Review of History of Academic Psychology in Canada.

Reviews the book, History of Academic Psychology in Canada edited by Mary J. Wright and C. Roger Myers (1982). The title of this book is to be taken seriously. It is a history of academic psychology in Canada in which history of the academy moves prominently to the fore, often leaving the reader with only tantalizing glimpses of the psychology that gave meaning to the effort. Substantively, it is a history of university departments of psychology in Canada. Each departmental history is written by a person or persons having a long association with the department and a sufficient interest in its history to write it. At its best, this book provides well-written and penetratingly thoughtful accounts of the struggle to build psychology as an academic discipline in Canada. Often obscured in the effort, however, is the psychology itself. What was the psychology advocated by these personalities? What did they contribute to it? The reader will have to turn elsewhere for the answers. Regardless of limitations or faults, however, this book deserves full credit as the first attempt to rescue Canadian psychologists from their "social amnesia." It is an important step toward establishing a national consciousness and identity, which by itself would be sufficient reason for a positive reception. Fortunately, it has many other features that recommend it as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

On Professionalization in Psychology.

This column comments on an article by Drevdahl in the January, 1956 issue of the "American Psychologist". In his article, Drevdahl offers an analysis of ABEPP in its relationship to graduate training programs in clinical psychology. His basic point seems to be that if ABEPP claims for itself the ability to judge what is "good" and "competent" in psychological practice then it ought to use this knowledge to improve professional training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology in Negro colleges.

The status of psychology in Negro colleges is not high as reflected in questionnaire returns from about 27% of approximated 100 institutions surveyed. Only 2 schools had majors in this field. Of 73 psychologists only 15 had the Ph.D., and 4 had no graduate training. Only 2 institutions have a laboratory, but research was reported from 12. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Education for Research in Psychology.

Comments on the report of the Estes Park Seminar on Education for Research in Psychology (Amer. Psychologist, 1959, 14, 167-179). The seminar apparently advocates the doctrine of the golden mean: theory, breadth of scholarship, statistics, etc. are not bad, are indeed necessary; but there is a serious danger that they may be carried to excess. This is no doubt true; but the warning is anchored neither by specific recommendations, nor by any relevant data, nor even anything more than a lip service suggestion that it would be useful to investigate curriculum problems in an objective way. There is thus a serious danger that the seminar's report will be all things to all men and that energy which could be spent in such investigation will be dissipated in arguing out compromises of opinions based on insufficient data. It is the purpose of this note to present evidence on one aspect of the problem: that of statistics training. Psychology will be fortunate if the members of the seminar set their manifold talents to bringing the greater problems of graduate instruction out of the domain of personal-impression correlations and into the light of objective and of experimental evidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Faculty and graduate students in departments with approved doctoral programs.

Data are presented for 46 institutions. "The mean average number of staff members of the departments is 19.7, with a range of 7 to 52." The mean "equivalent of full-time members giving time to graduate instruction and supervision" is 8.14. "A total of 3,583 graduate students is reported… ." The student-staff ratio is 9.9 with a range of 4.3 to 22.5. The number of Ph.D.s granted in 1953-1954 was 517. "The number of graduate students in psychology admitted for the fall of 1954 was 922… ." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Survey of Hospital Psychology in Canada.

Despite the major advances in health psychology over the past decade and the changes that have taken place in the Canadian health sector, there remains a paucity of information available about the structure of psychological services in Canadian health-care settings. The most current information about psychology in Canada's hospitals was gathered in 1982 - almost 20 years ago (Arnett, Martin, Steiner, & Goodman, 1987). This article updates the previous information, as it presents the results of a survey that was sent to 975 acute, psychiatric and continuing care health facilities with a minimum patient bed count of 100. Detailed information about the number of psychologists and administrative organizations of psychological services in Canada are reported. The range of services provided by psychologists in health-care settings has expanded, and professional autonomy, as shown by the existence of independent departments of psychology, has changed. The implications of these results for the organization and delivery of psychological services in Canadian healthcare, and for advocacy on the part of psychology, are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Promotion of Academic Careers in School Psychology: A Conceptual Framework of Impact Points, Recommended Strategies, and Hopeful Outcomes.

