Graduate education of Negro psychologists.

The "Council on Psychological Resources in the South was impressed with the dearth of psychologists in the South, particularly Negro psychologists" and appointed a committee "… to study the facts in this regard and to make recommendations for pertinent action." Fifty-six (98.2%) of fifty-seven graduate departments of psychology surveyed answered questionnaires concerning Negro psychologists receiving graduate degrees and the undergraduate origin of these students. "Negro personnel in psychology come in considerable proportion (one-third) from Negro undergraduate schools in the South." "In the process of bridging the gap between inadequate undergraduate training and high level graduate work, Howard University is making an exceptional contribution toward training in scientific and professional psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

1957 and 1958 Russian books in psychology, psychophysiology, and related areas in psychiatry.

"I have in my possession 51 Russian books in psychology, psychophysiology, and related areas of psychiatry—24 published in 1957 and 27 in 1958." The increased quantity of Russian books "is by all tokens being matched by a rise in quality." The "most outstanding books are in psychophysiology and not in psychology proper… . I would be glad to lend my books to Russian-reading psychologists planning published reviews." An annotated list of the 51 books is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of human behavior: The clinical psychologist.

The psychologist "has derived some benefit by the mixture of being a doctor but not being identified with the mentally ill person." By reviewing personal and cultural forces the attempt was made to establish the variety of emphases current in clinical psychology. "Nearly every adjustment pattern observed among clinicians has occurred as a result of training and experience in some university, school or clinic. As yet, no completely satisfying or dominant component of needs has been discovered for the training and role of the clinical psychologist… . But it is a backward step to discard special curricular requirements for clinical psychologists." A prime requirement for a profession is "a disciplined and recognizable training program." The public that supports us will demand "a real and inexorable service contribution that we have implicitly promised… . We evolved on the impetus of service need." A number of current conflicts of the clinical psychologist are indicated. "The only way professional psychologists can hold to a responsible place is by partial separation from the academic, basic science psychologists." Leaders in clinical psychology should "be more than 80% in real clinical work with ill patients." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Community psychology: Impressions of the Boston conference on the education of psychologists for community mental health.

Mental health "is shifting from the amelioration of illness to preventive intervention at the community level… community psychology is more than a by-product of clinical… it depends upon and interacts with all the basic areas of psychological knowledge. Particular emphasis [is] given to the contributions of social psychology, group dynamics, and child development." The Conference recommended that "some permanent organizational medium be established… to facilitate communication among psychologists with vital interest in community psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rehabilitation of the institutionalized mentally retarded.

"In order to determine the present status of psychology in state institutions, a questionnaire was sent to 101 institutions in the United States and Canada… . Replies were received from 72% of the total sent. Thirteen reported that they have no psychologists… . The 72 institutions which replied have 109,010 patients served by 143 full-time and 14 part-time psychologists—approximately 725 patients per psychologist." In general, the functions of psychologists in these institutions are very similar. The "role of the department of psychology, as with other services in an institution, should not be as an autonomous unit with separate function, but as an integral part of a patient-centered team." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gestalt psychology today.

The background of gestalt psychology is traced and relationships of gestalt psychology to physics are indicated. The notion of insight is reformulated. Certain trends in American psychology are not fully approved: "I doubt whether it is advisable to regard caution and a critical spirit as the virtues of a scientist, as though little else counted… . Too many young psychologists, it seems to me, either work only against something done by others or merely vary slightly what others have done before." Human experience in the phenomenological sense requires study. A gestalt view of motivation is presented "in terms of… forces which operate between certain perceptual processes and processes in another part of the brain, where a need may be physiologically represented." With de?mphasis on differences in Behaviorist and Gestalt schools and more emphasis on positive contributions of each, constructive work can be accomplished together. "It would be an extraordinary experience—and one good for psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional education in industrial psychology: A statement of policy.

