The role of experience in the process of behavioral refinement has been undertheorized by philosophers of neuroscience and neuroscientists. By examining sleep studies in behavioral neurobiology, I show that scientists frequently invoke a variety of lived experiences—what I call experientially derived notions—to refine the behavior under investigation. Of note, these behaviors must remain sufficiently fuzzy throughout experimentation to permit refinement. The aim of this article is to recognize that neuroscientists’ use of lived experience necessarily helps refine behaviors and render those (...) behavioral terms relevant to human life. (shrink)

Publication date: 11 June 2018 Source: Author: Fatemeh Nemati Sogolitappeh, Amjad Hedayat, Mehrdad Rezaee Arjmand, Mohamad Khaledian The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence with resilience in undergraduate students. The population of the study included all students of Payam Noor University in Ghorveh during 2016-2017 academic years. According to the principles of statistical methodology for correlational studies, 100 students from different disciplines were selected as sample of the study using (...) simple random sampling method. In this research, King's Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire, Bar-Ann 90-questions Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and Conner and Davison resilience questionnaire were used. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results of this study showed that there is a significant positive correlation between spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence and resilience. Regression coefficients showed that spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence predict 53.9% of the variation in resiliency. (shrink)

ABSTRACTIn 1960, Eugene P. Wigner shared his observation of the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in formulating regularities in nature. Later, Jean Piaget recognized the functioning of the...

A mechanistic explanation is a desired outcome in many studies of perception. Such explanations require discovering the processes that contribute to the realization of a perceptual phenomenon at different levels of information processing. The present analysis aims at investigating the obstacles to develop such mechanistic explanations and their potential solutions in the context of psychopathology. Geometric-Optical Illusions (GOIs) are among perceptual phenomena that have been studied to understand psychopathology in various clinical populations. In the present analysis, the GOIs will be (...) discussed as a methodological tool in the investigation of the mechanistic approach to understanding perception in such populations. I will argue that the fact that most such studies are mainly focused on the investigation of susceptibility to GOIs can only lead to classifying such phenomena or to reporting some correlations between different aspects of such phenomena with certain brain activities, without formulating a mechanistic explanation. The investigation of the variables that mediate perceptual phenomena at earlier stages of information processing is required for the formulation of such explanations. Thus, the objective of the present analysis is twofold: 1) showing how ignoring such variables have prevented the formulation of mechanistic explanations of responses to GOIs in clinical populations, such as schizophrenia and autism, 2) analyzing the methodological aspects of an effective approach in which a top-down guidance based on phenomenological insights (the first-person data) along with the insights provided by the existing theories help overcome obstacles in developing mechanistic explanations of GOIs. (shrink)

Topology has been characterized as an unsuitable mathematical framework for the investigation of geometric-perceptual phenomena. This has been attributed to the highly abstract nature of topology leading to failures in tasks such as making distinctions between geometrical figures (e.g., a cube versus a sphere) in which the human perceptual system succeeds easily. An alternative thesis is proposed on both philosophical and empirical grounds. The present analysis applies the Müller-Lyer (ML) illusion as a method of investigation to examine the suitability of (...) topology in raising questions about geometric-perceptual phenomena and formulating potential answers to these questions. Not only will it be concluded that topology is a suitable mathematical framework in which one can formulate relevant questions and potential answers with respect to perceptual phenomena such as the ML illusion, it will also be discussed that topology will not be replaced by other means of spatial representation consistent with the findings that indicate its contributions to our daily spatial behavior along with other means such as Euclidean geometry. In addition, the analysis will be discussed with respect to two relevant themes: 1) the implications of the proposed view in relation to Husserl’s phenomenology and 2) the effect of developmental stages and education that may change the involvement of topology in such perceptual responses over time. (shrink)

