Abstract Aggregations and Proximity Preservation: An Impossibility Result

An impossibility result for completely abstract social aggregation rules is presented. It is shown that non-imposition and a new no-veto property (two properties in the spirit of the Pareto principle and non-dictatorship respectively) are incompatible with an inter-profile consistency condition formulated in terms of proximity preservation.The result in this paper has been presented in the Staff Seminar at the University of Graz and at the 2001 Meeting of the Public Choice Society in San Antonio. We are grateful to all participants, especially Hannu Nurmi and Don Saari, and to an anonymous referee for helpful comments.     

The Popular Debate about Low Fertility: An Analysis of the German Press, 1993–2001

Despite increasing research on the causes, consequences, and measurement of low fertility, questions about the nature and the extent of popular concerns over low fertility have yielded more speculation than examination. We address this gap in the literature through an analysis of 328 German newspaper and news magazine articles mentioning low fertility from 1993 to 2001. Our analysis reveals a paradox: while fertility rates have remained well below replacement levels and governmental discussions of low fertility have increased, discussion of low fertility as a concern in and of itself has been small and unchanging over time. We find this to be true because the problem of low fertility is rarely invoked as a concern in its own right, but is most often used as a tool in the popular debate to discuss other problems – political, economic, and cultural.     

Wenn alle tatsächlich in einem Boot sitzen — Eine Studie zur Identifikation mit der Schule im Kontext einer erlebnispädagogischen Gruppenerfahrung

We report on the results of an experience-pedagogic project on the identification of pupils from a technical school with their classes and school. The analysis is done from a perspective of organisational psychology and group dynamics, which is influenced by the social Identity Approach. It is stipulated that the experiences of a communal out-of-school activity strengthens the organisational identification. Additionally, it is verified whether the attitudes of the pupils towards their classes, and the participation in lessons, changes by influence of the project. The study shows a positive effect of this experience on organisational identity, attitudes toward the school, and behavioural intentions.     

Zerbrochene Liebe: Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten in den Ursachenzuschreibungen der beiden Partner — Eine Interviewstudie —

This essay analyses the subjective attribution processes of six couples after the separation. The theoretical basis for this exploration of attributions is a classification scheme (Debler, W. 1984) with dimensions location, stability, globalisation and control. The result is the predominating manifestation of external attribution in the sense of making the partner responsible. The hypothesis that all cases of women desiring the separation show a stronger internal attribution cannot be confirmed. In a second evaluation, concrete attributions in connection with communication, personal characteristics of the partner, birth of the first child and sexuality are pointed out in the context of the overall stories. In connection with personal characteristics of the partners the phenomenon of “changing attribution” can be observed — a trait of the partner that initially rated positive is seen as a cause of separation at the end of the relationship.     

A Lusin theorem for a class of Choquet capacities

We extend the Lusin Theorem to supermodular Dempster capacities. Received: July 2000; revised version: May 2001     

Vernichtung durch Kommunikation — aufgezeigt am Phänomen „Mobbing“

Annihilation through communication — the case of mobbingThere is sufficient clarity about the forms, the processes and the consequences of mobbing. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of theoretical explanations of this phenomenon. Based on a newly developed understanding of community and its expression in interpersonal communication the author sees mobbing as a case of extremely incongruent communication over a longer period of time among more than two individuals, with the aim of excluding individuals from the process of communication. Mobbing is thus an abuse of communication for the purpose of excommunication. Drawing on these arguments the author finally discusses means of prevention and intervention.     

Ergebnisse der Mediengewaltforschung: Überblick und Probleme

Results of media violence research: Overview and problemsOn the basis of massive acts of violence of children and young people the question arises to what extent the media make a contribution to these incidents. The results of empirical media research about the effects of the consumption of violence representations in the media are collected. As the basis for the argumentation predominantly the existing metaanalysis in the international research literature were used; with these can be convincingly argued against those theses, put again and again into the public in order to weaken the importance of medium influence. The theses set up in the public discourse are arranged thereby in the sense of an ?encyclopaedia of popular mistakes“, which are analyzed critically and disproved.On the basis of a multifactor model about the emergence of acts of violence the ways of how medium representations can affect behaviour are delineated. The view presented actually in the empirical media research corresponds neither to the frequently postulated and roughly simplifying imitation thesis, still to the simple stimulus-reaction hypothesis. However, in the public discussion these and other simplifying assumptions are reiterated again and again in order to diminish the responsibility of the media. It is also to be considered that subjective evidences, after which such effects are denied, are even explanation-needy facts, which since a long time are well documented in the social-psychological research as ?Third person effect“. Additionally suggestions are made, which measures within the diverse social fields against the media flood and its effects are to be taken.     

Einführung von Coaching Ein Schulleiter kann es nicht immer allen recht machen

Coaching with a headmasterThe author describes a coaching process with a headmaster in difficulties, who always wants to please everybody. He lacks the necessary professional delimitation. Though refusing it initially, he recognizes the necessity and the advantage of a professional delimitation. By utilizing it in small steps, his contacts to the parents improve, he has more time for his administrative work, and he feels less oppressed by his tasks.     

Unterschiede zwischen Coaching und Psychotherapie

Differences between coaching and psychotherapyCoaching is not a hidden psychotherapy with managers, though the methods are similar. Unlike psychotherapy, coaching mainly refers to the professional context, it requires normal capacities of self regulation and addresses to managers. A coach cannot take the place of a psychotherapist, and therapists cannot do the work of a coach without a respective education and role definition. The author describes these and other differences.     

Verstehen als Grundlage supervisionsgeleiteter Veränderung Individualpsychologische Gruppensupervision mit Lehrer/innen

Understanding as basics of change processes by supervision. Individualpsychological group supervision with teachersThe author delineates the concept of the individualpsychological supervision, its theoretical background, the main topics and the detailed procedure. This article firstly discusses the goals and the task of the depth psychological founded approach. The individualpsychological work is described in process and explained by an example. The main item of the individualpsychological procedure is explained by analysing and working on the lifestyle and embedded in a model. Hereby teachers are helped to achieve new pattern of thought and of action by sensitive understanding concerning the field of school.