Constitutive elements of the concept of human aggression

An analysis of the constitutive elements of the concept of human aggression is made. These constitutive elements are explications of the analytically true implications of the concept of human aggression as they are imbedded into the structure of “normal” language. The analysis results in the following proposal for a definition of the concept of human aggression. Human aggression is characterized—at least from the point of view of the person affected or a neutral judge—as an inconsiderate or malicious violation of a norm which implies current or potential harm by a person actively responsible; characterizing the violation of the norm as “inconsiderate” or “malicious” implies that no arguments for exoneration (e.g., excuses or justifications) will be accepted. These six constitutive elements of the concept of human aggression are discussed; in particular, the structure of possible arguments for incrimination and exoneration is outlined in detail. Finally, some consequences for future research are drawn from this suggestion for the definition of human aggression.     

中国大学生羞耻和内疚之现象学差异

采用对２６条项目进行定量评定的方法,考察了３０５名中国大学生的羞耻和内疚在现象学表现上所存在的差异。实验结果表明：（１）在中国大学生中,羞耻和内疚在现象学上的差异与西方人基本相似;（２）与西方研究的不同点在于该研究中未发现羞耻和内疚在对个人能力的负性评价上的差异;（３）羞耻和内疚都有可能在有他人在场和无他人在场时被体验到。     

大学生羞耻和内疚差异的对比研究

以 48名北京大学本科生为被试 ,检验羞耻和内疚差异的 3种假设 :研究一同时检验“公开化与私人化”和“个人无能与违背道德”两个假设 ;研究二检验“伤害自我与伤害他人”假设。方法是依次呈现一系列不同的负性情境 (情境事先已按要检验的假设加以控制 ) ,要求被试设想自己亲身经历该情境 ,然后回答体验到的羞耻和内疚的程度及理由。结果表明 :①“公开化与私人化”对羞耻和内疚的影响有显著差异 (p <0 0 5 ) :“有他人在场”可以易化羞耻 ,而内疚感的产生一般不需要“观众”在场。②“违背道德”在引发羞耻和内疚感上基本相等 ,而“个人无能”引起更多的羞耻感 (p <0 0 1)。③“公开化与私人化”和“个人无能与违背道德”的交互作用不显著。④“伤害自我”更多引起羞耻感 (p <0 0 5 ) ,而“伤害他人”更多引起内疚感 (p <0 0 1)。     

Situational approach to assessment of guilt: Development and validation of a self-report measure

The present research developed and evaluated a self-report measure of guilt that encompassed diverse, typical guilt experiences. Behavior-analytic procedures were employed to construct the Situational Guilt Scale (SGS), in which 22 items assessed anticipated guilt feelings for a wide range of naturally occurring specific situations. The SGS was administered to young-adult college students (mean age, 24 years), along with measures of guilt in traditional moral contexts, depressive tendencies, and socially desirable responding. A test-retest study of the SGS was separately conducted. Results indicated that SGS scores had statisfactory internal consistencies and considerable stability. Correlational findings and comparisons of SGS scores in a typology of depressive experience showed relationships of SGS guilt scores with dependent and self-critical tendencies and support the validity of the measure. The findings and utility of the SGS are discussed.Grant 13487 from the PSC-CUNY Research Award Program of the City University of New York provided support for this project. The Committee on Research Computing of the City University of New York funded the use of computer facilities.     

Harlequin Ichthyosis among the Navajo: Counseling issues

Harlequin Ichthyosis is a rare, fatal congenital disorder of keratinization characterized by thickened, scale-like plaques of skin with a diamond configuration. Autosomal recessive inheritance has been established, and prenatal diagnosis for this disorder remains controversial. Five infants with this disorder were born among approximately 25,000 Navajo women who delivered in Gallup, New Mexico from 1970 to 1989. The incidence of 1 in 5000 among the Navajo in Gallup is high compared to previous reports in other populations. Two families with affected infants were seen in a genetics outreach clinic. Two important counseling issues were raised: (1) reluctance to discuss the possibility of recurrence for fear of affecting the outcome, and (2) feelings of guilt caused by cultural beliefs which attributed the birth defect to paternal behavior during pregnancy. Such issues are encountered in many traditional cultures, and they can be addressed by tailoring the timing and content of counseling.The opinions expressed are those of the authors, and are not to be construed as reflecting the views of the Public Health Service.     

"...As we forgive those who trespass against us...": theological reflections on sin and guilt in the hospital environment.

