Nature Of Dispositions Research Articles

Power of the Circumplex: Incremental validity of intersection traits in predicting counterproductive work behaviors

This study examines the role of the circumplex model of personality in predicting counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). Drawing on the fidelity‐bandwidth principle, we investigate the hypotheses that each of the three sets of circumplex traits representing the intersections of conscientiousness–agreeableness, conscientiousness–emotional stability, and agreeableness–emotional stability will account for significant incremental variance over five‐factor model (FFM) traits in predicting CWBs. Results indicated the circumplex traits contribute incremental variance over the FFM traits, are relatively more important than the FFM traits, and account for 1.5–2.0 times more variance in the total R2 associated with CWBs. Collectively, these findings show that circumplex traits capture unique information not explained by FFM traits, and this information leads to a better understanding of the dispositional nature of CWBs.

Multi-track dispositions

It is a familiar point that many ordinary dispositions are multi-track, that is, not fully and adequately characterisable by a single conditional. In this paper, I argue that both the extent and the implications of this point have been severely underestimated. First, I provide new arguments to show that every disposition whose stimulus condition is a determinable quantity must be infinitely multi-track. Secondly, I argue that this result should incline us to move away from the standard assumption that dispositions are in some way importantly linked to conditionals, as presupposed by the debate about various versions of the ‘conditional analysis’ of dispositions. I introduce an alternative conception of dispositionality, which is motivated by linguistic observations about dispositional adjectives and links dispositions to possibility instead of conditionals. I argue that, because of the multi-track nature of dispositions, the possibility-based conception of dispositions is to be preferred.

Can bare dispositions explain categorical regularities?

One of the traditional desiderata for a metaphysical theory of laws of nature is that it be able to explain natural regularities. Some philosophers have postulated governing laws to fill this explanatory role. Recently, however, many have attempted to explain natural regularities without appealing to governing laws. Suppose that some fundamental properties are bare dispositions. In virtue of their dispositional nature, these properties must be (or are likely to be) distributed in regular patterns. Thus it would appear that an ontology including bare dispositions can dispense with governing laws of nature. I believe that there is a problem with this line of reasoning. In this essay, I’ll argue that governing laws are indispensable for the explanation of a special sort of natural regularity: those holding among categorical properties (or, as I’ll call them, categorical regularities). This has the potential to be a serious objection to the denial of governing laws, since there may be good reasons to believe that observed regularities are categorical regularities.

Nezanedbatelné dimenze války i míru: Ekofilozofie, paxologie

The author explains some terms being neglected in the last few years. War is one of many ways for implementing policy, but actually it is self-breeding and at the same time its own last source. The hypertrophy of available means for warfare creates the atrophy of its functions and consequently even its reason. War is still an extreme choice, bringing about the danger of total devastation of humane environment. It's strange that environmentalists do not put their protests to this centre of gravity. On the contrary, many of them regard wars as natural thing, originated in the very nature of humane dispositions. It has its source probably in the fact that there is no self-contained theory dealing with war and peace, the so-called paxology-the theory how peace can be maintained in the world.

Power to and power over: two distinct concepts of power?

In this article, I analyze the relations between the concepts of power to and power over. The distinction between these two interpretations of power is commonly based on the assumed relational nature of attributions of power over as opposed to the dispositional nature of attributions of power to. I argue, by contrast, that power to refers to social relations as well, and I suggest, accordingly, to consider power to and power over as describing the same category of social facts. As a consequence, they should not be thought of as two distinct concepts of power, but as representing two analytically distinguishable aspects of a single and unified concept of social power.

Toward a Mental Systems Approach to Human Relationships with Wildlife: The Role of Emotional Dispositions

Emotions toward wildlife are basic and important determinants of relationships with wildlife. Addressing emotional dispositions—criteria against which the emotional relevance of objects or situations is appraised—could foster the study of emotions toward wildlife in connection with cognitions. This article reviews various approaches to the study of emotions, gives an account of the working of emotions, and discusses the nature and properties of emotional dispositions. Emotional dispositions are relatively stable traits. Research has identified a limited set of general emotional dispositions that are employed to judge situations (including situations involving wildlife): (a) novelty, (b) valence, (c) conduciveness to goals, (d) agency, and (e) compatibility with standards. Emotional dispositions toward various species of wildlife can be innate or learned. It is largely unknown which emotional dispositions humans have toward which species; answering this question should be a primary topic for future research.

