Introduction to the special section on multicultural and community psychology: Clinical psychology in context.

Human behavior occurs in the contexts of culture and community. Yet, clinical psychology has traditionally focused on the individual, neglecting the individual's context. The purpose of this Special Section is to address the underlying conceptual issues in integrating multicultural and community psychology within a common framework. The integration of etic and emic approaches distinguishes the research programs in these articles from others that have solely focused on universal or culture-specific approaches. Issues facing ethnic minority populations are addressed, including identification of risk and protective factors, obstacles to mental health service use, and optimal treatment effectiveness. The integration of culture and community contexts into clinical psychology is necessary for it to remain relevant in an increasingly diverse 21st century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological advances in family psychology research: Introduction to the special section.

This article introduces a special section in the Journal of Family Psychology on methodological advances in family psychology research. The need for innovative methodologies to capture the richness and complexity of family relationships and to advance the field is discussed. Articles that address the application of mathematical modeling of couple interactions, methods for analyzing sequential observational data, the application of multivariate analysis of variance and confirmatory factor analysis, the application of hierarchical linear modeling, and the use of experimental methods for the study of family process are included in the special section. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section: Ecological momentary assessment in health psychology.

Health psychology, like most branches of behavioral science, relies heavily on self-report as a primary source of data. Because data obtained through self-report methods are typically unreliable, researchers have adopted a variety of methods, which have been labeled ecological momentary assessment, or the experience sampling method, for collecting moment-by-moment data in real-world settings. This article provides an introduction to a special section on ecological momentary assessment in health psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section on clinical adolescent psychology: Developmental psychopathology and treatment.

This article addresses implications of the interface between developmental psychology and clinical psychology for research on adolescence and describes the importance of considering developmental level when designing treatments for adolescent patients. In addition, the articles that constitute the special section, "Clinical Adolescent Psychology: Developmental Psychopathology and Treatment," are introduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction and comment on the special section: Health psychology and public policy.

Health psychology is highly relevant to public policy. However, in the past, the journal, Health Psychology, has not devoted a significant number of pages to policy issues. This special section of Health Psychology introduces several issues relevant to policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section: Foreword.

For many years, researchers and practitioners have devoted much of their time and resources to studies of criminals, on treatment and rehabilitation of criminals, and on psychology and the law, with particular focus on criminals and the criminal justice system. It is only very recently that the victims of crime and violence have begun to command the attention and study so long neglected. Where can psychology make its most significant contribution? It is to this question that this special issue is essentially addressed. Psychology can perhaps make its greatest contribution to the victims of crime and violence. The following articles demonstrate this initiative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section.

Areas of research are invigorated by new methods, approaches, and theoretical perspectives. The integration of psychological and biological approaches to psychopathology research is a major theme in research at this time. This special section consists of three articles relevant to biopsychological studies of schizophrenia. The first article provides an overview of cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia. The second article considers the topic of high-risk group research. The third article deals with a longstanding problem in schizophrenia research—the effects of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy has important beneficial effects on measures of theoretical interest in psychological studies of schizophrenia, but it may also produce impairments in cognitive processes. The cognitive psychopharmacology of schizophrenia is a topic of both theoretical and methodological relevance in psychopathology research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section.

Higher education will play an increasingly prominent role in determining a nation's competitiveness in the world marketplace. Just as raw resources were once considered as critical factors for survival in the 20th century, intellectual capacity and technological innovation will provide key ingredients for success in the 21st century. Instruction will make a major contribution to these developments. This article introduces the Special Section on Instruction in Higher Education, a collection of articles addressing issues of concern from the evaluation of teaching to the remediation of student failures. It provides a brief review of the studies and offers a critical analysis of key issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section: Comorbidity and treatment implications.

Initiates the special section on comorbidity and treatment implications. The presence of comorbidity is recognized, the multiple meanings of comorbidity are mentioned, and an invitation for much-needed research on comorbidity and related treatment is extended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New approaches to missing data in psychological research: Introduction to the special section.

Traditional approaches to missing data (e.g., listwise deletion) can lead to less than optimal results in terms of bias, statistical power, or both. This article introduces the 3 articles in the special section of Psychological Methods, which consider multiple imputation and maximum-likelihood methods, new approaches to missing data that can often yield improved results. Computer software is now available to implement these new methods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family psychology and family law: Introduction to the special issue.

