Jennifer Radden (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195151657
- eISBN:
- 9780199849253
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195151657.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
Spanning twenty-four centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and ...
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Spanning twenty-four centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and literary figures, and modern psychologists. Truly interdisciplinary, it is the first such anthology. As it traces Western attitudes, it reveals a conversation across centuries and continents as the authors interpret, respond, and build on each other's work. The editor provides an extensive, in-depth introduction that draws links and parallels between the selections, and reveals the ambiguous relationship between these historical accounts of melancholy and today's psychiatric views on depression.Less
Spanning twenty-four centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and literary figures, and modern psychologists. Truly interdisciplinary, it is the first such anthology. As it traces Western attitudes, it reveals a conversation across centuries and continents as the authors interpret, respond, and build on each other's work. The editor provides an extensive, in-depth introduction that draws links and parallels between the selections, and reveals the ambiguous relationship between these historical accounts of melancholy and today's psychiatric views on depression.
David J. Bearison
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- November 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195156126
- eISBN:
- 9780199999873
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156126.001.0001
- Subject:
- Palliative Care, Paediatric Palliative Medicine, Patient Care and End-of-Life Decision Making
Over 50,000 children die of medical causes each year in the U.S., and 85% of them do so in hospitals. While great strides have been made in palliative care, many of these children still suffer ...
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Over 50,000 children die of medical causes each year in the U.S., and 85% of them do so in hospitals. While great strides have been made in palliative care, many of these children still suffer considerably in the last months of life. Studies have found that pediatricians, who often do not expect to confront death on a frequent basis, and other hospital staff typically feel inadequately trained to manage the situation and are emotionally unprepared for the death. All of the feelings associated with caring for a chronically ill child – guilt, anger, frustration, ambivalence, exhaustion – are magnified when a child's life can no longer be prolonged. This book is based directly on the voices of those who care for children at the end of their lives: the doctors, nurses, social workers, pastoral counselors, and psychologists. Centered on seven cases, the author has elicited and recorded the stories of these professionals about their experiences of caring for
patients. The narratives illustrate how clinicians from different professional roles speak about the biological, psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions of caring for terminally ill patients. The author analyzes their ways of making sense of and giving meaning to their difficult experiences, unearthing common and distinct themes and issues across disciplines.Less
Over 50,000 children die of medical causes each year in the U.S., and 85% of them do so in hospitals. While great strides have been made in palliative care, many of these children still suffer considerably in the last months of life. Studies have found that pediatricians, who often do not expect to confront death on a frequent basis, and other hospital staff typically feel inadequately trained to manage the situation and are emotionally unprepared for the death. All of the feelings associated with caring for a chronically ill child – guilt, anger, frustration, ambivalence, exhaustion – are magnified when a child's life can no longer be prolonged. This book is based directly on the voices of those who care for children at the end of their lives: the doctors, nurses, social workers, pastoral counselors, and psychologists. Centered on seven cases, the author has elicited and recorded the stories of these professionals about their experiences of caring for
patients. The narratives illustrate how clinicians from different professional roles speak about the biological, psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions of caring for terminally ill patients. The author analyzes their ways of making sense of and giving meaning to their difficult experiences, unearthing common and distinct themes and issues across disciplines.
Betty R. Ferrell and Nessa Coyle
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- November 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195333121
- eISBN:
- 9780199999910
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195333121.001.0001
- Subject:
- Palliative Care, Patient Care and End-of-Life Decision Making, Pain Management and Palliative Pharmacology
The essence of nursing care continually exposes nurses to suffering. Although they bear witness to the suffering of others, their own suffering is less frequently exposed. This book attempts to give ...
