The concept of adaptation-level in psychological research

Vuorinen, R. The concept of adaptation-level in psychological research. Scand. J. Psychol., 1973, 14, 228–240.- Helson's adaptation-level theory (ALT) is appraised as a general theory of psychology. The reformulated Fechner law underlying ALT is shown to be untenable and the conceptual status of AL is shown to be self-contradictory. The ambiguous measures and the inconsistent theoretical definitions proposed for AL are found to limit the scope of ALT. Reasons for its flexibility and claimed heuristic value are analyzed and potential sources of confusion are suggested. Some defects of ALT are likely to be shared by other behaviouristic theories since they follow from a commitment to the strict S-R model.     

Anchor effects in category judgment of weight

Vuorinen, R. Anchor effects in category judgment of weight. Scand. J. Psychol., 1973, 14, 261–272.-3 models of psychophysical judgment are tested in 4 experiments. The anchor effects obtained in these experiments deviate from their usually observed contrast properties violating both the "adaptation-level" (AL) model and the "similarity classification" model. Results on comparative judgment disprove the assumed constancy of the parameters of the AL-model. A comparison with the "response frequency equalization" model discloses that the AL-model confounds genuine perceptual aspects of judgment with response determined factors (response bias) involved in category judgment. The present results are related to a critical evaluation of the general AL-theory presented elsewhere (Vuorinen, 1973).     

Love from Afar: Distance,Intimacy and the Theology of Love

Proceeding from Jean‐Luc Marion's The Erotic Phenomenon, this article discusses how the Christian concept of love can manifest intimacy. While most theological concepts of love spell out the requirement of distance, they do not pay sufficient attention to the intimate variants of love. The article argues that a full‐fledged theological account should make room for love's different economic and donative variants, as well as for love's advance from ‘distance’ to ‘visibility’ and, finally, ‘intimacy’. Concrete examples of intimate love include mystical union, transforming hospitality, fidelity and love that is as strong as death.