Spring 2014 - South Carolina Psychological Association

Spring 2014
FEEDBACK
South Carolina Psychological Association
SCPA 2014 Annual Conference
April 4-­6 – Myrtle Beach
Psychology and Health:
Leadership and Growth in a New Era
Register today and join your colleagues in
Myrtle Beach for quality continuing education,
excellent networking opportunities, and some
fresh salt air!
Bring your family! We look forward to seeing
you there.
Inside This Issue:
President’s Column
Page 2
New Era – The Past is Prologue
Page 10
Treasurer’s Report:
Fall Conferences are Successful
Page 5
Book Review: Talks To Teachers:
On Psychology: And to Students
on Some of Life’s Ideals
Page 11
Ethics Column: Trying to remove
the “Aversive” from Adversarial
Page 7
2014 Annual Conference
Page 12
Historical Bit
Page 9
A Season of Renovation…
South Carolina Psychological Association !PO Box 1448 !Cedar Park, TX 78630
Phone: 512.788.0207 ! Fax: 800.784.9034 ! www.scpsychology.com
Feedback Editor: Maxine Barker, PhD !email: MABARK@scdjj.net
Spring 2014
FEEDBACK
South Carolina Psychological Association
Summer 2012
President’s Column
Jeannine Monnier, PhD
Greetings from the Low Country!
I am hopeful that everyone has survived this snowy/icy winter without too much discomfort. I am writing in my new role
as the 2014 President of SCPA. I came to South Carolina in 1996 for my predoctoral internship at MUSC and stayed on for
a 2-­year postdoctoral fellowship. During this time, I had the honor of training under the tutelage of three men well known
to SCPA: Drs. John Roitzsch, Dean Kilpatrick, and Pat O’Neil. Following my fellowship, I joined the faculty at MUSC. In
2002, I started a part-­time practice in Charleston and in 2009 transitioned to full-­time private practice. It is my hope that my
experiences in the academic, research and clinical realms of our profession and my training from past SCPA leaders will
provide me with a strong foundation to help lead our organization over this year.
I feel fortune to be following Dr. Cabe Loring after his term as President for SCPA. Working as his President-­Elect was a
true pleasure. Dr. Loring is a positive and affable man who has helped to increase the health of our professional
organization. I am so pleased that Dr. Loring has remained committed to SCPA and is serving us as Immediate Past
President, our Legislative Committee Chair, and our APA Council Representative! I am also honored to have Dr. Shirley
Vickery serving as our President–Elect. Dr Vickery brings her vast knowledge of SCPA, having been involved for many
years, serving as President, and two terms as SCPA’s APA Council Representative. I am also pleased that Dr. Mike
Sullivan remains as our Treasure, providing us with his extensive experience with APA and State, Provincial, and
Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTAs). Furthermore, I am pleased that Drs. Cindy Carter (Secretary), Cara Reeves
(Member-­at-­Large), and Brooke Dean (Member-­at-­Large) have joined our board of directors.
Spring Conference: We are excited about the upcoming 2014 Spring Conference. We have worked hard to increase appeal
of the conference to clinicians, educators, and researchers alike. We are very pleased to offer a TRUST Workshop to
members, which will provide those with the TRUST malpractice insurance a 15% discount on their insurance renewal.
Additionally, we have the APA’s Practice Directorate’s Dr. Katherine Nordal as our keynote speaker. There will also be a
PharmD who will discuss issues relevant to psychopharmacology as well as a panel of past SCPA Presidents slated to
discuss the state of psychology. Further, we have some great research and teaching presentations scheduled, and of
course, our Student Poster Session. We are hopeful that you will join us, to learn, earn CE’s, and to build relationships with
fellow psychologists (see www.scpsychology.com for the full program).
