Trends in family psychology.

Presents an overview of the recent past, the present, and anticipated future trends in the field of family psychology (i.e., the scientific study of the family in terms of its historical forms and variations; structure and functioning across time, space, culture, and generations; and idiosyncratic and systems attributes). Areas discussed include availability of graduate education in family psychology, internship availability, postgraduate training opportunities, clinical practice, research and publications, ethical and legal concerns, credentialing, and impact on other family therapy organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in family law and family life: Challenges for psychology.

In the past two decades, striking changes in family demographics have been accompanied by equally dramatic shifts in family law. The development of constitutional principles to guide state involvement in the lives of children and families has raised questions about the competence of minors and the sensitivity of parents to children's interests. At the same time, legal realism finally has emerged as an approach to the construction of new standards for resolution of family disputes and new definitions of the family itself. These changes in family law present new challenges to psychology to generate and diffuse the knowledge necessary for careful policy-making. Care must be taken, though, to ensure that legitimate limits of role and expertise are acknowledged and respected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family psychology and family therapy in Japan.

The development of family psychology and family therapy in Japan has occurred mostly since the 1980s. This development was originally activated by the major social issue in contemporary Japan of school refusal, in which more than 127,000 children either overtly refuse to or claim that they cannot go to school. From a family perspective, this problem is analyzed as it relates to the confusion that children experience from unbalanced and unclear boundaries in family relations or "membranes." An approach to family therapy that adapts systems theory and integrates a clay sculpting medium has been developed to work with Japanese families confronting this problem. The design and implementation of preventative family psychology programs applied at the community level are also an important part of the future development in these fields. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theory and method in cross-cultural psychology.

Cross-cultural psychology is considered as a methodological strategy, as a means of evaluating hypotheses of unicultural origin with evidence of more panhuman relevance, and as a means of developing new theoretical accounts of psychological phenomena that profit from broad sampling of human populations and social situations. As a methodological strategy, difficulties arise from the necessity of the quasi-experimental, comparative research design and from ignorance of the "minds" of Ss. It is argued that the bases of solutions to these methodological difficulties lie in the theory, much of which is available in the psychological literature. One form of theory that promises to be important provides abstract explanatory concepts requiring concrete specification in any particular investigation or application. Examples are discussed, including variants of utility theory and other approaches sharing similar characteristics. The importance of utilizing available psychological theory in the analysis of methodological approaches to cross-cultural study is emphasized. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theory and philosophy in social psychology.

Social psychologists are generally very empirical, and their research is usually theoretically oriented. However, what passes for theory is often no more than a couple of vague statements. Nevertheless, coming from the tradition of Kurt Lewin, we tend to reject papers that do not test a "theory". On the other hand, we pay no attention to theories lacking experimental support. Clinical observations are not enough. There is very little concern with philosophical issues. Ken Gergen of Swarthmore College is a notable exception and is often on convention programs. His comments about "historicism" in social psychology have caused some published rebuttals, but our members are largely not very concerned with this or with Gergen's more recent forays in "social re-constructionism". (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Families matter: Psychology of the family and the family of psychology.

Research on the family lies at the interface between basic and applied science. After tracing the scientific and practise roots of research on the family, I highlight that research to date has neglected the perspective of fathers. I propose that as in regular families, the family of Canadian psychology is diverse and constantly evolving. Key findings in psychology of the family include the importance of multiple perspectives, the benefits of quality time, and the toxic effects of conflict. These concepts apply equally to the family of Canadian psychology. I suggest that through involvement in the Canadian Psychological Association, psychologists can be enriched by multiple perspectives, can benefit from communication with one another to work together to advance psychology for all. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward programmatic research in family psychology.

Suggests that, as a result of new research technology, family psychology is at a juncture in which the standards of what constitutes excellent research have been raised. Careful research in this field requires programmatic study in which variables are related to global constructs. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based parent and family interventions in school psychology: A commentary.

