The evidence missing from evidence-based practice.

Comments on the report by the APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (see record 2006-05893-001) entitled Evidence-based practice in psychology. Regrettably, the task force report was largely silent on three critical issues. As a consequence, it omitted much of the evidence necessary for a complete picture of evidence-based practice. First, the task force report did not operationalize "evidence." Second, the task force report did not address the crucial problem of iatrogenic treatments. Third, the task force report said little about the necessity for ongoing objective evaluation of clinical cases, which is critical to ethically responsible services. Current debate centers on how research findings should be factored into interventions, not on whether it is necessary to do so. Rather than waiting for the resolution of competing views on the matter, psychologists bear an ethical obligation to offer evidence-informed services. Three critical steps that were largely neglected by the task force report can go far toward helping psychologists honor that commitment: (a) providing a clearer operationalization of scientific evidence, (b) using current research to rule out the use of potentially harmful methods, and (c) using objective criteria to evaluate all of their cases on an ongoing basis. These steps, in turn, clarify the menu of options available to therapists, help protect clients from harm, and offer the advantage of allowing clinicians to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about what does and does not work in psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coherent Ion Plasma Oscillations in a DC Corona Discharge in Rarefied Air

Stable, nearly sinusoidal, phase-coherent ion plasma oscillations have been consistently observed superimposed on the dc levels of positive coaxial corona discharges at air pressures of the order of a few torr. The frequency of these oscillations, typically several hundred kilohertz, has been found to be a function of air density and dependent on the presence and concentration of gaseous trace contaminants. Various characteristics of these oscillations, a simplified theoretical model, and possible applications are discussed.     

Essentialism revisited: Evolutionary theory and the concept of mental disorder.

J. C. Wakefield's (1999) elaboration of his harmful dysfunction analysis (HDA) of mental disorder does little to address previous criticisms (S. O. Lilienfeld & L. Marino, 1995) and instead reveals further conceptual weaknesses in his position. The authors demonstrate that (a) a Roschian analysis can account for the results of all of Wakefield's conceptual experiments and predicts a number of judgments of disorder not predicted by the HDA, (b) the HDA is incapable in many cases of providing a scientifically nonarbitrary distinction between disorder and nondisorder, and (c) the HDA cannot account for failures of cultural exaptations, mismatches between evolutionary design and novel environments, or defenses against threat. The authors argue that the HDA has been convincingly falsified and discuss the failure of essentialistic concepts to resolve controversies in other domains of biological science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Three-area epidemiological study of geographic differences in stroke mortality. I. Background and methods

An epidemiological study was conducted to determine the geographical variations in stroke mortality among three U.S. areas. They were Savannah, Georgia (high stroke rates), Hagerstown, Maryland (intermediate stroke rates) and Pueblo, Colorado (low stroke rates). In each area samples were drawn of the population in the 35--54 age group. The subjects were interviewed and examined to obtain the information required on medical conditions and/or living habits which would characterize each area. A brief medical and family history, as well as demographic and personal data, were obtained by interview. The medical examination included blood pressure, ECG, blood and urine chemistry, height and weight. In all three cities the response rate in the final sample selected was 90% (2,375 individuals) interviewed and 74% (1.939 individuals) examined.     

Dissociative identity disorder and the sociocognitive model: Recalling the lessons of the past.

In a recent article in this journal, D. H. Gleaves (1996; see record 1996-01403-003) criticized the sociocognitive model (SCM; N. P. Spanos, 1994) of dissociative identity disorder (DID) and argued in favor of a posttraumatic model (PTM) in which DID is conceptualized as a consequence of childhood abuse and other traumatic events. The present authors demonstrate that (a) many of Gleaves's arguments were predicated on misunderstandings of the SCM, (b) scrutiny of the evidence regarding the psychopathology and assessment of DID raises questions concerning the PIM's conceptual and empirical underpinnings, (c) the treatment literature suggests that iatrogenic factors play an important role in the etiology of DID, and (d) the evidence linking child abuse to DID is more problematic than implied by Gleaves. The present authors conclude that Gleaves's analysis underemphasized the cultural manifestations of multiple role enactments and that the history of DID imparts a valuable lesson to contemporary psychotherapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adjudicative competence: Evidence that impairment in “rational understanding” is taxonic.

In Dusky v. United States (1960), the U.S. Supreme Court articulated 3 abilities that determine a criminal defendant's competence to stand trial: He or she must be able to consult with counsel, have a factual understanding of the proceedings, and have a rational understanding of the proceedings. Although the legal determination of a defendant's competence involves a dichotomous judgment, the latent structures of the constructs that underlie the abilities articulated in Dusky are unknown. The current study focused on the rational understanding prong of the Dusky standard. We hypothesized that, whereas factual knowledge of the legal system and ability to assist counsel may fall on a continuum, plausible (i.e., rational) beliefs about legal proceedings may be dichotomous in nature. Taxometric analyses of the Appreciation scale of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool—Criminal Adjudication, with a sample of 721 defendants, provided support for a taxonic structure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why integrity testing remains controversial.

Comments on W. J. Camara and D. L. Schneider's (see record 1994-23870-001) summary of reports on integrity tests (ITs). S. O. Lilienfeld et al contend that 3 issues remain unresolved: There are virtually no data regarding types of classification errors made by ITs; the extent to which ITs are susceptible to impression management was not addressed; and many writers in the integrity testing field use the same language and logic that are typically applied to ability testing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repressed memories and World War II: Some cautionary notes.

In a recent article in this journal, B. P. Karon and A. J. Widener (1997) argued that clinical data derived from WWII veterans provide unambiguous evidence for the existence of repressed and recovered memories. In response, the authors contend that (a) the research evidence for the existence of repression is considerably weaker than asserted by Karon and Widener, (b) the use of hypnosis and sodium pentathol to recover memories is more problematic than implied by Karon and Widener, and (c) the case study presented by Karon and Widener is difficult to interpret for a variety of reasons. The authors conclude that although further examination of case reports from WWII veterans is clearly warranted, it would be premature to conclude that these reports confirm the existence of repressed and recovered memories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on Holloway and McNally's (1987) "Effects of anxiety sensitivity on the response to hyperventilation."

W. Holloway and R. J. McNally (see record 1988-07600-001) found that normals with high scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), an instrument developed to assess beliefs regarding the adverse consequences of anxiety, reported more anxiety and more frequent and intense somatic sensations following hyperventilation than did normals with low scores on the ASI. They concluded that this result provides support for the construct validity of the ASI and thus for the construct of anxiety sensitivity. Nevertheless, we argue that (a) the developers of the ASI have conflated beliefs regarding the adverse consequences of anxiety with fear of these consequences, (b) the accumulated evidence for the construct validity of the ASI is weak, and (c) Holloway and McNally's design and analyses do not permit them to exclude the more parsimonious explanation that trait anxiety accounts for their findings. Implications for research on anxiety sensitivity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)