Past and future of industrial/organizational psychology.

Some of the early contributors to the development of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology are reviewed, and their conceptions of the field are compared with contemporary ideas. Although research methods have become far more sophisticated, the broad divisions of the discipline remain unchanged: They involve selection, training, job performance, satisfaction, mental health, and social influences on work. Strictly organizational issues developed relatively late in the century. Two major trends in I/O psychology are identified and contrasted: quantitative and humanist perspectives. It is suggested that current practice overemphasizes the quantitative and at times ignores the humanistic consequences of I/O interventions. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guest editorial: Control is a double-edged sword.

The theme of control in all its variations permeates every aspect of real life drama. Numerous subdisciplines in psychology, ranging from educational, social, industrial to health and clinical psychology, have provided ample evidence of the far reaching impact of the psychology of control. However, the very popularity of control research brings with it certain problems. First, the proliferation of control-related concepts. Second, the conflicting results regarding the benefits of control. Third, the lack of an over-arching theory. The present special issue was conceived to provide a forum for addressing the above three issues. I am pleased with both the quality and diversity of papers assembled in this special issue. The variety of clinical applications of the control construct is particularly impressive. I also believe that these papers have made a major contribution towards clarifying several theoretical issues. However, we still have a long way to go before we can have a complete picture of the various effects of control. It is my hope that this special issue will encourage more creative research and theoretical developments that will reveal how to reap the benefits of control and avert its negative effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social Work Courses for Psychologists.

Andriola has stated (American Psychologist, December, 1951) that he was desirous of seeing an increase in the interchange of information between social workers and psychologists. He was critical of psychology in that he felt that psychologists had little or no knowledge of the field of social work. Singer replied (American Psychologist, December, 1952) that psychologists are hindered from gaining a knowledge of social work by virtue of the admission policies of certain schools of social work. Furthermore, he contended that the schools of social work had raised a barrier to cross communication with psychology. Singer poses some questions that he would like to have answered regarding psychologists and social work schools and it is the purpose of this communication to offer partial answers. It is my feeling that clinical and educational psychologists could profit immeasurably from courses offered in a social work curriculum. I found that such courses as Community Organization, Public Welfare, Case Work Techniques, Administration and Supervision and particularly Legal Aspects added much to my professional competence and academic stature. Psychology as it manifests itself in an applied sense could well take cognizance of the thorough and effective techniques developed by the social work profession in the area of supervision and on-the-job training. I am in complete agreement with Singer's contention that "An important outcome of a graduate training program which would require students in psychology and social work to take courses in each department would probably be a more effective team approach to the common problems to be solved by both groups, viz., to enable the client to live a happy and satisfactory life." My experience may not be representative of the general attitude of schools of social work. Nevertheless, my own enrollment has added to my feelings of respect and admiration for the social work profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress reduction in the workplace: The effectiveness of psychoeducational programs.

Participants in this 3-year field study were 373 employees in the emergency medical service of a municipal fire department. A framework for defining stress and categorizing psychoeducational stress reduction programs was developed. The overall effect as a single treatment type of seven psychoeducational programs based on physiological (M), coping-with-people (A), or interpersonal awareness (I) processes, and the 4 combinations programs, A & I, M & A, M & I, and M & A & I, on measures related to job stress was determined as well as the relative effect of each program in the near and long term. Pre- and postfollow-up improvements were found on standardized psychological instruments and on a job performance measure. Findings support the value of psychoeducational training programs for preventative mental health in the workplace. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

SPQ editorial June 2008.

This issue features the first research article (Bradshaw, Buckley & Ialongo, 2008) accepted by our new editorial team; a group of individuals with unusual methodological talent. Also in this issue you will find a special section on neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, the adaptation of children with such problems to schooling, and implications for the practice of psychology with these children in schools. Our fall issue will premier our first contribution to the Evidence for Practice section, which represents an attempt to directly link accumulated scientific knowledge to the everyday work of psychological practitioners. I am happy to receive any inquiries from prospective contributors to SPQ. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Erratum to Glenwick.

