Behavior or behaviour is the range of actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with their environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment. It is the response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs, whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary.

Although there is some disagreement as to how to precisely define behavior in a biological context, one common interpretation based on a meta-analysis of scientific literature states that "behavior is the internally coordinated responses (actions or inactions) of whole living organisms (individuals or groups) to internal and/or external stimuli"[1]

Behaviors can be either innate or learned.

Behavior can be regarded as any action of an organism that changes its relationship to its environment. Behavior provides outputs from the organism to the environment.[2]

Human behavior is believed to be controlled primarily by the endocrine system and the nervous system. It is most commonly believed that complexity in the behavior of an organism is correlated to the complexity of its nervous system. Generally, organisms with more complex nervous systems have a greater capacity to learn new responses and thus adjust their behavior.[citation needed]

Behavior outside of psychology includes physical property and chemical reactions.

In environmental modeling and especially in hydrology, a "behavioral model" means a model that is acceptably consistent with observed natural processes, i.e., that simulates well, for example, observed river discharge. It is a key concept of the so-called Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methodology to quantify how uncertain environmental predictions are.

Visit link:
Behavior - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

News

By Chris Kanaracus

January 8, 2014 11:25 AM ET

IDG News Service - Infor is buying PeopleAnswers, maker of software companies can use to analyze a job candidate's behavioral traits before deciding whether to make a hire. Terms of the deal, which was announced Wednesday, were not disclosed.

PeopleAnswers was developed by a team of behavioral science PhDs, who created a series of algorithms that underpin online tests job applicants take through PeopleAnswers' service. The test measures 39 behavioral attributes, such as discipline, ambition, energy and empathy, weighting them according to the particular job role. The test software is available in 16 languages.

Beyond the algorithms and behavioral science know-how, PeopleAnswers has also built up years of historical data, resulting in more reliable analysis of a candidate, said Infor CEO Charles Phillips.

PeopleAnswers' customers include Audi, Foot Locker, Neiman Marcus and Hertz, all of which are large companies with many hourly employees, and which can experience seasonally high demand for workers as well as excessive turnover.

About 60 percent of PeopleAnswers' customers are using the software as a primary method of ranking and determining who they will offer positions to, according to Phillips. Other customers are using it internally to build promotion lists or put together teams, he said.

PeopleAnswers' approach stops job applicants from gaming the tests by giving answers they think a company will want to hear, Phillips said. "It's asking your preferences on things, what you like or don't like," he said. "Questions don't lead to a particular result. You can't tell why they're asking the question."

Infor will make PeopleAnswers part of its HCM (human capital management) software suite. It plans to expand PeopleAnswers' test coverage into additional verticals over time, according to Phillips.

Read more from the original source:
Infor expands analytics tool line with PeopleAnswers buy

Infor is buying PeopleAnswers, maker of software companies can use to analyze a job candidates behavioral traits before deciding whether to make a hire. Terms of the deal, which was announced Wednesday, were not disclosed.

PeopleAnswers was developed by a team of behavioral science PhDs, who created a series of algorithms that underpin online tests job applicants take through PeopleAnswers service. The test measures 39 behavioral attributes, such as discipline, ambition, energy and empathy, weighting them according to the particular job role. The test software is available in 16 languages.

Beyond the algorithms and behavioral science know-how, PeopleAnswers has also built up years of historical data, resulting in more reliable analysis of a candidate, said Infor CEO Charles Phillips.

PeopleAnswers customers include Audi, Foot Locker, Neiman Marcus and Hertz, all of which are large companies with many hourly employees, and which can experience seasonally high demand for workers as well as excessive turnover.

About 60 percent of PeopleAnswers customers are using the software as a primary method of ranking and determining who they will offer positions to, according to Phillips. Other customers are using it internally to build promotion lists or put together teams, he said.

PeopleAnswers approach stops job applicants from gaming the tests by giving answers they think a company will want to hear, Phillips said. Its asking your preferences on things, what you like or dont like, he said. Questions dont lead to a particular result. You cant tell why theyre asking the question.

Infor will make PeopleAnswers part of its HCM (human capital management) software suite. It plans to expand PeopleAnswers test coverage into additional verticals over time, according to Phillips.

Phillips is also keen on retaining PeopleAnswers staff.

Its key that we keep all these guys, he said. Theyre hard to replicate. They understand software and data science as well.

Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for the IDG News Service. More by Chris Kanaracus

See more here:
Infor gets into big data analytics for HR with PeopleAnswers acquisition

Managing Virtual Teams
http://virtualworkteam.com -- Shilonda Downing, Owner of Virtual Work Team LLC interviews Yael Sara Zofi regarding managing virtual teams successfully. Yael ...

By: VirtualWorkTeam

See more here:
Managing Virtual Teams - Video

Cosmic Log

Alan Boyle, Science Editor NBC News

18 hours ago

Jenny Ricken / Univ. of Duisberg-Essen via AFP - Getty Images

One of the dogs participating in a study of the canine "inner compass" does its business in Mlheim an der Ruhr (City on the River) in Germany. Researchers found that dogs seem to prefer to align themselves with magnetic field lines when they defecate.

Does an internal compass dictate how dogs line up when they defecate? How do you figure that out? And why would you want to?

Such are the questions you get into when addressing the weirdest subjects of scientific research.

"If something's not familiar to you, it's going to seem weird. But a big part of a scientist's job is to study and make sense of what's not familiar. They focus your attention on it, and you think, 'Whoa, that's really interesting!' At that moment, 'weird' and 'interesting' are exactly the same thing," said Marc Abrahams, who collects weird science as the editor of the Annals of Improbable Research and the impresario behind the annual Ig Nobel Prizes.

Abrahams is due to discuss the philosophy behind science that makes you laugh, and then makes you think, during Fridays edition of "Virtually Speaking Science." The hourlong talk show, hosted by yours truly, airs at 8 p.m. ET Friday on BlogTalkRadio and in the Second Life virtual world.

This show celebrates the Ig Nobels and our own Weird Science Awards, plus the latest in offbeat research such as that study on doo-doo directionality. The paper, published online in a peer-reviewed journal titled Frontiers in Zoology, was featured this week on Abrahams' website, Improbable.com. It could end up as a future Ig Nobel and Weirdie winner.

