Instructional psychology: Past, present, and future.

Traces the history of instructional psychology from the early part of this century to recent developments. Currently, instructional psychology, with the methods and concepts of cognitive psychology, focuses on the acquisition of intellectual competence. Researchers are examining such areas as the knowledge and cognitive processes required in advanced levels of reading and text comprehension, the computational and problem-solving skills needed in mathematics, the skills of learning assessed by aptitude tests, and the effects on school achievement of the interaction between initial ability and classroom variables. The emerging field of instructional psychology can be described in terms of 4 major components: the nature of the competence to be attained, the initial state of the learner, the transition processes between these 2 stages, and ways of assessing and monitoring performance changes in the acquisition of competence. Principles that should guide the development of a psychology of instruction are discussed. (110 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to community psychology in Canada: Past, present, and future.

The introduction to the special section on community psychology in Canada provides background information about the field in Canada and provides summaries of the four articles and the commentary that comprise the issue. The articles address (a) theory, research, and practice in community psychology; (b) training in community psychology; (c) community psychology practice; and (d) a vision for the future of community psychology in Canada. These articles highlight the many contributions of Canadian community psychologists to a field that is growing throughout the world to address pressing social problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between psychology and organized labor: Past, present, and future.

Discusses factors that have affected and recently improved the tenuous and often hostile relationship between psychologists and unions, including an increase in published studies illustrating the applicability of psychological knowledge to labor concerns, activities within organized psychology, and increased interest in behavioral issues on the part of organized labor. In an effort to explore and ultimately improve the perception and utilization of psychologists by unionists, the authors present an overview of the literature on unionists and psychologists, offer contextual information to explain the relationship problems, and describe a number of projects conducted by an American Psychological Association task force on unions. Findings from a survey sent to 150 national, international, and independent unions that assessed current and past problems between psychologists and unions, unionist perceptions of psychologists, and the need for services that could be delivered by psychologists are presented. The need for further work, such as the identification of prolabor psychologists in the field and demonstrations to unions and their members of the efficacy of services provided by health care and organizational psychologists, is discussed. (68 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pain: Past, present and future.

The gate control theory of pain proposes that a mechanism in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord acts like a gate that inhibits or facilitates transmission from the body to the brain on the basis of the diameters of the active peripheral fibers as well as the dynamic action of brain processes. As a result, psychological variables such as past experience, attention, and other cognitive activities have been integrated into current research and theory on pain processes. The gate control theory, however, is not able to explain some chronic pain problems which require a greater understanding of brain mechanisms. A new theory of brain function that proposes a new conceptual nervous system is described. One of the system's components is a body-self neuromatrix whose portions (or neuromodules) subserve major psychological dimensions (or qualities) of experience. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflections on the evolution of psychology in Manitoba: Past, present and future considerations.

Reflects upon the evolution of psychology in Manitoba which may parallel developments in other jurisdictions. The article highlights those developmental activities of particular historical relevance, identifies current issues, and underscores several key issues which present challenges to the profession into the future. The implications of such issues for interjurisdictional mobility, entry level standards of practice, training, funding of services, advocacy, legislation and recruitment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoneuroimmunology: Past, present, and future.

Provides a brief overview of the history and current status of behavioral immunology research as well as speculation on the likely future directions. It is suggested that field may have broad implications for basic biological sciences and medicine. The field of psychoneuroimmunology has clear relevance for health psychology; its relevance to actual health outcomes, however, is not yet known. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The status and role of quantitative methods in psychology: Past, present, and future perspectives.

Highlights salient weaknesses in the current training of graduate students in psychology. In particular, training in the areas of statistics, measurement, and research methods tends to be rooted in past traditions, rather than exemplifying current advancements in the area of quantitative methods. Ways by which these limitations may be addressed through a strengthening of the quantitative methods component of the curriculum are presented. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate education in psychology.

