Annual report of the Policy and Planning Board, 1995.

During 1995 the Policy and Planning Board (P&P) of the American Psychological Association (APA) finalized its work on amendments to the APA Bylaws and Association Rules and published the 1995 "Five-Year Report of the P&P." P&P hosted a working breakfast at the annual convention for representatives of divisions and relevant boards and committees to consider APA's long-range role in the changing economic times for both the discipline and individual psychologists. On the basis of information from the P&P retreat meeting, potential models for new APA divisions were developed, and discussion of their merits began with other APA groups as part of P&P's consideration of APA's future direction as an organization. This report is organized as follows: APA/division relations, economy and long-range planning, division formation, and items from the Council of Representatives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Annual report of the Policy and Planning Board: 1980 and 1981.

In accord with the APA Bylaws (Article X, Section 7), the Policy and Planning (P&P) Board submitted its Five-Year Report for 1980 to the APA membership last year ("Five-Year Report," 1980). The Five-Year Report is mandated as an overview of the state of organized psychology. The P&P Board is also charged with preparing an annual report to the membership of its own activities. Since the Board did not submit an annual report for 1980 in lieu of the Five-Year Report, this document highlights activities for 1980 and 1981. Topics of discussion include: APA's Organization; Divisions and State Associations; Service on Council and Boards and Committees; and Other Activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based practice in psychology.

The evidence-based practice movement has become an important feature of health care systems and health care policy. Within this context, the APA 2005 Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice defines and discusses evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP). In an integration of science and practice, the Task Force's report describes psychology's fundamental commitment to sophisticated EBPP and takes into account the full range of evidence psychologists and policymakers must consider. Research, clinical expertise, and patient characteristics are all supported as relevant to good outcomes. EBPP promotes effective psychological practice and enhances public health by applying empirically supported principles of psychological assessment, case formulation, therapeutic relationship, and intervention. The report provides a rationale for and expanded discussion of the EBPP policy statement that was developed by the Task Force and adopted as association policy by the APA Council of Representatives in August 2005. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Annual Report of the Policy and Planning Board, 1998.

Presents the 1998 Annual Report of the Policy and Planning Board (P&P) of the American Psychological Association (APA). During 1998, P&P addressed a number of issues that were introduced as Council of Representatives' new business items. P&P took up issues such as the revision of the test standards, the development of a division dispute-resolution mechanism, the conclusion of the business of the Committee on Employment and Human Resources, and several motions regarding the qualifications of associate editors of APA journals. In addition, P&P's primary focus in 1998 was on the development and implementation of a plan for its five-year review of the structure and function of the association, which is due in 1999. The five-year report will be published in the archival issue of the American Psychologist in August 2000. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

2003 Report of the Policy and Planning Board.

Presents the 2003 Report of the Policy and Planning Board (P&P) of the American Psychological Association (APA). In 2003, P&P endeavored to find a topic and develop a plan of action for its 2004 five-year review and report to the association. Two situations presented additional challenges for P&P. For the second consecutive year, APA governance meetings were reduced by one meeting. P&P was fortunate that it was able to meet for two of its usual three meetings; some other major boards were reduced to one face-to-face meeting in 2003. The second factor impacting P&P's plans for the five-year review was that a presidential task force was convened in the same subject area prescribed for P&P in the APA bylaws-the structure and function of APA governance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

2002 Report of the Policy and Planning Board.

Presents the 2002 Report of the Policy and Planning Board (P&P) of the American Psychological Association (APA). P&P's primary function is the consideration of current and long-range policy. APA Bylaws require that P&P report annually by publication to the membership on changes in existing policy and extensions or restrictions of the functions of the association, its divisions, or state/provincial associations. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, along with other budget factors, led APA to reduce the board and committee meeting schedule by one in 2002. The result was that although a number of issues important to the work of P&P were raised, few were resolved. The specific topics detailed here are: (1) Issues of Representation and Equity Among Constituent Groups; (2) Science/Practice Tensions; (3) Promulgation of Guidelines; (4) Council Policy Manual; and (5) Guidelines on Receiving Financial Contributions From Outside Groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making psychology a household word.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 61(8) of American Psychologist (see record 2006-21079-021). This erratum clarifies the APA Council of Representatives response to the the PENS Task Force Report at its August 2005 meeting.] This article addresses Ronald F. Levant's four APA presidential initiatives for 2005. "Making Psychology a Household Word" was both the general theme for his presidency as well as an initiative in its own right. The other three initiatives were "Promoting Health Care for the Whole Person," "Enhancing Diversity Within APA," and "Developing an APA Position on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Officers, boards, committees, and representatives of the American Psychological Association, 2000.