See original here:
Do dogs possess a poop compass? (And other weird science questions)

Hardin-Simmons University graduates

The following area students were awarded degrees from Hardin-Simmons University on Dec. 14:

Abilene: Lanae Amdal Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Louise Bennett Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Kelsey Farrington Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Andrew Jacques Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Andrea Rhoads Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Travis Guy Bachelor of Business Administration; Dasith De Silva Bachelor of Science; Ermias Abebe Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Marina Singian Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Heather Holcomb Master of Education; Nia Johnson Master of Education; Daniel Knightstep Master of Education; Julia Siewert Master of Education; Kelly Stine Master of Education; John Bregger Master of Science; Matthew Kerns Master of Science; Seth Tate Master of Science; Shannon Boyd Master of Science in Nursing; Suzanne Butz Master of Science in Nursing; Kimberly Patton Master of Science in Nursing; Nkechi Ubah Master of Science in Nursing; Andrew Crawford Bachelor of Arts; Brandon Gates Bachelor of Arts; Christopher Jackson Bachelor of Arts; Venantie Uwishyaka Bachelor of Arts; Jordan Aly Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Kirsten Barnett Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Bethany Beyer Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Christie Blake Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Joshua Christian Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Jessica Crawford Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Shelby Curtis Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Deanna Davis Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Tyson Denton Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Sheba Figueroa Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Meagan Grant Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Leah Greenfield Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Jaquatta Klein Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Katherine Koch Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Thomas McCarter Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Angelique Nhan Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Thomas Nichols Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Jason Oakeley Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Emily Raymond Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Courtney Reed Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Justin Rhodes Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Rebecca Roberts Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Taylor Roy Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Kurt Shreckengast Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Andrew Squyres Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Christopher Stephenson Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Ethan Tan Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Sarah Turner Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Blair Wallace Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Caryn Wang Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Amber Wessies Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Zachary Williams Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Nicole Windhagen Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Kristen Brockman Bachelor of Business Administration; Devin Carver Bachelor of Business Administration; Stewart Person Bachelor of Business Administration; Austin Ricker Bachelor of Business Administration; Taylor Thigpen Bachelor of Business Administration; Jessica Villanueva Bachelor of Business Administration; Allison Grider Bachelor of Music; Travis Lowery Bachelor of Music; Jessica Pope Bachelor of Music; Sarah Starkey Bachelor of Music; Bryan Kern Bachelor of Science; Napoleon Musonera Bachelor of Science; Brianna Nisi Bachelor of Science; Lauren Turman Bachelor of Science; Cody Gohlke Doctor of Physical Therapy; Nina Loza Doctor of Physical Therapy; Timothy Man Doctor of Physical Therapy; Marci Murphy Doctor of Physical Therapy; Leigh Rainwater Doctor of Physical Therapy; Dustin Rauch Doctor of Physical Therapy; Carrie Skow Doctor of Physical Therapy; Adriana Vega Doctor of Physical Therapy; John Weldon Doctor of Physical Therapy; Andrew Adamski Master of Business Administration; Tanya Eichhorst Master of Business Administration; Manel Kortas Master of Business Administration; Michael Massey Master of Education; Stephanie Moreland Master of Education; Emily Palmore Master of Education; Brittany Suell Master of Education; Brian Welch Master of Education; Leslie Collie Master of Music; John McCulloch Master of Music; Christopher Tatro Master of Music; Marcey Quast Master of Science

Anson: Erica Garza Master of Education; Joe Flores Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Caleb Pinkston Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Mallory Ashford Master of Business Administration

Baird: Koby Parker Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Kimberly Woods Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Ryan Busby Master of Divinity

Brady: Shelby Young Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Jerry McDonald Doctor of Ministry

Brownwood: Jordan Manning Doctor of Physical Therapy

Cisco: Amber Webb Bachelor of Behavioral Science

Clyde: Laci Graham Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Lacy Jones Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Derrick Saucedo Bachelor of Business Administration; Michelle Ayers Bachelor of Behavioral Science; Misty Roberts Bachelor of Behavioral Science

Coleman: Elizabeth Young Master of Science in Nursing

The rest is here:
University News 12/28/2013

Glendale, CA (PRWEB) December 25, 2013

Audio-Digest Foundation announces the release of Oncology Volume 04, Issue 17: Highlights from Future Directions: Palliative Medicine and Supportive Oncology 2013- Part 2.

The goal of this program is to improve palliative or supportive care of patients with cancer. After hearing and assimilating this program, the clinician will be better able to:

1. Anticipate symptoms associated with certain types, locations, and treatments of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. 2. Prescribe appropriate therapies for symptoms of CNS malignancies. 3. Manage treatment of patients with metastases to the leptomeninges. 4. Differentiate clinical depression from other disorders with similar presentation in cancer patients. 5. Choose anti-depressant drugs that treat concomitant conditions as well as depression.

The original programs were presented by David M. Peereboom, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and Director of Clinical Research, Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH. Walter F. Baile, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

Audio-Digest Foundation, the largest independent publisher of Continuing Medical Education in the world, records over 10,000 hours of lectures every year in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family practice, gastroenterology, general surgery, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics/gynecology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, otolaryngology, pediatrics, psychology, and urology, by the leading medical researchers at the top laboratories, universities, and institutions.

Recent researchers have hailed from Harvard, Cedars-Sinai, Mayo Clinic, UCSF, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Kansas Medical Center, The University of California, San Diego, The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, The University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and many others.

Out of these cutting-edge programs, Audio-Digest then chooses the most clinically relevant, edits them for clarity, and publishes them either every week or every two weeks.

In addition, Audio-Digest publishes subscription series in conjunction with leading medical societies: DiabetesInsight with The American Diabetes Association, ACCEL with The American College of Cardiology, Continuum Audio with The American Academy of Neurology, and Journal Watch Audio General Medicine with Massachusetts Medical Society.

For 60 years, the global medical community of doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and other medical professionals around the world has subscribed to Audio-Digest specialty series in order to remain current in their specialties as well as to maintain their Continuing Education requirements with the most cutting-edge, independent, and unbiased continuing medical education (CME).

Read more:
Audio-Digest Foundation Announces the Release of Oncology Volume 04, Issue 17: Highlights From Future Directions ...

