Psychobabble: Why do we do it?

Many expressions originating in contemporary, "instant" therapies have become incorporated into everyday speech. These expressions, otherwise know as "psychobabble," convey connotative meanings rather than precise, denotative ones. It is concluded here that they also function as indexes, thereby serving as markers for identifying group members, and as security operations, thereby enhancing self-esteem. Consequently, psychobabble has personal significance for the speaker/therapist but not for the listener/client. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The other-race effect in eyewitness identification: What do we do about it?

The greater difficulty of other-race relative to own-race facial recognition is one of the most researched issues in eyewitness identification. The authors discuss articles in the March 2001 issue of Psychology, Public Policy, and Law as well as some methodological and interpretational problems regarding demonstrations of the other-race identification effect. In spite of some problems with the literature, they conclude that the other-race identification effect is real and that it is relevant to the criminal justice system. The authors propose a system-variable approach in which other-race identification cases receive special preventive treatment at the time of the identification test rather than after-the-fact attempts to assist triers of fact. These preventive procedures include using same-race lineup constructors, larger numbers of fillers in other-race cases, dual lineup techniques in other-race cases, or a combination of these procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why "do no harm"?

Edmund Pellegrino has argued that the dramatic changes in American health care call for critical reflection on the traditional norms governing the therapeutic relationship. This paper offers such reflection on the obligation to "do no harm." Drawing on work by Beauchamp and Childress and Pellegrino and Thomasma, I argue that the libertarian model of medical ethics offered by Engelhardt cannot adequately sustain an obligation to "do no harm." Because the obligation to "do no harm" is not based simply on a negative duty of nonmaleficence but also on a positive duty of beneficence, I argue that it is best understood to derive from the fiduciary nature of the healing relationship.     

What do psychotherapists really do in practice? An Internet study of over 2,000 practitioners.

Over 2,200 North American psychotherapists completed a Web-based survey concerning their clinical work, including theoretical orientation, client characteristics, and use of specific psychotherapy techniques. Psychotherapeutic integration was common, with the majority of respondents identifying with more than one theoretical orientation or as having an eclectic orientation. The modal patient was a White female adult suffering from a mood or anxiety disorder and interpersonal problems. Individual psychotherapy was the preferred treatment modality. The most frequently endorsed techniques were relationship-oriented such as conveying warmth, acceptance, understanding, and empathy. The least frequently endorsed techniques were biofeedback, neurofeedback, body and energy therapies, and hypnotherapy. Efforts to disseminate empirically based therapies require understanding and accommodating clinicians' tendencies to integrate techniques. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The hard science of Rorschach research: What do we know and where do we go?

As the final article in the Special Series on "The Utility of the Rorschach for Clinical Assessment," the authors provide an overview of this instrument's current status. They begin with a thorough review of global and focused meta-analyses, including an expanded analysis of K. C. H. Parker et al's (see record 1989-14153-001) data set, and conclude that Rorschach, MMPI, and IQ scales each produce roughly similar effect size magnitudes, although all tests have greater validity for some purposes than for others. Because this evidentiary foundation justifies addressing other issues, the authors build on contributions to the Special Series to identify 11 salient theoretical and empirical gaps in the Rorschach knowledge base and make recommendations for addressing these challenges to further the evolution of the Rorschach and document its strengths and inherent limitations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What ought psychology to do?

The Reverend Jesse Jackson addressed the American Psychological Association on August 20, 1999, in Boston, Massachusetts. His speech concerned social justice and psychology. This article presents the text of an abridged version of his remarks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How do skinned skeletal muscle fibers relax?

When free calcium is rapidly removed from skinned fibres using the photolabile Ca2+ chelator diazo-2, they relax without an appreciable change in sarcomere length (相似文献   

Positively biased appraisals in everyday life: When do they benefit mental health and when do they harm it?

