John C. Colletti.

John C. Colletti has used his empathy and leadership skills to develop programs and interventions focused on serving populations who are generally overlooked and consequently underserved. He has worked with men's issues in older people and serves as a leading advocate of group therapy with older adults. As an intern at Howard University Hospital, he recognized the psychological needs of minorities and educated high school students in Washington, DC, about the medical risks and psychological issues confronting African Americans with end stage organ disease. His strong affiliation with the American Psychological Association (APA) and his research have reflected his commitment to disenfranchised populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: Howard S. Hoffman (1925-2006).

Presents an obituary for Howard S. Hoffman. Although he made many contributions to the field of psychology, Hoffman is probably best known for his role in bringing the study of the startle reflex into psychology and for "rediscovering" prepulse inhibition. Prepulse inhibition was first described in 1862 by Sechenov and was rediscovered at least twice before Hoffman discovered it again in 1963. Hoffman was the first to use the term prepulse. He continued his work on startle into the 1980s. His many papers on the reflex and its modification laid the groundwork for the widespread use of prepulse inhibition today in studies of schizophrenia and other disorders. In addition, Hoffman made important contributions to developmental psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction and overview of the special issue on Aristotle.

Aristotle's scientific legacy underlies much of what is currently considered mainstream psychology. Surprisingly, however, only a paucity of writings have elucidated this fact. To be sure, history of psychology texts register him as one of our intellectual ancestors, but unfortunately most psychologists appear to view Aristotle as an anachronism with little but the most indirect of influences upon modern theory and practice. The present issue of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology is part of the effort begun by scholars such as Robinson to dispel this misconception. The six articles that follow not only show the continuing relevance of Aristotelian thinking, but they also employ Aristotelian conceptual tools to analyze and advance modern psychology still further. Each of the articles covers a unique aspect of Aristotle vis-a-vis psychology. Robinson delves into Aristotle's naturalism and ontology, and attempts to help readers find their way through some rather sticky theoretical issues for psychologists. Williams critically examines aspects of Aristotle's physics (or metaphysics) from a post-modernist's perspective. Silverstein, Howard, and Rychlak each discuss a different facet of Aristotle's teleology: Silverstein on developmental implications, Howard on philosophy of science ramifications, and Rychlak on cognitive considerations. Waterman then extends some of Aristotle's ethics through his empirical studies of happiness. Whereas the first four articles are primarily theoretical in nature, the final two (Waterman and Rychlak) demonstrate how theorizing compatible with Aristotle can be experimentally tested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kenneth Irwin Howard (1932-2000).

Memorializes Kenneth Irwin Howard for his many contributions to clinical psychology. Throughout his career, Howard and his colleagues produced an impressive corpus of empirical work illuminating psychologists' understanding of psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969: Citation for Jean Piaget.

Gives a citation to Jean Piaget "for his revolutionary perspective on the nature of human knowledge and biological intelligence. Starting as a biologist interested in the history of scientific thinking, he has approached heretofore exclusive philosophical questions in a resolutely empirical fashion and created epistemology as a science, separate from philosophy, but interrelated with all human sciences. Almost as a by-product of this his chief work he has amassed during half a century ingenious observations and controlled data on human thinking which represent a unique and lasting monument in the psychological literature. Having been known and honored all over the world since his early writings, he becomes the first European to receive the APA Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. Our organization thereby recognizes the seminal influence which this Swiss scientist exerts on all scholars concerned with human knowing and its development." The citation is followed by a biography of Piaget and a list of his scientific publications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moral issues in psychotherapy.

"The first moral obligation of the psychotherapist is to be competent. The more skillful he becomes, the better he fulfills his main ethical responsibility." 4 typical examples of moral issues which arise frequently in the practice of psychotherapy are specified. "One of the falsehoods with which some therapists console themselves is that their form of treatment is purely technical, so they need take no stand on moral issues… . The illusion that our art transcends morality has kept us from forthright study of the ethical and religious disciplines. We psychologists would take a dim view of any experts in philosopy and religion who might hang out a shingle to practice psychotherapy. We would deplore their lack of training in our discipline. My thesis is that scholars in religions and ethics have a right to take an equally dim view of most psychotherapists." The "meaning and contribution of psychotherapy will be enlarged as its practitioners add to their growing technical competence a broader and deeper realization of life's persistent ethical problems." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dalmas A. Taylor: 1933–1998.

