The Consumer Reports mental health survey.

Provides an overview of the 1995 Consumer Reports survey of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Specific issues addressed include the study's goals; the findings for mental health professionals, family doctors, and self-help groups; and methodological strengths and weaknesses related to external validity, sampling, controls, self-reports, and time frame. The data show that, free of the artificial constraints of controlled studies in the real world, a population of consumers can often benefit from psychological intervention services. Real relief can be found at the hands of professional mental health providers. M. Kotkin et al reaffirm their independence from M. E. P. Seligman (see record 1996-13324-001) regarding the interpretation of the data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science as an ally of practice.

Well-founded criticisms of the Consumer Reports (CR; 1995) study of psychotherapy include possible bias of the CR sample; limitations of self-report; and the limitations of cross-sectional, retrospective data. Poorly founded criticisms concern "consumer satisfaction" and the claim that the remarkably good effects of long-term therapy resulted from spontaneous remission, that psychotherapy effects were small, and that nondoctoral providers did as well as doctoral-level providers. Both the experimental method (efficacy) and the observational method with causal modeling (effectiveness) answer complementary questions, and they both do so by eliminating alternative possible causes. Efficacy studies, however, cannot test long-term psychotherapy because long-term manuals cannot be written and patients cannot be randomized into two-year-long placebo controls, so the "empirical validation" of long-term therapy will likely come from effectiveness studies. Such studies of long-term therapy, of qualifications of providers, and of clinical judgment versus case management are urgently needed as practice confronts managed care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Qualitative data analysis: A compendium of techniques and a framework for selection for school psychology research and beyond.

Qualitative researchers in school psychology have a multitude of analyses available for data. The purpose of this article is to present several of the most common methods for analyzing qualitative data. Specifically, the authors describe the following 18 qualitative analysis techniques: method of constant comparison analysis, keywords-in-context, word count, classical content analysis, domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, componential analysis, conversation analysis, discourse analysis, secondary analysis, membership categorization analysis, narrative analysis, qualitative comparative analysis, semiotics, manifest content analysis, latent content analysis, text mining, and microinterlocutor analysis. Moreover, the authors present a new framework for organizing these analysis techniques via the four major sources of qualitative data collected: talk, observations, drawings/photographs/videos, and documents. As such, the authors hope that our compendium of analytical techniques should help qualitative researchers in school psychology and beyond make informed choices for their data analysis tools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research.

Despite the widespread use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research, researchers often make questionable decisions when conducting these analyses. This article reviews the major design and analytical decisions that must be made when conducting a factor analysis and notes that each of these decisions has important consequences for the obtained results. Recommendations that have been made in the methodological literature are discussed. Analyses of 3 existing empirical data sets are used to illustrate how questionable decisions in conducting factor analyses can yield problematic results. The article presents a survey of 2 prominent journals that suggests that researchers routinely conduct analyses using such questionable methods. The implications of these practices for psychological research are discussed, and the reasons for current practices are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Target groups for preventing AIDS among intravenous drug users: II. The "hard" data studies.

Studies were reviewed with respect to three different target groups for preventing AIDS among intravenous (IV) drug users by (a) providing drug abuse treatment for those who want to stop injecting drugs, (b) providing "safer" injection for those who are likely to continue injecting, and (c) preventing drug injection among those who are at high risk for beginning to inject. The studies reviewed were limited to those that include "hard" data: validated self-reports, seroprevalence outcomes, or self-reports of behavior that is opposed to any of the demand characteristics generated by the research setting. For two groups of current IV drug users—those entering drug treatment and those continuing to inject—these hard data studies show rapidly induced AIDS risk reduction but suggest a need for large-scale change maintained over long time periods. In terms of preventing initial injection, alternative forms of intense drug use have emerged but have not supplanted drug injection, and basic knowledge of AIDS does not appear to deter initial drug injection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond constant comparison qualitative data analysis: Using NVivo.

The purposes of this paper are to outline seven types of qualitative data analysis techniques, to present step-by-step guidance for conducting these analyses via a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software program (i.e., NVivo9), and to present screenshots of the data analysis process. Specifically, the following seven analyses are presented: constant comparison analysis, classical content analysis, keyword-in-context, word count, domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, and componential analysis. It is our hope that providing a clear step-by-step process for conducting these analyses with NVivo9 will assist school psychology researchers in increasing the rigor of their qualitative data analysis procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopharmacology and the mystery of The Moonstone..

