Critical thinking as cooperation and its relation to mental health and social welfare

The purpose of this theoretical investigation was to examine critical thinking as a realization of human cooperation, affecting both mental health and social welfare. Although critical thinking contains a critical stance toward any asserted standpoint, such a critical stance appears, paradoxically, to have developed from cooperation and the shared goals of human beings. Moreover, although critical thinking has been seen in academic literature to be anchored on culturally developed rules and principles of rational dialogue as well as on effective learning methods, investigators have not interconnected critical thinking and human cooperation comprehensively enough. To solve the dilemma, we will use available scientific knowledge to examine how cooperation and socially shared goals are realized in critical thinking, especially in a critical stance. The view of critical thinking as cooperation places it ontogenetically and phylogenetically into a wider theoretical framework which also provides a novel perspective on mental health and social welfare. The deterioration of rational thinking in the context of mental disorders may be explained by failures of cooperation, which can contain epistemic distrust and an inability to mentalize the viewpoints of others. These features may clarify some causes why some contemporary dialogues and critical contributions are divisive in worldwide, especially in social media.     

A conditional process model of perfectionism,goal-realization,and post-competition mood

Research has recently begun to examine the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and athletes’ post-competition mood. However, to date, there have been few attempts to examine the interaction between dimensions of perfectionism or model possible explanatory processes. To address these limitations, in the current study we tested a novel conditional process model whereby the relationship between perfectionistic strivings and post-competition affect was mediated by the degree to which goals were considered to have been met (goal-realization) and that this indirect effect was, in turn, moderated by levels of perfectionistic concerns. We tested this model in a sample of 251 athletes who took part in a “Runmageddon” event - a cross-country obstacle race. Athletes completed measures of perfectionism (perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns) before the race and measures of goal-realization and mood (tense arousal, energetic arousal, and hedonic tone) between 24 and 48 h after the race. Analyses revealed that perfectionistic strivings were indirectly linked to a more unpleasant post-competition mood (higher tense arousal and lower hedonic tone) via perceptions of lower goal-realization. In addition, these two indirect effects were statistically significant only when perfectionistic concerns were medium and high. The results support the proposed conditional model and suggest the interplay between dimensions of perfectionism is important for athletes’ post-competition mood, and the level of perfectionistic concerns, especially.     

Religious Organizations and Government: An Ecclesial Lutheran “Take”

Sharp debates exist today about the appropriate relationship between religious organizations and government, with views ranging from Christian nationalism to strict secularists. This essay explores a mediating position expressed in the conceptual phrase that religious bodies should “work with civil authorities in areas of mutual endeavor, maintaining institutional separation and functional interaction.” The essay uses historical and ecclesial sources to describe the struggles and underpinnings that lead to this position and then unpacks its meaning and import. While originating from within the conceptual and ecclesial American Lutheran tradition, the essay points to this approach as a public proposal for sound relationship between religious communities and political authority in the United States.     

植物人研究中的一些神经心理学问题

自从Ｊｅｎｎｅｔｔ等提出＂持久的植物状态＂概念之后,有关植物人的问题已经引起中国医疗卫生界的广泛重视,并且在临床治疗方面取得了一定的成绩。该文对国内及国际植物人研究状况作了简要的评述．作者认为统一关于植物人定义的认识,研究植物人的病理生理机制以及确定临床观察的心理学定量指标乃是中国科学工作者当务之急。     

在亮度对比和颜色对比下立体视知觉的定量研究

研究了在亮度对比与等亮度颜色对比的条件下,受试者分辨随机点阵立体图对的立体视敏度（最小视差）．结果表明：（１）在亮度对比条件下,立体视敏度随对比度的增加而增加,１０％的对比度即可引起立体视知觉,对比度大于３０％时达到饱和;（２）在亮度对比与等亮度颜色对比两种不同的条件下,受试者的立体视敏度不存在有统计学意义的差异;（３）当双眼分别接受不同颜色的等亮度立体图刺激时,与亮度对比条件相比,受试者的立体视敏度无明显差异;（４）当受试者双眼分别接受由亮度对比和颜色对比形成的立体图刺激时,只有当颜色对比图中图形与背景间的对比度超过等亮度值３８％以上时,才能形成立体视知觉．以上结果提示,大、小细胞系统（包括斑点系统与斑点间系统）均参与立体视知觉信息的传递．     

Posterior probabilities for a consensus ordering

In the situation where subjects independently rank order a fixed set of items, the idea of a consensus ordering of the items is defined and employed as a parameter in a class of probability models for rankings. In the context of such models, which generalize those of Mallows, posterior probabilities may be easily formed about the population consensus ordering. An example of rankings obtained by the Graduate Record Examination Board is presented to demonstrate the adequacy of these generalized Mallows' models for describing actual data sets of rankings and to illustrate convenient summaries of the posterior probabilities for the consensus ordering.The authors thank Leann Birch for permission to refer to her experiment on cracker preferences, and the Graduate Record Examination Board for permission to use primary data from the Pike Report in our example. We also thank the referees for helpful comments.     

Effects of nonnutritive sucking on state and activity: Term-preterm comparisons

The effects of ad libitum access to a pacifier on the behavioral state and motor activity of preterm infants have been compared with those observed in full-term neonates. Regardless of maturity, nonnutritive sucking (NNS) decreases the amount of time spent in active states and increases that spent in quiescent states, lengthens the longest state bout, and decreases the frequency of state transitions. NNS also reduces overall motor activity as well as that during Active Sleep. Provided such ad libitum sucking opportunity, preterm infants thus appear to derive no less benefit from NNS than do term neonates. This result contrasts with an earlier finding that preterms are less soothed by NNA than are term infants.     

状态焦虑对回溯式时距判断的影响：认知评价和记忆偏向有调节的中介作用

探讨状态焦虑对回溯式时距判断的影响, 并检测记忆偏向与认知评价在其中的中介和调节作用。实验1招募大学生60人, 随机分为高、低状态焦虑组, 采用情绪诱导程序诱导高、低状态焦虑; 采用口头估计任务测量回溯式时距判断, 考察高、低状态焦虑诱导后的回溯式时距判断差异。实验2在实验1的基础上, 招募大学生60人, 增加自由回忆任务测量记忆偏向, 考察状态焦虑对回溯式时距判断的影响中记忆偏向的中介作用。实验3在实验1和实验2的基础上, 招募大学生90人, 增加视觉模拟心境量表测量认知评价, 考察状态焦虑对回溯式时距判断的影响, 并检测认知评价与记忆偏向在其中的作用。结果发现：(1)在回溯式时距判断中, 高状态焦虑比低状态焦虑更高估时距; (2)在状态焦虑对回溯式时距判断的影响中, 记忆偏向具有中介作用; (3)在状态焦虑对回溯式时距判断的影响中, 认知评价和记忆偏向存在有调节的中介作用：只有当认知评价得分较低时, 即对于认为焦虑对身体健康有害程度较低的个体而言, 在状态焦虑影响回溯式时距判断中, 记忆偏向具有完全中介作用, 即状态焦虑只通过记忆偏向影响回溯式时距判断。研究结果揭示了焦虑个体回溯式时距判断的内部过程, 验证了注意闸门模型中有关用于计时的记忆资源越多对于时距越高估的假设, 丰富了焦虑通过记忆偏向影响回溯式时距判断的解释视角, 为通过调整认知评价改善焦虑个体时距偏差提供了重要参考。