A Brief Survey of First-in-Human Studies

First-in-human (FIH) studies are a critical step in the drug development process and typically aim to characterize a compound's pharmacokinetics, potential effective concentration or dose, and safety or tolerability margins. Although effort continues to enhance the predictive quality of the selection of FIH doses from preclinical data, and little consensus is available on the design and conduct of FIH studies, detailed surveys describing general approaches taken in FIH studies are useful in the optimization of early-phase clinical drug development. Although allometric scaling techniques continue to provide poor predictive estimates for human pharmacokinetic parameters, FIH starting doses are selected with substantial safety factors applied to human equivalent dose, often in excess of regulatory guidelines. Based on these examples, it appears that relatively conservative 2-fold dose escalations are the most common escalation approach within FIH single ascending dose studies. The combination of conservative dose escalations with low starting doses can result in large FIH trials, consuming both time and resources. Approaches that could enhance the predictive nature of a compound's disposition and adaptive nature of FIH studies could provide a tremendous benefit for drug development.

Psychology is About Persons: On Brinkmann’s Expansion of Harré’s Hybrid Psychology

Brinkmann has recently put forward an integrative theory of the mind by expanding Harré's hybrid psychology. The theory is integrative because it establishes that in order for one to gain a full understanding of the mind-which is represented as a set of dispositions-one has to take into account theories about the brain, the body, social practices, and technological artifacts. All of these are said to be 'mediators' upon which the mind depends. An important claim underlying the theory is that in psychology the basic ontological unit is the person. We agree with Brinkmann both on this and on the dispositional nature of the mind. Still, he does not make a strong case for the latter. Furthermore, we believe the concept of mediation is by no means helpful to produce an integrative view in psychology, not only because the theoretical job of such a concept is unclear but also because qua unifying concept it may end up undermining the ontological primacy of the person (in psychology). In this paper we refer to these issues and suggest some ideas that may help improve Brinkmann's (and Harré's) proposal.

Do Extrinsic Dispositions Need Extrinsic Causal Bases?

In this paper, I distinguish two often‐conflated theses—the thesis that all dispositions are intrinsic properties and the thesis that the causal bases of all dispositions are intrinsic properties—and argue that the falsity of the former does not entail the falsity of the latter. In particular, I argue that extrinsic dispositions are a counterexample to first thesis but not necessarily to the second thesis, because an extrinsic disposition does not need to include any extrinsic property in its causal basis. I conclude by drawing some general lessons about the nature of dispositions and their relation to their causal bases.

Finkish Dispositions and Contextualism

Martin's famous examples of dispositional finks have been at the centre of philosophical discussions regarding the semantical and metaphysical nature of dispositions for decades. Thanks to the works by many philosophers like David Lewis, we have learned numerous insights about dispositions from Martin's examples. I take it, though, that there are more morals yet to be learned from Martin's examples. In this paper, I will draw from them one important moral about the contextual contribution to the semantic values of dispositional ascriptions. I will first articulate what I mean by the context-sensitivity of dispo sitional ascriptions. It is old news that it is possible that two people disagree about whether or not x has disposition D but they both are intuitively correct. A homemaker truly asserts that a television set is not fragile, whilst a building worker truly asserts that the same television set is fragile. There thus seem to be two true dispositional ascriptions that appear to be mutually in compatible. The most common and compelling account of this phenomenon is to invoke the idea that the semantic value of a dispositional ascription at least in part depends on the context in which the ascription is made. In this regard, Hawthorne and Manley's distinction between envi ronment-dependence and ascriber-dependence is illuminating. The idea of environment-dependence is that the semantic value of a dispositional as cription to x is partly determined by x's current environment. Suppose, for instance, that at home a soft blow is common and at a construction site a very hard blow is common. Then when something is currently at home, what we mean by saying simply that it is fragile is that it is fragile for a soft blow. Meanwhile, when something is currently at a construction site, by saying simply that it is fragile we mean that it is fragile for a very hard blow. In this sense, the truth-value of 'x is fragile' depends on x's current environment.

An Argument for the Extrinsic Grounding of Mass

Several philosophers of science and metaphysicians claim that the dispositional properties of fundamental particles, such as the mass, charge, and spin of electrons, are ungrounded in any further properties. It is assumed by those making this argument that such properties are intrinsic, and thus if they are grounded at all they must be grounded intrinsically. However, this paper advances an argument, with one empirical premise and one metaphysical premise, for the claim that mass is extrinsically grounded and is thus an extrinsic disposition. Although the argument concerns mass characterized as a disposition, it applies equally well whether mass is a categorical or dispositional property; however, the dispositional nature of mass is relevant to some important objections and implications discussed.