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The essence of nursing care continually exposes nurses to suffering. Although they bear witness to the suffering of others, their own suffering is less frequently exposed. This book attempts to give voice to the suffering that nurses witness in patients, families, colleagues, and themselves. By making this suffering visible, the book aims both to honor and help solve the problem. The book offers nurses' colleagues in other professions — social workers, psychologists, chaplains, ethicists, and physicians — a window onto what it means to practice nursing.Less
The essence of nursing care continually exposes nurses to suffering. Although they bear witness to the suffering of others, their own suffering is less frequently exposed. This book attempts to give voice to the suffering that nurses witness in patients, families, colleagues, and themselves. By making this suffering visible, the book aims both to honor and help solve the problem. The book offers nurses' colleagues in other professions — social workers, psychologists, chaplains, ethicists, and physicians — a window onto what it means to practice nursing.
Lynne Dale Halamish and Doron Hermoni
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- November 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195325379
- eISBN:
- 9780199999811
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195325379.003.0020
- Subject:
- Palliative Care, Patient Care and End-of-Life Decision Making, Palliative Medicine and Older People
This chapter discusses the importance of the clarity of affective communication. It describes the case of Safra, a psychologist who had chosen to work with support groups for cancer victims, and who ...
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This chapter discusses the importance of the clarity of affective communication. It describes the case of Safra, a psychologist who had chosen to work with support groups for cancer victims, and who had come to the author for supervision. The chapter discusses the author's realization of Safra's message through her body language. It explains that paying attention to body language can offer an invaluable window into what a person is really communicating.Less
This chapter discusses the importance of the clarity of affective communication. It describes the case of Safra, a psychologist who had chosen to work with support groups for cancer victims, and who had come to the author for supervision. The chapter discusses the author's realization of Safra's message through her body language. It explains that paying attention to body language can offer an invaluable window into what a person is really communicating.
Charles Patrick Ewing
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195326130
- eISBN:
- 9780199893591
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326130.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
The insanity defense is one of the oldest fixtures of the Anglo-American legal tradition. Though it is available to people charged with virtually any crime, and is often employed without controversy, ...
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The insanity defense is one of the oldest fixtures of the Anglo-American legal tradition. Though it is available to people charged with virtually any crime, and is often employed without controversy, homicide defendants who raise the insanity defense are often viewed by the public and even the legal system as trying to get away with murder. Often it seems that the legal result of an insanity defense is unpredictable, and is determined not by the defendant's mental state, but by their lawyers' and psychologists' influence. From the thousands of murder cases in which defendants have claimed insanity, Doctor Ewing has chosen ten of the most influential and widely varied. Some were successful in their insanity plea, while others were rejected. Some of the defendants remain household names years after the fact, like Jack Ruby, while others were never nationally publicized. Regardless of the circumstances, each case considered here was extremely controversial, hotly contested, and relied heavily on lengthy testimony by expert psychologists and psychiatrists. Several of them played a major role in shaping the criminal justice system as we know it today.Less
The insanity defense is one of the oldest fixtures of the Anglo-American legal tradition. Though it is available to people charged with virtually any crime, and is often employed without controversy, homicide defendants who raise the insanity defense are often viewed by the public and even the legal system as trying to get away with murder. Often it seems that the legal result of an insanity defense is unpredictable, and is determined not by the defendant's mental state, but by their lawyers' and psychologists' influence. From the thousands of murder cases in which defendants have claimed insanity, Doctor Ewing has chosen ten of the most influential and widely varied. Some were successful in their insanity plea, while others were rejected. Some of the defendants remain household names years after the fact, like Jack Ruby, while others were never nationally publicized. Regardless of the circumstances, each case considered here was extremely controversial, hotly contested, and relied heavily on lengthy testimony by expert psychologists and psychiatrists. Several of them played a major role in shaping the criminal justice system as we know it today.
Michael A. West (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198521945
- eISBN:
- 9780191688478
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198521945.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
Meditation is becoming a daily practice for more and more people, and is used by clinical psychologists, counsellors, and therapists to heal themselves and their clients. This book ...
