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Spotting Psychological Pseudoscience Contents | Winter 2009 Students Taking Charge In Pursuit of Social Justice Conducting a Literature Review Tips for Spotting Psychological Pseudoscience contents | Winter 2009 DepArtments feAtures 3 From the Editor Tips for Spotting Elections and Constitutional 22 Amendments Psychological Pseudoscience: 22 4 President’s Message A Student-Friendly Guide Decision Time Scott O. Lilienfeld, PhD Emory University (GA) 5 Executive Director’s Message Pass It On: Leadership Continuity 7 Awards & Grants 27 Students Taking Charge: Read about the latest award The Role of Psi Chi Chapters and grant winners in Facilitating Learning 20 Get Involved Ayesha Shaikh, PhD A listing of relevant Psi Chi Lorinda B. Camparo, PhD information for students Whittier College (CA) 42 Convention Calendar Psi Chi convention programs Transformative and other meetings 29 Psychological 43 Chapter Activities Research 47 Psi Chi Merchandise in Pursuit of Social Justice Donna M. Mertens, PhD Gallaudet University (DC) 27 34 Conducting a Literature 29 Review: How to Search for Relevant Articles 34 Betty S. Lai, MS, MST Ryan R. Landoll, BS University of Miami (FL) AbbreviAtions speciAl Announcements APA American Psychological Association 6 2008 Psi Chi/APA National Convention APS Association for Psychological Science EPA Eastern Psychological Association 19 Winter 2009 Proposed Amendments to the Psi Chi Constitution MPA Midwestern Psychological Association NEPA New England Psychological Association 36 Annual Report of the Executive Officer (2007-08) RMPA Rocky Mountain Psychological Association SEPA Southeastern Psychological Association 48 National Leadership Conference SWPA Southwestern Psychological Association WPA Western Psychological Association eye ON PSI CHI WWW.psichi.org Winter 2009 | VOLUME 13 | NUMBER 2 eDitor Lisa Mantooth [email protected] eyeArt Director/Associ ON PSIAte eDitor CHI Susan Iles [email protected] AssociAte eDitor Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD [email protected] Published by Psi Chi, The National Honor Society in Psychology. Founded September 4, 1929, at the Ninth International Congress from the editor of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Eye on Psi Chi (ISSN 1092-0803) is pub lished quarterly by Psi Chi, the National Honor So ci ety in Psychology. All contents ©2009 by Psi Chi. The pub li ca tion sched ule fol lows the ac a dem ic year: fall, win ter, spring, and summer. Pe ri od i cals postage paid at Chat ta noo ga, Tennessee, and at ad di tion al mailing offices. Print ed in the USA. All opinions ex pressed in signed Elections ar ti cles are those of the author(s) and do not nec es sar i ly reflect those and Constitutional of the editors and/or Psi Chi. eD i to ri­al of fice: Psi Chi Na tion al Office | P.O. Box 709, Chat ta noo ga, TN 37401-0709 Amendments Street Address: 825 Vine Street | Chattanooga, TN 37403 Tele phone: (423) 756-2044 | Fax: 1-877-PsiChi3 (1-877-774-2443) Email: [email protected] | Website: www.psichi.org verywhere you look, it is election season, and Post master: Please send address chang es to: Eye on Psi Chi, P.O. Box 709, Chat ta noo ga, TN 37401-0709. Psi Chi is no different. Although our election Permission must be obtained from the author(s) to reprint or adapt a only serves the Psi Chi membership, it is still Lisa Mantooth table or figure; to reprint quotations exceeding the limits of fair use E from one source, and/or to reprint any portion of poetry, prose, or song Executive Officer vitally important to the future of our organization. lyrics. All persons wishing to utilize any of the above materials must Chief Operations Officer Chapters have the opportunity to nominate a write to the original author(s) and publisher to request nonexclusive world rights in all languages to use copyrighted material in the faculty advisor for a position serving as Regional present article and in future print and nonprint editions. All persons wishing to utilize any of the above materials are responsible for Vice-President of the Eastern, Rocky Mountain, or Western regions. If elected, the obtaining proper permission from copyright owners and are liable positions are 2-year terms; the vice-presidents attend the January and August National for any and all licensing fees required. All persons wishing to utilize any of the above materials must include copies of all permissions Council meetings, and they serve as chair of the Psi Chi programming for their regional and credit lines with the article submission. Psi Chi does not accept paid advertising for its publications Eye on Psi Chi or Psi Chi Journal conferences. Chapters also have the opportunity to nominate a current or former vice- of Undergraduate Research. The society does not wish to appear