Rule-following, ideal conditions and finkish dispositions

This paper employs some outcomes (for the most part due to David Lewis) of the contemporary debate on the metaphysics of dispositions to evaluate those dispositional analyses of meaning that make use of the concept of a disposition in ideal conditions. The first section of the paper explains why one may find appealing the notion of an ideal-condition dispositional analysis of meaning and argues that Saul Kripke’s well-known argument against such analyses is wanting. The second section focuses on Lewis’ work in the metaphysics of dispositions in order to call attention to some intuitions about the nature of dispositions that we all seem to share. In particular, I stress the role of what I call ‘Actuality Constraint’. The third section of the paper maintains that the Actuality Constraint can be used to show that the dispositions with which ideal-condition dispositional analyses identify my meaning addition by ‘+’ do not exist (in so doing, I develop a suggestion put forward by Paul Boghossian). This immediately implies that ideal-condition dispositional analyses of meaning cannot work. The last section discusses a possible objection to my argument. The point of the objection is that the argument depends on an illicit assumption. I show (1) that, in fact, the assumption in question is far from illicit and (2) that even without this assumption it is possible to argue that the dispositions with which ideal-condition dispositional analyses identify my meaning addition by ‘+’ do not exist.

Intersubjectivity and Bourdieusian Approaches to ‘Identity’

Bourdieu’s emphasis on the socialized subjectivity of habitus is increasingly used in discussions of ‘identity’ to indicate the limits to reflexivity, situating ‘identity’ in tacit practice. In emphasizing the dispositional nature of ‘identity’, analysts also acknowledge more explicitly reflexive and self-consciously mobilized aspects; however, Bourdieu’s restrictive treatment of reflexivity makes it difficult to theorize the relations between these different aspects. The ‘problem of reflexivity’ is more properly a question of the intersubjective nature of practice, and the different aspects of ‘identity’ are better theorized as features of situated intersubjectivity. With practice the negotiated outcome of intersubjective coordination, then ‘calls to order from the group’, the routine monitoring of conduct, agents’ reflexive accounts of their activity, and the mobilization of agents into collectivities can be explored as features of the collective accomplishment of practices, by networks of variously disposed agents, whose actions, whilst dispositional, must nonetheless be accounted for and aligned.

The Conditional Analysis of Dispositions and the Intrinsic Dispositions Thesis

The idea that dispositions are an intrinsic matter has been popular among contemporary philosophers of dispositions. In this paper I will first state this idea as exactly as possible. I will then examine whether it poses any threat to the two current versions of the conditional analysis of dispositions, namely, the simple and reformed conditional analysis of dispositions. The upshot is that the intrinsic nature of dispositions, when properly understood, doesn’t spell trouble for either of the two versions of the conditional analysis of dispositions. Along the way, I will propose an extensionally correct and practically useful criterion for identifying nomically intrinsic dispositions and criticize one objection raised by Lewis against the simple conditional analysis of dispositions.

Law and Power in a World with No Transaction Costs: An Essay on the Legitimating Function of the Coasian Narrative

This paper discusses the possible legitimating function (understood as the ability to provide an appropriate framework for the development of rational arguments supporting legal principles and rules) of the Coasian narrative. I argue that the Coasian narrative is inadequate to provide rational legitimacy to the theoretical roots of the economic analysis of law movement. The argument starts with the distinction between transaction costs that could be eliminated even if at times their elimination would be impossible or too expensive (social transaction costs) and transaction costs that could disappear only in a world ruled by physical laws different from the laws that govern the real world (natural transaction costs). The thesis presented in this paper is that a Coasian world of a kind (defined as a world - conceivable without breaking the physical and psychological laws that govern our real world - in which social transaction costs are absent, but natural transaction costs are present) is not a place worth living in. In order for us to imagine a world devoid of the defects of a Coasian world, we should imagine a divine kind of world, populated by God-like creatures and not by human beings. A world that everyone can model at his/her own pleasure, and that can provide rational legitimacy to nothing. This paper goes on to argue that the Coasian narrative ignores the dispositional nature of legal power and hides the distinction between influence and power. If these theoretical limits are appropriately removed, the centrality of the notion of transaction costs loses legitimacy and appears subordinate with regard to the primary goal of limiting the power that certain private individuals can exert over others.

