Paul E. Meehl (1920-2003).

Presents the obituary for Paul E. Meehl (1920-2003), one of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, who helped to shape psychology in a career that spanned more than 60 years. Dr. Meehl's intellectual contributions ranged over many areas, including clinical versus actuarial judgment, research on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, learning theory, psychoanalysis, and the genetic basis of schizophrenia. Dr. Meehl received considerable recognition for his contributions to academic and applied psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Paul E. Meehl's Contributions to Personality Assessment.

Many of Meehl's interests converged in his work on personality assessment. In empirical research, development of the K scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and various scales of other tests are noteworthy, but his most profound contributions were conceptual and philosophical. Essays on the role of base rates in clinical decision and on construct validity in psychological tests provided vital insights on core issues in assessment. The concept of nomological nets allowed systematic investigation of unobservable theoretical entities, with liberating effects on all natural sciences. An active clinician, Meehl understood deeply the complexities of professional service, but his insistence on empirical validation as the ultimate arbiter of the value of any procedure required all attainable rigor in the scientific foundations of clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Resistance: Psychodynamic and Behavioral Approaches.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 7(1) of Psychoanalytic Psychology (see record 2007-10573-001). In this review, the phrase "in his inimical style" (p.238) should read "in his inimitable style.] This three-part edited collection of chapters considers the problem of resistance in psychotherapy. The term is defined and considered from several radically difference psychological perspectives. The psychoanalytic approach in Part I consists of four chapters written by authorities in the field. The four chapters of Part II concern both cognitive and pure behavioral approaches. Part III contains eight brief chapters in which the authors were invited to comment on one author's contributions. In the main the authors remain focused and concise, but it is very obvious that resistance has a remarkably broad variety of definitions, and that some of these definitions are so different that the authors do not appear to be speaking of similar phenomena. What is also clear from this complicated edited collection is that the clinician needs to be much more flexible in his theoretical positions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Review of Resistance: Psychodynamic and behavioral approaches": Correction.

Reports an error in "Review of Resistance: Psychodynamic and Behavioral Approaches" by Stuart W. Twemlow (Psychoanalytic Psychology, 1989[Spr], Vol 6[2], 237-240). In this review, the phrase "in his inimical style" (p. 238) should read "in his inimitable style." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2003-05429-011.) This three-part edited collection of chapters considers the problem of resistance in psychotherapy. The term is defined and considered from several radically difference psychological perspectives. The psychoanalytic approach in Part I consists of four chapters written by authorities in the field. The four chapters of Part II concern both cognitive and pure behavioral approaches. Part III contains eight brief chapters in which the authors were invited to comment on one author's contributions. In the main the authors remain focused and concise, but it is very obvious that resistance has a remarkably broad variety of definitions, and that some of these definitions are so different that the authors do not appear to be speaking of similar phenomena. What is also clear from this complicated edited collection is that the clinician needs to be much more flexible in his theoretical positions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section on construct validity of psychological tests: 50 years after Cronbach and Meehl (1955).

The middle of the 20th century was a very exciting time to be in the field of clinical psychology and, especially, assessment psychology. Seminal publications during that time clarified the then novel distinction between hypothetical constructs and intervening variables (MacCorquodale & Meehl, 1948), elucidated the concept of construct validity (Cronbach & Meehl, 1955), and described a methodology for estimating convergent and discriminant validity of measures of constructs and the role of variance due to common methods in the associations among measures of similar and different constructs (Campbell & Fiske, 1959). These articles have been the bedrock of clinical psychological and personality psychology assessment since that time. The year 2005 marks the 50th anniversary of Cronbach and Meehl's (1955) article "Construct Validity in Psychological Tests." A submission last year by Smith (2005b) struck me as an excellent time to honor the signal contributions of these psychologists of the last century through consideration particularly of the article by Cronbach and Meehl. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions.

