When are cookbooks useful?

The clinical psychologist as tester in the diagnostic triad (patient, referring person, and tester) may have the role of a technician or consultant. As a technician, he is concerned with comparing the patient with others (diagnostic categorization); as a consultant, he attempts to understand the patient—to develop and evaluate hypotheses on the basis of the patient's behavior (rather than in getting test responses from him). "The important differences between these two roles arise from the differences in the position or orientation of the psychologists in them… . Theoretically the kinds of activity in which the clinician cannot be replaced by the cookbook represent the limits of computing machines, of which the cookbook is a special case." It is the role of technician "that requires the use of cookbooks." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do pigeons (Columba livia) study for a test?

In 4 experiments, the authors asked whether pigeons (Columba livia) would show metamemory by choosing to study a sample stimulus before taking a memory test. In Experiments 1a–1c, pigeons chose between cues that led either to exposure to a sample stimulus or directly to the comparison test stimuli without seeing the sample in a delayed matching-to-sample task. The same choice was used in Experiment 2 to see whether pigeons would take a reminder when memory of the sample was weak. In Experiments 3 and 4, pigeons’ responses led to either a choice between red and green side keys with a sample present to guide the choice or a choice with no sample present. The findings of all of these experiments suggest the absence of metamemory in pigeons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of After high school--what?.

Reviews the book "After high school--what?" by Ralph F. Berdie (with chapters by Wilbur L. Layton and Ben Williams; see record 1955-02936-000). This volume reports the methods and results of a major investigation of the posthigh school plans of high school seniors and of a number of factors believed to be related to those plans. More specifically, the purpose of the study was "to investigate the factors determining college attendance with particular attention to a comparison of determinants related to economic status and those related to cultural or educational status." The study reported here gains in significance because of its comprehensive coverage both with respect to the population studied and to the types of data included. If the generalizations sometimes seem to outrun the data (despite disclaimers), this is a state of affairs not completely unknown in survey research. This is a solid contribution to current work on manpower problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When and how are spatial perceptions scaled?

This research was designed to test the predictions of 2 approaches to perception. By most traditional accounts, people are thought to derive general-purpose spatial perceptions that are scaled in arbitrary, unspecified units. In contrast, action-specific approaches propose that the angular information inherent in optic flow and ocular–motor adjustments is rescaled and transformed into units related to intended actions. A number of studies have shown, for example, that the apparent distance to targets is scaled by the effort required to walk the extent. Such studies can be accommodated by the traditional account by asserting that the experimental manipulations of walking effort influenced not perception itself, but rather postperceptual response processes. The current studies were designed to assess when and how action-specific influences on distance perception have their effects. The results supported the action-specific account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Skimpy AP?

Registers a complaint about the amount of American Psychological Association dues, and about the way the funds are used. The author suggests that the size of the American Psychologist be increased and the less popular journals eliminated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of What is electroshock therapy?.

What is Electroshock Therapy? (1954) presents answers to commonly asked questions about this form of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When do gestures communicate? A meta-analysis.

Do the gestures that speakers produce while talking significantly benefit listeners' comprehension of the message? This question has been the topic of many research studies over the previous 35 years, and there has been little consensus. The present meta-analysis examined the effect sizes from 63 samples in which listeners' understanding of a message was compared when speech was presented alone with when speech was presented with gestures. It was found that across samples, gestures do provide a significant, moderate benefit to communication. Furthermore, the magnitude of this effect is moderated by 3 factors. First, effects of gesture differ as a function of gesture topic, such that gestures that depict motor actions are more communicative than those that depict abstract topics. Second, effects of gesture on communication are larger when the gestures are not completely redundant with the accompanying speech; effects are smaller when there is more overlap between the information conveyed in the 2 modalities. Third, the size of the effect of gesture is dependent on the age of the listeners, such that children benefit more from gestures than do adults. Remaining questions for future research are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

When and why do central employees speak up? An examination of mediating and moderating variables.

We examined the proposition that employees' work-flow centrality (i.e., the extent to which they are critical to the task-related interaction networks of their work groups) enhances their personal influence within their work groups and, therefore, motivates them to engage in voice behaviors. In support of this proposition, in a study of 184 bank employees nested within 42 work groups, we found that employees' work-flow centrality was positively related to voice behaviors, with their personal influence mediating this relationship. Further, work-flow centrality was more strongly related to personal influence when employees had higher task performance, and personal influence was more strongly related to voice behaviors when employees had higher levels of work-group identification. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

But Are they symposia?