I would like to build on the substantial increase in membership we had in 2013 by encouraging SCPA members become
involved in their organization. SCPA has numerous committees and opportunities for involvement. I would like to appeal
to all members to join a committee. It is a great chance to get to know colleagues and to serve our cause. All of these
committees would benefit from new ideas and new faces. SCPA leadership has also worked to build our representation on
APA sponsored networks/divisions. These networks/divisions provide psychologists in South Carolina an opportunity to
work with APA and bring its resources to our state. We have numerous network coordinators and division representatives
who would welcome additional interest and participation in network/division activities. Below is a list of our SCPA
Committee Chairs and APA network coordinators and division representatives and their contact information. Please feel
free to contact one of them to learn about the happenings in their respective groups and to get involved!
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In addition to the above-­mentioned goals, SCPA will be focusing on legislative issues. It is clear that our organization serves an
important role in protecting the profession of psychology in the state of South Carolina. Our world is changing rapidly and
without the “eye of psychology” monitoring what is going on in Columbia, I am afraid we will be left in the dust as other
professions gain exclusive rights to provide various services like telemedicine (S 290 Telemedicine Insurance Reimbursement
Act). We need strong leadership to meet these challenges and a willing membership to provide the grassroots support to move
the tides in our direction. I encourage all members to get to know their representatives and use their skills as psychologists to
build strong, meaningful relationships with them. We plan to provide some additional guidance on how the membership can
help in this process during Saturday’s luncheon at the annual conference.
I look forward to seeing you all in Myrtle Beach. I am looking forward to meet and greet each person at the conference and to
answer any question on how one might get involved. We will be having Committee Meetings on Sunday at 8:00am but there
will also be more informal opportunities to meet Committee Chairs throughout the conference (e.g., happy hours, yoga on the
beach, corn hole tournament). I will be pleased to make the introductions!
Happy Spring!
Jeannine
SCPA Committee Chairs Academic Day Jonathan Bassett, Ph.D. jbassett@lander.edu Editor – Feedback Maxine Barker, Ph.D. MABARK@scdjj.net Awards Shirley Vickery, Ph.D. svickery@richland2.org
Ethics VACANT Public Education & Information Jeannine Monnier, Ph.D. jeanninemonnier@me.com
Nominations Cabe Loring, Psy.D. drloring@gmail.com Legislative Cabe Loring, Psy.D. drloring@gmail.com Peer Advocacy VACANT SCPA Political Action Committee (PAC) VACANT Continuing Education Brian Sullivan, Psy.D. sullivanb@cofc.edu Finance Michael Sullivan, Ph.D. drmikesullivan@msn.com Membership Cara Reeves, Ph.D. creeves.create@gmail.com Spring Conference Jeannine Monnier, Ph.D. jeanninemonnier@me.com 3
Spring 2014
APA Divisions/Networks APA Council Rep. Cabe Loring, Psy.D. drloring@gmail.com Disaster Response Network Jim Ruffing, Ph.D. drruffing@gmail.com Business of Practice Network VACANT Diversity Division Rep. VACANT Federal Advocacy Graduate Student Rep. Coordinator Stephanie Jamison-­‐Void, Brian Sullivan, Psy.D. M.A. sullivanb@cofc.edu sjamison@centurylink.net Public Education Campaign Rural Network Coordinator Marianne Osentoski, Ph.D. Jeannine Monnier, Ph.D. hpi18@hotmail.com jeanninemonnier@me.com 4
Committee on Women in Psychology Jeannine Monnier, Ph.D. jeanninemonnier@me.com Early Career Psychologist Division Rep. Jeff Selman, Psy.D., BCBAD jselman33@yahoo.com Healthy Workplace Leslie Bessellieu, Ph.D. dr.leslie@transformationscoach.net Spring 2014
Treasurer’s Report:
Looking Back and Looking Forward
By Michael Sullivan, PhD
SCPA finished 2013 with a surplus for the first time in
recent years! Our year-­end revenues stood at $57,817
against expenses of $51,867. This produced a positive
variance of $5,950, a very welcome surplus. At its meeting
on February 22, 2014, the SCPA Executive Council agreed
to use this surplus to replenish our reserve finds.