Research on Indictability of Criminal Investigation Behavior —in the Background of Criminal Judicature Reform

Criminal justice reform is a new requirement formulated to carry out basic strategy and target of ruling the country by law after we joined in WTO, and punishing crime and guaranteeing human rights are the two value goals pursued by modern criminal justice practice. Investigation is a part which belongs to criminal procedure system. However, whether the act of criminal investigation could be institute legal proceedings is still in dispute. On the one hand, there are abuse of right and dissimilation of power in the course of criminal investigation: on the other hand, we also should consider concrete present situation of judicial practice in our nation, and the particularity of act of criminal investigation itself. Our purpose is to give the solution to this question by the application of citing instances method, contrastive demonstrating and contradict the opinion of others. The thesis holds the opinion that it is suitable for the cognition of such problem to combine it with improper criminal investigation behavior, and give specific measures based on analysis of the nature of criminal investigation behavior and power disposition in criminal judicature now.

Varieties of Response-Dependence: A Critique of Zangwill

The dispositional nature of aesthetic properties is taken by some to be a problem for aesthetic property realism. Nick Zangwill argues that because aesthetic properties supervene on sensory properties such as color, they must be secondary qualities, and his response-dependence account of secondary qualities leads him to aesthetic nonrealism about sensory properties and then aesthetic properties. I find that Zangwill's treatment of sensory property dispositions falls prey to a confusion of the dispositions and their manifestations, and his argument moves too quickly from conceptual to ontological response-dependence. The possibility of a realist dispositional account of sensory and aesthetic properties remains open.

Defining Dispositions: Wading Through Murky Waters

Efforts to professionalize teaching have coincided with a shift in teacher education programs. Recent requirements of accrediting bodies have resulted in initiatives to assess dispositions in addition to knowledge and skills. However, for such assessment to maintain construct validity, it is imperative first to develop some common understandings about the nature of dispositions and then to explore how teacher education should be addressing them. This paper explores dispositions from both a conceptual and a practical perspective. Dispositions are described as a point of convergence, representing a filter through which thinking and behaviors related to teaching are framed, and a point of inception, from which knowledge and behaviors emanate. This dispositional filter encompasses the teacher s awareness, inclination, and ability to reflect. Teacher education programs can foster dispositions by helping teacher candidates engage in self‐exploration of their personal theories and identify their own values and assumptions related to teaching.

Composite scales of morningness and preferences: Preliminary validity data in Peruvian undergraduates

The aim of this study is to offer preliminary results about the validity of the composite morningness scale (CS) and the early/late preferences scale (PS) in a Peruvian sample. The relationship of both scales with the preferred rising and retiring times was analysed, along with the level of self-reported alertness. In Bohle et al.'s (2001) work, the relationship between morningness and preferred rising and retiring times was higher over the weekend than on weekdays. This difference explained the dispositional nature of morningness, due to the possible lesser influence of time schedules over the weekend in individuals' preferences. This result is replicated in a group of 139 Peruvian undergraduates, aged between 18 and 29 years (M = 21.73), of whom 78.4% were women. The relationship between morningness and (actual) normal rising and retiring times on weekdays and over the weekend is considered. The results partially confirm Bohle et al.'s (2001) hypothesis about preferred rising and retiring times and their relationship with the PS, and actual rising time and its relationship with the CS and PS. The differences in the level of self-reported alertness between morning, intermediate and evening-oriented groups provide support for the validity of both scales. Finally, the scores of CS and PS in Peruvian undergraduates are similar to those found by Smith et al. (2002) in university students from six countries.

Looking good at the retailer's expense: investigating unethical retail disposition behavior among compulsive buyers

To date, the majority of consumer research has focused on exploring product acquisition. Consequently, the discipline knows considerably less regarding the nature of product disposition (Hanson, 1980; Price et al., 2000), more specifically, the act of consumers returning purchased products to retailers (Jacoby et al., 1977; Strutton et al., 1994). Although the literature regarding disposition is sparse, it is replete with studies that encourage retailers to maintain lenient return policies. For example, research findings espouse that retailers realize competitive advantages by offering liberal return policies; examples include improved retention, the formation of long-term relationships, the ability to sell expensive products, ‘‘insurance’’ against future service breakdowns, and enhanced goodwill (Che, 1996; Hart, 1988; Zeithaml et al., 1996). Liberal return policies have been a staple of major retailers for some time. In fact, the corporate adage, ‘‘Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back,’’ originated in the late 1800s when the now defunct retailer, Montgomery Ward (Strasser, 1989) implemented the guarantee. During the 20th century, most leading department stores, such as Sears, Nordstrom, and Marshall Field, also employed the guarantee by offering