Argument as a formulation-decision-decision... sequence

Problems with regard to the analysis of argumentative partly discourse arise from definitorial disconformity. In this article, Informal argument is taken as the primary definition to study the basic structure of argument from a fragment of an Agatha Christie novel. Bilmes' account of the notions of Formulation (F) and Decision (D+/D-) are adapted to describe the relations of opposition which are displayed in informal argument. The minimal structure of argument is represented by the formula F/D-/D-, in which F is a speaker's personal composition of a fact, the first D- is the disconfirming uptake of it by another speaker and the second D- is the completing disconfirming uptake by the initial speaker. Some of the speaker's possibilities to initiate an argument by expressing a Formulation are explored, as well as the social and cultural norms which play a role in argument-initiation and the concepts of win and loss.     

Examining the Association Between the Imagination Library Early Childhood Literacy Program and Kindergarten Readiness

This study evaluated participation in the Imagination Library early childhood literacy enrichment program and children's pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills at kindergarten entry in an urban school district. Previous studies have demonstrated that program participation is associated with greater early childhood reading practices. Results presented in this article suggest that program participation is also positively and significantly associated with higher early language and math scores, even after controlling for other key factors associated with kindergarten readiness. These results offer support for policy interventions designed to advance kindergarten readiness by increasing access to early literacy materials for families with young children.     

Anorexia nervosa: the treatment of a male case with combined behavioural and family therapy

The successful treatment of a case of anorexia nervosa in a 14-year-old boy is described in this paper. The treatment comprised an initial month-long hospital-based behavioural weight gain programme. Concurrently a family evaluation was conducted. Family therapy, involving the parents only, was conducted over a subsequent four month period. The management of a relapse four months after the termination of treatment is described and information obtained at 9 and 16 month follow up is presented.     

Hearing Voices: The Impact of Announcer Speech Characteristics on Consumer Response to Broadcast Advertising

Virtually every broadcast advertisement uses the voice of an announcer, but due to lack of guidance from the marketing literature, managers must rely on gut feel when choosing a voice. Drawing on research from psycholinguistics, we identify 3 important voice characteristics —syllable speed, interphrase pausation, and pitch — and link these characteristics to key advertising response variables. By considering these 3 variables simultaneously, we test competing explanations previously offered to explain the process by which speech rate affects consumer response to advertising. Specifically, we assess whether an increase in speech rate enhances or reduces processing of the advertisement and whether this effect is driven primarily by syllable speed or interphrase pausation. Consideration of these 2 aspects of speech rate independently helps identify whether the changes in processing stem from changes in the opportunity to process and/or the motivation to process. Our results show that a voice with faster‐than‐normal syllable speed and low pitch produces less negative advertisement‐directed cognitive responses and more favorable ad attitudes, as well as more favorable brand attitudes, lending support to a motivational process explanation. No significant effects were found for interphrase pausation, suggesting that the results cannot be accounted for by the reduced opportunity to process in the compressed conditions.     

Type of semantic elaboration and recall

Two experiments examined the effects of various semantic-orienting tasks on immediate and delayed recall. In Experiment 1, words modified by their core or cross-situational properties (necessary adjectives) were recalled better than words modified by more peripheral properties (arbitrary adjectives). In addition, the beneficial effects of necessary adjectives seemed to be independent of the amount of cognitive analysis required for processing these adjectives. In Experiment 2, words modified by necessary adjectives were recalled better regardless of whether the adjectives were general or specific. Overall, the results are consistent with the “core meaning” notion and indicate that the quality of semantic elaboration is an important determinant of recall.     

Being Clean and Acting Dirty: The Paradoxical Effect of Self-Cleansing

In two studies we investigated the association between physical cleansing and moral and immoral behavior in real-life situations. In Study 1, after a workout at the gym, participants cheated more after taking a shower than before taking one. In the second study, participants donated more money to charity before rather than after they bathed for religious purification. The results extend previous findings about moral cleansing and moral licensing and are discussed within the framework of conceptual metaphor theory.     

Concurrent individual and family therapy in a case of elective mutism

In this paper, following a literature review a family containing a child who had been electively mute for four years is described. A concurrent programme of individual and family therapy and the systemic hypothesis which guided these interventions is then presented in detail. Behavioural and psychometric data are presented to illustrate the dramatic improvement which the identified patient showed over the course of treatment. Finally, the probable mechanisms underpinning the child's improvement, and how these differed from our initial expectations, are discussed.     

Seeing the World Through “Pink‐Colored Glasses”: The Link Between Optimism and Pink

This study investigated optimism, which is considered a personality trait, from the grounded cognition perspective. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the association between pink and optimism. In Experiment 1A, 22 undergraduates (10 females; M_age = 23.68) were asked to classify words as optimistic or pessimistic as fast as possible. Half the words were presented in pink and half in black. Experiment 1B (N = 24; 14 females; M_age = 22.82) was identical to 1A except for the color of the words—black and light blue instead of pink—to rule out the possible influence of brightness. Experiment 2 exposed 144 participants (74 females; M_age = 25.18) to pink or yellow and then measured their optimism level. The findings for Experiments 1A and 1B indicated an association between pink and optimism regardless of brightness. Experiment 2 found that mere exposure to pink increased optimism levels for females. These results contribute to the dynamic view of personality, current views on optimism, and the growing literature on grounded cognition.     

Self-Rating of religiosity (SRR) in Iran: validity,reliability, and associations with the Big Five

ABSTRACT

The present research aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Self-Rating of Religiosity (SRR) in Iran. In addition, the associations between the Persian version of this single-item measure of religiosity and the Big Five personality dimensions were investigated. Study 1 (n?=?51) suggested that the Persian translation of the SRR had adequate test-retest reliability over a three-week period. Study 2 (n?=?228) provided evidence for good convergent validity of the SRR, indexed by strong positive associations with scores on the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL). The Big Five dimensions of personality were measured using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Moreover, the scores on the SRR were positively associated with Agreeableness (r?=?.23, p?<?.01) and Conscientiousness (r?=?.16, p?<?.05), while negatively associated with Openness to Experience (r?=??.25, p?<?.01). These findings are in line with cross-cultural findings on personality correlates of intrinsic religiosity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.