Editorial: Psychology in the Public Forum.

With this issue, I am pleased to announce a new section of the American Psychologist entitled "Psychology in the Public Forum," with Patrick H. DeLeon as the associate editor for this section. Psychology in the Public Forum intends to provide psychologists with perspectives concerning the public arenas in which psychology must exist. Such a forum approach should aid our understanding of those public issues that both affect psychology and provide opportunities for psychologists to bring their expertise to bear as scientists, as practitioners, and as educators. I am very pleased to have two quite distinct articles appearing this month to inaugurate this section. Senator McGovern provides a broad-ranging view from a 20- to 30-year perspective of a number of intertwined issues that have in his view influenced the course of our society, and Mary G. Hager covers science and health in the Washington area for Newsweek magazine. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

Restates the editorial policies for the Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science in light of the recent restructuring of the journals of the Canadian Psychological Association. The major goal of the current editorial staff is to maintain the high quality established by the previous editor. The Journal is committed to publishing original research from any applied area of behavioural science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prix de la SCP 1988 honorant une contribution hors-pair à la psychologie en tant que profession.

Announces that the 1988 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Profession is Dr. Wesley H. Coons. Wes Coons' contributions to the development of professional psychology in Canada have been exceptional in many ways. His contributions have been exceptionally important ones and they have been many; he has been a pioneer who on more than one occasion has initiated, almost single-handedly, new developments for the profession. He was responsible for many developments in the practice of psychology throughout the 1950s and 1960s, in applied settings, in Universities, and in Canadian Associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Public Image of Psychology.

Comment on the public image of psychology. It is suggested that an alarming and distasteful image of psychologists is in the process of being formed as a by-product of the Era of the Corruption of Things Psychological. This era has been ushered in by our neglect of public relations, by the Sunday-supplement popularity of the mysteries of the mind, and by the discovery that psychological means of influencing behavior are a highly salable commodity in the nonacademic market place. As psychologists expand and refine their techniques for control of human behavior, the urgency of this problem of public relations will increase accordingly. This demands something more than the tranquilizing effect of an APA symposium on the Ethics of the Application of Psychology or the soporific of a prestige-laden committee to define the nature of the problem. We would be well-served by a simple tithing of the time, energy, and resources we now devote to the internecine conflicts with other helping sciences. Ideally, the perception others have of us ought to be a prime order of business for the leaders of every division of psychology, and participation in a design for public education ought to be as automatic a contribution to our mutual well-being as the paying of annual dues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

L'emancipation de la psychologie Canadienne.

What has happened to psychology in Canadian universities in the past few years is indeed startling. It has been caught up in a wave of popularity, or public trust, which has produced disproportionately large increases in enrolments in psychology everywhere. Psychology departments now typically carry the largest or one of the largest undergraduate teaching loads, and most have also developed graduate programs. Since 1960, the number of Canadian graduate departments of psychology has more than doubled. By 1966 and 1967 psychology was, of all the traditional academic disciplines, the third largest producer of Canadian PhD's. The rapid increase in the number of faculty required to teach so many students has made it possible for departments to develop along a number of lines. The developments in the universities are only one small part of the story of Canadian psychology in the 1960's, but they are particularly significant because of the promise they hold for the discipline in the years ahead. During the present decade improvements in the state of psychology in this nation have been in every respect spectacular. Canadian psychology has come of age. The evidence is all around us. The question now before us is, will this discipline move forward with confidence into maturity? Will it accept full responsibility for itself? Will it control its own destiny? I believe that it can and that it will. The future holds out much promise if we shape it to our advantage. Opportunities to determine our fate are being presented to us now if we will only seize them. The Canadian Psychological Association is the organization which can provide the fulcrum for the efforts that are required. Hence, we must make it the strong representative organization it should be. There are many problems to overcome if we are to do this, but nothing is impossible if we keep our real goals in sight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian psychology comes of age.