Reports an error in the original article by David S. Glenwick (American Psychologist, 1979[June], 34[6], p.559), a misplaced line occurred in the first paragraph, third column. The paragraph should read: I share Goodstein and Sandler's (1978, p. 891) opinion that "community psychology cannot prosper within the community mental health movement" (my emphasis). Nonetheless, there are some aspects of the community mental health movement (e.g., consultation, crisis intervention, use of paraprofessionals, community education, administration of the community mental health center as an organizational system) that can prosper within community psychology, that are consonant with a community psychology orientation and can lead to mutually productive collaborative undertakings. To prevent the baby from being thrown out with the bathwater, it is these aspects of community mental health that can legitimately be embraced by community psychology without comprising its ideological integrity. (The following abstract appears in record 1990-58513-001.) Comments on L. D. Goodstein and I. Sandler's (see record 1979-22507-001) conceptual analysis of community psychology (CP), focusing on program evaluation, multidisciplinary knowledge, and the community mental health movement (CMHM). There are aspects of the CMHM that can prosper within CP, that are consonant with a CP orientation, and that can lead to mutually productive collaborative undertakings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job control mediates change in a work reorganization intervention for stress reduction.

This longitudinal, quasi-experiment tested whether a work reorganization intervention can improve stress-related outcomes by increasing people's job control. To this end, the authors used a participative action research (PAR) intervention that had the goal of reorganizing work to increase the extent to which people had discretion and choice in their work. Results indicated that the PAR intervention significantly improved people's mental health, sickness absence rates, and self-rated performance at a 1-year follow-up. Consistent with occupational health psychology theories, increase in job control served as the mechanism, or mediator, by which these improvements occurred. Discussion focuses on the need to understand the mechanism by which work reorganization interventions affect change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An editor's last word.

This is my last issue as editor of International Journal of Play Therapy (IJPT). I experienced a great honor serving in this role over the last four years. Dr. Stephen Armstrong has graciously agreed to serve as the new editor of IJPT. The members of Association for Play Therapy (APT) are consummate professionals who share a vision for mental health intervention for all children. Although it can clearly be seen through my editorship and my research focus in APT that I am a proponent of evidence-based practice research, I am also dedicated to the idea that there are many parts of what play therapists do that simply cannot be measured. Consequently, it appears that the field of play therapy will continue to debate the need for and process of conducting research. However, it also appears that in order for play therapy to grow in credibility, research and the publication of research is necessary and vital. I conclude my final editorial by thanking all of the authors who have submitted to IJPT over the last four years. Their contributions to the field are unparalleled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Clinical psychology training in Canada: Its development, current status, and the prospects for accreditation": Comment on Conway.

Comments on the original article, Clinical psychology training in Canada: Its development, current status, and the prospects for accreditation by John B. Conway (see record 1985-10567-001). I found that Dr. Conway provided me with a good service when he so clearly presented the case for the accreditation of Canadian clinical psychology training programmes. I am sure that many other readers join me in thanking him. My first inclination was to reject his arguments, and to regard the fact that Canadian psychology departments were giving up their academic independence to a trade association as being a prime example of Fromm's escape from freedom. But Dr. Conway's arguments were well founded, and obviously they represent the view of the majority of my colleagues. I had to ask myself a number of questions and, being biased, it was difficult for me to try to be fair in my answers. I have done this and my comments on Dr. Conway's paper will, I hope, reflect a "yes and" rather than a "yes but" approach. If this be so, then it may be a useful exercise, since it bridges a significant difference in basic attitudes within the compass of clinical psychology and I am gratified that, in a real sense, Dr. Conway is coauthor of what I wish to write in this review. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Responding to the psychological impact of war on the Iraqi people and U.S. veterans: Mixing icing, praying for cake.

The psychological impact of the war in Iraq stimulated major initiatives to build a modern mental health care system for the Iraqi people and to improve mental health services for U.S. veterans of the Iraq war. Although these two initiatives differ in important respects, they are both informed by general principles of psychology concerning the nature of social problem definition, the process of human adaptation to extreme stress and its aftermath, and the role and limits of mental health services. Building on these common themes and my own experiences, I describe how two nations are trying to address the colossal psychological damage wrought by the war in Iraq. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of work in psychological health and well-being: A conceptual, historical, and public policy perspective.