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Meditation is becoming a daily practice for more and more people, and is used by clinical psychologists, counsellors, and therapists to heal themselves and their clients. This book provides a psychological appraisal of meditation, summarizing fifteen years of psychological research in the area, signposting new research and theoretical directions. The contributors are among international writers and researchers on the psychology of meditation. This collection represents an overview of research in the field. Readers will also gain knowledge of meditation and find new perspectives for understanding human behaviour more generally.Less
Meditation is becoming a daily practice for more and more people, and is used by clinical psychologists, counsellors, and therapists to heal themselves and their clients. This book provides a psychological appraisal of meditation, summarizing fifteen years of psychological research in the area, signposting new research and theoretical directions. The contributors are among international writers and researchers on the psychology of meditation. This collection represents an overview of research in the field. Readers will also gain knowledge of meditation and find new perspectives for understanding human behaviour more generally.
Michael M. Delmonte
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198521945
- eISBN:
- 9780191688478
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198521945.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This chapter presents the views of the other hemisphere by describing and discussing the various theoretical approaches which have been taken by Western psychologists ...
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This chapter presents the views of the other hemisphere by describing and discussing the various theoretical approaches which have been taken by Western psychologists studying meditation. Attention is a central component in descriptions of the mechanics of meditation and emphasis is placed upon the potential value of studying meditation from an information-processing orientation. Interest in bilateral brain explanations of experience and abilities is reflected in the discussion of consciousness and meditation. The psychoanalytic orientations described in this chapter suggests that meditation induces regression in the service of the ego to preverbal levels of experience and facilitates primary process mentation. Behavioural orientations, in contrast, see meditation as a form of systematic desensitization, involving reciprocal inhibition and counter-conditioning.Less
This chapter presents the views of the other hemisphere by describing and discussing the various theoretical approaches which have been taken by Western psychologists studying meditation. Attention is a central component in descriptions of the mechanics of meditation and emphasis is placed upon the potential value of studying meditation from an information-processing orientation. Interest in bilateral brain explanations of experience and abilities is reflected in the discussion of consciousness and meditation. The psychoanalytic orientations described in this chapter suggests that meditation induces regression in the service of the ego to preverbal levels of experience and facilitates primary process mentation. Behavioural orientations, in contrast, see meditation as a form of systematic desensitization, involving reciprocal inhibition and counter-conditioning.
Christopher Janaway
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199279692
- eISBN:
- 9780191707407
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279692.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter compares central themes of the Genealogy with their treatment in Rée's Origin of the Moral Sensations, which Nietzsche highlights in the Preface as the main book he is disagreeing with. ...
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This chapter compares central themes of the Genealogy with their treatment in Rée's Origin of the Moral Sensations, which Nietzsche highlights in the Preface as the main book he is disagreeing with. Rée accounts for the origin of the concepts ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of utility, evolution, and conditioning. His central term is the ‘unegoistic’: communities who became conditioned to have positive feelings towards the unegoistic were selected for survival. It is argued that Rée's theory is the one criticized in GENEALOGY I under the heading of ‘English psychologists’. In reply, Nietzsche distinguishes ‘bad’ from ‘evil’, and examines power-relations rather than a homogeneous community. Rée's accounts of conscience, blame, and punishment are similarly founded on the notion of the unegoistic. Nietzsche's accounts of punishment and justice in the Genealogy are a counter to Rée.Less
This chapter compares central themes of the Genealogy with their treatment in Rée's Origin of the Moral Sensations, which Nietzsche highlights in the Preface as the main book he is disagreeing with. Rée accounts for the origin of the concepts ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of utility, evolution, and conditioning. His central term is the ‘unegoistic’: communities who became conditioned to have positive feelings towards the unegoistic were selected for survival. It is argued that Rée's theory is the one criticized in GENEALOGY I under the heading of ‘English psychologists’. In reply, Nietzsche distinguishes ‘bad’ from ‘evil’, and examines power-relations rather than a homogeneous community. Rée's accounts of conscience, blame, and punishment are similarly founded on the notion of the unegoistic. Nietzsche's accounts of punishment and justice in the Genealogy are a counter to Rée.
Roger Carpenter and John Robson (eds)
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198523192
- eISBN:
- 9780191688850
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523192.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Vision research is one of the largest and most active areas within brain research. Psychologists, neuroscientists, opthamologists and optometrists, computer scientists, and engineers all have an ...
