Further thoughts on professionalism in school psychology.

The author responds to comments by J. I. Bardon, L. H. Levy, and C. R. Reynolds (see PA, Vol 74:13964, 13981, and 13990, respectively) regarding his (see record 1987-13985-001) article on professionalism in school psychology. The 3 reaction papers develop a number of common themes that are then addressed by the present author: the need to clarify the roles and functions of school psychology, the generic nature of psychology within which school psychology resides, the unique characteristics of this specialty, and skepticisms regarding the future. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The past and future of the psychology of science.

As the British statesman Edmund Burke once wrote, "Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it." (Not to be confused with George Santana's comment: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."). The fact is that the history of the psychology of science has been a struggle for existence. If we wish to move away from struggle and toward a comfortable existence, then we need to learn lessons from the other disciplines that successfully have made the transition from fledgling field to fully established scientific discipline. The history, philosophy, and sociology of science are just such established disciplines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The American Psychological Association–California Psychological Association Disaster Response Project: Lessons from the past, guidelines for the future.

The American Psychological Association–California Psychological Association Disaster Response Project provided valuable lessons about disaster response at the local and state levels. The authors offer guidelines from the experiences of pioneers of organized disaster response and from published accounts on how to set up disaster response networks, the necessary training to become a disaster response volunteer, and how to maintain a disaster response team (e.g., tools needed, psychologists' roles, cultural diversity, and interprofessional camaraderie). Also described are the following: interventions for stress responses from victims, helpers, and children; special problems of social disasters; implications of media presence; and psychologists' roles in educating the public and government agencies about disaster response. Finally, the future of disaster response in the mental health profession is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conceptual foundations for school psychology: Perspectives from the development of the school psychology program at Berkeley.

Describes the Berkeley School Psychology Program, instituted in 1965 to prepare doctoral level school psychologists in the cognitive, social, and behavioral sciences and to be skilled in applying this knowledge to educational programs for children and youths. Grounded in a scientific basis for practice and trained in developing applications of this knowledge base to direct and indirect services for children and youths, the school psychologist promotes individual effectiveness and prevents educational failure. The medium through which the school psychologist's knowledge is translated into action by the educators who are responsible for educational programs is school-based consultation. An overview of the history of the program from its inception to the present is provided, and challenges for program and professional development for the remainder of the century are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social reforms and the future of school practice: Implications for American psychology.

Social reforms in American education are setting the stage for a paradigm shift in our nation's schools. The convergence of education and health care reform and the movement in the human services arena toward service integration models provide an unprecedented opportunity to redefine psychological services related to schools for the next century. Whereas school psychological services historically have been linked to changes in special education legislation, social reforms in education and health care that emphasize educational achievement and whole-child development offer promise for expanding and enhancing the roles of psychologists whose practices relate to schools and children. This article explores the foundations for change and highlights critical areas in which psychological practice in the schools may develop in the 1990s and beyond. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of military psychology: Paramilitary psychology.

"It is well for us to examine periodically the status and prospects of our direct professional participation in defense." Major sections are: A Historical Perspective, A Linear Extrapolation, The Next Mutation, Portrait of the Mutant, and Summary. 3 tables: (1) on federal obligations for research in the psychological sciences, 1960, 1961, and 1962; (2) federal obligations for research in the social sciences, 1960, 1961, and 1962; and (3) duties and skills required of personnel for participation in socioeconomic development, are presented. "We are forecasting a trend away from emphases on human components for hardware systems toward emphasis on human components of social systems, and an increase in the study of human interaction and communication across cultural boundaries." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence on multicultural training in school psychology: Recommendations for future directions.

School psychology training programs are required to provide multicultural training to preservice school psychologists; however, trainers have had difficulty adequately including multicultural content into the curriculum. Thus, there is a gap between the requirements and the training that many school psychologists receive. Training programs have grappled with multicultural training because of difficulty identifying the structure and content of such training for school psychologists. To advance multicultural training in school psychology, guidance is needed regarding the content and structure necessary to adequately develop multicultural competence. Hence, the purpose of this article is to critically review the evidence on multicultural training in school psychology and provide a synthesis of the best evidence for preparing multiculturally competent school psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The practice of forensic psychology: A look toward the future in light of the past.

In a 1987 American Psychologist article, Tom Grisso summarized the state of forensic psychological assessment, noted its limitations and potential, and offered suggestions for researchers and practitioners interested in contributing to its future. Since that time, there have been many important developments in the field of forensic psychology, as well as in clinical psychology more generally, some of which were anticipated and recommended by Grisso, and some of which were not. Forensic psychology is now at a crossroads, and the specialty must make an effort to respond to current challenges if it is to aid in the administration of justice by assisting legal decision makers. The need to distinguish between and identify levels of forensic knowledge and practice, establish guidelines for practice, educate legal consumers, and devote more attention to treatment issues in forensic contexts is highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lessons from the history of social psychology.

