Issues bearing on recommendations from the Behavioral and Social Sciences Survey Committee.

Describes a survey by the Behavioral and Social Sciences Survey Committee, appointed jointly by the National Academy of Sciences and the Social Science Research Council, of departments in American universities granting the PhD degree. Research being done in professional schools is described as well as the behavioral and social science research in government and industry. Recommendations are made for increasing the scope of the social sciences to enhance their pertinence to social problems. Suggestions include the development of social indicators, a privately developed annual report, and an eventual Council of Social Advisers. Universities may have to develop new forms of organization to train professional research workers required to meet the new opportunities possibly graduate schools of applied behavioral science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new paradigm for nursing: the potential of realism

Realism has been the dominant approach in the philosophy of science for the last 20 years. Realist philosophy has also been widely employed across a range of social sciences. Unfortunately, these powerful intellectual currents have not reached the shores of nursing which appears trapped in a time-warped debate about 'qualitative' (constructivist) and 'quantitative' (positivist) approaches. This paper argues that both positivism and constructionism are seriously flawed as philosophies of social and natural science. This is in marked contrast with realism which is a philosophy of both the natural and social sciences. I therefore propose that realism should be adopted as a radically different new paradigm for a unified biopsychosocial nursing.     

Contextualizing discourse on a philosophy of science for psychotherapy integration.

The present article introduces the second installment of this special section (Anchin, 2005) and focuses on the conjunction between philosophy of science and psychotherapy integration. The author suggests that the current state of research in the integrative field offers a timely opportunity for discussion and debate about a philosophy of science appropriately suited to the distinctive nature of psychotherapy integration. To contextualize such discourse, the principal domains of interest in philosophy of science are described, followed by discussion of the two opposing philosophical positions, naturalism and antinaturalism, that have long dominated debates about scientific knowledge in the social sciences. The divergent modes of inquiry spawned by these two positions are then examined, followed by discussion of the degree of impact each mode of inquiry has had on guiding psychotherapy research. The author puts forward core dimensions of a scientific paradigm for psychotherapy integration logically and operationally consistent with the epistemological pluralism of integrative theory and practice; noted, as well, are benefits for psychotherapy integration, and for psychotherapy research and the discipline of psychology more broadly. Against this backdrop, central themes of Robert Elliott's (2008) ensuing analysis and Robert Woolfolk's and Frank Richardson's (2008) commentary are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health sciences as an interdisciplinary challenge: the development of a new scientific field

Health sciences in Central Europe have been established in recent years as the academic complement to public health. Unlike the situation outside Europe the link between academia, administration and practical application has become a distinct characteristic of this European philosophy. In this article the two questions are posed: 1. as to which structural problems characterize research into health and illness today and 2. how far can the establishment of an interdisciplinary sphere of "health sciences" provide adequate solutions? The authors also sketch the outlines of the new health sciences as an intergrating and "trans-paradigmatical" teaching and research field and they consider the relationships of health sciences to practice in general, and their relevance to the health services in particular. The challenges in the future for public health and therefore for the health sciences will be enormous. A breakthrough in this field will probably not be achieved until the research interests of clinical specialists and researchers oriented towards social and behavioural sciences are linked over a broad front. It is also hoped that from this connection-embeded in open scientific discourse-"health sciences" will arise, not as part of medicine, and not as part of this social sciences, but with their own claims and specific conceptions as to how the problems of our health system can be resolved.     

Behavioural science and behavioural medicine revisited.

Presents a retrospective view of the relations between behavioral science and behavioral medicine that shows that the concept of "behavioral medicine" has wider and deeper roots than are usually recognized by those who date its inception from the 1970's. Its premises and procedures are also best seen as being broader than those involved in, for example, behavior modification and biofeedback. It is suggested that even the use of the term "health psychology" may divert appreciation from the contribution of the behavioral sciences in general to the problems of health and illness. Three main forces at work in the behavioral sciences are discussed: psychiatry's expanding role in medical education, social change and innovation, and the involvement of social scientists in health care. J. D. Matarazzo's (see record 1980-31050-001) definition of health psychology as the aggregate of the specific educational, scientific, and professional contribution of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance of health, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the identification of etiologic and diagnostic correlates of health, illness, and related dysfunction, is proposed as a more encompassing definition. (French abstract) (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Statement before the Subcommittee on Government Research, Committee on Government Operations, United States Senate.

