Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 10.

Richard Chambers APA Science Student Council, “Hire Me!” Symposium Dr. John Buckner, Dr. Tilman Sheets

Louisiana Tech graduate student in Industrial- Organizational Psychology and member of the APA Science Student Council, Richard Chambers, will co- chair the APA symposium, "Hire Me! Being Strategic When Seeking Employment in Academia.”

He is also presenting research in two poster sessions. “Beyond Internet Use at Work: Measuring Technology-Related Counterproductive Behavior,” which he is co-authoring with Louisiana Tech graduate Dr. John Buckner and Louisiana Tech Professor and previous Chair, I-O Professor, Dr. Tilman Sheets.

The “Hire Me!” topic emerged from the APA Science Student Council, explained Chambers. “I actually got involved in this because part of the mission of the Science Student Council is to provide programming at APA for science-oriented students. The idea came out of one of our Science Student Council meetings and we just ran with it,” he said.

Chambers is one of the nine doctoral students that compose the APA Science Student Council and that represent various areas of psychology. Chambers represents I-O psychology.

“The purpose of the SCC is to advocate for the needs of science-oriented graduate students,” he said. “A few examples include: promotion of psychology as a STEM discipline; advising the Board of Scientific Affairs and the APA Science Directorate on research- oriented student issues; and administering an award to recognize early research accomplishments of graduate students,” explained Chambers.

One of the tasks of members is to write for the Psychological Science Agenda. Chambers recently published an article under the Science Agenda, to help others create better communications about their work, titled “Presenting our research effectively,” in the February issue. (http://www.apa.org/science/about/ psa/2014/02/presenting.aspx)

Chambers will also co-chair the National Research Service Award Grant-Writing workshop which will be held in the Science suite on Thursday, part of the Science suite programs.

“Are Core Self-Evaluations a Statistical Fallacy? An Empirical Content Validation Approach,” is another research presentation that Chambers has co-authored with Evan Theys.

“My research tends to focus on the use of technology in the workplace,” he said. “I have spent time looking at technology related loafing behaviors in the workplace. I am very interested in employee selection and the application of technology and social networking sites. I recently co-chaired a panel at SIOP this spring on the topic of using social media for selection decisions.”

In his work with SIOP (Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology) Chambers has served on the Electronic Communications Committee and became a member of its Marketing Subcommittee. Earlier this year he was asked to lead the Engagement Subcommittee. “All of the work produced by the committee is a collaborative effort,” he said. “The largest initiative that the ECC has helped lead has been the redesign and implementation of my.SIOP, the social networking site for SIOP members.

John Chambers (Courtesy photo)

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Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 16.

The La Counseling Assn will hold its annual conference at the InterContinental Hotel, 444 ST Charles Ave., in New Orleans, in September. Pre-conference workshops will begin on September 20 and the convention will proceed on the 21 through 23. For more information go to http://www.lacounseling.org/lca/Conference.asp.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 1.

Science, Education, & Advocacy at APA Louisiana Psychology Experts to Present at Am. Psychological Association, August 7-9

An array of psychological scientists, psychologists, students, and practitioners from around the state will bring their work and ideas to the annual convention of the American Psychological Association (APA) in Washington, D.C., August 7 to 10. This year’s presidential theme is “Unifying Psychology for the Future.”

Representatives from Tulane, Louisiana Tech, LSU Health Sciences, Southern, Southeastern, Xavier, and others, will present topics in science, education and advocacy. In this special section, we highlight their efforts. See pages 6 to 13.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 10.

Dr. Guler Boyraz Africultural Coping and Well-Being Dr. Sharon Home, Archandria Owens, Aisha Armstrong

Dr. Guler Boyraz, Assistant Professor at Louisiana Tech, will present “Africultural Coping, College Adjustment, and Well- Being Among African American College Students,” as part of the “Multicultural, Social Justice, and Advocacy” poster session. Co-authors are Dr. Sharon Home, Archandria Owens, and Aisha Armstrong.

The researchers looked at data from 631 African American first year students 379 from a predominantly White university and 251 from a historically Black university. They tested a series of path models and found that “cognitive/emotional debriefing” coping had a significant negative indirect effect on well-being through adjustment difficulties. “Collective coping, on the other hand, had a significant positive indirect effect on well-being through social support.” Spiritual coping and ritual coping were removed from the model due to insignificance and poor fit.The study highlights the importance of the collective copying strategy for African American college students, write the authors.

