Possible confounds and their resolution in multivariate genetic analyses: Comment on Bussell et al. (1999).

Assumptions behind the twin, sibling, and stepsibling design used in the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development study are considered. The D. A. Bussell et al. (see record 1999-15302-007) analyses of behavior in relationships indicate effects of both genetic and common-environment factors. Possible real and artifactual sources of the common environment include assortative mating, sibling interaction, failure of the equal environments assumption, and contaminated measures. Another potential source, specific to this study, is the effect of an individual in the mutual ratings of relationship with sibling, which would lead to a larger common-environment effect across variables than within variables. This alternative model did not indicate that there was a mutual rating effect. Univariate analyses confirm that the common-environment effect is present for both sibling and parent–child relationships. Most other potential sources of common environment, such as sibling interaction, do not account for the data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internet use and ties that bind.

Replies to comments by T. Silverman (see record 1999-11125-007), J. Rierdan (see record 1999-11125-008), and J. S. Shapiro (see record 1999-11125-009) regarding the original article by Kraut et al (see record 1998-10886-001) on the impact of Internet usage on social relations and depression. The authors respond to the concerns of the previous authors. In response to Silverman, they note that most online relationships formed by participants in their study resulted primarily in informational rather than emotional support, unlike the participants in Silverman's group. In response to Rierdan, the authors argue that the importance of results was not in the size of the effects, but in their direction; even small negative changes experienced by many people using the Internet can be significant. The authors also respond to Shapiro's methodological concerns and her alternative explanation of results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applying science to human behavior.

Responds to N. Abi-Hashem's (see record 2000-03002-010) comments on the Carstensen et al (see record 1999-10334-001) article arguing that time perception is integral to human motivation. The authors feel that the concerns raised by Abi-Hashem are concerns that could be voiced about any scientific attempt to study human behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Happiness, flow, and economic equality.

Replies to comments by D. Belle et al (see record 2000-02781-018), S. Reiss (see record 2000-02781-019), T. B. Smith (see record 2000-02781-020), and J. R. Sink (see record 2000-02781-021) on the article by M. Csikszentmihalyi (see record 1999-11644-003) on materialism and the flow experience as an explanation of happiness. Csikszentmihalyi addresses the concerns of each author. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meta-analytic methods, the Rorschach, and the MMPI.

In response to concerns described by H. N. Garb et al(see record 2001-05665-003), the authors present the weighted and unweighted means and medians of the effect sizes obtained by J. B. Hiller et al (see record 1999-11130-005). These indices of central tendency are presented separately for MMPI and Rorschach effect sizes, both for all the studies in the meta-analysis and for a 10% trimmed sample designed to obtain more robust estimates of central tendency. The variability of these 4 indices is noticeably greater for the MMPI than for the Rorschach. Meta-analysts must compute, compare, and evaluate a variety of indices of central tendency, and they must examine the effects of moderator variables. The authors also comment briefly on the use of phi versus kappa, combining correlated effect sizes and possible hindsight biases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The investigation of exposure and cognitive therapy: Comment on Tarrier et al. (1999).

This article outlines concerns relating to the N. Tarrier et al. (1999) investigation (see record 1999-00242-002) comparing imaginal exposure and cognitive therapy. Specifically, the authors offer N. Tarrier et al. the opportunity to operationally define and clarify the claim that more patients treated by imaginal exposure "worsened" during treatment. Equally, in light of N. Tarrier et al.'s low effect sizes in relation to past research the authors also highlight the need to utilize accountable treatment integrity checks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The meanings and measurement of clinical significance.

The previous articles in this special section (P. C. Kendall et al, see record 1999-03648-001; N. S. Jacobson et al, see record 1999-03648-002; S. L. Foster and E. J. Mash, see record 1999-03648-003; and M. M. Gladis et al, see record 1999-03648-004) make the case for the importance of evaluating the clinical significance of therapeutic change, present key measures and innovative ways in which they are applied, and more generally provide important guidelines for evaluating therapeutic change. Fundamental issues raised by the concept of clinical significance and the methods discussed in the previous articles serve as the basis of the present comments. Salient among these issues are ambiguities regarding the meaning of current measures of clinical significance, the importance of relating assessment of clinical significance to the goals of therapy, and evaluation of the construct(s) that clinical significance reflects. Research directions that are discussed include developing a typology of therapy goals, evaluating cutoff scores and thresholds for clinical significance, and attending to social as well as clinical impact of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporal overlap in the linguistic processing of successive words in reading: Reply to Pollatsek, Reichle, and Rayner (2006a).