What has happened to psychology in Canadian universities in the past few years is indeed startling. It has been caught up in a wave of popularity, or public trust, which has produced disproportionately large increases in enrolments in psychology everywhere. Psychology departments now typically carry the largest or one of the largest undergraduate teaching loads, and most have also developed graduate programs. Since 1960, the number of Canadian graduate departments of psychology has more than doubled. By 1966 and 1967 psychology was, of all the traditional academic disciplines, the third largest producer of Canadian PhD's. The rapid increase in the number of faculty required to teach so many students has made it possible for departments to develop along a number of lines. The developments in the universities are only one small part of the story of Canadian psychology in the 1960's, but they are particularly significant because of the promise they hold for the discipline in the years ahead. During the present decade improvements in the state of psychology in this nation have been in every respect spectacular. Canadian psychology has come of age. The evidence is all around us. The question now before us is, will this discipline move forward with confidence into maturity? Will it accept full responsibility for itself? Will it control its own destiny? I believe that it can and that it will. The future holds out much promise if we shape it to our advantage. Opportunities to determine our fate are being presented to us now if we will only seize them. The Canadian Psychological Association is the organization which can provide the fulcrum for the efforts that are required. Hence, we must make it the strong representative organization it should be. There are many problems to overcome if we are to do this, but nothing is impossible if we keep our real goals in sight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

This editorial discusses the author's plans for the Journal as he assumes the position of editor. Although a change in editorship affords an opportunity to reaffirm the Journal's aims and objectives, the new editor's goal is to maintain the fine tradition of publishing high quality papers in general experimental psychology in both of Canada's official languages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial. On Tub Thumping.

The current issue of the Canadian Psychologist presents coordinated contributions which identify emerging issues in Canadian psychology and offers data-supported comment on academic, numerical and publication characteristics of Canadian psychologists. The reader will catch the sense of decision for psychology in Canada--with respect to the internal balance, priorities and goals of the discipline, and for our interface (or lack of it) with accelerating change in goals and methods of society in general. This editorial also discusses a lack of communication among psychologists in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Letter to The Editor, Canadian Psychologist: Dear Mr. Gibson.

In this letter to the editor, O. Spreen reports an error in "Applied Training Programmes of Psychology in Canada: A Survey" by Artur Z. Arthur (Canadian Psychologist Psychologie Canadienne, 1971[Jan], Vol 12[1], 46-65). Page 49 contains an error regarding the available staff for applied training programs at the University of Victoria. The correct figure under column 7 (staff, full-time, psychology) should not be 40. Instead the correct figure for 1971-72 should be 11; under "staff, other departments", 4 should be listed; under "staff, part-time", 1 should be listed; under "staff in applied settings", 3 should be listed. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-02140-007.) A survey of professional applied training programmes in the Canadian universities was carried out in 1969. Reported were 29 programmes: 17 in clinical psychology, 4 each in counselling and school psychology, one each in educational psychology and learning disabilities and 2 in experimental psychopathology. The number of places in the universities was related to the expected manpower requirements. Information was also given concerning the numbers of teachers in each programme, the types of applied settings utilized, and the different courses offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applied psychology in action: Psychological research in personnel administration.

Industrial management has undoubtedly been skeptical about the value of the personnel psychologist as a direct part of its operations payrolled as its job evaluation, training, organization and methods and other functions are. Yet a large number and variety of management problems can be attacked by the application of the specialized skills of the research psychologist. And in most cases not only can they provide the most valid solutions and recommendations but can do this in a manner which will please even the most practical administrator. To do this, it seems important for the research psychologist to be close enough to the management and operations of the organization so that he can sense needs for research in day-to-day problems. And he can make acceptable recommendations for application of research results in the same setting. The possibilities for success are greater, of course, where the relationship between administrator and psychologist is a close and continuing one. The Civilian Personnel Research Branch (CPRB) of the U. S. Air Force Headquarters is in the fortunate position of approximating this ideal. This Branch conducts psychological research originating from everyday problems of the civilian personnel program of the Air Force. The author concludes that staffing with personnel specifically trained for such work pays dividends, if in no other way than in making such research sufficiently sound to assure management that the conclusions may be applied with confidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prix de la SCP 1987 honorant une contribution hors-pair á la psychologie en tant que profession.

Announces that Dr. Stephanie Dudek, Professor of Psychology at the University of Montreal, is this year's recipient of the CPA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Profession. Dr. Dudek has contributed to our profession as a brilliant clinician, inspiring teacher and creative researcher, unifying these three roles into a remarkable and outstanding career. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

Presents a reaffirmation of the goals of the Canadian Journal of Psychology. The primary objective of the Canadian Journal of Psychology is to provide a vehicle for the communication of scientific research in general experimental psychology. The editor hopes to encourage Canadian experimental psychologists to take pride in their Journal, and submit their quality work to it. The Journal will continue to maintain a small and selective book review section, and it will maintain its short report section. There is no question that there is ample material to fill the pages of the Journal and make it interesting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prix de la SCP 1988 honorant une contribution hors-pair à la psychologie en tant que science.

