FE Modeling of FRP-Repaired Planar Concrete Elements Subjected to Monotonic and Cyclic Loading

In this paper, a nonlinear finite-element model is developed for the analysis of plane stress members, such as RC beams and walls, strengthened either unidirectionally or bidirectionally with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and subjected to either monotonic or cyclic loading. The model takes into account the effects of the bonded interface between the FRP and concrete while allowing slippage in each direction. A two-dimensional membrane contact element is developed to model the effects of local bond-slip with debonding failure between the FRP and concrete capable of being captured. The model has been incorporated into a finite-element program for the analysis of RC members subject to plane stress with verification against test data of FRP-strengthened RC joints, beams, and walls. The numerical results show good agreement with the experimental data for both load-displacement responses and for the overall failure mechanisms.     

A biased view of liberal bias.

Comments on the article by R. E. Redding (see record 2001-00465-001) which discusses pluralism and sociopolitical diversity in psychology. Redding argues that those with liberal political views dominate the field of psychology and that, as a result, conservative viewpoints are underrepresented in empirical research. To support this argument, Redding reports the results of a content analysis of American Psychologist articles which indicates that 97% of the articles reflected a liberal agenda, compared with 3% that reflected a conservatist agenda. The current authors highlight problems with this analysis and present results of their own content analysis which resulted in contrasting data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributional bias and course evaluations.

Self-serving bias, a type of attributional bias, refers to people's tendency to take credit for success and avoid blame for failure. How this affects course evaluations is tested by comparing the self-esteem model, predicting that evaluations reflect actual grades, with the expectancy-confirmation model, predicting that evaluations reflect confirmation or disconfirmation of grade expectations. Questionnaire data were obtained from all students (N?=?691) in 38 classes representing 16 disciplines. Analyses at both the individual and class-mean level show that "self-serving" bias has a minimal or nonexistent effect on evaluations; that the self-esteem model explains best; and that the amount of bias caused by grades, self-serving bias, and 18 demographic/situational variables is low for all evaluation dimensions. The results support the validity of properly obtained course evaluations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental disorder as a Roschian concept: A critique of Wakefield's "harmful dysfunction" analysis.

J. C. Wakefield (1992a, 1992b, 1993) recently proposed that mental disorder is best conceptualized as a "harmful dysfunction," whereby "harm" is a value judgment regarding the undesirability of a condition, and "dysfunction" is the failure of a system to function as designed by natural selection. The authors maintain, however, that (a) many mental functions are not direct evolutionary adaptations, but rather adaptively neutral by-products of adaptations, (b) Wakefield's concept of the evolutionarily designed response neglects the fact that natural selection almost invariably results in substantial variability across individuals, and (c) many consensual disorders represent evolutionarily adaptive reactions to danger or loss. The authors propose that mental disorder is a Roschian concept characterized by instrinsically fuzzy boundaries and that Wakefield's analysis may only prolong scientific debate on a fundamentally nonscientific issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)