Relapse Prevention Needs More Emphasis on Interpersonal Factors.

Comment on "Relapse Prevention for Alcohol and Drug Problems: That Was Zen, This Is Tao," by Katie Witkiewitz and G.A. Marlatt (see record 2004-14303-002). Stanton notes that the recent reconceptualization of relapse prevention by Witkiewitz and Marlatt enhances the model by "synthesizing recent empirical findings into a unified theory", but it does not go far enough. The new model reviews research evidence to support a multidimensional, dynamic, and systemic understanding of relapse. It incorporates concepts from systems theory (e.g., self-organization, reciprocity, feedback loops) to explain the complex interaction of factors involved in lapse and relapse episodes. These changes in the model provide greater sensitivity to the experiences of individuals across categories of drug type and high-risk situation, and they allow for significant variations in the core determinants of relapse. However, the role of interpersonal determinants receives scant attention in the article and in the new model. While it is a significant improvement over the static, linear model it replaces. Its value would be further enhanced by inclusion of concurrent social support as a phasic response that interacts with coping behavior and affective state, in addition to its role as a distal risk. Concurrent social support can play a significant role in the midst of high-risk situations. Including it in the phasic circle in the model is consistent with evidence-based clinical practice, and it may ensure that social support is not overlooked in future research into the relapse process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advantages and disadvantages of studying the process of relapse in rats: Reply to Baker and Curtin (2002), Bardo (2002), Goeders (2002), Marlatt (2002), and Tiffany and Conklin (2002).

The authors investigated the effects of an episode of heroin self-administration (i.e., lapse) after extinction on subsequent drug seeking in the absence of heroin (i.e., relapse). Reexposure to heroin in the presence of drug seeking was identified as a critical element of a lapse experience, leading to elevated drug seeking on the test of relapse. T. B. Baker and J. J. Curtin (see record 2002-06535-002), G. A. Marlatt (see record 2002-06535-005), and S. T. Tiffany and C. A. Conklin (see record 2002-06535-006) indicate that animal studies fail to model important aspects of human addiction. M. T. Bardo (see record 2002-06535-003) and N. E. Goeders (see record 2002-06535-004) point out specific methodological problems. In spite of these difficulties, the authors' research makes a valuable contribution to the study of relapse by focusing on aspects of learning and memory involved in the transition from lapse to relapse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relapse Prevention for Alcohol and Drug Problems: That Was Zen, This Is Tao.

Relapse prevention, based on the cognitive-behavioral model of relapse, has become an adjunct to the treatment of numerous psychological problems, including (but not limited to) substance abuse, depression, sexual offending, and schizophrenia. This article provides an overview of the efficacy and effectiveness of relapse prevention in the treatment of addictive disorders, an update on recent empirical support for the elements of the cognitive-behavioral model of relapse, and a review of the criticisms of relapse prevention. In response to the criticisms, a reconceptualized cognitive-behavioral model of relapse that focuses on the dynamic interactions between multiple risk factors and situational determinants is proposed. Empirical support for this reconceptualization of relapse, the future of relapse prevention, and the limitations of the new model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treating Life-Impairing Problems Beyond PTSD: Reply to Cahill, Zoellner, Feeny, and Riggs (2004).

This reply to the comment by Cahill, Riggs, Zoellner, and Feeny (2004; see record 2004-95166-018) on the article by Cloitre, Koenen, Cohen, and Han (2002; see record 2002-18226-001) reiterates that an important goal of treatment research among chronically traumatized populations is to address problems that impair life functioning, including not only posttraumatic stress disorder but also emotion regulation difficulties and interpersonal problems. The need for further research on symptom exacerbation and drop-out rates in exposure-based treatment for child abuse survivors is discussed. An ongoing follow-up study is described, which is designed to assess the relative utility of STAIR and modified PE individually versus their combination in meeting "good outcome" standards as defined above. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group comparisons of coping self-efficacy between alcohol and cocaine abusers seeking treatment.

The Drug-Taking Confidence Questionnaire (DTCQ; H. M. Annis & G. Martin, 1985) assesses situation-specific coping self-efficacy for resisting the use of a particular substance of abuse. This article extends previous research (S. M. Sklar, H. M. Annis, & N. E. Turner, see record 1998-10850-009) by testing the factorial invariance of the DTCQ on a sample of 344 alcohol and 253 cocaine clients. The results confirmed that the 8-factor model based on G A. Marlatt and J. R. Gordon's (1985) high-risk categories for relapse provided a remarkably similar fit across both samples. Alcohol clients were less confident in their ability to resist using than cocaine clients in interpersonal conflict situations, whereas cocaine clients expressed less confidence in temptation-related situations. For both samples, women were more confident than men in positive situations. The findings demonstrate that the DTCQ is sensitive to different situational patterns of self-efficacy between alcohol and cocaine clients and between men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mending the gap: Introduction to the invited commentaries on Dinger, Strack, Sachsse, and Schauenburg (2009).