Discusses the contributions made by P. E. Meehl and C. D. Spielberger, the 1993 recipients of the Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions presented by the American Psychological Association. Meehl is recognized for his work as a critical methodologist continuing the Minnesota emphasis on objectivity and quantification, combining psychotherapeutic experience with competence in mathematics and philosophy of science to provide help for practitioners, fruitful research suggestions, and a practitioner–theorist–teacher model. Spielberger is awarded for advancing the theoretical and empirical foundations of professional psychology through his research on personality and learning; stress and emotion; assessment of anxiety, anger, and curiosity; and lifestyle factors that influence the etiology of hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. He is perhaps best known for the development of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A biography of each recipient is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Who is overlooking whose reality? Commentary on Tabin's "Freud's shift from the seduction theory: Some overlooked reality factors".

Contends that J. K. Tabin (see record 1994-05584-001) continues the long tradition of casting aspersions on S. Ferenczi's sanity at the end of his life. She wrote that his personal problems blighted the value of his contributions. She credited Freud with the idea that the child splits the ego in response to sexual abuse. The authors question Tabin's attribution of this idea to Freud and instead argue that this was one of Ferenczi's central contributions toward the end of his life. Tabin's judgment of Ferenczi's personal problems is challenged and the Freud–Ferenczi relationship, particularly the handling of Ferenczi's final paper, is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vernon Wellington Sparks, Sr. (1920-2002).

Reports the death of Vernon Wellington Sparks, Sr. (1920-2002). The authors discuss his contributions to the evolution of clinical psychology as well as his various personal and professional accomplishments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenia research: a biennium of progress. Proceedings from the Sixth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research. Colorado Springs, CO, April 12-16, 1997

The Sixth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR) took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 12-16, 1997, where over 1,000 scientists presented and listened to the latest developments in the search for the cause and treatment of schizophrenia. The ICOSR is sponsored by Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, and the William K. Warren Foundation. The National Institute of Mental Health and several pharmaceutical companies contributed generously to the meeting. The ICOSR is co-organized by Dr. Carol A. Tamminga, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland at Baltimore, and Dr. S. Charles Schulz, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. The William K. Warren Research Award is given to a senior investigator, who has made outstanding contributions to our understanding of schizophrenia. The fifth William K. Warren Research Award was presented to Dr. Philip S. Holzman in recognition of his contributions to the identification of eye-tracking abnormalities as a potential phenotypic marker of the illness and also in recognition of his work as a lifelong mentor for schizophrenia researchers. The ICOSR Young Investigator Awards are presented to junior investigators who have demonstrated the potential to make significant contributions to research on schizophrenia. These awards promote scientific development by enabling these young researchers to attend the meeting. There were 30 Young Investigator Award winners. The ICOSR meeting is organized into four sessions: (1) a morning plenary session; (2) a plenary lecture; (3) a poster session; and (4) concurrent afternoon oral sessions. The morning plenary sessions are comprised of a set of 30-minute lectures, which provide an overview of a particular topic area relevant to schizophrenia research. The plenary lecture is an invited lecture on a basic topic related to current research efforts in schizophrenia. The poster sessions provide a forum for the presentation of prepublication reports of basic and clinical science projects. The afternoon sessions are a collection of approximately 10 focused presentations on current research projects related to a specific topic area. The purpose of this report is to provide an account of the proceedings from the plenary and afternoon oral sessions.     

Nursing and Psychological Treatments.

Presents a comment on "Psychological Treatments" (see record 2004-21168-001) by D. H. Barlow. In his article, Barlow pointed to the need "to solidify the identification of psychology as a health care profession" by changing the terminology of practice in the health care context from psychotherapy to psychological treatments and suggested that the only persons qualified to carry out such interventions are doctoral-level psychologists. Unfortunately, there was no discussion of the health care professionals who already provide psychological treatments in health care settings and their contribution to the evidence base supporting such treatment. The authors find several aspects of the article to be problematic. Overall, the authors feel that suggesting that psychology should claim treatment of psychological disorders and psychological components of physical disorders in health care settings as exclusively its own domain ignores the research and clinical contributions of others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopathic, not psychopath: Taxometric evidence for the dimensional structure of psychopathy.

