Ego strength in relation to perception of visual illusions

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityThe relationship between the global health level of the personality and perceptual behavior was explored in a fundamental manner independent of specific needs, drives, or psychopathology. Current psychoanalytic theory regarding the nature and functions of the ego served as the basis for the personality construct selected, ego strength. The ability to test reality served to establish the connection between level of ego strength and adequacy of the perceptual system. The selection of the operational definition of ego strength involved the consideration of a number of factors including the population to be studied, the independence of the operation from the behavior under study, the relationship to other research, and the congruence between the measure and the construct's description. An extensive review of the Barron Ego-Strength Scale, a sub-scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), indicted that it was the most reliable and valid measure of ego strength currently available [TRUNCATED

Approximation on Wild Jordan Curves

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135403/1/jlms0317.pd

The Religious Naturalism of William James: A New Interpretation Through the Lens of Liberal Naturalism

This thesis argues that recent developments in philosophical naturalism mandate a new naturalistic reading of James. To that end, it presents the first comprehensive reading of James through the lens of liberal rather than scientific naturalism. Chapter 1 offers an extensive survey of the varieties of philosophical naturalism that provides the conceptual tools required for the rest the thesis, and allows us to provisionally locate James within the field. Crucially, it establishes the coherence and validity of a radical form of liberal naturalism that rejects 'the causal closure of the physical', and endorses doctrines of strong emergentism and macro-causation. The thesis will argue that it was to this form of naturalism that James was ultimately committed. Chapter 2 provides a detailed chronological treatment of James's key published works, seeking to understand the development of certain core naturalistic themes over the course of his career. It unearths a nascent doctrine of emergentism in The Principles, a critique of scientificism in The Will to Believe, a psycho-biological account of religious experience in The Varieties, a doctrine of panpsychist identism in Essays in Radical Empiricism, an evolutionary theory of cognition in Pragmatism, and a doctrine of finite theism in A Pluralistic Universe. The underlying aim of chapter 2 is to demonstrate the superficiality of James's endorsement of piecemeal supernaturalism in The Varieties. It shows that he had originally planned to defend a doctrine of 'theistic naturalism' in his second course of Gifford Lectures, and that he only defined himself as a supernaturalist in contradistinction to a particularly austere doctrine of 'mechanical naturalism' that endorses 'the causal closure of the physical'. James, whilst he rejected 'the causal closure of the physical', continued to endorse 'the causal closure of nature'. Through the schema developed in chapter 1, the thesis demonstrates how James can be classified as a radical religious naturalist. Finally, in chapter 3, the thesis enters a more consciously constructive phase. Building on James's suggestion that his philosophy was "too much like an arch built only on one side", it embarks upon a detailed reconstruction of 'the arch of James's naturalism'. It argues that reconstructed versions of James's doctrines of panpsychism and emergentism, in addition to being coherent and fertile in their own right, serve as the basis for a restoration of his theistic naturalism; the missing keystone of his mature philosophy

Correlated Phenotypic Transitions to Competence in Bacterial Colonies

Genetic competence is a phenotypic state of a bacterial cell in which it is capable of importing DNA, presumably to hasten its exploration of alternate genes in its quest for survival under stress. Recently, it was proposed that this transition is uncorrelated among different cells in the colony. Motivated by several discovered signaling mechanisms which create colony-level responses, we present a model for the influence of quorum-sensing signals on a colony of B. Subtilis cells during the transition to genetic competence. Coupling to the external signal creates an effective inhibitory mechanism, which results in anti-correlation between the cycles of adjacent cells. We show that this scenario is consistent with the specific experimental measurement, which fails to detect some underlying collective signaling mechanisms. Rather, we suggest other parameters that should be used to verify the role of a quorum-sensing signal. We also study the conditions under which phenotypic spatial patterns may emerge

The Ursinus Weekly, December 14, 1967

UC Christmas calendar crowds pre-vacation week on campus • Dialogue activating complaint channels • New exhibit opens; Faculty contributes • Dr. Wessel announces Sr. placement listing • Dr. Philip celebrates his thirtieth Messiah • The Visit explores morality • Editorial • Agency attempts to secure effective financial position • SFARC report • Spirit high, but athletes rate better facilities • Compton scores 73 as Bears win three • Greek gleaningshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1182/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, September 28, 1967

Four new instructors added to language • Dorm fiasco creates problems; Seniors lose top priority rooms • Committee announces Parents\u27 Day program • Miss Congeniality title awarded to Betsy Miller in beauty pageant • Baum exhibits local artistry • Frosh learn customs under CCC guidance • Summer election fills ranks with new Board members • Editorial • The Anti-death league • When push comes to shove • In retrospect: Our past editor speaks out • Elegy to a country campus • Student shortage threatens U.C.: Private colleges face danger • Smoke clouds marijuana issue • Soul Brothers and somethin\u27 kinda new • Drs. Wagner recuperate • Phi Chi chapter • Directors lead drive • New dam, roads, housing bring Collegeville to brink of urbanization • Victory over Mules could shatter losing complex • Returning veterans mark UC Harriers for winning year • Starless soccermen count on teamwork • UC hockey helped by Frosh turnout • Greek gleaningshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1177/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, April 20, 1967

Artist team opens show • Meistersingers tour, sweep New England • College Bowl contest welcomes UC team • Students, faculty combine efforts • Betsy Miller wins Miss Mont. Co. title • Showboat on Delaware, juniors sponsor voyage • Genuine carnival concludes Campus Chest activities • Editorial • Endless policy changes harass concessionaires • Letters to the editor • Fuse complicates Happening; Audience reactions electric • Students devote time to retarded children • UC coeds cop curfew change constitutionally • Losing\u27s too easy for tennis team • Girls\u27 softball win features long ball • Shuman leads baseball team to three early season wins • Trackmen shatter Marks, edge Swarthmore, 72-68 • Netmen outclassed in lopsided defeat • Girls\u27 tennis team suffers double loss • Youthful Crossettes outhustle Penn, 8-1 • Greek gleanings • Campus best-sellershttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1200/thumbnail.jp