Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 5. Source pages: 9.
Dr. Janet B. Ruscher, past Chair of the Tulane Psychology Depart- ment and currently Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering, spoke with Dr. Joseph E. Steinmetz in his Presidential Column in the APS Observer, December 2012.
Dr. Ruscher and colleague Dr. Neil Rowland from the University of Florida, shared their experiences in leading their departments of psychology, in Steinmetz’ column titled, “From Where the Chair Sits.”
Ruscher said challenges for department heads include the large numbers enrolled in psychology courses. But, Ruscher explained, that if one asks a colleague what she was busy doing, “one hears not only about these obvious responsibilities but also about the nearly invisible – and certainly under- acknowledged – activities that cumulatively devour an academic psychologist’s time.”
In this list Ruscher included: colleagues outside of psychology who ask for statistical advice, those who ask for strategies to address program evaluations for grant proposals, and colleagues who ask for comments on STEM initiatives.
She also included that department chairs are to play a leadership role in “service learning and internships, coverage of behavioral medicine to address the new MCAT, and both new and classic interdisciplinary initiatives such as social entrepreneurship and neuroscience.”
Author Steinmetz notes that it is clear that scientific psychologists at universities make a “significant impact on the life of those institutions.”
Ruscher said, “These contributions to the university are akin to dark matter in the universe: critical to structure and function but overlooked, underestimated, and even doubted by current standards.”
“Personally, I would not trade the chaos of relevance for the tranquility of the inconsequential,” Dr. Ruscher told Steinmetz.
Dr. Janet B. Ruscher served as the Chair of the Psychology Department at Tulane until last year when she accepted the Associate Dean position. Her research work involves social cognition, prejudice, and language. The article can be read in full at the APS website.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 5. Source pages: 9.
Dr. Ivory Toldson died suddenly on Tuesday, December 25, 2012. He died of cardiac problems at 4:15 pm.
Dr. Toldson was a psychologist and active member of the Louisiana Psychological Association and respected colleague and friend. During his rich and extended career, he was professor at Southern University and became the Dean of the College of Education. He was a licensed psychologist and started the Center for Psychological Health Care as a home-based psychology practice, expanding to a full range of outpatient and residential services.
The Times will publish a complete obituary in our February issue.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 5. Source pages: 10.
The recent Newtown Connecticut mass murder forces us to reexamine our approach to mental illness in this country. Depression is one of the top three most highly medicated conditions in the US and suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in the US. About one in 10 Americans aged 12 and over takes antidepressants. However, antidepressants alone may not lead to long-term resolution of symptoms because they do not address the underlying causes of mental illness.
Important biochemical, nutritional, and dietary factors for patients with mood disorders include neurotransmitters, amino acids, fatty acids, allergenic foods, and cortisol. These biomarkers can be measured, are easily modifiable and treatments have little to no adverse effects. Clinicians who address the patient’s biochemistry as a foundational treatment to mood disorders are seeing remarkable clinical improvements including a decreased reliance on antidepressants. Underlying causes of depression must be investigated and addressed as part of a comprehensive strategic plan for decreasing the prevalence of depression, and associated violence, in the United States.
1. Andrews, P.W., et al., Primum non nocere: an evolutionary analysis of whether antidepressants do more harm than good. Frontiers in psychology, 2012. 3: p. 117. 2. CDC. NCHS Data Brief. Antidepressant Use in Persons Aged 12 and Over: United States, 2005-2008 2011 [cited 2012 6/20/2012]; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db76.htm. 3. Andrew, L.B. and B.E. Brenner. Depression and Suicide. 2011 [cited 2012 12/31/2012]; Available from: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/805459-overview#a1.
LAP academy online webinar “Nutrition and Mood” recorded June 27, 2012
5 Causes of Depression that You Need to Know About
Michael Hitt, Chet Miller, and Adrienne Colella Wiley, 2011
Peel back a few layers of the onion from Organizational Behavior and we have all sorts of wonderfully useful knowledge from the essential areas of applied organizational-industrial psychology.
In a comprehensive look at the psychology of people and their relationship to task performance, including how they make decisions separately and together, and how they behave in groups, the authors give us the important big picture.
What does psychology – personality, motivation, group dynamics, human communication, judgment errors, and a host of other areas rich in science, have to offer those who have a leadership role? This book gives salient answers to the question, and is well worth the entry fee.
Authors Michael Hitt (Texas A&M), Chet Miller (U. of Houston), and Tulane’s Adrienne Colella lay out the scientific and applied information for the study of people and human social systems in organizations. If anyone is looking for where personality, motivation, social psychology, and other needed topics were hiding out, here they are.
Dr. Adrienne Colella holds the McFarland Distinguished Chair at the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. She is a Fellow in the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and the American Psychological Association. She recently completed her term as president of SIOP, the largest group of IO psychologists in the country.
Dr. Colella has left her mark on Organizational Behavior, key chapters and topics link with her expertise in diversity and her research on issues related to people with disabilities. She has received numerous grants for this line of work including support from the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council and Texas A & M University. Her work has been published in top journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology and the Academy of Management Journal.