Do the authors provide us with convincing evidence that parent and family interventions change children's behavior and learning at school? The answer is not a simple or straightforward one. First off, there appears to be more support for interventions that are part of a multi-component program, that are highly focused in scope, and that entail active collaboration between parents, students, and the schools; hence, more support appears to be available for family/parent consultation and family-school collaboration/partnership programs than for the more unidirectional and limited parent education and parent involvement programs. Second, although 100 studies are examined, it is readily apparent that the studies reported on in the various reviews are characterized by numerous methodological shortcomings that compromise their scientific integrity and the conclusions we can safely draw from them. Third, it is evident that nearly all of the efficacious treatments are behavior or cognitive-behavioral ones. Fourth and finally, it will be important to begin to identify the students, families, and schools that are most likely to benefit from the various interventions and to examine the specific mechanisms of change in each of the proposed interventions. In sum, it seems safe to conclude that evidentiary support for the effectiveness of parent and family interventions in school psychology is mixed at best. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Present meaning of assessment in psychology.

Explores 3 areas of concern about assessment: (a) ethics of testing, (b) present usefulness of psychological testing, and (c) new ways in which testing can be used in clinical settings. Despite problems with validity levels, ethical concerns, and abuses of tests, they have wide clinical usefulness for properly trained psychologists who are aware of tests' limitations. Further development through research and experimentation is needed rather than abandonment of testing as a tool. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Community psychology in the Canadian psychological family.

Reviews the status of community psychology in the history of psychology in Canada, emphasizing the early precedents of applied mental health and community interventions. Findings are presented from inquiries into undergraduate and graduate training in community psychology in Canada. After assessing current problems in the subdiscipline, the author makes recommendations for future directions and discusses the potential usefulness of community psychology to professional psychology in meeting the challenges of public mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based parent and family interventions in school psychology: Overview and procedures.

This special issue, entitled "Evidence-Based Parent and Family Interventions in School Psychology," examines the data that support the use of interventions as methods for changing children's school-related behavior and learning problems. Taken together, the articles reflect the work of the Parent and Family Intervention domain of the Evidence-Based Interventions in School Psychology Task Force. Across the articles in this special issue, the categories of coding criteria in the Manual were used to organize the presentation of results. Six review articles on the evidence base for parent and family intervention appear next; these are followed by commentary from distinguished scholars and a brief reflective comment from the special issue editors. Parent intervention is the exclusive focus of the reviews of parent education and parent consultation. Two reviews focus on the home-school relationship including the articles on parent involvement and home-school collaboration. Two reviews include both parent and family treatments: early childhood family-focused interventions and parent training and family systems interventions. Commentary was sought from the current co-chairs of the Task Force, an expert in evidence-based practice in child clinical psychology, a researcher in family-school linkages and parent consultation, and a methodologist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical cross-training: Compatibility of sport and family systems psychology.

Sport psychology offers unique opportunities for (a) expanding one's practice beyond areas regulated by managed care and (b) using one's knowledge of psychology to cultivate health, wellness, and positive aspects of life. This article describes how developing expertise in sport psychology may benefit a practitioner, with special attention to family systems psychologists evaluating their own suitability for working in the sport and exercise area. In addition to expanding one's practice, ways in which sport psychofogy expertise may enhance overall clinical skills are noted. The article concludes with a checklist to evaluate suitability for "cross-training" in sport psychology and recommendations for initiating the process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Families and family psychology at the millennium: Intersecting crossroads.

This introduction to the International Perspectives section presents a global overview of various issues and trends that families and family psychologists confront at the beginning of the 21st century. These are presented in broad strokes so that a kaleidoscopic intermingling of pieces emerges. Some predictions are included about new and expanding directions the field of family psychology is likely to take in coming decades. The need for additional research to field test criteria sets for emerging relational diagnosis and to evaluate which are the most efficacious therapeutic interventions is highlighted (F. W. Kaslow, 1987, 1995b). This section also includes 3 other articles on various aspects of family psychology by leading psychologists from 3 diverse countries and continents—the Virgin Islands (R. Dudley-Grant, 2001), Israel (E. Halpern, 2001), and Japan (K. Kameguchi, 2001). Each is representative of the larger region in which each author teaches and practices. These articles are intended to present a collage of some of the problems families are experiencing, future trends, and a call to action for psychologists to intervene to prevent and ameliorate family distress. Each author describes the history and current status of family psychology in his or her country and relates key dilemmas to what is happening on the world scene. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multivariate statistics for family psychology research.