Although psychopathy is frequently regarded as qualitatively distinct from other conditions, relatively little research has examined whether psychopaths represent a distinct class of individuals. Using a sample of 876 prison inmates and court-ordered substance abuse patients who were administered the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (R. D. Hare, 2003), the authors examined the latent structure of psychopathy using several taxometric procedures developed by Meehl and colleagues (P. E. Meehl & L. J. Yonce, 1994; N. G. Waller & P. E. Meehl, 1998). The results across these procedures offer no compelling support for the contention that psychopathy is a taxonic construct and contradict previous reports that psychopathy is underpinned by a latent taxon. The authors discuss the theoretical, public policy, and practice-level implications of these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

This issue begins with an invited paper by Ronald Melzack, continuing the "Distinguished Contribution Series" begun in 1990 by my predecessor, Gordon Winocur. Professor Melzack is known world-wide for his research on pain. In 1965, together with Patrick Wall, he proposed the gate control theory, an entirely new conception of pain. For the first time, there was an explicit physiological model emphasizing the role played by the brain as well as by the spinal cord, leading to a new integration of psychological and physiological contributions to pain, as well as to new avenues for the control of pain. This theory has been highly influential, as a quick look in virtually any textbook in biology or medicine will confirm. Professor Melzack's continuing development of his ideas is presented with remarkable clarity in his books and in his many journal articles. It is, therefore, especially exciting for CJEP to be the first to publish a sketch of his new neuromatrix theory. When the book developing this theory is published, it too will no doubt have an immediate and major impact. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between personal insecurity and attitude toward psychological methodology.

"It is intriguing to speculate about how a scientist's personal needs may affect his theoretical orientation and the kind of research he does." A research investigation is described in which "each subject's attitude toward psychological methodology was evaluated on an objective-intuitive continuum… " and level of anxiety was measured by a semi-projective technique devised by the authors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

éditorial.

This issue begins with an invited paper by Ronald Melzack, continuing the "Distinguished Contribution Series" begun in 1990 by my predecessor, Gordon Winocur. Professor Melzack is known world-wide for his research on pain. In 1965, together with Patrick Wall, he proposed the gate control theory, an entirely new conception of pain. For the first time, there was an explicit physiological model emphasizing the role played by the brain as well as by the spinal cord, leading to a new integration of psychological and physiological contributions to pain, as well as to new avenues for the control of pain. This theory has been highly influential, as a quick look in virtually any textbook in biology or medicine will confirm. Professor Melzack's continuing development of his ideas is presented with remarkable clarity in his books and in his many journal articles. It is, therefore, especially exciting for CJEP to be the first to publish a sketch of his new neuromatrix theory. When the book developing this theory is published, it too will no doubt have an immediate and major impact. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meehl revisited: A look at paradigms in psychology.

Comments on Meehl's (see record 1979-25042-001) article on the nature of psychological debates. The author is in agreement with Meehl that there is a need to reconsider how research is designed and carried out within psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The dying child's awareness of death: A review.

A review of the professional opinions in the literature reveals both the honest concern of the authors for the parents, nurses, and physicians of the dying child and the lack of objective data on what the child actually knows about his illness or what his psychological reactions are to it. The result has been the accumulation of a set of contradictory attitudes often based on nothing more than the authors' personal reactions and unsubstantiated observations. 2 controlled studies directly measuring the child's concerns pointed to a very real awareness by a child as young as 6 yrs of the seriousness of his illness. Implications for designing future research in this area are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultant as Confidant.

This article deals with something that is probably a common experience to every seasoned consultant but is rarely discussed in an academic journal. The authors are unaware of any research studies on the topic: the consultant as confidant. They discuss the role of the consultant as confidant through their personal experience and by bringing to bear consulting and other psychological literature. They also discuss why there is a need for consultants as confidants, the experience of being a confidant, violations of the role, and some guidelines for performing the role of confidant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Paul E. Meehl as Scientist and Colleague.

The author summarizes some of his memories and thoughts concerning Paul E. Meehl as a scientist and colleague. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The radical empiricism of William James and philosophy of history.

William James's philosophy of history is explored in his classic psychological and philosophical works and in 2 articles he devoted specifically to the topic. Historical issues are set forth in terms of James's individualism, pragmatism, and radical empiricism. It is argued that a Jamesian philosophy of history provides a reasoned and believable middle way between the extremes of realism and constructionism. James believed that historical change is brought about both by the contributions of individuals and by forces in cultures and the environment that help shape the direction of things. Finally, the author explores implications of James's pluralism for history and his quarrel with absolutistic conceptual schemes that attempt to reduce all things to 1 thing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)