Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 6.
Gov. Edwards and Secretary Don Pierson of Louisiana Economic Development have announced an e- commerce initiative to empower the online performance of Louisiana’s small businesses. The goal of LASmallBizOnline.com – with support from Shopify, a leading global commerce company – is making Louisiana firms more competitive during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Small businesses are playing a critical role in Louisiana’s recovery from the pandemic, and we’re putting them in position to do even more,” Gov. Edwards said. “The tools we’re providing through Shopify give business owners a playbook for creating their first e-commerce site or for enhancing their existing site. We are particularly excited about the potential this initiative holds for building more successful, resilient businesses throughout rural Louisiana.”
At LASmallBizOnline.com, Louisiana business owners gain access to a 14- day free trial with Shopify and enhanced one-on-one support. They’ll find tools, tutorials and live webinars for creating company websites, bringing more customers to their sites, managing inventory and fulfilling orders.
New e-commerce users at LASmallBizOnline.com will find tools that put them in command of email marketing, site security, setting up taxes, distribution channels and more. For businesses with some e- commerce background, the site offers advanced tools for online marketing, sales growth, search optimization, and customer experience.
All participating businesses will gain access to Shopify customer support. They’ll have the option of building their own Shopify store, or engaging a Shopify partner to build an online store for them. LED anticipates bringing additional resources to the site from other e-commerce providers.
“This initiative gives Louisiana’s small businesses the opportunity to grow on an e-commerce platform built for success,” Secretary Pierson said. “The program delivers a quick start and professional assistance for smaller employers in building their online presence. At LASmallBizOnline.com, they’ll join a network of Louisiana companies that share their vision for a successful future.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 6.
Pres. Trump has issued an Executive Order that removes first amendment protections for certain social media platforms, turning them into "publishers" if they censor information posted by individuals, especially regarding censorship of political speech.
The Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship was issued May 28 and notes, "Protections Against Online Censorship. (a) It is the policy of the United States to foster clear ground rules promoting free and open debate on the internet. Prominent among the ground rules governing that debate is the immunity from liability created by section 230(c) of the Communications Decency Act (section 230(c)). 47 U.S.C. 230(c). It is the policy of the United States that the scope of that immunity should be clarified: the immunity should not extend beyond its text and purpose to provide protection for those who purport to provide users a forum for free and open speech, but in reality use their power over a vital means of communication to engage in deceptive or pretextual actions stifling free and open debate by censoring certain viewpoints."
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Executive Director Report: Ms. Monic reported the following: • Civil Matter – U.S. Western District, Lafayette Div. No. 6:17-CV-01095 Eric R. Cerwonka, PsyD vs. LSBEP, Jaime Monic was argued before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Juneau (Magistrate of Judge Whitehurst) on February 13, 2020. On February 14, 2020, the matter was dismissed with prejudice at the cost of Plaintiff.
Dr. Moore reported that the committee reviewed application files during executive session this date. Dr. Boggs reported that the workgroup revised the professional reference form, declaration of competencies form, and post- doctoral supervision form.
Dr. Gormanous moved to establish a standing Public and Professional Outreach Committee. Distinguished from the Liaison to Professional Organizations and Boards by their recommendations to write Newsletter articles and conduct outreach surveys. The Board discussed the motion. The motion passed […]. Dr. Boggs appointed Drs. Henke and Moore to the Public and Professional Outreach Committee.
The Board reviewed the self-nominations and unanimously appointed Dr. Katherine Chenier to replace Dr. Amy Morvant’s seat on the LSSP Advisory Committee to the LSBEP. Dr. Gormanous moved in favor of accepting the LSSP Committee recommendation to appoint Dr. Chenier for the term 3/6/2020 – 6/30/2023. The Board discussed the motion. The motion passed by unanimous roll-call vote […].
Housekeeping Legislation – The board again
reviewed and considered revisions for potential housekeeping legislation for the 2020 Regular Legislative Session including: board member composition, Definition of “Practice of psychology”; Summary Suspension provision; Emeritus License (full retirement/no CE/minimum fee); R.S. 37:2356.B. and C. require updating related to examinations; Unlicensed Assistants; registration; revocation and fee schedule; and Disclosure of information received in an administrative investigation falling under other state or federal jurisdictional oversight. Dr. VanGeffen stated her concerns that she did not feel as though LPA’s Legislative Committee had enough time to consider the changes, and was concerned that opening the psychology practice act would pose a risk of having others interfere with the psychology scope of practice. Dr. Thomas Holcomb commented that LPA would like to see proposed legislation ahead of time and would appreciate the opportunity to consider items they felt needed longer discussion. Dr. Gormanous stated for the record that this discussion has been ongoing for a while, and with serious intent since at least the Long Range Planning in October 2019, that he is the one who pushed the notion for identifying the need to define the summary suspension procedure, and also going back to the process of registering unlicensed assistants.
