Psychological thrillers revisited: A tentative list of "master thrillers."

Suggests a supplemental reading list for graduate psychology students consisting of "master thrillers" embodying psychologically based character development. Selection criteria involved reader acceptance, simplicity of expression, brevity, reinforcement, and demand. An annotated bibliography of 31 titles was presented, and all students in the final 5-wk section of the course read and rated 1 book/wk. Since this part of the course dealt with abnormal psychology, all except 2 of the books were concerned with one or another aspect of this topic. The 9 books read most often and rated highest are listed and briefly described. Tentative conclusions are that such low-pressure readings are welcome to graduate students and may be useful in complementing the hard core of scientific material in a psychology course. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychic determinism versus freedom of choice: Order versus chaos.

In response to L. E. Tyler's (see record 1974-25495-001) article on a hopeful psychology, S. Morganstein proposed that orderly thought or behavior, based on a sequence of choices, is either determined by the external environment or a combination of the latter plus internal causes or control. The author submits that a psychologist who recognizes his/her own motivations is freer than one who judges by what society deems profitable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological connectedness and intertemporal choice.

People tend to attach less value to a good if they know a delay will occur before they obtain it. For example, people value receiving $100 tomorrow more than receiving $100 in 10 years. We explored one reason for this tendency (due to Parfit, 1984): In terms of psychological properties, such as beliefs, values, and goals, the decision maker is more closely linked to the person (his or her future self) receiving $100 tomorrow than to the person receiving $100 in 10 years. For this reason, he or she prefers his or her nearer self to have the $100 rather than his or her more remote self. Studies 1 and 2 showed that the greater the rated psychological connection between 2 parts of a participant’s life, the less he or she discounted future monetary and nonmonetary benefits (e.g., good days at work) over that interval. In Studies 3–5, participants read about characters who undergo large life-changing (and connectedness-weakening) events at different points in their lives and then made decisions about the timing of benefits on behalf of these characters. All 5 studies revealed a relation between perceived psychological connectedness and intertemporal choice: Participants preferred benefits to occur before large changes in connectedness but preferred costs to occur after these changes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

American Psychological Association Division of Consulting Psychology: By-laws.

Presents the by-laws of the American Psychological Association Division of Consulting Psychology, and notes segments that are to be eliminated, replaced, or added. The by-laws cover the following topics: (1) Name and Purpose, (2) Membership, (3) Officers, (4) Executive Board, (5) Nominations and Elections, (6) Meetings, (7) Committees, (8) Dues, (9) Amendments, and (10) Dissolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The related-autonomous position: Psychological freedom, mourning, and the psychoanalytic stance.

Describes a psychological state of mind, the related- autonomous (RA) position, in which the individual experiences a sense of self-discovered reality. RA may appear as a stage of cognitive learning, it can exist as a circumscribed emotional framework or interpersonal state of mind, or it may emerge as a more generalized level of psychological functioning. Although RA is most broadly conceptualized as a psychological capacity that emerges in concert with certain psychological shifts in the self's relationship to the internal object world, the more limited appearance of this psychological state may emerge throughout the course of development, along with other psychological states of mind. A discussion of the psychoanalytic stance (caring and distant) is presented and other implications of RA are discussed, including the ability to make use of insight, countertransference, the nature of conscience, and the development of psychological freedom. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Another career choice for BA psychology students.

Comments on R. B. Pinkus and J. H. Korn's (see record 1974-21796-001) career suggestions for BA degree holders in psychology and suggests another direction: the engineering psychology/human factors/ergonomics area. A master's degree in industrial engineering can profitably be combined with undergraduate emphasis in applied experimental psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology in action: Psychological classics: Older journal articles frequently cited today.

Presents a list of "psychological classics," journal articles published before 1933 which appear from 3-10 times in 18 general psychology textbooks currently in use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

James V. McConnell: American Psychological Foundation Distinguished Contribution to Education in Psychology Award.

Recognizes the receipt of the American Psychological Foundation's 1976 Distinguished Contribution to Education in Psychology Award by James V. McConnell. The award citation reads: "A distinguished scientist who loves to teach, an outstanding teacher who loves science, a scholar who learns with his students." A brief biography is included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Elliot Aronson: American Psychological Foundation Awards for 1980: Distinguished Teaching in Psychology Award.

Provides the biography of Elliot Aronson and announces that he has received the American Psychological Foundation Distinguished Teaching in Psychology Award (1980) for inspiring countless undergraduates, educating a generation of graduate students in research methods and theory, and developing and testing an ingenious format for inducing cooperation in school learning. A selected bibliography is also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological antecedents of escalation behavior: Effects of choice, responsibility, and decision consequences.

Research on escalation behavior has proposed that choice of an initial course of action, responsibility for decision outcomes, and negative decision consequences are necessary conditions for the escalation effect to occur. This proposition was tested in a sample of 257 undergraduates. Results show that although responsibility and negative decision consequences contribute to the escalation effect, they are not necessary conditions for escalation to occur. Escalation is also observed when a choice is overruled, and there are positive consequences for the implemented course of action. The escalation bias is greatest when the consequences are inconsistent with participants' expectations. These results are consistent with a self-justification explanation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-determination: The tyranny of freedom.

