1. Contemporary Personnel Psychology.

Introduces the upcoming articles in the first section of the journal, which will in part address the response of industrial/organizational psychologists to the new social issues raised by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines and the demands for fair treatment by female applicants and various minorities. The editors highlight the core arguments put forth by each of the contributing authors' articles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Industrial psychology in Psychological Abstracts: 1927-1959.

By comparing the ratio of abstracts appearing in Psychological Abstracts to membership in American Psychological Association Division 14, the productivity of industrial psychologists over the years 1927-58 was judged not to be increasing as is generally assumed. "Get the academic people to write less; get the people in industrial settings… to write more; get the consulting organization staffs to be interested in research." Influence from psychologists in industry, consulting organizations, and professors of industrial psychology in universities is needed for this to occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Opinions about industrial psychology by different groups of psychologists.

"In general, the findings provide a partial sketch of how industrial psychology is perceived and evaluated by different groups of psychologists. The most common criticism is that industrial psychology is not sufficiently concerned with its ties to basic psychology… . In addition, serious questions are raised concerning the areas of research that are emphasized or slighted, the professional qualifications of many practitioners, tendencies to offer psychological judgments that reach beyond scientific results, frequent overselling of industrial applications, and an excessive accent on the practical in training industrial psychologists. Many psychologists also charge that industrial psychology is too management oriented, that it operates too much within a management frame of reference… . Finally, it should be noted that our results reveal wide differences of opinion among the psychologists questioned, not only between the industrial psychologists and the other professional groups but strikingly also within the ranks of each group." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investing the Wealth: Intentional Strategies for Psychology Training in Developing Countries.

The knowledge and skills of psychology can be useful in developing countries where indigenous mental health resources are sometimes scarce. Although it may be useful for psychologists to provide short-term training in developing countries, the potential for long-term change is best accomplished by investing in training students from developing countries, especially those committed to returning to their homeland after completing their training. Three "investment strategies" are suggested for training students from developing countries: faculty awareness, intentional mentoring, and facilitated launching. Challenges and implications for professional psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Industrial psychology in the aircraft industry.

"The objectives of the present study were to get an indication of (a) the degree to which industrial psychologists and their activities have been accepted in the aircraft industry and (b) some of the factors related to this acceptance." "A questionnaire was mailed to 160 personnel executives in plants manufacturing products for the aircraft industry." Inferences are drawn regarding evolving trends, and inferences are drawn which "can be generalized to all the plants in the industry." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists and public information.

The 1st peace group, inspired by Otto Klineberg and organized by Stanley Zuckerman in 1961, now called the "Social Scientists for Peace," had as its purpose the application of psychological knowledge to such urgent issues as war hysteria, cessations of nuclear tests, disarmament, and fall-out shelters. Activities of various groups of psychologists concerning such social endeavors are cited. 2 questions, "Should psychologists participate in demonstrations and similar activities?" and "Should psychologists be doing research rather than engaging in social action and public education?" are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional Psychology in Crisis.

Notes that professional psychologists should be aware of the immediate and long-range goals of the American Psychiatric Association. Their program includes (a) aggressively developing a uniform peer review program directed toward inclusion in national health insurance, (b) lobbying for federal funds in order to conduct research on the efficacy of psychiatry, and (c) consolidating services by concentrating on more traditional psychiatry based on the medical model--pharmacology, neurology, forensic psychiatry. Their representatives indicated that they were not interested in being "just another psychologist or social worker." To combat this attack, psychologists must be well trained in distinguishing the unique aspects of their profession and in conducting themselves with appropriate decorum. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unemployment, politics, and the history of organized psychology: II. The psychologists league, the WPA, and the national health program.

Discusses the impact and consequences of unemployment among psychologists during the Depression, and reviews the history of the Psychologists League. It is suggested that the League was successful in a day-to-day defense of the WPA positions of psychologists but unsuccessful in developing more than "paper" support for an expansionist program for psychology, either as a Federal Psychological Project or as part of a national health program. The rise and ultimate decline of the League are placed in a historical and sociopolitical context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

And Esau was an hairy man.

