Development of the concept of truth-functional negation.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 22(1) of Developmental Psychology (see record 2008-10957-001). In the article, several key words were omitted from the last sentence of the Method section on page 464, column 2, third paragraph. The corrected sentence is included in the erratum.] Studied the development of the concept of truth-functional negation in 2 experiments, using 36 English-speaking children (aged 3–6 yrs) and 10 Korean-speaking children (aged 4–5 yrs) as Ss. In Exp I, English-speaking Ss were given a sentence-variation task in which the following 4 sentence types were used to describe 36 pictures of common items: true affirmative, false affirmative, true negative (TN), and false negative. The results show that a majority of Ss under 5 yrs had difficulty with negative sentences, particularly TN sentences, indicating a lack of explicit understanding of truth-functional negation as defined in logic. In Exp II, a cross-linguistic replication of Exp I was attempted with Korean-speaking Ss. Despite some cross-linguistic differences in the negation system, the Korean-speaking Ss showed essentially the same pattern of results, suggesting that the development in question proceeds within the general limit set by the general cognitive development. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Development of the concept of truth-functional negation": Correction to Kim.

Reports an error in "Development of the concept of truth-functional negation" by Kyung Kim (Developmental Psychology, 1985[May], Vol 21[3], 462-472). In the article, several key words were omitted from the last sentence of the Method section on page 464, column 2, third paragraph. The corrected sentence is included in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1985-25108-001.) Studied the development of the concept of truth-functional negation in 2 experiments, using 36 English-speaking children (aged 3-6 yrs) and 10 Korean-speaking children (aged 4-5 yrs) as Ss. In Exp I, English-speaking Ss were given a sentence-variation task in which the following 4 sentence types were used to describe 36 pictures of common items: true affirmative, false affirmative, true negative (TN), and false negative. The results show that a majority of Ss under 5 yrs had difficulty with negative sentences, particularly TN sentences, indicating a lack of explicit understanding of truth-functional negation as defined in logic. In Exp II, a cross-linguistic replication of Exp I was attempted with Korean-speaking Ss. Despite some cross-linguistic differences in the negation system, the Korean-speaking Ss showed essentially the same pattern of results, suggesting that the development in question proceeds within the general limit set by the general cognitive development. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on Shweder's "Illusory correlation and the MMPI controversy."

R. A. Shweder's (see record 1978-20145-001) 1st principal-component factor loadings are substantially correlated with the proportion of items keyed for true and socially desirable responses in the MMPI scales that he investigated, and it is suggested that the judgments of similarity and dissimilarity that he obtained were based on social desirability considerations. It is also shown that although there is a preexisting conceptual scheme that is widely shared regarding what is desirable and undesirable in the way of personality characteristics, differences in the degree to which individuals agree with the cultural norms of social desirability have little relationship to individual differences in social desirability responding to MMPI items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on Finley's "Critique of rational-emotive philosophy."

Reply to Finley's (1987; see record 1988-00015-001) critique of rational-emotive philosophy, which claims that Ellis's (1981) response to Sharkey's (1981) criticisms of rational-emotive psychology reveals logical and philosophical confusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "The psychology of life after death."

R. K. Siegel (see record 1981-25195-001) bases his discussion of life after death on an egregious logical fallacy that when one is faced with death, the desire to prolong life has some relevance to the question of whether the person survives. Siegel bases his conclusions about the author's work on a cursory reading; moreover, Siegel's reference list contains as many popular books as scholarly books and scientific articles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dryads and the "as if" concept.

Refers to R. L. Ebel's (see record 1975-00011-001) article and recommends reading the work of H. Vaihinger (1924 [1968]) who contended that people live "as if" certain fictions were true. Vaihinger tackled the problem of the "dryads," concluding that scientists and philosophers could not differentiate between a good working hypothesis and fiction (an artificial thought construct designed to help solve problems). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "a case study of the process and outcome of time-limited counseling."

The single-case outcome study reported by C. E. Hill et al (see record 1983-10833-001) has several strengths, including the use of sequential analysis and careful recording and investigation of sessions. However, several limitations are identified, such as the small variety of outcome measures, the lack of behavioral change measures, the failure to impose a theoretical structure on the therapy and its evaluation, and the suitability of this client for case analysis. Recommendations are made for case studies in outcome research. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change."

This commentary describes the impact of Carl Rogers' classic article (see record 2007-14630-002) on the field of psychotherapy in general and on control-mastery theory and research in particular. The relevance of Rogers' model in the current psychotherapy literature and debates is addressed as are some of the limitations of the model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

DSM-III and the politics–science dichotomy syndrome: A response to Thomas E. Schacht's "DSM-III and the politics of truth."

Contends that T. E. Schacht's (see record 1986-11891-001) definition of politics is so broad in his discussion of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), science, and politics that no one could deny that there are political dimensions of scientific activities. Employing Schacht's definition, the present author presents other political elements in DSM-III to demonstrate that, as chairperson of the DSM-III task force, he did not suffer from the politics–science dichotomy syndrome. It is suggested that for Schacht the acknowledgment of politics is the end of the analysis, while it should be the beginning. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "Amphetamine models of paranoid schizophrenia": A precautionary note.

L. Kokkinidis et al (see record 1981-08105-001) reviewed animal research investigating the mechanisms of action of amphetamine and discussed the implications of this research for the development of animal models of paranoid schizophrenic psychosis. On the basis of their review of the literature, they hypothesized that abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems containing norepinephrine and dopamine were associated with this psychotic process. The present authors believe that the involvement of catecholamines in psychosis is determined by complex pre- and postsynaptic events not adequately discussed by Kokkinidis et al. Furthermore, open-field behavioral changes produced in the rat by amphetamines are not as simple nor are their neural substrates as well defined as Kokkinidis et al suggest. (56 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on ethical considerations in "Self-control techniques as an alternative to pain medication."

