Psychological thrillers: Psychology books students read when given freedom of choice.

Attempted to induce 364 introductory psychology students to read desirable material by having them participate in book selection. The resulting list of 15 books was developed on the basis of Ss' enthusiastic appraisals. Summaries of reactions to each book are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychology of human possibility and constraint.

Reviews the book, The psychology of human possibility and constraint by Jack Martin and Jeff Sugarman (see record 1999-02336-000). The way to read this little book is to share in the authors' concern for understanding individuals and for vindicating psychology as a discipline concerned with the psychological development of individuals. Apart from its unsettling philosophical overexcitability, there is a notable distortion in the authors' efforts to understand individual transcendence, namely, a near total failure to deal with values, moral growth, and individual freedom. Human development is understood procedurally, in historical context of course, but as culminating in a "theory" of self and others. This lingering rationalist bias is in part due to their philosophical borrowings, but it also betrays the functionalist stance so characteristic of our contemporary focus on usefulness. For all that, this is an engaging book, one I recommend for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional ethics for graduate students in psychology.

Results of 2 independent questionnaires concerning the availability of courses on ethics for graduate students in psychology sent to various schools offering graduate work in psychology are combined. "Very few departments offer a course solely on professional ethics in psychology though several expressed plans for one in the future." "Ethics is handled best on a graduate level, in a seminar or colloquium, preferably on a required basis for all students, and definitely so for clinical students." "The APA code of professional ethics and journals are preferred sources of reference." "Professional training in ethics is a recent phenomenon coinciding with the APA research in this area and with the rise of clinical psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of College psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, College psychotherapy edited by Paul A. Grayson and Kate Cauley (see record 1989-97599-000). According to the reviewer, this was an enjoyable and informative book, easily read with helpful suggestions for working with the college population. It is devoid of the pretentious theorizing or condescending didacticism found in many "how-to" books in psychology. Doctors Grayson and Cauley are primarily interested in addressing the needs of those who practice counseling or psychotherapy with college students. Their treatment approach is described as "discriminating eclecticism." They point out that the college population is too heterogeneous to fit a standard treatment orientation. IThis book is highly recommended to all who work with college population, not just those who are in university settings. This is also an excellent sourcebook for graduate students who want to fortify their therapeutic skills and those who supervise these students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Basic readings in psychology.

"Perhaps one of the best criteria of a book's present significance is whether or not it is deemed important enough to be chosen to appear on the reading lists for graduate students preparing for their doctoral examinations. With this criterion in mind, letters were sent to all American and Canadian psychology departments granting doctor's degrees in 1953-54 and again, five years later in 1958-59." Listed are books recommended by ? or more departments in 1958-59, books recommended by ?-? the departments in 1958-59, and additional books recommended by ? the departments in 1953-54 but not listed by ? in 1958-59. "The basic readings in psychology today may then be represented by the 30 books recommended by at least a third of the psychology departments." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic compliance in Rorschach interpretation as a function of group member status.

Investigated the influence of confederates' verbal evaluations of psychological test data on clinical psychology graduate students' evaluations. 30 clinical psychology graduate students rated 8 artificially constructed Rorschach protocols by means of a Q sort and a diagnosis checklist. One half of the Ss verbally rated the protocols after 3 confederates who posed as graduate students had purportedly rated them; the other half rated the protocols after 2 confederates who posed as graduate students and one as a PhD clinical psychologist had purportedly rated them. The confederates' evaluations varied from being not discrepant to highly discrepant with the actual diagnoses of the protocols. Ss' evaluations on both dependent measures were influenced by the confederates' prior evaluations, especially when the confederate was designated as having higher status. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Thrillers among the journals: A technique to increase graduate students' reading of research.

Developed a technique that familiarized graduate students in clinical psychology with a wide range of professional journals and allowed them free choice in reading journal articles. The technique was well received by all students, most read more than the required number of articles, and they continued the habit of self-directed reading in the journals after the course ended. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Popular literature in the undergraduate social psychology course.