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.[1][2] Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases,[3][4] and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society.[5][6] In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie certain cognitive functions and behaviors.

Psychologists explore concepts such as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, phenomenology, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Psychologists of diverse orientations also consider the unconscious mind.[7] Psychologists employ empirical methods to infer causal and correlational relationships between psychosocial variables. In addition, or in opposition, to employing empirical and deductive methods, someespecially clinical and counseling psychologistsat times rely upon symbolic interpretation and other inductive techniques. Psychology has been described as a "hub science",[8] with psychological findings linking to research and perspectives from the social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and the humanities, such as philosophy.

While psychological knowledge is often applied to the assessment and treatment of mental health problems, it is also directed towards understanding and solving problems in many different spheres of human activity. The majority of psychologists are involved in some kind of therapeutic role, practicing in clinical, counseling, or school settings. Many do scientific research on a wide range of topics related to mental processes and behavior, and typically work in university psychology departments or teach in other academic settings (e.g., medical schools, hospitals). Some are employed in industrial and organizational settings, or in other areas[9] such as human development and aging, sports, health, and the media, as well as in forensic investigation and other aspects of law.

The word psychology literally means, "study of the soul" (, psukh, meaning "breath", "spirit", or "soul"; and - -logos, translated as "study of" or "research"[10]).[11] The Latin word psychologia was first used by the Croatian humanist and Latinist Marko Maruli in his book, Psichiologia de ratione animae humanae in the late 15th century or early 16th century.[12] The earliest known reference to the word psychology in English was by Steven Blankaart in 1694 in The Physical Dictionary which refers to "Anatomy, which treats of the Body, and Psychology, which treats of the Soul."[13]

The study of psychology in a philosophical context dates back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, China, India, and Persia. Historians point to the writings of ancient Greek philosophers, such as Thales, Plato, and Aristotle (especially in his De Anima treatise),[14] as the first significant body of work in the West to be rich in psychological thought.[15] As early as the 4th century BC, Greek physician Hippocrates theorized that mental disorders were of a physical, rather than divine, nature.[16]

German physician Wilhelm Wundt is credited with introducing psychological discovery into a laboratory setting. Known as the "father of experimental psychology",[17] he founded the first psychological laboratory, at Leipzig University, in 1879.[17] Wundt focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components, motivated in part by an analogy to recent advances in chemistry, and its successful investigation of the elements and structure of material. Although Wundt, himself, was not a structuralist, his student Edward Titchener, a major figure in early American psychology, was a structuralist thinker opposed to functionalist approaches.

Functionalism formed as a reaction to the theories of the structuralist school of thought and was heavily influenced by the work of the American philosopher, scientist, and psychologist William James. James felt that psychology should have practical value, and that psychologists should find out how the mind can function to a person's benefit. In his book, Principles of Psychology,[18] published in 1890, he laid the foundations for many of the questions that psychologists would explore for years to come. Other major functionalist thinkers included John Dewey and Harvey Carr.

Other 19th-century contributors to the field include the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneer in the experimental study of memory, who developed quantitative models of learning and forgetting at the University of Berlin,[19] and the Russian-Soviet physiologist Ivan Pavlov, who discovered in dogs a learning process that was later termed "classical conditioning" and applied to human beings.[20]

Starting in the 1950s, the experimental techniques developed by Wundt, James, Ebbinghaus, and others re-emerged as experimental psychology became increasingly cognitivistconcerned with information and its processingand, eventually, constituted a part of the wider cognitive science.[21] In its early years, this development was seen as a "revolution,"[21] as cognitive science both responded to and reacted against then-popular theories, including psychoanalytic and behaviorist theories.

From the 1890s until his death in 1939, the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis, which comprised a method of investigating the mind and interpreting experience; a systematized set of theories about human behavior; and a form of psychotherapy to treat psychological or emotional distress, especially unconscious conflict.[22] Freud's psychoanalytic theory was largely based on interpretive methods, introspection and clinical observations. It became very well known, largely because it tackled subjects such as sexuality, repression, and the unconscious mind as general aspects of psychological development. These were largely considered taboo subjects at the time, and Freud provided a catalyst for them to be openly discussed in polite society. Clinically, Freud helped to pioneer the method of free association and a therapeutic interest in dream interpretation.[23][24]

Continue reading here:
Psychology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lexington, Massachusetts (PRWEB) December 20, 2013

Forbes Consulting Group Named a Finalist in Insights Innovation Competition

Companys MindSight Express Recognized in Cognitive Neuroscience & Behavioral Science Category

Forbes Consulting Group, the leading market research company that directly accesses the emotional brain to discover consumers deep emotional reactions, today announced that they were named an Insights Innovation finalist in the Cognitive Neuroscience & Behavioral Science category for their innovative applied neuroscience technology, MindSight Express. As one of 6 companies recognized, Forbes Consulting Group will present at the Insights Innovation Exchange Conference February 19-20 in Amsterdam where winners will be announced.

After several intense weeks of competition with over 2,692 votes cast by the global market research community, we are honored to be among the finalists in this prestigious competition. Our clients value the authentic consumer insights about emotions and motivations that we deliver to them and we continue to be focused on their success, said Dr. David Forbes, President and CEO of the Forbes Consulting Group.

Winners in this global competition will receive exposure to a large international audience of business partners and investors, including the European Commission CORDIS.

Congratulations to all the finalists in our 4th Insights Innovation competition, said Leonard Murphy, Chairman and Producer, Insight Innovation Exchange. I am deeply impressed with the incredible variety of approaches and technologies displayed by all of the entrants and look forward to the next round.

About Forbes Consulting Group Founded in 1985 and based in Lexington, Massachusetts, the Forbes Consulting Group is a strategic and innovative market research company providing clients with deeper levels of insight about emotions and motivations - and helping them gain strategic market advantage on the strength of this insight. In its 26-year history, Forbes Consulting Group has become a valued resource for Fortune 500 companies. For more information, including the opportunity to receive a demo of MindSight, the companys proprietary applied neuroscience technology that uncovers authentic emotional insight from consumers before the rational mind can edit responses, please contact sales(at)forbesconsulting(dot)com and follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Read the rest here:
Forbes Consulting Group Named a Finalist in Insights Innovation Competition

Miami-Dade County residents truly love their libraries, but they dont necessarily want to pay more taxes to fund them.