Two major trends in the behavioral and social sciences that have implications for federal policy are (1) an increasingly empirical approach with emphasis on data analysis and quantification and (2) the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of these sciences. Within the federal government, health, education, welfare, defense, and social and economic planning have large behavioral and social science components that require substantial strengthening and support, through existing agencies such as the National Science Foundation, particularly in the areas of research and manpower education and training. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Complex adaptive systems in the behavioral and social sciences.

This article examines applications of complexity theory within the behavioral and social sciences. Specific attention is given to the fundamental characteristics of complex adaptive systems (CAS)—such as individuals, groups, and societies—including the underlying structure of CAS, the internal dynamics of evolving CAS, and how CAS respond to their environment. Examples drawn from psychology, sociology, economics, and political science include attitude formation, majority-minority relations, social networks, family systems, psychotherapy, norm formation, organizational development, coalition formation, economic instabilities, urban development, the electoral process, political transitions, international relations, social movements, drug policy, and criminal behavior. The discussion also addresses the obstacles to implementing the CAS perspective in the behavioral and social sciences and implications for research methodology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The implications of social influence research for a conceptual framework for psychological social psychology.

The conceptual framework of psychological social psychology is scientific (in the image of the natural sciences) and includes, but is not limited to, determinism, behaviorism, and individualism. Focusing on research on social influence, this paper demonstrates problems with, and changes occurring in, that conceptual framework while setting the research in its historical context. Those problems, it is argued, are fundamental to, and not resolvable within, the conceptual framework of the subdiscipline. A reformulation of the conceptual framework of psychological social psychology is recommended. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dangerousness: A paradigm for exploring some issues in law and psychology.

Discusses the social phenomenon of "dangerousness" in terms of legal and social responses and in terms of potential contributions by psychology and other behavioral and social sciences toward increased understanding and more effective coping by society with such social problems. Social scientists need to become more concerned with the study of dangerous behaviors and practices in society, especially in light of the disproportionate injury and harm suffered by socially disadvantaged groups. Although values and ideologies are involved with perspectives on social problems, it is argued that preferences that are essentially ideological should not be presented under the trappings of "science." (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A further search for social intelligence.

Previous research has failed to identify an empirically coherent domain of social intelligence despite widespread intuitions among both laypersons and experts that social and academic abilities are at least partly distinct phenomena. The present study resolved this discrepancy between formal and informal observations by employing a behavioral effectiveness criterion to conceptually and operationally define social intelligence. D. P. Keating's (see record 1979-09784-001) methodological model was employed to examine 4 measures of academic intelligence and 6 measures of social intelligence using 3 correlational procedures. 690 9th and 12th graders participated. Univariate correlations demonstrated both convergent and discriminant validity; factor analyses revealed a distinct Social Intelligence factor; and a stepwise multiple regression confirmed the greater power of the social measures to predict a behavioral measure of social effectiveness. Implications for research on social cognition and social competence and for the design of educational programs intended to promote social abilities are discussed. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How hard is hard science, how soft is soft science? The empirical cumulativeness of research.

This article notes the parallels between methods used in the quantitative synthesis of research in the social and in the physical sciences. Essentially identical methods are used to test the consistency of research results in physics and in psychology. These methods can be used to compare the consistency of replicated research results in physics and in the social sciences. The methodology is illustrated with 13 exemplary reviews from each domain. The exemplary comparison suggests that the results of physical experiments may not be strikingly more consistent than those of social or behavioral experiments. The data suggest that even the results of physical experiments may not be cumulative in the absolute sense by statistical criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of behavior theory in behavioral medicine.

Behavioral medicine is a multidisciplinary field that combines research methods and findings from behavioral and biomedical sciences. Many investigators in the field have tended to emphasize the contribution of the biomedical more than the behavioral sciences. This is evident in the emphasis on biological rather than behavioral outcomes and on the reductionist approach within the field to reduce mechanisms responsible for behavioral effects and disease to biological influences. There has been a similar shift in psychology toward mechanistic, bottom-up approaches to understanding mechanisms responsible for integrated and dynamic behavior. These shifts in emphasis have stimulated investigators to examine the use of biomedical methods and findings as causes and explanations for behavior, rather than to utilize newer findings in behavioral sciences. New advances in basic research on learning are used to illustrate that findings from behavioral science have implications for the field of contemporary behavioral medicine. Finally, the importance of developing new technologies for measuring behavior is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science and the press: Like oil and water?

