Lose Not Our Moorings: Commentary on McWilliams (2005).

This invited commentary responds to N. McWilliams's (2005; see record 2005-07703-001) eloquent plea for the preservation of the psychotherapist's humanity amid the industrialization of mental health and the ascendance of the pharmaceutical industry. McWilliams provides a penetrating critique of a profession in forced transition from offering relationships that heal people to providing manualized treatments that curb symptoms. At the same time, the author wishes that McWilliams had advocated for bolder, massively funded responses to the identified problems and that she had more fully acknowledged the contributions of newer therapies. The author's fervent hope is that McWilliams's article will spark psychologists to reattach to their fundamental moorings, among them the resolute advancement of humane societal values and the sophisticated integration of diverse therapies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to Norcross.

I accept J. Norcross's (2005; see record 2005-07703-002) criticism that I should have advocated for a bolder response to the current plight of therapists (see record 2005-07703-001), and I elaborate on some areas in which he raised questions about my point of view, including the logical-positivist tradition, pharmaceutical treatments, and the newer therapies. In an effort to convey the substance of my position, I invite readers to imagine what would ensue if, in the name of accountability, highly trained educators were subjected to pressures similar to those with which psychotherapists are currently coping. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Petterson et al. (2005).

Reports an error in "Are Trends in Work and Health Conditions Interrelated? A Study of Swedish Hospital Employees in the 1990s" by Inga-Lill Petterson, Anna Hertting, Lars Hagberg and T?res Theorell (Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2005[Apr], Vol 10[2], 110-120). This particular study was based upon a unique database (the Springlife database), with repeated questionnaire self-reports from hospital staff in the ?rebro Regional Hospital in Sweden regarding work environment and mental health in the years 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001. The Springlife database was referred to in the text and references of the article noted above, but it should have been more clearly acknowledged. Herewith the authors want to make this late acknowledgement. The database actually started in the fall of 1993 with the regional hospital's physicians and continued with all hospital staff during the spring 1994. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2005-03471-003.) Swedish hospital personnel were followed over an 8-year period, characterized by staff redundancies and restructuring processes. Self-rated and administrative data sets from 1994 to 2001 allowed for studying long-term consequences of organizational instability for staff health and work conditions. The aim was to identify, on a work-unit level, trends in work and health conditions and their interdependence. Regression analysis showed a downward trend in mental health and an upward trend in long-term sick leave. Increasing trends of work demands were accompanied by deteriorating mental health, and decreasing time to plan work showed the strongest association with increasing long-term sick leave. Job satisfaction and support were decreasing. A stable short-term sick leave rate over years related to lack of support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Schut et al. (2005).

Reports an error in "Therapist Interpretation, Patient-Therapist Interpersonal Process, and Outcome in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Avoidant Personality Disorder" by Alexander J. Schut, Louis G. Castonguay, Kelly M. Flanagan, Alissa S. Yamasaki, Jacques P. Barber, Jamie D. Bedics and Tracey L. Smith (Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 2005 Win, Vol 42(4), 494-511). The correct legend for Figure 1 on page 500 should read as follows: Figure 1. The SASB circumplex model, cluster version, interpersonal surfaces. Adapted from Benjamin (1993), Interpersonal diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders. New York: Guilford Press, copyright Guilford Press, and from: Benjamin (1987), Use of the SASB dimensional model to develop treatment plans for personality disorders, I: Narcissism. Journal of Personality Disorders, 1, 43-70, copyright Guilford Press. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2006-03309-008.) The authors examined the link between interpretive techniques, the therapeutic relationship, and outcome in psychodynamic psychotherapy. Two independent teams of judges each coded one early session from patients diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder. Results revealed (a) an inverse association between concentration of interpretation and favorable patient outcome; (b) that small amounts of disaffiliative patient-therapist transactions before, during, and after interpretations were reliably or meaningfully associated with negative patient change; and (c) concentration of interpretation was positively associated with disaffiliative therapy process before and during interpretation and negatively associated with affiliative patient responses to interpretation. The results suggest that therapists who persisted with interpretations had more hostile interactions with patients and had patients who reacted with less warmth than therapists who used interpretations more judiciously. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Schulz et al. (2005).