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Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 16.

Positions

Tulane Counseling and Psychological Services in New Orleans, part of Student Affairs, is reviewing applications for psychologists. Duties are direct clinical services, including individual and group therapy, and psychological testing. For information go to Tulane and search for “psychologist” at http://tulane.edu/jobs/. The posting will be open to August 10.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 2.

A while back I was tagged to do a research survey about “clean data” by some IO graduate student. The tyranny of random selection notwithstanding, I had to google the term to complete the survey, warning the researcher in the comment section that I was ignorant about this term, in case it mattered to her.

However, searching “clean” data also pulled up “cleaning data off” of a computer. This was a lucky happenstance since I’d been dragging around two obsolete computers wondering how to remove the sensitive data before tossing them. Turns out that the gold standard for removing data is to physically destroy the hard drive.

I’d discovered long ago that there is no way to remove information off your computer that an expert can’t figure out how to recover. I even had a computer struck by lightening once and my tech guy just smiled in that smug way they have of letting you know who is superior, gave me my computer with every single byte of data back, and handed me a bill for $91.50.

I have a male around who enjoys doing physical feats for his female, presumably to prove his masculinity and display his impressive athleticism. So I was in luck. With a sledge- hammer, safety glasses, and an appreciative audience (me and our Brittany Spaniel) my male completely destroyed two hard drives.

The public must have had some inking of this also because most of them––76 percent––think the IRS is lying about their multiple hard drive failures. You don’t really need a review from the experts on lies, like Paul Eckman or Sean Lane, to know that the IRS is putting forth a whopper.

This alerts us to some interesting psychological principles.

Since we know from research that citizens willingly pay more taxes when they trust their governments, we can predict some unfortunate and invisible loss in tax revenues.

On the surface of it, one has to wonder if this is the best lie the IRS can come up with. But of more concern is the possibility that this unwillingness to be accountable about email communi- cations––that are clearly the public’s business and to which the public has a right––could be due to psychological superiority and self-deception. By the body language of some of those testifying before Congress, this looks likely. The IRS officials could teach a class on posture and facial expressions for portraying confidence, superiority, and disdain.

The officials’ behaviors also suggests strong group identification. Psychological science shows us that we humans are pitifully influenced by our group identification. We can’t help ourselves. We want to wear our team’s color, root for our ethnic group, work at a company we feel has it all together, ride our motorcycle with others who ride their motorcycles.

We have multiple biological mechanisms for favoring our identity groups. And oddly, most any group can do the trick for us. That’s how ingrained it is. But when it goes too far it can impair our decision-making.

Psychologists have found that injustice by a group can actually lead those most strongly identified with that group to increase, rather than decrease, their group support.

So violations of procedural justice do not automatically lead to correction, sometimes violations lead to just the opposite.

And often we are completely unaware– unconscious–of these injustices due to self-deception.

This is one of the reasons power always corrupts. We should be on the lookout, both in ourselves and in others, for this phenomenon, which contributes directly to the corrupting influence of collective power.

“Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud,” said John Adams, “it is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people.”

Our science tells us to put in checks and balances, maintain open, flexible boundaries, and stay alert to our own and others’ self-deception. It tells us to help our leaders strive toward this type of psychological wisdom.

And if they can’t, we should remind our leaders to wear their safety glasses during their accidental hard drive failures.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 10.

Victoria Felix Trauma, PTSD, Health and Coping Dr. Boyraz, John Wits, Danita Wynes, Camille Baker

LaTech’s Victoria Felix is first author of “Trauma Exposure, PTSD, and Physical health Symptoms Among College Students: The Role of Coping,” with co-authors Dr. Boyraz, John Waits, Danita Wynes, and Camille Baker.The presentation is part of the “Mental Health and Well-Being” session on Thursday.

The researchers examined the role of approach (seeking support, religion, positive reframing, acceptance) and avoidant coping (distraction, denial, self-blame) in PTSD and physical health symptoms. The researchers analyzed data from 115 participants who reported one or more traumatic events and used multiple regression.

They found that 44.6% of the variance in PTSD symptoms was explained by coping mechanisms, with avoidant coping being a strong predictor of PTSD. In a second analysis, when controlling for PTSD symptoms, coping mechanisms did not account for variance in physical symptoms.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 16.