The third edition of Organizational Behavior opens by placing the reader firmly into the framework of the strategic approach and idea that people are the foundation for the successes of any organization. OB provides the psychology behind this comprehensive business objective – what we know about people, how they relate to one another, what characteristics of social organization are conducive to their productivity. This and a host of other applied psychology knowledge sets, make up the text. The work aims to help business students, managers, top executives, middle and lower managers, but it is also the foundational knowledge for anyone in a leadership role.
A blend of psychology helps the reader understand the “social capital” of the organization and brings together individual, interpersonal, team, organizational, and inter-organizational characteristics. The authors use the “lens of an organization’s strategy” as a guiding principle, layering the applied issues on this heuristic so that readers remember why it matters.
One way they accomplish this is to give the reader a rich and varied fabric of information with fascinating case studies: Whole Foods, Apple, FedEx, Men’s Wearhouse, McDonald’s, and Starbucks, are included, just for starters. The authors link the real world to the topics and strategic importance, starting and ending each chapter with connections to the strategic value of the topic.
Authors also explain applications of the concepts in sections on “Experiencing Organizational Behavior” and “Managerial Advice,” regularly appearing at chapter ends, to help readers apply the new information. Also included are critical concerns of the times in the closing pages of each chapter with “Thinking about Ethics.”
“Human Resource Management Applications,” “Building Your Human Capital,” and “Team Exercise,” address business needs of readers directly, providing interesting and compelling examples in self- assessments and team exercises. Such topics include, “Experiencing Emotional Labor,” “An Assessment of Low Tolerance for Change,” “Are You A Transformational Leader?” and “Communication Barriers.”
Authors also include exercises for student involvement in class discussion, resources from Wiley for instructors such as the resources guide, test bank, PowerPoint presentations, and web quizzes. There is also a companion website.
The text covers Part I, The Strategic Lens, with chapters on the Strategic Approach to Organizational Behavior; Organizational Diversity; and Organizational Behavior in a Global Context.
Part II is Individual Processes. This part includes chapters on Learning and Perception; Personality, Intelligence, Attitudes, and Emotions; Work Motivation; and Stress and Well-Being.
Part III is Groups, Teams, and Social Processes. This section includes chapters on Leadership; Communication; Decision-Making by Individuals and Groups; Groups and Teams; Conflict, Negotiation, Power, and Politics.
The last section, Part IV, is The Organizational Context, and includes Organizational Structure and Culture, and also Organizational Change and Development.
With their “Strategic lens” approach, authors show how individual learning, personality, motivation, emotions, decision-making, and many other areas of psychological science, bear on the goals of business organizations. Through his strategic viewpoint they also examine the organizational context of organizational design, culture, and organizational change.
In chapters on leadership, teams, and communication, as with other areas of the book, the authors lay out a wealth of important IO psychology for the readers, information that relates the challenges anyone trying to lead in today’s society will find in their way.
Some examples of the information provided by Organizational Behavior include Chapter 8, “Leadership,” where authors define and describe theories of leadership, including transactional leadership that focuses on the social exchanges and how leaders respond to the needs and behaviors of those they want to lead.
Just one of the many interesting topics is the concept of transformational leadership. In this section authors point out for the reader ideas that integrate concepts from behavioral, contingency, and transformational leader research and theory.
They list the behaviors for transformational leaders, drawing from the research of Yukl and Van Fleet, “Theory & research on leadership in organizations,” in Dunnette & Hough’s Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
• Transformational leaders articulate a clear and appealing vision that is beneficial to followers • They delegate significant authority and responsibility • They eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic constraints • They promote cooperation and teamwork • They modify organizational structure and policies
The next chapters, “Communication,” “Decision Making by Individuals and Groups,” and “Groups and Teams,” spell out in detail the essential nature, goals, and challenges of group endeavors.
In Communication we learn (or remind ourselves) that communication is of strategic importance and vital to organizational performance, regardless of what type of organization we are dealing with – two people or two million people. Communication aligns goals and behaviors and “few things are accomplished in organizations without it,” the authors write. Authors show different patterns or networks of common communication structures: centralized, decentralized, connected and hierarchical. They show how communication can be downward, upward, and horizontal, or formal and informal.
Barriers to communication include information overload, distortion, jargon, time, status differences, and poor listening skills. Overcoming these and other barriers requires some tap-dancing, they remind us.
They recommend “communication audits” to investigate if things are going well or poorly, and explain the need for an open climate, one in which the right methods include encouraging feedback loops.
They point to the common problems. One example they note as referred to by communication expert Virgil Scudder. He calls it the “me to me to me” communication, based in an ignorance of the audience’s differences and characteristics.
Chapter 10 is “Decision Making by Individuals and Groups.” Here authors provide a meaningful overview of the fundamentals of decision-making with the major decision-making styles, and sections on cognitive bias, moods, emotions, and pitfalls in decision-making and human judgment. The authors explain that the strategic importance of decision-making is critical for organizational success, because major decisions are not only at the top of the organization but also all throughout.
Steps in effective problem-solving techniques are laid out for the reader, and descriptions of individual decision-making styles. They explore Jung’s theory of type, and information on the Myers Briggs types called Sensing, Intuition, Thinking and Feeling, so popular today in business and industry. They describe the sensing decision style that is focused on gathering specific and detailed information and the intuitive style that works mostly on abstractions. They point out that both styles can be the most effective style when matched to the style demands of the task. One example is from Steven and Burley’s research, “Piloting the rocket of radical innovation.” In a Fortune 500 company where the sensing group identified ideas worth $15.2 million of profit and the intuitive group, displaying greater creativity, identified ideas worth $197.5 million of profit.