The primary theme of this article, which serves as the introductory contribution of a special section of the American Psychologist, is that work plays a central role in the development, expression, and maintenance of psychological health. The argument underlying this assumption is articulated at the outset of the article in conjunction with a historical review of vocational psychology and industrial/organizational psychology. The article follows with an overview of contemporary vocational psychology and a presentation of the psychology-of-working perspective, which has emerged from critiques of vocational psychology and from multicultural, feminist, and expanded epistemological analyses of psychological explorations of working. Three illustrative lines of inquiry in which research has affected the potential for informing public policy are presented. These three lines of scholarship (role of work in recovery from mental illness; occupational health psychology; and working, racism, and psychological health) are reviewed briefly to furnish exemplars of how the psychological study of working can inform public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It is past time: Moving psychology into primary health care.

It is past time for psychologists to expand their services into primary health care. For too long, psychological work has been limited to mental health care. Psychology also has much to offer in primary health care. One of my major initiatives during my tenure as president of the American Psychological Association (APA) was to focus on psychologists' contributions to health care in general, particularly on what psychologists are doing to help cancer patients. A great need exists for professional psychologists to expand into these areas. To illustrate the value of psychological interventions in primary health care, I focus on two major health care problems: heart disease and cancer. Both are particularly important areas for health care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond Husserl.

In his article "Husserl Revisited," Jennings (see record 1987-05956-001) did a noteworthy job of introducing the complex work of Edmund Husserl and the relation of that work to psychology. However, to have a broad conception of phenomenology, one must see that Husserl's work is not all there is, or has been, to the praxis of the discipline. It could be asserted that the phenomenological psychology practiced by at least some today stands totally independent of Husserl, drawing instead on Brentano, Stumpf, James, and the gestaltists. In saying this, it is not my point to defame Husserl, merely to keep him in perspective. There can be no doubt of Husserl's influence on many current phenomenological psychologists (e.g. Giorgi, 1970). Still, articles like Jennings's promote a confusion between the work of one individual and the discipline as a whole. It was my intention in this comment to suggest sources for review and consideration, believing that from them readers will find a more complex and less distinct relationship between phenomenology and psychology than that presented by comparing only Husserl's views with psychology. Beyond this point, I share the views of Jennings completely and embrace the aim of his original article, which was to stimulate "a more fruitful dialogue between the disciplines" (p. 1240). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Afferent mechanism of cortical myoclonus studied by proprioception-related SEPs

This questionnaire study examined perceived sources of stress and satisfaction at work among 121 mental health staff members. Five factors were derived from principal component analysis of sources of work stress items (stress from: role, poor support, clients, future, and overload), and accounted for 70% of the total variance. Four factors were derived from the items related to sources of job satisfaction (satisfaction from: career, working with people, management, and money), accounting for 68% of the variance. The associations of these factors with sociodemographic and job characteristics were examined, and they were entered as explanatory variables into regression models predicting mental health, burnout, and job satisfaction. Stress from "overload" was associated with being based outside an in-patient ward, and with emotional exhaustion and worse mental health. Stress related to the "future" was associated with not being white. Stress from "clients" was associated with the "depersonalization" component of burnout. Higher job satisfaction was associated with "management" and "working with people" as sources of satisfaction, whereas emotional exhaustion and poorer mental health were associated with less "career" satisfaction.     

Psychology and women’s studies: Epistemological dilemma or opportunity?

Women used to be relegated to the periphery in psychology: most of us were not really heard as primary members of our discipline. Moreover, fundamental concepts and methods were developed by men about men, and applied to women only as an afterthought and without due process. Recently, more women are speaking straightforwardly from their experiences and are beginning to be heard with increasing respect, though change is slow. Concurrently, Women's Studies is coming to its own as an academic discipline. Now it is paradoxical that as women psychologists, many of us find ourselves with one foot in each of two different worlds—one in psychology and the other in women's studies. As I reflect on what it must have been like for women many years ago in psychology and on how that experience has (and has not) changed in my generation, I am coming to appreciate the intellectual challenge which I face. In this essay I discuss several epistemological and methodological issues in Women's Studies which are relevant to psychology in an attempt to bring both of my feet closer together. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A personal view of some issues facing psychologists.

