Understanding the research program

The target article misunderstands the research program it criticizes. The work of Boyd, Richerson, Fehr, Gintis, Bowles and their collaborators has long included the theoretical and empirical study of models both with and without diffuse costly punishment. In triaging the situation, we aim to (1) clarify the theoretical landscape, (2) highlight key points of agreement, and (3) suggest a more productive line of debate.     

Recent critiques of the UCLA Young Autism Project

Lovaas and his associates at UCLA reported substantially better treatment outcomes for children with autism than had been reported previously. Many authors have closely scrutinized the UCLA research, and some have published major criticisms. Recently two critical reviews have appeared. Howlin ( 1997 ) evaluated the most common treatment approaches for children with autism, including the UCLA model. Additionally, the UK Department for Education and Employment commissioned a review of treatment research on autism written by Jordan, Jones, and Murray ( 1998 ). Although both reports contain useful information, they also contain inaccurate statements about the published results of the UCLA project. An aim of this paper is to illustrate the errors of fact and interpretation contained in the two papers and to clarify the existing data. A second aim is to identify points of agreement, which is also important when attempting to facilitate critical and accurate assessments of available scientific evidence. It is argued that Lovaas and colleagues made a convincing case for the efficacy of one model of early intensive behavioral treatment by presenting outcome data showing clinically meaningful, long‐term gains in a population historically characterized by a severe and chronic disability, and an unfortunate history of treatment failures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reassessing critiques of the independent probe method for studying inhibition

Inhibitory processes have been proposed to play an important role in resolving interference during retrieval (M. C. Anderson, 2003; M. C. Anderson & Spellman, 1995). Supporting this view, retrieval induces a negative aftereffect on competing items known as retrieval-induced forgetting (M. C. Anderson, Bjork, & Bjork, 1994). Retrieval-induced forgetting often generalizes to novel cues used to test the forgotten items, and this cue independence is considered diagnostic of inhibition. This interpretation of cue independence assumes, however, that these novel cues (i.e., independent probes) are truly independent of the original cues. Challenging this assumption, Camp, Pecher, Schmidt, and Zeelenberg (2009) reported that extralist cuing test performance can be influenced by increasing the accessibility of other nonpresented cues. Here we consider this evidence for nonindependence and the conditions under which it occurs. We present two experiments demonstrating that this cue enhancement effect arises exclusively whenever independent probes have uncontrolled semantic relationships to the study cues of the sort that are specifically proscribed by the method-relationships not at all detected by association norms. When such relationships are controlled, as they are in many studies of inhibition, cue enhancement effects disappear. These findings highlight the importance of carefully controlling probe-cue relatedness in research on cue-independent forgetting and suggest that cue independence is diagnostic of inhibition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Constructivist epistemologies and therapies

Constructivists link their therapeutic approach to arguments against an objectivist epistemology. These anti-objectivist arguments are examined: it is concluded that none of them is cogent. The question of whether acceptance of a constructivist, non-objectivist epistemology is likely to affect constructivists' therapeutic practice is considered.     

Popper's metaphysical research program for the human sciences 1

Popper has provided a model for the scientific explanation of human actions and a metaphysical theory of man which can guide scientific research. In this paper I discuss the problems of the empirical content and nomicity of the Rationality Principle and extend the method of situational analysis to the problem of explaining beliefs. The domain of applicability of the Rationality Principle is bounded on one side by cases in which behavior is determined by processes which can not be influenced by criticism and on the other side by the phenomenon of substantive creativity. However, a large part of human activity lies within its scope.     

Development and Validation of the Constructivist Supervisor Scale

The purpose of this research was to develop an instrument for assessing constructivist counselor supervision practices. In an exploratory mode, we also tested supervisee preferences regarding constructivist supervision. Items consistent with constructivist supervision were developed based on a thorough review of the literature and rated by experts in constructivist supervision. Counselors currently receiving supervision (n = 308, 81% female) responded to these items, indicating the extent to which their current or most recent supervisor adhered to these constructivist practices during supervision. Principal components analysis results revealed three main components of constructivist supervision practice: warm and nondirective relationship, past and present experiences, and acceptance of various styles. Preliminary evidence for internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity of the scale items are reported. Participants also indicated the degree to which they preferred their supervisors’ constructivist practices. The final version of the constructivist supervisor scale, consisting of 29 items, may be used in future research focused on supervision processes as well as in practice to assess the degree to which these core constructivist methods are used during supervision.     

Constructivist interpretation of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Despite the increasing frequency of the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a critical review of the literature on the condition suggests difficulties with the assumptions that it can be reliably diagnosed, has neurobiological underpinnings, and is related to individual and contextual factors. These difficulties prompted us to attempt to develop a more adequate, constructivist conceptualization of the condition, which places emphasis on the role of optimal arousal modulation by the child in specific environments. Evidence supporting this model is cited, and the clinical implications of this constructivist reformulation are noted.     

Expanding the single-case study: a proposed psychoanalytic research program

This paper offers a proposed program of research using single-case time-series methods that can be used by practicing clinicians. The paper is written for psychodynamically oriented clinicians who want to get involved in psychotherapy research and make contributions to the scientific literature. How to measure treatment outcomes and psychodynamic constructs are discussed. With few exceptions, conducting single-case time-series research using psychodynamic psychotherapy has far more advantages than disadvantages.     

对疾病概念的建构论分析

对疾病的界定与解释是整个医学的核心与基础,尽管在不同历史时期都是本体论的疾病观占主流地位,但是纵观整个医学史,人们对疾病的不同界定充分证明了疾病概念问题上的建构论观点.医学上的建构论强调具体的社会环境、组织结构、价值信念、利益和权力关系等对疾病知识的影响.从建构论视角分析,"疾病"是一种功能性界定;疾病是一种价值判断;疾病是一种社会约定.