Reports an error in the original article by Kurt P. Schulz, Cheuk Y. Tang, Jin Fan, David J. Marks, Angeles M. Cheung, Jeffrey H. Newcorn, and Jeffrey M. Halperin ((Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 390-402). Some side headings in Tables 2 and 3 were incorrect, and the corrected tables appear here. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-05103-013). "The authors examined inhibitory control processes in 8 adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during childhood and in 8 adolescent control participants using functional MRI with the Stimulus and Response Conflict Tasks (K. W. Nassauer & J. M. Halperin, 2003). No group differences in performance were evident on measures of interference control and/or response competition created by location and direction stimuli. However, the ADHD group demonstrated significantly greater activation of the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during interference control as well as greater activation of the left anterior cingulate cortex, right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and left basal ganglia during the dual task of interference control and response competition. The magnitude of the prefrontal and basal ganglia activation was positively correlated with severity of ADHD. Response competition alone did not yield group differences in activation." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Koch (2006).

Reports an error in "Personal constructs and psychodynamic psychotherapy: A case study" by Ehud Koch (Psychoanalytic Psychology, 2006[Sum], Vol 23[3], 554-578). An error was made in the reproduction of figures 5 and 6. The corrected versions are provided with the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2006-09622-007.) During a short term, psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy, a college student's salient constructs regarding her self and her object representations were elicited via the Role Construct Repertory Test. The course of this psychotherapy is traced and is examined with regard to the information provided by component analyses of these repertory grids. The aims of this article are to demonstrate the utility of an independent measure such as repertory grids for 1) additional understanding of the patient's modes of construing self and others; 2) establishing meaningful foci for a short-term treatment; 3) providing information for a more considered set of interpretive interventions regarding key conflicts; and 4) considering changes and outcome in light of the foci of the treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural Sensitivity in Conventional Psychotherapy: A Comment On Martínez-Taboas (2005).

A. Martínez-Taboas (2005) presents a compelling case of a woman with psychogenic seizures treated with a combination of cognitive therapy and an affirmation of espiritismo, the belief among some Latino individuals in spiritual possession and intercession (see record 2005-03040-003). Martínez-Taboas's sensitivity to the cultural beliefs of the patient is commendable; however, integrating cultural sensitivity with more conventional treatment approaches offers the potential for an effective, more generalizable model of intervention. In this article, the author argues for a greater appreciation of culture-bound syndromes in clinical presentation. In addition, the utility of more culturally sensitive adaptations of existing treatment models is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Hill (2005).

Reports an error in "Therapist Techniques, Client Involvement, and the Therapeutic Relationship: Inextricably Intertwined in the Therapy Process" by Clara E. Hill (Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 2005 Win, Vol 42(4), 431-442). An author's name was incorrectly spelled in a reference. The correct reference is presented. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2006-03309-003.) I propose that therapist techniques, client involvement, and the therapeutic relationship are inextricably intertwined and need to be considered together in any discussion of the therapy process. Furthermore, I present a pantheoretical model of how these three variables evolve over four stages of successful therapy: initial impression formation, beginning the therapy (involves the components of facilitating client exploration and developing case conceptualization and treatment strategies), the core work of therapy (involves the components of theory-relevant tasks and overcoming obstacles), and termination. Theoretical propositions as well as implications for training and research are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Attribution and expressed emotion in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia": Correction to Brewin, MacCarthy, Duda, and Vaughn (1991).

Reports an error in "Attribution and expressed emotion in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia" by Chris R. Brewin, Brigid MacCarthy, Karin Duda and Christine E. Vaughn (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1991[Nov], Vol 100[4], 546-554). An incorrect sentence was published. The sentence that ends the fourth paragraph on p. 547 ought to read: A more recent onset of illness would be expected to produce more unstable attributions, and more disturbed behavior (particularly involving violence toward the relative) would be expected to produce attributions that were more internal and personal to the patient but more external and uncontrollable as regards the relative. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1992-12907-001.) Indexes of expressed emotion (EE) in 58 relatives of patients with schizophrenia were related to those relatives' spontaneously expressed causal beliefs about the illness and about related symptoms and behaviors. Relatives made attributions predominantly to factors external, universal, and uncontrollable from their own perspective, and to factors internal, universal, and uncontrollable from the patient's perspective. Low-EE relatives were similar in their attributions to emotionally overinvolved relatives. Compared with these 2 groups, critical and/or hostile relatives made more attributions to factors personal to and controllable by the patient. Subsequent analyses suggested that hostile relatives were further characterized by making more attributions to factors internal to the patient and by making attributions with fewer causal elements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Ford and Collins (2010).