In reviewing the details of last year’s budget, the largest
savings came from not retaining a professional lobbyist.
The $5,000 expense projected for this purpose accounted for
most of the year-­end surplus. Whether this is a sound
policy is a separate issue. Suffice it to say, more work falls
on the Legislative Committee volunteers and our staff
when this happens. As a small professional association we
have very limited resources with which to retain expensive
lobbying services. Yet not spending money on lobbying
may carry its own risks.
Two other areas were notable for meeting or slightly
exceeding our 2013 budget targets. The CE programs
generated significantly more revenues and expenses than
projected. With revenues of $17,570 and expenses of $17,
470 we essentially broke even. As mentioned in my last
column, our Fall Conference profits helped offset the
Spring Conference loss.
Our membership revenues were stronger than projected in
2013, with $25,338 received in dues payments versus
$24,600 budgeted. This surplus of $738 underscores the
success of our membership renewal and recruitment efforts
last year. Membership recruitment and retention is the
lifeblood of SCPA, as it is for any professional association.
For 2014 our membership renewals will be a vital part of
our financial health. As of the beginning of March, we had
taken in $17,195 in dues for this year. We want to urge all
those who have not yet done so to please send in their
renewals. Dues are our single biggest source of revenue.
They are our investment in the only professional
association representing and advocating the interests of all
psychologists in South Carolina. Typically, most of our
revenue comes in early in the year whereas our expenses
predominate later in the year. It is critical, therefore, that
we improve our dues receipts if we are to have another
financially successful year.
We especially want to thank and recognize the following 94
members who renewed their SCPA membership early in
the year!
We also want to encourage everyone to attend our Spring
Conference in Myrtle Beach, at the Marriott Resort & Spa at
Grand Dunes. The conference features outstanding
programs and social opportunities, as well as a day-­long
workshop on ethics and risk management by The Trust.
Please mark April 4-­6, 2014, on your calendars.
2014 SCPA Renewing Members – Thank you!
Erin Adams Jonathan Bassett John Bradley Brantley Adams Keri Bennefield Claire Brown Carol Adams Leslie Bessellieu Michele Burnette Thomas Anderson Joseph Boland Cindy Carter Jason Anderson Oliver Bowman Larry Clanton Russell Barkley Robert Brabham Laura Creel 5
Spring 2014
Kendra Cusaac Betty Mandell Judy Sullivan Stephen Dawes Nadine McCallum Michael Sullivan Robert Deysach Aila McCutchen Mary Svendsen Jodi Dodd Kay McNeill Lloyd Taylor Thomas Dorsel Cynthia Midcalf Gordon Teichner Clay Drummond Scott Mohler Ronald Thompson Martha Durham Jeannine Monnier Merle Tyroler John Ellsworth Bonnie Montgomery Elizabeth Van Pelt Natalie Fadel Kendall Moore Paul Van Wyke Kaye Finch Robert Moss Suzanne Veilleux Kate Flory John Mulkeen Shirley Vickery Allison Foster De Rosset Myers Catherine Anne Walsh Lynn Geiger Ronald Nappi Francis Walton Richard Getty Marisa Nava Lois Wandersman Jonathan Gould Michael Neboschick Carey Washington Marc Harari Joe Neely Martha Westrope Dorothy Holmes Betty Noble Jerry White Howard Jacobson Claire Phillips Martha White Luanne Kea Maureen Porter Paul Wood William Kee Avie Rainwater Dave Yarborough Gordon Kimbrell Ronald Reece Sally King Judith Root Susan Knight James Ruffing Michael Kollar Anne Saravo Nina Leggett David Sarnoff Tami Leonhardt Gene Sausser Deborah Leporowski Scott Shaffer Julie Lipovsky Samuel Smithyman 6
Spring 2014
Ethics Column:
Trying to remove the “Aversive” from Adversarial
By: Robert E. Deysach, PhD
This is a reprint of the article from South Carolina Psychological Association’s FEEDBACK printed in Fall 2008.
