Do Applied Psychologists Die Young?

Examined whether psychologists engaged in applied fields of psychology die earlier than psychologists in other fields. Data for two samples of male psychologists in 1960 were analyzed. The answer to the question, "Do applied psychologists die young?", appears to be, "Yes, at least in comparison to other psychologists in 1960." Whether 1960 was simply an unfortunate year for applied psychologists does not seem likely though it is possible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subdoctoral Psychologists?

This column comments on the committee on subdoctoral education of the E & T board's recommendation in the September, 1955 issue of the "American Psychologist" that the term "psychologist" be reserved for people at the doctoral level and that the term "psychological technician" be used to designate persons at the subdoctoral level. In my opinion this sort of downgrading is completely unwarranted and represents an attempt on the part of the PhDs to freeze out competition despite their rationalization that it is in the public interest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Institutionalized Psychologists?

Of all the many types of professional positions which psychologists are called upon to fill, one of the most demanding is that of functioning in an institutional setting. The psychological programs at such institutions are, generally, not the most advanced. The psychologist is called upon to function in a setting where the real contributions he can make are very often unknown. There is often a tremendous factor of professional isolation present--the feeling (and fact) of being cut off from professional colleagues and out of the mainstream of psychological life. To further compound the picture, institutional salaries are generally quite low. The present author, noticing these problems in his own state, helped initiate an annual meeting for these psychologists to share ideas of roles, functioning, program development, etc. The individual psychologists who participate, the psychological programs at the institutions, and the quality of service all seem to gain from this group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are Psychologists Unpatriotic?

The author notes that, whether or not it is good for the advancement of a science of psychology, the psychologist has a duty to himself and to humanity to contribute far more than he has to one of the most pressing problems of our day--the problem of war and peace. Probably, there should be three types of literature about psychology and war: methodology, psychological information, and overall analyses. The production of information and idea patterns related to war and peace should not have to wait on special appropriations or special invitations to psychologists to participate. Psychologists should go to work on the problem and somehow see that their efforts find expression in publications that become widely available to those who might be interested in reading them. It would also seem reasonable to suppose that a national psychological convention would devote a major part of its time to this vital topic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why Teacher Certification for School Psychologists?

In 1954 the Thayer Conference took a look at school psychology and attempted to give better definition to its functions, levels, and training. Many issues could not be completely settled and still remain as controversies; but, in universities where special training is being carried on, it becomes necessary to take a stand on some of these issues. The present statement will attempt to take a position on one aspect of the problem: namely, the matter of requiring teacher certification for school psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do infant rats cry?

In the current revival of interest in the emotional and mental lives of animals, many investigators have focused attention on mammalian infants that emit distress vocalizations when separated from the home environment. Perhaps the most intensively studied distress vocalization is the ultrasonic vocalization of infant rats. Since its discovery, this vocalization has been interpreted both as a communicatory signal for the elicitation of maternal retrieval and as the manifestation of emotional distress. In contrast, the authors examined the cardiovascular causes and consequences' of the vocalization, and on the basis of this work, they hypothesized that the vocalization is the acoustic by-product of the abdominal compression reaction (ACR), a maneuver that results in increased venous return to the heart. Therefore, the vocalization may be analogous to a sneeze, serving a physiological function while incidentally producing sound. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do all systems age together?

BACKGROUND: Aging changes in different body system are well described, but few studies have considered the relationship between them. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate the interrelationships between markers of aging in different parts of the body. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. Structural and functional markers of aging were measured in a number of different body systems. RESULTS: Conditional independence analysis demonstrated that the aging markers selected clustered into two groups, either related to chronological age or adult height. Visual acuity, lens opacity, hearing threshold, cognitive decline, and the number of teeth were associated with age, while systolic blood pressure and skin thickness were related to height. Grip strength was associated with both. CONCLUSIONS: The differential associations of the aging markers with chronological age and adult height suggest that different systems do not age together. This may have relevance for understanding what underlies aging, and these preliminary findings now require replication in other aging cohorts.     

Do offensive words harm people?

