Freestanding hospices ease pressure on physicians, hospitals, MD says

One of Canada's newest hospices, located in Oakville, Ont., was designed to help dying patients live and die peacefully. Another of its important roles is to help family members cope with the uncertainty and loneliness that surrounds a death in the family. "There are so many people out there without support," says its founder, Margaret Anderson.     

Phonetic category structure of [I]: extent, best exemplars, and organization

The current investigation examined the structure of the phonetic category [I] for 13 listeners. Experiments reported are results from identification, "best exemplar," and discrimination tasks using 105 [I] stimuli. The tokens were synthesized long a mel-spaced vowel continuum that differed in first and second formants. All stimuli ended in a 30 ms [b] sound. Results showed that 10 of 13 listeners demonstrated differing choices of the best exemplars, although most were within 37.5 mels of the central best exemplar chosen in the first experiment. Seven of the participants demonstrated "circular" patterns in identification of the [I] category that appeared to be organized around a central "best exemplar." Six participants showed other identification patterns: "downward," "upward," and "left-extending," with "best exemplars" on an edge or border of the phonetic categories. Graded category structure from a central "best exemplar" was apparent only in the averaged identification results, and not for individual participants. The size of the [I] category was significantly smaller than that surrounding the [i] best exemplar reported in a prior study by Sussman and Lauckner-Morano (1995). Finally, listeners had equivalent or better discrimination sensitivity with the best exemplar as the fixed standard compared to that for a "poor" exemplar token 45 mels away from the best exemplar. Results showed that phonetic category structure for the lax vowel [I] was different from the similar, but tense vowel [i]. The findings question whether prototype theory is generalizable to vowel categories other than [i].     

Counterfactual and Semifactual Conditionals Prime Alternative Possibilities.

The authors examined in 3 experiments the comprehension of counterfactuals, such as "If it had rained, the plants would have bloomed," and semifactuals, such as "Even if it had rained, the plants would have bloomed," compared with indicative conditionals, "If it rained, the plants bloomed." The first experiment showed that people read the negative conjunction, "not p and not q" faster when it was primed by a counterfactual than when it was primed by an indicative conditional. They read the affirmative conjunction, "p and q" equally quickly when it was primed by either conditional. The 2nd experiment showed that people read the negated-antecedent conjunction, "not p and q" faster when it was primed by a semifactual conditional. The 3rd experiment corroborated these results in a direct comparison of counterfactuals and semifactuals. The authors discuss the implications of the results for the mental representations of different conditionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice.

Reviews the book, Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice by Mark A. Runco (see record 2007-00543-000). This book consists of 11 chapters with the following titles: "Cognition and Creativity," "Developmental Trends and Influences on Creativity," "Biological Perspectives on Creativity," "Health and Clinical Perspectives," "Social, Attributional, and Organizational Perspectives," "Educational Perspectives," "History and Historiometry," "Culture and Creativity," "Personality and Motivation," "Enhancement and the Fulfillment of Potential," and "Conclusion: What Creativity Is and What It Is Not." Beyond this all-encompassing content, the volume is crammed with illustrations and with all those "boxes" that are so characteristic of introductory textbooks in psychology. Each chapter also begins with appropriate quotations and a didactic "Advanced Organizer." Finally, Runco closes with 63 pages of references and a 15-page subject index. The reviewer has one major complaint: Runco seems to have adopted an "open the floodgates" approach that sometimes results in the almost willy nilly insertion of ideas and material. One consequence of this tendency is that the illustrations and boxes are at times less useful than they ought to be. Another repercussion of Runco's leave-nothing-out approach is that it occasionally leads to the presentation of ideas with minimal if any discussion or commentary. The reviewer does assert though, that for someone in the market for a text for use in an introductory creativity course, a book that is wide-ranging and most current, Runco's Creativity is a good choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the American Psychological Association (APA) whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in 4 specific areas by a graduate student or intern. Recipients of the 1996 awards are as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge," Paul Satz; for "Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Christine A. Courtois and Robert J. Resnick (dual award); for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," Alice F. Chang and Milton F. Shore (dual award); and for "Distinguished Contributions for Applied Psychology or Community Service by a Graduate Student or Intern," John C. Colletti. Their accomplishments are cited and bibliographies are provided. The winners since the establishment of the award are also listed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for distinguished professional contributions.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979, Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the American Psychological Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, professional practice, and public service. In 1991, recipients were as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge," Joseph Matarazzo and Grant Dahlstrom; for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Stanley Graham; and for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," José Szapocznik and Oliva Espin. For each winner a citation, biography, and selected bibliography of their works are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A factor analytic study of daydreaming, imaginal process, and temperament: a replication on an adult male life-span sample

