Social influences on the standards of psychologists.

A 6 X 26 matrix is presented in the form of a table titled Influences Acting on Psychologists in the Six Areas of Psychological Function. The 6 functional categories represent those given in the APA Code of Ethics are: Basic and Applied Research, Teaching, Service to Clients and Employers, Public Service, Professional Relations, and Writing, Publishing, Speaking. The 26 influences are grouped into 4 categories: Interpersonal Influences, Group Membership Influences, Formal Social Regulatory Influences, Other. A 2-step evaluative response toward each cell may be attempted, one evaluation concerning the existence of influence, and the other its desirability. Major sections are: Analysis of Present Influences Operating on Psychologists. Analysis of the Effects of Fund-Granting Agencies. Lessons from Other Professions. Conclusions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social pressures and the values of psychologists.

Speaking in connection with the APA Code of Ethics, the author discusses the social roles of psychologists and the social pressures associated with such roles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social Work Courses for Psychologists.

Andriola has stated (American Psychologist, December, 1951) that he was desirous of seeing an increase in the interchange of information between social workers and psychologists. He was critical of psychology in that he felt that psychologists had little or no knowledge of the field of social work. Singer replied (American Psychologist, December, 1952) that psychologists are hindered from gaining a knowledge of social work by virtue of the admission policies of certain schools of social work. Furthermore, he contended that the schools of social work had raised a barrier to cross communication with psychology. Singer poses some questions that he would like to have answered regarding psychologists and social work schools and it is the purpose of this communication to offer partial answers. It is my feeling that clinical and educational psychologists could profit immeasurably from courses offered in a social work curriculum. I found that such courses as Community Organization, Public Welfare, Case Work Techniques, Administration and Supervision and particularly Legal Aspects added much to my professional competence and academic stature. Psychology as it manifests itself in an applied sense could well take cognizance of the thorough and effective techniques developed by the social work profession in the area of supervision and on-the-job training. I am in complete agreement with Singer's contention that "An important outcome of a graduate training program which would require students in psychology and social work to take courses in each department would probably be a more effective team approach to the common problems to be solved by both groups, viz., to enable the client to live a happy and satisfactory life." My experience may not be representative of the general attitude of schools of social work. Nevertheless, my own enrollment has added to my feelings of respect and admiration for the social work profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Participation of Psychologists in Foreign Meetings.

This article offers the author's observations on American psychologists presenting papers in foreign countries. He points out that psychology in the US has a different viewpoint, dealing with precisely defined variables, while psychology abroad deals with broad categories based on philosophic considerations. Although the program committees that select papers for international conventions are in many instances composed of foreign psychologists, usually such papers are chosen by abstracts, and the committee does not know the intimate details of the paper. The author stresses that American psychologists should know that the goals of the audience are just as important as their own, and by delivering talks that fit in with their own standards and not those of the audience, they are defeating their own purpose. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social justice in practicum training: Competencies and developmental implications.

This article addresses the challenge in the predoctoral education of professional psychologists of providing practicum training experiences with a strong social justice focus while also ensuring that students are acquiring the full range of foundational competencies expected of practicing psychologists. The theory-based distinction between interactional, procedural, and distributive justice will be discussed as a framework for considering a developmental progression in practicum training, moving from individually focused skills to more advanced competencies emphasizing social/institutional change. The article concludes with aspirational recommendations for any academic program seriously committed to the pursuit of social justice as part of its training mission. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Consistency in Social Behavior: The Ontario Symposium (Vol. 2).

Reviews the book, Consistency in Social Behavior: The Ontario Symposium (Vol. 2), edited by Mark P. Zanna, E. Tory Higgins, and C. Peter Herman (1982). The volume has two major foci: the consistency of the individual's behaviour in different situations, and the consistency between people's attitudes and their behaviour. These issues have been classic concerns, respectively, of personality and social psychologists. Once upon a time, we as psychologists naively assumed the existence of both forms of consistency. But in the last two decades our faith has been shaken. For the most part, the participants in the Second Ontario Symposium help to restore our faith. But, in doing so, they provide a more sophisticated, qualified view of consistency. In conclusion, this set of papers is a record of, and a testimonial to, the success of the Second Ontario Symposium on Personality and Social Psychology. It is the present reviewer's hope that this biannual event will be continued in the years ahead. Clearly, the Second Symposium was worth the effort involved! (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social Workers and Psychotherapy.

