Rationality in psychological research: The good-enough principle.

Reexamines methodological and procedural issues raised by P. Meehl (1967; see also PA, Vol 62:5042) that question the rationality of psychological inquiry. Issues concern the asymmetry in theory testing between psychology and physics and the slow progress observed in psychological research. A good-enough principle is proposed to resolve Meehl's methodological paradox, and a more powerful reconstruction of science developed by I. Lakatos (1978) is suggested to account for the actual practice of psychological researchers. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Understanding psychological research: An introduction to methods.

Reviews the book, Understanding psychological research: An introduction to methods by Richard St. Jean (2001). Richard St. Jean's book has the stated goal to be a brief text that presents essential concepts in a concise but interesting format. In this the author succeeds admirably. The nine short chapters and three appendices present the basic content that any method course needs to cover. The chapters are centred around lively research examples, often from the author's own work. Each chapter is followed by a brief summary and a glossary of key terms. The examples are used to introduce the methodological question and to illustrate various solutions. If the book suffers from a drawback, it is that it is too good at what it wants to be: an easily accessible, succinct introduction. The author visibly aims to make the issues as clear and understandable as possible, even if this implies glossing over details and leaving out more difficult aspects. The book does not want to be, nor is it, a manual for people who actual want to do research. In sum, this book will be most useful for those who teach introductory methods courses aimed at students who want to "consume" research rather than pursue it themselves. For these students, the book will be a valuable resource to better understand pertinent issues and to be alert towards methodological problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empathy: An unneglected topic in psychological research.

Answers K. B. Clark's (see record 1980-09677-001) argument that empathy has been neglected as a topic by stating that empathy has not been neglected, nor have the fundamental problems that Clark identified. Clark's assumption that empathy leads to prosocial or helping behavior is critiqued in terms of recent research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A basic introduction to medical research. Part II: An overview of different research methods

Though health research has long been equated with the randomised control trial (RCT), there are, in fact, many different forms of research. These complement one another as different pieces in a jigsaw of evidence. Qualitative research can provide valuable insights into meaning, motivation, social significance and other aspects of patients' and practitioners' experience. Such data can be useful in the design of more quantitative research, such as surveys of attitudes or RCTs. Audits monitor and evaluate the quality of health care delivery and are an important means of ensuring the value of RCTs in everyday clinical practice. Laboratory research provides data on the mechanisms of a treatment or on its therapeutic effect in controlled conditions. This can provide a valuable background to subsequent clinical research. A prospective researcher should choose a methodology depending on the particular research question he or she wishes to ask: a good question immediately suggests the appropriate type of research.     

Conceptual and methodological developments in occupational stress research: An introduction to State-of-the-Art Reviews I.

Introduces a special section of state-of-the-art reviews of occupational stress research. The author briefly discusses the historical origins of occupational health psychology, focusing on job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and methodological problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deception in psychological research: A reply to Seeman.

Suggests safeguards in response to J. Seeman's (see record 1970-07542-001) condemnation of the use of deception in psychological research with human Ss. Such research can be both ethical and therapeutic if the proposed study is reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee, Ss are free to terminate their participation at any time, informed consent is obtained, and debriefing is used as a therapeutic interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The human subject in psychological research.

Examines the human S in terms of his changing role in the historical development of psychology, his image and task performance in contemporary psychology, and limitations and weaknesses of his present function. The discussion covers the bias in S selection, preconceptions and suspicions of Ss entering the laboratory, distorted performance in the experimental task, and ethical implications of psychological research. It is suggested that psychology's image of the S as a stimulus-response machine is inadequate and that many studies are based on data supplied by Ss who are neither randomly selected nor assigned, nor representative of the general population, nor naive, and who are suspicious and distrustful of psychological research and researchers. (34 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychological research and clinical practice: An academic paradox.

Social psychological research has not had the impact on clinical practice that the nature of its subject matter indicates is appropriate. A major reason for this lack of impact is a paradox inherent in academic life. As they climb the academic ladder, social psychologists, who presumably have chosen their field of study because of an interest in the way in which people live and think, become increasingly remote from and increasingly aloof from the everyday life of normal people. Five aspects of academic training and institutional life that reinforce and maintain this paradox are identified. Two examples of a type of research that can overcome the paradox and increase the impact of social psychology on clinical practice are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The dissemination of psychological research.

Examined the extent to which the research of a group of psychologists was concerned with real-world issues and how they sought to make the findings known in light of J. Kupfersmid's (see record 1989-03023-001) treatment of the issue of psychologists' dissatisfaction with selections made for publication in professional journals. Whether on their own or in the hands of a psychologist, relevant studies rarely reached the desks of policymakers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The science game: An introduction to research in the behavioral sciences.

Reviews the book, The science game: An introduction to research in the behavioral sciences by Neil Mck. Agnew and Sandra W. Pyke (see record 2007-07794-000). This book is an attempt to introduce a student or beginning researcher to the concepts and methods associated with doing good research in the behavioural sciences. The book is divided into six major parts, dealing in turn with the nature of science and observation; experimental methods; survey, archival and developmental methods; statistics; report writing and ethics; and theory building. The book is well produced and well organized. Specific exemplars of topics under consideration are included in boxes which give typical case reports, experimental designs, sample findings, and so forth. These boxed materials are good illustrations of and extrapolations from the material which the main body of the chapter tends to deal with. The writing style is clear and generally concise. Occasionally there are sparks of fantasy and humour which help to enliven long methodological passages. Overall, this is a well written and useful text. It is a difficult task to sustain interest and continuity in a book which deals almost completely with methodological and statistical issues. The authors have done a remarkably good job in this regard, and I would probably rate this as one of the better books in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evolutionary approaches to group dynamics: An introduction.

