Psychology, technology, and professional service.

The author discusses his career in relation to an observed shift in the philosophical basis of scientific psychology from logical positivism toward realism, a shift that seems to supply a logical basis for integrating the data from scientific, technological, and professional efforts. Psychology as a technology is illustrated by reference to the author's involvement in the development of the technology of training, and the proper content of training for the practice of psychology is considered. It is suggested that psychology has broadened its scope as a science, a technology, and a practice insofar as psychologists have recognized that a human event, like any other natural event, is determined by the simultaneous action of many factors at various levels. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addressing psychology's problem with race.

The biological concept of race has long been controversial in psychology. Although many psychologists have challenged the concept of race, others have espoused it as a deductive premise and applied it as an inferential and research factor and variable, especially regarding Black–White IQ differences. Although race and its use have been polemically disputed for decades, no disciplinewide, concerted action within psychology has been taken to acertain the scientific meaning of race and to determine its proper application. Psychology's inaction contrasts with deliberate steps taken by other national and international scientific groups. This article examines a variety of problems concerning race in psychology: (1) definition, (2) application, (3) invoking authority and references for genetic knowledge, and (4) passive inaction by psychologists and professional associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Philosophical embarrassments of psychology.

Philosophers "can fulfill a useful auxiliary role… in collaborating with productive scientists… as critics and catalysts." Theories "so conceived as to be irrefutable by any sort of evidence" constitute a methodological embarrassment for psychology. "The quest for certainty, the craving for infallibility, has produced the embarrassments of emptiness and circularity." The "most painful philosophical embarrassment of psychology" is "the definition of its very subject matter… . The embarrassment of unanswerable questions can be avoided if we do not introduce absolutely unconfirmable entities into our theories." In theory construction psychology's embarrassment is a methodological one. "The time has come to emancipate ourselves from the radical empiricism of the operationists and the behaviorists. A more liberal view of the nature of scientific theory will help us more adequately and clearly to assign to psychology its proper place in the uniting sciences and to remove many of the philosophical embarrassments that have stood in the way of scientific progress." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology Needs Realism, Not Instrumentalism.

Comment on "Realism, Instrumentalism, and Scientific Symbiosis: Psychological Theory as a Search for Truth and the Discovery of Solutions" by John T. Cacioppo, Gun R. Semin and Gary G. Berntson (see record 2004-14303-001). In the original article the authors recommended the combined use of the philosophies of scientific realism and scientific instrumentalism as a productive metatheoretical perspective on psychological science. I believe this is unsound advice and briefly argue that, in an appropriate form, realism alone can serve as a sufficient philosophy for psychology. First, I outline an attractive version of realism and suggest that this version, or something like it, needs to be considered when evaluating the worth of realist metatheory. I then reaffirm the orthodox view that realist and instrumentalist interpretations of scientific theories are incompatible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Giving up maleness": Abraham Maslow, masculinity, and the boundaries of psychology.

Psychology's boundaries consist of a network of methods, categories, and institutional practices. Strategically important, these markers distinguish the field from common sense and popular psychology. Although psychologists have attempted to define themselves in terms of natural science, gender considerations have also been woven into the fabric of the field. This article examines psychology's gender identity through a consideration of the career of Abraham Maslow. Trained as an experimentalist, Maslow is widely known for his attempt to expand the discipline's boundaries into humanistic domains. He was convinced that psychology had become too masculine for its own good, yet he struggled to find a way to "soften" psychology without completely undermining its "rigorous" foundation. His work highlights the connection between masculinity and science and the difficulty of redrawing psychology's boundaries without undermining its credibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Kosits (2004).

Reports two errors in the original article by Russell D. Kosits (History of Psychology, 2004, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 340-366). On p. 358, the first paragraph should read "Given this theological background, it is now possible to consider the New Psychology's Fallacy argument as deeply ironic and even tragic, particularly for William James, the argument's most influential articulator." Also, on p. 342, footnote 5, 6th line of the quotation, the word to should not be crossed out. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2004-21409-002.) In The Principles of Psychology, William James (1890) articulated an influential, boundary-setting argument against faculty psychology, subsequently dubbed the Fallacy of the Faculty Psychology. This argument was reiterated in American psychology textbooks for the next several decades, arguably solidifying and simplifying American perceptions of the "old" faculty psychology and establishing belief in the superiority of the "New Psychology." When placed in the context of American theological and philosophical history, however, the New Psychology argument appears unoriginal, somewhat unfair, and deeply (and even tragically) ironic. Despite their best intentions, a fallacy did emerge in the old psychology as they sought psychological foundations for libertarian free will. For those members of the New Psychology still committed to free will, then, the Fallacy argument cut both ways--refuting the fallacy also meant tearing down a long-standing foundation for free will in American psychology. Offering no viable alternative to fill the moral void, the New Psychology appeared at times conflicted with its new deterministic identity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Scientific Denial of the Real and the Dialectic of Scientism and Humanism.