Introduces several commentaries on an article by U. Dinger et al (see record 200913603-002) entitled “Therapists’ attachment, patients’ interpersonal problems and alliance development over time in inpatient psychotherapy.” This article represents an ambitious effort on the part of the researchers to map a number of interrelated relational variables, over the course of treatment, in a relatively understudied patient population. “Attachment,” “interpersonal problems,” and “alliance” are variables that capture core components of the therapeutic relationship and psychotherapy process that have been reliably linked to patient improvement in many previous studies of mostly outpatient psychotherapy. Jeremy Holmes (see record 2009-13603-003) and George Silbershatz (see record 2009-13603-004) were invited to comment on this study while wearing their clinical hats. They were asked about how they made sense of the research results as practicing psychotherapists, the ways in which the findings were useful to them as clinicians, and where they considered the research to be of more limited value from a clinical point of view. Following the commentaries is a final word from the authors of the study (see record 2009-13603-005). It is hoped that this format of dialogue will have an impact on how clinical research is presented in the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some more on the Samoans.

Comments on Abraham S. Levine's article "After the Samoans Come of Age" (see record 1958-06043-001.) The author of this comment points out that some of Levine's observations and questions would have been easily answered with a bit of additional inquiry and insight into the Samoan background. Several instances in the original article are discussed. The author of the comment finds the original article an excellent addendum to the literature on Samoans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The need for a global talking cure for practitioners: Reply to Ghannam (2005).

Replies to comments made by J. Ghannam (see record 2005-01622-015) on the current author's original article (see record 2003-09630-009). Ghannam's comment reveals just how necessary a global "talking cure" is, not just for people outside the field of psychoanalysis but for practitioners within it and related fields as well. One challenge for an international psychoanalysis with regard to the political scene is to devise guidelines that will help analysts to deal with the anger that leads less to truth than to its retreat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating the interpersonal stage model: A reaction to Tracey (1993).

T. J. Tracey's (see record 1994-06606-001) interpersonal stage model of change in counseling is evaluated for its conceptual clarity, empirical support, and potential for stimulating research on interpersonal change processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive profile analysis: A shared professional myth.

Comments on articles by S. I. Pfeiffer et al (see record 2001-16379-001), C. A. Riccio and G. W. Hynd (see record 2001-16379-002), D. A. Pritchard et al (see record 2001-16379-003), J. A. Naglieri (see record 2001-16379-004), and H. C. Stanton and C. R. Reynolds (see record 2001-16379-005) on profile analysis in IQ tests. Consistent with the largely negative research literature, detailed analysis found the cognitive profile reports presented in these studies to be lacking reliability, validity, or diagnostic utility; even cognitive profiles composed of composites were psychometrically weak. These results were not surprising because ipsative methods are inferior to normative methods in cognitive assessment. Given this consistent failure of empirical validation, belief in the utility of cognitive test profile interpretations was likened to a shared professional myth and it was recommended that psychologists eschew the application of cognitive test profiles for differential diagnosis and remediation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The locus of orthographic-phonological facilitation: Reply to Roelofs, Meyer, and Levelt (1996).

In their comment, A. Roelofs, A. S. Meyer, and W. J. M. Levelt (see record 1997-06337-001) argued that serial-access language production models predict an interaction between semantic and orthographic-phonological variables in picture–word tasks. In this reply, the authors first show that this position conflicts with Roelofs et al.'s previous work and conclude that the model presented in the comment is a modification of Roelofs' (1992a, 1992b) original model. Next, they present 3 arguments against this new model. First, Roelofs et al. did not provide independent empirical evidence in favor of their modification. Second, contrary to Roelofs et al.'s prediction, the reduction of semantic interference appears to be independent of the percentage of shared orthography. Third, Roelofs et al.'s model predicts early phonological effects of spoken-word distractors, a prediction that is refuted by time-course data reported by H. Schriefers, A. S. Meyer, and W. J. M. Levelt (see record 1990-16319-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The citation of Soviet scholars by Western psychologists": Reply to Bierschenk.

Reply's to a comment by Bernhard Bierschenk (see record 2009-09661-001) on the current authors original comment in the November 1985 issue of the American Psychologist. Bierschenk has objected to the current author's reference to Marx, Engels, and Zeigarnik as "Soviet scholars." In the case of Marx and Engels, he is absolutely correct—they are not "Soviet scholars" in the literal, geographic sense—and Solo thanks him for his response. However, Solo is defending his labeling of Zeigarnik as a "Soviet scholar." Even though she was an early member of the "Bediner Schule," studied with Lewin, and published some early works in the German Inn mmm% she spent most of her professional life at Moscow State University and other Russian institutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment: Makarenko's The Road to Life.