Command – The Board discussed the delegated authority of the Chair to sign subpoena’s on behalf of the Board. Ms. Monic presented a situation where the Board Chair would need to be recused from a matter and would not be able to carry out this task. The Board discussed the matter and by motion of Dr. Boggs agreed that it would be proper procedure, should the board chair be recused from a case, that the Executive Director establish the Vice Chair as the board
member serving on the Complaints Committee. Should the Vice Chair need to be recused, the member who’s [sic] appointment immediately followed the Vice Chair and so on. The Board discussed the motion, the motion passed by unanimous roll-call vote as follows: In favor: (5) Boggs, Gormanous, Henke, Gibson, and Moore; Against: 0; Abstained: (0); Absent: (1) McNeely
8) 2020-2021 Contracts – The Board discussed an amendment to the legal contract for Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes, LLP., as requested by Ms. Courtney Newton related to hourly rates. Dr. Henke moved in favor of increasing rates to $225/hour as requested and in line with approved Attorney General rates but not increasing the total contract amount until the board had more time to assess its budget and continuing with a prosecutor at higher rates. The Board discussed the motion, the motion passed by unanimous roll-call vote […].
and related considerations. – Dr. Gormanous discussed increased security due to continued concerns arising out of complaint and legal matters and requested the Board approve $2500 to upgrade the security system for the LSBEP Office. The Board discussed the motion, the motion passed by unanimous roll-call vote […].
5. Complaints Committee – Mr. Owens reported there was one Complaint docketed for review today in Executive Session. Mr. Owens presented his Compliance Report for the period 03/07/20 – 04/03/20 as follows: Total number of Requests for Investigations received since last meeting: 0; Total number of Board initiated investigations since last meeting: 1; Total number of Open Active investigations: 14 (4 against non-licensees) 9 are Formal Complaints; 2 from FY17-18; 4 from FY18-19; 3 from FY19-20; 4 are still under review by Complaints Coordinator Total number of cases closed (as of today’s vote): 0; Disciplinary Actions: 0
Ms. Monic advised that the following procedures were implemented: Emergency Temporary Registration Applications were open for processing; an Executive Committee was formed consisting of the Chair, Vice Chair and Executive Director to respond to the emergency and the massive amount of information and questions being received; the website was updated with information concerning continuing agency operations/licensing; Telesupervision Application fees were waived given the displacement of students, interns and postdoctoral fellows; and the Executive Committee has started sending a Weekly Wednesday Update to manage the information and provide some consistency and regularity to these unprecedented times.
[…] Telesupervision – By motion of Dr. Koren Boggs, the Board discussed and approved the
following provision related To Tele- Supervision Applications: the $25 fee for this application will be waived for the duration of the Governor’s “Stay at Home” Order.
[…] For the period beginning March 11, 2020, through the duration of the Governor’s “Stay at Home” Order, the Board voted to waive the requirement that at least 50% of approved tele- supervision of trainees and assistants be provided in-person. All other supervision requirements remain the same
[…] Oral examinations for licensure will continue. The Board will waive the in-person requirement for administration of the Oral Examination and will conduct face-to-face examinations via Zoom.
[…] For both the 2020 and 2021 renewal periods, the requirement that CPD credits must be obtained from at least two different subcategories under the LAC §803 is waived. That is, licensees can obtain all CPD credits from activities in one of the nine subcategories listed in the LAC Chapter 8. Additionally, the number of required CPD credits is reduced from 40 to 30, understanding the hardship imposed on all licensees during this crisis.
Luneau – Dr. Julie Nelson expressed general opposition to the Legislation for various reasons including her opinion that it expanded the authorities of the Board in an overreaching manner. Dr. Nelson also asked if there had been a formal motion to file legislation. Ms. Monic replied “yes”. The previous minutes were referenced for clarity. Specifically, Dr. Nelson asked whether or not the Board had the authority to propose legislation. Mr. McNeely explained that public entities created by the legislature, such as LSBEP, have an obligation to notify the legislature if provisions of law limit the ability of such entity to sufficiently meets its charge, in this case, of public protection. Mr. McNeely further explained that while LSBEP sought an author for this legislation, it is the legislator who ultimately decides to file and is the author of legislation. Mr. McNeely closed his remarks stating that actions in pursuit of legislation taken by the LSBEP are not only allowed, but also common and appropriate.
