Report of the Science Advisory Committee.

Discusses the perspective of the American Psychological Association (APA) Science Advisory Committee on psychological science (PS). Goals and objectives are presented for enhancing psychology as a science, fostering APA's role in the representation of PS, and increasing psychology as a profession and a science. An article on subdisciplines in psychology and a letter to the scientific psychology community from 3 APA presidents are appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High School Teachers of Psychology and APA.

Comment on the lack of high school teachers of psychology being members of the American Psychological Association. With so few high school teachers of psychology being members of APA and with so few using journals published by APA, there is danger that many thousands of students will be introduced to psychology in a manner not in accord with the best interests of psychology as a science and as a profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loosely organized "organized psychology": 1988 executive officer's report.

Reviews the important events in the American Psychological Association (APA) during 1988. Conflict and collaboration (CC) that ensued during 1988 is described; however, a brief history of APA shows that such CC has been present since APA's founding in 1892. This CC is ascribed to the range of diversity among psychologists as illustrated by the number of associations that exist. "Organized psychology" is defined and APA's role in organized psychology is discussed. It is noted that APA cannot meet all the needs within the field of psychology, hence the need for state, specialized, and international organizations, as well as other multidisciplinary groups whose interests intersect with psychology. APA as the largest association of psychologists in the world forms the integrative force in the loosely organized "organized psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guest editors’ introduction to the centennial articles.

With this issue, we inaugurate the first in a series of four articles that represent the response of the Journal of Counseling Psychology to the celebration of the centennial of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1992. The centennial of the APA provides a unique opportunity to critically examine the relationship of counseling psychology, a subspecialty of psychology represented by a division of the APA, to its parent discipline of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The changing face of American psychology: A report from the Committee on Employment and Human Resources.

Asserts that the past 2 decades have witnessed demographic, social, and economic changes that have affected the nature of psychology. The Committee on Employment and Human Resources of the American Psychological Association (APA), based on an examination of available data, identified 6 trends with major implications for psychology and the APA—changes in the specialization of new doctorate recipients in psychology, the quality of doctoral training, participation in the field by minorities, participation in the field by women, the employment of psychologists, and the composition of APA. These trends and their implications are discussed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supplement to listing of APA-accredited doctoral and predoctoral internship training programs in psychology.

Reports the changes announced by the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Accreditation in the list of APA-accredited doctoral programs in professional psychology and predoctoral internships for doctoral training in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biological psychology's relationships to psychology and neuroscience.

Biological psychology originally had a central role in psychology, but many psychologists who perform research traditionally done within the realm of biological psychology are shifting to the new discipline of neuroscience. We document this shift by showing that biological psychologists have a larger relative representation in the Society for Neuroscience (SN) than in the American Psychological Association (APA). They make up the third largest group within the SN, and psychology has the single largest departmental representation among SN student members. Investigations assessing behavior are reported at annual meetings of the SN and in the Society's official journal at a level consistent with psychologists' representation in the Society. A survey of graduate students training in biological psychology shows a strong affiliation with the discipline of neuroscience. These students indicate a greater likelihood of joining the SN than the APA; they believe the SN better represents their individual interests and the discipline of biological psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology seen some 50 years later.

Important developmental aspects of the history of clinical psychology over the past 50 yrs are considered, beginning with the author's own early Jamesian orientation toward viewing psychology (experimental and clinical) as a unity. Several reports influencing the development of clinical training in psychology are described, including the 1945 report of the Subcommittee on Graduate Internship Training to the Committees of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Association for Applied Psychology, "Recommended Graduate Training in Clinical Psychology," written in 1947 by the Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology, and that committee's subsequent progress reports written in 1948 and 1949. A report by F. H. Sanford to the APA Committee on Relations between Psychology and the Medical Profession, with its 13 aspirations of psychology, is seen to provide the basic principles guiding the relationship between psychology and other professions and a code of ethics still governing the present field of psychology. In summary, several pleas are directed at departments of psychology, divisions of psychology, and clinical psychology students to improve the effectiveness, validity, and standards of clinical training programs and to clarify the issues within clinical psychology and between different fields of psychology. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

B. F. Skinner and psychology: Introduction to the special issue.

Celebrates the scientific and intellectual impact of Skinner on psychology. Noted are his 6 decades of prominance in psychology, including his numerous publications. Also noted is that his work spawned Division 25, Experimental Analysis of Behavior, of the American Psychological Association (APA); an independent professional organization, the Association of Behavior Analysis; 2 foundations dedicated to behavioral psychology; and at least 23 journals. Also discussed are his numerous honorary degrees, his contribution to the APA, and post-Skinnerian behaviorism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

American psychology in the sixties.

"I have arrived at an anticipated APA membership in 1970 between 30,000 and 33,000… . (It seems probable that APA will stabilize at about 30,000 members… . The PhD output of our graduate schools by 1970 will not be likely to exceed 1200." It is estimated that some 1200 APA members (6% of present total membership) are in full-time private practice in clinical psychology. "The principal reason for the growth in private practice of clinical psychology probably will be found in the acute and growing shortage of professionals available to meet mental health demands… . Sensible or not, the growth in psychology continues to be in the direction of application rather than basic research." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA-accredited doctoral programs in professional psychology: 1990.