A. Pollatsek, E. D. Reichle, and K. Rayner (see record 2006-22004-014) argue that the critical findings in A. W. Inhoff, B. M. Eiter, and R. Radach (see record 2005-13471-012) are in general agreement with core assumptions of sequential attention shift models if additional assumptions and facts are considered. The current authors critically discuss the hypothesized time line of processing and indicate that the success of Pollatsek et al.'s simulation is predicated on a gross underestimation of the pretarget word's viewing duration in Inhoff et al. and that the actual data are difficult to reconcile with the strictly serial attention shift assumption. The authors also discuss attention shifting and saccade programming assumptions in the E-Z Reader model and conclude that these are not in harmony with research in related domains of study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Finding relations between input and outcome in language acquisition.

J. N. Bohannon, R. J. Padgett, K. E. Nelson, and M. Mark (see record 199601760-018) raised numerous points of disagreement with the analyses of J. L. Morgan, K. Bonamo, and L. L. Travis (see record 1995-24603-001) concerning children's use of parental recasts, responses potentially providing negative evidence. Claiming to show that the bivariate time-series analyses used by Morgan et al. were inherently flawed, Bohannon et al. argued that training studies offer a preferable means for examining contributions of language input. In this article, multiple weaknesses of training studies are noted; at best, such studies may yield information on the sufficiency of aspects of language input but can yield none on their necessity. The failure of Bohannon et al.'s time-series analyses to distinguish among varying models of recast function is shown to be attributable to confounding of parameters and idiosyncratic assumptions adopted in generating simulated data from these models. Contrary to Bohannon et al.'s assertions, bivariate time-series analyses of observational data may provide invaluable tools for discerning signs and magnitudes of relations among variables in language development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Traits and trade-offs are an important tier.

Replies to comments by K. M. Sheldon et al (see record 2007-18356-014) on the author's original article (see record 2006-11202-005) on evolution and personality variation. Sheldon et al concurred with the thrust of that article that the way natural selection shapes or gives rise to interindividual variation is a worthy topic for evolutionary psychologists to consider, so at a broad level Sheldon et al and Nettle are in agreement. The contention concerns the utility of broad traits such as the Big Five personality factors in undertaking evolutionary personality psychology. Nettle does not concur that traits do not provide a good approach to understanding interindividual variation. They have proved their utility in humans and in other species. Nettle does agree that traits alone are not sufficient for understanding personality functioning, particularly in humans, and hopes that other psychologists, including perhaps Sheldon et al, will add an evolution-informed understanding of those higher tiers of personality to the framework Nettle has suggested for the base tier. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The etiology of dissociative identity disorder: Reply to Gee, Allen and Powell (2003).

Responds to a comment by T. Gee et al (see record 2003-04125-019) about the authors' original article (see record 1999-03012-003) which studied how clinicians treating dissociative identity disorder (DID) were or were not gathering and utilizing corroborative data. Results of this study show that many of the symptoms associated with DID were displayed by patients before entering therapy or prior to diagnosis. Gee et al argue that these results do not refute the sociocognitive model (a modified iatrogenesis model) of DID, but actually support it. The present authors maintain that their data did clearly contradict the iatrogenesis position. It is asserted that Gee et al's comment illustrates many important flaws of the iatrogenic DID argument, primarily that it is unscientific by virtue of being nondisconfirmable, and that it can only be maintained by adhering to false assumptions about DID and by misinterpreting data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The locus of orthographic-phonological facilitation: Reply to Roelofs, Meyer, and Levelt (1996).

In their comment, A. Roelofs, A. S. Meyer, and W. J. M. Levelt (see record 1997-06337-001) argued that serial-access language production models predict an interaction between semantic and orthographic-phonological variables in picture–word tasks. In this reply, the authors first show that this position conflicts with Roelofs et al.'s previous work and conclude that the model presented in the comment is a modification of Roelofs' (1992a, 1992b) original model. Next, they present 3 arguments against this new model. First, Roelofs et al. did not provide independent empirical evidence in favor of their modification. Second, contrary to Roelofs et al.'s prediction, the reduction of semantic interference appears to be independent of the percentage of shared orthography. Third, Roelofs et al.'s model predicts early phonological effects of spoken-word distractors, a prediction that is refuted by time-course data reported by H. Schriefers, A. S. Meyer, and W. J. M. Levelt (see record 1990-16319-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a resolution of the Rorschach controversy.