To promote optimal mental health, is it best to evaluate negative experiences accurately or in a positively biased manner? In an attempt to reconcile inconsistent prior research addressing this question, we predicted that the tendency to form positively biased appraisals of negative experiences may reduce the motive to address those experiences and thereby lead to poorer mental health in the context of negative experiences that are controllable and severe but lead to better mental health in the context of controllable negative experiences that are less severe by promoting positive feelings without invoking serious consequences from unaddressed problems. In 2 longitudinal studies, individuals in new marriages were interviewed separately about their ongoing stressful experiences, and their own appraisals of those experiences were compared with those of the interviewers. Across studies, spouses' tendencies to form positively biased appraisals of their stressful experiences predicted fewer depressive symptoms over the subsequent 4 years among individuals judged to be facing relatively mild experiences but more depressive symptoms among individuals judged to be facing relatively severe experiences. Furthermore, in Study 2, these effects were mediated by changes in those experiences, such that the interaction between the tendency to form positively biased appraisals of stressful experiences and the objectively rated severity of initial levels of those experiences directly predicted changes in those experiences, which in turn accounted for changes in depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that cognitive biases are not inherently positive or negative; their implications for mental health depend on the context in which they occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

What does postnatal care do for women's health?

In developed countries, postpartum care begins in the hospitals where most women give birth. In the UK, midwives continue postpartum care with home visits up to the 10th day, which can be extended to the 28th day if necessary. Then care is transferred to the health visitor who performs child health surveillance to age 5 years. Family physicians usually perform the 6-week postpartum maternal check-up. This routine, which was more appropriate in days when serious postpartum maternal infection was prevalent, seeks to promote and monitor maternal and infant health but its ability to meet these goals is questionable (this includes the value of a 6-week vaginal exam). Common and persistent maternal problems such as backache, perineal pain, urinary or bowel incontinence, sexual problems, hemorrhoids, depression, or exhaustion are not addressed by this routine. Research in Australia suggests that the timing as well as the content of maternal care should be reexamined. In this case/control study, no differences were found in health outcomes at 3- and 6-month follow-up among women who received their postpartum exam at 1 week from those who were examined at 6 weeks. It may be beneficial to base postpartum care on women's individual needs rather than on routine, but this must be investigated in order to devise proper guidelines and distinguish the roles of various health professionals. Reorganization of the delivery of postpartum care to improve its impact on women's health is a priority in the UK, and several research trials are in progress.     

Have you looked in the mirror--what do you see?

"... And What About You?" is a regular column in Advanced Practice Nursing Quarterly featuring multiple facets of personal and career development. This column will provide tools and strategies to support the continual learning that is vital for self management of one's personal growth and career development.     

What do surveyors need to track outcomes and compliance?

Sections 1819 and 1919 of the Social Security Act provide the statutory basis for the federal regulations identifying requirements long-term-care facilities must meet in caring for residents with pressure ulcers. Crucial to those requirements are the concepts of "highest practicable," "each resident", and "professional standards of quality." Combined with the requirements for a standardized assessment and care plan, these concepts form the basis for survey procedures and interpretive guidelines that systematically review information needed to determine compliance with the requirements at 42 Code of Federal Regulations, section 483.25(c)(1)(2).     

How do changes in speed affect the perception of duration?

Six experiments investigated how changes in stimulus speed influence subjective duration. Participants saw rotating or translating shapes in three conditions: constant speed, accelerating motion, and decelerating motion. The distance moved and average speed were the same in all three conditions. In temporal judgment tasks, the constant-speed objects seemed to last longer than the decelerating objects, which in turn seemed to last longer than the accelerating stimuli. In temporal reproduction tasks, the difference between accelerating and decelerating stimuli disappeared; furthermore, watching an accelerating shape lengthened the apparent duration of the subsequent (static) display. These results (a) suggest that temporal judgment and reproduction can dissociate for moving stimuli because the stimulus influences the apparent duration of the subsequent interval, and (b) constrain theories of time perception, including those which emphasize memory storage, those which emphasize the existence of a pacemaker-accumulator timing system, and those which emphasize the division of attention between temporal and non-temporal information processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

What do people want from dentistry? An action research approach

Issues surrounding access to dentistry will be presented from information gathered during an action research project targeting three population groups. This project was conducted by students in the Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program at the University of British Columbia and by the dental hygiene diploma students at Camosun College. In contrast to typical empirical dental studies which are validated by statistical presentation, action research uses an interview process and qualitative analysis to identify what people really think, believe and do. College students, independent-living seniors, and low-income families were interviewed to determine how they accessed dental care, how they liked their dental visits, and how they preferred to receive dental health information. Cost, convenience and fear of pain were significant factors which influenced whether people attended the dental office. Caring dental health providers, comfort and pleasant physical surroundings were important features of a dental office visit. Dental health practices, such as brushing and flossing, were predominantly learned from the dental profession at the dental office, through school programs, or from parents at home. This data challenged our previous assumptions about these groups. As the goal of this type of research is "action", the information gathered will lead to action plans at the community and professional level.     