The Louisiana Psychological Association will host Dr. Carol Goodheart for their Fall Conference, September 26, at the New Orleans Mariott in Metairie. Goodheart, will speak on ICD Diagnosis and DSM Changes: The New Horizon.” Dr. Goodheart is a former APA president.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 1, 3.

Rumors Flying In Delayed LSBEP Appointment LPA Asks Members to Support “Democratic Process”

In the hotly contested election and politics surrounding the Governor’s appointment for a five-year position to the Louisiana Board of Examiners of Psychologists, rumors have been flying.

Last week, rumors circulated that the Governor was intending to appoint Dr. Joe Comaty, due to “pressure from the Department of Health and Hospitals.”

Previously a rumor had spread in the community that Governor Jindal was leaning toward appointing Dr. Constance Patterson. This followed a string of letters to Boards and Commissions from supporters of Patterson, including one from the President of Tulane.

The Times has made multiple requests to speak with Director Dirmann in the Governor’s office, about these rumors, but without success. And the time for the appointment, July 1, has passed.

In response to this latest rumor––that Jindal is now planning to appoint Dr. Comaty––the Louisiana Psychological Association Executive Council sent an email asking its members to consider contacting Boards and Commissions Director Barker Dirmann to support Patterson and the democratic process.

The LPA Council noted, “The election was not close. Dr. Constance Patterson won by a wide margin.” The Council said the association’s policy is to support the appointment of the candidate receiving the most votes, and asked members to contact Dirmann and “… support your profession and the democratic process.”

The Council also pointed out that top-vote getters have not always been appointed, alluding to the situation that the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) has been dominated by medical psychologists since Act 251. While medical psychologists (MPs) have held a majority of seats on the board, MPs make up only about 5 percent of psychology board licenses. This dominance of the LSBEP is presumed by most to be due to the influence of the politically active Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychology (LAMP).

A number of decisions coming from the MP dominated board have supported the interests of LAMP. This includes a 2011 Opinion when the board, under then Chair Dr. Comaty, made a decision that MPs without a state psychology license would still be eligible to supervise candidates for a state psychology license.

Throughout the extended election for the current board position, the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA) and Dr. Patterson have been the focus of complaints by Comaty, who is vying for his second term on the LSBEP.

One set of complaints had to do with ballot security and the process of vote counting. LPA, who conducts the election, sent out a second round of ballots after Comaty complained about the use of plain white paper in the election, with the suggestion of potential vote tampering. Then a third ballot was sent to psychologists after another complaint that an explanation was missing from some of the voting packages.

Additional complaints about the third effort were raised, this time about some number of envelopes being accidently opened by the LPA Executive Director. The LSBEP also sent a warning to LPA that the third vote could be in doubt.

In a records release request, the Times found that Comaty has sent over 29 pages of emails to Boards and Commissions with various complaints, including his concerns about ballot security. He was also in contact with the LSBEP Executive Director about his concerns.

The LPA Council noted, in their most recent email to members, said to, “Be aware that the Governor’s office has been bombarded with patently false insinuations of election rigging on the part of LPA. This innuendo is completely untrue, but we’ve heard it throughout this entire process.”

Another of Dr. Comaty’s complaints was that Patterson had a “direct conflict of interest.” This complaint was taken up by the LSBEP and put before the state Ethics Board in June. The Ethics Board found nothing relevant in their laws regarding Patterson’s previous consulting work to the board. She had helped on certain investigations. The LSBEP also asked about Patterson recusing herself, but the Ethics Board dismissed it as a problem all boards encounter.

In a recent presentation to LPA members, LSBEP Chair Dr. Rita Culross indicated that problems would occur if a board member had to recuse themselves. Past board chair, Dr. Tom Hannie, questioned this reasoning at a recent psychology board meeting but the board declined to explain, citing attorney-client privilege.

See related stories in the May, June, and July issues of the Times.

After news articles in the July Times and an editorial critical of the actions of LSBEP, the Executive Director of the psychology board emailed the Times and unsubscribed, noting that the publication was “junk.”

[Note: The publisher is a licensed psychologist and has publically stated opposition to certain decisions the LSBEP has made regarding Act 251 and also supported Patterson in the recent election.]

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 10.

