In what follows I examine problems surrounding Barbara Herrnstein Smith's relativist conception of value in her book Contingencies of Value: Alternative Perspectives for Critical Theory. I begin by showing how her conception of value is comprised of two distinct philosophical claims: the first axiological and the second epistemological. She first presents an anti-objectivist argument for axiological relativism which is quite tenable. She then tries to gain further support for this position by putting forth a version of epistemological relativism, a move which not only fails, but if true would undermine even her relativist axiology. Once I have shown her constructivist position to be misleading, if not incoherent, I then reconsider what her axiological position would look like if it had the support of a more tenable epistemology. I therefore offer a conception of value, borrowed from Paul Grice's The Conception of Value and Allan Gibbard's Wise Choices, Apt Feelings, which argues from a realist epistemology yet accepts a significant degree of axiological relativism.

Personnel departments in general have a poor reputation for power and influence, although little is known empirically about their position in Higher Education institutions (HEI). There are various factors in the HEI context that suggest that the department should be important but not necessarily powerful. Therefore, by applying existing theory (strategic contingencies theory) to examine the determinants of power and the perceived level of power of the department, a more detailed view of the power of the Personnel department in Higher Education (HE) can be observed. The strategic contingencies theory model proves to be a reliable approach to apply in this context, and demonstrates clearly how the Personnel department is consistently rated lower than other administrative departments on the indicator variables. However, in order to go beyond the static picture of structural power sources sketched from strategic contingencies theory, institutional theory is drawn upon to try to understand how the current situation of low power has arisen. Particular elements of the institutionalised HEI context are explored to discover their effect on both the determinants and levels of power. These elements include the historical status of institutions, eth extent of professionalism in departments, and the sophistication of use of information systems in service delivery; all factors discussed in existing institutional theory arguments. Based on 144 questionnaire responses from a total of 73 HEIs across the UK, the quantitative analyses show differences in the power of Personnel departments in institutions with different historical characteristics, however professionalism and the use of information systems do not show clear relationships with power. Further qualitative data collection from seventeen interviews with HEI senior managers highlights how professionalism in the HEI context has a much broader definition than professional qualification and identity for the Personnel department. the use of information systems is also shown to be equally primitive across institutions in the current HEI context, preventing an evaluation of sophistication of use from yielding conclusive results.

La presente investigación fue realizada para determinar los impactos de las importaciones en materia tributaria y dilemas éticos que se presentan en los Resultados Financieros de las empresas del Sector Farmacéutico de Lima Metropolitana durante el periodo 2018. Para ello, la investigación se basará en la normatividad que existe en la actualidad sobre el tema de importaciones y sus contingencias tributarias. Por otro lado, también se basará en las diferentes investigaciones que se han realizado hasta el momento en materia ética que conllevan a un impacto en los Resultados Financieros. Para validar nuestra hipótesis general y específica, hemos realizado trabajos de campo a las principales empresas farmacéuticas de nuestra muestra en Lima Metropolitana, para la cual hemos realizado una encuesta a cada personal que trabaje en el área de contabilidad o impuestos. Por otro lado, se realizó entrevistas a los principales expertos en temas tributarios y éticos del sector. Finalmente, hemos realizado un (1) caso práctico para evaluar el impacto de nuestro trabajo de investigación A partir de los datos analizados, concluimos que hay un impacto en materia tributaria y dilemas éticos de las empresas del sector farmacéutico, que puede ser significativos si no se tiene un correcto manejo, ya que existe riesgo de que los precios sigan en tendencia al alza, sin contar con una justificación de los costos. Asimismo, como resultado del análisis se pudo comprobar que el impacto en materia tributaria el Estado, deja de percibir 36 millones de soles en 12 medicamentos contra las enfermedades más recurrentes del cáncer. Además, que el personal de las compañías se encuentra en un dilema ético llevando a paraísos fiscales beneficios farmacéutica para eludir impuestos. / The present investigation was carried out to determine the impacts of the imports in tax matters and ethical dilemmas that are presented in the Financial Results of the companies of the Pharmaceutical Sector of Metropolitan Lima during the period 2018. To do this, the investigation will be based on the regulations that currently exists on the subject of imports and their tax contingencies. On the other hand, it will also be based on the different investigations that have been carried out so far on ethical matters that lead to an impact on the Financial Results. To validate our hypotheses, we have carried out field work to the main pharmaceutical companies of our sample in Metropolitan Lima, which have conducted a survey. On the other hand, interviews were conducted with the main experts on tax and ethical. Finally, we have made one (1) case study to evaluate the impact of our thesis topic Based on the data analyzed, we conclude that there is an impact on tax matters and ethical dilemmas of companies in the pharmaceutical sector, which can be significant if there is no proper management. Likewise, as a result of the analysis it was possible to verify that the impact on tax matters the State ceases to receive 36 million soles in 12 medicines against the most recurrent diseases of cancer. In addition, that the personnel of the companies are in an ethical dilemma leading to tax havens pharmaceutical benefits to avoid taxes. / Tesis