The harm thesis—the assumption that words harm people—is a defining feature of sexual harassment, hate speech, verbal abuse, and obscene telephone call (OTC) offenses. This thesis ignores the possibility that swearing can be advantageous, cathartic, or an acceptable substitute for physical aggression. Observational data, courtroom evidence and verbal abuse research reviewed here produce conflicting conclusions on the question of harm. The best evidence of harm resides in harassment and OTC studies, but verbal abuse research is indeterminate because of flawed research methodology. Public swearing research reveals that swearing is a common conversational practice resulting in no obvious harm. “Common sense” (folk psychology) views of swearing are mistaken and inadequate for some decisions regarding harm. Meanwhile, efforts to restrict speech in media and instructional settings continue, despite the lack of a convincing need to do so. Harm from offensive speech is contextually determined; therefore attempts to restrict speech on a universal basis are misguided. Psychologists’ research needs to be informed by public policy and courtroom practices, and public policy and litigation need to be better informed by psychologists’ research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do Medicare HMOs cost shift?

We tested the hypothesis that health maintenance organizations (HMOs) increase their commercial premiums when Medicare pays less. Such a linkage would be taken as evidence of "cost shifting." Other studies have tested the cost-shifting hypothesis among health care providers, but this is the first to examine the HMO industry. Our data consisted of annual observations on all HMOs that operated in the United States between 1990 and 1995 and had a Medicare risk contract. A comparison group of HMOs that had no Medicare contract during that period also was analyzed. The main finding from this study is that HMOs have not shifted costs from Medicare to commercial premiums. This results supports the skeptical consensus that is developing toward the cost-shifting hypothesis. Additional findings include the negative effects of competition and for-profit status on HMOs' commercial premiums.     

Do intercultural experiences affect attitudes?

The attitudes and personality traits of 183 secondary school and college students who went to Europe in the summer of 1950 were tested before and after their trip. The principal findings of the study are: (1) S's who establish close personal ties with Europeans are more likely than others to engage in international oriented activities. (2) An unstructured, heterogeneous intercultural experience does not have a significant impact on social attitudes. (3) Knowledge of a S's pre-existing attitudes is a better predictor of response to an intercultural experience than knowledge of the experience itself. (4) There are significant personality differences between world minded and nationalistic S's. (5) Changes in attitude can be measured over a two month interval. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do research literatures give correct answers?

The rationale for insisting on properly designed studies is to ensure the construction of research literatures that are not influenced by biases of any sort. Once a literature is established, however, whatever answers it gives (usually via meta-analysis) are accepted as valid. The results of our favored statistical techniques are understood best when significant relationships are present while the meaning of null results are unclear. Thus, significant findings are more likely to be published. This file drawer problem has been known for many years. However, the effect that the file drawer has on research literatures has never been probed empirically. A new method is described that tests the impact a file drawer has on a research literature. The results of the file drawer on four separate psychological research literatures are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Communicating in Dynamic Conditions: How Do On-Site Construction Project Managers Do It?

A great many of today’s construction projects are characterized by high levels of dynamics, namely, the combined effect of complexity, uncertainty, and speed. Managing projects under such conditions is difficult and challenging, and the question is asked: How do managers do it? Aspiring to answer this question, ten excellent on-site construction project managers were systematically observed during one workweek each, within an extensive study that examined their performance in their dynamic management environments. The structured observation and documentation and the analysis that followed them enabled us to characterize the managers’ work and exposed their unique modes of operation through which they consistently excel in their work. Among many aspects addressed by the said study, this paper focuses on communication and, using various measures, examines the intensiveness and extensiveness of communication performed by the PMs in the broad context of their work. The study found that the on-site construction PMs were strongly oriented toward verbal communication of information (during nearly 80% of their activities and time); they spent a major portion of their workdays in meetings (during 60% of their activities, and of which nearly 80% were unplanned); and they showed clear preference for interacting informally with no more than one or two other persons (during 93% of their activities and 88% of the time). The unique knowledge base resulting from this study constitutes a potential contribution for practitioners who are required to function in similar dynamic work environments, as well as for students, teachers, and researchers of construction management.     

Do noncontingent interview mm-hmms facilitate interviewee productivity?

Two studies investigated the hypothesis that noncontingent interviewer "mmhmms" facilitate interviewee verbal productivity. In Study 1, 1 male interviewer interviewed 48 female undergraduates. In Study 2, 3 male interviewers interviewed 24 male undergraduates, and 3 female interviewers interviewed 24 female undergraduates. Within- and between-S comparisons did not support the hypothesis, although interviewees' ratings indicated that the mm-hmms were perceived as the social reinforcers they were intended to be. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do tricyclic responders have different brain laterality?