Lists American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited doctoral training programs in clinical, counseling, school, and combined professional-scientific psychology in 3 categories of accreditation: full, provisional, and probation. The category of combined professional-scientific psychology lists programs that meet at least the minimal criteria in 2 or more of the specialties of clinical, counseling, and school psychology. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editor’s column: Developing a literature for consulting psychology.

Despite the fact that the Division of Consulting Psychology was one of the earliest divisions organized within APA, a distinct literature for consulting psychology has been slow in developing. As President-elect Dave Hellkamp has discussed in his historical articles in this journal, Division 13 was originally a division of Fellows of APA and membership was restricted to psychologists who had already demonstrated competency and achievement in another area of psychology, often clinical psychology. In this Editor's Column, the editor introduces the current special issue of the Consulting Psychology Journal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A conference on recruitment of black and other minority students and faculty.

Emphasizes the "extent of underrepresentation of minority groups in psychology," and urges the American Psychological Association (APA) "Council, boards, and committees . . . to provide leadership in expanding the opportunities for black and other minority group students and faculty to enter the mainstream of psychology." Conference recommendations for possible actions at many levels of APA governance structure are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond the Psychology Fair.

Comments on the article by Benjamin et al (see record 1978-30211-001) which discussed the college psychology fair as a vehicle for providing the public with a view of experimental psychology, a view shared by and Perloff and Perloff (see record 1977-28555-001). The current author agrees that providing high school students with an insight into the science of psychology is important, but suggests that psychology departments and the APA need to encourage the teaching of a scientific attitude to undergraduates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Report of the executive officer: 1963.

During the year the range of APA knowledge dissemination activities has been extended; work of experimental psychologists will be viewed by millions as a recently completed educational TV series titled "Focus on Behavior"; an attractive APA booklet on opportunities and requirements for careers in psychology has been prepared. "The pervasiveness of psychology in our culture is readily documented." Criticism and unfavorable public reaction regarding psychology center on issues of invasion of privacy, denial of freedom, deception, and behavior control. A core problem is the professionalization of psychology. There is a need to investigate the reciprocal relationships between psychology and the law. Psychologists cannot be disinterested in the results of application of psychological knowledge to human affairs. Psychology is accountable to society which has supported it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional ethics for graduate students in psychology.

Results of 2 independent questionnaires concerning the availability of courses on ethics for graduate students in psychology sent to various schools offering graduate work in psychology are combined. "Very few departments offer a course solely on professional ethics in psychology though several expressed plans for one in the future." "Ethics is handled best on a graduate level, in a seminar or colloquium, preferably on a required basis for all students, and definitely so for clinical students." "The APA code of professional ethics and journals are preferred sources of reference." "Professional training in ethics is a recent phenomenon coinciding with the APA research in this area and with the rise of clinical psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Report of the Executive Officer: 1964. What does APA do? Our reach and our grasp.

"This year I propose to devote most of my report to the larger context—the nature of APA, what it does, and how it does it." Issues concerning the compatibility of psychology's professional and scientific aims and functions, problems relating to the recent emergence of public policy issues in which psychology has an important stake, and the regular activities of APA are discussed. "The outside world keeps asking more of psychology—often through the machinery of APA. The membership of APA naturally keeps asking more of APA. Both systems may be expected to make more requests and demands." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA membership trends and fields of specialization of psychologists earning doctoral degrees between 1959 and 1962.

"This report describes general trends in APA affiliation for 1959-62 doctoral degree recipients in various psychological specialties. A total of 3285 individuals reported earning doctorates in psychology during that time (1959-1962), and NAS-NRC estimates that these data include more than 99% of potential Ss. Psychology appears to be headed toward a production of around 1000 doctorates/year with something less than 200 of these being women. Other consistent trends appear to be a steady increase in clinicians, the emergence of personality psychology as a specialty, and the gradual disappearance of psychologists who label themselves 'general' or 'other' at the time the doctoral degree is granted. APA eventually attracts close to 90% of everyone who achieves a doctoral degree in psychology." The clinical group is largest with an above average proportion of APA members; the experimental group (including comparative and physiological) has a somewhat lower than average proportion of APA members. There is a trend away from predoctoral affiliation with APA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Eleventh Hour.

Discusses the efforts of the APA Central Office to correct the image of psychology on the network television show The Eleventh Hour. The author objects to APA's policing the image of psychology in entertainment media (not news, nonfiction features, or documentaries). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psi Chi/APA Edward B. Newman Graduate Research Award.

Presents a citation and biography for the 2002 recipient of the Psi Chi/APA Edwin B. Newman Graduate Research Award (Micheal E. Shafer). The Psi Chi/APA Edwin B. Newman Graduate Research Award is sponsored jointly by Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, and the APA. The award is presented annually to the psychology graduate student who submits the best research paper that was published or presented at a national, regional, or state psychological association conference during the past calendar year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)