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Vision research is one of the largest and most active areas within brain research. Psychologists, neuroscientists, opthamologists and optometrists, computer scientists, and engineers all have an interest in the practical side of the subject. This book is an accessible laboratory manual for anyone engaged in vision research. Spanning methods used across the breadth of vision research, it provides detailed protocols and advice on experimental techniques and procedures, as well as useful background information currently scattered in the literature.Less
Vision research is one of the largest and most active areas within brain research. Psychologists, neuroscientists, opthamologists and optometrists, computer scientists, and engineers all have an interest in the practical side of the subject. This book is an accessible laboratory manual for anyone engaged in vision research. Spanning methods used across the breadth of vision research, it provides detailed protocols and advice on experimental techniques and procedures, as well as useful background information currently scattered in the literature.
Alan Baddeley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198528012
- eISBN:
- 9780191689505
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528012.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This book is the magnum opus of one of the most influential cognitive psychologists of the past 50 years. This new volume on the model he created (with Graham Hitch) discusses the developments that ...
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This book is the magnum opus of one of the most influential cognitive psychologists of the past 50 years. This new volume on the model he created (with Graham Hitch) discusses the developments that have occurred in the past 20 years, and places it within a broader context. Working memory is a temporary storage system that underpins onex' capacity for coherent thought. Some 30 years ago, Baddeley and Hitch proposed a way of thinking about working memory that has proved to be both valuable and influential in its application to practical problems. This book updates the theory, discussing both the evidence in its favour, and alternative approaches. In addition, it discusses the implications of the model for understanding social and emotional behaviour, concluding with an attempt to place working memory in a broader biological and philosophical context. Inside are chapters on the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, the central executive and the episodic buffer. There are also chapters on the relevance to working memory of studies of the recency effect, of work based on individual differences, and of neuroimaging research. The broader implications of the concept of working memory are discussed in the chapters on social psychology, anxiety, depression, consciousness, and on the control of action. Finally, the author discusses the relevance of a concept of working memory to the classic problems of consciousness and free will.Less
This book is the magnum opus of one of the most influential cognitive psychologists of the past 50 years. This new volume on the model he created (with Graham Hitch) discusses the developments that have occurred in the past 20 years, and places it within a broader context. Working memory is a temporary storage system that underpins onex' capacity for coherent thought. Some 30 years ago, Baddeley and Hitch proposed a way of thinking about working memory that has proved to be both valuable and influential in its application to practical problems. This book updates the theory, discussing both the evidence in its favour, and alternative approaches. In addition, it discusses the implications of the model for understanding social and emotional behaviour, concluding with an attempt to place working memory in a broader biological and philosophical context. Inside are chapters on the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, the central executive and the episodic buffer. There are also chapters on the relevance to working memory of studies of the recency effect, of work based on individual differences, and of neuroimaging research. The broader implications of the concept of working memory are discussed in the chapters on social psychology, anxiety, depression, consciousness, and on the control of action. Finally, the author discusses the relevance of a concept of working memory to the classic problems of consciousness and free will.
Keith Gandal
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195338911
- eISBN:
- 9780199867127
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195338911.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory, American, 20th Century Literature
This chapter argues that the plot and characters of Fitzgerald's famous novel can be illuminated with reference to historical events and figures connected to the mobilization. Gatsby himself, a poor ...