Comments are made about the articles comprising the first round of the Special Series on the Rorschach. G. Stricker and J. R. Gold (see record 1999-11130-002) and D. J. Viglione (see record 199911130-003) praised the Rorschach, but they consistently failed to cite negative findings. R. M. Dawes (see record 1999-11130-006) obtained results that provide modest support for the Rorschach, but one of his data sets is flawed. J. B. Hiller et al (see record 1999-11130-005) reported the results of a meta-analysis, but, among other problems, their coders were not blind to the results of all the studies. J. Hunsley and J. M. Bailey (see record 1999-11130-004) made a strong case for concluding that there is no scientific basis for using the Rorschach. Recommendations are made for resolving the Rorschach controversy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mnemonics for variability: Remembering food delay.

Three experiments with White Carneaux pigeons (Columba livia) investigated memory and decision processes under fixed and variable reinforcement intervals. Response rate was measured during the unreinforced trials in the discrete-trial peak procedure in which reinforced trials were mixed with long unreinforced trials. Two decision models differing in assumptions about memory constraints are reviewed. In the complete-memory model (J. Gibbon et al, see record 1988-09671-001), all interreinforcement intervals were remembered, whereas in the minimax model (D. Brunner et al, see record 84-0343), only estimates of the shortest and longest possible reinforcement times were remembered. Both models accommodated some features of response rate as a function of trial time, but only the second was compatible with the observed cessation of responding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are there shared environmental influences on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Reply to Wood, Buitelaar, Rijsdijk, Asherson, and Kunsti (2010).

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 136(5) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2010-17510-007). In the article, the surname of Jonna Kuntsi is misspelled throughout. The online versions of this article have been corrected.] A recent large-scale meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies indicated that shared environmental influences make important contributions to most forms of child and adolescent psychopathology (Burt, 2009b). The sole exception to this robust pattern of results was observed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which appeared to be largely genetic (and particularly nonadditive genetic) in origin, with no observable influence of the shared environment. The central thesis of Wood, Buitelaar, Rijsdijk, Asherson, and Kunsti (2010) is that, contrary to these findings, shared environmental influences are important for ADHD. As evidence for this thesis, Wood et al. presented a summary of prior twin studies, followed by a discussion of 4 methodological issues that may account for my findings in Burt (2009b). I argue that, although the methodological concerns raised by Wood et al. are very important, they do not undermine my earlier results (Burt, 2009b). I close with a discussion of 2 issues that may allow for some shared environmental influences on ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of age-extended norms for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Recent studies by R. J. Ivnik et al (see record 1993-04116-001), J. F. Malec et al (see record 1993-04120-001), and J. J. Ryan et al (see record 1991-08835-001) have provided age-extended norms for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R). The current study compared IQ scores based on these newer age-extended norms in 216 elderly Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Results showed that when the norms from Ryan et al were used, IQ scores were consistently the same as or higher than when WAIS—R manual norms were used. When the norms provided by Ivnik et al and Malec et al were used, IQ scores tended to be lower than WAIS—R manual norms for younger patients with more intellectual impairment. Results illustrate the importance of reporting the normative sample upon which IQ test scores for older adults are based and provide guidelines for selecting which set of age-extended WAIS—R norms to use with cognitively impaired elderly Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Material risks and informed consent to psychotherapy.

The article by R. T. Hare-Mustin et al (see record 1979-26958-001) dealing with client rights and informed consent (IC) and the article by L. Everstine et al (see record 1980-31031-001) dealing with confidentiality and IC in psychotherapy articulate ethical concerns that have not received the amount of attention their importance deserves and requires. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rose-colored glasses? Never: If anything, shades of brownp Reply to Choca et al.

In response to the criticism of J. P. Choca et al (see record 1987-19792-001) concerning the present author's (see record 1986-20485-001) study of prospective payment in the Veterans Administration, it is asserted that the present author shares the concerns of Choca et al regarding the severe statistical and clinical limitations of diagnostic related groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate education in psychology: Time for a change?

Contends that the emergence and growth of professional schools that provide psychological knowledge and training to those seeking applied careers constitutes the most visible attempt to alter the training of psychologists. The American Psychological Association's Education and Training Board has been mandated to evaluate the scope and mechanisms of the accreditation of doctoral psychology programs and to develop a planning committee for a national conference on university-based graduate education in psychology. Proposals for change suggested by R. E. Fox et al (see record 1986-12821-001), R. L. Klatzky et al (see record 1986-13164-001), and M. E. Olbrisch et al (see record 1986-12850-001) are discussed. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High stakes are an opportunity.

Comments on the article by P. R. Sackett et al (see record 2001-00625-002) which examines the use of cognitive testing in employment, credentialing, and higher education post-affirmative action. The current author states that Sackett et al made 2 badly flawed assumptions in their discussion. These assumptions are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)