[break taken] After considering comments, Mr. McNeely stated his desire to continue discussing the Legislative Draft as he understood the Association’s perspective. However, from a regulatory and public protection perspective, he believed the legislation was important and necessary. Mr. McNeely moved that the Board create an AdHoc working committee made up of those potentially impacted in the industry for the purposes of reviewing, discussing and potentially revising SB 458. The Board discussed the motion. Dr. Gormanous suggested the inclusion of the Louisiana Psychological Association, the LSBEP Legislative Committee, the Louisiana Association of Medical Psychologists, and the Louisiana School Psychology Association. The Board discussed the motion. The motion passed by roll call vote as follows: In favor: (6) Boggs, Henke, Gormanous, Gibson, Moore, McNeely; Against: (0); Abstained: (0); Absent: (0)
2020-21 Contracts – The Board reviewed and discussed continuing contracts for the 2020-21 Fiscal Year as follows: […]by motion of Dr.
Gregory Gormanous that the Board contract with Mark P. Vigen, Ph.D. to provide services as Complaints Coordinator III, for a fiscal-year beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021 for an amount not to exceed a maximum of $5,000.
[…]by motion of Dr. Gormanous that the Board contract with Statewide Surveillance & Investigations for an amount not to exceed $12,000, to provide investigatory services beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021.
[…]the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, pursuant to La. R.S. 42:262, does hereby retain and employ the Law Office of Gray Sexton (Attorneys Grey Sexton and Alesia Ardoin) as special counsel; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the hourly rates shall be $225 per hour for services of partners or associates with experience in the practice of law of 10 years or more; […] A total amount not to
exceed $5,000 for Fiscal Year July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021
[…] by motion of Dr. Gregory Gormanous, that the Board contract the services of Monique Marino for an amount not to exceed $12,500, to assist the Executive Director with special projects and project management, upon request of the Executive Director for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021.
[…] The Board discussed an amendment to the legal contract for Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes, LLP. Following approval of increased rates at their March 6, 2020 meeting. Ms. Monic reviewed the remaining contract amount and provided information to the board related to funding the contract for the remainder of the Fiscal Year. Following discussion, Dr. Henke moved that the board approve an increase in the contract amount by $10,000, a total not to exceed $50,055.97.
Dr. Koren Boggs is chair of the LSBEP.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 9.
The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) has once again achieved a top ranking for its online educational programs. Value Colleges ranked ULM Number one in the state for best online colleges in Louisiana.
According to the university announcement, ULM Online offers associate, bachelor, master and doctorate degrees. ULM Online is part of Compete LA, the innovative initiative by the University of Louisiana System to assist adults ready to complete their college degrees.
In the news report the University list a number of their online awards including:
No. 18 – 30 Best Online Master’s in Psychology by Online Schools Report for ULM Online’s M.S. in Psychology
No. 26 and Best Research-Focused Program – The Top 35 Online Master’s in School Counseling Programs for ULM Online’s M.S. in Counseling, School Counseling
No. 30 – The Top 60 Online Master’s in Counseling Degrees by Intelligent.com for ULM Online’s M.S. in Counseling*
No. 36 and Best Marriage and Family Therapy Program – The Top 60 Online PhD Programs by Intelligent.com for ULM Online’s Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy*
Also listed were:
No. 1 – Best Online Colleges in Louisiana for 2020 by Value Colleges for ULM Online No. 3 – 10 Most Affordable Online Graduate Schools by the Master’s Programs Guide No. 4 – 10 Best Value Colleges (Louisiana) by SmartAsset.com No. 4 and Best in the South – The Top 27 Online Master’s in History by Intelligent.com for ULM Online’s M.A. in History No. 4 and Best in the South – The Top 60 Online History Degrees by Intelligent.com for ULM Online’s B.A. in History No. 5 – 5 Best Online Insurance Degrees for 2020 by Online Schools Report for ULM Online’s Risk Management and Insurance No. 5 – 10 Best Master’s Degrees in Gerontology 2020 by College Rank for ULM Online’s M.A. in Gerontology No. 6 – Top 20 Online Programs in Clinical Nurse Leadership by the Healthcare Management Degree Guide for ULM Online’s M.S. in Gerontologic Nurse Leadership
For more information about ULM Online and to register, visit ulm.edu/onlinedegrees/, email: onlinedegrees@ulm.edu or call 318- 342-3145.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 17.