Brandon Waits Coping Mechanisms, Meaning in Life Dr. Boyraz, Victoria Felix, Camille Baker, Danita Wynes

Brandon Waits, LaTech graduate student, is presenting “Coping Mechanisms as Moderators of Depression–Meaning in Life Relationship,” in the “Mental Health and Well-Being” poster session of the convention. Waits’ co-authors are Dr. Boyraz, Victoria Felix, Camille Baker, and Danita Wynes. Using measures from instruments for coping, depression, and a scale for Meaning in Life (the subjective perception that one’s life has meaning), the researchers preformed hierarchical regression analyses

“Our results suggested depression was negatively related to meaning in life for both those with high and low approach coping,” Waits noted. “… however, the relation between depression and meaning in life was weaker for individuals who reported high levels of approach coping (avoidant coping did not significantly moderate the depression – meaning in life relation).

Waits told the Times, “One of our hopes is that future research will explore how to help depressed individuals increase their utilization of approach coping skills.”

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 3.

Dr. Murelle Harrison, previous Chair of the Psychology Department at Southern University, Baton Rouge campus, has taken the Associate Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and serves as the liaison between the Dean and the Chairs.

Harrison explained that Southern continues to be in a transitional period. “Southern University recently re-organized and reduced its colleges from ten to seven,” she said. “Academic reorganization at SUBR was undertaken by campus academic leaders with the overall goal of enhancing student success and improving effective teaching, scholarship and connectedness.”

The former Department of Psychology is now the Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work, Harrison explained. “We are now housed in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences that also houses Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Science and Criminal Justice,” she said.

Dr. Harrision became a licensed prevention professional in 2007. She told the Times, “The prevention field has moved from and individual ‘risk and protective’ approach to the public health model that focuses on the entire community. I teach the online undergraduate and graduate introductory course and interested students can perform their required fieldwork at our nonprofit agency, the Gardere Initiaitve. Another change for prevention is to broaden its scope of practice from alcohol, tobacco and other drug use to include the prevention of mental, emotional and behavior disorders. My role is to focus on building community coalitions to address all these issues.”

The Gardere Initiative is a Baton Rouge based group whose mission is “To address substance abuse and other social ills in the Gardere area that adversely affect children, neighboring subdivisions, and the City in general, through spiritual intervention, collaboration and partnerships.” The group offers adult education, tutoring, computer access, nutrition programs, Bible study, parenting classes, business development, and Alcoholic Anonymous.

Dr. Harrison is the representative from Southern University. Among other groups are Faith Chapel Church of God, St. Jude Catholic Church, Greater Morning Star Baptist Church, Iglesia El Aposento Alto, Gardere Community Christian School, Gardere youth Alliance, Matthews Realty, EBR Sheriff Office, and others.

Dr. Murelle Harrison

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 11.

Louisiana Tech’s Dr. Lore Dickey will co-chair the presentation, “Lifelong Training and Development for Psychologists––Meeting the Needs of Transgender Clients,” with co-chair Dr. Anneliese Singh. He will present “Relationships with Transgender Individuals,” and speak about how transgender individuals are both similar to and different in their relationships to those who are not transgender. Dickey will look at inaccurate assumptions about transgender individuals and how psychologists can help support resilience by addressing issues of partners to transgender people.

He will also present “Making Room at the Table: ECP Leadership on APA Guideline Development,” as part of a symposium on Thursday, titled, “Leadership in APA for Sexual Minorities and Gender Non-conforming People.”

Dr. Dickey and Dr. Singh will discuss their leadership activities as early career psychologists working on the development of APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Clients.

Dickey will also present his work on “Highlighting LGBT Early Career Leaders in Division 44: Society for the Psychological Study of LGBT Issues,” in a poster session for Early Career Opportunities in APA Divisions––Get Engaged, on Friday. On Thursday he will act in the discussant role in the symposium, “The Other Side of the Story– –Trans Individuals Experiences of Positivity and Resilience.” And on Friday Dr. Dickey will also be part of a panel on Friday on “Gender in the 2010s––Female, Male, and Transgender Issues and Perspectives.”

Dr. Lore Dickey at recent convention.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 4.

Dr. John Fanning, psychologist and past-president of the Louisiana Psychological Association was honored, along with a select few State Troopers, with the “Lifesaving Award” at the annual presentation by the Louisiana State Police.

Fanning was honored for acting with bravery and courage when he rescued a woman from a bridge. Advocate reporter Ben Wallace noted that Fanning was on his way to visit his mother on Memorial Day when he saw a woman on the edge of the bridge along the Crescent City Connection. He stopped his car and perceived that the situation was an apparent suicide attempt. He spoke with the woman for a moment, then grabbed her arms and pulled her to safety.