Reports an error in "Self-esteem moderates neuroendocrine and psychological responses to interpersonal rejection" by Máire B. Ford and Nancy L. Collins (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2010[Mar], Vol 98[3], 405-419). This article contained a misspelling in the last name of the first author in the below reference. The complete correct reference is included. The online version of the article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-02829-005.) In this study, the authors investigated self-esteem as a moderator of psychological and physiological responses to interpersonal rejection and tested an integrative model detailing the mechanisms by which self-esteem may influence cognitive, affective, and physiological responses. Seventy-eight participants experienced an ambiguous interpersonal rejection (or no rejection) from an opposite sex partner in the context of an online dating interaction. Salivary cortisol was assessed at 5 times, and self-reported cognitive and affective responses were assessed. Compared with those with high self-esteem, individuals with low self-esteem responded to rejection by appraising themselves more negatively, making more self-blaming attributions, exhibiting greater cortisol reactivity, and derogating the rejector. Path analysis indicated that the link between low self-esteem and increased cortisol reactivity was mediated by self-blame attributions; cortisol reactivity, in turn, mediated the link between low self-esteem and increased partner derogation. Discussion centers on the role of self-esteem as part of a broader psychobiological system for regulating and responding to social threat and on implications for health outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to DeSteno et al (2000).

Reports an error in "Beyond valence in the perception of likelihood: The role of emotion specificity" by David DeSteno, Richard E. Petty, Duane T. Wegener and Derek D. Rucker (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000[Mar], Vol 78[3], 397-416). In Figure 5 (p. 410), the graph in the upper panel, "Low NC Participants," was incorrect. The corrected figure in its entirety appears in this erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2000-07236-001.) Positive and negative moods have been shown to increase likelihood estimates of future events matching these states in valence (e.g., E. J. Johnson and A. Tversky, 1983). In the present article, 4 studies provide evidence that this congruency bias (1) is not limited to valence but functions in an emotion-specific manner, (2) derives from the informational value of emotions, and (3) is not the inevitable outcome of likelihood assessment under heightened emotion. Specifically, Study 1 demonstrates that sadness and anger, 2 distinct, negative emotions, differentially bias likelihood estimates of sad and angering events. Studies 2 and 3 replicate this finding in addition to supporting an emotion-as-information (cf. N. Schwarz and G. L. Clore, 1983), as opposed to a memory-based, mediating process for the bias. Finally, Study 4 shows that when the source of the emotion is salient, a reversal of the bias can occur given greater cognitive effort aimed at accuracy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Levant et al. (2000).

Reports an error in "The evolving profession of psychology: Comment on Lowe Hays-Thomas's (2000) "The silent conversation." by Ronald F. Levant, Stanley Moldawsky and Tommy T. Stigall (Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2000[Jun], Vol 31[3], 346-348). On page 346 in the author note, Louisiana Southern University was given as the university where Tommy T. Stigall received his PhD. The correct university is Louisiana State University. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2000-03894-017.) The authors comment on R. Lowe Hays-Thomas (2000; see record 2000-03894-016). The article begins with a few comments about the master's-degree issue and then examines the evolution of professional psychology in relationship to the master's issue over the past 50 years and into the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ivan Norman Mensh (1915-2005).

Presents an obituary for Ivan Norman Mensh. Mensh published well over 100 papers, including seminal work on the measurement of the effectiveness of psychotherapy, assessment techniques, medical education, interprofessional relationships, ethics, and community mental health. Along with his leadership in medical psychology training, he was also well known and regarded for his pioneering in the field of gerontology. He was a visiting scientist for the American Psychological Association (APA) for many years, and held numerous other positions within APA, including President of the Division of Clinical Psychology from 1965 to 1966. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Rushton and Jensen (2005).

