Making a clearing: Qualitative research in anglophone Canadian psychology.

Qualitative research (QR) occupies a middle ground between the sciences and the humanities, which goes against established research practice in psychology and most related social and health science disciplines. At present, QR in Canadian psychology is beginning to take root in some universities and research organizations. Most of the contributors to this special issue reflect this development in Anglophone Canadian psychology. This article briefly introduces the contributions to this special issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of early research experience and research self-efficacy.

Graduate students in psychology typically report that they either love research or hate research. Despite the fact that most doctoral students in psychology enter some type of clinical practice upon graduation, research is a requirement for all students enrolled in scientist-practitioner programs regardless of their career aspirations beyond graduation. Research advances knowledge in the field of psychology and often guides clinical practice, yet very few psychologists conduct research after graduate school (C. J. Gelso, 1993). Efforts have been undertaken to determine factors that contribute to graduate students' research productivity. One such factor may be research self-efficacy. This study examined the influence of early research experience as a factor to bolster research self-efficacy. Results indicated that supportive peers and mentors contributed to positive research experiences. Additionally, positive team research experiences significantly predicted research self-efficacy. Implications for training programs and students are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The nature of psychology: The great dilemmas.

Research about the nature of psychology, its subject matter, its level of analysis, its scientific laws, its relationship with other disciplines, and its social relevance has been a matter of great concern and interest during the development of psychology. This problem can be analyzed in terms of the dilemmas of the psychological discipline, which have been choice points, crossroads, alternative decisions that bring psychologists face to face with the following issues: (a) the subject matter of psychology: psyche, mind, or behavior?; (b) the role of scientific methodology: is psychology a natural science, a social/behavioral/human science, or a part of the humanities?; (c) the universality or particularity of scientific laws in psychology: are laws universal or culture-bound and contextual?; and (d) the balance between science and profession: is psychology a basic science, a socially relevant profession, or both? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Le défrichement: Recherche qualitative en psychologie chez les anglophones canadiens.

This is a French version of the article that originally appeared in Canadian Psychology, 2002(August), Vol 43(3), p. 139-140. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2002-17756-001). Qualitative research (QR) occupies a middle ground between the sciences and the humanities, which goes against established research practice in psychology and most related social and health science disciplines. At present, QR in Canadian psychology is beginning to take root in some universities and research organizations. Most of the contributors to this special issue reflect this development in Anglophone Canadian psychology. This article briefly introduces the contributions to this special issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology and life (Canadian edition).

Reviews the book, Psychology and life (Canadian edition) (2009), by Richard J. Gerrig, Philip Zimbardo, Serge Desmarais, and Tammy Ivanco. As part of an effective strategy to deal with the many emerging challenges of teaching large introductory psychology classes, a modern textbook geared toward introductory psychology must keep up with these changes and offer useful features that address the needs of the student. To this end, Psychology and Life (Canadian Edition) presents an impressive update of the classic textbook by Gerrig and Zimbardo. The text continues to hit on the key principle of psychology as a science with a thorough and updated research-based presentation. The textbook is well organised into 17 chapters covering the range of typical introductory psychology topics. The chapters are written in a midlevel text that will be accessible to the broad range of students enrolled in most introductory psychology courses. While maintaining a high level of readability and interest, the work is solidly grounded in research as it highlights psychology as a science. As the title of the textbook suggests, the authors make a conscious effort to demonstrate that the research and curriculum presented in each chapter have an immediate impact on daily life. This is a well-written, organised, and appealing text that students will find engaging and instructors will find suitable for providing a solid grounding in the science of contemporary psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologie au Quebec: Present et avenir.

An attempt has been made to evaluate the current state of both pure and applied psychology in the Province of Quebec. The recent academic and professional recognition of this newly developing science and its impact and implications for the future growth have been analysed. Basing his observations on the contributions of Wright and Pinard, the author has attempted to present an image of the contemporary Quebec psychology. The actual difficulties with respect to research, teaching and practice of psychology as a profession in the province have been highlighted. Some general suggestions with a view towards making some improvements in the current state of affairs have been made. Diversity in specialization, better utilization of human resources, more and more specialization by French-Canadian psychologists and greater exchange of information between the French and the American psychology have been proposed as some of the starting points to accelerate the growth of Quebec psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internationalism in psychology: We need it now more than ever.

