Ground for Community: Inner-City Neighborhood Common Spaces

Research suggests that the formation of neighborhood social ties (NSTs) may substantially depend on the informal social contact which occurs in neighborhood common spaces, and that in inner-city neighborhoods where common spaces are often barren no-man's lands, the presence of trees and grass supports common space use and informal social contact among neighbors. We found that for 145 urban public housing residents randomly assigned to 18 architecturally identical buildings, levels of vegetation in common spaces predict both use of common spaces and NSTs; further, use of common spaces mediated the relationship between vegetation and NSTS. In addition, vegetation and NSTs were significantly related to residents' senses of safety and adjustment. These findings suggest that the use and characteristics of common spaces may play a vital role in the natural growth of community, and that improving common spaces may be an especially productive focus for community organizing efforts in inner-city neighborhoods.     

Psychological Dysfunction in Southeast Asian Refugees as Mediated by Sense of Coherence

Investigated Antonovky's (1979, 1987) construct of sense of coherence (i.e., an individual's belief that the world was comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful) as the internal psychological mechanism mediating the effects of external stressors (generalized resistance deficits) and resources on psychological dysfunction (measured by depression, anxiety, and psychosocial dysfunction) in 2,234 Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, and Chinese-Vietnamese refugees. Generalized resistance and deficits significantly predicted sense of coherence as well as psychological dysfunction. The amount of variance accounted for increased significantly when the mediating effect of sense of coherence was tested using a path analysis. Sense of coherence significantly reduced the predictive power of generalized resistance and deficits in the psychological dysfunction models. Results support the hypothesized mediating role of sense of coherence. Thus, interventions aiming to enhance Southeast Asian refugees' functioning may gain in effectiveness by targeting and promoting their sense of coherence.     

An exploration of the interplay between psychological sense of community,social identification and salience

Past research indicates that there is a strong relationship between the constructs of psychological sense of community (PSOC) and social identification. The current study draws on data (N = 219) examining participants' membership in a number of different communities to present an examination of the relationship between these constructs. In particular, the study examines the relative strength of the separate aspects of social identification (based on Cameron's 2004, Three Factor Model of Social Identification) as predictors of overall PSOC, accounting for situational salience. Results indicate that Ingroup Ties is consistently the strongest predictor of PSOC and that the strength of Ingroup Affect and Centrality alter according to the group or community context. The theoretical implications of these results are discussed in terms of the interplay and overlap of these important community processes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

FREGE PUZZLES?

The first page of Frege’s classic “Uber Sinn und Bedeutung” sets for more than a hundred years now the agenda for much of semantics and the philosophy of mind. It presents a purported puzzle whose solution is said to call upon the “entities” of semantics (meanings) and psychological explanation (Psychological states, beliefs, concepts). The paper separates three separate alleged puzzles that can be read into Frege’s data. It then argues that none are genuine puzzles. In turn, much of the Frege-driven theoretical development, motivated as an inevitable “solution”, is thrown into doubt.     

THE CONCEPT OF PHILOSOPHICAL EXPERIENCE

Abstract: We often speak about religious experience, and sometimes we speak about metaphysical experience. Yet we seldom hear about philosophical experience. Is philosophy purely a matter of theories and theses, or does it have an experiential aspect? In this article, I argue for the following three claims. First, there is something we might call philosophical experience, and there is nothing mystical about it. Second, philosophical experiences are expressed in something quite similar to what Kant called “aesthetic judgements.” Third, philosophical experiences are expressed by using words in what Wittgenstein called “secondary sense.” Finally, I try to show the educational significance of pursing philosophical experiences. Through articulating them one might find one's ground, and through articulating them in a less private and more universal form one might raise oneself to universality. Thus, in expressing philosophical experiences one aspires to speak in a universal voice.     

3~6岁儿童数感发展的研究

从上海两所中等水平幼儿园以年龄班分层随机抽取180名3~6岁儿童为被试,采用个别测查法考察其数感发展状况。结果表明:(1)3~6岁儿童的数感发展存在显著年龄差异,无性别差异;(2)顺数、实物比较和数符号辨认是其表现较好的三项技能,而倒数和序数却表现较差;(3)数感各组成部分发展不同步,倒数,序数和数符号在中班到大班期间发展迅速,而顺数,基数概念,加减理解却在小班到中班期间发展较快。     

1987～2008年我国安全感研究现状的文献计量学分析

对收录在中国期刊网上的274条安全感文章题录（1979～2008年）进行计量学分析,结果表明：1）安全感研究呈逐年增长的趋势;2）发表的期刊比较广泛,心理学类期刊、社会类期刊、医学类期刊及各院校的学报上都有涉及;3）研究主要考察整个社会群体,并且已经涉及到如学生、企业员工和患者等群体;4）研究领域主要集中在安全感的相关因素;5）合作研究已经成为安全感研究的研究趋势;6）研究论文总体上的项目资助力度还不够;7）普通高校特别是高等师范院校是进行科研的主要机构。     

儿童心理一致感量表中文版的心理测量学特征分析

以1306名小学生为研究对象,对儿童心理一致感量表(CSOC)中文版的心理测量学特征进行分析,并考察小学阶段儿童心理一致感发展的特点.研究结果表明,CSOC中文版量表具有较好的项目鉴别力、内部一致性和稳定性;探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析的结果表明CSOC中文版量表由一致感和不一致感两个因素构成,心理一致感总分与孤独感呈显著负相关;方差分析结果表明,小学儿童心理一致感发展存在显著的性别和年级差异.儿童心理一致感量表中文版具有较好的信效度,可以作为测量中国儿童心理一致感水平的有效工具.     

方向感的加工机制及影响因素

方向感是一种定位当前位置、确定前往目的地的方向及选择相应路线的能力, 与人们的日常生活和国家航空航天事业的发展有着密切联系。方向感的认知加工包括外部信息输入、内部表征建立和信息整合三个过程, 综合方向感的各加工过程的研究结果形成的方向感认知结构模型将有助于研究者全面认识其加工机制。大脑是实现方向感加工的载体, 当前对方向感神经机制的研究主要有正常人的行为实验、脑成像研究以及脑损伤病人研究三方面, 根据这三方面的研究总结得出的神经网络结构清楚地展示了方向感在大脑中的加工过程。方向感的发生和发展受到了先天遗传和后天环境的影响, 因此了解方向感的遗传基础是了解其加工机制的关键之一。遗传影像学近来取得的重大进展推动了基因、大脑和行为研究的结合, 这将是未来方向感加工机制研究的主要方向之一。     

怀疑论,常识与实践

文章依次分析比较了摩尔、马尔科姆和维特根斯坦应对怀疑论的方式及各自的论证技巧,展示了常识在何种程度上能够给出一种避免怀疑论的基础。文章认为摩尔和马尔科姆的论证都是不充分的,维特根斯坦关于语法命题与经验命题的区分补充了其中缺失的部分,其中起作用的是一种游戏误置论证。这意味着,能够避免怀疑论的是一种实践态度。