This special issue of the Journal of Family Psychology evolved from the work of the Forensic Task Force of Division 43, American Psychological Association, members of which have been studying and working with the emerging, complex issues occurring at the intersection of family psychology and family law. This issue is an endeavor to bring together current research and paradigm development that has relevance not only to family psychologists who have expertise in systems and developmental theories but also to forensic psychologists who have expertise in individual assessment but may lack experience in a systems-ecological framework. A primary goal of this special issue is to introduce readers to new and emerging opportunities for research and practice in the areas where family psychology and family law overlap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special issue: Integrating personality and social psychology.

The purpose of this Special Issue is not to mark one approach as superior to others but rather to present a wide variety of approaches to the problem of integrating personality and social psychology. This introductory essay seeks to underscore some of the integrative aspects of the articles collected here and to help point the direction for future activity along the same lines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section: Mental retardation and mental illness.

Historically, the perceived relation between mental illness and mental retardation has undergone substantial changes. During the past 2 centuries, clinical observations and systematic research addressing these 2 constructs have developed along separate lines. Consequently, the pathogenesis and treatment of psychopathology, emotional disorders, and behavior problems experienced by individuals with mental retardation have not been the purview of mainstream clinical psychology. This article initiates a special section on mental retardation and mental illness to provide up-to-date summaries of various key clinical and research issues regarding this population (i.e., individuals with "dual diagnoses"). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section: Single-case research in psychotherapy.

As a method of inquiry, single-case research has been relegated conventionally to the role of discovery or hypothesis generation. New developments in the methodology of intensive single-case designs has extended its applicability to the testing of clinical theoretical constructs and even the identification of causal relations. A series of articles illustrates newer developments in single-case research and its use in addressing a wide range of clinical and research questions. It has often been noted that psychotherapy research has had little influence on clinical practice. Single-case designs are more closely linked to traditional means of clinical inquiry, teaching, and learning than are large-sample studies, and they are likely to have more immediate relevance for how intervention is conducted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

B. F. Skinner and psychology: Introduction to the special issue.

Celebrates the scientific and intellectual impact of Skinner on psychology. Noted are his 6 decades of prominance in psychology, including his numerous publications. Also noted is that his work spawned Division 25, Experimental Analysis of Behavior, of the American Psychological Association (APA); an independent professional organization, the Association of Behavior Analysis; 2 foundations dedicated to behavioral psychology; and at least 23 journals. Also discussed are his numerous honorary degrees, his contribution to the APA, and post-Skinnerian behaviorism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The value of reanalysis and replication: Introduction to special section.

In their 2007 article in this journal, Duncan et al. examined 6 longitudinal data sets to gauge the links between 3 key elements of readiness at school entry (academic, attention, and socioemotional skills) and later achievement. Across all 6 data sets, the strongest predictors of later achievement were school-entry math, reading, and attention skills. Social skills and internalizing and externalizing behavior did not predict subsequent achievement, even among children with relatively high levels of problem behavior. Patterns of association were similar for boys and girls and were not moderated by socioeconomic status. The 5 articles in this section reconsider the original findings and reanalyze the data involved. Overall, the thrust of these articles confirms the original article. The articles in this section, however, do offer some new insights. In general, the articles find somewhat more support for socioemotional factors, especially for prosocial skills, but the relationships involved are very small. Perhaps the most striking new finding is the added emphasis on fine motor skills, which is the focus of 2 articles. Taken together, the articles reveal the value of reanalysis and replication in developmental psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Families and HIV/AIDS: Introduction to the special section.

This article provides an introduction and overview of the role of families in preventing and adapting to HIV/AIDS. The unique definition of family in the context of HIV/AIDS is discussed as well as the importance of considering the family as a context for research in this area. Families can be important in deterring the spread of the disease because of their pivotal role in education and training about sexual behavior and health promotion. Families also serve a critical role in helping their HIV-infected members cope with disease. A taxonomy of the problems faced by families is presented. The role of the National Institute of Mental Health's Initiative on Family and HIV/AIDS in supporting and stimulating current and future research is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists as state legislators: Introduction to the special section.

Although many psychologists have engaged in political advocacy on behalf of their patients and their profession, few psychologists consider politics as a career choice. Special sections feature articles by five psychologists who have run for or have served in state legislatures. The authors describes how their training as psychologists has been both a help and a hindrance in legislature. They candidly disclose the satisfactions and frustrations of serving in elected office and being in the public eye. Several themes emerge from their accounts, including making personal sacrifice, dedicating oneself to the community, and having potential impact on society. If psychology is to have a greater opportunity to influence public policy and contribute to the public good, support for professional psychologists who serve as legislators is essential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)