Family tensions and Halakhic guidelines: An intergenerational view

Jewish Orthodox families, like all families, face problems in their daily lives. Their family tensions and conflicts, however, can be mitigated by presenting Halakhic guidelines within an intergenerational context. This article presents such an approach, focusing on both intergenerational and Halakhic frameworks for facilitating family functioning.     

EEG performance spectral mapping during drug therapy in a patient with schizophrenic psychosis

In a paranoid-hallucinatoric patient with chronic course and acute exacerbation a EEG mapping study during neuroleptic treatment was carried out. The typical changes of the alpha power spectra in schizophrenic psychoses as well the normalization after neuroleptic treatment could be found in the alpha map. The changes were in correlation to the clinical state.     

The influence of positive and negative reinforcement on selective attention in the rat

In Experiments 1 and 2 rats were trained under two multiple schedules of reinforcement. In one, bar pressing during a tone-light compound stimulus was reinforced under a variable-interval food reinforcement schedule. In the other multiple schedule, bar pressing avoided grid shock on a free-operant schedule. In both multiple schedules, a discrimination was maintained by an extinction schedule that was operative during the absence of the tone-light compound. In Experiments 1 and 2 the intensity of the tone-light compound was manipulated over three levels. Subsequent extinction tests revealed that light was attended to, almost exclusively of the tone, when food reinforcement had maintained bar pressing. On the other hand, the tone gained considerable attentional control under the shock avoidance schedule. This stimulus-reinforcer interaction was maintained for all three levels of the compound intensity. In Experiment 3 it was investigated whether this interaction was associative by presenting shock during the absence of the tone-light compound when food reinforcement maintained responding, and food during the absence of the compound when shock avoidance maintained responding. Since both food and shock were presented during a single session for both schedules, nonassociative effects of the reinforcing stimuli were equivalent across the schedules. Nevertheless, the stimulus-reinforcer interaction was maintained, indicating that the interaction was an associative effect.     

Truth telling and terminal illness: A Jewish view

The focus of this paper is a Jewish view of truth telling and the dilemma of revealing to a terminal patient his imminent demise. Directions are given to physicians, medical personnel, and children of the patient on how to deal with truth telling. Attitudes reflected in Jewish thought suggest that the welfare of the patient is primary, and any information that will upset his psychological state is clearly prohibited. Physicians may not reveal to patients their terminal state. Children and family are obligated to withhold information of a patient's terminal state, even if the latter demands to be told. Hope is seen as a central feature of truth telling even during the period of confession. This view contrasts with the liberal attitude of truth telling in some Western countries, where it is the patient's right to know of his imminent demise.     

Homosexuality,the Halacha,and the helping professions

The position of Jewish writings on homosexuality is the topic of inquiry. Overt homosexuality, child homosexuality, and lesbianism are examined in the light of Jewish Halacha (law). Though Talmudic writings view homosexuality with severe disapproval, a sprrit of tolerance and compassion is also voiced in them. It is suggested here that Jewish law placed overt homosexuality in the category of illness to evoke compassion for it Halachic insights also suggest that homosexualities be viewed differentially. Activities involving minors and lesbians are not given equal weight in the realm of retribution. There are efforts to obviate social stigma. Prevention and rehabilitation are given major concern. To conclude the article, the role of the Jewish religious practitioner and his responsibilities vis-à-vis the homosexual client are given a brief examination.     

Ursachen der gegenseitigen Verdeckung von taktil dargebotenen Buchstaben: Unterbrechung,Summation oder Verzögerung?

Zusammenfassung Für die Erklärung der Verdeckung von Reizen in verschiedenen Sinnesmodalitäten mit einfacher Struktur wurden in der Literature bisher im wesentlichen zwei verschiedene Erklärungskonzepte diskutiert: Die Summationshypotheses behauptet, daß die Eindrücke von schnell aufeinanderfolgenden Reizen sich zu einer Gesamtrepräsentation überlagern, aus der die Einzelreize erschwert herauszuanalysieren sind, die Unterbrechungshypothese dagegen nimmt an, daß die Verdeckung auf eine Störung der Verarbeitung des einen Reizes durch die kurzzeitig folgende Darbietung eines weiteren Reizes zurückgeht. Zur Erklärung der gegenseitigen Verdeckung von taktil dargebotenen Buchstaben sind beide Hypothesen ungeeignet, weil sie die unterschiedliche Beeinträchtigung von Form- und Positionserkennung der Buchstaben nicht erfassen können. Deshalb wurde eine neue Hypothese aufgestellt: Die Repräsentation eines Reizes im sensorischen Register wird durch die Merkmalsanalyse des vorangegangenen Reizes kaum behindert, aber dessen Übertragung aus dem analysierenden System in das Kurzzeitgedächtnis eine bestimmte Zeit verzögert. Diese Verzögerungshypothese wurde mit einem Experiment überprüft, in dem 3 Vpn je etwa 12 Versuchsstunden lang die Erkennung von Buchstabenpaaren übten. Da die Diskrimination zwischen den Buchstaben bei taktiler Darbietung sehr viel schwieriger als bei visueller ist, wurden nur 5 Buchstaben im Experiment verwendet. Die Ergebnisse des Experiments werden durch ein mathematisches Modell beschrieben. Bezüglich der numerischen Werte der freien Parameter machen die 3 Hypothesen unterschiedliche Vorhersagen. Die Parameterschätzung ergab eine gute Übereinstimmung des Modells mit den Daten und zeigte eine Überlegenheit des Konzeptes Verzögerung für die Erklärung der gegenseitigen Verdeckung taktil dargebotener Buchstaben.