Reviews some of the previous major conferences on graduate education in psychology since the 1st conference was held in 1949 in Boulder, Colorado. Planning for the 1987 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, is described, including selection of issues, selection of participants, and structure of the conference. The themes of unity, diversity, quality, and humanity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental retardation: Past, present, and future.

The history of the education of the retarded, the development and subsequent overuse of institutional programs, and the current emphasis on deinstitutionalization are discussed in relation to social-political movements occurring in the same time periods. The contributions of E. Seguin, A. Binet, H. Goddard, and L. Terman are discussed, moving from an emphasis on education and early development to identification and classification with the use of tests. Genetic differences appeared to be confirmed by early cross-sectional studies, and the concept of the "fixed IQ" influenced attitudes toward retardation and care-giving institutions. The beginning of current emphasis on the modifiability of mental development, deinstitutionalization, and social and medical prevention was signaled by the 1962 report of the President's panel on mental retardation. It is stressed that future programs for the retarded will be influenced by the availability of resources and the presence of innovative, well-trained people dedicated to work with the retarded. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive development: Past, present, and future.

Summarizes what developmentalists have come to believe about human cognitive development after over a century of study. Topics briefly considered include the child as constructive thinker; invention of new research methods; the diagnosis problem; recent changes in estimates of children's competence; the question of general stages vs domain-specific developments; the effects of expertise; natural domains and constraints; cognitive development as theory development; synchronisms, sequences, and qualitative changes; mechanisms of development; sociocultural influences; individual differences; practical applications; and suggestions about what develops. This article concludes with some guesses about future directions for the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jury instructions: Past, present, and future.

This introduction provides an overview of the relevant issues addressed in this special theme issue of Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, which is devoted to the topic of jury instructions. It begins with a brief history of jury instruction research. This is followed by a summary of the articles represented in this issue. Next, the strengths and weaknesses of the typical methodology used in jury instruction research are considered. Finally, the specific goals of this special issue are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cost offset: Past, present, and future.

The health of the U.S. health care system is precarious. Calls for reform in areas such as cost, quality, and equal access to health care are widespread and growing louder each day. Action is required on each of these issues, yet the lack of progress is cause for serious concern. A central problem is the reluctance to acknowledge the roles that the mind and behavior play in health and illness. One solution is the integration of psychological health care into the general health care system. A major vehicle for advancing the integration of health care is the "cost-offset" effect, a concept that involves paying systematic attention to psychological factors in order to reduce overuse of medical services and thereby decrease costs. Despite data demonstrating that the cost-offset hypothesis is quite robust, little has been done to implement integrated health care. This article reviews the literature on cost offset, discusses the policy implications, and considers its application to the public sector. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive therapy: Past, present, and future.

Proponents of cognitive therapy have striven to establish this approach as a mature system of psychotherapy for over 3 decades. The theoretical formulations have been enriched by clinical extrapolations from the neopsychoanalysts and experimental findings from cognitive psychology. The therapeutic strategies and techniques have been refined as a result of interaction with behavior therapy, which also influenced the emphasis on empirical testing of the theoretical formulations and the therapeutic applications. Outcome trials have demonstrated efficacy in a number of common disorders. New emphasis on the crucial importance of specific formulations (especially dysfunctional beliefs) has provided important clues to the treatment of a large number of other disorders. It is concluded that cognitive therapy has fulfilled the criteria of a system of psychotherapy by providing a coherent, testable theory of personality, psychopathology, and therapeutic change; a teachable, testable set of therapeutic principles, strategies, and techniques that articulate with the theory; and a body of clinical and empirical data that support the theory and the efficacy of the theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Darwin and developmental psychology: Past and present.

