Developing a feminist psychology of women: Past and future accomplishments.

Afeminist approach to the psychology of women is defined. In terms of this definition four areas central to the psychology of women are examined. These areas are theory building, sex differences research, research describing women's lives, and feminist therapy. For each area past accomplishments are outlined and future directions are suggested. In conclusion, two important methodological paradoxes are presented, and their relevance to a developing feminist psychology of women is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian feminist psychology: Where are we now?

Reviews the current status of the psychology of women field within Canadian psychology as revealed in the feminization of psychology in Canada, psychology of women courses in academic psychology, research publications in Canadian journals, papers presented at Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) conventions, and doctoral dissertation projects. The paper concludes with an insider's view of some of the general characteristics of the Canadian variant of feminist psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian psychology: Some social and applied emphases.

Recent concern with national identity has motivated an examination of possible relationships between features of Canadian society and the nature of applied and social Psychology. Experience with the production of a bibliography and book of readings in this area provided the background, necessary for a detailed discussion of the issues. A matrix of research questions was elaborated by crossing some special features of social and cultural life in Canada with the sub-disciplines of Social, Clinical, Educational and Work Psychology. It was concluded that there could be "a Canadian Psychology" in these social and applied areas, but that considerable effort is required before it is attained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of Canadian psychology departments based on citation and publication counts: A comment.

Comments on the article by A. R. Buss (see record 1976-26634-001), which purports to evaluate Canadian psychology departments in terms of productivity and impact upon the discipline. Publication counts and citation counts from the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) were tabulated for each staff member and totaled for each department. The author suggests that his exercise will give us some lessons in the methodology of the sociology of science, as it pertains to the problem of evaluating the quality of departments within a discipline. While it is questionable whether such a unitary evaluation can be done at all, more importantly the article raises two other questions: What are the possible purposes of such a task? Has Buss's article done an adequate job of doing the task regardless of purpose? With reference to the first question, it is virtually impossible to think of any legitimate use to which such finding could be put. On the question as to whether the Buss evaluations are well done, a few obvious points are listed. One of these is Buss's choice of the SSCI, which he admits does not include citations in some important psychological journals. In summary, the Buss paper includes a set of evaluations which serve no useful purpose. Furthermore, they are complete with numerous sources of known error, some of them systematic. The author has added to this all the problems of choice of summarizing values. The reviewer takes offense at his taxes being used for so shallow a purpose. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Future development of psychology and its role in Canadian life: A personal view.

This is not a report; it does not arise from statistical analysis of data, or systematic survey of opinion, or discussions of a committee. There are no findings. This is a statement based on personal impressions gained during my two decades of close association with psychology in Canada. My focus is on consideration of the ways in which psychology, while continuing to flourish as a basic and applied science, may best play its role in promoting public welfare and the attainment of national goals. There are no recommendations. Where appropriate, I have made suggestions, some of which may be useful as starting points of discussions among those concerned with planning the future development of psychology in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychology of more.

Proposes that growing social and environmental problems are the natural outcome of the prevailing model of man, whether expressed as formal theories of behavior by scientists or as common-sense notions of human nature by the general populace. This model presents a world view characterized by quantitative increases and continuous growth; the ideal state of affairs seems to be one of accumulating more and more of whatever is deemed important money, materials, people, etc. It is suggested that basic changes in people's attitudes toward themselves in relation to their environment is essential for the resolution of imminent crises. (23 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fifty years of psychology.

Assesses the growth and development of the fields of psychology by comparing publications and reports of experiments in the 1927 volume of Psychological Abstracts with those in the 1974 volume. The quantitative growth was found to be prodigious, the qualitative less so. The 1920's were seminal years, because many current concepts--most of them imported from Europe--began to affect American thought. Since then, Americans have refined the methodology related to these concepts. Grand theory began to wane in the late 1920's and miniature theory to develop. Interest in certain topics, particularly conscious states and self, has survived, while interest in other topics has waned. The American culture has had a strong influence on the direction of psychology's development. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development and maturation of humanitarian psychology.