School psychology is facing a major shortage of faculty in graduate training and education programs. To deal with this shortage and the issues that surround it, we propose a conceptual framework that incorporates a number of impact points that graduate training programs can use to educate and sustain individuals in academic careers. The impact points include: selection of students, program-related training variables, post-program transition variables, and sustainability of academic careers. Each of these impact points is discussed within the context of the role that current faculty and practitioners in the profession can play in graduate education and training of academic scholars. Among the variety of potential solutions to the shortage, we introduce the concept of the "virtual university" to promote future education and sustainability of faculty within our graduate training programs. A case scenario from graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is presented as a context for the impact points raised in the article. We argue that those of us in the profession think systemically and lead the way into a new era of collaborative work across our graduate programs and among our colleagues in clinical, counseling, and related areas of applied and professional psychology graduate training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in the education and training of women in Canadian psychology.

The high attrition rate of female students in graduate programmes in psychology is documented. Some of the literature (largely American) on the problems of female students is explored for possible reasons for this high rate. The problem areas identified are: admissions practices, financial support, inflexibility of graduate programmes, faculty attitudes toward graduate students, scarcity of female role models, and psychology as a "masculine" discipline. Recommendations for action by the Canadian Psychological Association are made in each of the problem areas with a special plea for the inclusion, in both graduate and undergraduate psychology programmes, of courses on the female experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology graduate school training on interventions for child maltreatment.

This current study surveyed psychology programs' use of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for children and their families with a history of child maltreatment. In May 2009, there were 599 graduate school programs listed by the Graduate Study in Psychology Online of the American Psychological Association (APA). Psychology graduate school department heads or directors of training were asked to complete an online survey about training offered in treatments for this population. Of the 599 psychology graduate school programs contacted, 201 (34%) responded. Of the 201 programs that responded, 140 provided training in treatments for children and their families with a history of child maltreatment. Results indicated that training in at least 1 EST was provided by 89% of the programs that provided training in treatments for this population. However, training in the treatment rated as meeting the highest standard of evidence, Trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy, was provided in only 45% of the programs. Training in treatments that have been rated as not yet having sufficient research evidence to be labeled as supported were more likely to occur in non-APA accredited and non-PhD programs (i.e., terminal Master's, EdS, PsyD). As an important vehicle for the dissemination of ESTs in child maltreatment, considerable progress is needed to improve the training provided by psychology graduate programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and society.

A recent sortie into the history of presidential addresses in C.P.A. turned up an interesting sidelight. Two of the first 4 presidents had chosen to discuss directly psychology's responsibilities to society (Line, 1945; Bernhardt, 1947); since 1947, presidential addresses have shown a predominant concern for scientific aspects of psychology with internal organizational matters of the Association receiving lesser but still substantial attention. This struck me as being curious. If it can be assumed that presidents reflect, to some extent at least, the concerns of the Association, it might be expected that there would have been more attention paid to psychology's obligations to society. Very clearly, the founding fathers saw C.P.A., not as an ivory-tower retreat, but as an organization with deep social responsibilities. Is Northway (1968) right in her contention that, following the War, many powerful psychologists retreated to their ivory labs and that the ivory labs have become ivory skyscrapers? Have we consciously changed our objectives since the 1940's, or have I misread the omens? My questions stem from doubts about our contribution to pressing social issues in the world or, in a more restricted way, about Canadian psychology's contribution to pressing Canadian problems. I don't, for a moment, accept the claim, put forward by a colleague, that C.P.A. is still playing tunes on its old Galton whistle. But, it does seem that, as a discipline concerned with the behaviour of individuals and groups, psychology in Canada has been unduly quiet about a number of social issues on which it has something important to contribute. What is more distressing is the number of social issues to which psychology should have more to contribute than it has. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions.

