Licensure in psychology: Alternative directions.

The licensing of psychologists has become an area of intense professional interest. Attempts to provide historical overviews and current data on the status of licensing regulations have become common. This article critiques existing regulations by examining assumptions implicit in the development of licensing procedures. The implications of such assumptions for professional psychology are discussed, and guidelines for alternative licensure developments are presented. The importance of developing valid measures of entry-level and continued professional competence is emphasized. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitude intensity and dissonant cognitions.

Balance and dissonance theory postulate that tension may be reduced by decreasing the importance of dissonant cognitions. 232 students at a southern university and 261 students at a northern university responded to 3 forms of an attitude scale toward integration. Attitude intensity was used as a measure of importance and was correlated with dissonance as measured by perceived discrepancy between Ss' attitude and those of their parents and close friends. The results suggest that: (a) individuals may markedly disagree with primary reference groups when these groups are perceived to be against the broader norms of his culture, and (b) dissonance may result in an increase as well as a decrease in attitude intensity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)