Scientists and journalists have traditionally viewed each other warily, but recently scientists from all disciplines have been urged to be more cooperative with reporters. Psychologists, in particular, have more contact with the press than other scientists, and the American Psychological Association has increased its public communications activities substantially in recent years. But if relations are to improve, both scientists and journalists must understand the purposes, values, and procedures of the other. This article reviews the research literature pertinent to the difference in emphases between these two disciplines, the accuracy of scientific reports, and the possibility that the social and behavioral sciences are treated differently by the press than other scientific disciplines. Finally, suggestions for both scientists and journalists are offered to improve cooperation for the betterment of both enterprises and of society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

State and Professional Affairs: Implications of Social Legislation.

It appears inevitable that the efforts of many of our membership will be devoted during the coming months and years to responding to the demands and challenges of Federal legislation having a bearing on human welfare and the behavioral sciences. Let us consider one piece of legislation as an example. Here, we explore the new Social Security Amendments, passed into law in July of 1965, which not only provide a system of health insurance for the aged--better known as Medicare--but also include many other features of significance in the social welfare field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Setting up a scientific community by means of a small grants program: the Latin American experience

The study of tropical diseases in Latin America has been dominated by the biomedical sciences, and whilst recently social science health research has been developed, there has been little collaboration between the two. The Latin American Small Grants Programme for Social and Economic Aspects of Tropical Diseases, launched by WHO/TDR in 1990, aimed to attract junior researchers into the area of social sciences and tropical diseases, and to create among them a scientific community. The program is unique in that it has involved the transfer of decision-making power from an international organisation (WHO/TDR) to a regional group. This article discusses the organisational structure of the program, the methods by which the program handled proposals, the evaluation process, the types of research proposals received, a profile of applicants, and the results of the applications. There was a balance of biomedical and social science applications. We conclude that the Small Grants Programme has been successful in fulfilling its objectives, due to the design of the grants scheme itself.     

The Disunity-Unity Dimension.

Comments on the article by Driver-Linn (see record 2003-05602-002), which presented an account of why psychologists have almost continuously invoked Kuhn since the 1970s to justify a wide array of the discipline's historical developments and epistemological proclivities. The current author advances his own philosophy of science which states as a fundamental principle that all sciences begin in disunity and only advance toward unification by dint of hard and lengthy scientific achievement. The philosophy of science field has focused on the character of the unified sciences as the model of science. It has not systematically treated how those sciences were in their early disunified state, the possibility that all sciences begin in that state, or how a science comes to be unified. A science in the early stage of disunity does not have the full power of science, and it is not considered to be a full science. That power and that recognition await the beginning of the science's advancement to unification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral sciences and the federal government.

Examines the changing roles of the behavioral sciences and government leading to their increasing interdependence. Recommendations are presented regarding (a) more effective use of scientific knowledge; (b) "research, education, and training relating to international affairs"; (c) increased representation of scientists in policy-making; and (d) the effect of scientific research on public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When psychology looks like a "soft" science, it's for good reasonp.

The natural (or physical) sciences are sometimes called "hard" sciences in contrast to the social sciences (and sometimes the life sciences also), which are thought to represent "soft" sciences. L. V. Hedges (see record 1987-26934-001) made an important effort to determine the empirical cumulativeness of various scientific research programs, with an eye toward assessing if this criterion is related to a discipline's "hardness" or "softness." This article discusses another criterion, a research program's predictive accuracy, that might also be considered along with a program's empirical cumulativeness. Finally, recent improvements in the predictive accuracy of multifaceted psychological theories are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hope: Its nature and measurement.

Hope is a powerful emotion that has been largely neglected by the social sciences. In this paper, we introduce a theory of hope drawn from multiple disciplines, including psychology, philosophy, theology, and medicine. Our integrative approach features four components: the attachment, mastery, and survival motives, as well as spiritual beliefs. In addition, we describe four different empirical analyses aimed at the development and refinement of a comprehensive set of scales for measuring state and trait hope. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)