Americans now live in a time and a place in which freedom and autonomy are valued above all else and in which expanded opportunities for self-determination are regarded as a sign of the psychological well-being of individuals and the moral well-being of the culture. This article argues that freedom, autonomy, and self-determination can become excessive, and that when that happens, freedom can be experienced as a kind of tyranny. The article further argues that unduly influenced by the ideology of economics and rational-choice theory, modern American society has created an excess of freedom, with resulting increases in people's dissatisfaction with their lives and in clinical depression. One significant task for a future psychology of optimal functioning is to deemphasize individual freedom and to determine which cultural constraints are necessary for people to live meaningful and satisfying lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of Psychological Help Seeking in Clinical and Counseling Psychology Graduate Students.

Psychologists are often called upon to provide supervision, mentorship, and training to graduate student therapists-in-training. In these roles, psychologists may influence whether graduate students enter personal therapy during their training. This study investigated variables (including perceived faculty attitudes about students in personal therapy) that predict psychotherapy help seeking in clinical and counseling psychology graduate students (N = 262). The findings indicated that confidentiality issues, general attitudes about therapy, and perceptions of the importance of personal therapy for professional development were important predictors of graduate student help seeking. The implications for faculty, supervisors, and mentors of therapists-in-training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological complaints and disorders of students

Objectives of our investigation are the assessment of the prevalence of psychological disorders of students, the kind of symptoms and complaints and the frequency of treatment required. Secondly it is investigated whether the disorders of the clients consulting a counseling service are clinically relevant. The method has been a multidimensional field study of 346 students at the University of Heidelberg compared with 342 patients of the Psychotherapeutic Counseling Service of the University. RESULTS: 16% of the students assess themselves as severely mentally disordered and in need of treatment. This group shows objectively and clinically significant more frequent and more distinct psychological symptoms. The patients consulting a psychotherapeutic counseling service show the same degree of psychological symptoms as the persons of the control group who assess themselves as being in need of treatment. Depressive syndromes, working disorders, anxieties and interpersonal conflicts are the dominant areas of complaints. In the provision of counseling and treatment for students with psychological disorders, a psychotherapeutic counseling service plays its specific role.     

Teacher control strategies and choice of educational objectives among college students.

Studied effects of high vs low teacher control strategies on student educational objectives in a quasi-simulation university career game. 60 undergraduates, divided into 2 groups on the basis of scores on A. Mehrabian's measure of achievement motivation, were randomly assigned to high or low teacher control conditions. High-control Ss heard a 20-min lecture on choices available in a university career. Low-control Ss were invited to begin the simulation game immediately and explore alternatives as they proceeded. Results show that high-control Ss made significantly more goal choices for educational efficiency, while low-control Ss made significantly more choices favoring personal and social growth. Individual level of achievement motivation modified these overall results in predicted directions. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological maladjustment among Asian and White American college students: Controlling for confounds.

Differences in psychological maladjustment among foreign-born Asian-, U.S.-born Asian- and White-American college students were examined, after controlling for variables that have been confounded with ethnicity (i.e., demographics, response set, and personality style) in previous studies. Psychological maladjustment was measured in terms of both intrapersonal and interpersonal distress. Results indicated that foreign-born Asian-American students differed from White-American students on levels of social desirability, other-directedness, and extraversion. However, even after controlling for differences on these variables, greater levels of intrapersonal and interpersonal distress were found for foreign-born Asian-American students. The findings suggest (1) that for Asian-Americans there are ethnic differences in psychological maladjustment that covary with generation level, and (2) that these differences cannot be solely attributed to cultural variations in response or personality styles. Implications for counseling with Asian-American students are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fred McKinney: American Psychological Foundation Awards for 1977: Distinguished Contribution to Education in Psychology Award.

Fred McKinney received a Distinguished Contribution to Education in Psychology Award as a man whose dedication and commitment to excellence in teaching is surpassed only by his personal interest and involvement in the growth and development of his students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Membership characteristics of the Division of School Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

Provides statistics on the composition and characteristics of the American Psychological Association's Division of School Psychology. Information from membership records of the Division, the American Psychological Association 1972 Membership Register, and a questionnaire sent to approximately 150 members reveals that of the Division's total membership of 2,485, 49% have earned the doctorate (58% male and 33% female) and 51% hold the MA or BA degree. Approximately 75% of the members-68.2% male and 84.6% female-are employed principally in nonuniversity settings. Other findings show that 47.8, 48.1, and 4.1% of the female members are Associates, Members, and Fellows, respectively, while 36.3, 57.9, and 5.7% of the male members have the same roles. Although women represented less than 40% of Division membership in June 1973, they held more than half of the seats on the Executive Committee. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unlearned appetite controls: Watersnakes (Nerodia) take smaller meals when they have the choice.

Studies of appetite in mammals emphasize that meal size is learned, but lactation and parental care constrain testing of naive individuals. Neonatal reptiles, in contrast, are self-sufficient foragers. The authors examined the effect of prey size on meal size in primivorous (at first feeding) northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon). When offered an excess of small prey (2%-20% of snake mass), neonates ate significantly smaller meals (M = 23.5% of snake mass) than when offered a single huge item (range = 32%-55%). The authors conclude that (a) the taking of smaller meals is not a learned effect, (b) there may be a satiety threshold for meal size rather than a target, (c) oropharyngeal stimuli may provide satiety cues, and (d) huge meals may have fitness costs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)