Reply to Spitzer's "Politics–science dichotomy syndrome."

Comments that R. L. Spitzer's (see record 1986-11896-001) reply to the present author's (see record 1986-11891-001) presentation on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) and the politics of truth was like looking into a fractured mirror. The present author contends that Spitzer's objections to the definition of politics, his characterization of what was not included as "overlooked," and his insistence that a politics–science dichotomy has been presented are mistaken. It is suggested that Spitzer's treatment of the present author's efforts to elucidate the situation may illustrate difficulties akin to those addressed with regard to the DSM-III. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to "The hegemony of natural scientific conceptions of learning."

Responds to 2 points made by J. W. Osborne (see record 1982-29343-001) in criticism of an article by the present author (see record 1980-26706-001). Three features of phenomenological psychology and the value of a variety of approaches in psychology are discussed. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Of old philosophies and new kids on the block.

Discusses articles by D. E. Polkinghorne (see record 1985-07630-001), G. S. Howard (see record 1985-07626-001), and M. J. Patton (see record 1985-07629-001), in which they find the philosophy of science undergirding contemporary research in counseling psychology to be deficient. Their criticisms are reviewed and evaluated within the context of the present author's own view that the purpose of scientific activity is the construction (construing) of reality. The present author challenges the new philosophy to prove itself. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on my critics.

Allan R. Buss responds to Bavelas' and Macdonald's criticisms of Buss's article (see record 1976-26634-001) on the evaluation of Canadian psychology departments. Buss says that Bavelas' (see record 2007-04411-001) criticisms are, in the main, important, insightful, and fundamentally correct and that Macdonald's (see record 2007-04410-001) criticisms are, in contrast to Bavelas', highly original, unimportant, and fundamentally incorrect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"International Psychology": Answer to Robert J. Smith.

Replies to a comment by R. J. Smith (see record 1983-29210-001) on the author's article on international psychology (see record 1982-29234-001). The author clarifies points surrounding Marxist psychology, Kritische Psychologie, radical psychology, and similar approaches. He reminds Dr. Smith that these approaches are very popular in Latin America. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflections on the state of Greek psychology.

Responds to the articles by J. C. Bouhoutsos and K. V. Roe (see record 1984-26827-001) and by P. Vanger (see record 1987-00005-001) describing clinical and academic psychology in Greece as underdeveloped. The present author explains why developments have been delayed, and recent developments are not discernible to both outsiders and those who are part of the processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the demise of comparative psychology.

Argues that the entire area of comparative psychology has been questioned by R. B. Lockard (see record 1971-24449-001) following an earlier questioning by R. B. Lockard (see record 1969-06149-001) of the use of rats in psychology. The author protests handing this area of behavioral analysis over to biology, leaving the role of planning statistical manipulation to psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practitioner training: A model with rationale intact.

Responds to S. C. Hayes's (see record 1986-25647-001) comments on the work of D. R. Peterson (see record 1986-10245-001) on practitioner training in psychology. The present author argues that practitioner-oriented training in psychology occupies an important niche in the doctoral training system and that its rationale is embodied in its institutional priorities. One purpose of practitioner-oriented training is to develop a culture that is respectful of the clinical enterprise and that treats research primarily as an educational tool and a means to an end rather than as an end in itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond the Psychology Fair.

Comments on the article by Benjamin et al (see record 1978-30211-001) which discussed the college psychology fair as a vehicle for providing the public with a view of experimental psychology, a view shared by and Perloff and Perloff (see record 1977-28555-001). The current author agrees that providing high school students with an insight into the science of psychology is important, but suggests that psychology departments and the APA need to encourage the teaching of a scientific attitude to undergraduates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The units of unification: Theories or propositions?

Comments on the article by A. W. Staats (see record 1992-03794-001) on the unification of psychology through unified positivism, as well as on B. Weiner's (see record 1992-05401-001) article on the metaphors used in theories of motivation and attribution. The author favors using empirically based propositions over theories in the different branches for unifying psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neural plasticity and exaptation.

