A Systematic Framework for Integrating Psychological Evaluations and Interventions

A systematic framework for an integrative approach to psychological evaluations and interventions is proposed based on the executive system model of intelligence, the transactional processes of stress and coping, and the field properties of the personal domain. The executive system of intelligence is a comprehensive model that helps to explain the active components of various types of psychotherapies. We are proposing that psychotherapies facilitate clients' uses of their executive functions to develop coping strategies in their transactions with the environment and the events in their life space. A clinical case is presented to illustrate our systematic approach to psychological evaluation and intervention.     

Psychological distress in the local hillsborough or ‘host’ community following the Hillsborough football stadium diaster

This paper describes levels of psychological distress and accounts of disaster among the local host community following the Hillsborough Football Stadium disaster. Thirty-two participants were interviewed 4–6 months after the event. Rates of psychological distress symptoms were high in the sample as measured by PTSD (DSM III criteria), Impact of Events Scale (IES) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The study also explores the relationships between levels of exposure, levels of distress and participants' accounts of the disaster. Implications for community outreach projects after disasters are discussed.     

Children's size judgments when size and distance vary: Is there a developmental trend to overconstancy?

A review of the experimental literature on size constancy in children shows that studies permitting unrestricted viewing in natural settings provide only limited support for the hypothesis, proposed by Wohlwill, of a developmental trend from under- to overconstancy. A study is reported in which subjects aged 8 to 18 years made magnitude estimations of height for targets whose height and distance from them varied. For distances up to 15 m, and heights from 5 to 50 cm, size constancy prevailed at all ages: The same number was assigned to a given height at every distance. If a developmental trend exists, it requires either younger subjects or greater distances to be revealed.     

The effect of exposure duration on the apparent contrast of sinusoidal gratings

Apparent contrast determined for sinusoidal grating targets which were flashed for varying durations appears to follow a temporal course similar to a Broca-Sulzer curve, and this temporal course is also influenced by the spatial frequency of the grating target. These results were discussed in terms of differential latency and temporal integrating characteristics of spatial frequency channels.     

Fairness and discrimination: English versus Welsh

It has previously been suggested that there is a generic norm of conflict between groups so that when a differentiation is perceived between one group and another there is a predisposition to discriminate against the outgroup. The present study investigates whether this norm of conflict operates in social situations involving differentiation over real issues, or to what extent behavior is modified by norms of fairness. The research examined English and Welsh groups and found that when there was an opportunity of giving equal rewards to both parties about one-third of subjects acted in this fair way. Never as many as one-third of subjects acted in the most discriminatory way possible, and the remainder modified or tempered their discrimination. Behavior in this situation was felt to be the result of opposing internal norms for fairness and discrimination. Differences were found between the English and Welsh subjects. The Welsh showed more discrimination against the outgroup, while discrimination in favor of the outgroup was more common among the English. It is hypothesized that that effect may be characteristic of the behavior of ‘top-dogs’ and ‘underdogs’.     

A still further note on freeman's measure of association

This article demonstrates that Freeman's theta, a measure of association between a nominal variable and an ordinal variable, has a sampling distribution identical with the sampling distribution of Mann-Whitney'sU.     

Costs and benefits of strategy construction in a speeded discrimination task

The costs and benefits of constructing and utilizing a strategy for performing a speeded discrimination task were assessed in terms of time and mental resources. The strategy involved using information about the position a word occupied in order to respond to its identity more rapidly. The resources used to construct and utilize the strategy were assessed from responses to probes presented at various times during the task. In Experiment 1, the probe required a manual response, whereas in Experiment 2, the probe required a vocal response. Strategy construction interfered with the probe task in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2, suggesting that strategy construction required resources specific to the manual response system. There was also some evidence that strategy construction required general resources, but the evidence for specific resources was much stronger. The findings are consistent with our previous ideas about how the strategy is represented (Logan, 1980a; Logan & Zbrodoff, 1979). The different results with different responses to the probes point out important limitations on previous studies of probe interference and of cost-benefit analysis, which each focused on a single dimension of cost and benefit. The differences suggest that a multiple-resources approach to probe interference and cost-benefit analysis might be more appropriate.     

Chaplains' medical approach to psychiatric patients

Chaplains' understanding of people's psychiatric and medical problems may aid them in dealing with people's spiritual problems. However, exploratory interviews and observations of chaplains and inpatients at a VA psychiatric facility indicate that chaplains take a medical model perspective with patients, often attempting to treat patients' psychiatric problems rather than focusing on their reliigious needs. Chaplains avoid one-on-one religious discussions despite the importance of these conversations to patients. Discussed are implications for the utilization of health services and for the formation of treatment teams.This paper is a revised version of a paper presented at the Society for Applied Anthropology meetings held in Lexington, Kentucky, March 1982.     

Toward a psychology of courage: Implications for the change (healing) process

Courage is a virtue which has been held in highest regard by all societies. In an age in which courage and its companions, human dignity and commitment, seem sadly lacking, it is imperative that we reacquaint ourselves with the implications of these attributes. In this paper we demonstrate the integral relationship between courage and intimacy and the importance of the concept of therapeutic caring to their development. We also introduce the theory of the double in which the self, in the act of intimacy, seeks to come together with its contradictory and disavowed attributes. These concepts are related to a psychotherapeutic paradigm in which we examine the requirements courage, intimacy, and caring impose upon practitioner and client.Paper presented at the 25th winter meeting of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis, New York City, December, 1981.     

The death crisis and pastoral counseling

Death is an event that presents a crisis to the family system. Conceptualizing death as a stressor event and recognizing the variety of coping resources present in and available to bereaved families and individuals, along with the meaning attached to death, can help interventionists to perceive stategies for providing assistance in time of grief. Pastoral counselors are often needed to interpret death from a faith perspective, yet they may need to interpret the family's reaction to the death crisis in order to facilitate their readjustment. Analysis of the death event using Reuben Hill's crisis equation provides a workable conceptual framework.