An evolutionary perspective offers many new insights in the study of group dynamics. First, groups are an inevitable aspect of human evolution, suggesting that humans have evolved a range of psychological mechanisms to deal with specific challenges of group living. Second, an evolutionary perspective combines and integrates knowledge from different social science disciplines such as psychology, biology, anthropology, and economics to find evidence for group-related psychological adaptations. Third, an evolutionary analysis produces many unique hypotheses about group psychology, showing the promise and generativity of this approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An introduction to clinical psychology.

The student introduced to clinical psychology through this excellent revision of an established text would be well introduced indeed and he should be both impressed and attracted to further study. He certainly could conclude that clinical psychologists are concerned with many things, from myopia to ethics. He should gain assurance of finding a compatible role in the field whether he is attracted most by the opportunity to carry out research or to apply an art in the interest of humanity. He would, of course, be forewarned that the clinical psychologist is expected to burn both ends of the science-service candle, but it will be apparent to him from reading the text that his mentors often burn more brightly at one end than the other. Because of the diligence of the editors and the excellence of the authors, clinical psychology now has an even better introductory text than the good one it has had for the past six years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The test of significance in psychological research.

The test of significance does not provide the information concerning psychological phenomena characteristically attributed to it; and a great deal of mischief has been associated with its use. The basic logic associated with the test of significance is reviewed. The null hypothesis is characteristically false under any circumstances. Publication practices foster the reporting of small effects in populations. Psychologists have "adjusted" by misinterpretation, taking the p value as a "measure," assuming that the test of significance provides automaticity of inference, and confusing the aggregate with the general. The difficulties are illuminated by bringing to bear the contributions from the decision-theory school on the Fisher approach. The Bayesian approach is suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The value of aging research. The NESTOR-program and its continuity

Intraoperative awakening and recall of specific events is a rare complication (0.2 to 1.3%) of surgery. The possibility of developing serious psychiatric complications, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) makes the prevention and detection of intraoperative awareness a subject of special interest. We describe our experience with three patients in whom awareness was detected during emergency surgery under general anesthesia. We conducted two structured interviews with the patients three months after surgery in order to detect the possible development of psychiatric complications. One patient suffered insomnia and reexperience of the event during the first two weeks after surgery. Improvement was spontaneous. None of the patients suffered PTSD. Efforts to decrease the incidence of episodes of intraoperative awakening with specific recall must be based on clinical observation and exhaustive monitoring of the patient, including anesthetic gases, given that no ideal method of monitoring depth of anesthesia exists. Cases should be detected in the first few days after surgery by means of a specific test. Likewise, possible causes for the episode should be explained to the patient, who should be followed for six months so that early diagnosis of PTSD or other psychiatric complications can be made.     

Ageism in psychological research.

Insufficiently informed psychologists may draw erroneous or incomplete conclusions from their research findings that result in public representations that enhance adverse stereotypes held with respect to the elderly. Such inappropriate interpretations of age-related data may become accepted as the scientific basis for policy positions that lead to discrimination against and disadvantages for our older citizens. This article identifies major sources of ageist bias in psychological research that may inadvertently result in adverse consequences for the elderly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The importance of heritability in psychological research: The case of attitudes.

Differences in response heritability may have important implications for the testing of general psychological theories (i.e., responses that differ in heritability may function differently). For example, attitudes higher in heritability are shown to be responded to more quickly, to be more resistant to change, and to be more consequential in the attitude similarity attraction relationship. The substantive results are interpreted in terms of attitude strength and niche building. More generally, the implications of heritability for the generality and typicality of treatment effects are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health-care reform: An introduction.

Provides psychologists with an overview of the current health-care financing and service delivery crisis and discusses the public's concern about health care as communicated to their elected officials. Within the context of these issues, the future of psychological services and all other mental health care, it is noted, will be shaped by the 103rd Congress and the 1st 2 yrs of the Clinton administration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modern robust statistical methods: An easy way to maximize the accuracy and power of your research.

Classic parametric statistical significance tests, such as analysis of variance and least squares regression, are widely used by researchers in many disciplines, including psychology. For classic parametric tests to produce accurate results, the assumptions underlying them (e.g., normality and homoscedasticity) must be satisfied. These assumptions are rarely met when analyzing real data. The use of classic parametric methods with violated assumptions can result in the inaccurate computation of p values, effect sizes, and confidence intervals. This may lead to substantive errors in the interpretation of data. Many modern robust statistical methods alleviate the problems inherent in using parametric methods with violated assumptions, yet modern methods are rarely used by researchers. The authors examine why this is the case, arguing that most researchers are unaware of the serious limitations of classic methods and are unfamiliar with modern alternatives. A range of modern robust and rank-based significance tests suitable for analyzing a wide range of designs is introduced. Practical advice on conducting modern analyses using software such as SPSS, SAS, and R is provided. The authors conclude by discussing robust effect size indices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Positive psychology: An introduction.

A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The exclusive focus on pathology that has dominated so much of our discipline results in a model of the human being lacking the positive features that make life worth living. Hope, wisdom, creativity, future mindedness, courage, spirituality, responsibility, and perseverance are ignored or explained as transformations of more authentic negative impulses. The 15 articles in this millennial issue of the American Psychologist discuss such issues as what enables happiness, the effects of autonomy and self-regulation, how optimism and hope affect health, what constitutes wisdom, and how talent and creativity come to fruition. The authors outline a framework for a science of positive psychology, point to gaps in our knowledge, and predict that the next century will see a science and profession that will come to understand and build the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)