In general parlance the term sin has lost its existential meaning. Originally a Jewish-Christian term within a purely religious context, referring to a wrongdoing with regard to God, sin has slowly become reduced to guilt in the course of the secularization process. Guilt refers to a wrongdoing, especially with regard to fellow human beings. It also refers to errors of judgement with what can be tragic consequences. These errors can occur whenever human beings are called upon to act, including the hospital environment. A Christian hospital has to address the issue of how to deal not only with guilt-ridden misdemeanors, but also with wrongdoing unto God, which overshadows every instance of guilt-ridden human behavior. Here, as in every parish, the Church Service is the place to acknowledge sin, confess sin, and forgive sin, beyond the boundaries of the parish itself.     

Bad News for Moral Error Theorists: There Is No Master Argument Against Companions in Guilt Strategies

A ‘companions in guilt’ (CG) strategy against moral error theory aims to show that the latter proves too much: if sound, it supports an implausible error-theoretic conclusion in other areas such as epistemic or practical reasoning. Christopher Cowie [2016 Cowie, C. 2016. Good News for Moral Error Theorists: A Master Argument Against Companions in Guilt Strategies, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 94/1: 115–30.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] has recently produced what he claims is a ‘master argument’ against all such strategies. The essence of his argument is that CG arguments cannot work because they are afflicted by internal incoherence or inconsistency. I argue, first, that Cowie's master argument does not succeed. Beyond this, I argue that there is no good reason to think that any such argument—one that purports to identify an internal incoherence in CG arguments—can succeed. Second, I argue that the main substantive area of disagreement between error theorists and CG theorists essentially concerns the conceptual profile of epistemic reasons—specifically, whether they are strongly categorical—not the ontological question of whether such reasons exist (in some form or other). I then develop an argument in favour of the CG theorist's position by considering the moral error theorist's arguments in support of the conceptual claim that moral reasons are strongly categorical. These include, notably, criticisms made by Joyce [2011] and Olson [2014] of Finlay's [2008] ‘end relational’ view of morality, according to which moral reasons are relative to some end or standard, hence not strongly categorical. Examining these criticisms, I argue that, based on what moral error theorists have said regarding the conceptual profile of moral reasons, there is a strong case to be made that moral reasons are strongly categorical (hence, according to the moral error theorist, ontologically problematic) if and only if epistemic reasons are.     

AFFECT,SYMPTOM, FANTASY,DREAM: CLINICAL AND THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

A symptom being studied in the process of analysis can be seen as not unlike the unconscious affect it sprang from. The author presents a case in which a symptom, premature ejaculation, was analogous to the unconscious affect of guilt, which itself seemed to be a premature defensive transformation of a deeper current of anger. Guilt was interpreted as if it were a psychic premature ejaculation, a defensive derailment of anger. Fantasy and dream seemed to be engaged in similar transformations, with a fantasy of “premature incarceration” not unlike the symptom itself in its analogous functioning. Analysis of affect, symptom, fantasy, and dream in complex, integrative analytic process led not only to resolution of the symptom itself, but also to a deeper understanding of the mind's complex functioning in general.     

Mindfulness and Forgiveness Buffer Distress: Associations With Interpersonal Transgression Blameworthiness

This study examined psychopathological symptom outcomes in victims of interpersonal transgressions (IPTs) based on differences in offender blameworthiness attributions. Mindfulness and forgiveness were hypothesized to serve as protective factors against depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The results highlight the buffering influence of dispositional mindfulness and forgiveness on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. These results provide initial evidence that mindfulness‐ and forgiveness‐based procedures may have beneficial therapeutic outcomes for individuals who experience psychopathology as the result of IPTs, specifically IPTs deemed intentional by the victim.     

基于人性本真性的拟人化广告的负面情绪与态度——愧疚感的中介作用

通常来说,商业活动中的拟人化设计可以起到增加亲切感、提升产品评价和增加购买意愿作用。然而,产品广告中不恰当的拟人化设计所引发的负面情绪和态度却很少受到学术界和实践界的关注。本文以食物广告的拟人化设计为研究背景,发现广告中对食用对象进行不恰当的拟人化设计会让人产生愧疚感,进而对广告态度产生负面态度。更进一步,本文表明这种负面效应只发生在感知该拟人化对象的人性本真性高的情况。当消费者不相信拟人化对象真的会拥有人性(本真性低)时,拟人化广告并不会给人们带来明显的负面情绪和态度。