"The industrial psychologist should be a broadly trained psychologist… . Education in industrial psychology should provide grounding in psychological theory… . The curriculum should provide knowledge of the problem areas of industrial psychology… . Education in industrial psychology should include knowledge in other areas important in business and industry… . The student should become familiar with a very wide variety of research tools, methods, and procedures… . The education of an industrial psychologist should be realistic… . The education of industrial psychologists should include discussion of the ethical problems likely to arise in industry." The stated principles "should be interpreted in a flexible rather than a rigid fashion." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counseling psychology.

"This paper is a proposal to establish counseling psychology as a functionally unique pattern of practice." Three hypotheses are proposed, one of which holds that "… counseling psychologists resemble industrial psychologists to a greater extent than they do psychotherapists." Eight points are made in summarizing "… a relatively unique pattern of function for the counseling psychologist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding psychiatrists.

The relations between psychologists and psychiatrists especially in psychotherapy is discussed in the light of two premises (1) the medical responsibility of the psychiatrist, and (2) the inseparability of somatic and psychic illnesses. However, many problems fall into educational or social categories rather than illness. "… any attempt by psychologists to take over the diagnosis and treatment of… functional psychiatric disorders generally is bound to be regarded by the psychiatric speciality as a basic challenge to its function… and will surely lead to a major professional struggle between psychology and the whole of medicine." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Symposium on reciprocal influences in international psychology.

"The question of reciprocal influences was considered in terms of the number and distribution of psychologists throughout the world… . It was quickly conceded that, at present, influences in international psychology are not reciprocal and, perhaps, cannot be for some time to come. This problem is complicated not only by the sheer preponderance and resources of American psychology, but also by a general tendency to ignore attainments abroad, unless conveniently published in readily available English-language journals." Psychology "is an international science, to which psychologists everywhere can and do contribute… . We share a common enterprise with common goals and aspirations." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes of psychiatry residents toward psychology.

Discusses how the development of health psychology will facilitate the trend for psychologists' continued involvement in medical settings, principally in departments of psychiatry. With the shortage of psychiatrists, it is anticipated that today's residents will assume major administrative roles in departments of psychiatry relatively early in their careers. The attitudes of 201 psychiatric residents with regard to organizational issues involving psychologists and the role of psychology in assessment, treatment, research, and training were assessed via a questionnaire. The majority of Ss felt that psychologists should not hold senior administrative roles in departments of psychiatry, and 47% felt that the medical model should be basic to both research and practice. There was substantial support for maintaining divisions of psychology within (rather than separate from) departments of psychiatry. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some observations on the ideology of professional psychologists.

"Analysis of the value position of psychologists starts with an examination of certain of the intellectual postulates and biases of modern psychology. These contribute to what I call the ideology of professional psychologists… . Modern psychology derives its particular orientations in good measure from the social context of American life. The ideology of professional psychology, I shall argue, is linked to the antiphilosophical, antihistorical, narrowly means-oriented and optimistic character of much American thought and culture." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues: hidden or mislaid.

"When two professions find themselves working at cross purposes they can, if they look closely, observe that there are several courses open to them." Recently the two APAs have gone on record as favoring the same kind of legislation for psychologists. Among the still smouldering "squabbles" is "… the right to administer the sacrament of psychotherapy." We "… need to keep testing and remodelling our issues with psychiatry until we construct those upon which our mutual difficulties can be intelligently resolved." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between Psychology and Psychiatry.

In a recent issue of this journal (February 1956), some pertinent factors underlying the relationship between psychiatry and (clinical) psychology were discussed. The principle of "one-way locomotion" can be used to describe the present situation. This freedom to trespass with impunity is a sore spot to many psychologists since there are no legal restraints prohibiting a psychiatrist (or any physician) from performing the recognized functions of a clinical psychologist. The concept of the clinical team, with the hierarchical arrangement of psychiatrist, psychologist, and social worker, deserves further scrutiny. Whether the bulk of psychiatry is willing to support research which might threaten medical pre-eminence remains to be seen. Much depends upon how sincere we all are in the common goals expressed by Brody (Amer. Psychologist, 1956, 11, 105-112): "understanding and helping emotionally and intellectually disturbed people." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a general theory for the behavioral sciences.