Two online training sessions will be hosted by the Louisiana Psychological Association in June to help psychologists deal with issues encountered due to the coronavirus crisis.
"Disparities in the Age of COVID-19," will be presented on Thursday, June 11, at 2-3:30pm. Presenters are Angela Keyes, PhD and Melissa Middleton, PhD.
Keyes and Middleton will explore the structural and systemic inequalities that have contributed to disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters will share data illustrating the inherent inequities found in many areas of society, the outcomes experienced by minority groups and the critical need for mental health professionals to thoughtfully examine and reflect upon these issues in order to inform and enhance their work with diverse groups, noted the announcement from Dr. Paula Zeanah.
On, Friday, June 12, 2020, 10:30a- 12pm, Joy D. Osofsky, PhD, will present, "Supporting Young Children and
Caregivers around the COVID-19 Pandemic."
Dr. Osofsky will review the impact of changes in our world and personal lives brought about by COVID-19 with attention to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
She will also present ideas for ways to support children and families including establishing new routines to support positive and responsive relationships.
Ideas for recognizing the needs of “helpers” in the lives of young children and the importance of self-care will also be covered.
Dr. Osofsky noted that resources helpful for children and families related to COVID-19, developed and identified through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Center (NCTSN), Terrorism and Disaster Coalition for Child and Family Resilience at LSU Heatlh Sciences Center, can be found at https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/tdc/co vid19.aspx
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Gov. Edwards announced on June 1 that following continued improvement in Louisiana’s COVID-19 outlook and a significant increase in testing capacity and contact tracing, Louisiana is ready to move to Phase 2 of the White House’s reopening strategy on June 5. As of Tuesday, June 2, there were 40,746 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Louisiana, with 2,724 deaths, according to the Governor.
In Phase 2, churches, places of worship and many more businesses will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity with social distancing, masks for public-facing employees and increased sanitation, according to the announcement. In addition, the state strongly recommends that businesses consider offering temperature checks before a person can enter and posting the symptoms of COVID-19 outside with a request that symptomatic individuals not enter.
Phase 2 in Louisiana will last at least 21 days. Because more businesses will be open to more patrons and because the CDC has clarified that the illness is most likely to spread through the air and not on surfaces, the order will strongly encourage individuals to wear masks whenever they are in public and will recommend that people who enter businesses that are not taking proper precautions consider the risk to their health and their family in doing so.
“The people of Louisiana have done an incredible job flattening the curve here, and I’m thankful for their compliance and hard work. […] Gov. Edwards said. “However, as more people are out and about and occupancy increases and even more businesses operate, members of the public should be cautious as they enter businesses and leave any place that is not taking precautions against the spread of COVID-19, especially if employees interacting with the public are not wearing masks and customers are not being encouraged to do so as well. […]
“In addition, people who are at high risk for becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, including those over 65 and those with underlying health conditions, should still Stay at Home unless they are completing essential tasks, such as doctor visits or going to purchase medications, food or other necessary items. Everyone should consider their own risk and the risk of those in their households as they plan their public outings. There are still thousands of active COVID-19 cases in Louisiana and public health experts have increased warnings about asymptomatic people being able to spread the illness unknowingly.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 2.
In April I attended the board's Zoom meeting to ask Dr. Greg Gormanous, Chair of the Legislative subcommittee, questions about SB 458. I particularly wanted to know if and when the board had taken a formal vote on the legislation.
I asked Dr. Gormanous if the board had voted to put forth SB 458 and he answered "No." I considered his response to be both candid and sincere.
His answer jived with my previous review of the minutes which showed no real attention to the content of SB 458 over the last months, or any serious transparency on the matter.
Gormanous' answer was extremely important. The board has no authority to create new laws. In fact, it is prohibited by the separation of powers principle in the state constitution. From a practical standpoint, you don't give law-enforcement the power to make its own laws. An agency that can expand its own authority becomes dangerous–every time, no exceptions.
So this week I see the minutes from that April meeting and I am STUNNED. Not only was my entire discussion with Dr. Gormanous deleted, but another narrative, was substituted. Now, Jaime Monic, the minutes claimed, was said to have answered my question, "Yes."