Contends that W. Collins's (1871 [1966]) detective novel, The Moonstone, is remarkable not only for the exploitation of psychological principles but also the recognition of these principles before their discovery by psychologists. Drug dissociation (reported by psychologists in the 1930's) is central to the novel. It is suggested that Collins was a reader of Victorian physiological and phrenological literature, a laudanum addict, and given to introspective analyses of his experiences with opium. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An illusion of memory: False recognition influenced by unconscious perception.

The results of two experiments showed that an illusion of memory can be produced by unconscious perception. In a first phase of those experiments, a long list of words was presented for study. For the test of recognition memory given in the second phase of each experiment, presentation of a "context" word preceded that of most recognition test words. Ss were to judge whether or not the test words had been presented during the earlier study phase of the experiment. Effects of a context word on this recognition memory decision were opposite when Ss were aware vs. unaware of its presentation. For example, as compared to a condition in which no context word was presented, the probability of false recognition was increased when Ss were unaware but decreased when Ss were aware of the presentation of a context word that matched the recognition test word. Results are discussed in terms of unconscious influences on an attribution process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accuracy of feeling-of-knowing judgments for predicting perceptual identification and relearning.

The feeling of knowing (FOK) refers to predictions about subsequent memory performance on previously nonrecalled items. The present research explored predictive accuracy with 2 new FOK criterion tests (in addition to recognition): relearning and perceptual identification. In 2 experiments, Ss attempted to recall the answers to general information questions, then made FOK predictions for all nonrecalled answers, and finally had a criterion test to assess the accuracy of the FOK predictions. Exp I, conducted with 32 undergraduates, demonstrated that perceptual identification can be employed successfully as a criterion test for the feeling of knowing FOK. This opens a new way for metamemory research via perception. Moreover, the FOK accuracy for predicting perceptual identification was not significantly correlated with the FOK accuracy for predicting recognition, in accord with the idea that these 2 tests assess memory differently. Exp II, conducted with 77 undergraduates, demonstrated that relearning performance can also be predicted by FOK judgments. Overall results show that there is a positive relationship between the FOK and the amount of time elapsing before a memory search is terminated during recall. (76 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Can after-the-fact designs test functional hypotheses, and are they needed in psychology?

While various methodological psychologists have traditionally claimed that ex-post facto or after-the-fact investigational designs cannot test functional hypotheses of "causal" type, it is maintained in the present paper that they can under certain circumstances. To the usual objection that the "treated" groups in after-the-fact studies have not been equated by randomization or matching to the "control" groups, it is argued that where suitable data are available, judicious matching can be done and conceivable regression effects avoided or discounted. While admittedly probable functional determinants ("causes") are preferably investigated by classical experimental designs, there are important fields, such as the study of the effects of physical disorders and investigations of the actual determinants in real-life situations, in which an appropriate series of after-the-fact analyses is essential for the testing of the alleged causal connections. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Potential sex differences remain understudied: A case study of the inclusion of women in HIV/AIDS-related neuropsychological research.

As an illustration of women's representation in clinical research, a comprehensive literature review of HIV/AIDS-related neuropsychological research was conducted. The goals of this study were to document whether women have been included in (a) HIV-related neurological and neuropsychological research studies; (b) percentages comparable to their representation in the population of persons with HIV/AIDS; (c) studies using numbers sufficient to allow data analyses by sex (N≥30); and (d) data analyses conducted to examine sex differences. Women were included in half of the studies investigating neurological and neuropsychological manifestations of HIV between 1988 and 1997 (236 studies). However, their representation was inadequate to determine whether there were reliable sex differences in these complications. It is not simply enough to include more women; researchers must also strive to increase the quality of studies to ensure that women's contribution is clinically and empirically relevant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mining the meanings and pulling out the processes from psychology of religion's correlation mountain.

This article illustrates how rigorous quantitative studies in three distinct and promising areas opened the door to additional related qualitative work. Using qualitative narratives from a landmark sample of 184 diverse religious families, the authors discuss and illustrate two research methods and that have been useful to them: triangulating data in the context of family, and seeking truth through progressive questioning. Next, consistent with the paper's primary purpose, the authors highlight three areas where the strong, correlation-based research foundation provided by quantitative social scientists of religion has created some prime, complementary opportunities for follow-up work by qualitative researchers. The specific areas illustrated include the following: (1) the case of religiosity and African American mortality, (2) the case of parent-adolescent communication, and (3) how shared religion helps marriages last. Recommendations for future research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trends in institutional contributions to the Journal of Counseling Psychology..

