By Annys Shin
The Washington Post
Originally published February 14, 2014
Here is an excerpt:
Over the past several months, lawyers for the alleged victim in the Naval Academy case have been trying to block a judge from reviewing years of counseling records. Their latest appeal is still pending, but Col. Daniel Daugherty, the judge in the trial of defendant Joshua Tate, has already reviewed some of them, and agreed to release portions to the defense.
Advocates for sexual assault victims say the practice of going after mental health records undercuts the military’s efforts to get more victims to come forward and thwarts their treatment.
“The victim needs to be assured of confidentiality to effectively be treated and to be effectively diagnosed,” said Nikki Charles, who directs therapy and case management for the Network for Victim Recovery of DC. “If you chip away at that…their chances of recovery diminish.”
The entire article is here.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Experimental Philosophy: Intentionality, Emotion, and Moral Reasoning
By Joshua Knobe
Edge Videos
Originally published February 2014
Joshua Knobe outlines research on intentionality, emotion, and moral reasoning.
Edge Videos
Originally published February 2014
Joshua Knobe outlines research on intentionality, emotion, and moral reasoning.
Senate challenger Milton Wolf apologizes for posting X-ray photos
By The Associated Press
The Kansas City Star
Originally published February 23, 2014
A tea party-backed Leawood radiologist who is trying to unseat longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts has apologized for posting X-ray photos of fatal gunshot wounds and medical injuries on his personal Facebook page several years ago. But he called the revelation about the images the work of a desperate incumbent.
In addition to the images, Milton Wolf also participated in online commentary layered with macabre jokes and descriptions of carnage, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
The report about the images, which came from hospitals in the Kansas City area on both sides of the state line, drew criticism from medical professionals who called their display on social media irresponsible.
The entire story is here.
The Kansas City Star
Originally published February 23, 2014
A tea party-backed Leawood radiologist who is trying to unseat longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts has apologized for posting X-ray photos of fatal gunshot wounds and medical injuries on his personal Facebook page several years ago. But he called the revelation about the images the work of a desperate incumbent.
In addition to the images, Milton Wolf also participated in online commentary layered with macabre jokes and descriptions of carnage, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
The report about the images, which came from hospitals in the Kansas City area on both sides of the state line, drew criticism from medical professionals who called their display on social media irresponsible.
The entire story is here.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Psychiatric diagnosis: the indispensability of ambivalence
By Felicity Callard
J Med Ethics doi:10.1136/medethics-2013-101763
Abstract
The author analyses how debate over the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has tended to privilege certain conceptions of psychiatric diagnosis over others, as well as to polarise positions regarding psychiatric diagnosis. The article aims to muddy the black and white tenor of many discussions regarding psychiatric diagnosis by moving away from the preoccupation with diagnosis as classification and refocusing attention on diagnosis as a temporally and spatially complex, as well as highly mediated process. The article draws on historical, sociological and first-person perspectives regarding psychiatric diagnosis in order to emphasise the conceptual—and potentially ethical—benefits of ambivalence vis-à-vis the achievements and problems of psychiatric diagnosis.
The entire article is here.
J Med Ethics doi:10.1136/medethics-2013-101763
Abstract
The author analyses how debate over the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has tended to privilege certain conceptions of psychiatric diagnosis over others, as well as to polarise positions regarding psychiatric diagnosis. The article aims to muddy the black and white tenor of many discussions regarding psychiatric diagnosis by moving away from the preoccupation with diagnosis as classification and refocusing attention on diagnosis as a temporally and spatially complex, as well as highly mediated process. The article draws on historical, sociological and first-person perspectives regarding psychiatric diagnosis in order to emphasise the conceptual—and potentially ethical—benefits of ambivalence vis-à-vis the achievements and problems of psychiatric diagnosis.
The entire article is here.
Are We Hardwired to Believe We Are Immortal?
by Barbara Moran-Boston University
Futurity: Science and Technology
Originally posted on January 29, 2014
Most people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, believe they are immortal. That is, people believe that part of themselves—some indelible core, soul, or essence—will live forever.
Why is this belief so unshakable?
A new study published in the journal Child Development sheds light on these profound questions by examining children’s ideas about “prelife,” the time before conception.
The entire article is here.
The original study is here.
Futurity: Science and Technology
Originally posted on January 29, 2014
Most people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, believe they are immortal. That is, people believe that part of themselves—some indelible core, soul, or essence—will live forever.
Why is this belief so unshakable?
A new study published in the journal Child Development sheds light on these profound questions by examining children’s ideas about “prelife,” the time before conception.
The entire article is here.
The original study is here.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Episode 3: Neurofeedback and Consciousness
In this episode, John interviews Thomas Fink, PhD about the basic concepts of neurofeedback, its clinical utility, and case examples. Dr. Fink developed software for a home unit to augment gains made in the office. The purpose of this podcast is to help psychologists become more familiar with this neurofeedback in the practice of psychotherapy. Additionally, the podcast will address how neurofeedback offers novel conceptualizations of consciousness.
