Leonard D. Eron (1920-2007): Obituary.

Presents an obituary of Leonard D. Eron (1920-2007). Eron conducted one of the longest running (spanning over 40 years) longitudinal studies on aggression in children to date: the Columbia County Longitudinal Study. Eron's conclusion that media violence causes aggression in children lead to a storm of controversy. Eron's conclusions were supported by a second longitudinal study he and Rowell Huesmann conducted between 1977 and 1995, the Cross-National Television Study. Eron was a prodigious author of books and articles, and a frequent public policy advocate on Capitol Hill. He was also a Fulbright scholar twice and received APA's Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Media Psychology. Len is survived by his wife Madeline of Lindenhurst, Illinois, his daughter Barbara and two grandchildren, and his son Don. His daughter Joan died in 1990. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Back to the Future: F. Alexander (1963) Reconsidered.

The author critically examines F. Alexander's seminal and prescient 1963 paper and contends that it authoritatively delineated theoretical and technical variables and constructs in psychotherapy. It foreshadowed and contributed to the evolution, proliferation, exploration, and scientific documentation of psychotherapy theory and technique as it is broadly understood. It anticipated biographical examinations of early innovators and the assimilation and accommodation of changes in the psychotherapy knowledge base. The paper also anticipated the evolution and democratization of new forms of therapy in the medical marketplace. It ignored the potential multidisciplinary contributions in general systems theory, hermeneutics and linguistics, gender and cultural differences, and psychopharmacotherapy. However, its conclusions have been generally incorporated in generic clinical psychotherapeutic training. A more complex incorporation of the paper's findings in real-time practice has yet to occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

St. John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum): Practical considerations based on the evidence.

Reviews the available data on hypericum perforatum, an herbal remedy known as St. John's wort commonly used for psychological and psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, cognitive dulling, and insomnia. Specifically, data regarding hypericum's efficacy, tolerability, and potential for interactions is examined. It is hoped that this review will allow clinicians to draw their own conclusions regarding this herb and provide them with information for educating and guiding discussions with patients. It is noted that the ethical, legal, and practice issues related to psychologists recommending—or even discussing—the use of herbal preparations remain complex, and that psychologists should be aware that this is not a risk-free area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the Special Section on Cognitive Abilities: 100 Years After Spearman's (1904) "'General Intelligence,' Objectively Determined and Measured".

The study of individual differences in cognitive abilities is one of the few branches of psychological science to amass a coherent body of empirical knowledge withstanding the test of time. There is wide consensus that cognitive abilities are organized hierarchically, and C. Spearman's (1904) general intelligence occupies the vertex of this hierarchy. In addition, specific abilities beyond general intelligence refine longitudinal forecasts of important social phenomena and paint a rich portrait of this important domain of psychological diversity. This opening article identifies and then reviews 5 major areas concerning the personological significance of cognitive abilities and the methods used to study them. In models of human behavior and important life outcomes, cognitive abilities are critical in more ways than social scientists realize. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)