Addresses the historical question of what influence Darwin has had on the emergence of developmental psychology as a scientific discipline. Suggestions for possible synergistic connections between modern evolutionary theory and developmental psychology are offered. Darwin's distinctive contributions to evolutionary theory appear to have had less influence on developmental psychology than traditionally believed. Possible reasons for this include developmentalists' commitment to meliorism, conceptual issues characterizing differences between ontogenetic and phylogenetic change, and methodological differences in studying proximate and ultimate factors. It is suggested that developmentalists use evolutionary theory as a heuristic for structuring new research into human development. In return, evolutionary biologists can have hypotheses concerning the impact of phylogeny on human ontogeny tested by those best qualified to test them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Denial of access: Past, present, and future.

Examines premises regarding the benefits and risks of parental access to children in permanent adoptive placements. These premises include the superiority of adoption over other forms of substitute care, the necessity of terminating contact with natural parents to develop and maintain relationships with substitute parents, the need for successful mourning as a prerequisite for new attachment, the presumed linear relationship between age and adoptability, the relationship between separation in childhood and later pathology, and the negative effects of parental access on the child's relationship with the foster family. The evidence regarding these issues appears inconclusive. Longitudinal research and clinical studies of children in care, with and without contact with the natural family, are needed to determine the consequences of separation from living parents in the context of permanency planning. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychoanalytic office: Past, present, and future.

The experience of photographing psychoanalysts in their offices has focused attention on the meaning that our work spaces have for us, in our history, presently and speculations about the future. Making the analyst in the analytic environment the subject of study, contextualizes our being and reveals much about the importance of our offices. The fifty-five analysts photographed (as part of an on-going project) were selected to approximate a representative sample of the diversity of practicing psychoanalysts in the early twenty-first century. They were photographed in their offices in the United States, Mexico, South America and Europe and generally welcomed the opportunity to be seen regardless of theoretical orientation. From Sigmund Freud's first psychoanalytic office at Berggasse 19 in Vienna, we have carried forward traditions of filling our surroundings with objects, and of maintaining a precarious hold on the permanence of space. The Jungian term, temenos, indicating a secure continuous containment as applied to our offices, is under siege. Technological advances and the frantic pace of modern life with increasing telephone and more recently Skype sessions, combine to provide opportunities, challenge assumptions and even question the necessity of having a psychoanalytic office. Finding a space where we can belong, with our belongings, may define and predict our future existence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intensive neurology. Past, present, and future

Although the neurological intensive care, seem have originated at the ends of 40s, during the epidemic of acute poliomyelitis that flogged Europe, it must be indicated that the growth and expansion of this subspecialty, has been a remarkable fact only in the course of the two last decades. Despite the fact that the neurological intensive care units (Neuro-ICU) are expensive; multiple have been the benefits derived from their creation; so much for patients, hospitals, as well for medical teaching. This is the current panorama of these units, mainly in developed countries, however, unfortunately this is not the situation in others, especially the underdeveloped ones. Many of the dilemmas that today confronts neurology in our countries are due to the nonexistence of these units. Undoubtedly, the neurocritical patients results more benefitted, when receives attention from the neurointensivists; thus the medical care that it receives becomes defragmented. The creation of the Neuro-ICU in our countries should not be made in a generalized way, but strategically, in addition, would be very convenient the incorporation of neurointensivists in the polyvalent intensive care units or intermediate care units. For the future, it will have to keep in mind the fact, that certain novel procedures that today emerge for the management of certain neurocritical conditions, will have to be assimilated by neurointensivists, since they will be the personnel disposed to implement them in any moment, and what is more important, it is the competent personnel prepared to treat any complication that emerge upon applying these.     

The mycobacteriology laboratory. Past, present, and future

The role of the mycobacteriology laboratory in tuberculosis control programs has been underestimated in the past, but now laboratory services are proven to play an essential role if properly implemented. The importance and reliability of these services in the future will depend on their centralization in specialized mycobacteriology laboratories that will be able to put new technologies into practice. The shortest turnaround time and the greatest cost effectiveness can be achieved by direct submission of raw specimens to such laboratories, especially for the management of new tuberculosis patients.