On not knowing what or who one is: Reflections on the intelligibility of dualism

Beginning with Descartes' caution not imprudently to take some other object in place of myself, I consider first the problems of self-identification confronted by variousamnesiacs, both ordinary and Cartesian. Noting thatcogitationes as such do not individuate, I proceed to examine conclusions drawn from certain sorts of body-switching thought experiments. This, in turn, gives rise to a general critique of psychological connectedness or unity of consciousness as a candidate criterion of personal identity. I conclude that our ability to apply any notion of personal identity is parasitic upon the existence of a conceptual apparatus for individuating, identifying, and reidentifying objects. Finally, I argue that, if person is a proper sortal predicate to begin with, Descartes'res cogitans cannot be understood as a species of the (metaphysical) genusres, distinct fromres extensa and only problematically in interaction with it. Cartesian dualism is a multiply untenable doctrine.     

Forgetting of pictures over a long retention interval in young and older adults

Young and older adults were presented with pictures for study. Their recognition of the information was tested at five retention intervals: immediately, and 48 hr, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks later. The main finding of interest was that picture recognition did not show an age-related decline until the 1-week retention interval.     

Media coverage of sports and violent behavior: An elusive connection

The general relationship between the media and violence has proven to be exceptionally elusive in spite of decades of research. Furthermore, there have been no attempts to link media coverage of sports to the lifestyles of their audiences. Exposure to the media does not occur in a social, cultural or political vacuum, and the responses to such exposure, including coverage of sports violence, vary according to individual circumstances.     

Institutional emotion norms and role satisfaction: Examination of a career wife population

Unlike other types of career wives, Assemblies of God missionary wives report very high role satisfaction and low depressive symptomatology. In order to explain this “exception,” this study examines (1) the social-structural conditions that affect satisfaction, (2) affective and behavioral responses, and (3) organizational implications. Data were collected through participant observation, interviewing, analysis of documents, and questionnaire research (n=200). Findings suggest that missionary wives often evoked satisfaction in response to institutional emotion norms in the manner suggested by the emotion management perspective. The social-psychological process of emotion work is examined, as well as the manner in which compliance facilitates organizational production and reproduction. Hypotheses for future research are suggested.     

A note on natural numbers objects in monoidal categories

The internal language of a monoidal category yields simple proofs of results about a natural numbers object therein.     

Adolescent suicide attempters presenting to a pediatric facility

This study profiles the characteristics of adolescent suicide attempters and the treatment they received in a pediatric emergency room (ER). A retrospective chart review of 4,072 adolescents seen in the ER at a children's hospital (CH) from July 1984 to June 1985 was undertaken. Twenty-seven adolescents who had deliberately injured themselves were identified. The average age was 14 years 7 months (range 11-19 years). Fifty-two percent of the patients were white and 78% were female. Ingestion was the most common method (78%), followed by attempted hanging (11%), and wrist laceration (7%). After evaluation by a pediatrician in the ER, 30% of the patients were treated and released, 11% were transferred directly to a psychiatric hospital, and 59% were admitted to the CH, with an average hospital stay of 1.88 days. Once hospitalized, consultations from psychiatry (81%), social service (50%), psychology (19%), and neurology (6%) were obtained. At the time of discharge from either the ER or CH, the patients had a variety of plans for ongoing care, with 52% being referred to outpatient counseling, 37% being transferred to a psychiatric hospital, and 11% having no documented plan for ongoing care. These results demonstrate that the evaluation of suicidal adolescents cared for in a pediatric facility may be episodic and suggest the need for a comprehensive program to approach the problem.