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The present investigation tested the prediction that effortless control processing, the deliberate activation of innate automatic encoding mechanisms, will enable nondepressed persons to accurately judge degree of control. Subjective judgment of control in nondepressed students was examined by a modification of the method developed by Jenkins and Ward (1965). The modification was based on Hasher and Zacks' (1979) version of the method. Several measures were used to assess students' representations of control. Students were asked to judge the degree of control their responses had over outcomes rather than the degree of contingency between responses and outcomes. To facilitate comparison of prior studies on the judgment of contingency with the present study, Jenkins and Ward's (1965) index of the actual degree of control was used. Their index used the magnitude of the difference between the conditional probability of an outcome given the occurrence of one response versus the conditional probability of the outcome given the occurrence of another response as representing degree of control or contingency. In this experiment, students instructed in effortful control processing and effortless control processing were presented with a series of problems in which there was no contingency between their responses and outcomes. The problems differed in the degree of favorable outcome frequency. Students' abilities to detect noncontingency between responses and outcomes under different conditions of outcome frequency was examined.

The current study explored how the variability or lack thereof in interlocking behavioral contingencies (IBC) may be brought under contextual control. Four undergraduates (two dyads) students participated in the current study. Dyads were instructed to play a game on a computer screen with the goal to earn as many "Congratulations" as possible. An ABABAB reversal design was used. A Lag 1 schedule of cultural consequence delivery for IBC topography was set in the variability (VAR) condition. During the repeated (REP) condition only one IBC topography was reinforced. For one of the two dyads, the variability of IBC topography was brought under contextual control. It is important to explore the behavioral processes at the cultural level to understand prediction and control of cultural phenomena.

