Letter to the editor.

Comments on the original article by M. A. Yarhouse et al (see record 2002-13988-007) which identified the ethical issues in efforts to ban reorientation therapies. Given the highly charged debate around reparative or conversation therapies, the current authors were disappointed in the approach taken by the authors in their discussion and review of the empirical research, scholarly literature, and ethical concerns. The authors assert that Yarhouse et al failed to represent the issues accurately and comprehensively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Letter to the editor.

Comments on articles by M. A. Yarhouse (see record 1998-11146-011) and M. A. Yarhouse and W. Throckmorton (see record 2002-13988-007). Amato argues that the articles serve to masquerade ideological positions regarding homosexuality as science. It is contended that although here are various reasons for individuals wanting "not to be gay," the scientific literature has repeatedly failed to demonstrate the legitimacy of the "desire for reorientation" or the possibility that sexual orientation is even open to change. To couch the legitimacy of the change therapies in the garb of the ethics of autonomy and self-determination is an attempt to have prejudice masquerade as science by co-opting the notion of autonomy. Yarhouse's articles have demonstrated his repeated attempt to find a home for a biblically, not scientifically, founded hatred of homosexuality within the scientific community. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to Amato's (2002) letter.

Responds to J. J. Amato's commentary (see record 2003-02090-007) on articles by M. A. Yarhouse (see record 1998-11146-011) and M. A. Yarhouse and W. Throckmorton (see record 2002-13988-007). Yarhouse contends that by claiming he is surreptitiously importing ideology in the name of science, Amato is setting this up as a false dichotomy, as though science is a completely objective enterprise and that beliefs and values can be avoided altogether. This position is a modernist view and it ignores the postmodern society and the advances in philosophy of science over the past 50 years. Yarhouse also addresses Amato's claims regarding changing same sex attraction and the concept of autonomy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical issues in attempts to ban reorientation therapies.

The purpose of this article is to identify the ethical issues in efforts to ban reorientation therapies. The 3 primary arguments cited in the literature in favor of such a ban are discussed: (a) homosexuality is no longer considered a mental illness, (b) those who request change do so because of internalized homophobia, and (c) sexual orientation is immutable. The authors present 3 arguments in favor of providing reorientation and related services: (a) respect for the autonomy and self-determination of persons, (b) respect for valuative frameworks, creeds, and religious values regarding the moral status of same-sex behavior, and (c) service provision given the scientific evidence that efforts to change thoughts, behaviors, and feeling-based sexual orientation can be successful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to Glassgold et al. (2002).

Replies to comments by J. M. Glassgold et al (see record 2003-06066-010) on the current authors' original article (see record 2002-13988-007) which identified the ethical issues in efforts to ban reorientation therapies. Glassgold et al commented that the original article failed to represent the issues accurately and comprehensively. The current authors elaborate on the context in which their article was written and then comment on a couple of the points of criticism served by Glassgold et al. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical Perspectives on Qualitative Research in Applied Psychology.

The present article explores ethical issues that emerge in qualitative research conducted by applied psychologists. The utility and relevance of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2002) for qualitative research are examined. The importance of psychology's fiduciary relationship with research participants is presented as the basis for an ethical stance of "trustworthiness." A scientist-practitioner perspective on research ethics is advanced, based on the argument that psychology's social role carries obligations that differ from those of other social science disciplines that conduct qualitative research. Dilemmas that are likely to emerge in qualitative research are discussed, with particular attention to competence, multiple relationships, confidentiality, and informed consent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Responsive assessment and the freedom to think for ourselves.

Limitations on psychological assessment practices can affect quality of the assessment and welfare of the client/patient. Payment-based restrictions on time and test selection create examiner conflicts of interest. Referrer and reviewer requirements for established tests can have a chilling effect on innovative assessment and test development. Standardized norms are inappropriate for some impaired patients or persons outside the dominant culture, and they can be unreliable. Some referral sources expect scores in communications of examination findings, yet misinterpretations of scores by lay persons can go against client/patient interests. Determination of how to communicate assessment data is a responsibility of psychologists. These problems can be best resolved by educating the public about the ethical practice and practical issues of psychological assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to Silverman.

