What psychology knows about energy conservation.

Psychological research in the 1970s and early 1980s contributed to understanding the determinants of energy use and energy conservation, particularly in households. This article reviews these contributions and sketches some implications for research in the 1990s. Psychological studies show that information and money, 2 of the major policy tools for conservation, are more complex and multidimensional than standard technical economic policy analysis assumes and that money is not the only important motive for conservation. These insights can be used to improve the implementation of energy conservation programs, but to have their insights applied, psychologists will need to communicate them in language familiar to policymakers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What is "failure" in psychotherapy?

Examines the concept of failure in psychotherapy and concludes that almost every course of therapy has elements of success and failure. Case illustrations are presented to demonstrate instances from the author's own practice in which he feels that he failed. It is suggested that failure seems to occur when the therapist fails to invest as fully as the client needs or when objectification of the client takes place. It is noted that these failings do not mean that the whole course of psychotherapy was a failure. Therapy can be useful, constructive, and health-promoting even though it also has aspects that are failing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"What predicts weight regain in a group of successful weight losers?": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by M. T. McGuire et al (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1999[Apr], 67[2], 177–185). On page 181, the Figure 1 caption was incorrect. The correct caption is provided. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1999-10771-002.) This study identified predictors of weight gain versus continued maintenance among individuals already successful at long-term weight loss. Weight, behavior, and psychological information was collected on entry into the study and 1 year later. Thirty-five percent gained weight over the year of follow-up, and 59% maintained their weight losses. Risk factors for weight regain included more recent weight losses (less than 2 years vs. 2 years or more), larger weight losses (greater than 30% of maximum weight vs. less than 30%), and higher levels of depression, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating levels at entry into the registry. Over the year of follow-up, gainers reported greater decreases in energy expenditure and greater increases in percentage of calories from fat. Gainers also reported greater decreases in restraint and increases in hunger, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating. … (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Management "Style."

Some search committees ask applicants to send along with application, resume, references, and so forth a brief statement, not over a few paragraphs, on one's "management style." When I first heard that, I wished desperately to know what some other, any other, psychologist had done. In that spirit, I offer some notes. I do not think it will help in getting appointments. I do not think any responses to such questions do. Perhaps, though, with a little correspondence, psychologists could work out a standard little statement that everyone could copy and send as representing his or her views. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond "competing," beyond "compatible." Commentary on J. Archer.

Comments on J. Archer's 1996 article in which he considers whether observed patterns of sex differences in human social behavior are best explained by social role theory or by the evolutionary principles of Darwinian theory. The author believes that Archer's conclusion that the 2 theories are actually compatible is important and is concerned that such a valuable conclusion may be lost to discussions over the rest of the article. The author argues several points made in the original article and then concludes that Darwinian and cultural perspectives on human sex differences are not opposing theories, nor are they merely compatible but instead are necessarily interdependent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Know thyself."

Explores the understanding of selfhood as a central concern of psychology, the science of human experience. The conscious self defines human beings, fosters socialization, and, to a great extent, determines behavior. The achievement of a mature self-concept is viewed as a developmental process reflecting social experience as well as personal integration. Some implications of the self-concept are considered in relation to the family system, parenting, psychopathology, psychotherapy, and "the promotion of the public welfare." (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"What else could he have done?" Creating false answers in child witnesses by inviting speculation.

In 2 experiments (N?=?111 children), a suggestive technique for interviewing child witnesses called "inviting speculation" was examined. Children were presented with atypical actions for common objects in a clown show. One week later, the children were asked to speculate (e.g., "What else could he have done with the knife?") in a between-subjects design on all or none of the items (Experiment 1) and in a within-subjects design on part of the items (Experiment 2), thereby getting highly probable speculations (e.g., "to cut"). After a 3-week delay, the experimenters found more highly probable but not more other false answers for the experimental items (Experiment 2). After a 5–6-month delay, the rate of (unspecified) false answers increased compared with the baseline (Experiments 1 and 2). The short-term effect is explained by a speculation-as-misinformation assumption, whereas the long-term effect is explained by the use of a metastrategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defining "addiction."

For centuries, the word "addiction" meant being "given over" or devoted to something. However, the 19th century temperance and anti-opium movements used it in a more restrictive way, linking "addiction" to drugs, to illness or vice, and to withdrawal symptoms and tolerance. Both the traditional and restrictive meanings survived into the present. In the ensuing uncertainty about its meaning, some authorities now wish to replace "addiction" with substitute terms like "drug dependence", "substance abuse", etc. We hope to show that the term "addiction" is too valuable to discard. Its traditional sense designates the profoundly important, albeit sometimes harmful, capacity of people to become "given over." On the other hand, the restrictive meaning refers only to a special case, which is defined arbitrarily and inconsistently. It is outmoded because of these problems. The traditional meaning remains useful, but can be improved by clarifying the distinction between "positive" and "negative" addictions originally proposed by Glasser (1976). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on "Premorbid competence in schizophrenia: What is being measured?"

Points out errors in the methods of analysis employed by E. Zigler and J. Levine (see record 1981-09313-001) in their study of premorbid competence in schizophrenia. By using separate within-group analyses, they concluded that the factor structure of the Zigler-Phillips Social Competence Scale was not invariant across groups that varied as a function of hospital type and patient gender. These errors are discussed, along with suggestions for more technically appropriate methods of simultaneous factor analysis in multiple samples. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Psychotherapy" Versus "Treatment".