In the social psychology course at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, in addition to using a standard text plus a book of readings, and requiring a technical term report and a class research project, students are required to read three novels (George Orwell's 1984, Thomas Heggen's Mr. Roberts, and Philip Wylie's The Disappearance). Four criteria for the selection of these are specified. These books provided much opportunity for discussing a wide range of social phenomena and "… helped tie together many aspects of the course material." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in the education and training of women in Canadian psychology.

The high attrition rate of female students in graduate programmes in psychology is documented. Some of the literature (largely American) on the problems of female students is explored for possible reasons for this high rate. The problem areas identified are: admissions practices, financial support, inflexibility of graduate programmes, faculty attitudes toward graduate students, scarcity of female role models, and psychology as a "masculine" discipline. Recommendations for action by the Canadian Psychological Association are made in each of the problem areas with a special plea for the inclusion, in both graduate and undergraduate psychology programmes, of courses on the female experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining multicultural counseling competencies of graduate students in psychology.

This investigation examined the multicultural counseling competencies of graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology programs. A national sample of 344 students participated. The participants completed the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (G. R. Sodowsky, R. C. Taffe, T. B. Gutkin, & S. L. Wise, 1994) and a demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that counseling psychology students rated themselves as more multiculturally competent than clinical psychology students in three of the four multicultural competency areas. Different educational and clinical variables were predictive of multicultural counseling competencies for the two groups. Findings are discussed in terms of education and training in graduate psychology programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Back to the future in the education and training of psychologists.

In this article, I discuss issues concerning the training and education of psychologists at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. I propose a new introductory course on the applications of psychology to oneself and to society. This course would cover many applications of psychology and would also explain what the major psychological specialties do and the specific training needed to pursue a career in a chosen specialty. A common core of graduate courses is recommended for all graduate students regardless of specialty. A broad-based interdisciplinary course is recommended to ensure that all psychologists know the basic scientific principles that are ultimately essential to the understanding of psychology itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The silent conversation: Talking about the master's degree.

The "master's issue," the role of the master's-prepared psychology graduate, is one aspect of the "supply and demand" issue that remains controversial and largely unaddressed. This article reviews the history of this issue and the main arguments offered against and in favor of an expanded role in psychology for these graduates. Data about the size of the master's workforce in psychology are reviewed. Strategies for moving the field forward on this debate are suggested in the areas of licensure, title, training and education, accreditation, a proposed specialist's degree, and research needs. The development of a matrix of competencies by degree level is proposed. Finally, the author raises an ethical question concerning the recruitment of students into a field that can absorb only a limited number of doctoral practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training in clinical psychology: Student perspectives on selecting a program.

Although graduate programs in clinical psychology spend considerable energy and resources selecting students, there is limited information regarding the factors students consider important when they choose a training program. A review of recent literature found one study that looked at how first-year graduate students rated the importance of a number of factors in their decision-making process when selecting a clinical psychology training program (Walfish, Stenmark, Shealy, & Shealy, 1989). The current study extends this research by comparing reports from first-year graduate students enrolled in traditional “Boulder model” programs with those enrolled in professional “Vail model” programs. As part of a larger survey project, students answered questions about factors they considered important when they made decisions about applying to and selecting a graduate program to attend. Responses from students enrolled in traditional programs were compared with students attending professional programs. These differences are discussed, as well as their implications for program directors engaged in student recruitment and selection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Anxiety disorders in adults": Correction.

Reports an error in "Review of Anxiety disorders in adults" by John Hunsley (Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 2002[Aug], Vol 43[3], 212-214). In this review, it was incorrectly reported that the series in which this title appears, Guidebooks in Clinical Psychology, is published by Guilford. In fact, the publisher is Oxford University Press. We apologize to the authors and publishers concerned for this error. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-16946-001.) Reviews the book, Anxiety disorders in adults by Peter D. McLean and Sheila R. Woody (see record 2001-00540-000). This recent volume by McLean and Woody, part of Guilford's new series of guidebooks in clinical psychology, is the best example of this new generation of psychotherapy books. The authors have a wealth of experience in conducting clinical research and in supervising clinicians and graduate students in providing treatments in clinical trials. This book is a gem. The scientist-practitioner model is the cornerstone of clinical psychology training in Canada, and it was a real pleasure to read a work that so fully embodies the spirit of the scientist-practitioner model. McLean and Woody's book belongs on the shelf of everyone who trains students to work with anxiety-disordered clients or who provides direct services to this astonishingly underserved segment of the population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in undergraduate education in psychology.

