j_p

Stop the pain-killers now; if you are considering prescription medication, use one that is intended for your problem. I go on and off Wellbutrin; I love it. I should probably stay on it, but I am not good with pills. I do not experience loss of affect or a decrease in sexual desire on it. I've said this elsewhere, but I will repeat myself: walk. About three miles a day. If you have trouble doing this, sleep in work-out clothes, and leave your sneakers and breathmints by the door, so you don't even have to brush your teeth. I don't find weight-training as effective, but you might.

I tried Alice Bot; I gave up at "How do you know? Who or what is experience?"

Additional comments: I have physical symptons [such as dry mouth] but no emotional sensations of fear. I experience 'falling' very frequently, but paralysis seldom. I am frequently aware of my paralysis while dreaming, and it wakes me up. I've alway assumed 'falling' and paralysis where caused by your body going into the dreamstate paralysis before your 'mind'.

Oh. Ok. What is this test? A standardized test like the SATs? I really don't know as much about psychology research as I would like. Can you recommend a good web-site for a general introduction? [College textbooks aren't really an options for me right now]. But, while I am willing to stipulate that psychopathy is more common in males than in females, I would still argue, that is irrelevant in a nature/nuture debate, because males and females experience different environments, or, the same environments differently. I think the best way to address that issue would be to examine when the frequency of psychopathy in males and in females has changed over time, as social changes alter the environment. However, that would not be possible as the means of diagnosing the problem keeps evolving.

I was not discussing serial killers, but giving an [admmittedly sloppy] example of how social preconceptions effects the design of the study, and the design of the study effects the results, and therefore the conclusion. It is not clear whether you mean that femal psychopaths have certain traits in common, as do male, or that all psychopaths, female and male, have certain traits in common. In an earlier post, I was trying to make the point that, because girls are socialized from a very early age to be aware of the expectations and opinions of others, it is possible they learn to hide their psychopathic traits, without therapy. Studies on the treatment of heart disease have shown that, if a disease of any type is believe more common in one sub-group of the population, it will be diagnosed more often and earlier, and subsequently treated more agressively, in individuals of that sub-group. While I am willing to believe that psychopathy is more common in males than in females, I still believe it is possible that is more commonly diagnosed.

That's why there are Guineas and Pounds? So, is a Guinea still 245 pence, or did that change with decimalization?

Oh. Your physics professor found it innocuous. Oddly enough, now I am convinced that the survey has an anti-science/pro-religious political agenda. I think you should write a letter to the president of the university and the board of directors, using the issues raised in this thread, protesting the distribution of a dubious survey with no acknowledged authors. Emphasize the points raised by Xavier, as they attack the survey as a survey, and can not be dismissed as a result of the poor state of scientific education in the US. Or you could study for finals.

You brought up gender as well as ethnicity; I just picked one of the characteristics. And yes there are lots of differences between men and women, but there are lots of similarities, too. The Bells overlap. You seem to assume that the difference is serotonin levels is caused by 'nature' rather than 'nurture'; don't serotonin levels change in response to external factors? And even if it were possible to place men and women in identical environments, won't they, because of socialization, experience the environment differently? So old? I would have thought younger. I am certain that children feel heavy pressure to conform to the social expectations of their gender from birth. And stressors are more powerful when they are implied, as during the earliest socialization of children, than explicated. So the white-male-specific stressors would be present early enough to cause the pathology. Another half remembered study from long ago; when faced with a crying baby, most people will comfort a girl and try to distract a boy; and they will continue whether their behavior is successful or not. [i think the trigger is the perceived rather than actual sex of the child; curly-haired girls dressed in blue were distracted rather than comforted]. How can anyone learn compassion unless they get hugged when they cry?