Reports the names of the officers, boards, committees, and representatives of the American Psychological Association (APA). The lists of members presented include the Council of Representatives, the Board of Directors, Policy Planning Board, Committee on Structure and Function of Council, Standing Boards and Committees, Continuing Committees, and Ad Hoc Committees and Task Forces. In addition, a list of organizations that by be of interest to APA members, the list of the officers of APA divisions (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Five-year report of the Policy and Planning Board: 1980.

To facilitate and guide the Policy and Planning (P&P) Board's preparation of this report, the presidents of APA divisions and state association affiliates, the APA Board of Directors, APA Central Office professional staff, and staff of the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (AAP) were asked to state what they felt were the most significant concerns confronting the Association at this time. The responses to this survey, as well as the deliberations of the P&P Board, revealed a complex of interrelated pressures that have prompted the differentiated growth of psychology. This differentiation has been fueled internally by the emergence of new groups within psychology and externally by increased demands from society for relevance, applicability, and accountability. This report is an attempt to catalog and characterize the most important of these developments and APA's responses to them. The report concludes with recommendations in selected areas that the P&P Board thinks will be crucial for psychology in the coming five years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Making Psychology a Household Word": Erratum.

Reports an error in "Making Psychology a Household Word" by Ronald F. Levant (American Psychologist, 2006[Jul-Aug], Vol 61[5], 383-395). This erratum clarifies the APA Council of Representatives response to the PENS Task Force Report at its August 2005 meeting. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2006-08928-002.) This article addresses Ronald F. Levant's four APA presidential initiatives for 2005. "Making Psychology a Household Word" was both the general theme for his presidency as well as an initiative in its own right. The other three initiatives were "Promoting Health Care for the Whole Person," "Enhancing Diversity Within APA," and "Developing an APA Position on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cookbooks, manuals, and paint-by-numbers: Psychotherapy in the 90's.

Critically reviews the Division 12 Task Force Report on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures and its update report and uses these reports as illustrative of flaws in contemporary psychotherapy research. The Task Force makes sweeping generalizations based on a paucity of research evidence. It does not address the issue of validation of manualization, nor the controversy over using manuals in psychotherapy. The complexities associated with measuring and assessing outcome are also ignored. Flaws common in contemporary psychotherapy displayed in the Task Force Report include the Type III Error, the exclusivity myth, "methodolatry," and oversimplification of the concept of outcome. While so flawed as to be of dubious value for researchers or practitioners, the Report and its accompaniments are worrisome in their potential appeal to those who might want to limit the use of psychotherapies only to those "validated" by the Task Force. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Annual Report of the Policy and Planning Board: 1983.

The Policy and Planning (P&P) Board is mandated to report to the membership annually on its activities. This report covers the P&P Board's two meetings in 1983 and future plans. The P&P Board held its retreat meeting on May 6 to 8 in Washington, D.C., and its regular business meeting on October 21 to 23 in the APA Building in Washington, D.C. The report includes the organization of APA; board, committee, and division operations; review of major documents; and review of APA Bylaws. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Corporate funding and conflicts of interest: A primer for psychologists.

A presidential task force on external funding was established by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2003 to review APA policies, procedures, and practices regarding the acceptance of funding and support from private corporations for educational and training programs; continuing education offerings; research projects; publications; advertising; scientific and professional meetings and conferences; and consulting, practice, and advocacy relationships. This article, based on the Executive Summary of the APA Task Force on External Funding Final Report, presents the findings and unanimous recommendations of the task force in the areas of association income, annual convention, research and journals, continuing education, education, practice, and conflicts of interest and ethics. The task force concluded that it is important for both APA and individual psychologists to become familiar with the challenges that corporate funding can pose to their integrity. The nature and extent of those challenges led the task force to recommend that APA develop explicit policies, educational materials, and continuing education programs to preserve the independence of psychological science, practice, and education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Officers, boards, committees, and representatives of the American Psychological Association, 1999.