SB 458 is bringing out the worst in the board. Someone created SB 458 in secret and sprung it on the community. Someone attempted to manipulate the audience by calling the measure "housekeeping." They have attempted to justify their behavior with the lame excuse that it is the Senator's initiative, not the board's, when in fact it is their legislation, of course. They even tried the second-grader logic that, "Everybody does it."
Jaime Monic also let it slip at the April meeting that they are finding it difficult to make changes they want through regular rulemaking because of the new restrictions legislators put on agencies. In other words, they're looking for ways to bypass checks on their power that the legislators have specifically placed on them.
SB 458 is an ambitious, candy-store bill with everything they want in it and can't get through proper channels. And their circumventing efforts were not disclosed, as required by Open Meeting Laws. The board is attempting to justify their behavior by chanting the mantra, "We protect the public," when the factual evidence might be just the reverse should anyone actually research the matter.
Are they now falsifying minutes? If a psychologist in private practice engaged in this sort of deception, that psychologist would be hauled in in front of the board to be disciplined.
I'm beginning to believe that many psychologists are, by nature, autocrats. Pour power on their head and puff, you get an arrogant, self-serving tyrant.
At the same time, I have no doubt that the individual members of the board are honorable and well-meaning. I learned early in my career, from the great Fritz Steele, that in some systems, individuals act like interchangeable parts and become pawns of that system.
We've seen this over and over. Change out the individuals and we still get the same problem. Something is rotten in Denmark in these group dynamics. It is sharp irony that the agency of law-enforcement, that passes judgment over others for ethical misconduct, should be exhibiting this behavior regarding its ambition for political power.
If the board as a group does not understand its boundaries, and the corrupting influence of power, and cannot muster the self-reflection necessary to avoid deceitful behavior, then how can it be wise enough to judge others? The situation amounts to moral hypocrisy that we should not and must not accept.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 5.
The US Senate passed a bill last week, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, that will extend the Paycheck Protection Program loans from covering eight weeks of payroll, to 24 weeks for small businesses. The bill also reduces the amount businesses have to spend on payroll to be forgiven from 75% to 60%. The Treasury Department and Small Business Administration published guidelines for the legislation that can be found at https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PP P-IFR-Loan-Forgiveness.pdf
The instructions help small business professionals understand how businesses can get their PPP loans converted into a grant, including a stipulation that owners will not be penalized if previous employees rescind an offer to be rehired.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 6. Source pages: 6.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has named the two co-chairs and appointed members to the Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and several subcommittees, according to the announcement from the governor's office.
“It is an honor to serve the citizens of Louisiana on the COVID-19 Health Equity Taskforce," said Co-Chair Dr. Sandra C. Brown, Dean of Southern University's College of Nursing and Allied Health.
"I look forward to working with a distinguished diverse group of experts from across the state that are committed to addressing the health disparities that specifically challenge minorities and vulnerable populations in Louisiana not only in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in advancing health equity for decades to come."
"I am excited to be able to contribute to this important taskforce," said Co-Chair Dr. Thomas LaVeist, Dean of Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
"Louisiana has for many years been among the least healthy states and the racial disparities seen around the country are as evident here as it is elsewhere.
"I am particularly delighted that Governor Edwards has prioritized health equity and I am hopeful that we will be able to make a difference for our state."
The task force’s work will begin immediately, and its actions and research will result in improved health outcomes and equity in Louisiana. A statewide Health Equity Dashboard will be created to monitor the progress of the task force.
The Gov. also announced members of the subcommittees including those members for the for Health Disparities and Research. This group provides research and data regarding the disparities aligned with COVID-19).
Serving in this subcommittee will be:
Connie Arnold, Ph.D. LSUHSC- Shreveport/Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Professor of Medicine
Terry C. Davis, Ph.D. LSUHC-Shreveport/Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Margarite Echevveri, Ph.D. Xavier University Educational Coordinator in Health Disparities, Cultural Competence and Diversity at the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education
Peter Fos, Ph.D. Dillard University
Professor of Health and Wellness and Health Equity Researcher
Faye Grimsley, PhD, CIH, MSPH Xavier University Head, Department of Public Health
Dr. Amy Lesen Dillard University Associate Professor of Biology and Researcher
Rhoda Reddix, Ph.D. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Associate Professor, Director of Service Learning, specialization, health disparities: community engagement and service
Daniel Sarpong, Ph.D. Xavier University Director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education, Endowed Chair of Health Disparities and Professor of Biostatistics in the College of Pharmacy
Lisa VanHoose, PT, PhD, MPH, University of Louisiana at Monroe Associate Professor and Program Director in the Physical Therapy
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 5. Source pages: 2.
