October 2005 [PDF]

A Publication of the Society FEATURE ARTICLE for General Psychology Psychology’s Biggest Problems Division One of the American by Robert Johnson Psychological Association n its 125th birthday issue, eScienc (July 1, 2005) posed the question “What Don’t We Know?” In response to itself, the magazine listed the 125 biggest questions—according Ito its editors—across the spectrum of the sciences. That bit of editorial hubris set me to wondering what the leaders in our own field might consider the Big Issues in psychology Inside This Issue: to be. And, I thought, how better to get that question answered than to ask the most illustri- Division 1 Convention Program ous members of the Society for General Psychology—our own Division One? .........................6 The method was simple: I sent email messages to the recently elected Division One Voting for APA President Fellows, award winners, and members of the Executive Committee, asking them: .........................7 • Considering the discipline as a whole, what would you say is the biggest issue or problem that psychology faces? A Word from Our President • What do you see as the greatest unsolved problem in your specialization within ........................10 psychology? • What direction or emphasis do you plan for your own work in the next few years? Announcements ........................11 I had not fully anticipated the pattern of answers I received. Some respondents focused on the missing pieces of the puzzle of behavior and mental pro- Editorial cesses—the “What Don’t We Know?” issues. The majority, howev- ........................12 er, surprised me by emphasizing systemic problems within psychology itself, particularly the fragmentation of our discipline RetroReview: Galton into narrow specialties and the discipline’s cultural, ethnic, and ........................13 gender-based parochialism. Let’s take a closer look at these two sets of responses, beginning with the latter group. tea-Tests Michael Wertheimer, an emeritus cognitive psychologist at ........................15 the University of Colorado and an officer of Division One, led the way, descrying “the continuing disintegration of psychology, Psychology of Religion splintering into more, and more unrelated and independent, ........................19 subfields.” Somehow, noted Wertheimer, we need to find ways of “maintaining some degree of identity as an integrated disci- Michael Wertheimer Psychology at the Movies pline.” ........................22 In a similar vein, new Fellow David Glenwick of Fordham University stated that one of our biggest problems involves “avoiding the balkanization of psy- What They’re Reading chology, with most psychologists ending up knowing a lot about a ........................24 little.” An equally important problem, he noted, originates in poor communication between psychologists and laypersons. He urges Officers & Committee Chairs us to work harder at “disseminating valid knowledge to the public ........................26 (both policy makers and the average citizen), as there is much misin- formation out there.” Comic Relief In reference to his own specialty, Dr. Glenwick pointed to commu- ........................27 nication difficulties between scientists and practitioners: “I believe the greatest problem in my specialization—clinical psychology—is the gap between what we know (i.e., empirically supported treat- David Glenwick ments) and the everyday practice of psychotherapy.” Volume 40, No. 2 - Fall 2005 Page 1 Biggest Problems . Echoing Glenwick’s worries about in- Care Psychology curriculum, which was tegrating science and practice, new Fel- very gratifying (and I think the result low Jack A. Naglieri, Director of School was much better than if any one of Psychology at George Mason University, our areas had produced the document remarked: alone). Any APA initiative that has to Psychology as a whole is at an im- do with health should include all these portant transition point as the field parties. begins to put more focus on what In her own area, lying at the intersec- works, what appears to work, and tion of family and health psychology what we have been doing for a long (which she defines as “the effect of family relationships on health, and health on time that may not work. Defining Jack Naglieri Susan McDaniel how to measure what works is equal- family relationships”), Dr. McDaniel said: ly challenging. I would like to see all psychology embrace an integrated, Continuing that theme, Past President (of both APA and Di- biopsychosocial systems approach to human problems vision One) and emerita from the University of Massachusetts, and human suffering. This approach provides a conceptual Bonnie Strickland stated, “I believe that the greatest threat fac- framework for professional psychologists to work as health ing the discipline of psychology is the loss of our scientific base professionals, as part of a team. Mind-body research is some especially within organized psychology.” She added: of the most important being funded at NIH right now. This approach insists that we bring psychology to interdisciplin- The biggest problem that I see facing my speciality, Clini- ary, collaborative endeavors, sharing our perspectives and cal Psychology, is the continued issue of integrating science expertise in areas where otherwise it may be missing. and practice. We have a number of new and exciting break- throughs on the science side that have direct and significant For George W. Albee, who is Past President of APA and also importance for practitioners. These are not being effectively the current President of President of Divi- communicated. Conversely, practitioners have information sion One, the biggest issue involves the that would be important to basic and applied scientists but political fragmentation within psychology, there is little exchange. particularly between academicians and cli- nicians within APA: A second issue has to do with the changing face of practice in regard to The problem for our discipline as a whole support. With the advent of managed is the domination of Council by Practice. care, psychologists are being replaced Practice now controls APA completely. by social workers and Master’s level This results in a lack of governmental di- practitioners who deliver the same versity. My goal: To try to restore Diver- psychotherapeutic interventions for sity (of power) to Council. George Albee less money. Well trained clinical psy- Dr. Albee, who is Professor-emeritus of chologists must know how to use the Clinical/Community Psychology at the University of Vermont, science of psychology and provide a also emphasized the preoccupation of psychology’s applied range of services, especially preven- fields with treatment rather than prevention: Bonnie Strickland tion, in addition to psychotherapy. The biggest problem in my specialty (community psychol- The proliferation of professional schools without libraries, full ogy) and in most applied fields, is the preoccupation with time faculties, residency requirement, etc. has led to ques- trying to deal with the problems of individual people rather tions about the quality of education and training for students than with trying to prevent the problems in the first place. who attend these schools. We need a Flexer-type investiga- This is what Justin Joffe has referred to as “The cause of the tion to ensure that clinical graduate training programs are of causes.” We set up programs to enhance self-esteem, to make high quality. better schools, better housing, better motivation—all the re- New Fellow, Susan McDaniel, a clinical psychologist and sult of grinding poverty, instead of doing something about professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at the University poverty! I think this reflects an obvious preoccupation in our of Rochester, lamented: “There are so many unsolved problems society with individual treatment and cure rather than with that it’s hard to pick the ‘greatest’ one.” She did, however, con- prevention. Public Health has long known that a disease is tinue the themes of specialization and lack of communication NEVER treated out of existence. Somehow this fact cannot across specialties within psychology—both of which combine penetrate. We keep up costly efforts to find a CURE for cancer, to diminish the effectiveness of psychological treatments: a CURE for Alzheimer’s, a CURE for coronary artery disease, a CURE for bipolar disorder etc. Even if we found cures, the con- At the organizational level, while we’ve made strides, I be- ditions would not decline. We have had a CURE for syphilis for lieve psychology would be best served if there was more years but the disease persists. interaction among family, health, clinical, counseling, and child psychology. We all care about improving the health of Joan Chrisler, Professor of Psychology at Connecticut Col- people. Too often, we’re each off in our own sub-silos, work- lege and new Fellow of Division One, concurs: ing on related (or even the same) issues, without interaction. I think that the biggest problem psychology faces has to I think the intellectual enterprise, as well as service delivery, do with the sociology and politics of our discipline: will we suffers as a result. We came together to construct a Primary continue to stand together as psychologists, or will we split into Volume 40, No. 2 - Fall 2005 Page 2 Biggest Problems . separate disciplines as neuroscientists, of their faculty’s scholarship. Rather than rewarding excel- clinical practitioners, and “the rest of lent scholarship

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