Renewed Perspective Research Articles

Return of fear in a human differential conditioning paradigm caused by a stimulus change after extinction

In a human fear conditioning experiment, 32 participants were trained in a differential conditioning procedure with geometrical shapes as CS+ and CS− (four presentations each), and an electric shock as US. Measures of conditioned responding were skin conductance response (SCR) and retrospective US-expectancy ratings. For half of the participants (Generalization Group, GG), the subsequent extinction phase consisted of four nonreinforced presentations of generalization stimuli (GS+ and GS−). Participants from the Extinction control Group received an equal amount of nonreinforced presentations of the CSs. Finally, all participants were tested with the original CSs. The results from both measures clearly show an increase in the size of the discrimination upon the stimulus change after extinction in the GG. Because this pattern is not observed in the Extinction control Group, extinction performance appears to be somehow restricted to the perceptual characteristics of the extinction stimulus. Interestingly, the size of the conditioned SCR discrimination in the GG is not influenced by the stimulus change after acquisition. This observation points to a differential impact of stimulus change after acquisition vs. extinction treatment. The findings are discussed from the theoretical perspective of renewal and the clinical perspective of Return of Fear.

Living in the shadow of fibromyalgic pain: the meaning of female partners' experiences.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the meaning of being a female partner living with a man with fibromyalgic pain. Fourteen partners were interviewed about the meaning of their experiences, using a narrative approach. A phenomenological hermeneutic method, inspired by the French philosopher Ricoeur, was used to interpret the interview text. The structural analysis is presented in three major themes: struggling to give support and comfort, struggling to keep going on, and experiencing lack of understanding and support. The findings elucidate that the meaning of living with a man with fibromyalgic pain meant living a life strongly influenced by the man's illness and in the shadow of the man's pain. Taking daily life for granted was interrupted and restricted family and social life. Prominent in this study was the frustration partners felt as a result of men's reluctance to communicate. This led to feelings of being excluded from men's emotions. The responsibility day in and day out meant that women's own caring and tenderness were replaced, which brought about an almost constant sense of fatigue. Women became drained by the long duration of men's illness. This gave them a feeling of being alone, although they were a couple. Gaining comfort outside the family helped partners to reach a new insight and appreciation for life, which was viewed from a renewed perspective. This involved feelings of both togetherness and separateness in the relationship. The findings also consider the lack of support from the health care system for female partners living with men with fibromyalgic pain.

A renewed perspective on agroforestry concepts and classification

Agroforestry, the association of trees with farming practices, is progressively becoming a recognized land-use discipline. However, it is still percieved by some scientists, technicians and farmers as a sort of environmental fashion which does not deserve credit. The peculiar history of agroforestry and the complex relationships between agriculture and forestry explain some misunderstandings about the concepts and classification of agroforestry and reveal that, contrarily to common perception, agroforestry is closer to agriculture than to forestry. Based on field experience from several countries, a structural classification of agroforestry into six simple categories is proposed: crops under tree cover, agroforests, agroforestry in a linear arrangement, animal agroforestry, sequential agroforestry and minor agroforestry techniques. It is argued that this pragmatic classification encompasses all major agroforestry associations and allows simultaneous agroforestry to be clearly differentiated from sequential agroforestry, two categories showing contrasting ecological tree–crop interactions. It can also contribute to a betterment of the image of agroforestry and lead to a simplification of its definition.

Alliances and wealth creation: a corporate renewal perspective

Creating new wealth lies at the heart of capitalism: traditionally, entrepreneurship is viewed as the primary engine in wealth creation. However, creating new wealth can also be the domain of corporate renewal efforts. In the strategic management area, three currently popular research streams deal with aspects of corporate renewal: corporate entrepreneurship, corporate venturing, and strategic evolution. Each research stream claims to provide a distinct solution to different managerial dilemmas facing corporations. The article argues that these three approaches are closely interrelated. The main linkage point is the notion of opportunity recognition. Managers need to promote corporate-wide entrepreneurial behaviour as a vital input into strategy formulation and implementation. It is in this context that strategic alliances play a key role in firms. Success depends on participating firms co-evolving strategy while paying close attention to the changing business and technological environment in which the firms must operate. Recognition of this interdependence of alliance strategy with changing environmental forces leads to the emergence of entrepreneurial opportunities as a key benefit of alliances. Approaches are suggested that could help senior managers use alliances as a way to stimulate corporate-wide entrepreneurial behaviour and wealth-creating corporate renewal. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Alliances and wealth creation: a corporate renewal perspective