Reports an error in the original article by J. Philippe Rushton and Arthur R. Jensen (Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 2005[Jun], Vol 11[2], pp. 235-294). An equation on p. 271 was incorrect. In the note to Table 5 on p. 273, a similar equation was incorrect. Finally, on p. 274, the last line of the first paragraph was incorrect. Corrections are published here. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-03637-001.) The culture-only (0% genetic-100% environmental) and the hereditarian (50% genetic-50% environmental) models of the causes of mean Black-White differences in cognitive ability are compared and contrasted across 10 categories of evidence: the worldwide distribution of test scores, g factor of mental ability, heritability, brain size and cognitive ability, transracial adoption, racial admixture, regression, related life-history traits, human origins research, and hypothesized environmental variables. The new evidence reviewed here points to some genetic component in Black-White differences in mean IQ. The implication for public policy is that the discrimination model (i.e., Black-White differences in socially valued outcomes will be equal barring discrimination) must be tempered by a distributional model (i.e., Black-White outcomes reflect underlying group characteristics). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Plural World of Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy: A Response to Castro-Blanco's (2005) Comments.

In this commentary, the author critically evaluates Castro-Blanco's (2005) suggestions concerning Nayda's diagnosis of ataque de nervios and his posture that the therapist should not agree with the client's illness attributions and espiritismo beliefs (see record 2005-03040-004). The author posits that Nayda's clinical phenomenology is discordant with many features of what is known of ataque de nervios. Also, the author defends the idea that in some circumstances, it is reasonable to work within the client's belief system and culture-specific components of his or her illness, without necessarily endorsing the validity of such beliefs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Play therapy and psychopharmacology: What the play therapist needs to know": Correction.

Reports an error in "Play therapy and psychopharmacology: What the play therapist needs to know" by Daniel S. Sweeney and Ross J. Tatum (International Journal of Play Therapy, 1995, Vol 4[2], 41-57). The table "Childhood DSM-IV Diagnoses and Psychotropic Medications That May Be Indicated" on pages 46-47 contained three (3) errors. A corrected copy of the table is included with the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1997-05134-004.) Provides a basic overview of pediatric psychopharmacology and examines specific related considerations for the play therapist. The article also addresses some medication considerations specific to the treatment modality of play therapy. It is argued that possession of even a cursory knowledge about child psychopharmacology places the play therapist in a better position to provide quality treatment. A list of childhood Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) diagnoses and psychotropic medications that may be indicated is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Rothermund et al. (2005).

Reports an error in the article "Retrieval of Incidental Stimulus-Response Associations as a Source of Negative Priming" by Rothermund et al. (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, Vol 31(3) May 2005, 482-495). Table 1 (p. 484) was incorrectly typeset. The correct layout is provided. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-05101-007.) Priming effects of ignored distractor words were investigated in a task-switching situation that allowed an orthogonal variation of priming and response compatibility between prime and probe. Across 3 experiments, the authors obtained a disordinal interaction of priming and response relation. Responding was delayed in the ignored repetition condition if different responses were required for identical stimuli in the prime and probe (negative priming). Repeating the prime distractor in the probe facilitated responding if the same response was required in the prime and in the probe (positive priming). The same pattern of results was replicated in a letter-matching task without task switching (Experiment 4). Findings lend support to a new model that explains negative priming in terms of an automatic retrieval of incidental stimulus-response associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Adler et al. (2005).

Reports an error in "The Impact of Deployment Length and Experience on the Well-Being of Male and Female Soldiers" by Amy B. Adler, Ann H. Huffman, Paul D. Bliese, and Carl Andrew Castro (Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2005, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 121-137). As stated in the original article, all service members re-deploying from the Bosnia Area of Operations were required by Department of Defense policy (tasker P 231639Z FEB 96) to complete the psychological screening survey. The screening data were collected as part of routine clinical care under the Privacy Act Regulation, and secondary analysis of these data was conducted under a protocol approved by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Human Use Review Committee. It should be noted, however, that subjects were not asked to consent to the secondary analyses of the screening data for research purposes. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-03471-004.) This study examined the effects of stressor duration (deployment length) and stressor novelty (no prior deployment experience) on the psychological health of male and female military personnel returning from a peacekeeping deployment. The sample consisted of men (n = 2,114) and women (n = 1,225) surveyed for symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress. The results confirmed the hypotheses. Longer deployments and 1st-time deployments were associated with an increase in distress scores. However, the relationship between deployment length and increased distress was found only for male soldiers. The findings demonstrate the importance of considering the impact of exposure to long-term occupational stressors and confirm, in part, previous research that has demonstrated a different stress response pattern for men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)