Next the authors review risk-taking and cognitive biases. They include descriptions of judgment errors common to humans including the “confirmation bias,” mental shortcuts, the tendency to seek information only supportive of one’s belief, the ease of recall bias, anchoring bias, and the sunk-cost bias or the “we’ve come this far already” error.
The authors outline problems with groupthink, when groups focus too much psychological energy on avoiding conflict or generating consensus, at the expense of self-critique.
The authors outline the characteristics of groupthink in a clear, succinct list, including:
• self-censorship – members who recognize errors remain silent • pressure – members apply social pressure to anyone with differences of opinions • rationalization – “members build complex rationales that effectively discount warnings or information that conflict with their thinking” • invulnerability – feeling that they are invulnerable • mindguards – some members work to “shield the group from any facts, criticism, or evaluation …”
Authors also point out that groupthink includes a feeling of superiority and of stereotyping outsiders, especially that block possibility of compromise with others who represent differences.
Next authors describe diversity-based infighting, and how when it becomes extreme, the group members have no mechanism for channeling conflict constructively. Group techniques are outlined, including brainstorming, the Delphi technique, “dialectical inquiry,” and “devil’s advocacy,” as group development methods.
The authors include a fascinating section on comparison of individual vs group decision-making, and when each might be the best direction for organizational development.
Throughout the text real world case examples are included and this chapter 11 opens with a review of from Starbucks, “Groups and Teams.” The chapter provides a description of “identity groups” and how social identity is part of the social fabric in organizations, with the natural formation of people into these types of subgroups.
A section on “Virtual Teams” brings in modern conditions where technology is used in work groups, the authors pointing out strengths and weaknesses of the virtual team, and research about ways to compensate for or manage problems.
In one example, authors note that virtual teams are more effective when they were empowered to make their own decisions, and when lead by transformational leaders. They report on research where successful virtual teams have increased productivity and saved companies millions of dollars.
Authors continue in describing self-managing teams, using McKinsey and Company consulting project teams as examples. They explain how team effectiveness is measured, as well as outcome criteria of shared knowledge and whether the team members are emotionally satisfied.
A section on team effectiveness examines “process loss.” Process loss is the situation where team performance drops because energy is used maintaining the team vs reaching team goals. Diversity, personality, team size, roles, structure, and other factors are described.
In the chapter on conflict, “Conflict, Negotiation, Power, and Politics,” authors explain functional and dysfunctional types of conflict and what are the common sources of conflict in the typical organization or group. They look at escalation of conflict and outcomes from the organizational framework perspective.
And the authors also describe three types of conflict: personal, procedural, and substantive, and show that for the first two task performance goes down as conflict increases. However, in case of substantive type conflict, the relationship between the degree of conflict to performance is an inverted U. So in this situation, when the degree of conflict rises to moderately high levels, performance goes up.
Causes and outcomes for conflict, including lose-lose, win-lose, compromise, and win-win, are discussed, and along with a section on the types of power.
Organizational Behavior last sections, including reviews on social structure, culture, and development are essential for those who want to understand the nature of human systems.
This exceptional text should be a foundation for psychologists, even those working in other areas, and especially for those who have lost track of social and personality as it impacts normal human behavior.
Early last year, Dr. Colella explained to the Times that she feels IO can offer a comprehensive set of services to benefit others. “We help individuals through coaching and welfare programs, and EAP programs,” she said. “I teach in a business school and I have all my career,” she said.
“One of my basic tenets is that nothing happens in an organization without people.” And, she said, “IO psychology is concerned with the welfare and functioning of those people. So I think it has a huge impact.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 10.
The University of New Orleans International Alumni Association has named Dr. Gilda Reed recipient of its 2011-2012 Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Reed is a member of the psychology faculty at the University of New Orleans.
Dr. Reed will be given the $2000 award, and presented at the Fall Commencement Ceremony, in recognition of her excellence in teaching. Dr. Reed is a popular instructor in the U. of New Orleans psychology undergraduate program, teaching eight different courses on campus and online.
Reed told the Times, “I am honored to receive the award. Dr. Paul Frick [Chair of the UNO Psychology Department] keeps nominating me for UNO awards but this is the first time I have actually won.”
Executive Director of the UNO International Alumni Association, Pamela Meyer, wrote in a recent announcement, that the award is “… in gratitude to the faculty members who have positively impacted the lives of so many UNO students, helping them succeed by providing the highest quality teaching.”
The announcement also noted that the “Excellence in Teaching Award” is for those who have “distinguished themselves and the University of New Orleans in the academic area through their commitment to instructional excellence.”
Dr. Reed was chosen by a selection committee that included faculty, students, and alumni representatives.
In April 2012, Dr. Reed was named as only one of three Louisiana professors included in the Princeton Review’s Best 300 Professors. She was the only Louisiana psychology instructor named by the Princeton Review, who developed the top lines in collaboration with RateMyProfessor.com.
Princeton Review’s top list was developed from over 42,000 faculty members nationwide. From this group, 1000 professors were selected and then authors obtained further input from school administrators and students. The top 300 professors were selected and viewed as those who were most able to teach, motivate, inspire, and help make the coursework interesting to their students, as well as responsive and accessible.