Comments that S. J. Gould (see record 1992-11754-001) posed something of a problem for D. M. Buss et al (see record 1998-01669-001) in his argument that human psychology links not to past evolutionary adaptations but to the coopting of previously evolved functions to do new things, or exaptation. The present author states that Buss et al observed that Gould failed to document this exaptation for any of the examples he mentioned because he could not demonstrate any "special design for the hypothesized function." He suggests that neural plasticity strongly links the brain, exaptation and human psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to commentaries: Raising a new vision of higher education: Psychology and social issues.

Replies to the numerous comments (see cases 2007-09070-001, 2007-09071-001, 2007-09072-001, 2007-09073-001, and 2007-09074-001) made on the current author's original article (see record 2007-09069-001). The crisis in higher education is far more about psychology than it is about education, and appropriately so. "Crisis" is, after all, a term from personality and clinical psychology. Our interventions must be more akin to the cognitive restructuring of psychotherapy than to the experimental or scientific analysis of a substantive issue. We already understand well enough the education part. We have not yet acknowledged the psychological part and unleased the power of action-research that allows us to combine living and knowing in way which does not make them a mutually exclusive choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Let's find basic behavioral systems first.

Highlights an issue covered by D. M. Buss et al (see record 1998-01669-001) on evolutionary thinking and its application to psychology, and their critique of S. J. Gould's views (see record 1992-11754-001) concerning exaptations and spandrels. The present author suggests a different direction that can be taken that may demonstrate that Gould's conception of the importance of spandrels and exaptations as "a mountain to the adaptive molehill" is "entirely backward". (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Note on Witmer, Viteles, James, and Münsterberg.

Regards the views stated in the article by P. T. McWhirter and J. J. McWhirter (see record 1997-07781-019) on the contributions of L. Witmer and of Morris Viteles in the course of applied psychology. The present author adds a brief addendum to the comment by F. J. Landy (see record 2001-17146-001) regarding Witmer's strong criticism of W. James. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology in the GDR.

Takes issue with A. Kossakowski's (see record 1980-10861-001) assertion that German psychology withered under fascism—the present author found little evidence to support Kossakowski's claim that communism in the German Democratic Republic has been good for psychology. (1 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Grappling with diverse conceptions of diversity.

Replies to comments made by S. R. Wester and D. L. Vogel (see record 2002-12457-009), E. E. Sampson (see record 2002-12457-010), R. S. Campbell et al (see record 2002-12457-012), and S. C. Rooney (see record 2002-12457-013) regarding the article by R. E. Redding (see record 2001-00465-001) which discusses pluralism and sociopolitical diversity in psychology and argues that the discipline of psychology is liberally biased. The current author addresses the various articles' comments individually. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-cultural malaise.

Comments on the articles by M. H. Segall, W. J. Lonner, and J. W. Berry (see record 1998-12442-001) and H. J. M. Hermans and H. J. G. Kempen (see record 1998-12442-002) on cross cultural psychology. The present author examines the idea of globalization from each author's perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Further thoughts on professionalism in school psychology.

The author responds to comments by J. I. Bardon, L. H. Levy, and C. R. Reynolds (see PA, Vol 74:13964, 13981, and 13990, respectively) regarding his (see record 1987-13985-001) article on professionalism in school psychology. The 3 reaction papers develop a number of common themes that are then addressed by the present author: the need to clarify the roles and functions of school psychology, the generic nature of psychology within which school psychology resides, the unique characteristics of this specialty, and skepticisms regarding the future. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of science to practice: One view in three parts, or three different views, of this watering hole?

Responds to the critiques by T. K. Fagan (see record 1988-37167-001) and M. R. Shinn (see record 1988-37189-001) of the present author's (see record 1988-37183-001) original article on the practical application of science in school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)