The author discusses perceptions of a frustrating and self-defeating quality of the symposia presented at the 1958 APA convention. It is argued that most of the symposia had too many speakers who read papers far too lengthy, so that no time remained for an exchange of ideas among the participants, let alone for reactions from the audience. Presumably the symposium, along with discussion groups, workshops, etc., is considered a superior way of encouraging the interchange of ideas in areas which are new, complex, or controversial. If so, it needs continued experimentation as to form and procedure so that something creative may emerge. Instead our APA symposia seem to follow a stereotyped pattern and too often turn out to be long-winded paper sessions involving little or no meeting of the minds. Will the program chairmen for 1959 please think seriously about improving this important part of our national and regional meetings? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic efficiency of DSM–IV indicators for binge eating episodes.

Objective: Research has examined various aspects of the validity of the research criteria for binge eating disorder (BED) but has yet to evaluate the utility of the 5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM–IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) “indicators for impaired control” specified to help determine loss of control while overeating (i.e., binge eating). We examined the diagnostic efficiency of these indicators proposed as part of the research criteria for BED (eating until uncomfortably full; eating when not hungry; eating more rapidly than usual; eating in secret; and feeling disgust, shame, or depression after the episode). Method: A total of 916 community volunteers completed a battery of measures including questions about each of the indicators. Participants were categorized into 3 groups: BED (N = 164), bulimia nervosa (BN; N = 83), and non-binge-eating controls (N = 669). Four conditional probabilities (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power [PPP], and negative predictive power [NPP]) as well as total predictive value (TPV) and kappa coefficients were calculated for each indicator criterion in separate analyses comparing BED, BN, and combined BED + BN groups relative to controls. Results: PPPs and NPPs suggest all of the indicators have predictive value, with eating alone because embarrassed (PPP = .80) and feeling disgusted (NPP = .93) performing as the best inclusion and exclusion criteria, respectively. The best overall indicators for correctly identifying binge eating (based on TPV and kappa) were eating when not hungry and eating alone because embarrassed. Conclusions: All 5 proposed indicators for impaired control for determining binge eating have utility, and the diagnostic efficiency statistics provide guidance for clinicians and the DSM–5 regarding their usefulness for inclusion or exclusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Contextualism in psychological research?: A critical review.

Reviews the book, Contextualism in psychological research?: A critical review by E. J. Capaldi and Robert W. Proctor (see record 1999-04104-000). In this book, these authors seek to expose what they perceive to be the fatal epistemological and conceptual flaws of the contextualist position (which they broadly and somewhat sloppily define as any approach in psychology that is more or less anti-mechanistic in its inclinations). It is a useful, clearly written, and provocative response to much recent contextualist thinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Democracy’s discontent.

Reviews the book, Democracy’s discontent: America in search of a public philosophy by Michael Sandel (1996). This book has been widely read by academics, politicians and others in public life, and interested citizens, giving him the stature of a leading public intellectual in contemporary America. Even though it is a work of political philosophy, I believe that Sandel’s writings have a special relevance for theoretical and philosophical psychology. At the outset of this book Sandel delivers his often-quoted observation that the “anxiety of the age” is the “fear that, individually and collectively, we are losing control of the forces that govern our lives” and that “from family to neighborhood to nation...the moral fabric of community is unraveling around us” (p. 3). He then describes how this loss of a sense of personal efficacy and meaningful human ties might derive from the dominance in our society of the “public philosophy of contemporary liberalism.” (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What ought psychology to do?

The Reverend Jesse Jackson addressed the American Psychological Association on August 20, 1999, in Boston, Massachusetts. His speech concerned social justice and psychology. This article presents the text of an abridged version of his remarks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Whatever happened to neurosis? An overview.

Discusses the decision to eliminate the term "neurosis" from the DSM-III. The history of the term is traced; weaknesses of DSM-II pertaining to neurosis are presented; theoretical and political processes in the deletion procedure are described; and an overview is given of the current resolution as presented in DSM-III. Instead of neurosis, "neurotic disorder" and "neurotic process" were distinguished to reduce potential theoretical bias. The process may or may not be seen by the clinician as causal in the disorder, but those of all theoretical persuasions should be able to agree on what the disorder is. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revue de Neuropsychologie du développement.