Comment on "Realism, Instrumentalism, and Scientific Symbiosis: Psychological Theory as a Search for Truth and the Discovery of Solutions" by John T. Cacioppo, Gun R. Semin and Gary G. Berntson (see record 2004-14303-001). The appeal for the unification of psychology is in fashion and Cacioppo et al.'s term "symbiosis" connotes a cooperative and communal practice that is difficult to criticize without being regarded as quarrelsome and cantankerous. As Cacioppo et al. stated, the ultimate goal for a unification in psychology should be "to approach or approximate scientific realism" (p. 221). Thus, iterative practice or not, there is no symbiosis, only a reductionistic approach with a gesture toward including positive qualities of instrumentalism. Cacioppo et al. essentially proposed a check-and-balance system for scientific realism which is the ultimate victor. Ramey and Chrysikou go on to discuss the differences between scientific realism and instrumentalism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology education model.

Beginning with its historical context, the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology's model for education and training in professional psychology is summarized in 5 areas: (a) broadened view of psychology with a flexible epistemology, multiple ways of knowing, and how practitioners doing practice remain local clinical scientists doing disciplined inquiry; (b) integrative pedagogy; (c) competency-based core curriculum integrating practical and scientific knowledge, skills, and attitudes; (d) elements of practice?including multiple roles, the self of the psychologist and reflective practice?practicum and internship training, and systematic evaluation; and (e) the social nature of professional psychology and its social responsibility, including ethnic and racial diversity and gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The mind’s we: Contextualism in cognitive psychology.

Reviews the book, The mind's we: Contextualism in cognitive psychology by Diane Gillespie (1992). In this text the author has both expanded on several of the key insights previously outlined in the critical literature and provided a congenial introductory text for the newcomer; a text to serve as a conceptual bridge between traditional cognitive psychological approaches and their newly emergent contextualist alternatives. As stated in her preface, Gillespie's purpose in preparing this book was to "bring together the work of psychologists who are interested in telling the contextualist story of cognition" and to "reveal and strengthen their insights and perspectives" (p. xiv). Given the philosophical range and theoretical diversity of those interested in telling such a story, the task is certainly a formidable one, but it is nonetheless one that she accomplishes with a commendable degree of elegance. Gillespie clearly articulates the diverse work of a large number of psychological theorists into a coherent and meaningful account that will do much toward imposing order on a field that is, by its very nature, somewhat scattered and contentious. Each of the book's six chapters proceeds carefully through a detailed and representative historical and conceptual analysis of traditional mechanistic approaches to human cognition prior to advancing their contextualist critiques and alternatives. Through a systematic analysis of the manner in which this "contextualist story" has arisen within the mechanistic milieu of traditional scientific psychology, she is able to clarify both the implications and relative merits and liabilities of two, quite often antithetical, conceptualizations of human cognitive phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating psychology and public health: Challenges and opportunities.

Psychology has made significant strides in developing applications relevant to public health. However, improvements are still needed to integrate psychology into the public health infrastructure. The challenge for public health is to recognize psychology's special contributions to policy and practice, especially to prevention of disease and injury. The challenge for psychology is to assure coherent integration of relevant theories, knowledge bases, and public health practice. Recommendations to address these challenges include (a) demonstrating how psychology incrementally improves public health service systems; (b) developing middle range and small theories of public health problems and practice (Lipsey, 1993; Merton, 1968); (c) developing intervention models in partnership with nonpsychologists so that the effects can become widespread; and (d) ongoing scrutiny of the intervention models to assure that theory has been operationalized well. Psychology's unique role in public health is to act as the steward of a correct application of behavioral knowledge and theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is the best always preferred?

Comments on G. S. Howard's (see record 1991-17124-001) article on narrative, constructive realism, and scientific "storytelling." According to Howard, the theory that best complies with the rules of scientific storytelling will be more widely endorsed. Howard referred to 3 reasons underlying the preference for a new story: (1) Research decreases a theory's predictive accuracy, (2) new theoretical developments decrease its external validity, or (3) a more powerful theory is developed that tells a more compelling story. As psychology, theories will be evaluated as literary products, and nonepistemic criteria will affect preferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proverbs, pragmatics, and prediction.

Examines T. B. Rogers's (see record 1991-03999-001) discussion of the role of proverbs in psychology from the perspective of psychology's attempts to offer predictions as a means of correcting behavioral problems. Psychology's chief contribution to the surrounding culture lies not in prediction, but in cultural construction, in the process of which theories may take on the status of proverbs as they enter society more generally. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Following Up on Cultural Lag (and How to Give it a Push).

In this column, the author discusses the 1925 American Journal of Psychology's published list of 30 statements. This list was arranged like a true-false test, of which the author wrote, "In general it seems likely that if the list were submitted to a group of psychologists there would be less than 1% of unqualified affirmative answers [Nixon, 1925]." However, when Nixon administered the test to 359 students of elementary psychology in New York, more than one-third of all answers were affirmative, and each statement received some "true" answers. Nixon's estimate of psychologists' unqualified affirmatives seems almost as applicable now as it did in 1925. But what of nonpsychologists? A challenge to contemporary psychologists is implicit in Nixon's outdated list; and there might be practical benefits to psychology as a whole if someone accepted the challenge. Should such a contemporary list be established, its value could extend far beyond that of a discussion starter for the introductory course. It could serve as a directive for educational efforts of psychologists to laymen; and it ought to be an effective springboard for work in public relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neoscholastic Psychology Revisited.

