Unintended Consequences: Ventures and Misadventures in the Education of Professional Psychologists.

Increasing professionalization of psychology, accelerated by expansion of professional schools, has evoked concern among critics, who claim that many practitioners ignore scientific research and engage in practices that are demonstrably useless or harmful. Recent data on admissions to professional schools and performance of professional school graduates show cause for concerns of the critics. If psychology is to maintain its stature as a profession, exclusionary controls as well as hortatory requirements for the practice of psychology and the education of practitioners must be established and enforced. Before more stringent standards can be imposed, convincing means for evaluating competence in professional work and quality in professional education must be developed. Local and institutional actions to advance those aims are proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concerns About Professional Schools.

Comments on the article by Peterson (see record 2003-08988-002) and asserts that the professional work of clinical psychologists has many different facets, most of which are not easy to evaluate. Furthermore, it is difficult to generalize about professional schools because, as Peterson pointed out and as research affirms, they differ greatly in student quality and in the quality of their graduates. But it is exactly those differences that require closer scrutiny than they may have received so far. Peterson maintains that the effects of training must ultimately be gauged by the performance of graduates in professional work. We endorse that view and echo the urgency expressed by Peterson in his call to get on with the job. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the Differences Between Academic Research Departments and Professional Schools.

Comments that Peterson (see record 2003-08988-002) offered an enlightening history of the origins of professional schools of psychology, but I think that some of his points need further elaboration, and others need to be cited. Stepping back, I think there is a basic role difference that must be taken into account between a professional school and a scholarly department. A professional school--of law, medicine, social work, or business--is engaged in the task of preparing professionals to meet the needs of a complex society for practitioners in that field. Yes, a few professional students in each field have a calling to become scholars and teachers, but the task of the school is first to produce people to serve. That means professional schools have some responsibility to provide people to meet society's diverse needs. The development of professional psychology schools in the 1970s was a response to the need for diverse, committed, and competent practitioners. This demand could not be served by academic departments, and that was not their function. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intended Consequences.

Comments on Peterson's article (see record 2003-08988-002). The present author maintains that the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) has intentionally and systematically pursued quality and relevance in professional psychology training for nearly 30 years, and asserts that Peterson's article (2003) is a continuation of the old and unsupported claim for the superiority of professional programs based in research universities, and is particularly ill timed. It is further maintained that Schools of Education (professional schools housed primarily in research universities) are actively discussing the crisis of their growing lack of relevance to primary education in the United States, while Schools of Psychology are defining new and essential contributions to primary health care, legal and prison systems, and employment settings. It is also asserted that professional psychology programs housed in a great diversity of settings provide the best array of forums to conduct the necessary dialogues with the world regarding the relevance of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Ethics in psychology: Professional standards and cases.

Reviews the book, Ethics in psychology: Professional standards and cases by Patricia Keith-Spiegel and Gerald P. Koocher (see record 1985-97634-000). This well written and interesting book offers comprehensive coverage of how the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists (1981) apply in any setting where psychologists are involved. This book should be of special interest to Canadians who are interested in the new Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. The CPA Code organized the areas of concern covered by the APA code, plus new and emerging issues, under an umbrella of four general principles and many associated standards of conduct. Both the book and the CPA Code attempt to raise the level of consciousness about ethical issues and ethical decision-making. The result? They complement each other and together provide a useful combination of philosophy, standards, and concrete examples of unethical or questionable behaviour by a psychologist. All who read this book will become aware of the complexity associated with ethics in the practice of psychology. The authors are to be congratulated on providing a scholarly work, long needed by the public and psychologists alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical Psychology in Medical Education.

Greenfield's excellent appraisal (Amer. Psychologist, 1960, 15, 624-625) of the role of clinical psychology in medical education deserves commendation. Despite its brevity, it offers a great deal. In fact, it reads so well and makes such good sense, I was hopeful, as I neared the end, that Greenfield might have an answer to the question he raises implicitly: "What is the unique role of psychology in medical education?" To be sure, this question has plagued the now respectable number of psychologists in medical schools for some time. In my view, the clinical psychologist's "identity as psychologist" is related to his having a PhD which, in turn, is related to his unique contribution to a medical school. To me, the uniqueness is his research role. He may be a teacher, clinician, administrator, jack-of-all-trades. But, to his colleagues, though not always to himself, he is unique because he (supposedly) is prepared as an investigator in human behavior. To our medical school colleagues in the basic sciences (and also to others) the PhD degree represents scholarship, scientific background, and preparation for research. The question must remain: "What is psychology's unique role in medical education?" It happens that the greatest number of psychologists in medical schools are clinical psychologists. But, to look for the answer to the question in terms of the needs and interests of the clinician would be taking a far more narrow view of the problem than it deserves. I think Greenfield would agree. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Committee on the Scientific and Professional Aims of Psychology: Preliminary Report.

