Addendum to concerns about professional schools

The present research adds to the October 2004 comments in the American Psychologist of Templer and Arikawa who reported that traditional clinical psychology graduate students had greatly higher mean GRE scores than professional school students. The traditional and professional students had mean undergraduate GPAs of 3.62 (SD= .13) and 3.36 (SD= .14), respectively. The mean respective percentages of applicants to 148 traditional and 50 professional programs accepted were 10.4 (SD= 9.5) and 44.4 (SD= 19.5), respectively.     

《内景图》与《修真图》初探

近几十年,道教中的两幅修炼图《内景图》(又名《内经图》)和《修真图》被高度评价,更有人考证其为丘处机及张三丰所画,图中藏有秘而不传的功法。然而,透过图中注文来源、选用诗句及所绘内容,即可考其创制年代及修炼含义。     

Addendum to "Summation in the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)"

Rumbaugh, Savage-Rumbaugh, and Hegel (1987) reported that two chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) could select, with better than 90% accuracy, the greater of two paired quantities of chocolate chips. In that study, no one quantity of chocolates (from 0 through 5) was used in both pairs on a given trial. We investigated the effect of having one quantity in common (CQ) in both pairs. Whether the other quantities (OQs) of chocolates were both less than or greater than the CQ, summation still occurred. Accuracy was primarily a function of the ratios of sums to be differentiated. This finding substantiated the earlier conclusion that summation was based on both quantities of each pair and not on some simpler process such as the avoidance of the tray with the smallest single amount or selection of the tray with the single largest amount.     

An Analysis on the Research Ethics Cases Managed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Between 1997 and 2010

The growing emphasis on the importance of publishing scientific findings in the academic world has led to increasing prevalence of potentially significant publications in which scientific and ethical rigour may be questioned. This has not only hindered research progress, but also eroded public trust in all scientific advances. In view of the increasing concern and the complexity of research misconduct, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) was established in 1997 to manage cases with ethical implications. In order to review the outcomes of cases investigated by COPE, a total of 408 cases that had been managed by COPE were successfully extracted and analysed with respect to 7 distinct criteria. The results obtained indicate that the number of ethical implications per case has not changed significantly (p?>?0.01) since the year COPE was instigated. Interestingly, the number of ethical cases, and to some extent, research misconduct, is not diminishing. Therefore, journal editors and publishers need to work closely together with COPE to inculcate adoption of appropriate research ethics and values in younger researchers while discouraging others from lowering standards. It is hoped that with a more concerted effort from the academic community and better public awareness, there will be fewer incidences of ethically and scientifically challenged publications. The ultimate aim being to enhance the quality of published works with concomittant public trust in the results.     

Psychologists in medical schools in 1997. Research brief

The activities, income, and medical staff membership and limitations on that membership for psychologists working in U.S. medical school settings in 1997 were examined. A total of 1,938 psychologists responded to a survey conducted by the Research Office of the American Psychological Association, in conjunction with the Association of Medical School Psychologists. Some of the most salient findings were that (a) the largest number of psychologists was involved in research activities, (b) just over half of medical school psychologists were required to generate all or part of their own income through clinical work and research, and (c) the majority of these psychologists were members of a medical staff but were not extended full medical staff privileges. These and other results are discussed in the context of academic rank, tenure status, and other relevant factors.     

Factors Related to Outcome in a School-based Intensive Mental Health Program: An Examination of Nonresponders

We examined factors related to treatment responders (n = 35) and nonresponders (n = 16) in a group of 51 children admitted to the Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP). Children’s response to treatment was coded based on their functioning at intake and discharge using total CAFAS scores. Demographic variables, length of treatment, number of diagnoses and medications, and history of physical/emotional abuse or neglect did not significantly distinguish between responders and nonresponders. Nonresponders were more likely to present with a history of suspected or confirmed sexual abuse, internalizing diagnoses, or comorbid internalizing and externalizing diagnoses. Although the small sample size may limit interpretations, our findings indicate treatment programs need augmentation when children with serious emotional disturbances (SED) may be at risk for not responding to interventions.     

Choosing Outcome Assessment Devices: An Organizational and Conceptual Scheme

The assessment of counseling outcome is an important issue that has theoretical, ethical, empirical, and practical significance. Our examination of the state of the science, however, revealed much diversity and disorder. To impose order on this chaos, an organizational and conceptual scheme consisting of content, source, technology, and time orientation dimensions was proposed. The scheme's utility was demonstrated through a review of and application to outcome studies found in two leading counseling journals over the past 3 years. The conceptual scheme was further illustrated through an in-depth application to one specific outcome study. This scheme may guide future outcome research efforts, and its utility may be broadened to include the selection of outcome instruments in career counseling and supervision research.     

Predicting Lamaze Childbirth Intentions and Outcomes: An Extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action to a Joint Outcome

Within the framework of the Fishbein/Ajzen Theory of Reasoned Action (1980), 58 respondents were interviewed about their intentions to use the Lamaze method of childbirth. Prenatal interviews were conducted with 20 married couples recruited primarily through Lamaze classes and 18 expectant mothers recruited from a prenatal public health clinic. Outcome information was collected from 15 of the couples during postnatal interviews. Multiple regression analyses showed that behavioral intentions of husbands and of wives could be predicted from the model's terms (p<.01 and p<.06), as could the joint outcome ratings of couples (p<.01). Husbands' attitude toward having a Lamaze birth (A[sub act]) proved to be the best predictor of behavioral intention (BI) and of couples' joint outcome rating. The generality of the model was demonstrated by its ability to predict BI in both samples of women, despite demographic and methodological differences. The effects of variables external to the model were found to be mediated by the model's terms within each sample of women, but to contribute independent variance to prediction for the combined sample. Based on the data and interviewing experience, a theory of Lamaze involvement is proposed.     

关于干细胞研究的伊斯兰教观点

干细胞的来源主要有3个,分别是胚囊阶段的人胚胎细胞内物质,胎儿和成人细胞。从伊斯兰教观点来分析干细胞研究,干细胞研究具有巨大潜力使人们受益。但是,胚胎的道德地位是讨论的实质。特别指出仅为胚胎干细胞研究的目的而创造胚胎是不能被接受。     

诗歌与禅宗的会通观

作为一种抵达艺术与人生至境的独特修持方法,诗与禅秉持“悟”、“妙悟”而抵达般若妙境。禅宗不藉文字、否弃概念,通过对思维定势的消解而超越对立,以情尘意垢的遣除而洞见自性本心,其进入诗学领域,对诗歌发生的艺术思维与个体审美心理体验产生了深刻的影响,它自见本性、直指本心的超验意识,与文艺创造活动圆融、会通。     

Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy Treatment Outcome Research in Pediatric Populations

Reviewed treatment interventions for pediatric populations involving the combination of pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy or either treatment employed alone. The literature revealed a dearth of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy outcome studies, with the exception of investigations of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Issues pertaining to design, including sample selection, treatment integrity and comparability, and placebo controls also are reviewed. A potpourri of other issues are noted including parental attitudes toward the use of medication versus psychotherapy, treatment adherence, and patient/provider relationship. For children diagnosed with ADHD, the use of stimulant medication appears to be superior to psychotherapy employed alone in managing the behavior of these children as well as their classroom functioning. Recommendations are made for multimodal trials that examine the combined and individual use of pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies for various developmental and psychiatric disorders that occur in childhood and adolescence. Future studies also need to address the durable effects of these treatment options.