Physicalism and sparse ontology

A major stumbling block for non-reductive physicalism is Kim’s disjunctive property objection. In this paper I bring certain issues in sparse ontology to bear on the objection, in particular the theses of priority monism and priority pluralism. Priority pluralism (or something close to it, anyway) is a common ontological background assumption, so in the first part of the paper I consider whether the disjunctive property objection applies with equal force to non-reductive physicalism on the assumption that priority monism is instead true. I ultimately conclude that non-reductive physicalism still faces a comparable problem. In the second part, I argue, surprisingly enough, that what I call ‘fine-grained reductionism’, a particular version of which Kim proposes as an alternative to non-reductive physicalism, may work better in the monist framework than the pluralist one. I conclude that issues in sparse ontology, therefore, are more relevant to the debate about physicalism than one may have thought.

Alcohol consumption and handwriting: A kinematic analysis

Cerebellar dysfunction is associated with deficits in the control of movement extent, as well as changes in the amplitude and relative amounts of acceleration and deceleration and action tremor. The present study sought to identify whether cerebellar symptoms occur in the handwriting of intoxicated individuals. Twenty participants in two sub-groups (alcohol dependent and non-alcohol dependent) were asked to write four cursive letter ‘l’s on a Wacom SD420 graphics tablet before and after consumption of a dose of vodka and orange producing a peak blood alcohol concentration of 0.048%. There was a relationship between blood alcohol concentration and stroke length. Kinematic analysis of handwriting indicated increases in the relative proportions of time spent in acceleration and increases in spectral power around 4 Hz. It was found that alcohol intoxication causes symptoms of cerebellar dysfunction, and that alcohol dependent individuals had less ballistic handwriting compared to non-alcohol dependent participants.     

病理性使用互联网的界定与测量

病理性使用互联网（Pathological Internet Use,PIU）是人在互联网使用过程中出现的一种新型心理疾病。很多研究者认为互联网使用过度或不当是病理性使用互联网的主要原因。该文对病理性使用互联网已有研究的概念的界定与测量问题进行了分析与整合,讨论了在中国社会文化背景下如何界定与测量病理性使用互联网。     

吉林省医务人员吸烟现况及知识态度分析

为了更好地了解吉林省医务人员的吸烟状况,为进一步开展控烟工作提供科学依据,对吉林省50家医疗机构的3787名医务人员进行问卷调查,调查结果显示,男性医务人员吸烟率较高；医务人员对烟草危害认识不全面,控烟意识较为薄弱.应加强对医务人员烟害知识等方面的培训,以改变其吸烟行为、提高控烟责任意识.     

Conjunctive item response theory kernels

Conjunctive item response models are introduced such that (a) sufficient statistics for latent traits are not necessarily additive in item scores; (b) items are not necessarily locally independent; and (c) existing compensatory (additive) item response models including the binomial, Rasch, logistic, and general locally independent model are special cases. Simple estimates and hypothesis tests for conjunctive models are introduced and evaluated as well. Conjunctive models are also identified with cognitive models that assume the existence of several individually necessary component processes for a global ability. It is concluded that conjunctive models and methods may show promise for constructing improved tests and uncovering conjunctive cognitive structure. It is also concluded that conjunctive item response theory may help to clarify the relationships between local dependence, multidimensionality, and item response function form.I appreciate the many helpful suggestions that were given by the reviewers and Ivo Molenaar.     

Recognition failure of recallable words: problems of mathematical constraint and dependence

The graph space of P ( RN | RL ) vs. P ( RN ), probabilities of recognition given recall and overall recognition, is the setting for the Tulving-Wiseman (TW) function of recognition failure research. According to Hintzman (1991, 1992), the moderate scatter of data points about the TW curve is an artefactual regularity caused by a mathematical constraint when P ( RN ) < P ( RL ). However, both constrained and unconstrained (when P ( RN ) ≥ P ( RL )) points conform equally well to the TW function, consistent with the unobserved fact that the location of both kinds of points is determined by the same mathematical rule. Hintzman's claim that there is no regularity in the data plot when P ( RN ) < P ( RL ) other than that produced by the constraint is not supported by this study. He based his claim on an incorrect use of the measure of dependence (association) called gamma. The graph space corresponding to gamma is that of P ( RN | RL ) vs. P ( RN | nRL ), as shown by using the Bayes function (Bayes' theorem). The margin-free measure gamma is a function of two thetas, theta being a margin-sensitive measure of dependence that is the parameter of the Bayes function. The variance of gamma reflects the fact that it is compounded of the theta variances, so a margin-free measure is obtained at the expense of greater variability.     

Effectiveness of a consultation intervention to promote tobacco control policies in Northwest Indian tribes: Integrating experimental evaluation and service delivery

A quasi-experimental replication of an intervention for promoting tobacco control policies in Northwest Indian tribes is described and the process of intervention including issues of collaboration among research institutions and Indian organizations is discussed. The policy intervention was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design wherein 20 tribes that had served as wait-list controls now received the intervention. The intervention comprised a tribal representative attending a kickoff orientation; follow-up visits to the tribes; distribution of tobacco policy workbooks; and phone call consultations. Policy status and stringency were assessed by means of telephone interviews with two key contacts per tribe, and by a count of enacted policies. There were significant pre-post changes in the primary outcome measure, a composite summary score of tobacco policy stringency, and changes were also reflected in enacted policies. The intervention effects observed were similar to those found in the prior randomized trial and suggest a robust, disseminable intervention. Much of the success achieved was attributed to the role of an Indian organization in planning the project and implementing the intervention and evaluation protocols.     

Mobilizing positive reinforcement in communities to reduce youth access to tobacco

A community intervention to mobilize positive reinforcement for not selling tobacco to young people was evaluated. The intervention had five components: (a) mobilization of community support, (b) merchant education, (c) changing consequences to clerks for selling or not selling to those under 18, (d) publicity about clerks’ refusals to sell, and (e) feedback to store owners or managers about the extent of their sales to adolescents. A multiple baseline design experiment was conducted, in which two small Oregon communities received the intervention, while two others continued in baseline. Outlets’ willingness to sell was assessed repeatedly by teenage volunteers. The intervention significantly reduced the proportion of stores willing to sell. Mobilizing socia and material reinforcement for stores not selling tobacco to young people is a viable means of reducing such sales. It may be especially valuable in communities where laws against sales to minors go unenforced. This paper supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grant CA38273.     

Deterministisches Chaos: Einige Wissenschaftstheoretisch Interessante Aspekte

Deterministic Chaos: Some Interesting Points of View from the Philosophy of Science. A comparatively simple example is used to present some of the main features of deterministic chaos. From the point of view of the philosophy of science, three questions are dealt with: if the equations of motion of chaotic systems are falsifiable in a strict sense; whether experiments on chaotic systems are reproducible; to what extent the development of chaotic systems is predictable. It emerges that in these respects chaotic systems, though being deterministic, behave essentially in the same way as stochastic (indeterministic) systems do.     

短时距知觉中的面积效应

初步探讨了短时距（１─５ｓ）下时距刺激的面积大小和立体框架大小对时距知觉的影响及其成因。结果表明：刺激的面积大小对短时距知觉的影响极其显著;存在两种不同反应类型的被试─－大小依存者与非大小依存者,在不同反应类型的被试中刺激的立体框架大小对短时距知觉的影响不同,刺激的立体框架大小对大小依存者的短时距知觉的影响极其显著,但对非大小依存者的影响不显著。