Reviews the book, Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions by A. W. Pressey and J. P. Zubek (1970). A collection of seventy articles, sixty-eight of which are written by Canadian psychologists and other psychologists resident at some point in Canada, comprise the content of this set of readings. Two other contributions are by distinguished Canadian physicians. The organization of the book is in fourteen parts following the traditional divisions of an introductory text in psychology. The articles are from a variety of places but predominantly from the Canadian Journal of Psychology. Others are from such prestigious sources as Science and Nature. First-course instructors will find the "readings" well worth examining. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions.

This reprinted article originally appeared in Canadian Psychologist, 1971, Vol 12(1), 87-89. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-02140-023.) Reviews the book, Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions by A. W. Pressey and J. P. Zubek (1970). A collection of seventy articles, sixty-eight of which are written by Canadian psychologists and other psychologists resident at some point in Canada, comprise the content of this set of readings. Two other contributions are by distinguished Canadian physicians. The organization of the book is in fourteen parts following the traditional divisions of an introductory text in psychology. The articles are from a variety of places but predominantly from the Canadian Journal of Psychology. Others are from such prestigious sources as Science and Nature. First-course instructors will find the "readings" well worth examining. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Community psychology training in Canada in the new millennium.

Ten years ago, Walsh-Bowers (1998) described in Canadian Psychology the marginalized status of community psychology in Canada. The purpose of this research was to investigate the current status of community psychology training in Canadian universities. The online calendars for undergraduate and graduate programs in departments of psychology in Canadian universities were reviewed for course offerings in community psychology. Subsequently, an e-mail survey of program directors was conducted to confirm and extend the findings of the online search. Results were compared with those of similar previous surveys conducted in 1980–1981 (Nelson & Tefft, 1982) and 1992–1994 (Walsh-Bowers, 1998). Findings show a small amount of growth in community psychology training at the undergraduate level since the last survey in 1992–1994, with more courses available in more Canadian psychology departments. There are also marginally more graduate courses in community psychology offered now than 15 years ago, but these are located in fewer psychology departments. Findings are discussed in the context of contemporary professional psychology and future directions for growing community psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Model for Predoctoral Psychopharmacology Training: Shaping a New Frontier in Clinical Psychology.

Patients routinely ask psychologists questions about psychoactive medications. In addition, psychologists frequently encounter patients having problems with their medications. How will doctoral training programs respond to the dilemma of providing their students with a basic level of knowledge in psychopharmacology without adding to the length of the doctoral curriculum? Although postdoctoral training models have been developed for psychologists who seek extended specialized training in Psychopharmacology, the authors propose that some predoctoral training in psychopharmacology and related topics is critical to prepare graduates to meet mental health needs, particularly for underserved populations. The authors present a model through which psychopharmacology course work can be integrated into the predoctoral curriculum without compromising course work in basic psychology or extending the length of training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Finding New Functions in Society.

McKeachie (1972) commented that our graduate departments should continue to turn out psychologists despite the tightness of the job market. He asserted that we have a responsibility to train them with openness of expectations and for accession of transferable skills to work on the many human problems which are found outside academia. That Comment had particular relevance for me, and I would like to offer a specific instance of his general point. I completed much of the course work and internship requirements for a PhD in clinical psychology, and then finished the degree with a major emphasis in industrial psychology and a minor in statistics. Because I wanted to live in Idaho's unspoiled environment, I accepted a job as a management consultant with the accounting firm of Ernst & Ernst. In order to survive in the Ernst & Ernst environment, and with generous support from the partner in charge of that office, I was assisted at considerable cost to the firm in acquiring sufficient course work in accounting to qualify for the CPA exam (which I failed miserably). After three and one-half years, I began a diversified private consulting practice. All of my work is psychological, but one current project seems tailored to my checkered past. I am acting as an associate director of a community mental health center which includes supervision over the design and installation of management information, and of general and cost accounting systems. Today, I acted as an interpreter in a discussion between the director of the clinic and two accountants who, though experts in health care costs and systems, were unaware of mental health concepts and problems. The success of my work in this area rests on the three-legged stool of accounting and clinical and industrial psychology. Most of my assignments are like that, and I am having the time of my life. This is what I believe McKeachie meant by finding "new functions in society." McKeachie is correct. There are dozens of human problems to be solved, at least in the nontraditional setting in which I find myself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Building academic partnerships in psychology: The Psychology Partnerships Project.

