Drug testing as part of the war on drugs

Drug testing programs in the United States may broadly be classified as mandatory (such as under DOT or Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulation) or nonmandatory. In the first group, a regulated employer is required by federal regulations to test. In the second, the employer chooses to test for reasons other than the federal requirements. It always was intended that the federal program would be the model for testing by private employers, and that mandatory testing would be extended to private employers who are regulated by various agencies of the federal government. This has happened. In addition, private employers who are not required to test under federal authority have instituted employee drug testing programs closely modeled on the federal program. Whether mandated or not, a well-designed and implemented drug testing program is a valuable tool in the effort to fight drugs in the workplace.     

Review of Madness and government: Who cares for the mentally ill?.

Reviews the book, Madness and government: Who cares for the mentally ill? by Emory A. Foley and Steven S. Sharfstein (1983). This book is a fascinating factual account of the struggle to develop community intervention alternatives to the 100-year domination of the state hospital system in the United States. It is the story of the efforts of "Washington's Noble Conspirators," who struggled for more than 20 years after World War II to expand the amount of federal support of medical research, to get federal money into the care of people with mental disorders, and to obtain federal support for the training of mental health personnel and research into the whole area of mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adventures in implied psychology: On the value of true negatives.

In response to criticism by psychologists and federal agencies that testing programs are not given in an appropriate manner, and in view of the federal governments' position that criterion-related validity studies are useful in defense against unfair discrimination in testing, it is facetiously suggested that failures be recruited, hired, and fired. This would comply with federal regulations and recover resources normally expended in legal expert-witness fees. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negotiating the indirect cost of research: A review of the process.

Notes that a considerable portion of the cost of federally sponsored research is used in the reimbursement of the indirect costs of the research. The percentage of indirect costs has been increasing over the last decade. This increase has led both investigators and federal agencies to seek procedures that would reduce the share of the research budget devoted to indirect costs. Under the assumption that any attempt to achieve this goal will be enhanced by an understanding of the process, the present authors review the procedures used as the indirect costs are negotiated between representatives of the federal government and a university. Attention is drawn to those stages of the process at which investigators can assess their university's indirect cost policy. It is concluded that the evaluation should focus on the total cost bill presented by the university rather than on the so-called indirect cost rate that is used to distribute the indirect cost recovery within the university. Factors that may account for the large variability across universities in the indirect cost rate are reviewed. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

As the pendulum swings: Federal agency programs for children.

This article provides a brief history of federal agency involvement in programs for children and their families, examines factors that affect the development of federal social policy, and suggests what might come next. It includes a brief summary of the existing 93 federal programs operated by various agencies of the federal government. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The costs of child protection in the context of welfare reform

The financing structure of any large public service system both reveals the priorities held by policymakers and drives the delivery of services. Of the $11.2 billion in public funds for child welfare services, somewhat less than half is federal. As this article explains, federal funds for child welfare overwhelmingly go to support out-of-home care (foster care and adoption services), and these costs have risen sharply in recent years. In contrast, federal funding for child protection investigations, prevention programs, and treatment services is more limited, and expenditures have not risen apace with reports of maltreatment. The article compares the high cost of foster care with the lower per capita cost of cash assistance to poor families and the per-case costs of child protection investigations and service provision. Pointing out that the great majority of families served by the child welfare system are poor, the author argues that child welfare and cash assistance should be seen and analyzed as interrelated programs serving poor families. The article examines the varied ways in which the changes in cash assistance programs introduced by the 1996 federal welfare reform law may increase the need for child welfare services and drive up the costs of child protection.     

Science and the allocation of resources.

Until World War II, there was no general theory on the relations between government and science that could be considered a national science policy. Federal policy was largely instrumental and mission-oriented, allocating resources for rather closely defined technological or social purposes. In the mid-1960s, there arose a disposition to examine the federal research and development effort as a single coherent activity, resulting in increased demands for the planning of science. This resulted in the creation of new federal agencies concerned with techniques or areas of science and technologies rather than social goals or missions. Both the mission- and the science-oriented approach have advantages and disadvantages, but the tension between the 2 serves as a creative force in society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-range impact of "fair selection" standards on minority employment.

