Managing social interaction in counseling: A contribution from the philosophy of science.

Proposes that ideas from phenomenological philosophy and sociology can be helpful in raising questions and devising strategies for research on counseling. A phenomenological version of the philosophy of the social sciences is drawn on to construct methods with which an observer may analyze a counselor and client's management of their social interaction in counseling. As a point of departure, stable concerted action between persons is described as a practical accomplishment, and then remarks about the intellectual tradition of phenomenology and some of its leading concepts are included as a foundation for later argument. Separate typifications of a counselor and client's subjective schemes for interpreting each other and expressing themselves in counseling are provided. These separate schemes are given definition as the working relationship, a counselor's perspective, and the helping relationship, a client's perspective. As well, a set of participant actions that are to be understood as independent of either perspective are identified and labeled as formulations or comments on the interaction itself. It can be observed that counseling participants frequently take the occasion to comment on their conversation itself, as if to attempt a remedy for the indefiniteness of what is being said. Examples of client and counselor interaction in counseling are included to illustrate how an observer may use the definitions of the working relationships to help locate the empirical components of each in an interview. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychotherapist's absence.

Patients construct many different fantasies about their therapists' absences. Some of these absences are not actual physical absences but rather psychical absences when the therapist is present in body. Also, the therapist's physical absence need not imply that she or he is psychically absent for the patient. Patients, too, can be present and absent in these various ways. This article surveys these phenomena and interpretations and also considers the part played by countertransference in these developments. Therapeutic processes are enhanced by careful exploration of these developments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implications for psychology of the new philosophy of science.

Salient features of a new philosophy of science that has developed over the past few decades are identified and their implications for psychology drawn. All science only approaches closure in the laboratory; outside of the laboratory, the world is radically open. Although scientific theory is equally valid in and out of the laboratory, it is not sufficient to explain behavior, nor is it easily applied. Neither natural nor social science has as its central role the explanation and prediction of individual behavior. Just as the application of physics requires engineering technology, explaining the behavior of particular individuals requires not only psychological theory but also situational, biographical, and historical information. (64 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neurocognitive aspects of substance abuse treatment: A psychotherapist's primer.

Reviews research indicating that neuropsychological dysfunction and psychosocial markers are essential predictors of substance abuse treatment outcome. In particular, evidence reveals that the prefrontal cortex plays a significant role in moderating behavior patterns. Clinical research also shows that the prefrontal/frontal region of the brain is often impaired among substance abusers. Left unrecognized and untreated, problems with prefrontal executive functions (e.g., reduced attention, impulsivity, disinhibition) may prevent some substance abusers from fully benefiting from contemporary treatment approaches. A guide for substance abuse clinicians to use during the assessment and treatment of neurocognitive functions is presented. The guide outlines the development of a neurocognitive profile and discusses how deficits can be explained to patients and treated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The new philosophy of science: A reply to Manicas and Secord.

Commends P. T. Manicas and P. F. Secord (see record 1984-00037-001) on their presentation in an accessible form of the complex issues involved in the new philosophy of science. Issues the present author raises in connection with the presentation include the contribution of the nomological-deductive model and the stress laid to causal analysis. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hypothesis testing, theory building, and the philosophy of science.

During the last 3 decades, behavioral science research methodologies have been subjected to criticism, with emphasis placed on inappropriate sampling procedures, hypothesis-testing procedures, and atheoretical research. I discuss these criticisms and offer solutions that emphasize that it is only on the basis of theory that one can decide on an appropriate hypothesis to be tested, on a correct method of statistical analysis, and on whether the experimental results can be generalized to a population of interest. I describe the implications of these considerations for counseling psychology research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client attachment style and the psychotherapist's interpersonal stance.

Attachment style is proposed as an important client variable that psychotherapists may need to assess in order to tailor their interpersonal stance in psychotherapy. The authors draw on J. Bowlby's (1969, 1973, 1978) attachment theory and describe the therapeutic implications of 3 adult attachment styles: Anxious/Ambivalent, Avoidant, and Secure. Results are summarized from a psychotherapy research program, including the finding that attachment style was related to symptomatology and to therapists' perceptions of the therapeutic alliance. Case illustrations of clients displaying the 3 types of attachment style are presented to illustrate how therapists can productively alter their interpersonal stance to enhance treatment outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The implication of the philosophy of science for rational-emotive theory and therapy.

Suggests that rational-emotive therapy (RET) reflects specific philosophical positions, the most important of which is A. Ellis's (1962, 1979) position on epistemology. The notion of defining beliefs as rational or irrational and the primary clinical strategy in RET of disputing irrational beliefs demonstrates this epistemological emphasis. In disputing irrational beliefs, the therapist asks the client to question a specific irrational belief and the criteria for holding that belief. R. Wessler and R. Wessler's (1980) expanded RET model is reviewed, and a revised model involving constructual abilities and personal paradigms is proposed. A case example of a 53-yr-old White female with intense social anxiety illustrates the relationship between inferences, evaluations, and the personal paradigm. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inaccurate implications of philosophy of science and rational-emotive therapy: A reply to DiGiuseppe.

Argues that contrary to R. DiGiuseppe's (see record 1987-22610-001) claims, irrational beliefs are evaluative cognitions with central importance theories of emotion and are the focus of disputing in rational-emotive therapy. The concept of personal paradigm and the potential contributions of cognitive psychology to cognitive psychotherapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contextualizing discourse on a philosophy of science for psychotherapy integration.