Letter comments that both Bronfenbrenner ("Soviet Methods of Character Education," Amer. Psychologist, 1962, 17, 550-564), (see record 1963-04110-001), and Berman (Amer. Psychologist, 1963, 18, 251), (see record 2005-11487-011), comment on the importance of Makarenko in Soviet educational thinking, but they mention only his "Book for Parents." The author of the letter then goes on to recommend Makarenko's earlier writing and a related 16-mm film. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rational explanation of the selection task.

M. Oaksford and N. Chater (O&C, see record 1995-08271-001) presented the first quantitative model of R C. Wason's (1966) selection task in which performance is rational. J. St. B. T. Evans and D. E. Over (see record 83:25190) reply that O&C's account is normatively incorrect and cannot model K. N. Kirby's (see record 1995-04302-001) or R Pollard and J. St. B. T. Evans's (see record 1984-30572-001) data. It is argued that an equivalent measure satisfies their normative concerns and that a modification of O&C's model accounts for their empirical concerns. D. Laming (see record 83:25220) argues that O&C made unjustifiable psychological assumptions and that a "correct" Bayesian analysis agrees with logic. It is argued that O&C's model makes normative and psychological sense and that Laming's analysis is not Bayesian. A. Almor and S. A. Sloman (see record 83:25168) argue that O&C cannot explain their data. It is argued that Almor and Sloman's data do not bear on O&C's model because they alter the nature of the task. It is concluded that O&C's model remains the most compelling and comprehensive account of the selection task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical psychology, artificial intelligence, and empirical research.

Replies to M. R. Dawson's (see record 1990-24151-001) argument that A. Kukla (see record 1989-24526-001) misrepresents the empirical element in discussing artificial intelligence. The main objection to Dawson's comment is that it perpetuates the idea that theoretical work is coextensive with the task of constructing new theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transforming odds ratios into correlations for meta-analytic research.

Comments on an article by Block and Crain (see record 2007-04834-015) in which they stated, "There is no data transformation that converts an odds ratio or relative risk into a correlation. One needs more data". The purpose of this comment is to explain how an odds ratio or relative risk can be transformed to approximate a product-moment correlation. Such transformations have important applications in meta-analytic research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

They Both Matter: Reality and Belief: Reply.

Responds to the comment by Kamyar Arasteh (see record 2004-14611-007) on the Eidelson and Eidelson article (see record 2003-03645-004) which made an important contribution, at a critical juncture, to the discussion of international conflicts by identifying core dimensions that allow for the systematic examination of the problem. The authors appreciate Arasteh's thought-provoking comments about their article and they are grateful for the opportunity to respond. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejoinder to Holland.

This comment is in response to James G. Holland's (see record 2005-11651-005) comment, "Cook's Tour de Farce," on the author's paper, "Superstition in the Skinnerian" (see record 1964-03363-001). It discusses Holland's claim that the author has misrepresented the Skinnerian viewpoint. The author suggests that his object is to point out what seems to be some distressing and quite unnecessary rigidities in the writings and practices of Skinnerians that act as artificial limitations on the exercise of their ingenuity, of which Skinnerians have always had more than their share. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Capital B for Black.

Comments on the original article on Jewishness and Blackness by S. Sarason (see record 1974-10936-001) and a comment on the Sarason article by H. Rappaport (see record 1990-57129-001). The present author takes issue with both the Sarason article and Rappaport comment on grounds of racism, and notes that no rule of grammar requires a capital J for Jew in contrast to another group of people in lowercase. The need to refer to Black people with an capital "B" is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Profile patterns: Research and professional interpretation.

Comments on articles by S. I. Pfeiffer et al (see record 2001-16379-001), C. A. Riccio and G. W. Hynd (see record 2001-16379-002), D. A. Pritchard et al (see record 2001-16379-003), J. A. Naglieri (see record 2001-16379-004), and H. C. Stanton and C. R. Reynolds (see record 2001-16379-005) on profile analysis in IQ tests. The articles include 2 methods for identifying profile patterns: configural frequency analysis and modal profile analysis. These methods are briefly compared with each other and additional methods. Although the remaining articles provide some support for the validity and reliability of patterns, they do not fundamentally challenge the conclusion that in research to date, subtest profile patterns on the existing generation of intelligence tests have modest reliability and weak relationships with achievement and diagnostic categorizations. When subtest interpretations are made, they are heavily based on professional judgment, they should be made with caution, and they should be made only in the context of other information about the student. Future research and test development should be concerned about the reliability of patterns and their association with more meaningful, homogeneous diagnostic categories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)