"This report concerns some of the issues involved in the increasing diversification of psychology." Focus was "on problems of professionalization in clinical psychology in order: (a) to deal with the problems involving the largest number of psychologists, and (b) to make it possible to speak more specifically about issues." The "training of clinical psychologists for the practice of psychotherapy should be established as a new doctoral program within the university." Interdisciplinary training is encouraged. "Generally we favor awarding a degree other than the PhD at the end of such doctoral training." "None of the present models for training of psychotherapists, whether within clinical psychology, medicine, or social work, are satisfactory means for developing competent practitioners able to meet the needs or expectations of society." Guidelines for legislation are suggested. It was suggested that "perhaps as much as 50% of the [APA Convention] program should be composed of invited talks and papers which would be either integrative in their nature or which would open up new areas in which significant advances are being made." The Committee has proposed suggestions rather than solutions to problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Competencies in Professional Psychology.

There has been a burgeoning interest in competency-based education and credentialing in professional psychology. This movement gained momentum at the Competencies Conference: Future Directions in Education and Credentialing in Professional Psychology. After defining professional competence, the author focuses on the identification and delineation of foundation, core, and specialty competencies within professional psychology. Attention is then paid to developmentally informed and innovative approaches to training in these competencies. Finally, consideration is given to state-of-the-art approaches to the assessment of these competencies for educational and credentialing purposes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology for Sale: The Ethics of Advertising Professional Services.

Policies regarding advertising of professional services by psychologists have become somewhat less restrictive over time; however, there remains a tradition within the discipline to avoid any semblance of competitive advertising practices. This paper presents an historic review of policies concerning self-advertising by psychologists in the United States and Canada. Although not currently prohibited by Canadian guidelines, three advertising practices are still generally regarded as failing to meet expectations of professional integrity: 1) claims of unique abilities; 2) claims of comparative desirability; and 3) appeals to a client's fear and anxiety. The position is taken that psychologists can stay within their ethical boundaries using these types of advertising practices while promoting the welfare of clients and maintaining the profession's ethical standards. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rethinking Education in Psychology and Psychology in Education: The Inaugural Education Leadership Conference.

The inaugural Education Leadership Conference was convened by the American Psychological Association (APA) in October 2001 to provide a forum for groups and organizations across all levels of education and training to address issues of mutual concern, to promote a shared disciplinary identity among education and training leaders in psychology, and to influence public policy regarding education in psychology and psychology in education. Participants from 23 national education and training organizations, 25 APA divisions, and national credentialing organizations in psychology identified 8 major issues for education and training in psychology and addressed a number of specific questions relevant to ongoing work of the Board of Educational Affairs. A full report is available at http.http://www.apa.org/ed/elc/home.html. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of the American Board of Professional Psychology in professional mobility.

This article describes the role of certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in easing the process by which psychologists move beyond their original jurisdictional boundaries to practice psychology. Meeting the requirements for licensure or certification in the various jurisdictions can be a difficult task because these requirements vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Other mechanisms that are available to facilitate this process include the Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology issued by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and certification by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. The ABPP certificate/diploma has been regarded by many state psychological associations and state boards of psychology as an appropriate way in which to recognize psychologists who are eligible for licensure/certification in a jurisdiction because of the examination requirements for board certification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation and the Cultures of Professional Psychology Education Programs.

Evaluation is an important aspect of professional psychology education programs, particularly as the field moves increasingly toward competency-based models and concerns arise about the qualifications of students in some doctoral programs. Attitudes about evaluation are shaped by the cultures of professional training programs, which are illuminated by K. J. Gergen's (1991/2000) distinction among the romantic, modernist, and postmodernist views. Issues considered include the effects of competition, the implications of competency-based evaluation, evaluation-free environments versus evaluation-rich environments and safety, the wish for the "riskless risk," faculty roles, faculty modeling, evaluation of faculty by students, and the distinction between client and student roles. The cultures of evaluation and associated attitudes influence the nature of collegiality and how one responds to diverse theoretical positions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

International School Psychology: Psychology's Worldwide Portal to Children and Youth.