The present article introduces the second installment of this special section (Anchin, 2005) and focuses on the conjunction between philosophy of science and psychotherapy integration. The author suggests that the current state of research in the integrative field offers a timely opportunity for discussion and debate about a philosophy of science appropriately suited to the distinctive nature of psychotherapy integration. To contextualize such discourse, the principal domains of interest in philosophy of science are described, followed by discussion of the two opposing philosophical positions, naturalism and antinaturalism, that have long dominated debates about scientific knowledge in the social sciences. The divergent modes of inquiry spawned by these two positions are then examined, followed by discussion of the degree of impact each mode of inquiry has had on guiding psychotherapy research. The author puts forward core dimensions of a scientific paradigm for psychotherapy integration logically and operationally consistent with the epistemological pluralism of integrative theory and practice; noted, as well, are benefits for psychotherapy integration, and for psychotherapy research and the discipline of psychology more broadly. Against this backdrop, central themes of Robert Elliott's (2008) ensuing analysis and Robert Woolfolk's and Frank Richardson's (2008) commentary are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychotherapist's experience of interest and boredom.

Explores the clinical utility of conceptualizing the intensity and direction of psychotherapists' interest in their patients in terms of the interdependent aspects of the patient–therapist relationship. An evolving interpretive framework is presented that takes into account the affective, cognitive, and motivational properties and the object-relational nature of interests. Focus is on the therapeutic possibilities and limitations of the hypothesis that the ebb and flow of a therapist's interest in a particular patient occurs in the context of a complex interaction in which both patient and therapist play important roles. The origins, meanings, and management of boredom in the therapeutic situation are given special consideration. A clinical vignette illustrates the interactional nature of boredom in the therapeutic situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Inaccurate implications of philosophy of science and rational-emotive therapy": A rejoinder.

Replies to R. DiGiuseppe's (see record 1988-30290-001) comments on the present author's objections (see record 1988-30350-001) to DiGiuseppe's conceptualization of rational-emotive theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Realism, pragmatism, and the implications of the new philosophy of science for psychology.

Commends P. T. Manicas and P. F. Secord (see record 1984-00037-001) for alerting psychologists to the changes that have occurred in the philosophy of science since 1970. However, the present author takes issue with Manicas and Secord for appearing to suggest that the revolution in the philosophy of science has been resolved in favor of ontological realism. It is suggested that what they should have said was that the ontological status of hypotheses has changed. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When less is more: Meaningful learning from visual and verbal summaries of science textbook lessons.

In a series of 3 experiments, college students who read a summary that contained a sequence of short captions with simple illustrations depicting the main steps in the process of lightning recalled these steps and solved transfer problems as well as or better than students who received the full text along with the summary or the full text alone. In Experiment 2, taking away the illustrations or the captions eliminated the effectiveness of the summary. In Experiment 3, adding text to the summary reduced its effectiveness. Implications for a cognitive theory of multimedia learning are discussed; implications for instructional design pertain to the need for conciseness, coherence, and coordination in presenting scientific explanations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does psychology need its own philosophy of science?

Discusses the relevance to psychology of contemporary "philosophy of science," a formal discipline that critically examines the procedures of respective sciences and sets rules for their operations and communications. The problem with this philosophy is that it mainly relates to the physical sciences. Although quantum theory rendered the causal principle useless and relativity theory subordinated time to space, psychologists do give attention to causal relationships and operate with temporal sequence in the behavior of organisms. The analysis of observer vs. observed situation of physics also offers little enlightenment. It is concluded that behavioral scientists should develop their own philosophy of science, related to their particular epistemological and methodological problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning lessons from sunk costs.

Study participants rated the quality of several arguments for continuing an original plan in sunk cost situations in order to (a) avoid wasting resources, (b) learn to make better decisions, (c) punish poor decision making, and (d) appear consistent. The lesson-learning argument was perceived as most appropriate when adult teachers taught lessons to others, the original decision was carelessly made, or if it consumed comparatively more resources. Ratings of the lesson-learning argument were higher for teacher-learner than for adult-alone situations, regardless of whether the learner was a child or an adult. The implications for improving decision making and judging whether the sunk cost effect is a bias are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Minding the gap: Epistemology and philosophy of science in the two traditions.

Reviews the book, Minding the gap: Epistemology and philosophy of science in the two traditions by Christopher Norris (2000). In this book, the author takes issue with the all-too-frequently held view that there can be no productive engagement between mainstream analytic philosophers and thinkers in the contemporary Continental tradition. The main focus here is to reveal the various concerns each of these two traditions share—concerns that have often been obscured by narrowly parochial interests and the desire to stake out distinct philosophical territories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

To tell or not to tell: The psychotherapist's dilemma.

Examines an ethical dilemma for professional psychologists treating potentially dangerous clients. The problems involved in predicting dangerousness are discussed as well as a number of possible interventions geared toward protecting the intended victim and society. Legal and ethical requirements to assess potential dangerousness, coupled with the "double agent" conflict and the tendency of mental health professionals to overpredict dangerousness, can adversely affect the therapist–client relationship and vitiate the treatment process. Legal and ethical issues confounding the course of action most effective for therapists to take to protect society and preserve individual rights are explored, and recommendations are proposed. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)