One hundred and seventy males aged 24 to 91 years were measured on daydreaming and related mental activity using the imaginal processes inventory and on temperament using the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey to determine if earlier results relating temperament to daydreaming in college populations were generalizable to the adult life-span. The earlier derived factor of "Neurotic-Anxious Absorption in Daydreaming" was found in this sample and had a negative correlation with chronological age, suggesting a decrease with increasing age. Other earlier derived factors on "Personal Acceptance-Utilization of Daydreaming," "Masculinity-Femininity," "Thinking Introversion," and "Social Extroversion" were also found in this sample, but were not related to age.     

Overlooked physical diagnoses in chronic pain patients involved in litigation, Part 2. The addition of MRI, nerve blocks, 3-D CT, and qualitative flow meter

This study followed 120 chronic pain patients referred to a multidisciplinary pain center. The referral diagnosis for many patients, such as "chronic pain," "psychogenic pain," or "lumbar strain," was frequently found to be incomplete or inaccurate (40%) following a multidisciplinary evaluation that used appropriate diagnostic studies, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, nerve blocks, and qualitative flowmeter. Significant abnormalities were discovered in 76% of the diagnostic tests. An organic origin for pain was found in 98% of these patients. The patients were discharged with objective verification of diagnoses including facet disease, nerve entrapment, temporomandibular joint disease, thoracic outlet syndrome, and herniated discs.     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions: 1986.

The Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions recognizes the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged. Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, public service, and professional practice. In 1986 recipients, honored at the annual convention in Washington, DC, were as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," Patrick H. DeLeon; for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Nadine Lambert and William E. Fordyce; for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge," Edward Zigler. Faith Tanney, Chair of the Board of Professional Affairs, presented the awards. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Causation, compulsion, and involuntariness

This article first addresses the persistent confusion between causation and excuse. It demonstrates that causation is not the equivalent of compulsion and that causation per se is not an excusing condition. Then the article examines the conceptual and practical difficulties presented by the excuse that is variously labeled "compulsion," "involuntariness," "volitional problems," "irresistible impulse," and the like. It concludes that this excuse, when produced by internal causes, is far less well understood and assessed than forensic clinicians usually assume and that most such excusing conditions are better understood and assessed in terms of rationality problems.     

Perceived attributes of the terms client, patient, and typical person..

Helping professionals most commonly refer to seekers of counseling services as clients or as patients. However, little has been known of the implied meanings of each of those labels. 74 undergraduates compared, "client," "patient," and "typical person" using semantic differential-type scales and the Personal Attribute Inventory. Although "client" and "patient" were each evaluated more negatively than was "typical person," no significant differences were found between "client" and "patient." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions: 1980.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979 Professional Awards have been presented to three individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the area of knowledge, in public service, and in professional practice. The 1980 recipients, honored at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in Montreal, were as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Douglas W. Bray and Zygmunt A. Piotrowski; for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge," Leonard D. Eron; and, for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," Nicholas Hobbs. A citation and brief biography for each award recipient is presented. The winners since the establishment of the awards are listed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fantasy responses to subliminal stimuli.

On the basis of findings by Klein et al. (see 33: 9518) that perception is affected by subliminal stimuli, the present research tests the hypothesis that such stimuli will affect the nature of fantasy productions as well. Ss were presented with TAT card-projections, simultaneous with the projection of superimposed subliminal "negative," "positive," and "neutral" toned words. The results failed to support the hypothesis. In a 2nd phase of the experiment, clarity of the TAT slides was reduced whereupon the effect of the subliminal stimuli seemed to be achieved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for distinguished professional contributions: 1984.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979 Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, public service, and professional practice. The 1984 recipients, honored at the annual convention in Toronto, were as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," Stephen E. Goldston and Cecil Peck; for "Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Nicholas A. Cummings; for "Distinguished Contributions to Knowledge," Norman Frederiksen. The citations, biographies, and bibliographies are presented here. The awardees for all of the years since the establishment of the custom are also listed here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Environment, biology, and culture: Implications for adolescent development.