The three papers, by Ausubel, Brody, and Kelly (February, 1956, American Psychologist) were both refreshing and illuminating. They brought to mind an incident of a number of years ago while I was taking graduate work in psychology. I was talking to one of my professors (a well-known and distinguished psychologist) about the American Orthopsychiatric Association. Toward the end of our discussion he commented more philosophically than bitterly, "Ortho is like a car with the psychiatrist in the driver's seat, the social worker next to him, and the poor psychologist in the back seat." Perhaps this may not have been a fair appraisal at that time (and I certainly do not believe that it applies today). However, I am inclined to think that outside of ortho, even among some of the more "mature" members of these disciplines, there may be considerable jockeying for position in the game known as, "Who Should Do Psychotherapy?" Although, as indicated by the authors, there are many indications of competitiveness between psychologists and psychiatrists, this phenomenon is further complicated by the feelings and attitudes of social workers, particularly those on clinic and hospital "teams" employing all three disciplines. It should be pointed out that in the usual mental hygiene clinic the bulk of the "treatment" is carried out by the social workers, probably for no more sinister reason than that there are more social workers than the total of both other disciplines in such clinics. One cannot help but wonder if in the next decade or two a plodding and less articulate dark horse called social work may not emerge as the leading contender in the scramble to corner the "psychotherapy market" while the more spirited fillies--psychology and psychiatry--knock themselves out in the race. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists and public information.

The 1st peace group, inspired by Otto Klineberg and organized by Stanley Zuckerman in 1961, now called the "Social Scientists for Peace," had as its purpose the application of psychological knowledge to such urgent issues as war hysteria, cessations of nuclear tests, disarmament, and fall-out shelters. Activities of various groups of psychologists concerning such social endeavors are cited. 2 questions, "Should psychologists participate in demonstrations and similar activities?" and "Should psychologists be doing research rather than engaging in social action and public education?" are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychologist as change agent.

Given the press of contemporary social problems, psychologists are confronted with opportunities to become agents for social change. The academic, research-oriented training of psychologists does not equip him with the relevant values, knowledge, or skills to become an effective change agent and predisposes: him to reject the role as unscientific or unprofessional. This is true for the clinical, educational, and industrial psychologist as well as for the experimental and comparative psychologist. Professionals are being trained in management schools and departments of applied behavioral science who possess the requisite values, interdisciplinary knowledge, and consultative skills to be effective change agents in large organizations. Their general strategy is to transmit their knowledge and skills to non-professionals in the organization who share their values. Psychologists have typically viewed this activity by non-psychologists as a threat and their response has been characterized more by a defence of the discipline than by a concern for solving problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian psychologists for social responsibility.

The report in Canadian Psychology from "Canadian Psychologists for Social Responsibility" (P. R. Johnson, October 1984, pp. 336-337; see record 2007-03848-001) requires comment. First, we are amazed at the arrogance of the assumption that one political position is socially responsible, and all others presumably are irresponsible. Aside from that, the annual report of the section in effect says that evidence is unnecessary as long as in our heart we know we're right. Furthermore, the position attacked in the report is a straw man. Who has denied "that people are afraid of a nuclear holocaust"? Rather than attacking a claim that CPSR's critics have not made, its spokesman could try to deal seriously with the response made to another article emanating from this new section (O. Johnson, 1983). If the denigration of the need for objective evidence, and the ignoring of basic distinctions, are characteristic of CPSR's approach, there seems to be no difference between them and any other political group. In that case, the question naturally arises: Why should this political group constitute a section of CPA? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rebuttals Needed.

Comments on the S. C. Ericksen article (see record 1964-01620-001), which summarizes the "rationale which both justifies and demands that psychologists address themselves to the broad matter of social control". The present author argues that Ericksen did not see fit to address himself to the very serious problems which legislation affecting psychology has raised in the eyes of academic psychologists, but chose, instead, to write a baseless attack upon the motives of those who have questioned the wisdom of these laws. It is noted that a desire for legislation is by no means a necessary indication of social responsibility. Bad laws have been passed before, and may be again if care is not taken. All psychologists have the right, indeed the obligation, to take a good hard look at laws proposed to regulate their field, and to object to them if they seem undesirable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Robert E. Lana (1932-2006).