At the end of the podcast, the listener will be able to:
1. Explain the basic concepts of neurofeedback.
2. Describe two clinical conditions that can be treated with neurofeedback.
3. Provide one example of how neurofeedback informs us about the nature of
consciousness.
Find this podcast in iTunes
Click here to purchase 1 APA-approved Continuing Education credit
Listen directly on this page
Resources for Neurofeedback
What is Neurofeedback: An Update
D. Cory Hammond
International Society for Neurofeedback and Research
Informed Consent for Neurofeedback - FNS
Thomas E. Fink, PhD
Informed Consent for EEG Neurofeedback
Thomas E. Fink, PhD
Resources from MindReflector
MindReflector Technologies, LLC
MindReflector Training Video
MindReflector Product Demo
MindReflector Facebook Page
Books on Consciousness read by Tom and John
Distributed Cognition and the Will edited by Ross, Spurrett, Kincaid and Stephens
The Large, The Small, and the Human Mind by Penrose and others
Perplexities of Consciousness by Schwitzgebel
The Physics of Consciousness by Walker
At the end of the podcast, the listener will be able to:
1. Explain the basic concepts of neurofeedback.
2. Describe two clinical conditions that can be treated with neurofeedback.
3. Provide one example of how neurofeedback informs us about the nature of
consciousness.
Find this podcast in iTunes
Click here to purchase 1 APA-approved Continuing Education credit
Listen directly on this page
Resources for Neurofeedback
What is Neurofeedback: An Update
D. Cory Hammond
International Society for Neurofeedback and Research
Informed Consent for Neurofeedback - FNS
Thomas E. Fink, PhD
Informed Consent for EEG Neurofeedback
Thomas E. Fink, PhD
Resources from MindReflector
MindReflector Technologies, LLC
MindReflector Training Video
MindReflector Product Demo
MindReflector Facebook Page
Books on Consciousness read by Tom and John
Distributed Cognition and the Will edited by Ross, Spurrett, Kincaid and Stephens
The Large, The Small, and the Human Mind by Penrose and others
Perplexities of Consciousness by Schwitzgebel
The Physics of Consciousness by Walker
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Scientific method: Statistical errors
P values, the 'gold standard' of statistical validity, are not as reliable as many scientists assume.
By Regina Nuzzo
Nature
Originally published February 12, 2014
For a brief moment in 2010, Matt Motyl was on the brink of scientific glory: he had discovered that extremists quite literally see the world in black and white.
The results were “plain as day”, recalls Motyl, a psychology PhD student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Data from a study of nearly 2,000 people seemed to show that political moderates saw shades of grey more accurately than did either left-wing or right-wing extremists. “The hypothesis was sexy,” he says, “and the data provided clear support.” The P value, a common index for the strength of evidence, was 0.01 — usually interpreted as 'very significant'. Publication in a high-impact journal seemed within Motyl's grasp.
But then reality intervened. Sensitive to controversies over reproducibility, Motyl and his adviser, Brian Nosek, decided to replicate the study. With extra data, the P value came out as 0.59 — not even close to the conventional level of significance, 0.05. The effect had disappeared, and with it, Motyl's dreams of youthful fame.
The entire article is here.
By Regina Nuzzo
Nature
Originally published February 12, 2014
For a brief moment in 2010, Matt Motyl was on the brink of scientific glory: he had discovered that extremists quite literally see the world in black and white.
The results were “plain as day”, recalls Motyl, a psychology PhD student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Data from a study of nearly 2,000 people seemed to show that political moderates saw shades of grey more accurately than did either left-wing or right-wing extremists. “The hypothesis was sexy,” he says, “and the data provided clear support.” The P value, a common index for the strength of evidence, was 0.01 — usually interpreted as 'very significant'. Publication in a high-impact journal seemed within Motyl's grasp.
But then reality intervened. Sensitive to controversies over reproducibility, Motyl and his adviser, Brian Nosek, decided to replicate the study. With extra data, the P value came out as 0.59 — not even close to the conventional level of significance, 0.05. The effect had disappeared, and with it, Motyl's dreams of youthful fame.
The entire article is here.
The Tragedy Of The Mental Commons
By Kevin Arnold
Films for Action
Originally published January 22, 2011
Here is an excerpt:
Thirty-five years ago, Garret Hardin, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, authored a ground-breaking article in the journal Science that introduced an idea: the tragedy of the commons. Our survival was at stake, he argued, if we failed to open our eyes and realize that Earth's physical resources were finite. Treating them as a free-for-all was no longer acceptable if we wanted to reduce human suffering and prolong our existence on this planet.