This special issue, "Development, Transitions, and Adjustment in Adolescence," examines the roles of socialization, biology, and culture as they bear on adaptive and maladaptive developmental outcomes. Problems of adolescence that are addressed include, but are not restricted to, antisocial behavior, depressive symptoms, substance abuse, low achievement, and eating problems. Factors implicated in successful adaptation, as well as psychopathology, are considered, with an emphasis on both risk and protection. The investigations and commentaries highlight conceptual and methodological progress in understanding variations in patterns of adjustment as adolescents move toward assumption of adult roles. Limitations in the current knowledge base also are indicated, which may serve to inform future theoretical and empirical work on adolescent development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The mind at AI: Horseless carriage, card trick, mousetrap, clock.

Artificial Intelligence is not about building artificial intelligences. Nor is it about understanding the human mind or any other kind of mind. These are the occasions upon which a more fundamental human urge is playing out, that of seeking new expressive power through new expressive means. AI research exhibits a profound gravity that continuously attracts even the best planned technical efforts back toward tweaking and playing around with representational facility. What deserves emphasis here is that as a culture, we are not yet conceiving of these new representational techniques in terms of their proper powers and limits but rather in familiar terms wholly inadequate, even misleading, for the task of perceiving and then leveraging their lasting significance. In this sense, the phrase "artificial intelligence" is a pristechnolocution, i.e., "earlier technology phrase," such as "horseless carriage," or "wireless telegraph," or "iron horse," or "glass teletype" a phrase that describes a new technology wrongly in terms of an old familiar one, a phrase that directs attention toward unimportant resemblances and decades later sounds anachronistically naive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex bias in language use: "Neutral" pronouns that aren't.

Terms such as "his," "he," and "man" refer to males but are also used as putative gender-neutral terms to refer to persons of unspecified sex. It is argued that male terms sometimes fail to be gender-neutral and may therefore be a cause of sex bias as well as a vestige of past inequality. In an experiment with 226 male and 264 female college students on the interpretation of pronouns, male terms such as "his," even in explicitly gender-neutral contexts, caused Ss to think 1st of males significantly more often than did "his or her" appearing in the same place. It is concluded that male terms can fail to be gender-neutral even when it is clear that a person of either sex is referred to, and males may have an advantage in contexts where they are referred to by a putative neutral term. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for distinguished professional contributions: 1985.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979 Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, public service, and professional practice. The 1985 recipients, honored at the annual convention in Los Angeles, were as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," Eric Schopler; for "Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Rogers H. Wright; for "Distinguished Professional Contribution to Knowledge," Albert Ellis. Bryant Welch, chair of the Board of Professional Affairs, presented the awards. The members of the BPA subcommittee on Professional Affairs were Bryant Welch, John Krumboltz, and Tom Stigall. The awardees for all of the years since the establishment of the custom are also listed here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

John L. Holland.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979, Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, professional practice, public service, and applied psychology or community service by a graduate student or intern (individual or group). In 1994, recipients were as follows: for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge," John L. Holland; for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," Robert D. Weitz; for "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service," Kenneth S. Pope and Robert B. McCall (dual award); for "Distinguished Contributions for Applied Psychology or Community Service by a Graduate Student or Intern (Individual or Group)," David William Purcell. The awardees' citations, biographies, and selected bibliographies are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impossible roles therapists must play.

Contends that there are roles that therapists must play as a function of a basic canon underlying the field of psychotherapy, and that these roles are ingrained in the profession itself, the various therapeutic approaches, and the personalities of psychotherapists. However, some of these roles are impossible. Six of these impossible roles (e.g., the "divine being," objective observer, and maker of impossible promises) are described, together with the therapeutic problems with which they are yoked. (French abstract) (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)