A concern with international cooperation in psychology has been present since the beginnings of psychology as a science. In this article, the author traces the development of international cooperation from the late 19th century to the present day to document the interesting ways in which the forms of collaboration have always been related to the large social and political contexts of which they are a part. This historical material is followed by an autobiographical account of the author's own involvement in cooperative international research to illustrate how such activity can play out. A few selected collaborative enterprises are then described to emphasize the point that psychology stands to benefit enormously from continued international cooperation, especially in times of international conflict such as that being experienced at the present time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science, ethnicity, and bias: Where have we gone wrong?

The quality, quantity, and funding of ethnic minority research have been inadequate. One factor that has contributed to this inadequacy is the practice of scientific psychology. Although principles of psychological science involve internal and external validity, in practice psychology emphasizes internal validity in research studies. Because many psychological principles and measures have not been cross-validated with different populations, those conducting ethnic minority research often have a more difficult time demonstrating rigorous internal validity. Thus, psychology's overemphasis of internal as opposed to external validity has differentially hindered the development of ethnic minority research. To develop stronger research knowledge on ethnic minority groups, it is important that (a) all research studies address external validity issues and explicitly specify the populations to which the findings are applicable; (b) different research approaches, including the use of qualitative and ethnographic methods, be appreciated; and (c) the psychological meaning of ethnicity or race be examined in ethnic comparisons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Méthodes de recherche en psychologie.

Reviews the book, Méthodes de recherche en psychologie (2000). The intention, the invoice and the type of language utilized in the method of research in psychology are very pedagogic. This is a handbook of teaching. The 15 chapters have an imposing structure: Setting in situation, Introduction, Headings of the chapter, Summary, Exercises, Specialized bibliography. At the end of the book, a Glossary takes again some principal terms and concepts. The level of the treatment, in general, corresponds to the first university cycle in psychology, just like in the comparable works of Robert (1988) and Bouchard and Cyr (1998). The student who picks up this book will come into contact with many interesting questions about the human sciences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research and psychoanalysis: Still time to bridge the great divide?

The interface between psychoanalysis and scientific research has been characterized by controversies and polarizations that have made a constructive debate very difficult. It is argued that the roots of the controversies are better understood as stemming from an uncompromising position within the psychoanalytic field that holds that scientific research and psychoanalysis are inherently incompatible and that the only research admissible is one that takes place within the psychoanalytic encounter. A critique of this rejectionist position, still tenaciously held by a sizable minority within the psychoanalytic community, is offered, and the repercussions of adhering to such view are discussed. It is argued that the theoretical fragmentation present in psychoanalysis has mostly stemmed from the sole reliance of a theory formation based on the single-case clinical study and that the refusal to engage in scientific studies has contributed to the progressive decline that psychoanalysis has been suffering over the last 20 years. Integration of scientific research with psychoanalytic practice and building bridges with other neighboring disciplines such as psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience may help reestablish psychoanalysis as a relevant discipline in the university and mental health field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why psychology is/is not traditional science: The self-referential bases of psychological research and theory.

The hyperspecialization, fragmentation, curious faddishness of major research topics, and perceived incommensurabilities of theories and methods in contemporary psychology are often seen as a discipline-specific crisis over our status as a single, identifiable "science." These features can, however, be understood as the contemporary expression of early discussions by Giambattista Vico and Wilhelm Dilthey on the inherently self-referential basis of psychology, based on its emergent, even paradoxical, combination of the methods of physical science with the underlying themes of the humanities. This defining tension between "explanation" and "understanding" can account for these features of ostensible disunity, along with the unique importance of "ecological validity" in empirical methodology and the roots of theory in largely implicit world-views and the matrix of ordinary language, quite different from the explicit role of law in physical science. Current neuroscience, although exemplifying "high consensus, rapid discovery" physical science, also illustrates this broader "hermeneutic" perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest: Patrick H. DeLeon.

The Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest recognize persons who have advanced psychology as a science and/or profession by distinguished contributions in the public interest. For 1984, Patrick H. DeLeon is cited for his leadership role in empowering the field of psychology with a strength of public purpose and public responsibility. Through his efforts as psychology's most dedicated colleague on Capitol Hill, DeLeon has contributed his professional effectiveness to improved federal support for research, education and training, and service delivery. Within psychology, he has contributed to its involvement with the legal system, to its public image and message, to its growth as a scientific and professional discipline, and to its professional status. Through his own example, he has charted psychology's course as a discipline and profession in making important contributions to human welfare, social justice, and economic growth. Along with the citation, a biography and bibliography of DeLeon's works are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The therapist's dilemma: Using nomothetic information to answer idiographic questions.