Replies to comments by L. H. Silverman (see record 1982-21579-001) on the author's (see record 1980-32531-001) earlier criticism of and failure to replicate Silverman's subliminal symbiotic stimulation as an adjunct to systematic desensitization. The role of individual differences and the implications for a failure to replicate effects of subliminal psychodynamic activation in light of other supportive evidence are discussed. Silverman contends that the results of a particular kind of study using subliminal psychodynamic activation cannot properly be generalized to all studies using this method; the author proposes an alternative view. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to Silverman.

Responds to commentary by I. Silverman (see record 2007-08963-001) entitled "Review of Pure types are rare": Comment on book review. I do not think that either one of us will change his position, and therefore it is up to the interested (yet disinterested) reader to adjudicate our dispute by checking Professor Silverman's book and his references. In the process, the reader will be forced to consider the thought-provoking implications for our mental health system of some of the incidents which the author describes so vividly, and that will not be a bad thing. There is one point, however, which is worth pursuing further here, for Professor Silverman persists in an elementary statistical fallacy. Let us take the situation which he cites, where the base rate for diagnosing schizophrenia is 50%. Suppose with the same base rate the degree of agreement is in fact 53%; this is far above chance level. It must be emphasized, however, that the 53% agreement under discussion came not from a study where the base rate for diagnosing schizophrenia was 50%, but from one where the conditions were far more stringent since the base rate for diagnosing schizophrenia was around 20%. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the Special Section on Structural Equation Modeling.

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a frequently used data-analytic technique in psychopathology research. This popularity is due to the unique capabilities and broad applicability of SEM and to recent advances in model and software development. Unfortunately, the popularity and accessibility of SEM is matched by its complexities and ambiguities. Thus, users are often faced with difficult decisions regarding a variety of issues. This special section is designed to increase the effective use of SEM by reviewing recently developed modeling capabilities, identifying common problems in application, and recommending appropriate strategies for analysis and evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A nightmare for King Solomon: New reproductive technologies.

King Solomon had only two claimants for the baby whose fate he was to decide. With the new reproductive technologies, several people may assert claims to a child whose existence would have been impossible until only recently, and a mass of legal and ethical problems have been created that could barely have been envisioned even half a century ago. It can, for example, no longer be assumed that the woman who carries and gives birth to a baby is that child's biological mother. The legal claims threaten to turn a child into a piece of property rather than a human being with rights and needs. Existing statutes and competing religious or other perspectives, moreover, are not necessarily compatible with these new scientific realities, enlarging the spectrum of problems. This article reviews recent developments in reproductive technologies and some legal, ethical, and psychological issues that may be relevant in these circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of Deception.

Comments on "Deception in psychological research" by J. Seeman (see record 1970-07542-001). Certainly, a number of legitimate arguments exist for the reduction and/or elimination of deception in psychological experimentation. However, employed by an ethical scientist, the use of deceit in psychological experimentation can meaningfully contribute to the accumulation of "wisdom" Seeman cherishes so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Introduction to psychology and law: Canadian perspectives.

Reviews the book, Introduction to psychology and law: Canadian perspectives by Regina A. Schuller and James R. P. Ogloff (see record 2001-06385-000). The book begins with an introduction by the editors underscoring the breadth of applications of psychology in legal forums and describing the well-known history of this field, along with the inevitable tension that exists between the disciplines of psychology and law. Standard ethical issues facing psychologists in this intersection are also explored. The introduction is followed by a chapter by Gordon Rose, which gives a ready overview of the Canadian legal system and typical procedures in criminal and civil actions. This information is an essential foundation for understanding the environment into which psychology must fit. The subsequent 12 chapters are collected in three sections relating to criminal procedure, forensic clinical psychology, and forensic civil psychology. Most chapters begin with a Canadian case vignette and conclude with four discussion questions that arise from the chapter material. These questions will be very useful as a regular component of class participation. This book presents a balanced balanced mix of experimental and clinical psychological information to be applied to the law covered by the text. With few exceptions, such as in the case of young offenders issues, the range of topics covered is adequate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Abnormal psychology.