P. Levendusky and L. Pankratz (see PA, Vol 54:Issue 4) removed a client from dependency on disfiguring pain medication with the knowledge that, if he were fully informed, the client would not have given his consent to certain aspects of their method. Such therapeutic intervention is by no means uncommon. The present article examines the ethical issues confronted by the therapist in such instances from the perspective of the code of ethics of the American Psychological Association as it applies to relationships with human participants in research. Principles relevant to the therapists' behavior are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex bias in language use: "Neutral" pronouns that aren't.

Terms such as "his," "he," and "man" refer to males but are also used as putative gender-neutral terms to refer to persons of unspecified sex. It is argued that male terms sometimes fail to be gender-neutral and may therefore be a cause of sex bias as well as a vestige of past inequality. In an experiment with 226 male and 264 female college students on the interpretation of pronouns, male terms such as "his," even in explicitly gender-neutral contexts, caused Ss to think 1st of males significantly more often than did "his or her" appearing in the same place. It is concluded that male terms can fail to be gender-neutral even when it is clear that a person of either sex is referred to, and males may have an advantage in contexts where they are referred to by a putative neutral term. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Anomaly or artifact? Comments on Bem and Honorton": Response to Hyman.

R. Hyman (see record 1994-20289-001) raises 2 major points about D. J. Bem and C. Honorton's article (see record 1994-20287-001) on the psi ganzfeld experiments. First, the claim is challenged that the results of the autoganzfeld experiments are consistent with the earlier database. Second, concerns are expressed about the adequacy of the randomization procedures. In response to the 1st point, it is argued that the claims about the consistency of the autoganzfeld results with the earlier database are quite modest and challenge the counterclaim that the results are inconsistent with it. In response to Hyman's methodological point, Bem presents new analyses that could allay apprehensions about the adequacy of the randomization procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Access to justice for deaf Inuit in Nunavut: The role of "Inuit sign language."

Presents a personal perspective on the issue of access to justice (in the context of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) for the deaf Inuit population of Canada's newest Territory—Nunavut. The author's experience in assessing a deaf Inuit in Baker Lake R v. Suwarak (1999) who apparently had no known language, followed an earlier Nova Scotia case R v. Roy (1994) which involved a deaf man who could not hear, speak or use sign language. In the case of Suwarak, the possibility was raised that an indigenous form of sign language, tentatively termed "Inuit Sign Language" was being used. The results of a preliminary study of the status of signed languages in Nunavut based on field visits and interactions with deaf people and their families in 3 communities is described. The possibility that "Inuit Sign Language" exists is discussed within the framework of various theories of language development and also within the context of earlier literature which indicates that many Aboriginal communities had (and possibly still have) flourishing signed languages. Finally, the need for increased research by psychologists on the complex linguistic environment of deaf persons in Nunavut is emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on Gresham, MacMillan, and Siperstein's paper "Critical analysis of the 1992 AAMR definition: Implications for school psychology."

Commends F. M. Gresham et al (see record 1995-37454-001) for their critical analysis of the 1992 definition of mental retardation written by the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR). The AAMR appears to have abandoned a pragmatic/scientific definition in favor of one that is primarily political, espousing a "rights" philosophy which has become prominent in the general field of developmental disabilities. The approach of the AAMR appears to be antithetical to science and may promote more inaccuracies in diagnoses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivated closing of the mind: "Seizing" and "freezing."

A theoretical framework is outlined in which the key construct is the need for (nonspecific) cognitive closure. The need for closure is a desire for definite knowledge on some issue. It represents a dimension of stable individual differences as well as a situationally evocable state. The need for closure has widely ramifying consequences for social-cognitive phenomena at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and group levels of analysis. Those consequences derive from 2 general tendencies, those of urgency and permanence. The urgency tendency represents an individual's inclination to attain closure as soon as possible, and the permanence tendency represents an individual's inclination to maintain it for as long as possible. Empirical evidence for present theory attests to diverse need for closure effects on fundamental social psychological phenomena, including impression formation, stereotyping, attribution, persuasion, group decision making, and language use in intergroup contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical and professional issues in sex therapy: Comments on Bailey's "Psychotherapy or massage parlor technology?"

Responds to K. G. Bailey's (see record 1979-26555-001) discussion of ethical issues in sex therapy. Sex therapy should be conducted by a skilled therapist who is sensitive to the professional and ethical issues that are inherent in treatment. Potentially adverse side effects of therapy should be continually assessed. To date, however, the findings from sex therapy, including the A. M. Zeiss et al (see record 1978-01520-001) procedure show predominantly positive consequences. It is imperative that the fully informed client have decision-making primacy in setting treatment goals. Value-free therapy does not exist, and therapists must be careful not to impose their own personal biases. The principle of the least intrusive treatment alternative and the nature of intrusiveness are discussed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "Selection of subjects in studies of schizophrenic cognition" by Chapman and Chapman.

Replies to L. J. Chapman and J. P. Chapman's (1977) criticism of a study by the author K. O. Arnold (1976) exploring the behavioral correlates of a sensitive measure of schizophrenic thought disorder. The criticism implied that the selection of Ss resulted in erroneous conclusions. The cogency of the criticism is questioned, and the validity of the methodological and statistical procedures in the Hamsher-Arnold study is defended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)