Years ago, I was deposed by an attorney who had in a previous case taken particular exception to my evaluation and courtroom
testimony in a case he had lost because of, in his mind, my expert witness testimony. He subsequently appeared to be impelled
by a personal mandate to discredit me the next time I appeared as an expert retained by “the other side.” As a consequence, the
deposition he requested on a subsequent case lasted five (5) hours and covered aspects of my life I would not have discussed
with my mother.
Over the years, fishing expeditions to discredit an expert witness have taken various forms. One of the most insidious is the
strategy of filing ethics complaints that are intended solely “to weaken a particular expert’s credibility” and hence strengthen
either the plaintiff’s present case or future plaintiff’s cases that will be seen by that same expert” (AACN Board, 2003). It should
be clear that, if psychologists are complicit in this strategy, it represents a violation of the APA Code of Ethics. The Standard that
applies is listed below:
.07 Improper Complaints
Psychologists do not file or encourage the filing of ethics complaints that are made with reckless disregard for, or
willful ignorance of facts that would disprove the allegation.
We are not alone. The American Bar Association’s Code of Professional Responsibility has enjoined members of the bar to:
“…not present, participate in presenting, or threaten to present criminal charges solely to obtain an
advantage in a civil matter.” Disciplinary action has been taken against its members for inflicting verbal
abuse on opposing counsel in the form of an accusation of “being unethical.”
Of course, attorneys are, as are we, counseled in the case of possession of unprivileged knowledge of a real ethical violation to
report it to the Board of Professional Organization for their state or region at the appropriate time.
For psychologists, similar guidelines have been proposed (AACN Board, 2003). The first of these guidelines states that, when an
ethics complaint is received by the licensing board, “investigations of ethical concerns should be set aside until the end of any
adversarial proceeding that could benefit the complainant.” In addition, board members are advised to be alert to “possible self-­
interested motivations of complaining psychologists, examinees, and/or attorneys who have vested interests” in matters at
hand.
Another recommendation of the AANC Board of Directors is that investigations of some complaints against psychologists will
require the expertise of specialists. At times, this may mean selecting peer review experts from a “different geographic region in
order to minimize the possibility of any conflict of interest in local adversarial activities.”
A medical colleague of mine recently was sued in a case which proved to be, if not frivolous, baseless. When I later tried to buoy
his spirits by focusing on the fact that he prevailed, he reminded me of the thousands of dollars spent defending himself and
fear that the fact that the suit was brought, and not the outcome, would be recalled. It was a preoccupying and painful
experience for him, and he wondered if he were “tainted” by the experience.
It has been noted elsewhere (Sweet, 2005) that one courtroom tactic to discredit an expert is to file multiple complaints against
an individual for the purpose of “tainting” that individual. This has also been addressed with a caution to investigating bodies
that the “objective of the strategy of making multiple complaints against the same practitioner could be to skew the perspective
of the investigation body that ‘something’ must be wrong for so many complaints to be filed, even though each case
individually is not found to have merit.” (AANC Board of Directors, 2003). The tactic of persistent attacks on the competence of
psychologists has also been used as part of a larger skewing effort to discredit the forensic relevance of an entire subspecialty of
clinical experts.
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Spring 2014
In my role as staff psychologists at a hospital, I regularly consult with inpatient treatment staff as well as perform evaluations
for out-­patients referred to the hospital. In the latter context, I have had occasion to note that matters I addressed (for example,
on behalf of a referring physician) were not actually brought to me as part of the program of clinical care but rather as part of a
pending legal action. Even before having to face this situation myself, I realized that this can set up a treating clinician for
criticism if they are brought to the stand.
