scholarly journals To the problem of reduction of dispositional terms of scientific theory

Author(s):  
Dmitriy Pavlovich Surovyagin

This article examines the problem of reduction of dispositional terms in the scientific theory. Dispositional terms are the predicated, expressing proclivity of the body for having a certain response in particular circumstances. The difference between dispositional predicated and other descriptive terms consists in the fact that for their identification it is essential to know an empirical factor that invokes manifestation of a dispositional trait. Since disposition cannot be observed directly, it requires carrying out an experiment to reveal the needed quality of a subject. It is established that for dispositional predicates, definition should be viewed as a particular case of reduction. Such conclusion is substantiated by the fact that the two-sided reduction sentence represents a special case of a reduction pair of sentences. In constant clarification of the meaning of dispositional term empirically, the set of reference using reduction sentences is more convenient, since it can be augmented with a new sentence that describes the additional verification conditions. Presence in the language of observation of dispositional predicates, which could not be determined in a usual way, and possibility of their reduction underline nonequivalence of the methodological operations of reduction and definition in the substantive scientific theories, which also represents an argument for further research of reduction in natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Dreyfus argues that there is a basic methodological difference between the natural sciences and the social sciences, a difference that derives from the different goals and practices of each. He goes on to argue that being a realist about natural entities is compatible with pluralism or, as he calls it, “plural realism.” If intelligibility is always grounded in our practices, Dreyfus points out, then there is no point of view from which one can ask about or provide an answer to the one true nature of ultimate reality. But that is consistent with believing that the natural sciences can still reveal the way the world is independent of our theories and practices.


Author(s):  
Heather N. Fedesco ◽  
Drew Cavin ◽  
Regina Henares

Field-based learning in higher education is lacking both in practice at colleges and in research within the academic literature. This study aims to address these deficits by exploring the benefits of, and suggesting strategies for, executing field study in higher education across a variety of courses. We report the results of a qualitative research design that included the observation of five courses within the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Approximately eight students per observed course were interviewed three times during their course to assess perceptions of the class, their peers and instructor, the field experiences, and their motivation throughout the course. In total, 130 individual interviews were conducted with 45 students. Results revealed that field-based learning enhances the degree of relatedness students feel with their classmates and instructors, they have a greater degree of intrinsic motivation in the course, and these experiences facilitate learning in ways that may not be replicated in the traditional classroom. In addition, we created a typology of field-based learning, which includes eight different trips that could be employed in higher education courses. We also identified general strategies to improve the execution of these trips.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Fandresena Arilala Sendrasoa ◽  
Naina Harinjara Razanakoto ◽  
Volatantely Ratovonjanahary ◽  
Onivola Raharolahy ◽  
Irina Mamisoa Ranaivo ◽  
...  

Background. Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, and multifactorial dermatosis that impairs quality of life (QoL). Health-related QoL has become an important element in medical decision-making along with the effectiveness and the harmlessness of the treatments. Objective. To assess the impact of psoriasis in the QoL of patients with psoriasis by using the DLQI scales. Methods. A cross-sectional study from January to June 2018 was conducted in the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar, including patients more than 18 years old with mild to severe psoriasis. The severity of psoriasis was assessed using the “Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)”. QoL of patients with psoriasis was evaluated by using the DLQI scales. Results. 80 patients were included, their mean age was 36.5 years, and the male to female was 1.5 : 1. The mean DLQI score was 13.8. Symptoms, feelings, and psychic were the most altered dimensions. QoL was impaired in young patients, single, having medium level education. Even though patients with disease duration more than 5 years had higher DLQI score than other patients, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.36). Furthermore, the clinical presentation of psoriasis did not influence the patient’s QoL (p=0.73). Patients with nail involvement had QoL impaired but the difference with another localization was not statistically significant (p=0.2). The quality of life was influenced by body area involved. The higher the body surface area involved, the more QoL is impaired (p=0.002). Furthermore, the higher the PASI, the more QoL is altered (p=0.002). Conclusion. Psoriasis has a negative impact in the quality of life in Malagasy patients with psoriasis, especially in younger and single patients. Worse quality of life is correlated to severity of psoriasis.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (06) ◽  
pp. 809-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. ROEHNER ◽  
D. SORNETTE ◽  
J. V. ANDERSEN