The increased number and mobility of psychology students, the need for a more coordinated curriculum and a more diverse student population in psychology programs, and the need to prepare students for a changing marketplace pose serious challenges for psychology educators. Partnerships among psychology teachers in high schools, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities, and graduate programs in research universities can help teachers address these challenges effectively. This article outlines how academic partnerships across educational levels can help psychology teachers address educational challenges, examines factors that facilitate the formation and maintenance of these partnerships, and presents the American Psychological Association's successful Psychology Partnerships Project: Academic Partnerships to Meet the Training and Learning Needs of the 21st Century, describing the organizational features that enhanced its success. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology graduate student training in developmental disability: A Canadian survey.

Psychology graduate student training in developmental disability has received very little attention in North America, and no study has examined the state of training for clinical and counselling psychologists in Canada, despite their involvement in the controlled act of diagnosis and their use of standardised instruments used regularly with this population. This study sought to examine psychology graduate student training in the area of developmental disability across Canada. We invited students from every Canadian Psychological Association accredited Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, and Counselling Psychology program to participate in an online survey, distributed through university email lists. Three hundred and three students reported on the developmental disability content within their training and coursework, their perception of the adequacy of that content, and their ideas for program improvement. Results indicated that the majority of students believed it important to have training in developmental disability, yet struggled to obtain adequate didactic and experiential opportunities. The lack of sufficient training was most pronounced for students whose training was adult-focused, but was also high for students with a life span or child focus. We discuss different possibilities for increasing developmental disability training opportunities, including integrating its content within courses on assessment and diagnosis, psychotherapy, and ethics, and providing students with supervision from psychologists who work with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Budgetary and personnel support levels of psychology departments offering graduate programs.

The present survey of psychology departments was started in August 1968 to provide comparative data relating to such items as average number of students per staff member, average number of secretaries per staff member, and average dollar support per student. A cover letter and questionnaire were sent to the 226 psychology departments in the US offering graduate programs. Timely and complete responses were received from 104 departments. The most important feature of the present survey was the wide variability in support levels of psychology departments. While there was considerable variance on most items, it was of interest that there were no differences as a function of geographic region. Cursory examination with regard to breakdown by athletic conferences, for example, Big Ten, Big Eight, etc., also indicates no large discrepancies with regard to critical items involving number of students per staff member, support per student, etc. The present survey, in addition to providing a comparative base for department heads, may prove helpful to students examining graduate programs and to candidates interviewing for academic positions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Process of Selecting Predoctoral Internship Training Sites.

The authors believe that their present approach to internship center placement is beneficial to both clinical psychology graduate students and internship centers. The students have become actively involved and are a very important part of the process. This approach minimizes the effort of the graduate students in selecting an excellent internship and reduces the amount of work, time, and energy devoted to the process in both the psychology department and the internship center. The authors hope this approach will be of value to other psychology departments in the selection and processing of their graduate students for internship centers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Letter to the Editor.

This letter is a comment on Dr. P. O. Davidson's report to the Science Council of Canada on "Graduate training and research funding for clinical psychology in Canada" (see record 2007-02137-003). The comments are extracted from a letter that was written to the President of the CPA raising some questions for consideration by the Board of Directors. With regard to the Davidson report, it must be realized that anything a reputable psychologist says as a result of a survey conducted at the request of the Science Council is likely to be taken seriously by the Council and to affect its attitudes and policies materially. On the other hand, the recognition that the CPA should speak for psychology on matters of research funding means that what it says on the same topic will also be taken seriously. More than that, it means that a great responsibility devolves on the Association, since failure to speak up on any matter when it has what amounts to a permanent invitation to do so can only be construed as assent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)