Humanitarian psychological support as an organized field is relatively young. Pioneers in the field were involved primarily in providing psychological support to refugees and internally displaced persons in conflict and nonconflict situations. This article describes basic principles for the design of psychological support programs and interventions. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) began a psychological support program in 1991. The IFRC chose psychological first aid as its model for implementation in developing countries. Psychological first aid fits all the principles for psychological support program design and is adapted to individual communities. The first generation of psychological support programs differed dramatically depending on the countries in which they were developed. A second generation of psychological support programs evolved in response to the earthquake/tsunami of December 26, 2004. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee international guidelines consolidated the advances of second-generation programs and provided a clear indication of the wide acceptance of the importance of psychological support. A glimpse is provided of the third generation of psychological support programs, and an admonition is made for a more empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology and life (Canadian edition).

Reviews the book, Psychology and life (Canadian edition) (2009), by Richard J. Gerrig, Philip Zimbardo, Serge Desmarais, and Tammy Ivanco. As part of an effective strategy to deal with the many emerging challenges of teaching large introductory psychology classes, a modern textbook geared toward introductory psychology must keep up with these changes and offer useful features that address the needs of the student. To this end, Psychology and Life (Canadian Edition) presents an impressive update of the classic textbook by Gerrig and Zimbardo. The text continues to hit on the key principle of psychology as a science with a thorough and updated research-based presentation. The textbook is well organised into 17 chapters covering the range of typical introductory psychology topics. The chapters are written in a midlevel text that will be accessible to the broad range of students enrolled in most introductory psychology courses. While maintaining a high level of readability and interest, the work is solidly grounded in research as it highlights psychology as a science. As the title of the textbook suggests, the authors make a conscious effort to demonstrate that the research and curriculum presented in each chapter have an immediate impact on daily life. This is a well-written, organised, and appealing text that students will find engaging and instructors will find suitable for providing a solid grounding in the science of contemporary psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applications of psychology to television programming: Program execution.

Discusses the use of both educators and entertainers in the development and implementation of "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company." The need of both of the groups to learn the other's language is pointed out, and the creation of a common lexicon (e.g., "cross plug," "visiting relatives effect,") and the psychological terms that can be used to describe the terms are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Constructing knowledge: The role of graphs and tables in hard and soft psychology.

Because graphs provide a compact, rhetorically powerful way of representing research findings, recent theories of science have postulated their use as a distinguishing feature of science. Studies have shown that the use of graphs in journal articles correlates highly with the hardness of scientific fields, both across disciplines and across subfields of psychology. In contrast, the use of tables and inferential statistics in psychology is inversely related to subfield hardness, suggesting that the relationship between hardness and graph use is not attributable to differences in the use of quantitative data in subfields or their commitment to empiricism. Enhanced "graphicacy" among psychologists could contribute to the progress of psychological science by providing alternatives to significance testing and by facilitating communication across subfields. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The decade of behavior: An opportunity for family psychology.

In the past, we have had the decade of the brain. Now, as behavioral scientists and practitioners, it is our turn and the period from 2000-2010 is the Decade of Behavior. The American Psychological Association's Board of Scientific Affairs initiated this idea, which is now sponsored by a host of behavioral and social science organizations. With an advisory committee representing a dozen disciplines, this is a ground-breaking multidisciplinary effort that aims to raise awareness of the importance of behavioral aspects of our lives. Five major themes guide this initiative: health, safety, education, prosperity, and democracy. I want to bring this important idea to your attention as both readers and authors of articles in the Journal of Family Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists on psychology: The inquiry beliefs of psychologists by subdiscipline, gender, and age.

Three hundred six psychologists, all members of the American Psychological Association, responded to a questionnaire on which they rated various theoretical-philosophical statements concerning the conduct of psychological inquiry. Results were considered in relation to the subdiscipline of psychology to which respondents belonged, their gender, and their decade of birth. Results for subdiscipline indicated progressively weaker relative support for naturalism, reductionism, empiricism, and experimentalism as the context of subdisciplinary inquiry became increasingly broad. Women were less attached to experimental methods than men and displayed a stronger belief in the importance of political factors in research than did their male counterparts. Finally, younger psychologists believed more strongly in the importance of presentation skills such as good writing and rhetoric with respect to research and academic success. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychology of health and health care: A Canadian perspective.