The Times asked Dr. Reed for some of her tips for teaching. “Treat students with respect and fairness,” she said. “Answer all emails right away. No sarcasm ever. Never assume that a struggling student is lazy.”
“Test only what is actually taught in the classroom refraining from including obsolete fine print material. I write all of my own test questions to insure that only taught material is included in tests.”
Dr. Reed also recommends that professors give three different modes of note-taking aides for downloading and printing.
“ I allow students to take pictures of my notes at the end of lectures,” she said. “Since test questions require application, rather than parroting back memorized ‘stuff,’ this is not spoon-feeding them. It reduces anxiety and allows them to listen more attentively.”
She uses good cognitive science. “All test questions are designed to teach more and are in the mode of ‘All the following are true statements except one,’” she explained. “This forces them to read mostly true facts and to hopefully become adept in choosing the one that does not belong with the others.”
Dr. Gilda Reed (Courtesy photo)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 16.
Dr. Sherry Desselle has taken over as President of the Baton Rouge Area Society of Psychologists for outgoing president, Dr. John Pickering.
Dr. Desselle is a Baton Rouge psychologist and owner of the Baton Rouge Center for Anxiety Treatment. She will serve as president until July 2013.
Dr. Joseph Comaty, also of Baton Rouge, serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the regional group.
The group will meet in December for its annual Christmas party. Interested persons can contact Dr. Desselle for information.
The Times talked with Dr. Desselle about the plans for the society. “Two topics for next year will include bullying in school and equine therapy,” Deselle told the Times.
In November the society hosted a presentation by Dr. Richard Flicker, Baton Rouge Industrial- Organizational psychologist.
This past October, the group heard Dr. Claire Advokat speak on “Introduction to Epigenetics: You, AND Your Offspring Are What You Eat!” The group met at DeAngelo’s Italian Restaurant on Bluebonnet Blvd in Baton Rouge to hear the talk.
Dr. Desselle’s clinic in Baton Rouge is located near Lady of the Lake Hospital. “I do evidenced- based treatments, which is a whole lot of CBT [Cognitive Behavioral Therapy],” she told the Times.
Desselle is also the liaison to the American Psychological Association’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns Office, serving for the Louisiana Psychological Association.
She explained that the mission of this APA group is “… to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge on gender identity and sexual orientation to benefit society and improve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people's lives.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 11.
Researchers from the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) launched an effort to better understand the needs of academic psychologists and students of psychology last month in collaboration with members of the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA).
Sponsor and coauthor, Dr. Karen Kopera-Frye, the Joseph A. Biedenharn Endowed Chair in Gerontology at ULM, and principal author Ms. Janease Traylor, graduate student in psychology from the ULM Department of Behavioral Sciences, conducted the first steps to begin to understand the views of the academic psychology community.
Other coauthors include Ms. Sandra Dillion from ULM, Dr. Bill McCown, Interim Provost at ULM, Dr. Susan Dardard, Membership Chair of LPA, and Dr. Gail Gillespie,LPA member .
The group worked to develop and administer a survey to academic psychologists and psychology students, as well as potential members of LPA.
The survey went out to 274 people in five schools around the state, and asked for opinions about what matters are most important to the respondents. Views about LPA were included. Sixty- one individuals completed the survey so far.
“It was enough for us to get a snap shot,” Dr. Kopera-Frye told the Times. “I consider it a first step,” she said. Authors indicated that the response rate might have been higher at a less busy time in the semester.
Despite the return rate, the authors noted in a proposal to the American Psychological Association, (APA), “ … some noteworthy themes emerged from our survey results.”
Initial findings suggested that Continuing Education and Peer Communications are important organizational activities for respondents.
“Concerns and interests varied greatly between students and professors,” authors noted. “Student major concerns included: Needing more training, limited knowledge of the organization [LPA], and a strong need for mentoring.”
Psychology professors reported a need for more “research forums” and “enhanced public relations.”
In an interview with Ms. Traylor and Dr. Kopera- Frye, the ULM researchers indicated that they will be looking for a greater response rate in the next steps.
“We are going to recruit the 75 percent that didn’t answer the survey,” said Dr. Kopera-Frye. “We need more responses.”
Sandra Dillion will be working to revise the introduction and examine other matters that help to gather the views of the original sample, they explained.
While 75 percent of those responding indicated having a “fair” opinion of LPA, Dr. Kopera-Frye told the Times that there seemed to be many who had no information at all about the organization.
Some of those academic psychologists responding said that LPA isn’t focused on or concerned with academic psychologists.
Dr. Kopera-Frye is Professor and interim head of the ULM Department of Gerontology, Sociology, and Political Science, the Endowed Chair, and a project leader in a coordinated research effort with Pennington Biomedical, among her many responsibilities. She obtained her PhD in developmental psychology from Wayne State University and has worked in health promotion programming including Statewide and Northern Nevada Planning Committees with Washoe County Department of Public Health, and Washoe County Senior Services. She has developed culture preservation initiatives with Native American tribes.
Recently Dr. Kopera-Frye was asked to participate in the APA’s Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology.
Janease Traylor is currently a masters graduate student at ULM pursuing a MS degree in Psychology, emphasis in Psychometrics. She is a teaching assistant in the Psychology Department under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Cottingham and Dr. Veronica Lewis, and a salaried intern for the Pennington Biomedical Research Institute in the “LABrainS” project.