Beginning around 1879, a Neoscholastic psychology developed, an experimental psychology with a soul. Opposed to materialism, it sought to renew Scholastic philosophy by incorporating the findings of the natural sciences. Neoscholastic psychology is an important chapter in the history of the relationships between science and religion in the 20th century. Neoscholastic psychology was both experimental and philosophical. This article presents the main accomplishments of North American Neoscholastic psychology in academic and applied areas. Neoscholastic psychologists championed scientific psychology while insisting on a better conception of human nature. Philosophical critiques led to a decline of Neoscholasticism; after the 1960s it was no longer official Catholic philosophy. Neoscholasticism gave psychologists concerned with philosophical questions impetus to turn to phenomenology, existentialism, and humanistic psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in medical schools.

Describes the results of a survey conducted by the Committee on Psychology in Medical Schools for the Education and Training Board of the American Psychological Association, utilizing 84 reports from medical schools in 1967-1969 period. Psychology's growth in medical school has followed no standard pattern, but has developed in unique fashion at each school as a function of local constellations of factors. The great expansion of psychology in medical schools has occurred in the last 2 decades, but the period of rapid growth has now ended. While psychology is still most often based within the department of psychiatry, greater diversity of locations is found in schools where psychology was established more recently. Teaching is a major function of medical school psychologists. Their main teaching contribution is to medical education, but they are also involved at all levels of psychological education. Research, which covers the full range of psychological interests, and clinical services, which are beginning to reach out into the community, are the other main functions of medical school psychologists. The satisfactions found in the medical school as a professional environment relate to the vast array of clinical populations, research facilities, and disciplines available there. Dissatisfactions are primarily a result of inadequate recognition as an independent discipline. Overwhelmingly, medical school psychologists desire a more autonomous position for psychology, most often through the mechanism of an independent department of psychology. Other mechanisms recommended are the behavioral sciences department and the "single faculty model" in which 1 university department provides psychological training to all the schools of the university. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction: The Future of School Psychology.

Provides an introduction to the current issue of Professional Psychology's School Psychology section. Predicting professional psychology's future is difficult. All of professional psychology will be influenced by immediate external factors, such as national and world economic and social stability, and by rapid social change. However, school psychology is also influenced, perhaps to a greater extent than other professional specialties in psychology, by its own internal conflicts and its particular developmental history. School psychology's current status and problems provide an especially complex set of concerns that must be understood if any reasonable assessment of its future is to be made. To highlight these concerns, I have organized this section around proposals for major changes in school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Psychological methodology: Should it differ from that of natural science?": Erratum.

Reports an error in "Psychological Methodology: Should it Differ from that of Natural Science" by Lawrence La Fave (Canadian Psychologist/Psychologie Canadienne, 1971[Oct], Vol 12[4], 513-525). The sentence beginning on line 30, p. 514 should read: Such value judgments include: falsifiability of a scientific theory is indispensable; as is logical consistency and (by implication) precise definition of technical terms; comprehensiveness; and parsimony. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-02143-006.) By the methodology of a science is intended its mathematical-logical base, its axiomatic foundations or philosophical commitments -- not its techniques. Whether psychological methodology differs from that of the natural sciences is considered obliquely by raising the question as to whether value judgments enter psychology in any way unknown to natural science. Six ways values enter psychology are found. Although only one of these does not also intrude upon natural science, this one suffices to require for psychology a new mathematical logic or methodology. The present approach seeks to help disambiguate such phenomenological approaches as Verstehen. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suffering, Philosophy, and Psychotherapy.

As R. B. Miller's article (see record 2005-11381-004) reflects, psychology and psychotherapy could benefit from a deeper appreciation of philosophical issues. This article discusses five themes that bear on how human suffering is understood, how scientific inquiry is conceptualized, and how new professionals are educated. The five themes include the bankruptcy of mind-body dualism, the presumed supremacy of logical rationality over whole system wisdom, preoccupations with certainty and justification, the positivist corruption of the scientific spirit, and the erosion of excellence in graduate education. It is argued that psychology and psychotherapy would benefit from more dedicated professional mentoring, the encouragement of open discourse as the heart of inquiry, and a deeper recognition of the fundamental role of compassion in the face of all human suffering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Les fondements de la psychologie sociale, 2e édition.

Reviews the book, Les fondements de la psychologie sociale, 2e édition edited by Robert J. Vallerand (2006). Social psychology is a fascinating field of research. It enables us to explain collective phenomena as well as interpersonal behaviors and group dynamics. Robert J. Vallerand proposes an exciting scientific voyage into the heart of human social behaviors, constantly stressing the psychological mechanisms which manage them. The scientific contribution of this book is singular; it was it in its first edition and remains with this one a "must" for whoever is interested in social psychology. The foundations of social psychology can definitively and without any doubt be classified as a "classic". (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)