International school psychology is discussed in reference to scholarly and professional development within psychology, the emergence of an international association of school psychology, its efforts to promote school psychology, prevailing characteristics of school psychologists, and additional efforts needed to further enhance its development. Nine issues that will help shape the future of international school psychology are also identified. The importance of psychology, including school psychology, in promoting children's needs and rights is underscored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology.

The American Psychological Foundation invites nominations for the 1981 Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology. The annual award, which includes a check for $1,000, is given to the recipient for his or her contributions to the teaching of psychology. The committee that selects the awardee uses the following guidelines in arriving at its choice: (a) demonstration of influence as a teacher of students who become outstanding psychologists, (b) development of effective teaching methods and/or teaching materials, (c) participation in significant research on teaching, (d) development of innovative curricula and courses, (e) outstanding performance as a classroom teacher, (f) exceptionally effective trainer of teachers of psychology, and (g) responsible for administrative facilitation of outstanding teaching. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Scope and Standards of Preparation in Psychology for School Counselors: Comment.

Comments on a report by a Special Committee of Division 17 (see record 1963-00132-001). According to the commentator, regardless of their official status in the profession, school counselors are de facto applied psychologists. Provided with minimal professional training, less surely than most other groups in or related to psychology, they are confronted with the most varied range of problems including those of the sociopath, the psychotic, the brain damaged, the feeble-minded, and the sexual deviant. While the school counselor is not expected to treat pathology, he does have major responsibility for the educational/vocational and often the social adjustment of the student. The commentator acknowledges that there will be strong feeling about this report. Some school counselors acquire the important knowledge outlined in the report through formal or informal study and from insights on the job. Others will be motivated simply by the setting of new standards. Any attempt at compulsion for those certified counselors would only add obstacles to the difficult enough task of raising the educational level of a profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and the State Associations.

Comments upon Robert Perloff's comment (1964) on state associations. The author mentions some things that Perloff might discover if he approached the problem as a psychologist. It is noted that the status and support of any science or profession depends upon public understanding and appreciation. In simple self-interest, any psychologist who takes the trouble to be informed in these matters, and who wants to support himself rather than live on the efforts of his colleagues, will join his efforts with theirs to insure professional standards and status for those who serve the public in the name of psychology. This means support and utilization of state associations, for there is no other organ so well adapted to deal with professional problems and the public's interest. Also, aside from the important questions of standards and competence, state associations are ideally situated to deal constructively with the divisive forces in American psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology in Martinique.

On a recent trip to Martinique, the author was fortunate enough to be able to interview a fellow psychologist who was working in Martinique. The author discusses some of what he learned from his colleague, including the number of psychologists, the nature of their practice, and their professional knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training.

Presents the 2003 APA Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training. A list of the members of the APA committee who selected the recipient for this year and a list of the previous recipients of this award from 1999 through 2003 are provided. The award recipient for 2003 is David W. Johnson. The award citation, biography, selected bibliography and the award address by Dr. Johnson are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Licensing and Professional Function.

It is shocking to summarize the ongoing debates on licensing of psychologists and on the relations between psychologists and psychiatrists. We psychologists seem chiefly to place the blame on the psychiatrists for the slow progress in gaining recognition of the professional function of psychologists. I offer a dissent which declares that a restrictive block must be removed from the thinking of psychologists before we are going to get anywhere on the problems of licensing and recognition of professional function. The block is manifested by the efforts of psychologists to imitate psychiatrists and beat them at their own game. This game is the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, illnesses, aberrations, etc. Such diagnosis and treatment involves a mechanistic and concretistic thinking which is proving itself powerless to deal with the behavioral functioning of human individuals in interactive contexts. I am tempted to say "has proven," but there is a sad lack of experimental evidence, for which psychologists must shoulder their share of the blame. For my part, I don't blame psychiatrists for opposing the licensing of psychologists to treat "mental and emotional illnesses." Without realizing it, the psychiatrists are doing us a big favor in warning us away from this fruitless endeavor in which they are themselves experiencing so much heartbreak. We are wasting our time in seeking to crowd with them into a theoretical structure which will not support intense scientific effort. No psychologist should discuss with any citizen the relief of symptoms which are now manifest in the citizen's organic functioning. The psychologist's function should be to teach his interested fellow human beings how to perceive an interpersonal world and interact within that social realm on a more efficient and harmonious basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)