Presents a comment on "Psychological treatments" (see record 2004-21168-001) by D. H. Barlow. Barlow proposed that we distinguish between the terms "treatment" and "psychotherapy." The author believes that not only is the distinction unnecessary, but that its implications could have negative consequences for the field of clinical psychology. It is the proposed distinguishing feature that treatments are "specifically tailored to the pathological process that is causing the impairment and distress" that is most problematic. Clinical psychology does not need a distinction that further exacerbates the split between researchers and practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concerning "residual subjectivity."

Further considers residual subjectivity in response to a critique by T. C. Hein (1979) of an earlier analysis of consciousness (T. Natsoulas, see record 1979-22877-001). The author proposed that it is possible to know by objective means all there is to be known about an experience. Such knowledge, however, is anchored by a residual subjectivity that stems from one's first-hand contact with and knowledge of that experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A third "trap."

Comments on B. E. Sandler's remarks (see record 1975-08484-001) on the potential dangers that can limit the success of behavioral scientists in exploiting the possibilities of industrial psychology (IP). Sandler fails to distinguish IP generally and those applications of it by practitioners working for industry in programs designed to further management goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schools of "thought."

Challenges J. Wolpe's (see record 1979-12261-001) assertion that cognitive (COG) formulations add little to an adequate understanding and treatment of psychological disorders. Conceptual and empirical issues are addressed. Although COG therapies may not be unequivocally superior to other methods, preliminary data suggest that COG approaches may contribute to the clinical effectiveness of psychological or behavioral treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defining "impaired psychologist."

Contends that D. Laliotis and J. Grayson (see record 1985-31888-001) have failed to provide a definition of the term impaired that would translate into rational policies that serve the best interests of the public and the psychological community. It is suggested that impairment and incompetence must be differentiated to distinguish between psychologists who have provided inadequate professional service and those who are at risk for doing so. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addendum to "Consciousness."

The author extends his previous discussion (see record 1979-22877-001) to encompass the role of a concept of awareness in each of 7 ordinary concepts of consciousness: joint or mutual knowledge, internal knowledge or conviction, awareness, direct awareness, personal unity, normal waking state, and double consciousness. In each case, the crucial involvement of a certain concept of awareness is brought out and references are included of authors who have used similar scientific concepts that implicate the same concept of awareness. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"She," "He," Coexistence, and Bastardy.

Before proposing a solution for the sex bias problems inherent in the generic use of the pronoun he, Spencer (see record 1990-58427-001) reviews some efforts to solve the problem. The attempted solutions are evaluated as "not an improvement ... awkward... jarring ... disturbing" (p. 782), In one case, Spencer notes that coauthors of a book "slip up" twice. To avoid the difficulties and the accompanying unpleasant experiences, Spencer suggests the use of co: "The form is derived from an old Indo-European common form for both male and female English pronouns" (p. 783). While arguing for the "goodness of fit" (p. 783) of co. Spencer acknowledges that "there is currently one exception in our language to this meaning of co-coed, in which the form has been bastardized and debased from its source" (p. 783). A clinical psychologist is assuredly not an expert in psycholinguistics, but one could reasonably argue the following: The concept of bastardy with all of its connotative meaning, including debased, derives from patriarchal, patrilineal, male primary societies and history. In short, it is a sexist concept. Ours is a difficult language to use and avoid the expression of bias. Perhaps we ought to be gentler with those who are trying. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A "humanistic alternative" to "Political ethics."

Challenges E. Gologor's (1978) contention that research concerning positive characteristics of people might be disruptive, as it could be discovered that people possess considerable potential for evil. A paradigm is presented that allows an objective evaluation of the effects of deception-disclosure on a given psychological phenomenon or procedure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What Freud called "the psychology for neurologists" and the many questions it raises.

Freud wrote his Psychology for Neurologists (which Strachey called A Scientific Project) in 1895. He wrote it in a feverish state within a month, yet quickly buried it. His intensity in writing it and in suppressing it has not been explained, but intriguing hints about it from Freud's correspondence with Fliess are discussed here. The work remains, however, foreshadowing many of Freud's important psychological concepts. Further, although it is often dismissed because of archaic neurological ideas, many neurological guesses that Freud presented in Psychology for Neurologists are in keeping with neuroscience of today. Aspects of mechanisms of the brain, understanding dreams, developmental perspectives and clinical ramifications all relate to what Freud said in this draft for a monograph. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On Locke's "Revision" of "Job satisfaction reconsidered."

Responds to comments by E. A. Locke (1978) on W. R. Nord's (see record 1978-30586-001) discussion of assumptions underlying job satisfaction research. Locke's comments are said to be a distortion of the original article; however, issues raised by Locke's comments are discussed, including the attention given to the extrinsic reward of pay. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on "Right-wing authoritarianism."

Canadian scholarship has recently been honoured in that Bob Altemeyer's book, Enemies of Freedom: Understanding Right wing authoritarianism (see record 1988-98419-000) received the 1988 prize for behavioural science research, awarded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The book has also received a number of favourable reviews. Ray feels that some comments on the limitations of the book are needed to balance the account, and submits that, in fact, the book is a complete failure as far as achieving what it set out to achieve is concerned. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)