The application of selected multivariate statistics is illustrated for use in family psychology research. The use of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and discriminant analysis in factorial designs and profile analysis is discussed. Profile analysis provides a method for dealing with unit of analysis issues in family psychology research. Applications of confirmatory factor analysis are also discussed as useful methods for researchers examining multiple components of families and handling multiple perspectives of various family members. Limitations and applications of these methods in family psychology research are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family psychology and family law: Introduction to the special issue.

This special issue of the Journal of Family Psychology evolved from the work of the Forensic Task Force of Division 43, American Psychological Association, members of which have been studying and working with the emerging, complex issues occurring at the intersection of family psychology and family law. This issue is an endeavor to bring together current research and paradigm development that has relevance not only to family psychologists who have expertise in systems and developmental theories but also to forensic psychologists who have expertise in individual assessment but may lack experience in a systems-ecological framework. A primary goal of this special issue is to introduce readers to new and emerging opportunities for research and practice in the areas where family psychology and family law overlap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A legal perspective on family psychology and family law: Comment on the special issue.

A certified family law practitioner reviews the articles in this special issue and discusses how the research and conceptual discussions in the articles are invaluable to family law professionals. The recognition of the interaction between mental health and family court professionals is essential to strengthen collaboration and more positive outcomes. Some questions are raised about the sampling and generalizability of some of the studies, and there is strong encouragement for further scholarship in these areas and dissemination to family law professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family psychology and family law--a family court judge's perspective: Comment on the special issue.

This comment presents the responses of an experienced family court judge to the eight articles published in this special issue. The value of these scholarly articles to family court judges is enormous. Judges have little, if any, formal training in family dynamics and child development, yet are called upon to make rulings in complex cases that have life-long ramifications for all family members. The changing demographics and current realities of traditional and nontraditional family structures in our society as well as the increasing divorce rates have widened the gap between legal precedence and current social science research. It is essential that the material covered in this issue can be accessible to family law personnel in language that they can understand and learn from. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of process models in assessment psychology: Potential assets and challenges.

The relevance of quantitative models of probabilistic processes to clinical phenomena that unfold over time is discussed. Examples of such phenomena include remission processes, accumulation of objective cost and subjective stress of treatment delay, and psychopathology-related deviations in cognitive operations. Provision is made for time as a continuous or discrete variable. The discourse is developed with the use of a representative mathematical model. Extraction of information on time-related aspects of clinical transactions is described. The presentation is extended to indicate how process models can be used with established assessment methods. Challenges to the application of process models in clinical-assessment settings, and potential avenues of resolution, are put forth. It is contended that stochastic quantitative models may represent the premier analytic tack to capturing genuinely dynamic features of clinical processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychology of creativity: A consensual assessment technique.

States that both the popular creativity tests, such as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, and the subjective assessment techniques used in some previous creativity studies are ill-suited to social psychological studies of creativity. A consensual definition of creativity is presented, and as a refinement of previous subjective methods, a reliable subjective assessment technique based on that definition is described. The results of 8 studies testing the methodology in elementary school and undergraduate populations in both artistic and verbal domains are presented, and the advantages and limitations of this technique are discussed. The present methodology can be useful for the development of a social psychology of creativity because of the nature of the tasks employed and the creativity assessments obtained. Creativity assessment is discussed in terms of the divergent aims and methods of personality psychology and social psychology. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The decade of behavior: An opportunity for family psychology.

In the past, we have had the decade of the brain. Now, as behavioral scientists and practitioners, it is our turn and the period from 2000-2010 is the Decade of Behavior. The American Psychological Association's Board of Scientific Affairs initiated this idea, which is now sponsored by a host of behavioral and social science organizations. With an advisory committee representing a dozen disciplines, this is a ground-breaking multidisciplinary effort that aims to raise awareness of the importance of behavioral aspects of our lives. Five major themes guide this initiative: health, safety, education, prosperity, and democracy. I want to bring this important idea to your attention as both readers and authors of articles in the Journal of Family Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)