Sandra Dillion is a Graduate Research Assistant working with Dr. Frye, and in her last year of masters study in the Department of Gerontology. She will intern in a long-term care facility next semester. Her professional goal is to become a licensed Nursing Home Administrator. She was a math elementary school teacher prior to being admitted to graduate study in Gerontology.
Dr. Karen Kopera-Frye (Courtesy photos) Janese Traylor
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 16.
Professional Training Resources will present “Personality Disorders in DSM-5” for January 25, 2013, at the Marriot in Baton Rouge; on February 1, 2013, in Shreveport; and in Lafayette on February 15, 2013.
The March offering will be “Ethics: Religion and Spirituality and/or Ethical Challenges in Supervision, presented in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and Monroe, on March 1, 8 and 22, respectively.
Training Director at Professional Training Resources, Lisa Driscoll, announced recently that the organization will be lowering its fees to help customers with costs. Driscoll noted that one factor is the general state level cut-backs.
Dr. John Simoneaux also noted to the Times that he is making adjustments because everyone is dealing with the same financial issues and he wants to adjust. Simoneaux is owner of Professional Training Resources, a provider of training for an array of mental health disciplines.
The new rates are $100.00 per seminar with discounted rates to members of $85.00. On-site registration will be $110.00. Half-day events will be $60.00 per topic, according to the announcement.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 11.
I’ve been trying and trying to track someone down to comment on two fascinating articles that wouldn’t let me go. I twisted John Simoneaux’s arm to look at the McNulty article that questions some of what think about relationships – we may be a little too rose-colored. Dr. Simoneaux is perfect to comment on this, since I find him to be one of the wisest people around.
I’m still looking for someone willing to review and read a fascinating article, “Mind-Set Matters.” It is a study on the power, and I mean freakish power, of the placebo mind- set. If you know this area, please give me a holler.
• “When positive processes hurt relationships,” McNulty, J. K. (2010), Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(3), 167-171.
COMMENT: Dr. John Simoneaux, licensed psychologist and trainer, owner of Professional Training Resources in Alexander.
“James McNulty challenges the long-held notion that positive expectation for experiences promote more positive evaluations of those experiences. In other words, if you think some experience is going to be good, you are more likely to think it was good after it occurs.
“In a 2003 study, McNulty and Karney found that spouses who expected to be more satisfied typically were when they were confronted with an upcoming problem-solving discussion. Think again. In this article he reviewed four independent longitudinal studies of newlyweds and found that positive expectancies may even hurt some couples, particularly those who are already distressed. It was concluded that less-positive expectancies, less-positive attributions, more-negative behavior, and less forgiveness were more effective at helping coupled who faced more frequent and more severe problems stay satisfied over time.
“He discussed implications of these findings for treatment, suggesting that therapies that promote more positive thoughts and behaviors may work better for couples who have minor wrangles, but not so well for those who face more severe problems. Interesting. When problems within a dyad (or possibly even a larger group) are complex and interwoven, simply accepting the “Don’t worry, be happy” advice may not be as effective as a realistic, transparent, and honest appraisal of problems allowing true change, and a true healing process to begin.
“It seems that the truth still may serve to set us free.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 12.
Donna Thomas, PhD Department Chair, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences George and Jean Baldwin Endowed Associate Professor Louisiana Tech University The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
“I recently finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is a fascinating account of Mrs. Lacks' incredibly viable cells, harvested without her consent during her treatment for cervical cancer. Her cells have been used for years to research cancer, AIDS, gene mapping, and more; all without her knowledge and without any benefit to her or her family. Henrietta was poor, uneducated, and Black. The story of her family's struggles contrasts with the robust nature of her bodily tissues to make an intriguing story of the development of medical ethics, particularly informed consent, and a family's search for truth and understanding.”
[Editors note: Both Dr. Thomas and Dr. Hammond recommended this book, along with others. So, it is a top recommendation for psychologists!]
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 12.
Amy Hammond, PhD Psychology Professor Centenary College The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
“The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley is the first (of four so far, but there’s another due out in early 2013) of the Flavia de Luce mysteries. Flavia is an eleven-year-old living in 1950 rural England in a drafty old family mansion with her widowed father and two older sisters and a most magnificent chemistry lab. Flavia has the uncanny knack that key characters in a mystery series always seem to have to be around when someone dies suspiciously. She’s clever and persistent and always underfoot annoying the local constabulary. And she always solves the case. These are fun, light reads.”
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
“Lately, I’ve been reading some older, but wonderful books.
“Kindred by Octavia E. Butler is technically classified as science fiction, but is really about the complexities of slavery as part of our history. Published in 1979, Dana is a black woman married to a white man. Inexplicably, she is suddenly pulled back in time to the antebellum South to save the life of a young boy. She begins hopping back and forth, from the past to her 1976 present, each time, going back to save the same young boy, as he grows into a man. We ultimately learn of the connection between these two lives and the barest hint at what slavery might have been like.”
(And, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 12.