Attention is focussed on "certain aspects of the professional behavior of industrial psychologists… . It is within the realm of possibility for legitimate PhDs in the profession of psychology to exhibit various shades of professional behavior under various levels of motivation. Both inside and outside the profession of psychology, alarms have arisen about the potential misuse of behavioral sciences in the control of human behavior." Attributes of professional and nonprofessional occupations are distinguished. What can be done to preserve our present status as professionals and also insure true professional behavior on the part of industrial psychologists? Realistic ethical codes will only guide the way. "Industrial psychology cannot operate under the rules of the open market. Either we develop acceptable rules of professional service to society or society will define the conditions of psychological practice by legal restrictions. The choice is up to us as to who will shape the future of industrial psychology. Smooth men or hairy ones." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Geographical center" of psychology.

Among the items of information which give us a better grasp of the nature of the field of psychology is the geographical distribution of psychologists. Leafing through the geographical section of the APA Directory, one is impressed by the pages and pages of names for some states, and one wonders whether the more populous parts of the country have a disproportionate part of our psychologists. This article presents a study which offers some crude information on these topics. The location of the "psychological center" might be a basis for choosing convention sites, making Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and Cincinnati likely spots. A speculative reader might care to draw some social implications about the discrepancies between population and psychological rankings of the states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Judgment of adjustment by psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and college students, and its relationship to social desirability.

Q-sort arrays of the characteristics of "well-adjusted people" were elicited from psychologists. These were compared one with the other, with ratings by social workers and college students, as well as with the findings of previous research. The results indicated that psychologists as a group seem to agree, social workers are less consistent amongst themselves. There is general agreement between all 3 groups, partial agreement with previous research. The dimension of social desirability was seen to be playing a role in what characteristics were culled as being characteristic of adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and values.

Comments on an article by the US Senator, O. G. Hatch (see record 1983-11524-001), that cautioned psychologists not to alienate certain segments of society by threatening values about religion, marriage, and family life. Hatch also referred to psychologists as "a group on the fringe of social normality who are promoting social deviance." It is contended that although the expressed views of some psychologists may be objectionable to others, the free expression of opposing views and a resort to empirical data wherever possible appears to be the most desirable response. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Formalized psychological services in state education programs.

In recent years "state regulations have played a major part in determining the nature of local school requirements" for psychologists. States having formally legislated provisions for school psychologists, states formally recognizing qualifications of school psychologists, professional training requirements for different levels of persons rendering psychological service in schools, and required supervised practicum or internship experience are discussed. The certification of school psychologists as teachers, the renewal of certification of school psychologists, the kinds of psychological services provided or used, the apparent absence of a sensitivity to a need for school psychological services, and the various titles by which psychologists are designated in school law or official statements are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional education in industrial psychology: A statement of policy.

"The industrial psychologist should be a broadly trained psychologist… . Education in industrial psychology should provide grounding in psychological theory… . The curriculum should provide knowledge of the problem areas of industrial psychology… . Education in industrial psychology should include knowledge in other areas important in business and industry… . The student should become familiar with a very wide variety of research tools, methods, and procedures… . The education of an industrial psychologist should be realistic… . The education of industrial psychologists should include discussion of the ethical problems likely to arise in industry." The stated principles "should be interpreted in a flexible rather than a rigid fashion." (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)     

Internships vs. field training for industrial psychologists.

It "… is better to take advantage of opportunities for training that now exist in industry than to sell industry on the merits of internship programs." Practical difficulties of organizing, developing, and maintaining psychological internships in industry are indicated. The merits of a work-centered program are discussed. Twenty-five years of "experience… (with a great variety of college graduates including psychologists) indicates that internships for industrial psychologists are unnecessary." "An internship can be described as a weaning period… . Few industrial employers are interested in weanlings." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social justice in practicum training: Competencies and developmental implications.

This article addresses the challenge in the predoctoral education of professional psychologists of providing practicum training experiences with a strong social justice focus while also ensuring that students are acquiring the full range of foundational competencies expected of practicing psychologists. The theory-based distinction between interactional, procedural, and distributive justice will be discussed as a framework for considering a developmental progression in practicum training, moving from individually focused skills to more advanced competencies emphasizing social/institutional change. The article concludes with aspirational recommendations for any academic program seriously committed to the pursuit of social justice as part of its training mission. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Business is too important to be studied only by economists.

"One of the relatively major interests of the Ford Foundation at present is providing assistance in the improvement of business education. Ford has allocated more than $10,000,000.00 to this end… . For psychologists, apart from their general interest in education, the special interest comes from the emphasis put, both in the books and in the Ford Foundation's program, on the social sciences in general and on psychology in particular… . The recognition of psychology as a discipline as one of the bases from which an understanding of business as a social institution must flow makes a distinct change in the essential character of industrial psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)