Reaction to "Increase in assertiveness and actualization as a function of didactic training."

A recent article by R. C. Goddard (see record 1981-28392-001) described a study in which didactic training led to gains in self-actualization, as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). From research regarding the POI's validity, an alternate conclusion to Goddard's is suggested: Didactic training produces changes in knowledge about self-actualization, not self-actualization itself. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on "The case of William McDougall."

Agrees that R. A. Jones's (see record 1988-03145-001) account of W. McDougall's decline and fall in the field of psychology in terms of the elaboration-likelihood model of R. E. Petty and J. T. Caciappo (1986) is plausible. However, McDougall's negative image surely had more important sources than the mass media. (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)     

A closer look at Galbraith's "closer look."

Responds to comments by R. C. Galbraith (see record 1982-11821-001) on the mathematical properties and empirical basis of R. B. Zajonc and G. B. Markus's (see record 1975-09290-001) confluence model of sibling spacing and intellectual development. The present authors contest Galbraith's critique of the model's internal consistency and predictive validity, and state that if Galbraith's data on Mormon college students are analyzed properly, they may shed light on within- and between-families factors affecting intellectual development. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological comments on "Teaching thinking skills."

Comments that the study by R. J. Herrnstein et al (see record 1987-08654-001), though important for both educational psychology and teaching, has flaws in design and analysis of data. A reanalysis of the data is recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On "Sir Cyril Burt in perspective."

Responds to A. R. Jensen's (see record 1979-12278-001) criticism of M. McAskie's (see record 1979-12282-001) article on the interpretation of C. Burt's kinship data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On Ardila's "International psychology."

Argues that although R. Ardila (see record 1982-29234-001) provides some relevant information and intended to set out an international perspective for psychology, he inadvertently confirmed the provincialism that characterizes much of the North American enterprise by emphasizing the number of its practitioners, its linguistic predominance, and its general pervasiveness. It is argued that Ardila missed significant developments in German-language psychology, and that a one-language psychology may have more disadvantages than advantages for an international psychology. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to Robert Perloff's (1999) comments on "Becoming a consultant: The real stories" (Leonard, 1999).

In response to R. Perloff's comments (see record 1999-11964-005) regarding "Becoming a Consultant: The Real Stories," the author highlights the Catch-22 dilemma facing younger or new consulting psychologists. Both the need for and the progress with training and experience in consultation are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Identification of disoriented objects: Effects of context of prior presentation": Errata.

Reports an error in the original article by P. Jolicoeur and B. Milliken ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 1989 [Mar], Vol 15[2], 200–210). Parts of 2 sentences were omitted in the left column on page 202; these sentences should read as follows: "Half of the Ss in the rotated group received the following type of block order: R1A, R2A, R3A, R4A, R5A, T6A–6B. The other half of the Ss had Set B objects in the training phase (first 5 blocks), but received the same transfer trials. Half of the Ss in the upright group received the same transfer trials. Half of the Ss in the upright group received block orders of the following type: U1A, U2A, U1A, U2A, U1A, T6A–6B." (For original abstract, see record 1989-24712-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comment on Tolman's "Metatheoretical constructivism."

Clarifies and corrects misunderstandings of J. R. Royce's (see record 1980-20063-001) article on theory construction in psychology as interpreted by C. Tolman (1980) in his critique of metatheoretical constructivism. Epistemological points to be refuted in Tolman's article are also presented. (French abstract) (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On "Behavior therapy and civil liberties."

Responds to G. C. Davison and R. B. Stuart's (see record 1975-30208-001) article on constitutional rights as they relate to the practice of behavior therapy. Issues such as nonconsensual treatment in behavior-related projects are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compensation of "patient workers."

Comments on G. C. Davison and R. B. Stuart's (see record 1975-30208-001) speculation that some institutional directors may replace patient workers with workers from the outside because of the Wyatt v. Stickney case outlawing institutional peonage. Right to treatment standards set by this case required that patient workers be compensated according to the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to "A comment on alcoholism, alpha production, and biofeedback."

