New directions in children's mental health policy: Psychology's role.

The policies that influence the practice of children's mental health affect psychologists across the nation. Major recent events have brought this topic to the attention of national policymakers at the highest level and have created opportunities for psychologists to present information regarding recent scientific advances in the treatment of childhood disorders and to be involved in the development of solutions to address the needs of our nation's children. This article reviews these recent events, summarizes current knowledge in the field, and addresses specific issues and critical gaps in current national policies on children's mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's two cultures.

100 undergraduates without previous psychology training, 81 officers of divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA), and 164 APA members who belonged to only 1 division were administered an epistemic differential scale. Results demonstrate the existence of scientific and humanistic cultures within psychology and identify 6 dimensions that define the conflicting values of these cultures. The value dimensions are (a) most important scholarly values (scientific vs humanistic), (b) lawfulness of behavior (determinism vs indeterminism), (c) basic source of knowledge (observation vs intuition), (d) appropriate setting for discovery (laboratory vs field study/case history), (e) generality of laws (nomothetic vs idiographic), and (f) appropriate level of analysis (elementism vs holism). Psychologists associated with institutions and programs devoted to the natural science aspects of the field occupied the positions identified by the first-mentioned terms in the 6 polarities. With 1 exception (determinism), other psychologists clustered toward the position identified by the 2nd terms. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's cognitive revolution.

Questions the assertions of R. W. Sperry (see record 1994-00012-001) that (1) tying cognitive events directly to brain activity avoids the classification of dualism and (2) the cognitive revolution in contemporary psychology was made possible by the overthrow of a dominant materialist philosophy. It is concluded that nothing as dramatic as a paradigmatic shift or revolution has taken place in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Misrepresentation of pornography research: Psychology's role.

Comments that D. Linz et al (see record 1988-04285-001) and B. L. Wilcox (see record 1988-04301-001) criticized the report by the Attorney General's Commission (1986) as exaggerated and misrepresenting research, however, S. Page suggests that psychologists should not allow their distaste for the Commission's conclusions and proposed remedies to create the perception that previously reported findings and conclusions have been diluted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's bias: A response to Albee.

Criticizes G. W. Albee's (see record 1983-13109-001) identification of Calvinism as a major ideological impediment to primary efforts involving social change. It is suggested that the most critical flaw in Albee's argument is his generalization from the Calvinistic belief that individuals and society are flawed and not perfectible to the suggestion that Calvinists also believe that people cannot improve. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Positive Psychology's Two Cultures.

The rise of positive psychology has contributed to the scientific study of human strengths and virtues. This article identifies two types of character strengths: focus strengths, exemplified by creativity, and balance strengths, exemplified by wisdom. Which type we pursue influences how we organize our personal and professional lives, including choices about what we do, where we do it, and what values we promote as professional practitioners, researchers, and teachers. G. A. Kimble (1984) identified two cultures of psychology based on members' commitments to scientific or humanistic values. In a similar manner, two cultures of positive psychology, defined by the focus-balance distinction, are suggested here. Additional implications of the focus-balance distinction are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managing AIDS at work: Psychology's role.

Programs and policies for dealing with the AIDS health crisis in American workplaces are being developed by many employers, with assistance from labor unions and other organizations. Psychologists can help with these activities in a number of ways, such as providing expertise for creating program content and helping workers and employers cope with the many changes AIDS requires. A number of successful worksite programs already have been implemented, both in the public and private sectors. Challenges to effective program development include the stigma of AIDS, financial considerations, and increasing legal liabilities. Strategic planning, as used by employers such as Transamerica Life Companies, has significant potential for helping employers meet these challenges. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Getting dirty: Psychology's history of power.

This introduction to the special issue on the history of power forwards the anthropological concept of "purification" as a means of drawing together disparate histories of psychology that invoke notions of power. Drawing on the work of Mary Douglas, Bruno Latour, Michel Foucault, and Donna Haraway, I argue for a history of psychology that links the carving up of people up into their properly natural and enculturated parts with keeping people in their place, the purification of interpretation by scientific representation, the maintenance of the body politic of the discipline, and the role of psychology in making up power in modern nation states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hospital practice: Psychology's call to action.

The general public has recently made demands for continuity of care in psychological services from outpatient settings to inpatient facilities and back. These demands plus 3 economic and structural modifications within the nation's health-care arena, including the incursion of for-profit health-care corporations into the health delivery industry, the 1985 Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals decision to include nonphysician providers on hospital medical staffs, and the 1990 California Supreme Court Decision (CAPP v. Rank) ensuring full medical staff participation by California psychologists, have opened the doors to the independent practice of psychology in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and day treatment facilities. This article presents current professional realities for psychologists in hospitals and health-care settings and reviews the work of the American Psychological Association in support of hospital independent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's ethics of belief.