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This chapter argues that the plot and characters of Fitzgerald's famous novel can be illuminated with reference to historical events and figures connected to the mobilization. Gatsby himself, a poor ethnic American (who Anglicizes his Germanic name) is the beneficiary of a new military meritocracy that was extended to ethnic Americans with education or bilingual ability. As such, Gatsby is particularly receptive to the military's propaganda about its “new man,” the “clean” soldier who refrains from sexual activity abroad. Daisy meanwhile resembles the historical figure of the “charity girl,” the woman or girl who fraternized with soldiers at training camps and caused problems for military authorities, especially in terms of spreading venereal disease. (Thousands of such “charity girls” were arrested during the war.) The chapter also discusses Tom Buchanan and Nick Carraway in terms of historical developments during and after the war. Finally, the chapter contains an extended discussion of the army intelligence tests (they have previously been seen almost entirely in terms of their postwar exploitation by immigration restrictionists), considering them as part of a set of military personnel initiatives, which, though biased against immigrants and ethnic Americans overall, nonetheless extended wartime opportunities to educated and talented ethnic Americans.Less
This chapter argues that the plot and characters of Fitzgerald's famous novel can be illuminated with reference to historical events and figures connected to the mobilization. Gatsby himself, a poor ethnic American (who Anglicizes his Germanic name) is the beneficiary of a new military meritocracy that was extended to ethnic Americans with education or bilingual ability. As such, Gatsby is particularly receptive to the military's propaganda about its “new man,” the “clean” soldier who refrains from sexual activity abroad. Daisy meanwhile resembles the historical figure of the “charity girl,” the woman or girl who fraternized with soldiers at training camps and caused problems for military authorities, especially in terms of spreading venereal disease. (Thousands of such “charity girls” were arrested during the war.) The chapter also discusses Tom Buchanan and Nick Carraway in terms of historical developments during and after the war. Finally, the chapter contains an extended discussion of the army intelligence tests (they have previously been seen almost entirely in terms of their postwar exploitation by immigration restrictionists), considering them as part of a set of military personnel initiatives, which, though biased against immigrants and ethnic Americans overall, nonetheless extended wartime opportunities to educated and talented ethnic Americans.
Michael Corballis and Stephen E. G. Lea (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780192632593
- eISBN:
- 9780191670497
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192632593.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
To most people, it seems obvious that there are major mental differences between humans and other species, but there is considerable debate over exactly how special our minds are, in what respects, ...
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To most people, it seems obvious that there are major mental differences between humans and other species, but there is considerable debate over exactly how special our minds are, in what respects, and which the critical evolutionary events that have shaped us were. Some researchers claim language as a solely human, even defining, attribute, while others claim that only humans are truly conscious. These questions have been explored mainly by archaeologists and anthropologists until recently, but this volume aims to show what psychologists have to say on the evolution of mind. The book begins with a thorough overview of what is known of the non-primate mind and its evolution. Following this, is a discussion of the human mind at various stages of evolution, beginning with the pre-hominids of twenty million years ago and ending with contemporary human behaviour. The book provides a range of answers to the question of what it means to be human.Less
To most people, it seems obvious that there are major mental differences between humans and other species, but there is considerable debate over exactly how special our minds are, in what respects, and which the critical evolutionary events that have shaped us were. Some researchers claim language as a solely human, even defining, attribute, while others claim that only humans are truly conscious. These questions have been explored mainly by archaeologists and anthropologists until recently, but this volume aims to show what psychologists have to say on the evolution of mind. The book begins with a thorough overview of what is known of the non-primate mind and its evolution. Following this, is a discussion of the human mind at various stages of evolution, beginning with the pre-hominids of twenty million years ago and ending with contemporary human behaviour. The book provides a range of answers to the question of what it means to be human.
Elizabeth Akins (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195084627
- eISBN:
- 9780199847167
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195084627.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Vancouver Studies in Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary series bringing together topics of interest to psychologists, philosophers, cognitive scientists, and linguists. Each volume is based on ...
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Vancouver Studies in Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary series bringing together topics of interest to psychologists, philosophers, cognitive scientists, and linguists. Each volume is based on conferences organized at Simon Fraser University, with chapters added from nonparticipants to ensure balanced and adequate coverage from the topic under study. This fifth volume examines the role of perception in cognitive psychology in light of recent events. The book covers the problem of depth perception, the interaction of perception and memory, the perception of time, and principles of vision. Despite the wide scope of the intended topic, however, papers presented at the conference and solicited for this text all focus on fundamental questions about the nature of visual perception, specifically concerning the form and content of visual representations.Less
Vancouver Studies in Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary series bringing together topics of interest to psychologists, philosophers, cognitive scientists, and linguists. Each volume is based on conferences organized at Simon Fraser University, with chapters added from nonparticipants to ensure balanced and adequate coverage from the topic under study. This fifth volume examines the role of perception in cognitive psychology in light of recent events. The book covers the problem of depth perception, the interaction of perception and memory, the perception of time, and principles of vision. Despite the wide scope of the intended topic, however, papers presented at the conference and solicited for this text all focus on fundamental questions about the nature of visual perception, specifically concerning the form and content of visual representations.