Reviews alternate statistical standards of "fair selection," including the standard that seems to be implicit in the federal employee selection guidelines. A human resource planning model is developed to simulate the impact of each standard on minority employment. In the model, the racial composition of the flows of employees into and through the organization is determined by the "fair selection" standard chosen for simulation. The model is applied to staffing data from an existing organization. Data show that the fairness standard implicit in the federal selection guidelines would have a worse effect on Black employment than would the implicit fairness standard typically used by employers. (60 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-validation of the Megargee MMPI typology for prisoners.

To cross-validate the E. I. Megargee and Dorhout (1977) and J. Meyer and Megargee (1977) MMPI typology for prisoners, one sample consisting of 2,063 male federal offenders and one sample consisting of 1,455 (164 females, 1291 males) state offenders were obtained. By use of a computer typing program, over 85% of these Ss were classified, and all of Megargee's 10 profile types were identified within each sample. Additional data collection and subsequent analyses revealed (a) significant age differences among the male state MMPI types; (b) significant differences in regard to the proportion of each type found within the male and female state offender samples; (c) significant differences among the federal MMPI types in terms of their current offenses; and (d) significant differences among the federal types in terms of the total number as well as the number of verbally aggressive and group-defiant rule infractions committed while incarcerated. It is concluded that the Megargee typology is a valid and generalizable system. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

I/O psychology in the Canadian federal government: The Personnel Psychology Centre of the Public Service Commission.

Suggests that hiring in the Canadian federal government is based on merit and that tools such as selection and language standards and assessment techniques foster the assessment of merit. Legislation entrusts the Public Service Commission of Canada with the authority to develop and administer these selection tools, and this authority is, in turn, entrusted to the Personnel Psychology Centre (PPC). The scope of the PPC mandate and each divisional area of responsibility are described to illustrate the state of industrial/organizational psychology within the federal government. Implications for the PPC of the increasing concern with test bias issues are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research and the Freedom of Information Act.

The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has the potential for affecting the social scientist at almost every stage of his or her research. Whenever a researcher files information with the federal government that subsequently becomes an "agency document," this information becomes responsive, and hence disclosable, to an FOIA requester. This information may be in the form of a grant or contract research proposal, raw data, results of preliminary analyses, or a final report. This article addresses the research issues raised in several recent federal cases and outlines their implications for the possible abrogation of a researcher's property rights in his or her data and the potential breach of the confidential researcher-subject relationship. Suggestions are made for methods to minimize FOIA intrusion into this area and for remedial legislation to prevent future uncertainties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association for the Advancement of Psychology: 1980.

Founded in 1974 under the auspices of the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association, the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (AAP) is a nonprofit corporation that interacts with all branches of the federal government in the interest of psychology and the public. AAP's public policy activities in Congress and the federal agencies in 1980 continued to focus on the elimination of discrimination with regard to the treatment of mental illness and to mental health professionals; opportunities for funding in research and training; the protection of constitutional rights without exception; and fairness in government regulations. The cumulative effect of the advocacy effort, the constant monitoring of annual congressional appropriations and authorization processes, and the greater sophistication of AAP's interaction with the American Psychological Association resulted in significant gains for mental health in federal health programs. The AAP convention program featured a panel of psychologists who entered into a lively debate on the role of AAP and its interaction with state psychological associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association for the Advancement of Psychology: 1983.

This article describes the public policy activities in Congress of the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (AAP), which is the recognized independent national advocacy arm of American psychology, representing the interests of psychology in the public policy arena. AAP's public policy activities in Congress continued to focus on the elimination of discrimination with regard to the treatment of mental illness and mental health professionals, increased federal funding of behavioral and social science research and research training, and the protection of constitutional rights without exception. AAP activities included working with other mental health advocacy groups to urge Congress to enact fiscal 1984 appropriations measures favorable to psychology, lobbying for various child-related federal programs in 1983, and legislation drafted by the AAP to eliminate current discrimination between physical and mental health benefits for the 10 million federal employees, annuitants, and families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The rise and fall of politicians: The judged heights of Broadbent, Mulroney and Turner before and after the 1988 Canadian federal election.

Investigated the relationship between perceived status in politics and judged physical stature. 177 Ss were interviewed. Comparison of estimated heights of Canadian federal party leaders before and after the 1988 federal election indicated that the losers, Broadbent and Turner, were judged to be shorter afterwards, while the winner, Mulroney, was judged taller. Although the relationship between status and judged height has previously been demonstrated, this result indicates that it is dynamic (i.e., election outcomes alter rated tallness). A gender effect also was noted. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's mental health problems and services: Current federal efforts and policy implications.