Comments on S. L. Jones's (see record 1994-29392-001) attempt to steer away from conventional habits of discourse toward a discussion of metaphysical and moral issues in general and of the relationship between religion and psychology in particular. Hoshmand contends that what Jones failed to address fully are individual differences in the epistemic styles, and personal–developmental and cultural influences on the ethics of belief. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral immunogens and pathogens: Psychology's newest challenge.

Points out that the relative risk of premature death is twice the average for persons who engage in any one of the following pathogenic behaviors: smoking, overeating to 50% over normal weight, and working and living under a chronically stressed lifestyle called the Type A behavior pattern. However, Americans are beginning to understand and accept the accumulating scientific evidence that personal habits (e.g., moderation in eating and drinking, regular exercise, no smoking, and adequate sleep) are related to good health. It is concluded that psychologists will play an important role in research and public education on "behavioral immunology," patterns of behavior related to future personal health. (1 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrated health delivery systems: Psychology's potential role.

Describes the ways in which psychologists are defining their role within integrated health delivery systems (IHDSs). The integration of psychological services with primary medical care is discussed. Examples of medical crisis counselling services as part of a medical practice and PhD student preparation for professional work in IHDSs are provided. Recent collaboration between the military and the APA Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice's Task Force on Primary Care is mentioned. For psychology, the key will be legislatively broadening psychologists' defined role within the generic health delivery system to match their existing everyday clinical role in health care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's response to managed care.

Managed care has had a significant impact on the field of psychology. In this article, a former president of the American Psychological Association and an early career psychologist discuss how managed care has affected the practice of psychology, the training of psychologists, and the perception of psychotherapy. They also review how organized psychology has responded to managed care and provide some insights on the future of psychology as it relates to managed care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prototype of a profession: Psychology's public image.

Using a prototype approach to assessing concepts and persons, the present authors studied the attitudes of 128 undergraduate students (nonpsychology majors) and 46 of their parents toward psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, counselors, teachers, and scientists. Results show a favorable attitude toward psychologists, who were seen as very similar to psychiatrists and dissimilar to scientists. However, the extent of the sample's familiarity with psychologists was doubtful. Findings support the need for an education campaign designed to inform the public about what psychologists do. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's manpower: Characteristics, employment, and earnings.

Of 17,601 respondents to the Psychology Section of the 1964 National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel, 95% indicated their field of greatest specialization and competence as psychology; 90% indicated psychology as the major subject of their highest academic degree; 89% regarded themselves professionally as psychologists; and 88% were employed as psychologists at the time of the survey. The Register data described in this summary are based upon those 16,804 respondents who indicated a specialty within the field of psychology as that of their greatest competence. A look at the data pertaining to the characteristics of the respondents shows that 65% of them held a doctorate, 33% an MA or MS, and 2% a BA or BS. Fewer than 1% held less than a bachelor's degree or did not give degree information. Data on employment status indicated that 88% of the respondents in 1964 were employed full time as psychologists (the same percentage found in 1962), about 4% were employed part time, and approximately 3% were studying for advanced degrees (most of these being persons who had obtained a master's and were working on a PhD at the time of the survey). Two percent were not employed, and approximately 3% either did not report their employment status or indicated that although employed they were not working professionally as psychologists. The median salary for psychologists based upon 1964 Register data was $10,300. For those having a doctorate, the median was $11,000; for those with a master's, $8,900. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rehabilitation: Psychology's greatest opportunity?

Rehabilitation (RHB) is one of the fastest growing areas in the health industry. Supported by several key pieces of legislation, psychologists have established themselves as integral health care providers in RHB. Although psychologists have benefited from legislated membership in RHB, most individual psychologists and the psychological associations have not recognized the importance of public policy for the practice of psychology. Escalating health care costs have resulted in major revisions in the manner in which health insurers reimburse treatment. Medicare, the major federal health insurance provider, increasingly has been viewed as a model for the provision of all health care. The historic exclusion of psychologists from Medicare has limited the scope of psychologists' practice and the growth of professional psychology. The recent inclusion of psychologists in Medicare improves but does not solve practice and policy issues confronting psychology. Knowledge of national health policy formulation and greater participation by psychologists in health policy are necessary to secure the scope of professional practice most psychologists expect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The hospital: Psychology's challenge in the 1990s.

Discusses the growing pressure on psychologists to take the role of attending clinician in hospital settings and describes the efforts of external forces to challenge psychology's movement into the inpatient venue. This challenge is illustrated in the recent court action of CAPP v. Rank, which began as a challenge by psychology to California Department of Health Services hospital regulations and developed into an attack on psychology's scope of licensure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology's response to the graying of America.

Asserts that changes set in motion by major public health advances early in the century have increased the demand for knowledge about the aging process, especially the psychological aspects of aging. There is need for basic and applied research on aging in areas such as memory; federal support should be provided for training at the predoctoral level; and information on the psychological aspects of aging should be transmitted to society, policy makers, and members of other professions who serve the elderly. Knowledge of aging as a biological, psychological, and social process is applicable in fields such as industry, education, and engineering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)