Presents an obituary for Robert Lana. Lana, a professor for 39 years at Temple University, died on October 17, 2006, of respiratory and cardiac problems. A leading social psychologist, Bob had retired from Temple in 2005. Born in Union City, New Jersey, on August 9, 1932, he received his bachelor of arts from Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey (1954) and his doctorate from the University of Maryland (1958). His doctoral dissertation was published in Psychological Bulletin (1959) and was awarded first prize in a national Psi Chi competition. Lana is survived by his wife Jean, his daughter Renata, and a grandson, Luca. His doctoral students include many eminent psychologists, who join his family and colleagues from around the world in mourning the death of a distinguished and charming scholar. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theodore M. Newcomb (1903–1984).

Presents an obituary for Theodore M. Newcomb. Newcomb died on December 28, 1984, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, his home base for 40 years. Born in Ohio in 1903, he graduated from Oberlin College and received his doctorate at Columbia University where he worked with Goodwin Watson and Gardner Murphy. In addition to his years at the University of Michigan, his teaching career included posts at Lehigh, Western Reserve, and Bennington. Newcomb was a major pioneer figure in social psychology and a principal force in the development of the social sciences at the University of Michigan. His death has left the field and the community poorer in intellectual and human quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Putting self psychology to good use: When social and clinical psychologists unite.

The subareas of psychology often fail to share with one another their research and theorizing. This article attempts to redress this lack of communication as it pertains to social psychological theorizing and research on self-motives. The article starts with a review of the social psychological literature surrounding people's needs for positivity and verification, followed by a discussion of how to integrate these seemingly incompatible literatures. The article then highlights how these self-motives likely play a role in the psychotherapy enterprise and suggests ways in which therapists might use this information. By bridging the gap between the social and clinical literatures in this way, the authors anticipate that both fields will progress more productively toward their respective goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obligation of Psychologists.

Contends that while Brayfield's paper (American Psychologist, 1967, 22, 182-186) was a most commendable effort, its emphasis was solely on the role of organized psychology in public affairs. The present author feels that beyond the role of organized psychology, psychologist members of society have a further obligation: to contribute to social, national, and world affairs by helping to resolve critical and major problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment: On Legislation.

Letter comments on Sheila Pfafflin's rebuttal in the American Psychologist, (see record 2005-11488-004), regarding legislation for psychologists. The author states that Pfafflin's analogy to physicists and economists is fallacious, and does not apply to professional psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science of obvious and common sense causes in historical perspective.

In her present stage of development, the science of obvious and common sense causes finds herself at cross roads. This paper provides a brief historical sketch of her actual development as a function of methods, professional identification and units of research employed. Prisoner's dilemma paradigm (PDP) is used as an explanatory model to highlight the implications of earlier choices made by social psychologists and social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stanley Schachter (1922-1997): Obituary.

Presents an obituary for Stanley Schachter, who died on June 7, 1997, in East Hampton, New York. It is doubtful that any social psychologist ever produced so many distinguished students. Stanley Schachter's contributions to psychology were extraordinarily broad. They included research and theory on group processes, communication, social influences on personal construction of reality, the affiliation motive, correlates of birth order, the nature of emotional experience, people's ability to attribute the causes of their behavior to external or internal factors, the causes of obesity and eating behavior disorders, and the addictive nature of nicotine. He made psychological research seem extremely exciting, and he convinced his students that they had the capability to do it well. His students, in turn, have themselves been successful as mentors. A remarkable fraction of the most highly regarded social psychologists in the country are the intellectual children, grandchildren, and now even great-grandchildren of this multiply talented investigator with protean interests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The clinical psypsychologist's opportunities and obligations in the community.

A discussion of the role of the clinical psychologist in working within society, in the community, to apply his abilities to the molding of social structure, for "only by going where society is can we maintain ourselves." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lessons from the experiences of White antiracist activists.

What can the experiences of White antiracist activists teach psychologists about social justice training, practice, and advocacy? Not only have the perspectives of these individuals received little in the way of scholarly exploration, their activities are largely unknown to mainstream society. In this qualitative analysis, we studied the views, actions, turning points, and challenges reported by 18 adults whose self-reported antiracist activities ranged from organization and leadership to speaking out in everyday situations. Participants demonstrated a complex structural conceptualization of race and racism, and considered their antiracist activities to be rewarding and meaningful despite the interpersonal conflict that had accompanied them. The results of the analysis are tied to suggestions regarding the multicultural/social justice training of applied psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)