Kimron Shapiro (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198505150
- eISBN:
- 9780191686818
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198505150.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
For psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists interested in ‘attention’, the issue of the limits of our attentional mechanisms is one of great importance — what are the temporal constraints when we ...
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For psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists interested in ‘attention’, the issue of the limits of our attentional mechanisms is one of great importance — what are the temporal constraints when we attend to and process information? How well can we switch our attention from one task to another, or from one sensory modality to another? In what circumstances can the presentation of one stimulus prevent the recognition of a further stimulus? By seeking answers to such questions, we can learn about the systems underlying such attentional processes, develop more accurate models of our attentional mechanisms, and even get closer to answering some of the many outstanding questions about consciousness itself.Less
For psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists interested in ‘attention’, the issue of the limits of our attentional mechanisms is one of great importance — what are the temporal constraints when we attend to and process information? How well can we switch our attention from one task to another, or from one sensory modality to another? In what circumstances can the presentation of one stimulus prevent the recognition of a further stimulus? By seeking answers to such questions, we can learn about the systems underlying such attentional processes, develop more accurate models of our attentional mechanisms, and even get closer to answering some of the many outstanding questions about consciousness itself.
N. J. Mackintosh (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198523369
- eISBN:
- 9780191688898
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523369.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
When Cyril Burt died in 1971, he was widely regarded as Britain's most eminent educational psychologist. Within five years of his death, however, he was being publicly denounced as a fraud who had ...
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When Cyril Burt died in 1971, he was widely regarded as Britain's most eminent educational psychologist. Within five years of his death, however, he was being publicly denounced as a fraud who had fabricated data purporting to show that human intelligence is inherited. Was he really a fraud? Or was he accused of fraud by critics anxious to dismiss such a politically unacceptable scientific theory? Where does the truth lie? The chapters to this book examine the evidence carefully and dispassionately and conclude that both the defence and the prosecution cases are seriously flawed. This is a reanalysis of the data, which has turned up new instances of potential fraud, which were not evident before. This book provides an unbiased analysis of one of the most notorious scandals in science.Less
When Cyril Burt died in 1971, he was widely regarded as Britain's most eminent educational psychologist. Within five years of his death, however, he was being publicly denounced as a fraud who had fabricated data purporting to show that human intelligence is inherited. Was he really a fraud? Or was he accused of fraud by critics anxious to dismiss such a politically unacceptable scientific theory? Where does the truth lie? The chapters to this book examine the evidence carefully and dispassionately and conclude that both the defence and the prosecution cases are seriously flawed. This is a reanalysis of the data, which has turned up new instances of potential fraud, which were not evident before. This book provides an unbiased analysis of one of the most notorious scandals in science.
Rachel Cohon
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199268443
- eISBN:
- 9780191708565
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199268443.003.0010
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter addresses the question whether Hume sees himself as merely a psychologist describing the human mind and its moral proclivities, or also as an advocate for a particular way of life or ...
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This chapter addresses the question whether Hume sees himself as merely a psychologist describing the human mind and its moral proclivities, or also as an advocate for a particular way of life or list of virtues and vices that should replace its competitors, and so a potential critic of socially accepted lists of virtues and vices. It is argued that Hume makes normative claims on behalf of the traits he lists as virtues and vices, and that his moral theory provides readers with some grounds on which to criticize the shared ethical standards of a particular society or historical era, though not adequate grounds to enable a reader to make all the criticisms he or she might wish to make.Less
This chapter addresses the question whether Hume sees himself as merely a psychologist describing the human mind and its moral proclivities, or also as an advocate for a particular way of life or list of virtues and vices that should replace its competitors, and so a potential critic of socially accepted lists of virtues and vices. It is argued that Hume makes normative claims on behalf of the traits he lists as virtues and vices, and that his moral theory provides readers with some grounds on which to criticize the shared ethical standards of a particular society or historical era, though not adequate grounds to enable a reader to make all the criticisms he or she might wish to make.