Those are the findings of a new poll conducted on behalf of county government, which is trying to find ways to save the public library system from deep budget cuts. Ninety-five percent of respondents who use the library and 72 percent of non-users said libraries add to their quality of life. Eighty-three percent of respondents disagreed with a statement calling libraries outmoded, obsolete and no longer necessary.

Yet support for increasing the property-tax rate likely the only way to grow the libraries or even keep them intact was inconsistent, according to the survey by Behavioral Science Research, a Coral Gables-based firm.

Forty-four percent of respondents said they would be OK with a tax-rate hike, with 20 percent undecided.

Robert Ladner, the president of Behavioral Science Research, called the support soft.

It is a very vulnerable area, he said this week to Mayor Carlos Gimenezs task force examining the libraries future.

The results mirror a national study published earlier this month by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which found that 95 percent of Americans 16 and older consider libraries important. Ninety percent said the closure of their local library would have an impact on their community.

But Pew also found that respondents visited libraries less frequently in the past. The study did not ask about library funding.

Nearly half of Miami-Dades libraries, 22 of 49, faced closure this summer when Gimenez and the County Commission kept this years property-tax rate flat. In the end, the politicians spared the libraries and their 169 employees who would have been laid off by raiding one-time reserves.

With those reserves depleted, the county is looking at a shortfall of about $20 million next year to fund the libraries at the same level as this year, unless the tax rate goes up.

Link:
Survey: Miami-Dade County residents value public libraries, but would they pay more for them?

This article is about the science studying social groups. For the integrated field of study intended to promote civic competence, see Social studies.

Social science refers to the academic disciplines concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society, which often rely primarily on empirical approaches. It is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to anthropology, economics, political science, psychology and sociology. In a wider sense, it may often include some fields in the humanities[1] such as archaeology, area studies, communication studies, cultural studies, folkloristics, history, law, linguistics, and rhetoric. The term may however be used in the specific context of referring to the original science of society, established in 19th century, sociology (Latin: socius, "companion"; Greek , lgos, "word", "knowledge", "study."). mile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber are typically cited as the principal architects of modern social science by this definition.[2]

Positivist social scientists use methods resembling those of the natural sciences as tools for understanding society, and so define science in its stricter modern sense. Interpretivist social scientists, by contrast, may use social critique or symbolic interpretation rather than constructing empirically falsifiable theories, and thus treat science in its broader sense. In modern academic practice, researchers are often eclectic, using multiple methodologies (for instance, by combining the quantitative and qualitative techniques). The term social research has also acquired a degree of autonomy as practitioners from various disciplines share in its aims and methods.[citation needed]

The history of the social sciences begins in the Age of Enlightenment after 1650, which saw a revolution within natural philosophy, changing the basic framework by which individuals understood what was "scientific". Social sciences came forth from the moral philosophy of the time and was influenced by the Age of Revolutions, such as the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution.[3] The social sciences developed from the sciences (experimental and applied), or the systematic knowledge-bases or prescriptive practices, relating to the social improvement of a group of interacting entities.[4][5]

The beginnings of the social sciences in the 18th century are reflected in the grand encyclopedia of Diderot, with articles from Rousseau and other pioneers. The growth of the social sciences is also reflected in other specialized encyclopedias. The modern period saw "social science" first used as a distinct conceptual field.[6] Social science was influenced by positivism,[3] focusing on knowledge based on actual positive sense experience and avoiding the negative; metaphysical speculation was avoided. Auguste Comte used the term "science sociale" to describe the field, taken from the ideas of Charles Fourier; Comte also referred to the field as social physics.[3][7]

Following this period, there were five paths of development that sprang forth in the social sciences, influenced by Comte on other fields.[3] One route that was taken was the rise of social research. Large statistical surveys were undertaken in various parts of the United States and Europe. Another route undertaken was initiated by mile Durkheim, studying "social facts", and Vilfredo Pareto, opening metatheoretical ideas and individual theories. A third means developed, arising from the methodological dichotomy present, in which social phenomena were identified with and understood; this was championed by figures such as Max Weber. The fourth route taken, based in economics, was developed and furthered economic knowledge as a hard science. The last path was the correlation of knowledge and social values; the antipositivism and verstehen sociology of Max Weber firmly demanded this distinction. In this route, theory (description) and prescription were non-overlapping formal discussions of a subject.

Around the start of the 20th century, Enlightenment philosophy was challenged in various quarters. After the use of classical theories since the end of the scientific revolution, various fields substituted mathematics studies for experimental studies and examining equations to build a theoretical structure. The development of social science subfields became very quantitative in methodology. The interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary nature of scientific inquiry into human behavior, social and environmental factors affecting it, made many of the natural sciences interested in some aspects of social science methodology.[8] Examples of boundary blurring include emerging disciplines like social research of medicine, sociobiology, neuropsychology, bioeconomics and the history and sociology of science. Increasingly, quantitative research and qualitative methods are being integrated in the study of human action and its implications and consequences. In the first half of the 20th century, statistics became a free-standing discipline of applied mathematics. Statistical methods were used confidently.

In the contemporary period, Karl Popper and Talcott Parsons influenced the furtherance of the social sciences.[3] Researchers continue to search for a unified consensus on what methodology might have the power and refinement to connect a proposed "grand theory" with the various midrange theories which, with considerable success, continue to provide usable frameworks for massive, growing data banks; for more, see consilience. The social sciences will for the foreseeable future be composed of different zones in the research of, and sometime distinct in approach toward, the field.[3]

The term "social science" may refer either to the specific sciences of society established by thinkers such as Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber, or more generally to all disciplines outside of "noble science" and arts. By the late 19th century, the academic social sciences were constituted of five fields: jurisprudence and amendment of the law, education, health, economy and trade, and art.[4]

Around the start of the 21st century, the expanding domain of economics in the social sciences has been described as economic imperialism.[9]

See the article here:
Social science - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Find Funding

OTHER WAYS TO FIND FUNDING A-Z Index Index of words appearing in the titles of all funding opportunities.