Tabulated the institutional affiliation of each author for the major articles, brief reports, unsolicited comments, and contributions classified as research frontier or research methodology that appeared in Volumes 1–24 of the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP). Separate tabulations were made for most institutions, but the contributions of the following types of institutions were combined within type: community colleges, community mental health centers, correctional institutions, medical hospitals, public schools, religious organizations, and VA facilities. The data are summarized for the formative years of the journal (Volumes 1–8), the period of transition to an American Psychological Association journal (Volumes 9–26), the most recent 8-yr period (Volumes 17–24), and the 1st 24 yrs of publication. The data are also tabulated for the 4 latest volumes (21–24) to evaluate recent trends in institutional contributions. The 15 leading institutional contributors are rank ordered, and the number of contributions are reported within each time period. In addition, the impact of reassignment of credit for dissertation-related research on institutional productivity is studied. The relationship between institutional contributions to JCP and the perceived prestige of the institution is also investigated. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment: Can some interpersonalists be more different than alike? Implications for method in practice and research.

The paper provides a commentary on two qualitative case studies of therapist use of immediacy in two brief interpersonal psychotherapies involving two senior White male clinicians and two young female patients with diverse identities (Hill et al., 2008; see record 2008-13167-001; Kaspar, Hill, & Kivlighan, 2008; see record 2008-13167-002). The commentary proposes an alternative interpersonal model by which the data collected could be examined. The model suggests that therapist and patient interact in a complex process of power and affection toward mutual recognition, which is further shaped by their respective gender and cultural identities. Several implications for the study of the psychotherapeutic situation based on this interpersonal model are presented, including using observer-based measures that can assess power plays and therapist immediate awareness, as well as another qualitative strategy that would capture the richness of clinical process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Programmed energy dispersive X-ray analysis of top coats of automotive paint

Elemental, qualitative, and semiquantitative analyses of 1974 U.S. automotive paints by a Finnigan Model 900F Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectrometer are examined. This EDX analytical system incorporates a minicomputer to receive, store, and present data. The paint samples were received from the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Law Enforcement Standards Laboratory as a collection representative of the top coats used on all U.S. manufactured automobiles in 1974. Aspects considered include EDX system stability, homogeneity of similarly catalogued samples from different NBS collections, categorization of paints by predominant constituents, and comparison of data on paint standards that were similar. Automated analysis represents an important application of forensic science to the characterization of paint samples and provides for the nondestructive analysis of a variety of materials in a large range of sample sizes and concentrations.     

Mixed Methods Research Designs in Counseling Psychology.

With the increased popularity of qualitative research, researchers in counseling psychology are expanding their methodologies to include mixed methods designs. These designs involve the collection, analysis, and integration of quantitative and qualitative data in a single or multiphase study. This article presents an overview of mixed methods research designs. It defines mixed methods research, discusses its origins and philosophical basis, advances steps and procedures used in these designs, and identifies 6 different types of designs. Important design features are illustrated using studies published in the counseling literature. Finally, the article ends with recommendations for designing, implementing, and reporting mixed methods studies in the literature and for discussing their viability and continued usefulness in the field of counseling psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrieval of lexical–syntactic features in tip-of-the tongue states.

Italian speakers who signaled that they were in a tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) state were asked to recognize the grammatical gender and the initial and the final phonemes of the unavailable word. The proportions of gender and phoneme hits that occurred with "don't know" (DK) responses were adopted as baselines for chance-level performance. Participants were more accurate in recognizing the grammatical gender and the initial but not the final phoneme of target words when they were in TOT than in DK states. The availability of gender in TOT states suggests the independence of syntactic from phonological information in lexical access. However, the retrieval of gender was far from perfect for TOT words, and it was no better than recognition of the initial phoneme. These results are problematic for the notion that the selection of a lemma is synonymous with the retrieval of the word's syntactic features. The implications of these results for the distinction between lemma and lexeme levels of representation in lexical access are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The 1992 ethics code: boon or bane?

Discusses the 1992 version of the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct that marks the first major revision since 1981. It has a table of contents that facilitates location of standards about specific topics and it is the 1st code to be divided into 2 sections. These include a set of principles that are aspirational, representing the professional ideals, and a set of enforceable standards that are intended to be used as compelling rules. The most controversial standard pertains to sexual relationships with former psychotherapy clients. Standards related to other topics for the first time, such as the practice of forensic psychology and bartering, distinguish the 1992 APA code from its predecessors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)