Initially in my forensic work, I limited my private practice outside the university to outpatient referrals. Although I had not yet
started working in an acute treatment setting, I realized the difference was great between gathering information for clinical
rather than forensic purposes. Because of the adversarial nature of the “expert witness,” additional questions must be addressed
and case records gathered with an eye to the necessity of persuading an audience that is varied (i.e., a jury) and often skeptical
(i.e., an opposing attorney).
In my work with attorneys, I fairly regularly explain that there is often a greater need for efficient and succinctness in a clinical
report and that issues, such as timing (i.e., reports in a treatment setting are often written earlier) and cost-­effectiveness, are
critical considerations I a clinical setting. The word “independent” in IME also refers to the fact that such activity is solo venture
and not one in which the particular consultation is only a piece of a broader clinical team effort. In that sense, clinical reports are
only “incomplete” when viewed in the context of the assaults that are often a part of the forensic arena.
A colleague recently proposed (but quickly abandoned as unworkable) the practice of adding to some reports a disclaimer such
as: “This report was prepared for clinical purposes and is not meant to be used in legal proceedings of any kind.” I believe the
alternative is to unapologetically explain to a client/patient, to an attorney and to the court what the difference is between the
two settings and the nature of the consultations for each. For another psychologists to fail to appreciate that difference and to
complain that such clinical work is “incompetent” is, in my estimation, improper (.07 Improper Complaints). As a matter of fact,
there are instances when such work is actually judged more credible (and competent) because the original healthcare goals for
which the evaluation and report were originally designed were not “tainted” by considerations of conflict of interests.
Forensic practice can indeed weave a tangled web of demands for the psychologist. However, it should not force us to abandon
objectivity in our productions nor question our own ethics for participating in an adversarial process. At the same time, we
should not only expect a standard of fairness for ourselves, but also attempt to provide the same for our adversaries. The system
as a whole deserves nothing less.
References:
AACN (2003). Official Position of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology on Ethical Complaints Made against Clinical
Neuropsychological during Adversarial Proceedings. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 17, 443-­445.
Sweet, J (2005). “Ethical issues in forensic neuropsychology.” Colorado Neuropsychological Association Conference, Boulder,
Colorado.
Dr. Deysach is Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina, and the Director of Clinical/Neuropsychology at HealthSouth Rehabilitation
Hospital, Columbia, SC.
Conference Social Events
Sunrise Yoga on the beach
Cornhole Tournament
Happy Hours
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Spring 2014
Historical Bit
By Bob V. Heckel, PhD, ABPP
Reprinted from Spring 2010 FEEDBACK
HOGAMOUS, HIGAMOUS:
A BRIEF NOTE ON WILLIAM JAMES
Hogamous, higamous
Man is polygamous
Higamous, hogamous
Woman monogamous
Could it be possible that America’s senior psychologist, medical physiologist (M.D.),
philosopher, gifted writer and speaker have crafted this quatrain? His extensive writings
do not suggest a frivolous or humorous side, though his range of knowledge and interests
plus his many friends including writers H.G. Wells, G.K. Chesterton, scholars/
philosophers Bertrand Russell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, social activist W.E.B. Du Bois,
humorist Mark Twain, suggest that there were few areas that he hadn’t explored. It has
been reported that he was tone deaf, so it is possible that music may have played a lesser
role. Despite reported bouts of depression and symptoms described as neurasthenia, James
managed a rich and well-­traveled life, marriage, five children and acclaim throughout the
world. It might be that a wife, five children, teaching responsibilities and an extensive
writing and speaking schedule did not allow much time for psychological symptoms and
problems to have the devastating effect such symptoms may have played in the lives of
others. But what of the authorship of the jingle? Historians are split on this question,
largely because its attribution to James only surfaced in print long after his death. It is
possible that in a lighter moment he authored the poem, related to a friend or friends and it
circulated for many years. It is equally likely that it is one of the many apocryphal tales that
are fabricated about famous people. Today, it is a thriving business as evidence, we have
“People Magazine.”