Xavier: You defended the survey like a sociologist [at least, I think you did; I disagreed with a lot of it, but there is no point in repeating my thoughts]. Thank you very much for this perspective. BTW, I think it is a good thing that most people try to figure out the intent in questions; do they usually try to figure the intent of the survey as a whole, as we are doing here? Your observations about the use of quotations marks and title case are interesting; I completely dismissed them and mentally put them in the 'Bad Survey', rather than 'Slanted Survey', column. I hadn't given due weight to the simple True/False questions either; but then the questions are a bit more black and white than most survey questions. I will definitely watch for that in future surveys. The multiple choice, straight out the text book questions: I just accepted they were filler; I didn't think of a subtler purpose. I am going to review the responses: Bluenoise: harmless Martin: harmless, but our suspicions are a result of a prevailing anti-science bias [that's kind of interesting ...] Sangderenard: anti-science bias; gut reaction Othery_Guy: anti-science bias; use of scientific terms, etc. J_P: wavering between bad survey and anti-science bias Ecoli: suspects something; survey structure, T/F ?s Sociology Professor: bad survey, but honest Spyman: anti-science bias; gut reaction Xavier: anti-science bias; survey structure and non-scientific terms So, people of very different back-grounds suspect an anti-science bias for very different reasons. You've almost convinced me, but I still believe the survey could be a student's project. But that's probably wishful thinking. Spyman is right, Sangderenard; you should do something about this. There is no name of the organization presenting the survey; isn't that unusual?

Actually, I didn't think you sounded like a paranoid lunatic at all; a bit overly emphatic, definitely stressed, but completely rational. However, I disagree with you on one point. It is very important to parse the survey; there are lots of young, non-paranoid people here who may not be sensitive to manipulation and propaganda, or, for that matter, how preconceptions can influence data collection and the resulting conclusions. I would really like to know where this survey came from, too.

Nothing has ever worked better for me than regular physical activity; during really bad periods I have to sleep in work-out clothes and leave my sneakers right by the door, so that I don't even have to get dressed to leave the house. And I don't keep coffee in the house so I have to go out. Once you're out, it's easier to keep going for a few miles.

I did understand you, but I still disagree; I don't want to get side tracked here. I may answer this later. [aside] [giggle]Oh, that is not my problem.[/giggle] [/aside] Again, does this indicate ignorance or an attempt to elicit a specific response? I think I am going to come out a bit stronger in favor of True; science is about measuring; no instrument [or scientist] is perfect; therefore error will occur. Instruments are machines; machines are manufactured within certain tolerances; machines wear out. [An instrument may be capable of giving accurate results with the necessary precision when used correctly and properly calibrated, but that is not perfect; that is good enough]. Analysts are not machines; their tolerance is more variable [a little scientific pun there] and their accuracy is usually significantly less than the instrument. And then there is the sample being measured. Samples change while being measured, not just by the act of measuring. Imagine trying to weigh out exactly one milligram of acetone [i know you wouldn't, but you see my point.] The measurment system [instrument, analyst, sample] can not be perfect. [Maybe I did just respond to 7.] 17. Non technical use of the word "conclude" in a technical question. Bias or ignorance? [Actually, I don't assume my balance is out of calibration anymore, I presume it.] Definitely precision; I am very sensitive on this subject. At work I am required to report results with a false degree of precision. Drives me batshit. I still am not convinced this was an innocently bad survey. Does that indicate a [unwarrented] high opinion of the communication skills of my fellows, or paranoia? Is there a psychology professor we can run it by?

But our premise is that this is not a legitimate survey; it has been designed to elicit specific responses. But, as a chemist, I am not certain; it could just be a bad survey. So we need the opinion of an expert on surveys; a sociologist, psychologist, and/or a linguist. However, we need such experts with grounding in the hard science, so he can recognize the scientific inaccuracies. So, let me know how things go with your sociology prof.

Question 5: is that a poorly worded choice, or an indication of bias? Question 7: I fundamentally disagree with you [or your associate?]. Question 10: Is it a dud question or a failure of scientific terminology? Maybe there should be a term between Theory and Law. Question 12: A very important source of bias in science, the choosing of the questions; few scientist will admit that. Question 13: You may be right, but I'd bet my mortgage payment that it's true. Science measures things; if no measuring device is perfect, there will be experimental error. Question 17: I would recalibrate both balances; but, in the interest of peace, I would merely assume it necessary. [i missed that choice of words.] Question 18: arrgh. Accuracy. The difference between accuracy and precision is fundamental in analyzing your data. Question 19: Isn't it "D"? Now, can we get a sociologist or psychologist with a firm grounding in science to check out the survey?

And there is every reason to know how to manipulate them, lest others manipulate you. It is much better to recognize the non-legitimate assertion of a converse of a universal positive statement than to think, "Wait a minute, that doesn't sound right ...". One may not need words to have ideas, but it makes it easier. I think Huxley addresses that in the preface to BNW; or maybe it was Orwell. I haven't read either book in years. I never associate logic with philosophy; in my only straight philosophy class, we started out with logical arguments for and against the existence of an omniscient and omnipotent God. I could never get past the essential illogical of proving a belief. I worried about fulfilling that requirement for years. But that one week in algebra taught me more than Cicero and Socrates combined about dissecting an argument.

