Editorial policies of the American Psychologist.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the American Psychologist (AP). Since the publication of its first issue in January 1946, AP has served as the flagship journal for the American Psychological Association (APA) and has played an important and unique role for the field of psychology. Because of the quality of the articles published in AP, the journal has evolved into one of the most influential and widely cited publications in psychology. The purpose of this editorial is to outline a revised set of policies for the journal that builds on and expands those developed by previous editors (see, e.g., Fowler, 1993; Goodstein, 1987; Kiesler, 1976; Pallack, 1981). Before outlining these policies, I would like to explore the relative status and influence of AP within the universe of psychological and social science journals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The manpower issue revisited.

Responds to general comments on the special manpower issue of the American Psychologist (May, 1972), which included articles by J. Cates and T. Cummings and R. B. Freeman, W. W. Sorensen, J. C. Speisman, and R. W. Wildman et al (see PA, Vol 49:889, 914, 915, and 2556, respectively). Some readers expressed lament over the failure of the issue to address the problems of nonacademic psychologists, while others provided constructive employment suggestions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial statement of the American Psychologist: II.

Editing a journal that combines professional, scientific, and public policy interests is a strange business, indeed. Although this January 1987 issue of the American Psychologist (AP) begins the second year of my editorship, it is the first issue that actually reflects my editorial input and that of my associate editors. This state of affairs results from both the usual 9- to 10-month publication lag and the normal transition process between two editorial terms. It seems worthwhile to use my "first" issue as an opportunity to comment on the editorial direction of the journal, about the editorial process itself (and some changes we have made in it), and about some specific modifications in format that you will see in coming issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

1996 editorial: 50th Anniversary Issue of the American Psychologist.

Presents an editorial on the 50th Anniversary Issue of The American Psychologist by the CEO and Executive Vice President of the American Psychological Association. An overview of changes to the journal and the developments in electronic communications pare presented, and the implications for international exchange in scholarly publishing are discussed. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relevant issues in developmental science: Introduction to the special issue.

Introduces a special issue of the American Psychologist that focuses on selected socially relevant issues of interest to developmental scientists. Some of the topics addressed are long-standing concerns in developmental science, such as the development of aggression and antisocial behavior; depression; and competent, socially constructive behaviors. Although some of the positions taken by authors in this special issue are controversial, it is hoped that they will serve a heuristic function by promoting constructive discourse and research to resolve these disputes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial statement of the American Psychologist.

Presents a statement from the ninth editor of the American Psychologist as it enters its 41st year of publication. The primary focus of this editorial is the journal's article selection criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Publishing in the Journal of Educational Psychology: Reflections at midstream.

Discusses editorial policy of the Journal of Educational Psychology with respect to substantive, procedural, and ethical issues. Research should make substantive contributions and conceptually integrate recent developments bearing on the topic. Procedural concerns involve terminological clarity, confounding and controlled factors, the effects of a laboratory orientation on classroom research, and the appropriateness of a statistical analysis. Ethical issues include piecemeal and duplicate publications, plagiarism, and falsification/fabrication of data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The founding of the American Psychologist: The professional journal that wasn't.

The American Psychologist began publication 50 years ago this month as the official journal of a reorganized American Psychological Association. The journal was created as a centerpiece of the new Association, reflecting its acknowledgment of a broader role for the APA, a role that called for the advancement of psychology as a profession. The American Psychologist was intended to be the "professional " journal of the new Association, but it never really filled that responsibility. Drawing on published records and the unpublished documents of the APA Archives, this article recounts the history of this journal's founding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outcome assessment of psychotherapy.

ANovember, 1995 Consumer Reports (CR) magazine report and an article by M. E. P. Seligman (American Psychologist, 1995) on psychotherapy use follow in the tradition of federal efforts in 1957 and 1976 to document mental health services utilization. The 1995 reports represent a confirmation of the public's perception and valuing of psychotherapy that is consistent with the overall conclusion from empirical research that "psychotherapy, as a generic process, is demonstrably more effective than no treatment." Lifetime psychotherapy use increased from 14% in 1957 to 26% in 1976 (and is probably higher today). CR data, reconfigured to parallel earlier reports on overall utilization and by provider group, are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

Discusses new editorial policies for the Canadian Journal of Psychlogy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial statement of the American Psychologist: III.

Presents an editorial statement about the publication policies of the American Psychologist (AP). About half the contents of the AP are documents that report on the activities of the Association—the minutes of the Council of Representatives, the address of the immediate Past President, and those reports of the Association boards and committees of concern to a large percentage of the membership. The remaining pieces are articles that the editorial board and the ad hoc reviewers judge to be of sufficient interest and consequence to appeal to the large and heterogeneous readership of the AP. These articles should explicitly address the broadest scientific and practical implications of the topic under consideration. In addition, a new series, tentatively called "Science Watch," will appear in the AP on an irregular basis. The purpose will be to cover articles that broaden our understanding of the discipline, that enable us to understand the connections between our discipline and others, and that help us glimpse the directions in which our science is moving. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jubilee of the Psychological Review: Fifty volumes of the Psychological Review..

Presents a historical overview of the Psychological Review, and discusses the environment in which it was founded in 1894 and its subsequent evolution. The roles of J. M. Cattell and J. M. Baldwin in founding the Psychological Review are discussed. Key early contributors and their papers are also briefly reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

Discusses editorial changes in the Canadian Journal of Psychology, which include a slight reduction in the number of articles published. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trends in psychotherapy process research: Samples, measures, researchers, and classic publications.

Psychotherapy studies published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) between 1978 and 1992 were examined. Differences were found between the 2 journals. JCP published mostly process, outcome, and analog research, whereas JCCP published mostly outcome research. Most process and process-outcome studies across journals were of individual, brief therapy. Across the years, more diversity was evident in samples used in process research in terms of student status, gender, and race of clients and therapists. Three content areas were prominent in the process measures and classic studies: therapist techniques, therapist influence, and facilitative conditions. Lists are provided of the frequently used measures, most productive authors, and classic studies in process research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the 100th anniversary issue of the Psychological Review..

Discusses the evolution of the Psychological Review from its inception in 1894 as a general journal to its current status as a forum for theoretical discussion. A historical overview of Psychological Review is presented, and its 2 main subfields, cognition and perception, are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)