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)     

Diatribe is not dialogue: On selected attempts to attack and defend behaviorism.

Describes the emotional nature of responses to M. J. Mahoney's (see record 1990-03226-001) discussion of the differences between scientific psychology and radical behaviorism. Responses are offered to comments from R. W. Proctor and D. J. Weeks (see record 1991-06227-001), E. K. Morris (see record 1991-06224-001), C. J. Lonigan (see record 1991-06220-001), and W. J. Wyatt (see record 1991-06231-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fictions in formal analysis' conception of classical conditioning: A case of operantism.

Comments on W. W. Tryon's (see record 1977-04654-001) article classifying classical conditioning as a noncontingent type of operant conditioning and criticizes Tryon's omission of the influence of emotional responses on instrumental responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heterogeneous referents, indiscriminate language, and complementary research purposes.

Refers to 3 articles constituting an interchange: W. Wilkins (see record 1980-01498-001); A. E. Kazdin (see record 1980-01445-001); and R. R. Bootzin and J. R. Lick (see record 1980-01393-001). Wilkins states here that within each of the 3 articles, similar terms are indiscriminately used to refer to different events across different research purposes. Apparent differences concerning the effects of systematic desensitization vis-à-vis nonspecific and expectancy factors represent complementary rather than incompatible positions. Wilkins argues that although Kazdin and Bootzin and Lick present cogent directions for future research, neither commentary presents a position discrepant with his main conclusions. Apparent disagreements and misrepresentations are attributable to a cumbersome conceptual and linguistic system. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The logical consequences of the common-factor definition of the term placebo..

Responds to J. W. Critelli and K. F. Neumann's (see record 1984-26517-001) criticism of the present author's (see record 1980-32909-001) conclusion that "existing definitions [of the term placebo] either lead to the inclusion of procedures that are not generally regarded as placebos… or result in an empty set." Two problems with Critelli and Neumann's proposal that placebo factors be defined as factors that are common to most types of therapy are identified. The present author proposes a restrictive definition of placebos as substances given in the guise of active medication that have no pharmacological effect on the condition being treated. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the pitfalls of "Ptolemaic" psychology: A reply to Sawusch and Mullennix.

In their reply to the present authors (see record 1986-05428-001), J. R. Sawusch and J. W. Mullennix (see record 1986-05440-001) proposed a counterinterpretation of the authors' results regarding conceptualizations of selective adaptation with speech and described some previously unpublished data that they took to be inconsistent with the present authors' unified adaptation-level account of selective adaptation and contrast effects. It is argued that this counterinterpretation requires a series of purely ad hoc assumptions that render the 2-stage theory of Sawusch and P. Jusczyk (see record 1982-00351-001) almost completely vacuous. It is also shown that the new data of Sawusch and Mullennix are definitely not incompatible with an adaptation-level account. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Encounter research.

Refers readers interested in the article by D. Hartley et al (see record 1977-01609-001) to 4 articles on encounter research by M. J. Diamond and J. L. Shapiro (see record 1976-05062-001), J. Rowan (see record 1976-02670-001), W. Schutz (see record 1976-02672-001), and P. B. Smith (see record 1976-02673-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Got a minute? Attentional limits revisited.

Responds to comments by R. C. Tees (see record 1991-03035-001), J. G. Adair (see record 1991-03013-001), J. E. Grusec (see record 1991-03021-001), K. Danziger (see record 1991-03016-001), L. P. Mos (see record 1991-03027-001), H. J. Stam (see record 1991-03033-001), and V. Vikis-Freilbergs (see record 1991-03039-001) on W. Thorngate's (see record 1991-03036-001) contention that the overproduction of psychological literature will lead to fragmentation of the discipline. As the works of psychologists proliterate, their scientific truth may capture less attention than their practical importance or personal interest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Expectancy": Sleight-of-hand mentalism, not mechanism or process.

Replies to comments by J. W. Fagen (see record 1994-08950-001) on the article by J. L. Gewirtz and M. Peláez-Nogueras (see record 1993-12989-001), which concerned reinforcement as a central principle of behavior change in infants. Gewirtz and Peláez-Nogueras state that they did not claim that all behavior is learned through operant reinforcement contingencies. Further, they question the necessity of moving beyond basic reinforcement and derivative principles to the realm of intrapsychic concepts such as the "violation of contingency expectancy" to explain behavior changes resulting from operant learning procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale: An independent analysis.