to president for President Elect of the National Council. Nominations will be accepted endorse any particular products or services. until December 15, 2008, at midnight eastern time. psi chi nAtionAl COUNCIL In the spring, chapters will have the opportunity to vote on a slate of nominees for nAtionAl presiDent Scott W. VanderStoep, PhD the 2009-10 National Council. Please hold a special meeting providing your members [email protected] pAST-presiDent with information about each candidate and make a decision as to which candidate(s) Vincent Prohaska, PhD your chapter will cast its vote. [email protected] presiDent-ELECT In this issue, you will find another important item requiring your chapter’s atten- Alvin Wang, PhD [email protected] tion and vote. On page 19, there are two proposals for amendments to the Psi Chi eASTERN REGIONAl vice-presiDent Constitution. Both of these amendments will have a major impact on our organization. Jason R. Young, PhD [email protected] I ask you to carefully consider both proposals, give your members an opportunity miDWESTERN REGIONAl vice-presiDent Betsy L. Morgan, PhD to render a decision, and then hold a vote within your chapter,. If you feel strongly [email protected] about either proposal, I ask that you submit a written opinion from your chapter by ROCKY MOUNTAin REGIONAl vice-presiDent Melanie Domenech Rodríguez, PhD December 15, 2008, to me at [email protected]. These opinions will be placed in the [email protected] southeASTERN REGIONAl vice-presiDent Spring 2009 edition of Eye on Psi Chi. Psi Chi members will have an opportunity to Maria J. Lavooy, PhD view these opinions on the website along with the current and proposed changes to the [email protected] southWESTERN REGIONAl vice-presiDent Psi Chi Constitution. It is anticipated that the vote on the proposed amendments will Randall E. Osborne, PhD [email protected] occur on the Psi Chi website in early March 2009. WESTERN REGIONAl vice-presiDent Each chapter has the opportunity to help shape the future of Psi Chi. I ask you to Ngoc H. Bui, PhD [email protected] please review both of these proposals, consider them carefully, and VOTE! eXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD [email protected] eXECUTIVE officer/COO Lisa Mantooth [email protected] president’s message Decision Time graduated from college 25 years ago with a logical research? Would you like to be a producer major in psychology. Interestingly, a question or consumer of research? (See table on left in the I I was asked (“What are you going to do with a sidebar.) psychology major?”) is probably the same question Research is foundational to our field, which is that many of you are asked today. why Psi Chi’s mission is “to advance the science of Put simply, there are two answers to that ques- psychology.” But after years of teaching psychology, tion: get a job or go to graduate school. I will try to I know research is not for everyone. Still, there are answer the employment question in the next issue. varying degrees of commitment, competence, and Currently, I would like to answer the question “Is interest in research, even among psychology gradu- graduate school for you?” by asking several other ate students. In the table on the left, if the Research questions. Producer column describes you better, you should Question 1: Are you sick of school? Even the consider a doctoral program with a heavy research best students find college occasionally stressful and emphasis. perhaps tedious. Unfortunately, the same is true with On the other hand, if the Research Consumer most careers after college. A graduate-school advisor column describes you, then a graduate program with once said to me, “All of life involves tedium.” Many less focus on producing research would be better. people report loving their jobs, yet they probably Examples would be master’s level programs in coun- don’t love every minute of every day. At some level, seling, human resources, or social work. For those of everyone gets sick of what they’re doing. Perhaps, you wanting to be a research-based practitioner with more precise questions are: Do you find it difficult clinical privileges, a PsyD degree might be a good Scott VanderStoep, PhD to complete assignments? Is reading unenjoyable? Psi Chi National President fit. Although there are many ways to evaluate the Do you wish you were doing something else? If the Hope College (MI) person-environment fit when it comes to graduate answer to any of these questions is no, then you school, I would argue that one of the most important would likely enjoy graduate school; you can skip Question 2. However, if you answered yes, explore considerations is a student’s self-perceived relation- The following characteristics diagnosing your school sickness more deeply by
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