Devil in a New Dress: Reframing as an Alternative Method of Motivated Reasoning

Much research has been conducted in the field of motivated reasoning, with most of this work focused on the tendency of motivated reasoners to reject counterarguments out of hand, the so-called disconfirmation bias. The objective of this work is markedly different. Borrowing from the prodigious body of work on framing, this investigation suggests an alternative route of motivated reasoning: when presented with a counterargument, subjects engage in motivated reasoning not by wholly rejecting the counter, but by reframing their attitudes so as to reduce the importance of the challenged belief. To this end, we conducted a series of experiments centered around challenging popular political beliefs and measuring the impact of the challenge on the receiver. This was accomplished first by conducting surveys to uncover prevailing political beliefs around several topics ranging from gun control to the legalization of prostitution. With the most common beliefs clearly established, we then conducted an experiment in which these beliefs were challenged through the creation of specifically tailored and previously evaluated counterarguments. Experimental subjects were asked to provide their (positive or negative) attitude toward a given political topic, and then asked to rank and rate the four most common beliefs surrounding that topic – with the first ranked belief representing the one the subject felt was most important. This belief was then challenged, and after a period – a week in the first trial, and ten minutes in the second trial – the subjects were asked to repeat their rankings and ratings of the offered beliefs. The results showed virtually no attitude change resulting from these challenges, but a significant number of subjects lowered their first-ranked belief after having been challenged. We interpret this behavior as engaging in motivated reasoning via reframing. Further research to determine when individuals engage in motivated reasoning via disconfirmation vs. reframing is needed, but these early results suggest that reframing is a legitimate alternative route through which individuals maintain their attitudes in the face of challenges.No embargoAcademic Major: Political Scienc

Renovating and Expanding Special Collections Facilities at Towson University

In order to provide the university archives at Towson University with more space, the Library undertook a renovation of the archives. This article provides a brief history and overview of the Library and archives and details the renovation project which included some eco-friendly changes

Preoccupied by the past - the case of Estonia's Museum of Occupations

The nation is born out of the resistance, ideally without external aid, of its nascent citizens against oppression [...] An effective founding struggle should contain memorable massacres, atrocities, assassinations and the like, which serve to unite and strengthen resistance and render the resulting victory the more justified and the more fulfilling. They also can provide a focus for a "remember the x atrocity" historical narrative.(1

Establishing the design knowledge for emerging interaction platforms

While awaiting a variety of innovative interactive products and services to appear in the market in the near future such as interactive tabletops, interactive TVs, public multi-touch walls, and other embedded appliances, this paper calls for preparation for the arrival of such interactive platforms based on their interactivity. We advocate studying, understanding and establishing the foundation for interaction characteristics and affordances and design implications for these platforms which we know will soon emerge and penetrate our everyday lives. We review some of the archetypal interaction platform categories of the future and highlight the current status of the design knowledge-base accumulated to date and the current rate of growth for each of these. We use example designs illustrating design issues and considerations based on the authors’ 12-year experience in pioneering novel applications in various forms and styles

Perfusion of the interventricular septum during ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)

Objective: To determine whether regional hypoperfusion of the interventricular septum occurs during ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure. Design: Animal study. Animals: Anesthetized, closed chest dogs (n = 8). Interventions: Induction of experimental adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and then ventilation with 10,15, and 20 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure. Measurements and Main Results: Cardiac output and regional interventricular septum blood flow 'were assessed at control, at induction of experimental ARDS, and at each level of positive end-expiratory pressure. Ventilation with 20 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure decreased cardiac output (-32% vs. control, p <.05), and did not change absolute, but increased relative (to cardiac output) interventricular septum blood flow. During experimental ARDS and ventilation at 20 cm H2O end-expiratory pressure, there was a redistribution of flow toward the right ventricular free wall (+93%, p < .001) and the right ventricular part of the interventricular septum (+68%, p < .01), while flow to the left ventricular interventricular septum and to the left ventricular free wall remained unchanged. Locally hypoperfused interventricular septum areas or findings indicative of interventricular septum ischemia were not observed during positive end-expiratory pressure. Conclusions: The decrease in cardiac output during positive end-expiratory pressure is not caused by impaired interventricular septum blood supply. The preferential perfusion of the right ventricular interventricular septum indicates increased local right ventricular interventricular septum oxygen-demand and suggests that during positive end-expiratory pressure, this part of the interventricular septum functionally dissociates from the left ventricular interventricular septum and the left ventricular free wall to support the stressed right ventricle

Profiling executive dysfunction in adults with autism and comorbid learning disability

Executive dysfunction is thought to be primary to autism. We examined differences in executive function between 20 adults with autism and learning disability and 23 individuals with learning disabilities outside the autistic spectrum. All participants were matched for chronological age and full-scale IQ, and were given a battery of tasks assessing fluency, planning, set-shifting, inhibition and working memory. Analyses of the individual tasks revealed very few significant differences between the two groups. However, analyses of composite scores derived for each executive domain revealed that the group with autism showed impaired performance on the working memory and planning tests. Together, these two measures were sufficient to classify participants into their diagnostic groups significantly better than would be expected by chance (75% of the autism group; 65% of the control group). Executive impairments were neither universal nor exclusive to the autism group, and we suggest that an alternative cognitive theory may better explain the cognitive profile we found

Cavlectometry: Towards Holistic Reconstruction of Large Mirror Objects

We introduce a method based on the deflectometry principle for the reconstruction of specular objects exhibiting significant size and geometric complexity. A key feature of our approach is the deployment of an Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) as pattern generator. To unfold the full power of this extraordinary experimental setup, an optical encoding scheme is developed which accounts for the distinctive topology of the CAVE. Furthermore, we devise an algorithm for detecting the object of interest in raw deflectometric images. The segmented foreground is used for single-view reconstruction, the background for estimation of the camera pose, necessary for calibrating the sensor system. Experiments suggest a significant gain of coverage in single measurements compared to previous methods. To facilitate research on specular surface reconstruction, we will make our data set publicly available