Low Down

Facet Theory (FT) offers a different solution to the problem of classifying the actions of serial murderers. The facet approach combines the following: 1.   Complementary interplay between hypothesis generation and hypothesis testing. The generation of hypotheses is facilitated by representation of complex relationships in geometric forms. The testing of hypotheses and their replicability draws upon a formal framework, with minimal assumptions. 2.     A formal system for representing sets of interrelated, multivariate hypotheses that is combined with empirical procedures for examining their validity. 3.   A set of nonmetric multivariate statistical procedures for revealing the structures inherent in complex data, together with principles for the interpretation of the products of those analyses.  There are three basic facet structures: 1) background facets; 2) domain facets; and 3) range facets (i.e., content facets). Background facets describe what may be consid...

There are a number of strategies that can help the brain function more efficiently. These include directed attention, repetition, association, clustering, key words, and mnemonic devices, to list just a few . Directed attention, sometimes called selective attention, lets you focus only on the information that you need. This is a blessing because if you are reading an article or watching a film in your foreign language, especially when proficiency is not very advanced, there are probably many words and expressions that are simply meaningless to you. Getting “stuck” on each new word is not an efficient use of your time. Nor is using the dictionary to look up everything you do not understand or know. Using the strategy of directed attention requires that you decide ahead of time what you want to learn from what you are hearing or reading and to look for that information specifically. It also lets you pass by whatever you do not understand and focus on what you do understand. P...