Special Programs For Undergraduate Students For Graduate Students For Postdoctoral Fellows For K-12 Educators Small Business Programs For Veterans Broadening Participation

Program Areas Crosscutting and NSF-wide Biological Sciences Computer & Information Science & Engineering Education and Human Resources Engineering Environmental Research & Education Geosciences International & Integrative Activities Mathematical & Physical Sciences Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

Recently Announced Funding Opportunities All funding opportunities ordered by the date they were published on the NSF web site.

Upcoming Due Dates All funding opportunities ordered by their next due dates.

Solicitations that Limit the Number of Proposals an Organization Can Submit Solicitations that have limits on the number of proposals that may be submitted by one organization.

Partners: Collaboration With Other Federal Agencies NSF programs that are conducted in partnership with other federal agencies.

Go here to read the rest:
US NSF - Funding - National Science Foundation

York College of Pennsylvania December 2013 graduates for York and Adams counties are:

Jeffrey Capezio, Hellam Township, general studies; April Conway, Dover, criminal justice; Megan Croft, Red Lion, general studies; Kyanna Daugherty, Dover, general studies; Jordan Mitzel, York, business administration and Chad Riley, New Oxford, criminal justice.

Brittany Alfone, York, criminal justice; Nicholas Altland, York, nursing with highest honors; Dylan Anglada, Lower Chanceford Township, criminal justice; Sandra Arnold, York, marketing; Judith Ayers, Fawn Township, mass communications and political science; Karen Bailey, Hanover, respiratory care; Cassandra Beaumont, Dallastown, nursing; Ryan Bechtel, York, respiratory care; Kristen Bennett, Hanover, nursing; Jennifer Beste, Shrewsbury, early elementary education with honors; Justin Billet, York, mathematics; Jennifer Bixler, York Haven, nursing; Christopher Bloschichak, Hanover, criminal justice; McKenzie Bowman, Hellam Township, nursing with highest honors; Sarah Bradley, Dover, accounting; Thomas Brigman, Wrightsville, biology; Zachary Brown, York, English literary studies; Chad Brown, Manchester, criminal justice; Deborah Burger, East Berlin, nursing; Angelina Burkhardt, Mount Wolf, criminal justice; Suzanne Burt, York, history; Caanen Churukha, New Oxford, philosophy; Michael Crumling, Windsor, fine art; Brittany D'Onofrio, York, behavioral science; Amanda Damron, Hanover, business administration; Benjamin Davids, Glen Rock, criminal justice; Megan Deardorff, Dover, behavioral science; Devon Dellinger, York, nursing; Robert Denoncourt, Yoe, management with honors; Nathan DeRose, Stewartstown, professional writing with honors; Jesse Diehl, York, chemistry; Alicia, Dietz, Etters, nursing; Nicholas, Dowd, Stewartstown, secondary education-biology with honors; Lacy Dubbs, Gettysburg, early elementary/special education with high honors; Krista Ducommun, York, nursing; Margaret Eckles-Ray, York, political science; Brandon Fairchild, York, management; Katelynn Fauth, York, behavioral science; Brittany Fishel, York, early elementary education with high honors; Ryan Forgione, Stewartstown, philosophy; Gail Franey, Littlestown, business administration; Michael Gable, York, marketing; Marlene Galante, New Freedom, business administration; Kristen Gardiner, York, criminal justice; Bruce Gemmill, Dallastown, secondary education-social studies and history; Kyle Gillespie, Shrewsbury, history; Monica Gingrow, York, early elementary education; Ryan Gladfelter, Dover, nursing; Matthew Gladfelter, Codorus Township, mechanical engineering; Paul Glassmoyer, York, criminal justice with high honors; Lindsay Godfrey, Felton, nursing; Sherry Golzari, Dallastown, nursing; Caryn Goodhart, Spring Grove, business administration; Jessica Graves, Stewartstown, nursing; Laura Greene, Chanceford Township, nursing with high honors; Abby Groft, Hanover, nursing; Taylor Gunder, Red Lion, engineering management; Amber Haar, East Berlin, behavioral science; Drew Harlacher, Dover, mechanical engineering with honors; Joshua Harris, Hanover, history; Leigh Heist, York, behavioral science; David Hoffmann, York, business administration; Kelsey, Holden, New Freedom, early elementary education; Erin Hudson, York, biology; Zachary, Huff, Hanover, secondary education-mathematics; Heather Hughes, Windsor, nursing; Emily Jannotta, Hanover, marketing; Richard Janosky, Dover, chemistry; Courtney Johnson, Stewartstown, speech/communications; Tyler Kauffman, Spring Grove, political science; Beverly Keiser, Codorus Township, information systems/development; Shelley Kern, York, history; Aaron Kikola, Felton, history; William Klinedinst, York, professional writing; Robert Krebs, York, early elementary/special education with high honors; Andrew Kuhl, New Freedom, political science; Elisa Laughman, New Oxford, nursing; Alek Leiphart, Red Lion, history with honors; Amber Lindt, Dover, psychology with honors; Ryan Livingston, York, accounting; Brittany MacFadden, New Freedom, nursing; Todd, Maciejewski, Red Lion, recreation and leisure administration; Cynthia Maradiaga, York, early elementary education with honors; Nicole Marchio, New Freedom, early elementary education with honors; Jeanette Mares, New Oxford, management; Casey Maschke, York, nursing; Brianna McCabe, Red Lion, secondary education-English with honors; Jason McClellan, York, music; April Melato, Lower Chanceford Township, secondary education-social studies and history; Lindsay Miller, York, graphic design; Morgan Miller, Biglerville, nursing; Diana Moore, Glen Rock, English literary studies with honors; Latisha, Murray, York, history; Aaron, Neff, Hallam, criminal justice; Victoria Newton, Stewartstown, international relations; Megan Noll, Abbottstown, early elementary education; Danielle Nusbaum, Manchester, nursing; Chelsea Owens, York, finance; Emily Pauly, York, business administration; Rafael Perez, York, biology with honors; Nicholas, Pier, York, computer information systems with highest honors; Emily Platts, Mount Wolf, political science; Rachael Polan, York, nursing with honors; Yann Potier, York, supply chain operations management; John Preis, York, history; Kayla Pucillo, Red Lion, nursing with high honors; Jennifer Rausch, York, early elementary/special education with high honors; Carrie Reall, Shrewsbury, biology; Renee Reeb-Fohl, York, nursing; Ashley Rineman, Hanover, nursing; Dycelie Rivera, York, business administration; Brian Roby, Stewartstown, criminal justice; Jacob Roupe, Fawn Grove, sport management; Nikki Santivasci, Glen Rock, history with high honors; Ashton Severns, York, computer information systems with honors; Danielle Shapiro, York, nuclear medicine technology; Taylor Shenberger, York, Spanish with highest honors; Katelyn Shutt, Dover, nursing with honors; Laura Slagle, York, business administration; Victoria Smith, East Berlin, history; Kyle Smith, Windsor, graphic design; Crystal Smith, Hanover, nursing; Alexis Snell, York, early elementary education with high honors; Antoinette Snyder, Manchester, psychology; Nathan Staub, York, nursing; Heather Stump, Windsor, nursing; Holly Tillman, Stewartstown, graphic design; Kelsey Toscano, Chanceford Township, nursing; Alix Unwin, York, psychology with honors; Maxleen Valentin-Rodriguez, York, early elementary/special education with high honors; Michael Vause, York, business administration; Stephanie Voshell, York, nursing; Luke Walker, Dallastown, political science; Tianna Weaver, Spring Grove, criminal justice with honors; Justin Webb, New Freedom, graphic design; Tuesday Wilson, Hellam Township, nursing; James Woof, York, sociology and Lauren Zortman, Red Lion, early elementary education with high honors.