The therapist is faced with the dilemma of conducting therapy at an idiographic level while psychology research is conducted and organized at a nomothetic level. Increasingly, psychiatric diagnosis serves as the conceptual bridge from the science of psychology to its clinical applications. Yet diagnosis has a number of well-known limitations for determining treatment. An alternative conceptual bridge from nomothetic science to clinical applications draws from 3 overlapping categories: (1) general causal principles derived from all areas of scientific psychology; (2) probabilities and base rate data associated with the covariation of psychological problems; and (3) clinical outcome research. Suggestions as to how therapists can use these nomothetic categories to form treatment strategies are given. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research Problems for Psychologists.

In the hope of finding some new areas where psychologists might do research, I decided to question some individuals in fields which are distant from psychology. To locate such individuals who could represent their field broadly, the past five presidents of certain professional groups were selected. The fields included art, architecture, chemistry, engineering, economics, geography, mathematics, and physics, plus other more specialized groups. They were asked to describe problems in their fields to which psychology might make a contribution. Psychology's wish to learn of new areas for research was emphasized. A number of these answers pointed out problems of a general nature of which psychology is already aware; such as how to improve interpersonal relations, how to make people more creative, and so on. There were, however, a number of suggestions which it seems worthwhile to describe here. Generally, as one might expect, there was some relation in this study between the nearness to psychology and the usefulness of the suggestions made. Those fields which are quite closely associated with behavior supplied most of the material which has been presented. Understandably, the fields less concerned with behavior, such as the physical sciences, could only offer problems which concerned the scientist as a person and not the actual science. Possibly this situation is indicative of a limiting factor in psychological research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The invention of uncertainty in American psychology: Intellectual conflict and rhetorical resolution, 1890–1930.

A sharp and personal polemical style characterized psychology as a new human science in American universities at the turn of the 20th century. When the experimental pursuit of truth about the mind produced quarreling rather than clarity, psychologists experienced a crisis of confidence. One solution was rhetorical: the use of a disclaimer that all current knowledge was rudimentary and a call for further research to end contention. The wording established a public tone of modesty and fostered collegiality. Scientific disagreements and underlying personal tensions remained, but conventional phrases promising future resolution of disputes contributed to a language of good manners and thereby facilitated debate. Nonetheless, the verbal formula of deferred hopes also made uncertainty seem normative. Confessions of tentativeness helped lay a historical foundation for routine investigation in psychology, but emphasis on incompleteness as an explanation of discord also made experimentation seem perpetual and truth elusive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dael Wolfle (1906-2002).

Obituary of Dael Wolfle (1906-2002). In the early part of his career, he contributed to mainstream experimental psychology in the learning tradition of his time. Wolfle then spent the middle years of his career as a science administrator, both in psychology and in the larger scientific community. At the end of his career, he returned to academia, where he fostered a sense of public service as a professor of public administration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology: The core discipline.

Because it deals with fundamental understanding of behavior, psychology is a core discipline for other social sciences concerned with human behavior. Its founders viewed psychology as integrating knowledge from many sources and disciplines. This diversity has posed problems in finding unifying themes and principles and has contributed to a discontinuity in psychology as a science and as a profession. As a core discipline, psychology contains scientific knowledge about human behavior and methods of applying that knowledge. There is a need for cooperation and integration between academic and applied psychology, with both serving to benefit society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969: Citation for Herbert Alexander Simon.

Gives a citation to Herbert Alexander Simon, "For his leadership in the development of new theories of thinking and of its relation to perception, attention, memory, and language. By viewing man's rational and social efforts to adapt to his environment in terms of information-processing systems, he and his colleagues have been able to apply computer science and optimization theory fruitfully to a wide range of important and difficult problems of cognition, with results that have revitalized this ancient and central topic in the science of psychology." The citation is followed by a biography and a list of Simon's scientific publications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expressing the inexpressible and measuring the incommensurable: On language, literature and psychology.

Presents a broad historical survey of the various reflective, analytical, and scientific approaches to an intellectual understanding of language and literature. Within this overall picture, the contribution of psychology is seen as limited for the area of language and negligible for that of literature. It is argued that psychology has not done justice to language as a complex, hierarchically structured system by concentrating on micro- rather than macro-analysis and on isolated words rather than texts or sequences of natural language. Various characteristics of poetic language (in its semantic, emotional, rhythmic, and phonetic aspects) are offered as prime examples of the type of interpretive challenge to which a maturing science of psychology might be expected to rise. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)