Susan Andrews, PhD Neuropsychologist Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine LSUHSC Author of Stress Solutions for Pregnant Moms: How Breaking Free from Stress Can Boost Your Baby’s Potential. 10 Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn
“Recently, I saw Goldie Hawn talking about her New York Times bestseller, 10 Mindful Minutes: Giving Our Children – and Ourselves – the Social and Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for Healthier, Happier Lives. As one who has practiced meditation for many years, I firmly believe in education teaching our children to use meditation to focus attention, manage emotions, and grow the Self. 10 Mindful Minutes is easy to read and full of practical exercises and ways to engage children. If you are a parent or if you work with children in your practice, you need this book in your arsenal.
Quotes from children and professionals fill the pages, like Janis (age 9), “I liked sitting and really listening to all the noises in the playground. It wasn’t until I really paid attention that I heard the birds singing in the trees – something I never noticed before.” By sitting and mindfully breathing for 10 minutes a day, anyone can strengthen the part of the prefrontal cortex involved in generating positive feelings – in just 8 weeks.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 12.
Bill McCown, PhD Provost, U. of Louisiana Monroe Author (Strange Attractors: Chaos, Complexity, and the Art of Family Therapy, Treating Gambling Problems, Procrastination and Task Avoidance, and others.) Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
“Ah, what am I reading? Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman was the last PSYCHOLOGIST to win a Nobel Prize (2002). His research has highlighted the almost unavoidable tendency of we humans to think and choose irrationality.
“The book summarizes his illustrious career, first with the late psychologist Amos Tversky, regarding human biases and judgment failures under uncertain conditions. There is strong evidence that people really are lousy thinkers in many situations. When things get uncertain, we get much worse. This has immediate and profound clinical implications.
“Since Tversky's death, Kahneman has done fascinating laboratory research concerning what makes us happy. It almost always isn't what we think.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Heat’s On As Commission Nears Vote Psych Board Offers Unprecedented Change Two Positions on LSBEP To Behavior Analysts
In what some considered an unexpected move, parent members of the Behavior Analysts Licensure and Regulation Study Commission, Chair Ashley Munn and Vice Chair Catherine Morrell, presented an option for behavior analysts (BAs) to merge with the Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners.
The parent Chairs delivered a poke in the eye to the psychologists, listing disadvantages to BAs linking up with the psychology board. They noted an “Established Economic Conflict of Interest,” and “Mistrust/Antagonistic Relationship.”
Munn’s and Morrell’s proposal came as one of four presentations to Commission members, outlined at the November 2, 2012, regarding the arrangement for BAs regulation, ideas to be given to the legislature for a bill that Senator J.P. Morrell has said he will offer in 2013.
The Munn and Morrell proposal for BAs to join the LPC board prompted a hurried and unprecedented offer from the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) for a similar arrangement between the BAs and the LSBEP. This offer included two positions on the psychology board, one for a doctoral level behavior analyst and one for a masters level behavior analyst.
This is the first time such an offer has been made since the board was created in 1964.
The members of the LSBEP discussed ideas with leaders of the Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association (LABAA) at their Friday, November 9 psychology board meeting in Baton Rouge. LSBEP Chair Dr. Lee Matthews called for the motion and made the offer to Dr. Grant Gautreaux, president of LABAA, and behavior analyst Janice Huber, also of LABAA, who attended the board’s meeting.
At the meeting, Gautreaux said that the presentation by “Morrell and Munn presented the behavior analysts with very attractive ideas.” This was because there was no overlap in scope of practice with the LPCs, he explained.
In considering a merged board option with LSBEP, Gautreaux also said, “Obviously, if we can be part of something, and have a seat at the table, with a real voice, then I think we can entertain that.”
Chair Dr. Lee Matthews said, “What comes out of this is how to configure a seat at the table. It would involve some drastic changes.”
Gautreaux said, “We would have to be assured of some autonomy.”
Dr. Gautreaux had also met that morning (November 9) with the Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) board, according to a posted agenda from the LPC board.
Other presentations at the BA Study Commission’s November 2, 2012, meeting (See Box) included a proposal for an independent, stand alone board, presented by Gautreaux, and for an “umbrella” arrangement, presented by the LSBEP and also the Louisiana Psychological Association represented by Dr. Lacey Seymour, a psychologist and a board certified behavior analyst.
Following the negotiations between the LSBEP and LABAA leaders, the psychology board sent a formal communication to BA Commission members dated November 13, 2012, outlining their new offer and modified position.
LSBEP Modified Position
The psychology board’s November 13 message confirmed that the LSBEP voted “unanimously to work with your association [LABAA] to establish a model licensure act as a merged board.”
“… The LSBEP offers to the LABAA, the opportunity to have 2 seats for behavior analysts on the psychology board as well as a committee of behavior analysts. The psychology board would change from 5 to 7 members,” they wrote.
The letter confirmed that all BA members would be nominated by LABAA and selected by the Governor, that the committee would include a variety of licensure levels, have responsibility for rules, procedures, evaluating candidates, and so on.
They asked the LABAA group for a decision by November 25, 2012. The Times tried to reach Dr. Gautreaux for comment, but did not hear from him by press time.
The 17-member Study Commission is scheduled to meet on December 7, 2012, to vote on these options.
Poke in the Eye
As the Chair and Vice Chair proposed the merger with BAs with the LPC board, they also restated criticisms about the LSBEP and psychologists in general, circulated in the spring.
Munn and Morrell noted their view that psychologists aren’t covered under Foil’s Bill, and have only been concerned since 2008 when autism care was mandated in Louisiana. They also noted their view that psychologists want to force BAs under their supervision.