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Spring 2014
NEW ERA – THE PAST IS PROLOGUE
By Pat DeLeon, PhD
Pat is a former APA President. This is a reprint of the article he wrote for the Manitoba Psychological Association in February, 2014.
In April, 1974 Marc Lalonde, your Minister of National Health and Welfare, released his visionary report “A New Perspective
on the Health of Canadians.” Four decades later, one can appreciate that from a health policy perspective he foresaw the
potential contributions of psychology to the health and well-­being of society, more clearly than most elected officials and health
care professionals. “Past improvement has been due mainly to modification of behaviour and changes in the environment and
it is to these same influences that we must look particularly for further advance.” “When the full impact of environmental and
lifestyle has been assessed, and the foregoing is necessarily but a partial statement of their effect, there can be no doubt that the
traditional view of equating the level of health in Canada with the availability of physicians and hospitals is inadequate.” In
1979 the U.S. Surgeon General’s report “Healthy People” proffered: “Prevention is an idea whose time has come. We have the
scientific knowledge to begin to formulate recommendations for improved health…. In fact, of the 10 leading causes of death in
the United States, at least seven could be substantially reduced if persons at risk improved just five basic habits….” Integration
of psychology within primary care is essential. Former APA President Nick Cummings reported that in the usual primary-­care
health system, physicians identify about 40% of their patients as needing some form of mental health treatment, but less than
10% actually see a mental health provider. However, when a physician can just walk a patient a few steps down the hall to a
psychologist’s office, he found that 85% to 90% who needed psychotherapy, and are so walked down the hall, enter treatment.
Times are definitely changing. Cynthia Belar, Executive Director of the APA Education Directorate, has been alerting our
educational community to the importance of the next generation being active participants within health care systems. Team
based collaborative care (which requires inter-­professional competencies), accountability (which requires skills in quality
improvement and assessment of patient outcomes), a population based perspective (which requires an understanding of public
health), etc. are skills which must be in the psychologist’s toolbox. President Obama’s landmark Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (ACA) encourages the development of patient-­centered, integrated systems of care in which data-­driven
clinical decisions will become integral to “quality care.” Interdisciplinary teams will replace solo practices. Health information
technology (HIT) infrastructure allowing cross-­diagnostic and cross-­provider comparisons will be developed. Cynthia’s public
health/population-­based emphasis will be increasingly utilized in establishing programmatic priorities;; as will capitalizing
upon the potential in the unprecedented advances occurring within the communications and technology fields (e.g., telehealth
services, virtual reality consultations, and active patient engagement). Prevention, wellness, and family-­oriented care will be the
priority. The “gold standard” of care of tomorrow will be based upon findings from competitive effectiveness research
protocols. For psychology, involvement in primary care will be an absolute necessity.
Few appreciate that it was the vision of President Lyndon Johnson during his Great Society Era -­-­ at a time when psychologist
John Gardner served as Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare -­-­ that the network of federally qualified
community health centers (FCHCs) was established. Today there are over 9,000 rural and urban communities across the United
States receiving high quality, comprehensive care (including behavioral and mental health care) from FCHCs. The magnitude of
change was noted in 2006 by the President of the Institute of Medicine. “Dealing equally with health care for mental, substance-­
use, and general health conditions requires a fundamental change in how we as a society and health care system think about
and respond to these problems and illnesses. Mental and substance-­use problems and illnesses should not be viewed as
separate from and unrelated to overall health and general health care. Building on this integrated concept… the Institute of
Medicine will itself seek to incorporate attention to issues in health care for mental and substance-­use problems and illnesses
into its program of general health studies.”
