What is philosophy as a way of life? Why philosophy as a way of life?

Despite a recent surge of interest in philosophy as a way of life, it is not clear what it might mean for philosophy to guide one's life, or how a “philosophical” way of life might differ from a life guided by religion, tradition, or some other source. We argue against John Cooper that spiritual exercises figure crucially in the idea of philosophy as a way of life—not just in the ancient world but also today, at least if the idea is to be viable. In order to make the case we attempt to clarify the nature of spiritual exercises, and to explore a number of fundamental questions, such as “What role does reason have in helping us to live well?” Here we distinguish between the discerning and motivational powers of reason, and argue that both elements have limitations as guides to living well.     

Reflections on the role of the analytic setting in the light of COVID-19

There have been many reflections, both individual and collective within our Institutes, on the effects on our work with patients caused by COVID-19 and the requirement to move suddenly from the setting of our own consulting rooms to working with patients online (see also, the previous issue of this Journal). This paper focuses on what we have learned from these experiences that can add to our knowledge about the role of the setting in analytic work. Drawing on Bleger’s (1967) seminal paper highlighting the usual setting as a mute projection carrier for primitive wishes and affects, the paper explores how different patients have reacted to the loss of the analyst as the guardian of the setting and in particular as an embodied presence. Some key questions and challenges for both patients and analysts during the pandemic, when ‘the setting begins to weep’, are explored.     

Selfish power and unselfish status in Chinese work situations

The present research explored the selfishness of power and status as well as the mechanism in Chinese work situations. By using experimental and survey methods, two studies were designed to investigate the relationships among power, status, and self‐interested behaviour (SIB) as well as the mediating effect of perspective‐taking (PT). Results of the two studies consistently indicated that power increases whereas status reduces SIB. These opposing behavioural effects are partially attributed to the fact that power reduces whereas status increases PT. In addition, our results showed an interaction between power and status on SIB in Study 1 (interaction as a mental function), and a positive correlation between perceived power and status in Study 2 (correlation as a mental perception). Through the discussion from the perspective of the self/other‐orientation trait, as well as the stable effects of power and status on SIB in the two studies, we conclude that power is selfish and status is unselfish in Chinese work situations.     

De l’estime de soi et du sentiment d’auto-efficacité à la motivation au travail : le rôle médiateur du sens du travail chez les alternants en France

The purpose of this study was to test the links between self-esteem, the feeling of self-efficacy and the different forms of motivation. It also aimed to understand the mediating effect of the meaning of work between the variables. French work-integrated learning students (n = 471) completed a self-administered online questionnaire. The results showed significant links between self-esteem, perceived self-efficacy, work meaning, and different dimensions of motivation (extrinsic, intrinsic, and amotivation). In addition, the meaning of work played a mediating role in the relationship between self-esteem, perceived self-efficacy, and dimensions of motivation. This study showed the central mechanism of work meaning in work motivation.     

通勤恢复活动对工作激情的动态影响及其机制

员工在通勤时间里减少身心压力, 将身体和心理资源恢复到正常状态的活动称为“通勤恢复活动”。通勤恢复活动可能跨领域对人们的工作激情产生动态影响。通过日记研究法和潜在剖面分析法, 从短期和长期研究通勤恢复活动对工作激情的动态影响、内在机制和边界条件, 拟解决3个关键问题：第一, 通勤恢复活动如何影响员工的和谐型工作激情和强迫型工作激情及其内在机制是什么?第二, 不同自我调节模式的员工在通勤恢复活动影响工作激情的机制上如何发挥调节效应?第三, 通勤恢复活动各维度组合的不同剖面对工作激情有怎么样的影响?对这些问题的深入探讨, 不仅弥补通勤研究和恢复研究中被忽视却又十分重要的研究缺陷, 而且对人们开展通勤恢复活动提升通勤恢复活动以激发员工的工作激情, 同样有很强的现实意义。     

Where Emerging Adults in the United States Find Meaning in Life

We explored the most important sources of meaning among emerging adults and whether time spent on social media had an effect on life meaning dimensions. Results showed that the majority of emerging adults mentioned family and friends when asked in an open‐ended question about things that make their life meaningful.     

这不是我想象中的工作！不合规任务对新员工工作投入的影响

本研究基于情绪的认知评价理论,探讨了不合规任务对新员工工作投入的动态影响机制。通过收集分析71名新员工连续5个工作日的追踪数据发现,不合规任务会诱发新员工的不愉快情绪,进而影响其工作投入,工作成长观能够有效缓冲这一负面影响。以上结论拓宽了不合规任务的影响后果,并为如何干预不合规任务给新员工带来的消极影响提供了启示。     

When is the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney procedure a test of location? Implications for effect-size measures

The Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney procedure is invariant under monotone transformations but its use as a test of location or shift is said not to be so. It tests location only under the shift model, the assumption of parallel cumulative distribution functions (cdfs). We show that infinitely many monotone transformations of the measured variable produce parallel cdfs, so long as the original cdfs intersect nowhere or everywhere. Thus there are infinitely many effect sizes measured as shifts of medians, invalidating the notion that there is one true shift parameter and thereby rendering any single estimate dubious. Measuring effect size using the probability of superiority alleviates this difficulty.     

Interval estimation for linear functions of medians in within-subjects and mixed designs

The currently available distribution-free confidence interval for a difference of medians in a within-subjects design requires an unrealistic assumption of identical distribution shapes. A confidence interval for a general linear function of medians is proposed for within-subjects designs that do not assume identical distribution shapes. The proposed method can be combined with a method for linear functions of independent medians to provide a confidence interval for a linear function of medians in mixed designs. Simulation results show that the proposed methods have good small-sample properties under a wide range of conditions. The proposed methods are illustrated with examples, and R functions that implement the new methods are provided.