Presents an obituary for Dalmas A. Taylor, who passed away in his sleep on January 26, 1998. Dalmas was a natural leader, a wise and accomplished politician and administrator, and a mentor and teacher. The prelude to his academic career came from his formal education at Case Western Reserve University (BA), Howard University (MA), and the University of Delaware (PhD). Dalmas was elected president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (Division 45 of APA) in 1991 and served two terms when the president-elect passed away before she could assume her position. His fellow deans also elected him to the presidency of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences in 1991. When he was elected president of Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues in 1996, it was a punctuation mark for a life of leadership, scholarship, and advocacy. His devilish, twinkling eyes, his indomitable spirit, his deep commitment to justice and fairness, and his intense desire for effective action will all be missed. In addition to his daughter Monique, he is survived by his wife, Faye; two other daughters, Carla Monardes and Courtney Taylor; his father, Robert Taylor, Sr.; three brothers; three sisters; and a grandson. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Remembering Arthur Kornhauser: Industrial psychology's advocate for worker well-being.

Arthur Kornhauser was an early industrial psychologist whose contributions have been neglected in written histories of applied psychology. Throughout his career, he was a staunch advocate for an industrial psychology that concentrated on improving workers' lives. This article describes his contributions to improving worker well-being in the research areas of testing, employee attitude surveying, labor unions, and mental health of workers. His most enduring quality was his outspoken advocacy for an industrial psychology that addressed workers' issues instead of management's prerogatives. On the basis of Kornhauser's accomplishments, a case can be made for him as one of industrial and organizational psychology's most important early figures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: S. Howard Bartley (1901–1988).

Presents an obituary for S. Howard Bartley. S. Howard Bartley, one of the country's leading experts on human vision and a noted author, researcher, and distinguished professor in the Psychology Department at Memphis State University died on June 1, 1988, at his home in Memphis. He was 86. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functions of APA: An Exchange of Letters.

At the Chicago meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA) Council, Howard Kendler read from a letter of Arthur Melton inviting a group of the members of the Division of Experimental Psychology to meet with him to give careful thought to the APA. In his letter Melton stated that, "the character of APA has taken a sharp turn toward the AMA-type professional society or guild and away from the scientific and professional society that is concerned with the advancement of a body of knowledge and its technological applications." McKeachie responded to the Melton statement on the floor of Council. Because the issues raised are so crucial to the future of APA, Melton expanded his remarks into an open letter to Melton. In the letter Melton discussed APA's contributions to the science of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facts, values, and policies: A comment on Howard H. Kendler (2002).

In a recent article, Howard H. Kendler (2002) criticized Kenneth B. Clark and the other social scientists who worked in Brown v. Board of Education for polluting their science with value judgments. This article argues that Kendler's critique is misguided because it conflates a policy judgment with a value judgment. In addition, Kendler inconsistently applied his own standard of objectivity when he examined the social science used in Brown. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bernhard Wilpert (1936-2007): Obituary.

Presents an obituary for Bernhard Wilpert (1936-2007). One of Europe's most renowned social scientists, Wilpert was a prolific contributor to a host of international scientific organizations, many of which he founded or coordinated, including the European Network of Professors of Work and Organizational Psychology, the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, and New Technologies and Work (NETWORK). Closest to his heart, however, was the International Association of Applied Psychology, which he served as chair of the program committee, as editor in chief of its journal Applied Psychology: An International Review, and as president (1994-1998). He is survived by his wife Czarina and children Gregory and Karin. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jack Block (1924 –2010).

Born Jacob Block in Brooklyn, New York, on April 28, 1924, Jack received his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. Block is one of the most influential personality and developmental psychologists of his generation and of the 20th century; at the same time, he established himself as a pioneer and authority on applications of multivariate statistics to psychological data. Block became involved with an existing longitudinal research project at Berkeley, found insightful ways to bring order out of previously unused anecdotal and informal data, and used it to publish the influential Lives through time (1971, Bancroft). Equally important were Block’s contributions to statistical methodology and personality assessment. The challenge of response sets (1965, Appleton-Century-Crofts) nearly single-handedly restored confidence in substantive interpretations of self-report measures of personality; and his demonstrations of the utility of observer evaluations and elaboration of the Q-sort method (The Q-sort method in personality assessment and psychiatric research, 1961, Thomas) helped establish the knowledgeable observer as a valuable source of psychological information. Block was ahead of his time on two other major analytic issues: latent variable modeling and empirical sampling distributions for statistical inference. Block also became well-known for his energetic participation in research controversies. As a key participant in the “person–situation debate,” he argued for the lifelong coherence of personality. After decades of health challenges, he insisted on being taken home, where he could be surrounded by his music, his art, and his family and where he died on January 13, 2010. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unresolved issues in measurement validity: An autobiographical overview.