We show that, provided one focuses on properly selected episodes, one can apply to the social sciences the same observational strategy that has proved successful in natural sciences such as astrophysics or geodynamics. For instance, in order to probe the cohesion of a society, one can, in different countries, study the reactions to some huge and sudden exogenous shocks, which we call Dirac shocks. This approach naturally leads to the notion of structural (as opposed or complementary to temporal) forecast. Although structural predictions are by far the most common way to test theories in the natural sciences, they have been much less used in the social sciences. The Dirac shock approach opens the way to testing structural predictions in the social sciences. The examples reported here suggest that critical events are able to reveal pre-existing "cracks" because they probe the social cohesion which is an indicator and predictor of future evolution of the system, and in some cases they foreshadow a bifurcation. We complement our empirical work with numerical simulations of the response function ("damage spreading") to Dirac shocks in the Sznajd model of consensus build-up. We quantify the slow relaxation of the difference between perturbed and unperturbed systems, the conditions under which the consensus is modified by the shock and the large variability from one realization to another.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 96-108
Author(s):  
N. L. Abramyan ◽  
M. V. Alekyan ◽  
M. R. Tadevosyan

In the context of the globalization of academic communication and exchange in the field of social sciences and humanities, the question of the accuracy of the terms used is crucial. In particular, the difference in understanding of concepts tends to get worse in the theory of journalism. There are many examples of this, but this article studies the specific problem of confusion in terms and definitions. Namely, are the concepts “information flows”, “journalism”, “mass media”, “QMS” equal in volume, or are they multi-volume and different in meaning? Based on the chosen research methods – the use of a combination of analysis, comparison, induction, generalization – we came to the conclusion that the media concepts presented above cannot be considered as equivalents, synonymous or interchangeable terms. The scope and content of the considered concepts do not coincide. It will be beneficial to classify them as “interdependent”, since only in such a ratio is it possible to effectively study them.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Drekalović

Ever since its beginnings, mathematics has occupied a special position among all sciences, natural, as well as social sciences and humanities. It has not only provided a role model in terms of methodology, particularly when it comes to natural sciences, but other sciences have always relied on mathematics extensively both in their development and for solving various open questions. The beginning of the 21st century foregrounded the issue of the so-called explanatory role of mathematics in science. However, the reference literature features only a few examples as illustration of this role. This paper aims at showing that those examples, even though they are used for illustrating precisely the same purpose, also illustrate various explanatory scopes which mathematical tools can reach within a scientific explanation. Some of these examples also show how mathematics, unfortunately, provides false credibility to scientific explanations.


Author(s):  
Phuong Dzung Pho ◽  
Phuong Thi Minh Tran

Publishing scientific research is very important in contributing to the knowledge of a discipline and in sharing experience among scientists. However, there are few studies to find solutions to improve the quantity and quality of research publications, especially those in the fields of social sciences and humanities. This case study aims at finding the difficulties that lecturers from different faculties and departments of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City have encountered in publishing their research. Based on the survey data, the study suggests practical solutions to enhance Vietnamese researchers’ national and international publications in order to meet integration challenges.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T I Agartan ◽  
D Atobra

Abstract Background The storm of increasing global disease burden and health threats calls for the combined utilisation of all disciplines to promote global health. In practice, natural sciences and clinical perspectives still dominate global health discussions and proposed solutions, with little room for effective collaborations with social sciences and humanities. The aim is to examine the extent of multidisciplinary collaborations in global health, identify and analyse the types of actors and disciplinary approaches employed, and the modes or patterns of multidisciplinarity. Vaccine hesitancy and refusal, and the Ebola epidemic of 2014-16 serve our analysis as two case studies of recent global health threats, that brought various global health actors together in diverse projects: Methods A literature review was conducted using the PubMed database and Google Scholar over a period of five years (2014-2019). Results The findings suggest that different social science and humanities disciplines were involved in solving global health threats at different stages and in various ways. We identified two types of collaboration: 1) Reactive collaborations where a team of health experts in the natural sciences turn to social sciences only because of challenges in implementing the project. 2) Interactive collaborations, that aim to involve social sciences in the early stages of research, development, and implementation of programs to understand and work effectively within the cultural and social contexts of communities affected by health emergencies. This type of interaction pays more attention to affected populations and the health workers, who are responsible for implementing the SDGs and global health interventions. Conclusions Disciplinary hierarchies are huge barriers to solving global challenges. A transdisciplinary framework has most potential to respond effectively to global health threats and action is needed to implement this approach in global health education.


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