Since 1949 specialists in various social and biological sciences including "… history, anthropology, economics, political science, sociology, social psychology, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, physiology, and mathematical biology" have met in the attempt to develop a theory "… embracing all aspects of behavior." A number of terms useful in the consideration of theory including "system," "boundary," "subsystems," and "coding" are discussed. Formal models of behavior and homologies with electronic systems are considered. The paper is concerned with specifying and elaborating 19 propositions "… each empirically testable at the levels of cell, organ, individual, small group, and society… ." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychologist as an expert witness in court.

"An important problem in psychology today is the legal status of the psychologist and his relationship to the courts; and of special importance in the position of the psychologist as an expert witness… . There is considerable evidence of the use of psychologists in court cases in the federal courts… " as well as in state courts. "There is… conflicting evidence as to state court opinions on the expertness of testimony given by psychologists… . Once an adequate definition of a psychologist is established by legal authorities… [the problem of the position of the psychologist as an expert witness]… will be much nearer to a solution." Certification or licensing legislation seems to be desirable. 29 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The school as a psychological laboratory.

"Current training opportunities leading the graduate student of psychology to real understanding of children are… extremely limited… . Perhaps as good an explanation for the profession's neglect of such an important aspect of its field [child psychology] is to be found in the swings of academic fashion." To date, the public schools as settings for practicum experiences and internships have not been much exploited. Large city school systems present exciting possibilities. Courses of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago have used the Chicago public schools since the 1930s. Typical research studies in which the Chicago schools have made facilities and subjects available are enumerated. "On the employment side, the positions for school psychologists in the Chicago schools jumped from 66 in 1957 to 90 in 1958." Psychological work in the schools requires thoughtful preparation. "Psychology must sell its wares to skeptical, if not openly hostile, teachers and administrators." Psychologists "must drop their supercilious attitude toward some of the basic tasks of school psychology… . The tremendous potential of the schools as a laboratory for research and training in almost all phases of psychological study must be more fully realized." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Opinions about industrial psychology by different groups of psychologists.

"In general, the findings provide a partial sketch of how industrial psychology is perceived and evaluated by different groups of psychologists. The most common criticism is that industrial psychology is not sufficiently concerned with its ties to basic psychology… . In addition, serious questions are raised concerning the areas of research that are emphasized or slighted, the professional qualifications of many practitioners, tendencies to offer psychological judgments that reach beyond scientific results, frequent overselling of industrial applications, and an excessive accent on the practical in training industrial psychologists. Many psychologists also charge that industrial psychology is too management oriented, that it operates too much within a management frame of reference… . Finally, it should be noted that our results reveal wide differences of opinion among the psychologists questioned, not only between the industrial psychologists and the other professional groups but strikingly also within the ranks of each group." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A brief appraisal of the role of clinical psychology in medical education.

"It may fairly be stated that Psychology is at last wearing long pants in the medical school setting… . Almost 90% of the medical schools in this country have psychologists on their professional staffs… . Some of our problems of status among our medical colleagues have yet to be resolved… . There are few interprofessional relationships which are more cordial and mutually profitable than those which exist in medical schools. It is rather a paradox that at the very foundation of medicine there can be profitable and harmonious relationships while so much bitterness and misunderstanding exists in other kinds of settings. But it is fortunate that a new generation of physicians is entering the practice of medicine after gaining a firsthand knowledge of what psychology has to offer." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some notes on education and psychology in the Soviet Union.

Major topic headings are: Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, University of Moscow Psychology Department, Aptitude and Achievement Testing. "Most of the Russian psychologists with whom I talked seemed interested in the exchange of books, tests, and other published materials with American psychologists… . On the surface there appears to be a wide gulf between Russian and American psychology… . Russian psychology seems to have its goals fairly well circumscribed by communist doctrine, by the Soviet attitude toward heredity, and its resulting concept of the individual." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)