The Effect of Four Years of Participation in a Tibetan Buddhist Retreat on Perceptions of Physiological and Psychological Well-Being

The researchers assessed the effect of participation in a Tibetan retreat at a center in Scotland over a 4-year period using the General Health Questionnaire-60 (Goldberg & Williams, 1988) and the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1988), Residence at the retreat center did not show any harmful or beneficial effects on the participants' levels of stress and general health as measured by these scales.     

MIND‐INDEPENDENCE AND THE LOGICAL SPACE OF WRIGHT'S REALIST‐RELEVANT AXES

This paper continues the work begun by Crispin Wright of identifying, articulating, and explaining the relations between various realist‐relevant axes that emerge when it is conceded that any predicate capable of satisfying a small range of platitudes is syntactically and semantically adequate to count as a truth predicate for a discourse. I argue that the fact that a given discourse satisfies the three realist‐relevant axes that remain if evidence‐transcendent truth and reference to evidence‐transcendent facts are ruled out by Dummettian meaning‐theoretic considerations is not sufficient for what I have elsewhere called “modest metaphysical realism.” I conclude that mind‐independence marks yet another realist‐relevant axis and explore the relationships between the proposed mind‐independence axis and the realist‐relevant axes identified by Wright.     

Adolescents' understandings of infidelity

This study explored younger adolescents' (aged 14–17 years; N = 204; 50% girls) understandings of infidelity and whether these understandings differed for girls and boys. Analyses revealed that younger adolescents' understandings of infidelity included an array of physical, affective, cognitive, and verbal behaviors with an extradyadic partner. No gender differences were found. In addition, younger adolescents' understandings of infidelity were compared to older adolescents' (aged 17–21 years; N = 214; 50% girls) understandings. Results showed that younger adolescents' salient understandings of infidelity more often included light, affectionate behaviors such as hugging and kissing an extradyadic partner, whereas older adolescents' salient understandings more often included heavy physical behaviors, including sexual intercourse and oral sex. Gender comparisons with older adolescents revealed that boys' salient understandings of infidelity included higher numbers of heavy physical behaviors, whereas girls' salient understandings included higher numbers of light, affectionate behaviors. Results demonstrate that infidelity is a complex and multifaceted construct for adolescent girls and boys and suggest that developmental researchers should examine understandings of infidelity beyond sexual extradyadic experiences. Implications for adolescent development and psychosocial health are discussed.     

Where should the balance be between “scientist” and “practitioner” in Australian undergraduate psychology?

The scientist—practitioner model of training in psychology has been widely influential in the development of undergraduate curricula in Australia. The model had its origins in post‐war America and has formed the basis for accreditation of psychology courses in Australia since the late 1970s. Recently a reconsideration of the model in Australian undergraduate psychology was argued for, suggesting that the absence of significant practical skills development in most curricula is detrimental to the discipline's graduates and their employers. The authors agree that the need for some practical skills development in undergraduate curricula is becoming increasingly important for psychology. Many of the exemplars of curriculum revision provided, however, are impractical and are unlikely to make significant contributions to Australian programs. There is an urgent need to consider the graduate attributes desired for 3‐year and 4‐year trained psychology graduates who will go on to employment without completing postgraduate study. Curriculum innovation to enhance graduates' employability will flow from this development, and will be likely to incorporate information technology solutions, rather than placement experience. This process is entirely compatible with the scientist—practitioner model of training and education in psychology.     

Discovering Ourselves by Unfolding our Panorama: Interviewing Pioneers in Counseling

In the last analysis, the essential thing is the life of the individual. This alone makes history, here alone do the great transformations first take place, and the whole future, the whole history of the world, ultimately spring as a gigantic summation from these hidden sources in individuals. In our most private and most subjective lives we are not only the passive witnesses of our age, and its sufferers, but also its makers.     

Do Engineers have Social Responsibilities?

ABSTRACT Most American engineers believe that they have a responsibility for the safety and well-being of society, but whence does this responsibility arise? What does it entail? After describing engineering practice in America as compared with the practice of other professions, this paper examines two standard types of accounts of the social responsibilities of professionals. While neither provides a satisfactory account of the social responsibilities of American engineers, several lessons are learned by uncovering their weaknesses. Identifying the framework in which professional rights and responsibilities are justified, I argue that an end or primary good is the starting place for conceptualizing a profession, and justifying its existence and shape. Too little attention has been paid to the end(s) of engineering. The social responsibilities of American engineers as defined in the present system of engineering are ambiguous and weak. I indicate how the case for assigning American engineers stronger social responsibilities must be made by starting with the end(s) of engineering. I argue that, at present, American engineers do not have social responsibilities as engineers, though they do have social responsibilities as persons.