Patricia Kitcher
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199754823
- eISBN:
- 9780199855889
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199754823.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
The book presents Kant’s theory of the cognitive subject. It begins by setting the stage for his discussions of the unity and power of ‘apperception’ by presenting the attempts of his predecessors to ...
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The book presents Kant’s theory of the cognitive subject. It begins by setting the stage for his discussions of the unity and power of ‘apperception’ by presenting the attempts of his predecessors to explain the nature of the self and of self-consciousness, and the relation between self-consciousness and object cognition. The central chapters lay out the structure of the transcendental deduction, the argument from cognition to the necessary unity of apperception, and the relations among his theories of the unity and power of apperception, the ‘psychological ideal,’ and the ‘noumenal’ self. Later chapters draw on this material to offer a more precise account of his criticism that the Rational Psychologists failed to understand the unique character of the representation ‘I-think’ and to defend Kant against the charges that his theory of cognition and apperception is inconsistent or psychologistic. The concluding chapters present Kantian alternatives to recent theories of the activities of the self in cognition and moral action, the self-ascription of belief, knowledge of other minds, the appropriate explananda for theories of consciousness, and the efficacy of ‘transcendental’ arguments.Less
The book presents Kant’s theory of the cognitive subject. It begins by setting the stage for his discussions of the unity and power of ‘apperception’ by presenting the attempts of his predecessors to explain the nature of the self and of self-consciousness, and the relation between self-consciousness and object cognition. The central chapters lay out the structure of the transcendental deduction, the argument from cognition to the necessary unity of apperception, and the relations among his theories of the unity and power of apperception, the ‘psychological ideal,’ and the ‘noumenal’ self. Later chapters draw on this material to offer a more precise account of his criticism that the Rational Psychologists failed to understand the unique character of the representation ‘I-think’ and to defend Kant against the charges that his theory of cognition and apperception is inconsistent or psychologistic. The concluding chapters present Kantian alternatives to recent theories of the activities of the self in cognition and moral action, the self-ascription of belief, knowledge of other minds, the appropriate explananda for theories of consciousness, and the efficacy of ‘transcendental’ arguments.
Richard Samuels, Stephen Stich, and Patrice D. Tremoulet
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199733477
- eISBN:
- 9780199949823
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199733477.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
There is a venerable philosophical tradition that views human beings as intrinsically rational. But studies have shown that even under ordinary circumstances where fatigue, drugs, and strong emotions ...
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There is a venerable philosophical tradition that views human beings as intrinsically rational. But studies have shown that even under ordinary circumstances where fatigue, drugs, and strong emotions are not factors, people reason and make judgments in ways that systematically violate familiar canons of rationality on a wide array of problems. These studies sparked the growth of a major research tradition whose impact has been felt in economics, political theory, medicine, and other areas far removed from cognitive science. This chapter is organized as follows. Section 2 sketches a few of the better-known experimental findings. Though there is little doubt that most of the experimental results reported in the literature are robust and can be readily replicated, there is considerable debate over what these experiments indicate about the intrinsic rationality of ordinary people. One widely discussed interpretation of the results claims that they have “bleak implications” for the rationality of the man and woman in the street. Section 3 elaborates on this interpretation and explains the technical notion of competence that it invokes. Section 4 offers a detailed sketch of the richly modular picture of the mind advanced by evolutionary psychologists and of the notion of a mental module that plays a fundamental role in that picture. Section 5 considers several recent studies that appear to confirm the evolutionary psychologists’ prediction: When information is presented in ways that would have been important in our evolutionary history, performance on reasoning tasks soars. The final section asks a hypothetical question: If the evolutionary psychologists’ account turns out to be on the right track, what implications would this have for questions about the nature and the extent of human rationality or irrationality?Less