Replies to A. G. Glaros's (see record 1978-08480-001) critical comments concerning the research of F. W. Jones and D. S. Holmes (1976) in which it was found that alpha biofeedback training was ineffective with alcoholics. It is concluded that the criticisms do not necessitate a rejection of the data but instead highlight the questionable incremental validity of biofeedback training in clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Critical notes on "temporality in human action."

Argues that although J. E. Faulconer and R. N. Williams (see record 1986-13304-001) used Heidegger's ontology of time to illuminate a few of the basic flaws in human sciences that are based on positivist or crude historicist metaphysics, their hope that this philosophy of temporality will rescue psychology is ill founded. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Anxiety disorders in adults": Correction.

Reports an error in "Review of Anxiety disorders in adults" by John Hunsley (Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 2002[Aug], Vol 43[3], 212-214). In this review, it was incorrectly reported that the series in which this title appears, Guidebooks in Clinical Psychology, is published by Guilford. In fact, the publisher is Oxford University Press. We apologize to the authors and publishers concerned for this error. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-16946-001.) Reviews the book, Anxiety disorders in adults by Peter D. McLean and Sheila R. Woody (see record 2001-00540-000). This recent volume by McLean and Woody, part of Guilford's new series of guidebooks in clinical psychology, is the best example of this new generation of psychotherapy books. The authors have a wealth of experience in conducting clinical research and in supervising clinicians and graduate students in providing treatments in clinical trials. This book is a gem. The scientist-practitioner model is the cornerstone of clinical psychology training in Canada, and it was a real pleasure to read a work that so fully embodies the spirit of the scientist-practitioner model. McLean and Woody's book belongs on the shelf of everyone who trains students to work with anxiety-disordered clients or who provides direct services to this astonishingly underserved segment of the population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On gradients and texture "gradients."

Comments on J. E. Cutting and R. T. Millard's article (see record 1985-08483-001) on the extent to which texture gradients, systematic variations in image texture due to perspective projection of surface texture, provide information about the shape and disposition of surfaces relative to a viewer. The present author suggests that it is difficult to conclude that the perception of flatness or curvature derives from processes that capitalize on these gradient relationships, per se. The difficulty becomes most apparent when attempting to formalize the perceptual computations and the spatial information that is made explicit. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on Fagan's "School psychology's dilemma."

Considers the article by T. K. Fagan (see record 1987-02406-001), a comprehensive and revealing analysis. The present author suggests that the time has come for the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists to agree on a means to implement a coherent set of training models. The present author maintains that the traditional issue of entry level only perpetuates organizational identity and purpose and does not promote the field's professional integrity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A response to Richard Lettieri's "The ego revisited."

R. Lettieri (see record 2005-08806-004) maintained that a modern conflict theory needs a concept of an ego. This commentary is in response to that suggestion. Because the construct of the ego has been seriously criticized in the psychoanalytic literature, such a suggestion must first address the tenability of the criticisms before such a recommendation can be actualized. In this response to Lettieri's paper, I try to do just that. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "The psychology of life after death."

R. K. Siegel (see record 1981-25195-001) bases his discussion of life after death on an egregious logical fallacy that when one is faced with death, the desire to prolong life has some relevance to the question of whether the person survives. Siegel bases his conclusions about the author's work on a cursory reading; moreover, Siegel's reference list contains as many popular books as scholarly books and scientific articles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on Miller and Hester's "Inpatient alcoholism treatment: Who benefits?"

W. R. Miller and R. K. Hester (see record 1986-28253-001) conclude that inpatient treatment of alcoholism is no more effective than outpatient treatment of alcoholism for most individuals. However, they fail to adequately distinguish between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence, draw their conclusions from admittedly methodologically weak studies, and appear to prefer outpatient treatment because it is cheaper. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)