Timothy Beckley, York; Derek Bennett, New Freedom; Emmett Butler, York; Chu Cong, York; Guy Copenheaver, Spring Grove; Michael Feight, Dover; Stacie Gross, York; Zachary Grove, Dover; Lindsay Hamilton, Etters; Shawn Hawk, York; Abby Keefer, East Berlin; James Laughlin, Hanover; Daniel Leiphart, York; Aimee Miller, East Berlin; Eric Minor, Fawn Township; Haydn Morris, York; Nakesha Muldrow, York; Daniel Pritchett, Yoe; Mark Renoll, York; Philip See, Manchester and Eric Wolfgang, York.

See the original post here:
York College December 2013 graduates

Brian Southwell, PhD, a senior research scientist at the Center for Communication Science at RTI, is currently an adjunct professor at Duke University.

Jennifer Ross (JR): Can you describe the current project your class is working on through the Bass Connections program?

Brian Southwell (BS): Currently, we are working through the Bass Connections in energy project to bring together students, faculty and non-profit leaders in the area to think about the tricky question of how to get low-income residents in Durham to improve their energy conservation behavior. It has been an opportunity to not only try and look at an audience that may have been over looked, but also to try and figure out how best to coordinate students, faculty and non-profits who aren't necessarily used to working with either of those two groups. It's been an interesting endeavor, we are just in the beginning stages, but it does seem to be where the future of sustainability efforts really need to lie - at this intersection of different groups rather than assuming you can get everything done in one organization.

JR: How did you come to be involved with the Bass Connections program?

BS: For a number of years it has been important to me to do the type of work where I can connect students to real world exercises, particularly in the non-profit sector. I've been in North Carolina now since 2011. I was a regular full time faculty member at the University of Minnesota prior to that, but since I've come here really the theme of my time has been connections. I've been knitting together connections between local universities and also RTI International, where I work. One of the things that over the years I've developed are some strategies for working with students and connecting them with non-profits to evaluate some of the communication campaign work that they do. I had a conversation about that work with Richard Newell, who leads the Energy Initiative here at Duke, and he and others at the initiative saw some real promise in applying some of those ideas to thinking about energy. This was appealing to me because I've historically done a lot of work in terms of thinking about public health and science - I've done some working in thinking about the environment, water conservation and areas like that - and I'm quite keen on delving further in the arena of energy because I think it's an area that we haven't really looked at applying behavioral sciences as much as we could. So the timing was right for all of that to come together and now I'm here appointed at Duke and really happy to be working on this project.

JR: What are your biggest goals for the semester? Where do you see the project going?

BS: I'm hopeful that we can help the non-profit that we're working with, Clean Energy Durham, to transform the work that they're doing. So I'd be happy if some of the recommendations that we ultimately come up with, are implemented going forward in some of their energy education workshops for local area residents. Underneath that, personally one of the more important goals is to connect students to opportunities. So I'd love to see the cohort of students we have now off a year from now working in areas related to sustainability in interesting ways. What I really view this as is the first step in building a network of folks that might be able to leverage each other's experiences moving forward. Beyond that, I'm continuing in a pleasant role in learning about a literature and an area that I haven't as much historically. I'm hoping to get up to speed in terms of thinking about the technology side and what really is recommended in terms of conservation behavior. It's an opportunity for all of those groups to get something out of it, which I think the best coalitions try to provide.

JR: Do you foresee any major roadblocks to implementation?

BS: First, we're talking about low income audiences that, frankly, have more important things on their plate than worry about utility bills. That's something that's going to be a challenge. We've talked about some ways to start to address that. Also, some of the challenges are really logistical. We're starting teamwork here with a group, but students are incredibly busy. We've got undergrads who are wrapping up their undergraduate careers, students who are trying to do graduate school programs here and faculty are running in lots of different directions. In addition, we have a non-profit group that isn't necessarily used to coming on campus and meeting with students regularly. Part of it is getting a sense of the rhythm of everyday life for people, what resources we have that are going to be available and how we can best marry that all together. Another issue is really scope and time. I've tried to be very respectful of the fact that we have the chance to work together for a few months, but in the real world, in most of my experience, things take much longer than that to percolate and get permissions and approvals for things to come together. Ideally we would have a little bit longer of a time frame. So that can be one of the challenges that often happens when you've got people who are in a certain place and time for a limited period of time - what can they do under those circumstances? That said, I do think some of what we're doing in terms of providing additional resources for the local nonprofit is particularly helpful especially in terms of the budgetary environment for them and I'm hopeful that students are going to walk away from this with at least an idea or two that might help them in job talks later on or that they might be able to invest in from an entrepreneurial side. It's really sort of an intersection. If I were hoping that we'd solve all of the world's problems in a couple of months I think we'd really be failing miserably in that regard.