"First of all, I am concerned that the general climate of American psychology today does a great deal to discourage original and creative thinking, and little to foster it." "A second concern which I feel is in regard to the risk of becoming parochial. There appear to be strong forces at work in our field to narrow psychology." A third area "… which I feel troubled about is the trend in psychology. It seems to me that there is, in our profession, a real fear of thinking about the meaning of what we are doing." These issues are briefly discussed, questions are raised regarding the issues, and some suggestions are made for resolution of the problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Burnout as a clinical entity--its importance in health care workers

Burnout, viewed as the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength as a result of prolonged stress or frustration, was added to the mental health lexicon in the 1970s, and has been detected in a wide variety of health care providers. A study of 600 American workers indicated that burnout resulted in lowered production, and increases in absenteeism, health care costs, and personnel turnover. Many employees are vulnerable, particularly as the American job scene changes through industrial downsizing, corporate buyouts and mergers, and lengthened work time. Burnout produces both physical and behavioural changes, in some instances leading to chemical abuse. The health professionals at risk include physicians, nurses, social workers, dentists, care providers in oncology and AIDS-patient care personnel, emergency service staff members, mental health workers, and speech and language pathologists, among others. Early identification of this emotional slippage is needed to prevent the depersonalization of the provider-patient relationship. Prevention and treatment are essentially parallel efforts, including greater job control by the individual worker, group meetings, better up-and-down communication, more recognition of individual worth, job redesign, flexible work hours, full orientation to job requirements, available employee assistance programmes, and adjuvant activity. Burnout is a health care professional's occupational disease which must be recognized early and treated.     

Master's level training in industrial/organizational psychology: A case study of the perceived relevance of graduate training.

Describes the job requirements faced by graduates of a terminal master's level industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology program and their perception of the relevance and adequacy of course work to job demands. A survey of recent graduates indicated virtually all are able to find jobs in the area of their training at reasonably competitive salaries. Graduates view the majority of courses as well targeted toward skills they regard as useful for employment. Courses emphasizing traditional personnel psychology, training, and measurement are most valued. In light of the limited resources addressing I/O training content at the terminal master's level, results provide guidance for the content of master's level personnel psychology programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science or ideology?

Responds to the comments by D. McKay (see record 2011-02175-008); B. D. Thombs, L. R. Jewett, and M. Bassel (see record 2011-02175-009); M. D. Anestis, J. C. Anestis, and S. O. Lilienfeld (see record 2011-02175-010); and W. W. Tryon and G. S. Tryon (see record 2011-02175-011) on the current author's original article, "The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy" (see record 2010-02208-012). The academic psychology literature is filled with pronouncements about psychodynamic theory, often stated in authoritative tones, that present a picture of psychodynamic treatment that is unrecognizable to me and to other contemporary psychodynamic practitioners. Several of the comments about my article perpetuate this tradition and, I am sorry to say, introduce disinformation into the pages of the American Psychologist. Before addressing some specifics, I want to say a few words about my understanding of how such misrepresentations can find their way into scholarly academic journals. Three of the four comments on my article appear to have the intent of reasserting the master narrative by creating a smokescreen of doubt and confusion (Anestis, Anestis, & Lilienfeld, 2011; McKay, 2011; Thombs, Jewett, & Bassel, 2011). Two of the four comments (McKay, 2011; Tryon & Tryon, 2011) cite a metaanalysis indicating that there is no empirical support for the concept of “symptom substitution.” Two of the comments (Anestis et al., 2011; Thombs et al., 2011) note that the effect size from the meta-analysis by Leichsenring and Rabung (2008)—one of eight meta-analyses showing substantial benefits for psychodynamic therapy reported in my Table 1 (Shedler, 2010)—has been the target of criticism and reflects a computational error. Three of the comments (Anestis et al., 2011; McKay, 2011; Thombs et al., 2011) imply that the methods used in empirical studies of psychodynamic therapies are somehow inadequate relative to studies of other evidence-based therapies. Unlike the other comments, the comment of Tryon and Tryon (2011) appears to be a sincere effort to engage with my arguments. What disturbs me about the three other comments is not that the authors disagree with my conclusions but that they portray themselves as objective investigators who desire only to promote good science. While Anestis et al. (2011), McKay (2011), and Thombs et al. (2011) imply or explicitly state that I am the one who marshals evidence selectively, from my angle of vision they appear to value only evidence that supports an a priori agenda while ignoring, dismissing, or attacking evidence that does not. If so, this is not science, but ideology masquerading as science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)