Prognosis in autism: do specialist treatments affect long-term outcome?

Many different treatments have been claimed to have a dramatic impact on children with autism. This paper reviews what is known about the outcome in adult life and examines the limitations and advantages of a variety of intervention approaches. It concludes that there is little evidence of any "cure" for autism, but appropriately structured programmes for education and management in the early years can play a significant role in enhancing functioning in later life.     

Racial microaggression? How do you know?—Revisited.

Comments on a reply by Sue et al. (see record 2008-05553-013). Sue, Capodilupo, Nadal, and Torino replied to four commentaries on their racial microaggressions article published in an earlier issue of the journal (Sue et al., May–June 2007). Sue et al. (2008) referred to three of the four authors, Schacht (2008), Thomas (2008), and Harris (2008), as “well-intentioned Whites”. The author states that After reading Sue et al.’s (2008) comments, I must admit to some anger and even more disbelief at a significant error. I am a native of La Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela and as such identify as a LatinoAmericano. While I personally dislike the term POC, the fact remains that per Sue et al.’s use of the definition, I fit into that categorical nomenclature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The MMPI critical items: how well do they work?

Examined the theoretical foundation and empirical performance of 2 sets of "critical items" that are a common feature of most automated MMPI interpretations. These items purportedly alert the clinician to serious pathology and operate as a scale of general maladjustment. Critical items resulted in numerous misclassifications when used as a scale of adjustment with 43% of 1,023 male psychiatric patients and 95% of 1,045 normal male job applicants responding in the deviant direction on 5 or fewer items. The critical items consist mainly of F -scale items and duplicate the information communicated by this scale. The extremely deviant nature of the critical items makes them capable of only reflecting crises of psychotic proportions. When face-valid critical items were compared to clinical data, 70-76% resulted in empirically valid behavior samples. Invalid critical items are listed. It is concluded that MMPI critical items are inadequate for screening purposes. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuing nursing education: what resources do bedside nurses use?

Continuing nursing education (CNE) has traditionally been considered a formalized learning experience. However, the results of this study indicated nurses providing direct patient care in a tertiary care hospital seldom participate in such activities. The nursing staff do use a variety of resources, both material and personnel, to meet their immediate learning needs. Most of their CNE activities appear to be undertaken within their work environment. The results of this study provide nurse educators and managers insight into how they can augment "on-the-job" learning opportunities for staff nurses.     

Human engineering research—who should do it and why.

"The in-service laboratory groups, the universities, and private consultants and consulting organizations most certainly should be conducting the major research programs, but the human engineering staff that is part of an engineering manufacturing organization cannot and should not undertake a major human engineering research program for every need of the design engineer." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

To what extent do Gestalt grouping principles influence tactile perception?

Since their formulation by the Gestalt movement more than a century ago, the principles of perceptual grouping have primarily been investigated in the visual modality and, to a lesser extent, in the auditory modality. The present review addresses the question of whether the same grouping principles also affect the perception of tactile stimuli. Although, to date, only a few studies have explicitly investigated the existence of Gestalt grouping principles in the tactile modality, we argue that many more studies have indirectly provided evidence relevant to this topic. Reviewing this body of research, we argue that similar principles to those reported previously in visual and auditory studies also govern the perceptual grouping of tactile stimuli. In particular, we highlight evidence showing that the principles of proximity, similarity, common fate, good continuation, and closure affect tactile perception in both unimodal and crossmodal settings. We also highlight that the grouping of tactile stimuli is often affected by visual and auditory information that happen to be presented simultaneously. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and applied benefits that might pertain to the further study of Gestalt principles operating in both unisensory and multisensory tactile perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)