A number of specific questions are raised and discussed with regard to the role of psychology in the undergraduate college "contributing to the development of the well-rounded individual." Among those discussed are: Who is responsible for planning the over-all undergraduate program in psychology? Who is responsible for the objectives of a single course in the psychology program? Should courses be student centered or content-centered? Questions relating to the role of psychological theory, the stress on special psychological vocabulary, the desirability of placing psychological concepts in an historical perspective in an undergraduate curriculum are considered, as are several other issues regarding recruitment for graduate training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Undergraduate grades and the Miller Analogies Test as predictors of graduate success.

Ss were "124 students who entered the graduate program at the University of Michigan during the years 1951 through 1955… . Information available on each applicant at the time of entrance included the following measures": total undergraduate grade point average (GPA), undergraduate GPA in science and mathematics, undergraduate GPA in psychology courses, MAT score, objective comprehensive examination in psychology. Measures of "success" included: GPA in graduate courses, marks on doctoral preliminary examinations, faculty ratings of potential professional contribution and potential scientific contribution. 6 tables of results are presented. The best predictor of marks in graduate courses was undergraduate GPA in science courses; it also best predicted preliminary examination grades. "The MAT significantly predicted graduate course grades and was the best predictor of potential scientific contribution of the student." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Autobiography in Teaching History of Psychology.

In a course in the history of psychology, some different procedures were tried recently which might be of interest to others teaching in this area. The course has in the past attempted to analyze some major historical trends and a few topics in philosophy of science which are important for psychology. Upper division and graduate students may enroll, but 80-90% are in the latter group. Much of the success of activities outlined in this article depends on having a small class and a group of energetic, sophisticated students. While it is often emphasized that much scientific progress can be understood in terms of such factors as social climate and interdisciplinary penetration, the "autobiographical" procedure reminds us forcefully that a large proportion of research motivation and success is related to a somewhat different cluster of variables to which we may attach the label, "People." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Theory and problems of adolescent development.

Reviews "Theory and problems of adolescent development," by David P. Ausubel (see record 1955-00581-000). Unlike most other books in this area, this book offers a systematic presentation of psychological knowledge woven around a dynamic point of view. It is a scholarly book written in language that makes for easy and interesting reading. The author opens his book with an organized set of arguments designed to convince his readers that there is justification for a book on the "Psychology of Adolescent Development." His major premise states that "adolescence is treated as a separate developmental period not because it covers a decade but because it spans an interval in which distinctive changes occur in a biosocial status of the human organism. The author has marshaled his psychological knowledge and psychiatric experience into a well-organized book. Dr. Ausubel quotes freely from other authors and from his own writings and research. There are extensive references contained in the bibliography at the end of each chapter. Although the author states that "this book is primarily intended as an advanced textbook in adolescent psychology for graduate students in psychology and education," it would appear that this book is written with sufficient clarity and nontechnical language to be used in any college course dealing with adolescent behavior. It would be especially desirable in clinically-oriented courses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The body and psychology.

Reviews the book, The body and psychology by Henderikus J. Stam (see record 1998-06784-000). Considering this collection as a whole, it is striking how many of the authors, some of whom have been proponents of social constructionist thinking, feel social constructionism is unable to articulate an adequate theory of the psychological body. This refreshingly critical edge will no doubt lead to more sophisticated debates on the psychological body. Overall, this book is probably best read by graduate students and scholars who have some familiarity with social constructionist theory (e.g., Harré), as well as poststructuralism (e.g., Derrida, Lacan) and social theory (e.g., Bourdieu). Moreover, since the authors rely on other disciplinary discourses, this will be an excellent text for graduate courses on the body in cultural studies and sociology. Teaching this book would be interesting as it contains some analytical contrasts; for example, one could turn Malone and Bayer on Baerveldt and Voestermans, Parlee on Kempen, or the thematic analysis of Frank on the book itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)