“Currently psychology is not covered under Foil’s Bill unless they are also BCBA,” they noted, “this creates an economic incentive for them to be ‘in charge’ of Behavioral Analysts.”
They listed also that the LSBEP invited parents to a town hall meeting and then “… laid out step by step how they would shut down services if their bill didn’t pass.”
Some of the criticisms reflect the comments circulated on the web by various groups, including autism support groups, during the spring legislative battle when the LSBEP, led by medical psychologist Dr. John Courtney, and Senator Dan Claitor, put forth SB 185. Opposition was immediate and strong.
An online petition was created at Change.org, which was said to have reached 1,500 signatures. The message was that the psychology board was involved in “… another ‘turf’ battle waged by psychologists in an attempt to stake claim to another profession. The Psychology board has a long history of initiating turf battles in Louisiana with physicians, LPC’s [sic] and now Behavior Analysts,” noted the petition.
The complaints included that the psychology board was claiming that consumers were in danger but the petition noted that SB 185 would be detrimental to consumers due to “imposed supervision” and increased costs.
In April the Butterfly Effects.com Editorial Staff, a commercial healthcare organization led by a marketing professional, published a “Call to Action” imploring parents and voters to “step up and demand that their legislature do the right thing for Louisiana’s children …” The authors called it a “different kind of Amber Alert is sweeping across the state of Louisiana this week, as those trusted with the care of the state’s children are threatening to make it much more difficult for nearly three thousand children diagnosed with autism to step out of harm’s way.”
Autism Speaks published an April news story high- lighting Dr. Gautreaux in an interview with New 2 in Baton Rouge, after the LSBEP bill was initially killed.
The Louisiana State Chapter of the Autism Society reported in the spring 2012 newsletter saying that the BAs in Louisiana report that SB 185 will make it difficult to “recruit or retain BCBAs.”
The news story also noted, “One rule adopted recently by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (LBESE) allows public schools to hire BCBAs as employees. The LSBEP was the only opponent to that rule, arguing that ABA is in the scope of practice of licensed psychologists so behavior analysts should be licensed as psychologists or supervised by psychologists or physicians.”
“Supporters of that rule argue that the practice of ABA is very different from the practice of clinical psychology, and they feel the supervision of behavior analysts by licensed psychologists is unnecessary and costly,” the authors of the newsletter wrote.
LSBEP’s attempts to counter these and other criticisms appeared to have had little impact. Despite the public opposition, Courtney and the board continued their effort with a substitute bill.
According to several sources, Dr. Courtney had worked with psychology professors at McNeese to develop the legislation, but was not successful with the Nicholls group, located in the education department.
At the November 9 LSBEP discussion with LABAA leaders, Gautreaux said, “We wrote things into the bill and when we got back, they had been taken out.” And he explained that there were other things that occurred. “That’s where we started, on very shaky ground,” he said.
Courtney said that he had been discussing matters with others, in particular professors from McNeese, and that items were removed because of negotiation with others in the community. Earlier, Courtney had commented to the psychology board members, “We first went to them with a model we thought they’d really like. Our agenda was to smooth the path.”
Response to Poke in the Eye
The LSBEP responded to the ideas in the Munn and Morrell presentation, and perhaps to other undisclosed communications, with another letter to Commission members on November 14, 2012.
“First and foremost,” they wrote, “the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists takes seriously allegations of inappropriate financial gain, accusations alluding to ‘shutting down autism clinics,’ and general exaggerations that appear to intentionally misstate our Board’s repeated and carefully crafted positions, statements and/or actions. These actions on the part of some committee members can have chilling ramifications, as we value the Board members reputations as well as those of our staff members.”
The letter goes on to note that the board has a “statutory obligation and duty to protect the citizens of Louisiana from the unlicensed practice of psychology.” They note that the AG concurs and so do other jurisdictions in the US.
They also wrote that Autism is considered a “serious mental illness” and “It should be of serious concern to commission members that anyone would suggest that the LPC board provide regulation for administrative mentoring for a newly formed board of professional behavior analysts, whom the majority deal with Autism Spectrum Disorders while LPCs do not have such clinical authority within their scope of practice. This is exactly the opposite of how one protects consumers and reinforces why the relationship with the Psychology Board makes so much sense.”
The authors, Chair Dr. Lee Matthews and Vice Chair Dr. John Courtney, cited their modified position and their intention to work with LABAA to create a model licensure act and wrote, “We believe that this proposal is consistent with their [the behavior analysts] wishes, our hopes, and most importantly, what best protects the consumer.”
They confirmed that their proposal “… does not require supervision … at all. No patient would have to see a psychologist to access care from a behavior analyst. Behavior analysts would maintain independence in their practice.” They note their opinion that a merged option with the LSBEP is the only appropriate relationship and that the LSBEP is both the board and professional field familiar with the practice of behavior analysis, behavior modification and behavior therapy.”
Economic/Healthcare Context
The context of the Commission’s effort comes amid alarmingly high rates of prevalence, with a CDC estimate of 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). [Community Report From the Autism and Developmental Disability Monitoring (ADDM) Network – 2012.]
Applied behavior analysis has been shown to be one of the most effective treatments, and most helpful when it is early and intensive, as much as 30 hours per week.