Mentalist view began to lose its standing among psychologists mainly during the first half of the twentieth century. As a result, the enthusiasm to build an objective science began to grow among behaviourists and ethologists. The rise of cognitive sciences around the 1960s, however, revived the debates over the importance of cognitive intervening variables in explaining behaviours that could not be explained by clinging solely to a pure behavioural approach. Nevertheless, even though cognitive functions in nonhuman animals have been identified (...) in many studies, attributing human mental properties to animals is still being criticized as anthropomorphism. Such anthropomorphic attributions have been considered as an open door to the return of subjective methodology. Representation of anthropomorphic attributions as scientific activities within the context of discovery as opposed to the context of justification casts a new light on this problem. The present analysis proposes that anthropomorphic attributions are formed based on top-down idiosyncratic intuitions on the cusp of hypothesis building, outside the context of scientific justification. In other words, an anthropomorphic attribution is a potential creative link between pure observations of behaviours and building testable hypotheses about cognition in the process of scientific discovery. Thus, serving a function within the context of discovery, anthropomorphism does not motivate the return of subjective methodology, simply because it is not inconsistent with the rule-governed path in the context of scientific justification. (shrink)

The much larger appearance of the moon near horizon than the perceived size of the moon at zenith has motivated many scientists to develop theories that aim at explaining this puzzling phenomenon. Considering that the size of retinal images of the moon in these positions are very similar, the explanation of difference in their apparent sizes has relied on perceptual cues of distance embedded in the retinal image of their respective contexts. Although this account of the moon illusion is quite (...) popular, it does not explain all aspects of this phenomenon. The theoretical formulation of the moon illusion based on other factors such as size contrast later may have had some advantages but has also created some new problems. Although the moon is perceived in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, the present analysis proposes that an explanation of the moon illusion based on two-dimensional (2D) cues can remove some of the unnecessary problems. The empty space and size contrast that have already been considered in explaining classic geometric-optical illusions play a parallel role in explaining the moon illusion. In other words, the role of open space in interaction with the image of the moon and different objects near horizon, all reflected on the retina, are considered as the main explaining factors. The advantages of this approach will be discussed and some of the facts pertaining to the moon illusion will be explained within this theoretical framework. (shrink)

Publication date: 16 April 2018 Source: Author: Amjad Hedayat, Fatemeh Nemati Sogolitappeh, Reza Shakeri, Mohamad Abasifard, Mohamad Khaledian One of the concerns of the organization and management experts is to identify effective factors on organization performance and finding solutions to improve organization performance. The present study was done to analyse the relationship between organizational commitment and job satisfaction in visiting lectures of Payam Nour University. Statistical population of this research includes visiting lectures of Ghorveh town who were teaching in (...) the academic year of 2016-2017. Sample size of 60 participants was selected by simple random sampling. To collect data, Meyer and Allen organizational commitment questionnaire and Field and Rothe job satisfaction questionnaire were used. The research method is correlation which is incorporated in the area of applied studies to analyse data, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics were utilized. The findings show that there is positive and significant relationship between organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Regression coefficient shows that organizational commitment predicts 42.2 % of the job satisfaction changes. (shrink)

Purpose Human genomic research demands very large pools of data to generate meaningful inference. Yet, the sharing of one’s genetic data for research is a voluntary act. The collection of data sufficient to fuel rapid advancement is contingent on individuals’ willingness to share. Privacy risks associated with sharing this unique and intensely personal data are significant. Genetic data are an unambiguous identifier. Public linkage of donor to their genetic data could reveal predisposition to diseases, behaviors, paternity, heredity, intelligence, etc. The (...) purpose of this paper is to understand individuals’ willingness to volunteer their private information in this high-risk/high-reward context. Design/methodology/approach The authors collect survey data from 273 respondents and use structural equation modeling techniques to analyze responses. Findings The authors find statistical support for our theorization. They find that while heightened awareness of the benefits and risks of sharing correlates with increased privacy concerns, the net impact is an increase in intention to share. Social implications The findings suggest that prescriptive awareness might be an effective tool with which policy-makers can gain the sufficient voluntary participation from individuals necessary to drive large-scale medical research. Originality/value This study contributes a theoretically and empirically informed model which demonstrates the impact of awareness and privacy concern on individuals’ willingness to share their genetic data for large-scale HGR. It helps inform a rising class of data sufficiency problems related to large-scale medical research. (shrink)