Announces that the 1988 recipient of the CPA award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science is Dr. Philip Bryden, Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. One of Dr. Bryden's major contributions was to tackle the difficult issue of reliability of measures and to design and execute careful and meticulous experiments; experiments that are in large part responsible for the widespread acceptance of this technique as a tool in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology: The adaptive mind.

Reviews the book, Psychology: The adaptive mind by James S. Nairne, Martin S. Smith, and D. Stephen Lindsay (2001). This book contains references to Canadian researchers past and present and to Canadian websites, pictures of Canadian researchers, references to Canadian incidents (the Swissair flight crash off the coast of Nova Scotia opens the text), citations to the Canadian Psychological Association as well as to Canadian funding agencies (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC), and mentions of Canadian institutions. The reviewer was impressed by the fact that the authors accomplish their Canadian task without compromising any of the classic topics and studies in the field. The authors' writing style is accessible and easy to follow. The 16 chapters are well organized and thorough. The examples are relevant and of interest to undergraduate students. This text, while not addressing the issue directly, does note that women have been overlooked in historical treatments of psychology and makes a point of including the influence of women pioneers in psychology. A second concerns the overreliance on undergraduate students as research participants representing the adult population. The reviewer find this text to rank among the best when considering Introductory Psychology textbooks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Letter to The Editor: Canadian Psychologist": Reply to Dr. Zubek.

Responds to commentary by Zubek (see record 2007-02141-039) on the review of A. W. Pressey & J. P. Zubek's book (see record 2007-02140-023). The purpose of the review was to evaluate a unique and difficult undertaking: a collection of general psychology reprints in a Canadian context. A second but equally important intent was to invite reader reflection on some of the broader issues incidentally exposed by the nature of the task. The reviewer concluded that the book was not well enough balanced to be unreservedly recommended. And so they were not! Dr. Zubek's nine points of complaint must be evaluated by the individual reader who will take the time to scan the original review. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Involvement of the Psychologist's Family in the Establishment of a Public Image of the Profession.

Psychologists of late have been turning increasing attention to the problem of defining their profession (Amer. Psychologist, 1958, 13, 645-652; 1959, 14, 523-524) and outlining a public image (see record 2005-08103-001). The present writer applauds these efforts from the midst of the semantic battlefield upon which the psychologist's family finds itself when communicating with the public. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Letter to The Editor: Canadian Psychologist.

Comments on (1) Anonymous Review of "Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions" by A. W. Pressey and J. P. Zubek (see record 2007-02140-023) and (2) Editorial Policy with Respect to Publishing of Unsigned Book Reviews in the Canadian Psychologist. In the January 1971 issue of the Canadian Psychologist (pages (87-89) there appeared an unsigned review of my co-edited book entitled "Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions". May I state, at the outset, that I was most disturbed by its overall nature which was characterized not only by unwarranted ridicule, some obvious biases, and several gross misinterpretations but also by an almost complete failure to understand the purpose and scope of this book. Even more serious is the reviewer's suggestion or implication that the use of this book might conceivably have a detrimental effect on our beginning university students by providing them with a superficial or even a distorted impression of the nature of "Canadian psychology". Largely because of this allegation, I feel compelled to reply to the review. Furthermore, I also feel compelled to raise a somewhat related issue, viz., the nature of the editorial policy of the Canadian Psychologist regarding book reviews, particularly the publishing of unsigned reviews. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate education of Negro psychologists.

The "Council on Psychological Resources in the South was impressed with the dearth of psychologists in the South, particularly Negro psychologists" and appointed a committee "… to study the facts in this regard and to make recommendations for pertinent action." Fifty-six (98.2%) of fifty-seven graduate departments of psychology surveyed answered questionnaires concerning Negro psychologists receiving graduate degrees and the undergraduate origin of these students. "Negro personnel in psychology come in considerable proportion (one-third) from Negro undergraduate schools in the South." "In the process of bridging the gap between inadequate undergraduate training and high level graduate work, Howard University is making an exceptional contribution toward training in scientific and professional psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The skew in clinical psychology.

"The group studied is the 781 psychologists whose dissertations were listed by Rabin… in his A Bibliography of Doctoral Dissertations in Clinical Psychology… . The entire group produced a total of 2,922 publications during the period studied, with a mean of 3.7 and a median of 1.6. The distribution was extremely skewed with 28.9% of the group having no publications to their credit and another 19.2% having only one publication; 10% of the group accounted for 45% of their output… . In the language of the day, the particular mixture of fact and fantasy which we have here appears to be a highly fissionable one… " (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)