Prediction and clinical inference: forty years later

The earlier controversy between clinical and statistical prediction has faded into the shadows. Few people today challenge the necessity for both approaches in seeking to develop and apply knowledge. In more contemporary terms, the issue of which prediction method should be preferred involves choosing between a quest for historical truth (i.e., correspondence demonstrated by statistical methods) and a quest for narrative truth (i.e., coherence achieved by clinical formulations).     

Rorschach test findings at the beginning of treatment and 2 years later, with a 30-year follow-up

In this article, I report a case containing 2 Rorschach assessments-the first (R1) 30 years ago at the beginning of a 4-year period of psychotherapy and the second (R2) 2 years later. I also recently contacted the patient to obtain information about his life during the 26 years since termination. This report examines the 2 Rorschach protocols-combining the Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 2003) structural summaries with thematic content analysis-in relation to the patient's history, treatment, and 30-year outcome. I focus on the change between R1 and R2, particularly the shift from an introversive to an ambitent EB and a corresponding shift from 6 Y responses on R1 to 6 m responses on R2. In the clinical interpretation, I considered these shifts in a context of the patient's patterns of managing destabilization and overstimulation.     

Children's memory for medical emergencies: 2 years later

Long-term recall of medical emergencies (including both injury and hospital treatment) by 2- to 13-year-olds was assessed 2 years after injury. Event identity was important: Children recalled injury details better than hospital treatment. Ninety-six children were interviewed 3 times prior to the 2-year recall; amount recalled decreased only for hospital treatment details, although accuracy of recall decreased for both injury and treatment. Twenty-one children were interviewed only twice prior to the 2-year interview. An extra interview 1 year after their injury had little effect on how much older children recalled about both injury and treatment or how much younger children recalled about injury details, but it helped younger children recall the less memorable hospital event. The extra interview also helped all children maintain accuracy when recalling hospital details but was unnecessary for the more memorable injury event. Implications for children's testimony are discussed.     

Development of sex biases in children: 40 years later

Children in grades 2–10 (200 of each sex) assigned desirable and undesirable traits to girls or boys. Half the subjects had an additional option of both sexes. Children in all grades assigned more desirable traits to their own sex and more undesirable traits to the opposite sex, in line with Smith (1939). Both sexes became less positive toward their own sex and more positive toward the opposite sex with increasing age. This pattern also had characterized girls in Smith's study, whereas, boys had shown the opposite pattern. Beginning in the sixth grade, girls were more apt than boys to assign desirable traits to their own sex. Availability of the “both sexes” option decreased stereotyping, especially in girls.     

Cognitive adaptation, psychological adjustment, and disease progression among angioplasty patients: 4 years later.

The long-term effects of the Cognitive Adaptation Theory Index (CATI) on psychological and physical health outcomes among men (n = 199) and women (n = 99) treated for coronary artery disease with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were examined. The CATI reflects a positive view of the self, a positive view of one's future, and a sense of personal control over daily life.This index was created from questionnaires administered during hospitalization for the initial angioplasty. Four years later, the CATI predicted positive adjustment to disease, even when initial adjustment was taken into consideration. In addition, the CATI predicted a reduced likelihood of sustaining a subsequent cardiac event over 4 years. This association was more robust for men.