JR: Do you have any recommendations for students who are interested in getting involved in this kind of work?

Excerpt from:
Spotlight on Sustainability: Brian Southwell

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Dec-2013

Contact: Molly Galvin news@nas.edu 202-334-2138 National Academy of Sciences

WASHINGTON New types of assessments will be needed to measure student learning once the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are implemented, says a new report from the National Research Council. The tests that states currently use emphasize factual knowledge and were not designed to assess the type of understanding envisioned by the standards, which emphasize depth of knowledge based on the ability to integrate core content with science and engineering practices.

The report describes a new system of assessments that should be developed, and it offers examples of the types of tasks and questions that could assess student knowledge as detailed in the standards. To monitor progress in meeting the standards, states should use information both from state-administered tests and from classroom-based assessments, as well as information about students' opportunity to learn in the ways laid out in the science standards, said the committee that wrote the report.

"The Next Generation Science Standards present challenges for assessment, but they are also an opportunity to address longstanding limitations with current approaches," said committee co-chair James Pellegrino, Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Current assessments tend to ask students to define the scientific method absent specific content; assessments under NGSS should ask students to demonstrate that they understand aspects of scientific reasoning by applying particular science practices, such as designing a study or interpreting the meaning of a data set, to questions about genetic inheritance, for example."

The Next Generation Science Standards, which have been adopted by eight states so far, describe "performance expectations" that articulate what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. The standards support science learning structured around three dimensions: scientific and engineering practices; core ideas of the science and engineering disciplines; and crosscutting concepts, such as "cause and effect" and "energy and matter." In classroom teaching and learning, these three dimensions should be integrated: for example, the students should always learn by engaging in one or more scientific practices in the context of core ideas, and their advancement should be mapped out in terms of a learning progression.

To assess students' mastery and integration of these three dimensions, a variety of question formats will be needed, the report says. Questions may require students to supply an answer, produce a product, or perform an activity. "Formative" assessments would help teachers see how students are progressing and make instructional decisions; and "monitoring assessments" would measure science learning on a broader scale.

For the monitoring tests, the full breadth and depth of NGSS expectations for a given grade level cannot be covered with a single large-scale test, the report says. The committee recommended that the information from external "on-demand" assessments (that is, assessments that are administered at a time mandated by the state) should be supplemented with information gathered from classroom-embedded assessments (that is, assessments that are administered at a time determined by the district or school that fits the instructional sequence in the classroom) to fully assess whether performance expectations have been met.

These classroom-embedded assessments could take various forms. For example, they might be self-contained curricular units that include both instructional materials and assessments, provided by the state or district to be administered in classrooms. Or the state or district could develop banks of tasks that schools and teachers would use at the appropriate time in classrooms.

Go here to read the rest:
New system of assessments needed when next generation science standards are implemented, report says

Draftfcb

John Kenny, EVP strategic planning director at Draftfcb Chicago

On the panel, yours truly and creative leaders in the Chicago advertising community discussed how they balance art and science in their organizations. However, in characterizing the question in this way, I believe advertising sells itself short. It is guilty of mischaracterizing the role of science and under- estimating the power of art.

For a long time, the advertising industry has had science-envy. Unlike the messy world of creativity that is our bread and butter, the promise of science-driven advertising is risk free, with hard and fast rules, MBA credentials, and CFO respect. But science, especially great science, doesnt work that way. Albert Einstein once remarked that imagination is more important than knowledge, and that much like great artists, scientists are anything but certain about their rules. Instead, they approach every problem with a critical eye, looking to find something new. Therefore, rather than seeing art and science as diametrically opposed forces that need to be balanced, creative organizations should see them as two routes into finding new creative white spaces for brands to explore.

In the world of art and science collaboration, the benefits of the science of advertising (big data and behavioral economics) can only truly be tapped if explored creatively. The key output has to be new insights about consumer behavior and beliefs that can drive compelling content. Too often, fear and uncertainty lead to advertising that is safe and formulaic the exact opposite of creativity. The benefits of big data and behavioral economics are that once the insight has been revealed, there is less uncertainty about how true the insight is, enabling agencies and clients to embrace it fully.

The science part of advertising must approach its role humbly. While there have been great advances in understanding what motivates human behavior over the last 30 years, artists have been running experiments on what motivates human behavior for the last 3000 years! Artists and storytellers have a significant head start in their ability to understand and motivate people. Plus, the latest research on behavioral economics and neuromarketing indicates that nothing is more engaging, persuasive, or sharable than a simple story beautifully told.

Advertising shouldnt shy away from being proud of being a creative industry. While we will increasingly recruit data scientists and cognitive psychologists into our ranks, the key filter in any recruitment decision needs to be their ability to use these skills to find new insights and collaborate across disciplines all motivated by the belief in the power of creativity to transform our clients business.

John Kenny is an executive vice president for strategic planning at the advertising agency Draftfcb.

Read the original here:
Advertising Planner Says Big Data Shouldn't Make The Industry Forget Its Creative Roots

Modern brain science was woefully underdeveloped in the 1940s and 50s when 2,000 veterans of World War II, who returned from the war with various mental illnesses, were treated with lobotomies.

The Army and Veterans Administration hospitals across the nation were too quick to adopt the surgical severance of neural pathways in the brain. Lobotomies were meant to cure the ill, but created mostly tragedy for the individuals and families who lived with the consequences, which more often than not were lives without much life and sometimes, a result of botched surgeries, death.

We learn this tragic story, an aching forgotten chapter in the chronicles of the greatest generation, in a powerful series by the Wall Street Journal.

There are many ways to interpret that history, but most of the details are troubling and hard to read.

Nevertheless, that was then. We know now that some returning veterans of all recent wars suffer from brain injuries and trauma-caused behavioral problems. We can hope treatment today by way of psychotherapy and medication is better, but we know there seems to be never enough of it to go around.

And consider how far weve come. The tragic story of Jovan Belcher will now enter the phase where his body will be exhumed and his brain studied for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. That ailment has affected an untold number of football players and retirees, whose alarming stories of mental and physical decline following their stints in the violent game, have been gaining new and welcome attention.

