The Scientific Attack on Brown v. Board of Education, 1954-1964.

Psychologists' work was cited in the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). One criticism of the citation was that psychology could be used to overturn the Brown decision and return the country to segregation. A historical examination of such an attempt to overturn Brown in the early 1960s on the basis of new psychological knowledge shows that psychology was not persuasive in the face of the civil rights movement. The failure of segregationists to overturn Brown with psychological experts underscores how psychology is ineluctably bound to the larger society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fifty Years On: Brown v. Board of Education and American Psychology, 1954-2004 An Introduction.

Introduces the current issue of the American Psychologist, which examines the ramifications of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision and its sequelae over the last 50 years, with a special focus on the mixed role of psychological research and practice. Despite the great strides toward a more just society since May 17, 1954, inequities remain in schooling, in social relations, and in economic opportunity. How will history judge American psychology 50 years from now vis-a-vis the possibilities it helped create via Brown? The articles in this special issue suggest several important directions of research and action our field will need to take if the verdict of history is to be a positive one. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The American Psychological Association's response to Brown v. Board of Education: The case of Kenneth B. Clark.

In 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision (1896) that was the foundation of school segregation in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Brown is arguably the most important Supreme Court decision of the 20th century in terms of its influence on American history. Moreover, it has a special significance for psychology because it marked the first time that psychological research was cited in a Supreme Court decision and because social science data were seen as paramount in the Court's decision to end school segregation. This article describes psychologist Kenneth B. Clark's role in that case and the response of the American Psychological Association to scientific psychology's moment in a great spotlight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological evidence in Larry P. v. Wilson Riles: An evaluation by a witness for the defense.

Presents a history of the events preceding the Larry P. vs Wilson Riles litigation and the charges brought by the plaintiff in the case. Scientific evidence related to each of the plaintiff's charges is presented showing that (1) individual intelligence tests provide a fair assessment of minority children, (2) they are not the primary basis of placement in special education programs, and (3) programs for the mildly retarded do not necessarily place children at a disadvantage. (60 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Justice Deferred A Half Century After Brown v. Board of Education.

The road to Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was a slow and circuitous climb, whereas the retreat down from Brown has been swift and direct. This article reviews 4 distinct U.S. Supreme Court eras of racial decisions: the segregation, preparatory, desegregation, and resegregation eras. It notes both the strengths and weaknesses of Brown and discusses the effects of school desegregation. Did racial diversity improve the life chances of African American children as intended? The results of longitudinal research demonstrate that the effects have been positive, although these results are not widely known by the American public. The article challenges this and other misconceptions about school desegregation that have become entrenched in the public's thinking and addresses ways to rekindle the spirit of Brown. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intractable Self-Fulfilling Prophecies Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education.

The civil rights struggle for equal educational opportunity has yet to be achieved at the start of the 21st century. Inequality persists but problem and remedy are refrained from integrating schools, to ensuring equal access in resegregated settings, to closing the performance gap. As seen through ecological theory (R. S. Weinstein, 2002b), complex, multilayered, and interactive negative self-fulfilling prophecies create or perpetuate educational inequities and unequal outcomes. Society has failed to grapple with its entrenched roots in the achievement culture of schools. If this insidious dynamic is to be changed, an educational system that sorts for differentiated pathways must be replaced with one that develops the talents of all. Psychology has a critical role to play in promoting a new understanding of malleable human capabilities and optimal conditions for their nurturance in schooling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex stereotyping in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins..

Comments on the article by S. T. Fiske et al (see record 1992-07509-001) praising the American Psychological Association's (APA's) amicus brief intended to inform the Supreme Court of current scientific thinking regarding gender stereotyping. A balanced perspective, it is argued, should include both research supporting an argument and findings that are inconsistent with that argument. The APA brief gave no indication of contradictory findings. Moreover, review of the research cited indicates that more than half of the studies do not support the argument for which they were cited. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The significance for psychology of O'Connor v. Donaldson..

Recently, the US Supreme Court handed down a potentially landmark decision in the area of the right of mental patients to treatment. It is argued that there are 2 inherent flaws in the Court's holding that may significantly diminish its impact: the absence of definition of the concepts dangerous and treatment. This article (a) contends that these flaws reflect the absence of meaningful assistance from the mental health professions and (b) calls for empirical research to assist the judiciary in implementing the long-overdue humane treatment of the mentally ill. Psychiatry is seen as having failed to meet this challenge; it is observed that psychology, with its unique orientation toward scholarship and research, should meet the challenge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supreme Court of Canada addresses admissibility of posthypnosis witness evidence: R. v. Trochym (2007).

In February of 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its ruling in R. v. Trochym, a case in which the Court addressed the admissibility of posthypnosis witness testimony. The holding by a majority of five Justices establishes a presumption of inadmissibility for posthypnosis evidence that is very unlikely to be overcome. Although not a clear bar against this form of testimony, this ruling makes it extraordinarily difficult for such testimony to be admitted in the future. The authors discuss the case, the relevant empirical literature, and implications for the Canadian psychology community, including some general recommendations for improved integration of psychology and law. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An evaluation of 80 psychology journals based on the Science Citation Index..