The factor structure and subscale reliabilities of the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale were examined using the responses of 256 New Zealanders, predominantly undergraduates. Comparison with the results of a US study by J. W. Hoelter (see record 1980-00098-001) showed that both the subscale reliabilities and the factor structure were almost perfectly reproduced in the present analysis. Hoelter's claim of 8 effectively independent subscales with high reliabilities was strongly supported. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the relationship between causes and reasons.

Criticisms by J. H. Harvey and J. A. Tucker and A. W. Kruglanski (see PA, Vol 65:1268 and 1277, respectively) of the author's (see record 1980-09652-001) recent conceptual critique of attribution theory are refuted. Further analysis of the distinction between cause and reason is undertaken, where their relationship is set forth in terms of the growth of knowledge (at both individual and collective levels). The model involves converting causes into reasons and makes use of the psychoanalytic therapy session as an analog. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sudden swimming deaths: No longer hopelessness in rats?

Reiterates C. W. Hughes and J. J. Lynch's (see record 1979-12747-001) position that the psychological state of nonverbal animals cannot be assessed, in response to comments by Y. Binik and M. E. Seligman (1979) on Hughes and Lynch's review of studies of sudden swimming death as a measure of learned helplessness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comment on two subliminal psychodynamic activation studies.

Discusses experiments reported by T. J. Condon and G. J. Allen (see record 1980-26153-001) and by K. Heilbrun (see record 1980-32531-001) in which the subliminal psychodynamic activation method yielded negative results. An attempt is made to account for these findings in the context of a number of reports by other investigators of similar experiments that yielded positive results. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Helpful impacts in group counseling: Development of a multidimensional rating system.

The underlying structure of group therapy participants' perceptions of helpful therapeutic impacts were explored through principal-components analysis. Critical incidents obtained from 210 interpersonal growth group and 74 group counseling participants were rated on a measure that incorporated items from the Therapeutic Factors (S. Bloch, J. Reibstein, E. Crouch, P. Holroyd, & J. Themen; see record 1980-26125-001), and Categories of Good Moments (A. R. Mahrer & W. P. Nadler; see record 1986-17846-001) rating systems and R. Elliott's (see record 1985-31654-001) taxonomy of helpful impacts. Principal-components analysis revealed four underlying factors that accounted for 59.2% of the variance. These factors were labeled Emotional Awareness-Insight, Relationship-Climate, Other Versus Self Focus, and Problem Solving-Behavior Change. The identified helpful therapeutic impact dimensions were related to perceptions of group leader behavior and to ratings of group climate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

'The structure of phenotypic personality traits": Author's reactions to the six comments.

L. R. Goldberg replies to the comments by R. O. Kroger and L. A. Wood (see record 1994-17497-001), S. Guastello (see record 1994-17488-001), D. R. Comer (see record 1994-17481-001), H. J. Eysenck (see record 1994-17486-001), W. D. Shadel and D. Cervone (see record 1994-17520-001), and H. E. Cattell (see record 1994-17479-001) on Goldberg's (PA, Vol 80:17546) article on the Big Five personality traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comment on Tolman's "Metatheoretical constructivism."

Clarifies and corrects misunderstandings of J. R. Royce's (see record 1980-20063-001) article on theory construction in psychology as interpreted by C. Tolman (1980) in his critique of metatheoretical constructivism. Epistemological points to be refuted in Tolman's article are also presented. (French abstract) (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counselor discrimination against women: Additional information.

Replies to M. L. Smith's (see record 1979-29888-001) and to T. E. Nygren and K. F. Widaman's (see record 1979-27728-001) criticisms of the author and J. W. Costar's (see record 1978-24142-001) finding that counselors discriminate against women. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Child maltreatment: An ecological integration": Comment on Jay Belsky.

Argues that J. Belsky's (see record 1980-12117-001) ecological framework of child maltreatment (CHM) and his search for necessary and sufficient conditions for CHM are based on several erroneous assumptions, including the beliefs that CHM is a discrete entity, that all CHM results from the same causative process, and that statistical techniques that improve prediction should be emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitude organization and the attitude-behavior relation: A reply to Dillon and Kumar.

Analyzed W. R. Dillon and A. Kumar's (see record 1985-29911-001) reanalysis of data previously reported by M. Fishbein and I. Ajzen (see record 1974-24385-001) and subsequently reanalyzed by the present authors (see record 1980-30231-001). Data involved attitude–behavior relations. The present authors show that the unidimensional attitude model fails to achieve convergent validity and that the 2-component model achieves convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)