The CDC writes that the “annual medical expenditures per child with an ASD range from $2,100 to $11,200. Additionally, we know that intensive behavioral interventions for a child with an ASD can cost from $40,000 to $60,000 per year and that the nonmedical costs of special education for a child with an ASD are about $13,000 per year.”
Background
The Behavior Analysts Licensure and Regulation Study Commission was created by a Senate Resolution authored by Senator J. P. Morrell of New Orleans.
The Commission is a 17-member panel led by Chair Ashley Munn and Vice Chair Catherine Morrell, Senator Morell’s wife. The Chair and Vice Chair were appointed by the president of the Senate and the chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and to be parents or guardians of a child who currently receives or has received ABA (applied behavior analysis) services, according to Senator Morrell’s resolution.
Representatives of 17 groups and agencies, including Dr. Cheryl Knight from Department of Health & Hospitals, Kim Percle from the state Superintendent of Education, and representatives from Nicholls and McNeese universities where masters training of behavior analysts is provided, Drs. Steven Welsh and Dena Matenzbacher, are included.
Also included are representatives of the state boards from medicine (Dr. Robert Marier), psychology (Ms. Kelly Parker), social work (John McBride), and counseling (Mary Alice Olsan).
The professional groups from BAs, psychology, speech & language, and representatives from two autism treatment facilities, the Disability Council, and from the LSU law center, were also included. Doctoral programs, such as LSU where international autism expert, Dr. Johnny Matson teaches, were not represented.
According to the minutes of meetings from July 2012 to October 2012, the group was able to define it’s role, study the evolution of the BA profession and training, and make the decision that BAs should have state regulation.
In September members developed and voted on a definition, and in a 7 yea, 5 nay, 1 abstain vote, decided to remove the phrase “by a behavior analyst,” from definition of applied behavior analysis, which passed with a 7-5-1 vote, also.
“’Applied behavior analysis’ means the design, implementation, and evaluation of systematic instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. It includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors, known as functional assessment and analysis. Applied behavior analysis interventions are based on scientific research and the direct observation and measurement of behavior and environment. They utilize contextual factors, establishing operations, antecedent stimuli, positive reinforcement, and other consequences to help people develop new behaviors, increase or decrease existing behaviors, and emit behaviors under specific environmental conditions.”
The commission members also agreed on requirements, fees, and standards. In a discussion about degree requirements, psychology was added to the list, but four members voted against the move, which would have limited the training to behavior analysis. The group adopted the national board’s qualifications, without objections.
Analysis and Opinion
The Munn and Morrell presentation and the upcoming vote this week bring out key issues for the Commission members.
As consumers of BA services, it is understandable that for Munn and Morrell, which likely includes Senator Morrell, the most important aspects are access to treatment and keeping costs down. This seems supported by the Chair’s and Vice Chair’s comments noted in the minutes over the months.
Certain issues such as psychologists forcing “super- vision” and featherbedding have stuck with both parents and BAs, due in part to what appears to be poor communication on the part of the LSBEP leaders. Attempts to explain appear to have solidified opposition.
It is not clear how the psychologists could fiddle with supply of BAs or costs by way of a publically accountable regulatory board, although it could be done if someone sets their mind to it. It is not clear if parents are equally concerned by the growing commercial efforts in the BA services area, or the tiered structure that exists already in BAs, both of which could also result in higher costs.
Regardless, both parents and BAs appear to be looking at past behavior from the psychology board with concern. Masters degreed individuals in psychology and education, and also school psychology, including the specialist, have historically met with very firm opposition from the LSBEP. This includes the behavior analysts. As recently as June 2011, Dr. Joseph Comaty, as Liaison to Professional Organizations and Boards, reported in LSBEP minutes, “… that an objection letter was sent to Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in response to Bulletin 746 Louisiana Standards for State Certification of School Personnel: 421 which promulgated rules to employ behavioral analysts.”
The lack of trust accounts for why, after repeated attempts to clarify issues like supervision and featherbedding, the LSBEP has failed in changing parents’ and BAs’ views. The most recent “merged board” option may help, but probably not as much as the LSBEP might hope.
It is also not clear why, and why now, the LSBEP took up legislation. No clear explanation was in the minutes. The issues had received ongoing attention at the national association of state psychology boards, however.
And there is also the issue of professional identity, reflected in the consistent message from the LABAA president, Dr. Gautreaux, who while leading a small group, is insistent that applied behavior analysis is a separate profession.
Just before publication, the Times sources indicated that the State Medical Board moved to support the LSBEP’s recommendations.
The Commission members may have their hands full separating politics from science and healthcare at the vote this Friday.
(Conflict of Interest Statement: J. Nelson is a licensed psychologist. She practices part- time in general applied psychology but not in healthcare, applied behavior analysis, or with clients with autism.)
Dr. Grant Gautreaux, LABAA president, listens to Dr. Darla Burnett (far left) while LSBEP Ex. Director Kelly Parker takes note.
Dr. Marc Zimmermann (L) and Dr. John Courtney, members of LSBEP, at November 9 board meeting with behavior analysts.
November 9 LSBEP meeting with behavioral analysts’ representatives.
Behavior analyst Janice Huber, representing LABAA, and Dr. Marc Zimmermann listen to discussion at recent LSBEP meeting. The LSBEP voted to offer behavior analysts two seats on the LSBEP.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.