Ranked 80 psychology journals and those from closely related fields in terms of their impact factors (average citations per article) where the numerator for the impact factor was based on the total number of citations accruing to 1972–1973 articles in that journal in the 1974 Science Citation Index. The top 3 journals were Psychological Review, Cognitive Psychology, and Psychological Bulletin. Comparisons are made with a ranking study conducted by M. J. White and K. G. White (1977). For related article, see PA, Vol 56:4649. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Privileged communication at last? An overview of Jaffee v. Redmond.

The recent Supreme Court ruling (Jaffee v. Redmond, 1996) recognizing a psychotherapist–patient privilege under Rule 501 of the Federal Rules of Evidence is discussed. The article provides (a) background information on the issues of privileged communication and confidentiality in counseling; (b) an overview of the Jaffee case; (c) clarification for therapists and their legal counsel regarding the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling; (d) examples of therapy situations to which ruling might apply; and (e) an opinion that Jaffee provides the basis for persuasive argument that the psychotherapist–patient privilege should be recognized in all courts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Effects of Segregation and the Consequences of Desegregation A (September 1952) Social Science Statement in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court Case.

This statement was an appendix to the appellants' briefs in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, Briggs v. Elliott, and Davis v. Prince Edward County, Virginia, cases. The statement offers definitions of segregation and discusses the implications and potential effects of segregation on children both in minority and majority groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

rwg: An assessment of within-group interrater agreement.

F. L. Schmidt and J. E. Hunter (1989) critiqued the within-group interrater reliability statistic (rwg) described by L. R. James et al (1984). S. W. Kozlowski and K. Hattrup (1992) responded to the Schmidt and Hunter critique and argued that rwg is a suitable index of interrater agreement. This article focuses on the interpretation of rwg as a measure of agreement among judges' ratings of a single target. A new derivation of rwg is given that underscores this interpretation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jubilee of the Psychological Review: Fifty volumes of the Psychological Review..

Presents a historical overview of the Psychological Review, and discusses the environment in which it was founded in 1894 and its subsequent evolution. The roles of J. M. Cattell and J. M. Baldwin in founding the Psychological Review are discussed. Key early contributors and their papers are also briefly reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Power of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision: Theorizing Threats to Sustainability.

Interviews with African American and White American elders capture the immediate power of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision and the biography of its impact over time. This article reviews the lived experience of the decision and theorizes 3 threats to sustainability that ruthlessly undermined the decision over time: (a) the unacknowledged and enormous sacrifice endured by the African American community in the name of desegregation; b) the violent and relentless resistance to the decision by government officials, educators, and many White community members; and (c) the dramatic shrinkage of the vision of Brown from the dismantling of White supremacy to a technical matter of busing. Implications are drawn for the study of desegregation and for the study of sustainability of social justice more broadly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In the Supreme Court of the United States: Clara Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust..

Discusses the U. S. Supreme Court case of Watson v. Fort Worth Bank and Trust (1988), in which the American Psychological Association participated by submitting an amicus brief. The brief outlined infirmities in the bank's performance evaluations of the defendant. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex bias in the diagnosis of personality disorders: An evaluation of DSM-IV criteria.

This study considered whether the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) is biased against women by requiring less dysfunction for the personality disorders that are more commonly diagnosed in women (e.g., histrionic). Clinicians estimated the extent of social dysfunction, occupational dysfunction, and personal distress suggested by each of the diagnostic criteria for 6 personality disorders. The results failed to suggest a bias against women, as there was no difference in the overall level of dysfunction associated with the female-typed personality disorder diagnostic criteria (fewer criteria are also required for the male-typed diagnoses). However, the considerable variation in dysfunction across disorders and criteria, and the minimal degree of impairment implied by some of the diagnostic criteria, also raise more general issues that should perhaps be addressed in future editions of the diagnostic manual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Blade runner: An interpretation.

Reviews the film, Blade runner directed by Ridley Scott (1982). This movie was the forerunner of more recent film treatments of the relations between humans and androids such as A.I. Artificial intelligence (S. Spielberg, 2001) and Minority report (S. Spielberg, 2002). This juxtaposition is of particular interest to psychoanalysts because it stimulates thinking about what qualities are quintessentially human. By means of its rich symbolism and allusive cinematic vocabulary, the film explores such questions as the nature of the superego, the Oedipus complex, identity formation, and the eternal struggle between eros and thanatos. The author uses the material of the film to comment on some of the fundamental differences between Freud's worldview and that of the neo-Freudians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time discrimination in Columba livia and Homo sapiens..

Evaluates pigeons' ability to discriminate stimulus duration, focusing on stimuli less than 1 sec in duration, in 4 experiments. In Exp 1, the performances of pigeons and humans were compared with a staircase technique, and in Exp 2, the method of constant stimuli was used. Both experiments produced similar results: The pigeon and human data were well described by the generalized form of Weber's law (D. J. Getty; see record 1975-30865-001). Exp 3 demonstrated that the birds did not use perceived brightness to mediate the discrimination of brief visual durations. Exp 4 used a modified staircase procedure that yielded a continuous measure of discrimination from absolute threshold (0 sec) to about 1 sec. The difference thresholds were constant over a considerable range, similar to findings reported by A. B. Kristofferson (see record 1981-09423-001) for human timing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)