Presents a survey of the metatheoretical perspectives and theory–research areas that constitute the main history of US social psychology. Findings reveal the individual to be at the center of the most widely engaging and influential schools and movements. Conversely, theories and research programs that have dealt generally with group or collective phenomena, employing interdependence or other "relational" concepts, have had a less continuous and long-term impact on the field. The individuocentric bias derives mainly from methodological doctrines associated with the concept of psychology as a natural empirical science. It is concluded that theories based on intraindividual processes are inadequate to explain social behavior whose dynamic and structural sources lie in the 3 interdependent contexts of biology, physical ecology, and the sociocultural environment. (90 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based interventions in school psychology: State of the art and directions for the future.

Introduces articles in this special issue of School Psychology Quarterly which is designed to provide a current snapshot of the accomplishments and controversies pertaining to evidence-based intervention in school psychology. It is argued that evidence-based intervention guidelines will prove to be akin to professional codes of ethics in that they are both works that will always be unfinished rather than being completed in any ultimate sense. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of psychology.

R. W. Sperry expresses his thanks for receiving the American Psychological Association citation for outstanding lifetime contribution to psychology. He suggests that psychology is turning the tables on physics and hard science and, with its cognitive revolution, is now leading the way in science to a more adequate and more valid paradigm for scientific and all causal explanation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of Canadian psychology, 1985.

The Canadian Psychological Association and the editor of Canadian Psychology are to be congratulated on the issue of July 1984 (Vol. 25, No. 3), which was largely devoted to matters pertaining both to the past and to the future of clinical/applied psychological training in Canada, as well as to the prospects of instituting national accreditation of such programmes commencing, perhaps, in 1985. The tenor both of Conway's paper and of those of the other contributors regarding the historical antecedents seems to reflect a rather more buoyant and united stance than might have been expected in the light of the 1971 report, The Future of Canadian Psychology, which the Association prepared for the Science Council of Canada. The equality of rights section of the Charter (Constitution Act, 1982, s. 15) makes reference to "mental and physical disability," which one might suppose would include the significantly retarded, chronically psychotic or institutionalized psychiatric patients, and the increasing numbers of cognitively incapacitated elderly persons. The 1971 report made some contrast between academic "hobby" research and applied psychology: a traditional dichotomy which in some quarters is no longer being viewed as very meaningful. It may be that more research in psychology departments could turn towards the prevention and remediation of those human problems which now engender and characterize the demand for professional services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acceptability research in school psychology: Current trends and future directions.

As school psychology researchers and practitioners respond to demands for empirically supported interventions, questions have been raised regarding the responsiveness of those individuals who are responsible for implementation, what we have come to refer to as treatment or intervention acceptability. The purpose of this special issue (see records 2000-00107-002, 2000-00107-003, 2000-00107-004, 2000-00107-005, and 2000-00107-006) is to examine current status and future directions for school psychology research on acceptability. This introductory article provides a framework for interpreting the research presented herein, and for thinking about the issues faced by school psychology researchers and practitioners as they attempt to provide interventions that consumers will find acceptable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Formal mentoring: Lessons learned from past practice.

Formal mentoring programs are often implemented to help early career professionals; however, research on these programs has found mixed support. The general literature on formal mentoring programs has shifted from early studies comparing informal and formal mentoring to studies of the program characteristics related to success. A pilot program for formal mentoring of early career psychologists is presented for case study. Although the program was small and matching mentors and mentees proved difficult, reactions from some participants indicated successful mentoring. Drawing on lessons learned from the program and the general literature on formal mentoring, the author focuses on the matching process, training and program resources, and program administration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The fair: Experimental psychology for high school students.

Discusses the college psychology fair as a vehicle for providing the public with a view of experimental psychology. In the 1-day fair for high school students and teachers described here, psychology students prepared demonstrations and exhibits depicting most areas of psychology. Such exhibits can assist in balancing the nonexperimental nature of most high school psychology courses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ethnicity gap: The past, present, and future.

The gap between the growth of ethnic minority groups nationally and the numbers of such groups within psychology is described. Three topics relevant to professional psychology are considered: mental health services, the educational pipeline, and the governance structure within the American Psychological Association. The authors outline past and current data and recommend actions for the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analyzing data from individuals in groups: The past, the present, and the future.

Research on group processes published in the social psychological literature over a 15-year period was examined to evaluate the impact of published critiques and recommendations by methodologists concerning the effects of nonindependence of observations on analyses of data from individuals in groups. The examination revealed modest progress in dealing with the nonindependence problem. Although more group researchers acknowledge the nonindependence problem than ever before, there is little evidence that they are using optimal strategies to address the problem. The most prevalent strategy is to use the group as the unit of analysis even when the data are gathered from individual group members and the research questions concern the effects of the group on its members. Although hierarchical linear modeling is a superior strategy for analyzing data from members of groups, there is no evidence of its use in the published literature during the 15 years considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The past future of clinical psychology: A reflection on Woodworth (1937).

Many of the predictions about the field of clinical psychology made by R. S. Woodworth in 1937 have gone awry. This article examines what went wrong with these predictions. It is noted that progress in the field has been uneven, with the professional claims made by the expanding number of clinical psychologists far outstripping the availability of sound scientific support for these contentions. Woodworth's optimistic view that the field would be characterized by increasing competence that would set it apart from medicine and result in scientific credibility, sad to say, has not materialized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)