Creating new wealth lies at the heart of capitalism: traditionally, entrepreneurship is viewed as the primary engine in wealth creation. However, creating new wealth can also be the domain of corporate renewal efforts. In the strategic management area, three currently popular research streams deal with aspects of corporate renewal: corporate entrepreneurship, corporate venturing, and strategic evolution. Each research stream claims to provide a distinct solution to different managerial dilemmas facing corporations. The article argues that these three approaches are closely interrelated. The main linkage point is the notion of opportunity recognition. Managers need to promote corporate-wide entrepreneurial behaviour as a vital input into strategy formulation and implementation. It is in this context that strategic alliances play a key role in firms. Success depends on participating firms co-evolving strategy while paying close attention to the changing business and technological environment in which the firms must operate. Recognition of this interdependence of alliance strategy with changing environmental forces leads to the emergence of entrepreneurial opportunities as a key benefit of alliances. Approaches are suggested that could help senior managers use alliances as a way to stimulate corporate-wide entrepreneurial behaviour and wealth-creating corporate renewal. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cycles of continuous improvement

This paper aims at increasing the understanding of the processes and dynamics of CI implementation. The paper presents findings from a longitudinal case study of how the organization is renewed by the embedding of quality‐related managerial ideology. It approaches CI from the perspective of organizational renewal, and looks at implementation as a managerial ideological change process. The paper draws on multi disciplinary concepts. The concept of ideology from political science is applied. Ideology is viewed as a force of organizational renewal, in other words, as a means that exerts influence on managerial thinking and practices. The ideological perspective provides new conceptual ideas and practical insights into CI implementation. The case study shows that CI implementation is cyclical and reveals company‐specific cycles. These cycles imply a challenge to management: the progress in developing CI capabilities is embedded in a rooted managerial ideology through which inimitable competitive advantages can be realized.

Towards a typology of lexical accent: “Stress accent” and “pitch accent” in a renewed perspective. By Frans van Coetsem. (Monographien zur Sprachwissenschaft, 18.) Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1996. Pp. 141. Paper. DM 48,00.

Recension av Frans van Coetsem, Towards a typology of lexical accent: Stress accent and pitch accent in a renewed perspective

New Roles for Rhetoric: From Academic Critique to Civic Affirmation

The classical conception of rhetoric as the method of reasoned political judgment survived into the Renaissance but was reduced to academic critiques of style and "empty" public rhetoric with the rise of modern science and its representationalist theories of language. Recently, however, rhetoric, textuality, and the "linguistic turn" generally, have become central metaphors in the human sciences. This renewed rhetorical perspective not only fosters a critique of positive philosophy and of scientism in public discourse, it also offers affirmative methods by which persons can construct their civic lives.

The Use of Scripture in Augustine's Theology

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of Scripture in Augustine's theology with a view to bringing a renewed perspective to the question of scriptural authority in Augustine and possibly for us today. Although not to be viewed as an original contribution to patristic scholarship, this review is also given as a possible aid to those who are meeting Augustine's view of Scripture for the first time or who are desirous of renewing a forgotten acquaintance.

Pre-Election Conduct - Expanding Employer Rights and Some New and Renewed Perspectives

This article discusses the evolution of selected National Labor Relations Board rules and procedures governing employer conduct during the period preceding a representation election. Several com mentators have suggested that there should be fewer structural con trols on employer campaign conduct, and Board decisions indicate such a trend. The author considers the validity of these suggestions and concludes that rather than a drastic reduction in Board control, the Board should clarify the rules concerning permissible conduct and consider other kinds of reform.

Back to Where It All Began: Revisiting Algonquin Resource Use and Territoriality

This article examines resource use among the Algonquin and its change over time. Archaeological and historical data show that the current importance of the moose for both food and clothing among Algonquin people is a relatively recent phenomenon: in pre-contact times up until the nineteenth century, small mammals such as beaver and hare were the most important animals used. The dichotomy between access rights to moose and fur-bearing animals also seems to be a recent phenomenon. As this dichotomy has been used as a major element in theoretical reconstructions of past territoriality and governance, this re-evaluation thus offers a renewed perspective on the history of family hunting territories among Algonquian peoples.

EXCITATION AND EXCITATION-CONTRACTION COUPLING IN CARDIAC MUSCLE.

In compliance with editorial instructions, this reviewer will discuss only a few highly selected topics related to cardiac cellular electrophysiology and excitation-contraction coupling which are either currently controversial or, in his opinion, in need of a renewed perspective. Amid the multitude of recent developments in muscle physiology there appear four aspects of cardiac muscle behavior which are of specific interest to the author. They are (a) a challenge of the applicability of the ionic hypothe5i5 to cardiac muscle ba5ed on the per5istence of electrical and mechanical responses in nonionic media, (b) the occurrence, in the types of cardiac muscle whose action potential possesses a plateau, of a membrane conductance which during the plateau falls to a value equal to or less than its diastolic value, (c) the existence of a correlation between the duration of the membrane potential duration and the rise time to peak tension in several but not all types of cardiac muscle nor under all conditions, and (d) the finding that muscle tissue placed in hypertonic media undergoes an apparent uncoupling of electrical and mechanical events. Without further examination of the available data, it is intriguing to ask whether all these phenomena might not be manifestations of the basic properties of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism. This reviewer will attempt to place these observations in a perspective with which to evaluate this question.