In Belchers case he murdered his girlfriend, orphaned their infant daughter and fatally shot himself in view of his teams leadership what medical investigators learn about his brain could become an explanation, though not an excuse.

Serendipitously, as I was reading the Journals series, a bookshelf incident at home (long story) led to the exposure of my old copy of one of the great American novels -- Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. I couldnt help but think of Randle Patrick McMurphy, whose raucous mental-hospital experience ends in lobotomy, and of his eyewitness, Chief Broom, whose closing escape led to this desire: Id just like to look over the country around the gorge again, just to bring some of it clear in my mind again.

Time and much better science than we had a half-century ago can bring clarity to the troubled territory of the brain. For many people, individuals and their families who suffer from brain disease, that clarity cannot come soon enough.

The Kansas City Star is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Visit link:
Brain science extends from tragedy to hope

There are many legitimate conditions that might explain terrible teen behavior, but being too rich is not one of them.

Last week, 16-year-old Ethan Couch was sentenced to 10-years probation for killing four people and critically wounding two while drunk driving. Although the prosecution sought prison time, the defense argued that Couch himself was a victim and presented psychologist G. Dick Miller to testify that Couch was suffering from affluenza that he lived such an extravagant, materialistic, consequence-free life that he was unable to understand or control his behavior. This is perhaps the first time having too easy a life has been considered a mitigating circumstance. The sentencing has naturally inflamed peoples opinions.

Affluenza, in fact, is not a recognized illness. It is not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association. As a clinical psychologist, Ive never before seen a mental health practitioner try to diagnose someone with affluenza. And there is practically nothing in the research literature about it. In the computerized database PsychINFO, the term affluenza is mentioned only 7 times (as opposed to over 101,000 for the recognized illness schizophrenia). Most of these seven were mentions or reviews of books published in the non-academic press. The only empirical research on affluenza was a 2010 study by Peter Lorenzi and Roberto Friedman in the Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management. The authors found little evidence for an affluenza epidemic sweeping America.

(MORE:Drunk Driving Teen Avoids Jail Because of the Parenting He Received)

Affluenza seems mainly the product of pop psychology, and it doesnt even mean what Couchs defense lawyers intended it to mean. It is generally characterized as a contagious social disease, typified by a keeping up with the Joneses materialism, spending and debt. According to Gregory McNeal in Forbes, the term affluenza is often used in tax and estate law, albeit even there with some skepticism. Given all of this, how affluenza came to be so influential in a criminal case is astounding. Our legal system has protections against using junk science in court decisions. I have not read transcripts of the trial, but I would be surprised if prosecutors made no effort to challenge the use of affluenza in this case.

(MORE: Co-Author of the book Affluenza: Im appalled by the Ethan Couch decision)

Couch may very well have mental health issues. Few psychologists would argue that being raised in an atmosphere of instant gratification and negligible consequences for bad behavior is healthy for child development. In addition, Couchs risky behavior might indicate alcoholism and, if he truly were evidencing a pathological sense of entitlement or lack of empathy for others, its possible he might be diagnosable with a personality disorder. These are legitimate conditions, although they typically do not result in such a massive reduction in sentencing as was seen in this case. It is ironic that, in arguing Couch is a victim of bad parenting free of consequences for antisocial behavior, the defense and judge appear to have merely continued exactly this pattern, demanding unbelievably soft consequences for the death of four.

It is hard to escape the conclusion that money and privilege did indeed influence this case, but not through a psychological illness. Instead, the judge managed to convey the impression that the wealthy are able to buy a different justice from the poor. Some news reports are comparing Couchs outcome to that of a 14-year-old African American boy sentenced to 10 years juvenile detention by the same judge for one death resulting from a punch. The cases arent identical, to be sure, but they convey an impression that wealth matters to the criminal justice system.

Ultimately, aside from Couch, the case has more losers than winners. The criminal justice system will suffer from the impression it is classist and unreliable. Psychology will take a hit for being linked to the affluenza term, despite it not being a product of psychological science. And the case will add to the unfair characterization of kids as spoiled, entitled brats, despite the fact that most youth are not. But the worst outcome, of course, is for the victims and their families who have been denied justice.

Christopher J. Ferguson is associate professor and department chair of psychology at Stetson University. The views expressed are solely his own.

Read more:
'Affluenza' Is Junk Science

December 11, 2013 MSU commencement exercises Saturday

Anonymous The Mankato Free Press The Mankato Free Press Wed Dec 11, 2013, 02:53 PM CST

MANKATO Minnesota State University will present 1,638 degrees during summer/fall commencement exercises Saturday in Taylor Center on the MSU campus.

Graduates of the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Business and College of Science, Engineering and Technology will participate in a 9 a.m. ceremony. Graduates of the College of Allied Health and Nursing, College of Education and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will participate in a noon ceremony.

Graduate-level doctoral degrees to be presented include eight doctor of education degrees and one doctor of psychology degree.

Graduate-level masters degrees to be presented include 80 master of arts degrees, eight master of arts in teaching degrees, three master of music degrees,18 master of fine arts degrees,10 master of business administration degrees, five master of public administration degrees, 182 master of science degrees, 29 master of social work degrees and 36 specialist degrees.

Awarded at the undergraduate level will be 70 bachelor of arts degrees, two bachelor of athletic training degrees, 27 bachelor of fine arts degrees, three bachelor of music degrees, 1,062 bachelor of science degrees, three bachelor of science in computer engineering degrees, one bachelor of science in mechanical engineering degree, nine bachelor of science in electrical engineering degrees, two bachelor of science in engineering degrees, 42 bachelor of science in social work degrees and 37 associate of arts degrees.

Undergraduate students receiving recognition will include 87 students graduating summa cum laude, 196 students graduating magna cum laude and 143 students graduating cum laude.

Read the original post:
MSU commencement exercises Saturday

Podcast #80 - UJ Ramdas - Bulletproof Executive Radio
#39;Tis the season to be grateful! And while that sentiment can often feel a bit disingenuous, it turns out that practicing gratitude can actually make you happ...

By: The Bulletproof Executive

Read more:
Podcast #80 - UJ Ramdas - Bulletproof Executive Radio - Video