Reports the names of the officers, boards, committees, and representatives of the American Psychological Association (APA). The lists of members presented include the Council of Representatives, the Board of Directors, Policy and Planning Board, Committee on Structure and Function of Council, Standing Boards and Committees, Continuing Committees, and Ad Hoc Committees and Task Forces. In addition, a list of organizations that may be of interest to APA members, the list of the officers of APA divisions, as well as lists of affiliated associations are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is evidence-based practice diverse enough? Philosophy of science considerations.

In its policy rationale for evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP), the APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (see record 2006-05893-001) claims to have constituted itself with "scientists and practitioners from a wide range of perspectives and traditions, reflecting the diverse perspectives within the field" (p. 273). We applaud this attention to diversity but contend that an entire perspective of the debate was omitted in the Task Force's newly approved policy and its underlying report. The failure to consider a philosophy of science perspective led the Task Force to make a number of epistemological assumptions that are not based on evidence or rationale and that thus violate the very spirit of evidence-based decision making. In this comment, we reveal a few of these assumptions and discuss their detrimental consequences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scholarship in psychology: Conversations about change and constancy.

Mounting pressures on higher education led the Task Force of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology to propose changes in the way the work of faculty is defined and in the criteria used to identify scholarship (D. F. Halpern et al., 1998). Prominent psychologists representing undergraduate universities, research institutions, and professional schools of psychology contributed commentary on the proposals in the Task Force Report. Although there was disagreement concerning some of the recommendations made by the Task Force, there was general agreement on the need to reflect on the roles and rewards of psychology faculty, with special emphasis on the diversity of institutional missions and faculty needs and abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Annual Report of the Policy and Planning Board: 1977.

The Policy and Planning (P&P) Board met three times during 1977. Two regular meetings were held in Washington, D.C., on March 25-26 and October 14-15. In addition, the Board held a special retreat meeting, the first such in several years. This retreat meeting took place near the historic campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on July 8-10. At its March meeting, the Board devoted considerable time to discussing (a) the annual convention, (b) the report of the Task Force on APA and State Association Relations, and (c) the process of nominations for APA boards and committees. At its retreat meeting in Charlottesville, the Board took up a number of issues that required extended discussion. The organization and possible reorganization of the APA was a major focus. At its October meeting, the Board developed further issues raised at the retreat meeting and covered new ground as well. One issue was the status of graduate training and job availability in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reestablishing clinical psychology's subjective core.

Comments on the report by the APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (see record 2006-05893-001) entitled Evidence-based practice in psychology. The Task Force is to be commended for their report valuing evidence from "clinical expertise" on a par with "research data" (p. 272) in guiding psychological practices. The current author suggests that the APA not only should make a place at psychology's policymaking table for "clinical expertise" but should prioritize clinical and subjective sources of data--the essence of the psychological--and set policies to ensure that objective data, such as behaviors and DSM diagnoses, are considered in their subjective context. The APA should also encourage researchers to devise ways to preserve as much as possible the personal "feel" of the clinical encounter in their data analysis and published conclusions. The APA also needs to assign priority to subjective emotional and relational skills on a par with academic and analytic skills in the selection and training of clinical psychology students. Reconnecting clinical psychology with its subjective evidentiary roots in ways such as these should help to bring us out from under the dominance of medicine, to the benefit of our profession and our clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

2001 report of the Policy and Planning Board.

The Policy and Planning Board (P&P) is mandated to report on its deliberations each year to the American Psychological Association (APA). This report reflects the highlights of P&P's work during 2001 and, it is hoped, will be useful to the members as an indication of the areas that are of foremost interest in the planning and policy domains of the association. This report covers the general areas of plans for immediate consideration, farther ranging visioning for the association, and policies under review by the governance of APA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Significant neglected sociocultural and physical factors affecting intelligence.

Describes the U. Neisser et al (see record 83-26553) American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Intelligence Report as one of the most comprehensive reviews to date on the subject of intelligence. However, the author argues that the report neglects the significant role of sociocultural and physical factors. A brief survey of some important studies in this area is offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)