Reviews the book, Neuropsychologie de développement (2000). Claude Braun showed courage by writing his Neuropsychology book of the development. It is not frequent that somebody undertakes a task of this width. This work, is very understanding, puts at the range French-speaking people at last knowledge in neuropsychology of the development. Its 26 chapters treat normal and pathological development nervous system, of an exhaustive number of syndromes and their characteristics on the neurological, psychological, diagnostic level and of intervention for then finishing by discussing in a rather thorough way the neuropsychological evaluation of typical cases in a pediatric practice (e.g.: epilepsy, small evil, disease of Gilles of Tourette, etc). Moreover, the topics are treated according to various stages' of the life with the changes which the age causes in the development of the nervous system of the infant, the child of school age, and the teenager. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond the birds and the bees and was it good for you?: Thirty years of research on sexual communication.

Sexual experience and expression is of fundamental importance to most people. However, most people do not communicate effectively about sexuality even when it is important to do so. For example, many parents see it as their responsibility to talk to their children about sexuality and yet do not engage in in-depth discussions with their children about sexual topics. Most romantic partners have difficulty telling each other what pleases and displeases them sexually. Many health care professionals do not meet their patients' needs for information about the sexual changes they experience as a result of their disease or treatment. Many psychologists also are not doing a good job of addressing sexuality in the classroom, in practicum and internship settings, and/or with clients. These instances of poor sexual communication are unfortunate as effective sexual communication can have a range of positive outcomes such as more satisfying relationships and positive sexual health and well-being over the life span. This paper reviews sexual communication in all of these contexts, focusing on findings from my program of research spanning more than 30 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

How useful are the stages of change for targeting interventions? Randomized test of a brief intervention to reduce smoking.

Objective: To see whether the stages of change are useful for targeting a brief intervention to reduce smoking based on implementation intentions. A second objective was to rule out demand characteristics as an alternative explanation for the findings of intervention studies based on the transtheoretical model and implementation intentions. Design: Participants (N = 350) were randomized to a passive control condition (questionnaire only), active control condition (questionnaire plus instruction to plan to quit), or experimental condition (questionnaire, plan to quit, form an implementation intention). Their behavior and psychosocial orientation to quit were measured at baseline and at 2-month follow-up. Main Outcome Measures: Theory of planned behavior variables, nicotine dependence, and quitting. Results: Significantly more people quit smoking in the experimental condition than in the control conditions, and the planning instructions changed intention to quit and perceived control over quitting, but not behavior. Stage of change moderated these effects such that implementation intentions worked best for individuals who were in the preparation stage at baseline. Conclusion: Harnessing both motivational and volitional processes seems to enhance the effectiveness of smoking cessation programs, although further work is required to clarify inconsistencies in the literature using the stages of change. (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)     

Whither the Rorschach? An analysis of the evidence.

In the previous Special Section, the authors presented empirical evidence and logical analysis that were sufficient to demonstrate that the widespread use of the Rorschach in clinical, legal, forensic, and occupational settings is unwarranted on both scientific and ethical grounds (J. Hunsley and J. M. Bailey, see record 1999-11130-004). To expand on their analysis and to respond to issues raised in the previous and current Special Sections, they begin their article by examining a number of conceptual issues that are at the heart of the disagreements about the Rorschach. The focus is then shifted to the central issue of clinical utility, with an emphasis on why current research is insufficient to demonstrate the utility of the Rorschach. Next, the psychometric issues raised by I. B. Weiner (see record 2001-05665-002) are addressed and an alternative perspective on the psychometric viability of the Rorschach is provided. Finally, the authors conclude with some suggestions for future directions that must be taken in research to address the substantive concerns raised by Rorschach critics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pattern specificity in the effect of prior Δ? on auditory stream segregation.

During repeating sequences of low (A) and high (B) tones, perception of two separate streams (“streaming”) increases with greater frequency separation (Δ?) between the A and B tones; in contrast, a prior context with large Δ? results in less streaming during a subsequent test pattern. The purpose of the present study was to investigate what aspects of the context pattern are necessary for this context effect to occur. Simply changing the B-tone frequency without an alternating A tone present was not sufficient to cause the effect of prior Δ?, but rather a melodic change between A and B tones was necessary. We further investigated the extent to which the context and test patterns needed to have similar rhythms (xxx-xxx-) and melodies (up-down-flat-up-down), and found that a maximal prior-Δ? effect occurred when the rhythmic patterns of the context and test were similar, regardless of the melodic structure. Thus, the effect of prior Δ? on streaming depended on the presence of (1) at least one melodic change in the context, and (2) similar rhythmic patterns in the context and test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)