Reviews the book, Abnormal psychology by Thomas F. Oltmanns, Robert E. Emery, and Steven Taylor (2001). Oltmanns, Emery, and Taylor have kept their current text within the mainstream. In the first edition of the text (Oltmanns & Emery, 1995), they followed an integrative systems approach, similar to that adopted by Sarason and Sarason in 1989, in which evidence on biological, psychological, and social influences was combined in the discussion of the aetiology of the different disorders. Their major claims to uniqueness in the Canadian edition reside in the retention of their integrative systems approach; the integration of scientific methodology into every chapter; and an emphasis on multicultural issues in which, as the name of the text indicates, Canadian research and issues predominate. With this text, Oltmanns, Emery, and Taylor have answered the plea for Canadian content and, within the contemporary style of text, have done it well. Personally, however, I continue to lament the passing of the era of the psychopathology text, when abnormal psychology actually referred to an aspect of psychology, rather than psychiatry, and the presentation of material lacked the hegemony of a particular--that is, North American--cultural perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Culture and Psychopathology.

Reviews the book, Culture and Psychopathology, edited by Ihsan Al-Issa (1982). This book consists of 16 chapters on different aspects and issues of the study of psychopathology cross-culturally by a number of different authors, many of them well-known authorities in the field. Topics covered include methodology in cross-cultural psychopathology, social class and affective disorders, culture-bound syndromes, personality abnormalities, alcohol abuse, sexual deviation, psychosomatics, and pain. The book will serve as a good reference both for those interested in the findings of the research on the influence of culture on psychopathology and for those concerned with the issues and problems of research in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section: Providing psychological test feedback to clients.

This article introduces the special section on providing psychological test feedback to clients. This Special Section has three main objectives. First, we will explore the ethical issues involved in discussing test results with clients. Next, we will illustrate the test feedback process with an often complex clinical assessment situation: neuropsychological evaluation. Finally, the process of incorporating test feedback into the treatment context has not been extensively researched and not much is known about whether clients effectively use information they are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive Genetic Testing Raises New Professional Challenges for Psychologists.

Recent developments in molecular biology have led to the development of genetic tests that identify the mutations involved in the occurrence of several diseases. Genetic testing extends beyond a purely medical application, representing a multidisciplinary field in which psychologists have to work with other health professionals to provide therapeutic help to patients seeking genetic consultation. Psychologists are also well prepared to play a key role in research teams that are studying the many issues raised by the application of genetic testing. They can likewise participate in informing and making both health-care providers and the public more aware of the psychosocial and ethical issues that stem from the increased presence of genetics in our society. Finally, there are interesting challenges in working with public decision-makers and training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A bridge and a couple of fences for clinicians and researchers: A comment on Silverman's (2001) editorial.

In this commentary, the author responds to W. Silverman's (2001) editorial, which emphasized how much clinicians and researchers need each other to advance in their respective fields and to adequately promote the fields of psychology and psychotherapy. The commentary proposes the concept that perhaps the friction that exists between clinicians and researchers has more to do with ego identity and an innate need for territoriality as opposed to solely being a matter of maintaining theoretical differences. The commentary further highlights some of the theories of territoriality espoused by contemporary anthropologists and suggests that the benefits of clinicians and researchers working together far outweigh the costs and that more energy needs to be expended in working together harmoniously than in fortifying fences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section.

Areas of research are invigorated by new methods, approaches, and theoretical perspectives. The integration of psychological and biological approaches to psychopathology research is a major theme in research at this time. This special section consists of three articles relevant to biopsychological studies of schizophrenia. The first article provides an overview of cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia. The second article considers the topic of high-risk group research. The third article deals with a longstanding problem in schizophrenia research—the effects of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy has important beneficial effects on measures of theoretical interest in psychological studies of schizophrenia, but it may also produce impairments in cognitive processes. The cognitive psychopharmacology of schizophrenia is a topic of both theoretical and methodological relevance in psychopathology research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section: Mental retardation and mental illness.

Historically, the perceived relation between mental illness and mental retardation has undergone substantial changes. During the past 2 centuries, clinical observations and systematic research addressing these 2 constructs have developed along separate lines. Consequently, the pathogenesis and treatment of psychopathology, emotional disorders, and behavior problems experienced by individuals with mental retardation have not been the purview of mainstream clinical psychology. This article initiates a special section on mental retardation and mental illness to provide up-to-date summaries of various key clinical and research issues regarding this population (i.e., individuals with "dual diagnoses"). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)