Probabilistic causality reexamined

According to Nancy Cartwright, a causal law holds just when a certain probabilistic condition obtains in all test situations which in turn satisfy a set of background conditions. These background conditions are shown to be inconsistent and, on separate account, logically incoherent. I offer a corrective reformulation which also incorporates a strategy for problems like Hesslow's thrombosis case. I also show that Cartwright's recent argument for modifying the condition to appeal to singular causes fails.Proposed modifications of the theory's probabilistic condition to handle effects with extreme probabilities (0 or 1) are found unsatisfactory. I propose a unified solution which also handles extreme causes. Undefined conditional probabilities give rise to three good, but non-equivalent, ways of formulating the theory. Various formulations appear in the literature. I give arguments to eliminate all but one candidate. Finally, I argue for a crucial new condition clause, and show how to extend the results beyond a simple probabilistic framework.     

EFFECTS OF WAIT-TIME AND INTERTRIAL INTERVAL DURATIONS ON LEARNING BY CHILDREN WITH MULTIPLE HANDICAPS

We investigated the influence of teacher wait-time and intertrial interval durations on the performance of 4 multiply handicapped students during instruction in 10 skills. Four experimental conditions were evaluated: long wait-time and long intertrial interval, long wait-time and short intertrial interval, short wait-time and long intertrial interval, and short wait-time and short intertrial interval. Instructors attempted to keep short intervals as close as possible to 1 s and long intervals as close as possible to 10 s for both variables. Results showed that student performance was superior under the long wait-time conditions irrespective of the length of the intertrial interval.     

Simplified semantics for relevant logics (and some of their rivals)

This paper continues the work of Priest and Sylvan inSimplified Semantics for Basic Relevant Logics, a paper on the simplified semantics of relevant logics, such asB ⁺ andB. We show that the simplified semantics can also be used for a large number of extensions of the positive base logicB ⁺, and then add the dualising^* operator to model negation. This semantics is then used to give conservative extension results for Boolean negation.     

Deviant logic and the paradoxes of self reference

The paradoxes of self reference have to be dealt with by anyone seeking to give a satisfactory account of the logic of truth, of properties, and even of sets of numbers. Unfortunately, there is no widespread agreement as to how to deal with these paradoxes. Some approaches block the paradoxical inferences by rejecting as invalid a move that classical logic counts as valid. In the recent literature, this deviant logic analysis of the paradoxes has been called into question.This disagreement motivates a re-examination of the philosophy of formal logic and the status of logical truths and rules. In this paper I do some of this work, and I show that this gives us the means to defend the deviant approaches against such criticisms. As a result I hope to show that these analyses of the paradoxes are worthy of more serious consideration than they have so far received.Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences.— Mao Tse-TungDedicated to Bob Meyer on the occasion of his 60th BirthdayThis paper was presented to the Department of Philosophy of the University of Queensland, and the 1992 Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference. I'm grateful for comments and criticism from those present; especially Graham Priest, Gary Malinas, Ian Hinckfuss, Mark Lance and Lloyd Reinhardt. The paper has a second half Comparing Deviant Logics that was read at the 1992 Australasian Association for Logic Conference, held in honour of Bob Meyer. Both are dedicated to him with appreciation for his work which, as many can see, provides inspiration for this conception of logic.     

Three forms of stress in Cambodian adolescent refugees

Sixty-nine Cambodian adolescents and young adults were interviewed to determine their experience as children surviving the Pol Pot regime (1975–1979);their first-year experience of resettlement in this country; and their experience of stressful events during the past year. Current DSM-III-R diagnostic status was also determined. A strong relationship between earlier war trauma, resettlement strain, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was found. In contrast, the strongest relationship with depressive symptoms was found for recent stressful events. These results are discussed in light of current findings from stress and PTSD research.Dr. Clarke is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Division of Child Psychiatry, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon. Dr. Sack is Director of the Division of Child Psychiatry and Principal Investigator of the Khmer Adolescent Project. Brian Goff is a Research Assistant.This project was supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health [NIMH] grant #5-RO1-MH42927-02, Dr. William H. Sack, M.D., Principal Investigator.     

SPREADING OF VISUAL ATTENTION TO MODALLY VERSUS AMODALLY COMPLETED REGIONS

Abstract— Regions of objects that are partially obscured at the current retinal image are often perceptually filled in by the visual system (Kanizsa, 1979). In some cases (modal completion), this causes the filled-in region to appear tinged with the color and brightness of unobscured parts of that object, but m other cases (amodal completion), it does not (Michotte & Burke, 1951). It has recently been argued that modal and amodal completion both arise in preattentive vision, and may operate equivalently at that level (Davis & Driver, 1994, He & Nakayama, 1992, Shipley & Kellman, 1992). In this article, we show that they have different effects on attentive vision, with attention tending to spread to (and from) modally completed regions and their visible inducers, but not to (or from) comparable amodally completed regions and their inducers. This finding is consistent with visual attention operating on surfaces (e g, He & Nakayama, 1995) in a viewer-centered representation of the scene, after the operation of filling-in processes.     

The nature and treatment of social phobia in youth

A small proportion of children and adolescents experience a debilitating level of social anxiety, known as social phobia. Initially, we consider the phenomenology and aetiology of social phobia in children and adolescents. A number of age-sensitive assessment instruments or tools are briefly considered: a diagnostic interview, selj-report instruments, behavioural observations, cognitive assessment, self-monitoring and psychophysiological recording. We explore cognitive-behavioural strategies that have been found to be useful in the management of social phobia. Although there is much research support for the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural strategies for adults with social phobia, it is emphasized that controlled evaluations have yet to be undertaken with socially phobic youngsters.