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Sources of mutual masking of tactile presented letters: Interruption, summation or delay?

Summary Two different explanations of the masking phenomenon with simple structured stimuli have been discussed in the literature: The summation hypothesis and the interruption hypothesis. The summation hypothesis maintains that the images of quickly succeeding stimuli superimpose and build up one unified representation from which the single stimuli are difficult to analyse. In contrast the interruption hypothesis assumes that masking is caused by the successive stimulus disturbing the processing of its predecessor. Both hypotheses are unacceptable for an explanation of the mutual masking of tactile presented letters where a different impairment of form and position recognition is observed. Therefore a third hypothesis was tried: The processing of a preceding stimulus hardly affects the representation of the successive one in the sensory register. Rather the transfer from the analysing system to short-term memory is delayed by a certain time. This delay hypothesis was tested by an experiment in which three subjects practiced to recognize pairs of letters for a total of 12 sessions. Since discrimination between letters is much more difficult with tactile compared to visual presentation only five letters were used as stimuli. The results are described by a mathematical model. The three hypotheses predict discrepant numerical values for the free parameters. Parameter estimation revealed a close fit between the general model and the data and showed a superiority of the delay hypothesis as an explanation of mutual masking of tactile presented stimuli.

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Für die wertvolle Beratung bei der Erstellung des endgültigen Textes danken wir besonders Herrn Professor Dr. K. F. Wender und Herr Dr. K. Nippert.     

Are thought experiments “disturbing”? The case of armchair physics

Philosophical Studies - Proponents of the “negative program” in experimental philosophy have argued that judgements in philosophical cases, also known as case judgements, are unreliable...     

The relation between well-being, impostor feelings, and gender role orientation among Canadian university students

A theoretical model of well-being identifies 6 key components that have been examined primarily in older adults (e.g., C. D. Ryff, 1989c, 1991): self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth (C. D. Ryff, 1995; C. D. Ryff & C. L. M. Keyes, 1995; C. D. Ryff & B. Singer, 1996). The authors examined them in a sample of 379 Canadian university students to determine how well-being was correlated with endorsement of stereotypic gender roles and with the impostor phenomenon. The participants completed Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff, personal communication, March 1996), the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (P. R. Clance & M. A. O'Toole, 1988), and the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire (J. T. Spence, R. L. Helmreich, & C. K. Holahan, 1979). The results supported the hypotheses that (a) people with higher scores for expressive traits score higher for well-being stemming from positive relations with others, (b) people with higher scores for instrumental traits score higher for well-being related to feelings of autonomy, (c) people with higher scores for impostor feelings (and lower scores for ability confidence) score lower for self-acceptance and (d) for environmental mastery.     

Is Therapeutic Alliance Influenced by a Feminist Approach to Therapy?

Although the feminist critique of marriage and family therapy has been a significant part of the literature for many years, its impact has been blunted by two criticisms. The first suggests that the feminist critique lacks empirical support. The second suggests that the feminist critique promotes an alliance with women clients at the expense of men. The first criticism has been addressed in recent years. The present study examined the relationship between feminist principles and therapeutic alliance. Results suggest that feminist principles actually enhance therapeutic relationship for men clients but has no effect on therapeutic relationship for women clients.of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program     

The Ethnomethods of Ethnography: A Trans-situational Approach to the Epistemology of Qualitative Research

The article is concerned with the everyday activities of sociology, focusing on ethnography. It argues that empirical study of the ethnomethods of ethnography allows for a deeper insight into the dynamics and procedures of this research practice. Based on empirical data from two ethnographic studies (in a martial arts club and in a flamenco class), I suggest to observe how such an investigation is conducted in various situations: in the field, on the ethnographer’s desk, in data sessions, in conferences and in written papers. This serves to gather and produce empirical traces from the field. These are de- and re-contextualized while they are taken into the sociological field(s). This process can be analyzed drawing on Goffman’s notion of Frame Analysis, particularly drawing on his notion of keyings. Ethnography can thus be described as a trans-situational practice that systematically couples situations and communications in order to understand and reconstruct other social practices for sociological reasons.