This article discusses the current federal role in the collection of information about the mental health problems of children and the provision of mental health services to children. It also describes the federal programs that help finance mental health services, support their coordination, and provide funding for research and training of mental health researchers and clinicians. Recent changes in federal policy are also described. This article, and the Office of Technology Assessment report on which it is based, conclude that although it is in some ways considerable, the federal role in providing mental health services to children is fragmented. This lack of cohesive policies toward children and across service programs may create difficulties for those who would move public policy toward the continuum of care that many observers conclude is needed to address children's mental health needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Securing the blessings of liberty for posterity: Preventive health care for children.

Discusses preventive health care for children, the history of federal involvement, cost effectiveness, and proposed future federal involvement. The work of the Children's Bureau (established in 1912), the effect of the 1935 Social Security Act, and the expansion of services in the 1960's and 1970's are outlined. It is suggested that recent legislative changes, which have reduced funding and cut back on service, interfere with wise investments in children's futures and with the nation's moral obligation. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of Federal Design-Build Request for Proposal Evaluation Criteria

This study’s objective is to identify the benefits federal owners are seeking through the design-build process by analysis of research data gathered from 110 requests for proposal (RFP) evaluation plans issued for $1.5 billion of federal work by 11 different agencies. The output from this study was then compared to a 1996 study whose authors sought to analyze the reasons cited by owners to use design-build project delivery. That study included a survey of 108 owners of public and private projects, which represented over $12.5 billion of construction. The goal of comparing the 1996 survey with the results of the new research project is to discover correlations between owner attitudes and the selection criteria identified in government RFPs. The comparison produced some interesting results. First, although owners in 1996 cited schedule as the most significant reason for selecting design-build delivery, the federal RFP content analysis found it to carry a very low average weight. Another finding shows that federal RFPs give price a very heavy weight in the government selection processes, again differing significantly from the previous survey of owner attitudes. Finally, the current study found that the qualifications of the firms and individuals that formed the design-build team were significantly more important than the proposed technical design approach. Thus, this paper concludes that the typical federal agency was looking for a low price from a well-qualified design-build team.     

Patrick H. DeLeon.

Presents an overview of the career and contributions to the field of psychology of Patrick H. DeLeon. Patrick DeLeon has a distinguished career pushing psychology to its 'outer limits.' His passionate belief that behavioral science can contribute significantly to society has led him to work unrelentingly to ensure that all legislative and administrative policies provide complete parity for our profession. He enjoys 'getting things done' rather than being in the limelight. His vision is such that many do not appreciate the significance of his latest 'forays.' He has been instrumental in psychology being appropriately recognized under all federal health initiatives, by the military, and by the federal judiciary. He is the first to have received two professional awards from APA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Choosing a norm group for counseling: Legislation, regulation, and nontraditional careers.

In the past 30 years, the number of women employed in the U.S. economy has grown dramatically. Unfortunately, occupational segregation by gender has continued, and women's earnings are still much smaller on the average than are men's earnings. This article examines the role of vocational counseling in the career exploration process of young people. It is argued that providing information to young people about their abilities and interests via same-sex and opposite-sex norms conveys more information than the use of norms based on an overall group and facilitates exploration of nontraditional careers. The use of separate-gender norms raises legal concerns; federal law and regulations related to the choice of a norm group for career counseling are reviewed. The experiences of one organization whose use of separate-gender norms was reviewed for compliance with federal statutes are summarized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of valid selection procedures on work-force productivity.

Used decision theoretic equations to estimate the impact of the Programmer Aptitude Test (PAT) on productivity if used to select new computer programers for 1 yr in the federal government and the national economy. A newly developed technique was used to estimate the standard deviation of the dollar value of employee job performance, which in the past has been the most difficult and expensive item of required information. For the federal government and the US economy separately, results are presented for different selection ratios and for different assumed values for the validity of previously used selection procedures. The impact of the PAT on programmer productivity was substantial for all combinations of assumptions. Results support the conclusion that hundreds of millions of dollars in increased productivity could be realized by increasing the validity of selection decisions in this occupation. Similarities between computer programers and other occupations are discussed. It is concluded that the impact of valid selection procedures on work-force productivity is considerably greater than most personnel psychologists have believed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)