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This thesis attempted a cross-species replication of Bland, et. al., 2018. Human participants went through a computerized, automated shaping procedure that trained them to click on and discriminate between a blue square (SD) and red square (S-delta) on a VR 12 schedule of reinforcement. Three conditions were then presented to the participants consisting of a baseline, punishment, and control condition. In the punishment and control conditions, the SD was replaced by the S-delta or a novel stimulus respectively for 1-second on a VR 5 schedule. With each click, the reaction time and specific object clicked on were recorded. While the present study partially replicated the effect seen in earlier research, our results suggest that, depending on the lens of analysis used, either a punishment or an extinction effect may be causing the results seen.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:18:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Christian Vichi.pdf: 5278773 bytes, checksum: 495a0e7efff435b41f184594ec4dfb6f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-08-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / For Skinner the human behavior is determined by phylogenetic, onthogenetic and cultural variables, according to the selection by consequences model. The cultural practices are algokept, according to Skinner, for its consequences for the group: the aggregated outcome among them. Experiments concerning the selection of such practices, rare in the behavior analysis, have been conducted for sociologists and social psychologist, as Wiggins. In the present work was investigated the possibility to modify the way that the participants of an experimental group distributetheir profit in a gamblegame- equall distributions or not - manipulating only the aggregatedoutcomesproducedby the group- the successor failurein the game.Eight colleges students distributed in two groups had participated; they had passed for the same experimental conditions in different sequences. The change of experimental condition depended on stability in the performance of the group. In a gamble game each member of the group bet tokens and with their colleagues debated and choose a possible resultoIf the bet was announced as correct, the group received in return the double of the investment, if the bet was incorrect, the group received half from the bet tokens. The result was announced by the experimenter and depended (without the knowledge of the participants) on the way as the group had distributed the tokens among the members in the previous turnoIn the experimental condition "A", ifthe distribution ofthe tokens were equall among ali its members in the previous turn, it was announced as "correct". In condition "B" the success was a result of an unequall division. The results show that the procedure was effective in modifying the way as the integrants of the groups distribute the gotten resources. The results had aiso shown that the change in the performance of the participants was more difficult when the success was followed by unequall distribution of the bets outcomes. Verbal reports collected at the end of the experiment indicate that no participant was capable to verbally describe the variable responsible for the success in the task. It is discussed the possibility to interpret the manipulations made in the group and its results in terms of the metacontigencies notion / Para Skinner o comportamento humano é determinado por variáveis filogenéticas, ontogenéticas e culturais, segundo o modelo de seleção por conseqüências. Também as práticas culturais são mantidas, segundo Skinner, pelas suas conseqüências para o grupo: entre elas, os resultados agregados que produzem. Experimentos acerca da seleção de tais práticas, raros na análise do comportamento, têm sido conduzidos por sociólogos e psicólogos sociais, como Wiggins. No presente trabalho investigou-se a possibilidade de alterar o modo como os participantes de um grupo experimental distribuíam seus ganhos em umjogo de apostas - distribuições igualitárias ou não - manipulando somente os resultados agregados produzidos por este grupo - o sucesso ou fracasso no jogo. Participaram oito universitários distribuídos em dois grupos, que passaram pelas mesmas condições experimentais em diferentes seqüências. A mudança de condição experimental dependia de estabilidade no desempenho do grupo. Num jogo de apostas cada participante do grupo apostava fichas e com seus colegas debatia e escolhia um resultado possível. Se a aposta fosse anunciada como certa o grupo recebia de volta o dobro do investimento feito, se a aposta fosse errada, o grupo recebia metade das fichas apostadas. O resultado era anunciado pelo experimentador e dependia (sem o conhecimento dos participantes) do modo como o grupo havia distribuído as fichas entre os membros na jogada anterior. Na condição experimental "A" se a distribuição das fichas era igualitária entre todos os seus integrantes na jogada anterior a aposta seguinte era anunciada como certa. Na condição "B" acerto seguia uma divisão desigual. Os resultados mostram que o procedimento foi eficaz em alterar o modo como os integrantes dos grupos distribuíam os recursos obtidos. Os resultados mostraram também que a mudança no desempenho dos participantes foi mais difícil quando ganhar era seguido de distribuição desigual dos resultados das apostas. Relatos verbais coletados ao final do experimento indicam que nenhum participante foi capaz de descrever verbalmente as variáveis responsáveis pelo sucesso na tarefa. Discute-se a possibilidade de interpretar as manipulações feitas e seus resultados em termos da noção de metacontingências

This two part analysis looks at forecasting models in the United States' 2016 presidential election and breaks down the elections fundamental and contingency factors. This paper argues that political science forecasting models could be improved through a more localized approach and by utilizing additional contingency factors. The psychology study of this analysis explores the already established relationship between political conservatism and favorability ratings, as well as the relationship between perceived similarity between voter personality and candidate personality, referred to as personality mirroring, and favorability ratings. The study uses past research to suggest that these relationships for the 2016 presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, can be explained through mediating variables: leader effectiveness and trust. The study used participants recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for data, all adults who voted in the 2016 US presidential election. The study found that there was a full mediation of leadership effectiveness for Donald Trump and significant partial mediation for the other three explored relationships.