Reviews the book, The psychology of health and health care: A Canadian perspective by Gary Poole, Deborah Hunt Matheson, and David N. Cox (2001). This book is a timely introductory text that aims to situate the rapidly expanding field of health psychology within the geographic, socio-demographic, and empirical landscape of Canada. This textbook would be appropriate for beginning and intermediate undergraduate students across a range of disciplines, including psychology, public health, and nursing. As such, it has a number of features to commend it. It is written in a clear and concise style, with explanatory tracks guiding the reader step by step through each new concept. In keeping with health psychology's applied focus, web sites for important resources are provided and sample case studies are integrated with key concepts throughout each chapter. Finally, the up-to-date coverage of Canadian health statistics and research publications is a delight for those of us who have been struggling to find texts that reflect the unique ways in which we view, structure, fund, administer, and research health psychology and health care in this country. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical Psychology: Reprint of Witmer's 1907 article.

Reprints L. Witmer 's (1907) original article which describes the development of the "psychological clinic" at the University of Pennsylvania . Describes the function of the clinic in providing conjoint physical and mental examinations. Illustrates, using case examples of a 10 yr old & 14 yr old male, the operation of the clinic. Outlines a proposed plan of organization for practical work in psychology delivered before the APA in 1896. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Women, men, and the psychology of power.

Reviews the book, Women, Men, and the Psychology of Power by Hilary M. Lips (1981). This book is therefore a welcome addition to the literature as it is an integration of gender differences on the one issue of power: it is totally devoted to the analysis of the multiplicity of factors involved in sex differences regarding the achievement of power. Dr. Lips presents her ideas from a dual perspective, that of a feminist and that of a social psychologist. Looking at the issue of power from the first point of view, she not only refers to the fact that women have fewer avenues to power than men do, but she also discusses the ways women cooperate to maintain their subordinate position. At the same time she elucidates the consequences for both sexes as women become more powerful. From the second viewpoint, she maintains that some of the observable differences in personality characteristics between females and males may be a function of structural variables, such as differential power bases, rather than stable inherited traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Historiography of psychology in Spain: The last decade.

History of Psychology has been an extremely active field for many years in Spain. Both the great expansion of psychological studies and the inclusion of history as a compulsory subject in the psychology curriculum are crucial factors helping to understand the current state of affairs. The aim of this paper is to provide a survey of the work done in this area over the last decade, covering research, teaching, and institutional developments. The study includes consideration of aspects such as main research lines, major theoretical and methodological trends, teaching materials, relevant archives and exhibits, and significant websites. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the introduction of Gestalt psychology into America.

Criticizes F. McKinney's (see record 1977-28569-001) account of the introduction of Gestalt psychology into US psychology for neglecting to mention the contributions of R. M. Ogden. Ogden provided early translations of Koffka's work and wrote the first book by a US psychologist from the viewpoint of Gestalt theory and principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological climate changes for women in academic psychology: Forecasts, sources, and implications.

Reflecting on the past, and observing the present, what kinds of psychological changes might be in the forecast for women in psychology, for women affected by our discipline, and for the discipline itself? Using metaphors borrowed from meteorology and climatology, a psychological almanac is constructed for feminist psychology in Canada, warming trends are examined on both the academic and applied fronts, and weather advisories are issued. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical adolescent psychology: What it is, and what it needs to be.

This commentary on the special section on clinical adolescent psychology (G. Holmbeck & P. Kendall, 2002) reviews and critiques the conceptual and empirical articles that this compilation comprises. As articulated in the conceptual contributions to this collection, two fundamental principles should guide research on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of psychological disorder and dysfunction during adolescence: First, drawing on the field of developmental psychopathology, the study of clinical adolescent psychology should focus on the trajectories of disorder that precede, characterize, and follow adolescence. Second, drawing on the literature on normative adolescent development, the study of clinical adolescent psychology must proceed with an explicit recognition of the unique biological, cognitive, psychosocial, and contextual features that define adolescence as a developmental period. Although the study of clinical adolescent psychology, as evidenced by this collection of articles, is appropriately grounded in the broader enterprise of developmental psychopathology, less progress has been made with respect to die integration of the study of clinical phenomena in adolescence with the study of normative adolescent development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)