A previous study showed that depressed patients who improved with tricyclic antidepressant medication had dichotic complex tones test results suggesting right-hemisphere dysfunction relative to nonresponders and controls (G. E. Bruder et al., 1990). A new sample of 68 depressed patients completed dichotic consonant-vowel (CV) and complex tones (CT) tests and then were treated with imipramine or placebo. A significant Ear?×?Test?×?Treatment?×?Response interaction was accounted for by significantly poorer left-ear accuracy for CVs among imipramine responders compared with nonresponders, placebo responders, and controls. CV left-ear accuracy was also significantly greater among placebo responders than placebo nonresponders; and controls. The results only partially replicate the prior study in that evidence of right-hemisphere dysfunction in tricyclic responders was seen for the CV test but not the CT test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do click-evoked otoacoustic emissions have frequency specificity?

Whether click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) have frequency specificity is an issue still subject to debate. In order to resolve this issue, changes in the frequency components of the CEOAE power spectrum, together with changes in compound action potential (CAP) thresholds before and after pure-tone exposure in guinea pigs, were examined. Changes in CAP thresholds immediately before and 1 h after exposure were compared with changes in the frequency components in the CEOAE power spectrum before and 1 h after exposure. The ILO 88 was used for measurement of CEOAEs. Total echo energy in the CEOAE power spectrum was converted into frequency bands of 1000 Hz. Shifts in filtered echo power (FEP) levels correlated maximally with those in CAP thresholds at 0.5 kHz above the same frequency. Stepwise regression indicated that only one step could be entered in a linear regression model using the variable of CAP threshold shifts at 0.5 kHz above the same frequency for all FEP shifts except FEP4.5. The remaining variables played a negligible role, since variance no longer changed when they were included in the regression equation. From these results, it was concluded that CEOAEs display frequency specificity. Influence on CEOAEs from higher frequencies is negligible.     

Do low-numeracy people avoid shared decision making?

Objectives: Doctors have been increasingly encouraged to involve patients in decision making rather than pursuing the paternalistic model in which they make the decisions for their patients. But do patients want to participate in making decisions about their health? Is there a relationship between their preferences for shared decision making and numeracy skills? Are those preferences different in countries with different medical systems, and for different age groups? Extant studies cannot answer these questions because most are based on nonprobabilistic, highly selective patient samples that prevent generalizations to a broader population. Design: In a survey on probabilistic national samples in the United States and Germany, we interviewed participants with low numeracy skills (Germany: n = 127, mean numeracy = 37; United States: n = 117, mean numeracy = 36) and high numeracy skills (Germany: n = 133, mean numeracy = 96; U.S.: n = 121, mean numeracy = 91). Main Outcome Measures: Usual and preferred role in medical decision making. Results: A significant number of people with low numeracy in both the United States (35%, SE = 8.2) and Germany (30%, SE = 6.1) preferred to be more passive than they currently were. High-numeracy people, in contrast, were mostly satisfied with their current role. On average, Americans were more active than Germans. Middle-aged participants preferred to be more active compared to both younger and older ones. Conclusions: Shared decision-making preferences are related to numeracy skills, country, and age. Education efforts to increase numeracy, as well as using nonquantitative communication formats, may foster involvement of low-numeracy patients in decisions about their health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do chimpanzees seek explanations? Preliminary comparative investigations.

Notes that considerable effort has been devoted to understanding whether chimpanzees reason about unobservable variables as explanations for observable events. With respect to physical causality, these investigations have explored chimpanzees' understanding of gravity, force, mass, shape, and so on. With respect to social causality, this research has focused on the question of whether they reason about mental states such as emotions, desires, and beliefs. The studies reported here explored whether the chimpanzee's natural motivation for object exploration is modulated by a cognitive system that seeks explanations for unexpected events. The authors confronted both 7 chimpanzees and a total of 66 young children (aged 3–5 yrs) with simple tasks which occasionally could not be made to work. Their reactions were coded to determine if they appeared to be searching for an apparent cause (or explanation) of the task failure. The results of these preliminary studies point to both similarities and differences in how young children and chimpanzees react to such circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)