Causation and Induction1

The connection between views about causation and attempts to justify inductive reasoning is sufficiently close that some philosophers² have taken success at the latter as a litmus test for the truth of the former. I do not agree with this approach. Like Hume, I believe that the nature of causal connections must be understood prior to, and independently of, solutions to the problem of induction. Like Hume, I also hold that the problem of induction cannot be solved if Hume's analysis of causal connections is correct. But unlike Hume, I believe that that analysis is incorrect. However, I shall not attempt to establish this crucial thesis here. I mention it because this paper presupposes it. Hume's difficulty about causation must—and can—be faced head-on. There are phenomenological grounds for affirming that we sometimes directly experience nonlogical, necessary connections between events. I shall only briefly summarize these grounds, which will be argued for in detail elsewhere. The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which a necessitarian theory of causation can bring the problem of induction closer to solution.     

New Careers Model Revisited: The Importance of Mentoring

The authors report a study that suggests the career paths of workers on short-term federal projects may be enhanced as a result of developing a relationship with a mentor through such projects.     

Attachment avoidance and the cultural fit hypothesis: A cross-cultural investigation

This study examined the impact of attachment avoidance on relationship outcomes. A "cultural fit" hypothesis, which states that individual differences in personality should be associated with relationship problems if they encourage patterns of behavior that are incongruent with cultural norms, was investigated. It was hypothesized that attachment avoidance, a style of relationship in which emotional distance and independence are emphasized, would be more strongly associated with relationship problems in more collectivist societies (Hong Kong and Mexico) than in a more individualist one (the United States), given the greater emphasis placed on closeness and harmony in relationships in collectivist cultures. As predicted, associations between avoidant attachment and relationship problems were stronger in Hong Kong and Mexico than in the United States.     

A longitudinal study of conflict in new parents: The role of attachment

In this longitudinal study of the transition to parenthood, couples reported on their own conflict resolution tactics and their perceptions of their partners' tactics. Their reports were analyzed in terms of their own and their partners' attachment styles. The results showed that more anxious and more avoidant persons used less effective conflict resolution styles. They showed that both actor and partner attachment styles were related to conflict resolution tactics. They also showed that in some cases less avoidant and less anxious persons showed improvement over time, using fewer ineffective and more effective resolution tactics. More avoidant and more anxious individuals, in contrast, showed little improvement and in some cases even showed decline over time.     

ISSUES AND STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING THE LENGTH OF SELF-REPORT SCALES

Greater understanding of the complex interrelationships among work-relevant constructs has increased the number of constructs on organizational surveys. Good psychometric practice also dictates the use of multiple items per construct. The net result has been longer surveys. Longer surveys take more time to complete, tend to have more missing data, and have higher refusal rates than short surveys. Arguably, then, techniques for reducing the length of scales while maintaining psychometric quality are worthwhile. Little guidance exists on how to reduce the length of a multi-item scale and we argue that the most common technique, maximizing internal consistency, is problematic and should be avoided. We present a set of item "quality indices" to help conceptualize the competing issues that influence item retention decisions. Statistical analysis of an example case using these indices suggested that there are 3 key aspects of item quality to consider when reducing a scale. We describe strategies that can assist scale developers in using these 3 aspects of item quality when making scale reduction decisions.     

Project Choices: Adventure-Based Residential Drug Treatment for Court-Referred Youth

Project Choices is a residential treatment program for drug-abusing adjudicated adolescents that employs the adventure-based counseling model to instill change. Its goals have been to reduce conduct-disordered behavior associated with delinquency and drug use. Thus far, the program has proved effective.