There is a venerable philosophical tradition that views human beings as intrinsically rational. But studies have shown that even under ordinary circumstances where fatigue, drugs, and strong emotions are not factors, people reason and make judgments in ways that systematically violate familiar canons of rationality on a wide array of problems. These studies sparked the growth of a major research tradition whose impact has been felt in economics, political theory, medicine, and other areas far removed from cognitive science. This chapter is organized as follows. Section 2 sketches a few of the better-known experimental findings. Though there is little doubt that most of the experimental results reported in the literature are robust and can be readily replicated, there is considerable debate over what these experiments indicate about the intrinsic rationality of ordinary people. One widely discussed interpretation of the results claims that they have “bleak implications” for the rationality of the man and woman in the street. Section 3 elaborates on this interpretation and explains the technical notion of competence that it invokes. Section 4 offers a detailed sketch of the richly modular picture of the mind advanced by evolutionary psychologists and of the notion of a mental module that plays a fundamental role in that picture. Section 5 considers several recent studies that appear to confirm the evolutionary psychologists’ prediction: When information is presented in ways that would have been important in our evolutionary history, performance on reasoning tasks soars. The final section asks a hypothetical question: If the evolutionary psychologists’ account turns out to be on the right track, what implications would this have for questions about the nature and the extent of human rationality or irrationality?
Rick Rylance
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198122838
- eISBN:
- 9780191671555
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198122838.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
Four strands of psychological argument can be identified in the period 1850–80 that display the different discursive fields in which Victorian psychologists operated. The four strands are: the ...
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Four strands of psychological argument can be identified in the period 1850–80 that display the different discursive fields in which Victorian psychologists operated. The four strands are: the discourse of the soul, the discourse of philosophy, the discourse of physiology in general biology, and the discourse of medicine. This chapter focuses on the discourse of the soul. The word psychology is derived from the Greek for ‘soul discourse’. If the discourse of the soul had been faculty psychology's only sustenance, it would have perished much earlier as scientific naturalism started to take the ground from beneath it. But it had a more intellectually robust constitution and diverse feeding habits, which kept it going.Less
Four strands of psychological argument can be identified in the period 1850–80 that display the different discursive fields in which Victorian psychologists operated. The four strands are: the discourse of the soul, the discourse of philosophy, the discourse of physiology in general biology, and the discourse of medicine. This chapter focuses on the discourse of the soul. The word psychology is derived from the Greek for ‘soul discourse’. If the discourse of the soul had been faculty psychology's only sustenance, it would have perished much earlier as scientific naturalism started to take the ground from beneath it. But it had a more intellectually robust constitution and diverse feeding habits, which kept it going.
Robin Small
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199278077
- eISBN:
- 9780191602702
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199278075.003.0010
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
In On the Genealogy of Morals (1887), Nietzsche criticizes the ideas of the ‘English psychologists’—in fact, the account of the moral sense he had earlier borrowed from Rée—and elaborates his own ...
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In On the Genealogy of Morals (1887), Nietzsche criticizes the ideas of the ‘English psychologists’—in fact, the account of the moral sense he had earlier borrowed from Rée—and elaborates his own alternative. In many ways, this is the naturalistic approach taken further, not just explaining valuation but placing values themselves in question, and opening up the possibility of their re-valuation through a new conception of the life process. This chapter presents Nietzsche’s rehabilitation of egoism through his engagement with Herbert Spencer’s ethics, arguing that his hostility is largely due to an unacknowledged amount of common ground.Less
In On the Genealogy of Morals (1887), Nietzsche criticizes the ideas of the ‘English psychologists’—in fact, the account of the moral sense he had earlier borrowed from Rée—and elaborates his own alternative. In many ways, this is the naturalistic approach taken further, not just explaining valuation but placing values themselves in question, and opening up the possibility of their re-valuation through a new conception of the life process. This chapter presents Nietzsche’s rehabilitation of egoism through his engagement with Herbert Spencer’s ethics, arguing that his hostility is largely due to an unacknowledged amount of common ground.