Those fortunate to attend the annual Practice Directorate State Leadership Conferences – which I feel are one of highlights of
APA’s year – have heard Katherine Nordal passionately remind us: “January 1st is really just a mile marker in this marathon we
call health care reform [the ACA implementation date]. We’re facing uncharted territory with health care reform, and there’s no
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universal roadmap to guide us. Our practitioners increasingly will need to promote the value and quality they can contribute to
emerging models of care. We are a highly educated and talented discipline, and we need to identify and create opportunities to
make others aware of the skills and strengths we can contribute to health care. I believe that if we are not valued as a health
profession, it will detract from our value in other practice arenas as well. No one else is fighting the battles for psychology…
and don’t expect them to. We can’t hope to finish the marathon called health care reform if we’re not at the starting line.”
Last year I had the pleasure of participating in the Canadian Psychological Association annual convention in Quebec City. It
was a wonderful event and brought home that you are facing challenges very similar to those of colleagues in the United States
– especially having society and their elected officials appreciate how psychology can significantly impact the quality of health
care, but only if citizens have timely access to our services. Your “Mind Your Mental Health” campaign is extraordinarily
timely and important for all of us. The value of appreciating the past was recently underscored by Mike Feuerstein: “Especially
in psychology, sorry to say. Someone’s innovation is another’s past effort. Maybe that is how progress occurs in life and why it
takes so long. Can be frustrating but you don’t get to see it until you are ‘older.’”
... Aloha.
Book Review
Talks To Teachers: On Psychology: And to Students on Some of Life’s Ideals
By: William James
New York, Henry Holt and Company 1906
Reviewed by Robert V. Heckel, PhD
This is a reprint of the article from South Carolina Psychological Association’s FEEDBACK printed in Spring 2010.
There is little doubt that William James was one of, if not
the most important psychologists of the twentieth century
(one study ranked him 14th in the world for that entire
period). That he was also one of the most articulate,
informed, superb scholar and writer of any generation
made him a prime target in my quest to review a book rich
in hope, promise for the future, “good” psychology,
entertaining, and relevant to our present world dilemmas
and issues. Impossible? Not at all. This small book, first
published in 1899, was based on “a few public lectures on
psychology to the Cambridge teachers” that began in 1892.
The works were so well received that James felt that some
of his colleagues “may possibly shake their head at this”
minimizing of the “scientific” in favor of presenting to meet
genuine public need for a practical and popular
psychology.
The first thing that struck me as I read this book was: how
much of the psychology of today was understood and
utilized over one hundred years ago! To be sure, some of
the labels have changed. Today we speak of social learning
and modeling rather than imitation and emulation as the
means by which we acquire many of our behaviors. We do
not speak of native and acquired reactions, but they are
alive and well in or heredity-­environment issues.
In his work on memory, I have never read a clearer and
more concise statement of Ebbinghaus’ experiments. Habit
ranks high in James hierarchy of forces determining how
we behave, and views habit as the “flywheel of society.” I
was further impressed with the abundance of citations of
poets, novelists and scholars cited (especially in his
comments in the three chapters addressed to “Students.”
Particular favorites: Stevenson, Tolstoy, Whitman, Shelly,
Darwin and so many others.) In writing a review of a work
such as this the most difficult task is to not discuss many of
his practical ideas and strategies for teachers to utilize in
teaching pupils in acquiring mastery of the tools that will
permit them to excel in their academic pursuits. James does
not minimize social and cultural factors in the teaching and
learning process. He, unlike many of his male
contemporaries, expressed a view of equality for women. In
all, this has been a wonderful and eye opening experience.
It has explained to me, at least in part, why psychology has
not merely survived but has grown in stature and value.
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2014 SCPA Annual
Conference
If you have not already done so, be sure to register for SCPA’s 2014 Annual Conference in Myrtle
Beach on April 4-­6. You won’t want to miss all that this conference is offering!
Conference Highlights:
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Dr. Katherine Nordal -­ Executive Director for Professional Practice
American Psychological Association -­ APA Practice Organization
Healthcare Reform 2014: Implications for Professional Practice
The Trust Workshop:
Hot Topics in Ethics and Risk Management in Psychological Practice
South Carolina Psychological
Association
PO Box 1448
Cedar Park, TX 78630
Spring 2014 FEEDBACK
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