To illustrate the tragedy, he used the example of 14th-century common land. 'Picture a pasture open to all,' he wrote. 'It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as many cattle as possible on the commons.' When a herder adds a cow to the pasture, he reaps the benefit of a larger herd. Meanwhile, the cost of the animal - the damage done to the pasture - is divided among all the herdsmen.
This continues until, finally, the herders reach a delicate point: as the pasture becomes overgrazed, each new animal threatens the well-being of the entire herd. 'At this point,' Hardin argues, 'the inherent logic of the commons remorselessly generates tragedy.'
The entire article is here.
Thanks to Ed Zuckerman for this article.
Films for Action
Originally published January 22, 2011
Here is an excerpt:
Thirty-five years ago, Garret Hardin, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, authored a ground-breaking article in the journal Science that introduced an idea: the tragedy of the commons. Our survival was at stake, he argued, if we failed to open our eyes and realize that Earth's physical resources were finite. Treating them as a free-for-all was no longer acceptable if we wanted to reduce human suffering and prolong our existence on this planet.
To illustrate the tragedy, he used the example of 14th-century common land. 'Picture a pasture open to all,' he wrote. 'It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as many cattle as possible on the commons.' When a herder adds a cow to the pasture, he reaps the benefit of a larger herd. Meanwhile, the cost of the animal - the damage done to the pasture - is divided among all the herdsmen.
This continues until, finally, the herders reach a delicate point: as the pasture becomes overgrazed, each new animal threatens the well-being of the entire herd. 'At this point,' Hardin argues, 'the inherent logic of the commons remorselessly generates tragedy.'
The entire article is here.
Thanks to Ed Zuckerman for this article.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
The Content of Our Cooperation, Not the Color of Our Skin
An Alliance Detection System Regulates Categorization by Coalition and Race, but Not Sex
By David Pietraszewski, Leda Cosmides, John Tooby
PLOS One
Originally published February 10, 2014
Abstract
Humans in all societies form and participate in cooperative alliances. To successfully navigate an alliance-laced world, the human mind needs to detect new coalitions and alliances as they emerge, and predict which of many potential alliance categories are currently organizing an interaction. We propose that evolution has equipped the mind with cognitive machinery that is specialized for performing these functions: an alliance detection system. In this view, racial categories do not exist because skin color is perceptually salient; they are constructed and regulated by the alliance system in environments where race predicts social alliances and divisions. Early tests using adversarial alliances showed that the mind spontaneously detects which individuals are cooperating against a common enemy, implicitly assigning people to rival alliance categories based on patterns of cooperation and competition. But is social antagonism necessary to trigger the categorization of people by alliance—that is, do we cognitively link A and B into an alliance category only because they are jointly in conflict with C and D? We report new studies demonstrating that peaceful cooperation can trigger the detection of new coalitional alliances and make race fade in relevance. Alliances did not need to be marked by team colors or other perceptually salient cues. When race did not predict the ongoing alliance structure, behavioral cues about cooperative activities up-regulated categorization by coalition and down-regulated categorization by race, sometimes eliminating it. Alliance cues that sensitively regulated categorization by coalition and race had no effect on categorization by sex, eliminating many alternative explanations for the results. The results support the hypothesis that categorizing people by their race is a reversible product of a cognitive system specialized for detecting alliance categories and regulating their use. Common enemies are not necessary to erase important social boundaries; peaceful cooperation can have the same effect.
The entire article is here.
By David Pietraszewski, Leda Cosmides, John Tooby
PLOS One
Originally published February 10, 2014
Abstract
Humans in all societies form and participate in cooperative alliances. To successfully navigate an alliance-laced world, the human mind needs to detect new coalitions and alliances as they emerge, and predict which of many potential alliance categories are currently organizing an interaction. We propose that evolution has equipped the mind with cognitive machinery that is specialized for performing these functions: an alliance detection system. In this view, racial categories do not exist because skin color is perceptually salient; they are constructed and regulated by the alliance system in environments where race predicts social alliances and divisions. Early tests using adversarial alliances showed that the mind spontaneously detects which individuals are cooperating against a common enemy, implicitly assigning people to rival alliance categories based on patterns of cooperation and competition. But is social antagonism necessary to trigger the categorization of people by alliance—that is, do we cognitively link A and B into an alliance category only because they are jointly in conflict with C and D? We report new studies demonstrating that peaceful cooperation can trigger the detection of new coalitional alliances and make race fade in relevance. Alliances did not need to be marked by team colors or other perceptually salient cues. When race did not predict the ongoing alliance structure, behavioral cues about cooperative activities up-regulated categorization by coalition and down-regulated categorization by race, sometimes eliminating it. Alliance cues that sensitively regulated categorization by coalition and race had no effect on categorization by sex, eliminating many alternative explanations for the results. The results support the hypothesis that categorizing people by their race is a reversible product of a cognitive system specialized for detecting alliance categories and regulating their use. Common enemies are not necessary to erase important social boundaries; peaceful cooperation can have the same effect.
The entire article is here.
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