The author reviews known but neglected validity issues in measurement from the perspective of his 50-year history of research (e.g., D. T. Campbell, 1994). He identifies important but too-often overlooked validity issues in applying assessment to social issues. From this base, he suggests needed next directions in the fields of assessment and measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psyche and the literary muses: The contribution of literary content to scientific psychology (Linguistic approaches to literature 7).

Reviews the book, Psyche and the literary muses: The contribution of literary content to scientific psychology (Linguistic approaches to literature 7) by Martin S. Lindauer (see record 2009-03997-000). Lindauer has examined an area that is seldom researched; he found a gap in the psychology of the arts and explored it. He is at his best describing the arts, psychology, and the relation between the two. He is also in his element describing different methods of analyzing the arts. In the first two parts of the book, Lindauer writes compellingly about the important role the arts play in people’s lives, outlines the affinities between psychology and the arts, and affirms the necessity of studying the arts. He also positions the psychology of the arts within psychology and illustrates what the arts have to offer psychology, namely highlighting new topics of research, exposing neglected areas of study, and challenging existing conclusions. Lindauer describes the scientific approach to literature in the third and fourth parts of the book. He first posits that generalization is a goal in psychology, but that it is also important to capture people’s subjective experiences. In the final part of the book, Lindauer summarizes the issues and states that a scientific approach to literature would “open the eyes of scholars” in the humanities and help them escape “provincialism, parochialism, and isolation.” The reviewer notes a number of criticisms about the book, including its readability (e.g., confusing structure, repetition), Lindauer's use of brief literary forms (e.g., quotations), and his failure to provide the larger picture in some of his studies. Despite excellent ideas and intentions, to study quotations instead of literature is ultimately missing the point. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The citation of Soviet scholars by Western psychologists": Reply to Bierschenk.

Reply's to a comment by Bernhard Bierschenk (see record 2009-09661-001) on the current authors original comment in the November 1985 issue of the American Psychologist. Bierschenk has objected to the current author's reference to Marx, Engels, and Zeigarnik as "Soviet scholars." In the case of Marx and Engels, he is absolutely correct—they are not "Soviet scholars" in the literal, geographic sense—and Solo thanks him for his response. However, Solo is defending his labeling of Zeigarnik as a "Soviet scholar." Even though she was an early member of the "Bediner Schule," studied with Lewin, and published some early works in the German Inn mmm% she spent most of her professional life at Moscow State University and other Russian institutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing in State Hospitals: Reply.

Replies to a comment made by James E. Woods (see record 2005-11050-002) regarding an original comment made by the author on the issue of testing in state hospitals. The author states that he agrees with Woods on many of the issues he presented in his comment and feels that he did not make his position clear or that Woods failed to detect his views. In summary, Hauck believes the evidence against the use of tests is not so convincing that testing should be foregone; and, until something better comes along, it is foolish to discard it, imperfections and all. He realizes his survey took for granted that such evidence does not exist and because tests remain there must be a firmer policy regarding their assumptions and how these assumptions are handled administratively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Judson Seise Brown (1910-2005).

This is an obituary for Judson Seise Brown, professor emeritus of behavioral neuroscience at the Oregon Health & Science University, who died in Portland, Oregon, on August 28, 2005, at the age of 95. Brown was highly regarded for his rigorous, analytical, and innovative approaches to fundamental empirical and conceptual issues in the field of motivation. During his long career, he published many seminal articles on emotion, frustration, approach-avoidance conflict, the measurement of conditioned fear, and various other acquired drives. In addition to his basic research achievements, Brown made many important professional contributions during his long career, including serving as president of the Midwestern Psychological Association and the Division of Experimental Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA), as well as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Psychonomic Society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005).

Presents an obituary for Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005). Before Urie Bronfenbrenner, child psychologists studied the child, sociologists the family, anthropologists the society, economists the economic framework, and political scientists the structure. As the result of Urie's extension of the concept of the ecology of human development, these environments--from the family to economic and political structures--are viewed as part of the life course, embracing both childhood and adulthood. Bronfenbrenner, widely regarded as one of the world's leading scholars in developmental psychology, child rearing, and human ecology--the interdisciplinary domain he helped popularize--died at his home in Ithaca, New York, on September 25, 2005, at the age of 88. He was the Jacob Gould Sherman Professor Emeritus of Human Development and of Psychology at Cornell University, where he spent most of his professional career. A brief biography of Bronfenbrenner is followed by an overview of his published work, his theories and other influential accomplishments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)