Two visual systems and two theories of perception: An attempt to reconcile the constructivist and ecological approaches

The two contrasting theoretical approaches to visual perception, the constructivist and the ecological, are briefly presented and illustrated through their analyses of space and size perception. Earlier calls for their reconciliation and unification are reviewed. Neurophysiological, neuropsychological, and psychophysical evidence for the existence of two quite distinct visual systems, the ventral and the dorsal, is presented. These two perceptual systems differ in their functions; the ventral system's central function is that of identification, while the dorsal system is mainly engaged in the visual control of motor behavior. The strong parallels between the ecological approach and the functioning of the dorsal system, and between the constructivist approach and the functioning of the ventral system are noted. It is also shown that the experimental paradigms used by the proponents of these two approaches match the functions of the respective visual systems. A dual-process approach to visual perception emerges from this analysis, with the ecological-dorsal process transpiring mainly without conscious awareness, while the constructivist-ventral process is normally conscious. Some implications of this dual-process approach to visual-perceptual phenomena are presented, with emphasis on space perception.     

An investigation of the psychological effects of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York City: developing and implementing research in the acute postdisaster period

The September 11, 2001, attack on New York City was the largest human-made disaster in United States history. In the first few days after the attack, it became clear that the scope of the attacks (including loss of life, property damage, and financial strain) was unprecedented and that the attacks could result in substantial psychological sequelae in the city population. Researchers at the Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies at the New York Academy of Medicine designed and implemented an assessment of the mental health of New Yorkers 5-8 weeks after the attacks. To implement this research in the immediate postdisaster period, researchers at the center had to develop, in a compressed time interval, new academic collaborations, links with potential funders, and unique safeguards for study respondents who may have been suffering from acute psychological distress. Results of the assessment contributed to a New York state mental health needs assessment that secured Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for mental health programs in New York City. This experience suggests that mechanisms should be in place for rapid implementation of mental health assessments after disasters.     

Should providers of treatment be regarded as a random factor? If it ain't broke, don't "fix" it: a comment on Siemer and Joormann (2003)

In their criticism of B. E. Wampold and R. C. Serlin's analysis of treatment effects in nested designs, M. Siemer and J. Joormann argued that providers of services should be considered a fixed factor because typically providers are neither randomly selected from a population of providers nor randomly assigned to treatments, and statistical power to detect treatment effects is greater in the fixed than in the mixed model. The authors of the present article argue that if providers are considered fixed, conclusions about the treatment must be conditioned on the specific providers in the study, and they show that in this case generalizing beyond these providers incurs inflated Type I error rates.     

Electroencephalographic biofeedback methodology and the management of epilepsy

Currently considerable research is being directed toward developing methodologies for controlling internal processes. An applied branch of the basic field of psychophysiology, known as biofeedback, has developed to fulfill clinical needs related to such control. Current scientific and popular literature abounds with numerous examples of how biofeedback is being used. For example, germinal studies by Kamiya (1962), and later work by Lynch and Paskewitz (1971), Beatty (1973), as well as many others have shown that the EEG alpha rhythm (8 to 13 Hz) recorded from occipital regions of the human brain can be behaviorally manipulated when feedback or reward is provided for changing the density of this activity. Other researchers have provided evidence that theta activity (4 to 7 Hz) and the beta activity (greater than 14 Hz) can also be controlled by humans and analogs of this activity have been conditioned in animals as well (Green, Green and Walters, 1971). In addition to the work that has been carried out with the EEG, researchers such as Engle and Bleecker (1973) have indicated that it might be possible to control cardiac arrhythmias through biofeedback. Studies by Elder et al. (1973) have provided some hope that blood pressure in humans might also be conditioned. Also, considerable effort has been directed to the control of responses from single muscles with particular applied emphasis in neuromuscular rehabilitation, control of muscle tension for tension headaches and the management of migraine headaches through vasomotor conditioning (Brudny et al., 1974; Basmajian, 1963, 1971; Sargent et al., 1973).     

On self-disclosure: The vulnerable therapist

The therapist may stimulate the family's growth by sharing his personal experiences directly with them. This helps by providing the family with a model of a real (versus symbolic) person and encouraging them to respond in new and competent ways. As a result, the emotional commitment of the therapeutic system may deepen, while unconscious conflicts that have been causing impasses may surface and be resolved. The therapist hopes that his self-disclosure will benefit the therapy, but understands that there are risks involved. Specific guidelines can help in deciding when not to share, what kinds of problems can be revealed, and what attitudes best strengthen this endeavor. Self-disclosure is discussed here in an experiential frame-work. The author illustrates the above points with examples from his own personal clinical and supervisory experiences.The author would like to thank his wife, Linda Barth Garfield, MSS, without whose sustaining support this paper could not have been written, and his partner, Ellen Berman, MD, for her valuable comments and encouragement. The masculine pronoun is used in this paper for convenience, and because the author is often referring to himself.     

Symbolic experiential journeys: An introduction

This introductory article describes the origins of this special issue on Symbolic-Experiential Family Therapy. It goes on to elaborate the basic assumptions of Carl Whitaker's approach which emerge as unifying themes in the contributors' articles. It concludes with a tribute to Whitaker.The author wishes to acknowledge Linda Barth Garfield, MSS, and Ellen Berman, MD, for their helpful assistance and editorial comments in the development of this paper.     

Semantic representation and surface forms: A look at across-language priming in bilinguals

The question of whether words in one language versus their translations in another access the same conceptual representation was addressed in the present experiment. English-French bilinguals were tested in a lexical decision task, the target words being primed by semantically related words in either the same language or across languages. The results show significant priming facilitation in both conditions; response latencies were notably shorter when the target was preceded by a semantically related word than when presented alone, whether or not the two words were presented in the same language. While these results seem to substantiate the hypothesis of a common semantic store for the two languages, close inspection reveals that facilitation was more likely due to the strategic use of primes than to automatic processing.     

In defense of strategic therapy

The practice of strategic therapy has raised a number of critical issues and has stimulated criticism of various sorts. Among the criticisms leveled at strategic therapy are that it involves the taking of too many risks, that it is deceptive, that it is controlling and manipulative, that it is disrespectful, and that it is superficial and narrow. Each of these five major areas of concern is discussed and addressed with case examples to illustrate a rationale and justification for the use of these less conventional methods.     

The child sexual abuse victim: Assessment and treatment issues and solutions

Particular attention is given in this paper to the assessment process with child sexual abuse victims and recommendations are made regarding practical issues both in the assessment and the treatment phases of therapeutic work with child victims.     

Using psychodynamic concepts in strategic family therapy: A suicidal adolescent case

This paper describes the treatment of a suicidal adolescent with strategic family therapy. The cotherapists conceptualized the case psychoanalytically and systemically. They propose that their understanding of psychodynamics enhanced their ability to tailor their interventions to the family's unique style and capacities. Rather than dismiss psychodynamic concepts as irrelevant to strategic family therapy, they maintain that an appreciation of individual members' ego strengths, defenses, affects, and unacknowledged impulses leads to the construction of more effective metaphors and a set of interventions more isomorphic to family patterns.