Fanning told the Times, “ It happened so fast there was virtually no thinking involved at all.”

For full story, go to The Advocate at http://theadvocate.com/home/9688680-125/state- police-honors-acts-of.

Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson (L) awards Dr. John Fanning (center) the Lifesaving Award for preventing an apparent suicide attempt on a New Orleans bridge. Assistant Superintendent Lt. Col. Charles Dupuy looks on. (Advocate photo/ Richard Alan Hannon. Used with permission.)

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / August 1, 2014

Originally published: August 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 11.

Dr. ValaRay Irvin, Director of the Counseling Center at Southern University, will participate in the symposium, “Evolution and Current Practice of Counseling Centers at Historically Black College and Universities.”

Her presentation is, “Barriers to Help Seeking on HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Campuses.” She will cover some of the barriers experienced by African- American students that contributed to their lack of help-seeking, the role and the responsibilities of the HBCU, and the role counseling centers (CC) can play in the students’ development. Irvine will also discuss the relationship to over-all university retention efforts and the importance of developing a center rooted in ‘best practices’ and standards designed to work.

“The discussion will focus on four main areas,” Dr. Irvin told the Times. “Origin and evolution of CC at HBCUs; Current operations; Stigma reduction; and Ethical issues. I am specifically addressing Stigma reduction, and a part of Ethical issues,” she said.

“The presentation is important because it details the decades of existence of CC at HBCUs (1837-1900) from their earliest development as a means to address ‘social justice,’ to being centers of ‘advising’ for students without any clinical services at all, to the full range of professionally clinical services they offer now,” she said.

“My segment of the presentation addresses debunking myths/beliefs some African- Americans hold about counseling; examining the intersection of religion, spirituality, and mental health, and while it’s more comfortable for some students to present with somatic symptoms vs. mental health symptoms,” Irvin noted.

“Ethical issues often addressed are; the history and assumption of ‘in loco parentis,’ the increased likelihood that referring sources feel entitled to information, and feedback about the student; the greater likelihood that religiosity will be part of the therapy, and the active role of the therapist to assist the client in reframing some of his/her deeply held ‘learning’ from society, as well as church, and the increased need to educate superiors about the law and the ethics of your profession.”

“My personal experience as director of counseling for 15 years [at Southern] is that I have addressed all of the above,” she said. “That is, the intersection of spirituality and religion; how to define them, and utilize both without offending the client. The most difficult challenge I’ve had has been finding the balance between assisting and accommodating faculty, staff, and administrators, while maintaining professionally ethical standards; including standards of accreditation, and especially maintaining students’ confidentiality.

Dr. Irvin is a licensed psychologist, Director of the Counseling Center at Southern University, Staff Senate Representative, and a member of the Centennial Steering Committee.

Dr. ValaRay Irvin (Courtesy photo)

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / July 1, 2014

Originally published: July 1, 2014. Volume 5, No. 11. Source pages: 9.

A new Tulane study finds that the more fractured families are by he more fractured families are by domestic violence or trauma, the more likely that children will bear the scars down to their DNA. Researchers discovered that children in homes affected by domestic violence, suicide or the incarceration of a family member have significantly shorter telomeres, which is a cellular marker of aging, than those in stable households. The findings are published online in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Telomeres are the caps at the end of chromosomes that keep them from shrinking when cells replicate. Shorter telomeres are linked to higher risks for heart disease, obesity, cognitive decline, diabetes, mental illness and poor health outcomes in adulthood. Researchers took genetic samples from 80 children ages 5 to 15 in New Orleans and interviewed parents about their home environments and exposures to adverse life events.

“Family-level stressors, such as witnessing a family member get hurt, created an environment that affected the DNA within the cells of the children,” said lead author Dr. Stacy Drury.

The study found that gender moderated the impact of family instability. Traumatic family events were more detrimental to young girls as they were more likely to have shortened telomeres. There was also a surprising protective effect for boys: mothers who had achieved a higher level of education had a positive association with telomere length, but only in boys under 10.

Ultimately, the study suggests that the home environment is an important intervention target to reduce the biological impacts of adversity in the lives of young children, Drury said.

Dr. Drury is the Director at Tulane’s Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental Geneticsl Laboatory

Dr. Melissa Middleton, licensed clinical psychologist, who has specialized training in infant and early childhood mental health is a member of the lab.

Dr. Kate Humphreys, post-doctoral fellow in early childhood and mental health, is also a member of the laboratory team.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.