I subscribed to this post; I don't even subscribe to my own. Did you ever see a BBC show, I think it is about ten years old, about a machievellian British politician who eventually becomes Prime Minister? One of the characters gives a great description on how the questions in a survey are written to force certain responses.

Sources of experimental error are never meaningless fluff. But I get your point. You suspect a sophisticated anti-science agenda [i take back my "incredibly"]. Still, Question 7 should take the wind out of any Creationist sails; no-one would disagree and it is the reason creationists infuriate some scientist: religion isn't science. Maybe the survey has a sophisticated anti-creationist agenda; most people would say Question 2 is false, question 15 is true [and both those questions are designed to elicit those responses], and question 7 is true. How would those results be interpreted? I would still like to know if there is a slightly different survey being given; will you keep us informed?

I was completely comfortable reading the second page [after the first]; 16 through 20 seem to be honest attempts to guage the readers' knowledge. But I definitely sense some hidden agenda on the first page; I'm just not certain what. No single question jumps out at me, except the one about God. And would a person who doesn't know what 'hypothesis' means know what a parallax error is? The wording of most of the questions on the front have a bias, but both "pro-science" and "anti-science" bias is demonstrated. If this is a survey designed to elicit a certain response, it is either very poorly done or incredibly sophisticated. I think the anti-science bias outway the pro-. I think this is an experiment from another class; can you find out if any students got similar surveys, with slightly different questions? Of course, it could be intended to support extra funding for the science in your school; "See, 60 % of the students in science courses don't know what the scientific method is!"

Oh, I'm not taking a course; I just keep noticing logical errors in discussions [if all cats are grey, then, if you are grey, you're a cat], and those algebraic proofs keep popping into my head. I thought it was logic, rather than philosophy. Let me check out that link ... ah, yes, that is what I was looking for. My grey cat example is the non-legitimate assertion of the converse of a universal positive statement. And the link's link ... Oh, yes, they're both going into Tools and Reference. Wait a minute, now I am confused about your initial statement; "The obverse ... is equivalent to the converse ...". The link has "obverse", "converse", and "contrapositive" [which I apparently remembered incorrectly as "inverse"]. Am I missing something? Thank you so much; it was like a song stuck in my head. How could I have neglected to search under the term "inference"?

Thank you, I've always called them dracena. We call our 8-foot thistle the Dragon Plant.

It is true that when high school is over you will never have to see these people again. However, the sad truth is that there are people just like them in the real world. Purchasing agents, production supervisors, CFOs, HR personnel; you will need all these people to get your job done in the real world, and they will not be as impressed by your intellect as by your manners. High school is for learning how to deal with them. Observe the existing cultural norms and adapt your outward behavior so as to not deliberately conflict with these norms. If you are smart, this should not be difficult. I do not suggest you turn yourself into a brainless little clone; but we have to adapt our behavior to the situation. You wouldn't scratch your stomach or start a burping contest during Sunday dinner at your Grandmother's, would you? You should look at school as anthropological research. Of course, it is probably too late in your case; every group needs an outcast and that seems to be you. And that [i speak from experience] is a lot more fun. Now you can find all the other Outsiders and start a clique of your own, and have interesting conversations and drive your teachers crazy with questions they can't answer [be nice about it] and play with your personal style until you find one that doesn't annoy people [i'm not saying you are annoying]. Do you still want to fit in? Sigh. Pay attention to your appearance; again, don't be a clone, but show a little style. Play nice, don't sneer at the clones. Show a little interest in things that interest other people; science and math are in everything. But never, never, never deny your interest in science.

Sigh. I really thought someone here would know this; now I have to actually work to find out what I want to know. If I ever find out what I'm talking about, I'll let you know.

What's a Dragon Plant? I tried to force some tulips for planting, so I could fill in the empty spaces in my garden [who remembers exactly where the bare spots in the early spring are in the late fall?], but it doesn't seem to be working. I have a very small yard, so I can only do a simple garden, peppers and peas and the obligatory tomato with a little lettuce and a few strawberries for mulch. Plum tomato this year, I haven't picked out the peppers and peas yet.

That was very clever.