Editor's Note:
In her inspiring critique, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett argues convincingly for a return to the study of individual differences, pointing out that the statistical mean is an abstraction that cannot capture the reality of an individual, and that research based on simplistic mechanisms ignores individuals as complex, dynamic systems. In other words, the tyranny of mean.
Barrett's advice is timely as we sit in a crisis with little help from the one-size-fits-all, illness care system, with treatments designed to increase profits through mass production, but with little true prevention and health outcomes that are logically more consistent with a third-world country.
Reprinted here with permission, Barrett's column first appeared in the March 2020 Observer, a membership magazine of the Association for Psychological Science.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
An advantage of being APS president is that I hear lots of opinions on the state of our science. One common refrain, particularly from people concerned with the credibility of our scientific enterprise, involves shaking up the field, or even burning it to the ground, so that a better science of psychology can emerge from the ashes. Translation: Some of our colleagues want a Kuhnian-style scientific revolution. If you share this view, this month’s president’s column is for you.
To date, discussions about remaking psychological science have largely focused on how scientists behave. Best practices are important, of course, but let’s go beyond that to consider how scientists think. In this regard, inspiration can be found by returning to our roots, when mental philosophy was transforming itself into a full-fledged science of the mind.
In The Principles of Psychology, published in 1890—and its shorter version, entitled Psychology: Briefer Course, published 2 years later—the great William James reflected on the nature of psychological categories. James questioned the deeply rooted assumption of his day that the human mind is structured like a set of mental organs—as types of thoughts, types of perceptions, types of feelings, types of actions—each with its own psychological process, and implemented in its own dedicated set of bodily changes or neurons. In this view of the mind, which we know as faculty psychology, the instances of a psychological category, such as anger, are thought to share a set of features that define the category and distinguish it from others, such as fear, episodic memory, or perception. Faculty psychology is an example of what philosophers refer to as typological thinking, which is a close cousin of essentialism: the belief that each category has a deep, invariant, and immutable cause that makes the category what it is, distinct from other categories.
James was skeptical of typological thinking, as his writing on the nature of emotion categories reveals:
“The varieties of emotion are innumerable… The mere description of the objects, circumstances and varieties of the different species of emotion… are to a great extent either fictitious or unimportant, and that its pretences to accuracy are a sham…. The trouble with the emotions in psychology is that they are regarded too much as… eternal and sacred psychic entities, like the old immutable species in natural history….” (James, 1892/2017, Sections 374–375)
With this passage, James was advocating for the emerging science of psychology to depart from the typological mindset common in the other 19th century musings about the human mind. He was comparing that mindset with a similar one found in pre-Darwinian ideas about animal species, which were thought to have inherent “essences,” or perfect platonic forms. Before Darwin, the essence of a species—the features that define its type—was thought to be real in nature. Variation—as deviation from that perfect form—was considered to be irrelevant imperfection. Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859) changed all that, introducing the idea that biological categories are populations of variable instances. This populations mindset considers the variation to be meaningful and important in nature, whereas the type is a mere abstraction (Mayr, 2004).
Today, typological thinking remains firmly rooted in a substantial portion of psychological research, despite the fact that psychological scientists periodically reiterate James’s concerns (for one lovely empirical example, see Gallistel, 2012). Consider the iconic psychological experiment, for example, in which people are randomly assigned to different conditions of an independent variable. We expose participants to stimuli and then measure their responses. The goal in a traditional laboratory experiment is to constrain or reduce within-group variation, making it easier to observe variation across groups. When we observe variation in responses within an experimental condition, the epistemic assumption is to treat the variation as error. But this approach, in effect, ignores Darwin’s insights: Variation within categories is meaningful and therefore important to observe and study.
Darwin’s insights likely hold true for any category that involves living creatures, including psychological categories that are created by experimenters in laboratories. Some studies do focus on individual variation, but by and large it is still common practice to make inferences about the mean value of group variation. Yet the mean, as a summary statistic, is an abstraction that does not fully capture the psychological reality of each individual in the group. As some biologists like to say, no two individuals on the planet, not even monozygotic twins, are identical. If the ultimate goal is to understand the causes of mental activities and behaviors, then we must model individual variation. Otherwise, our inferences refer to fictional abstractions in fictional environments.
Taking things a step further, I’ve wondered whether typological thinking is responsible, at least in part, for the fact that our experiments do not replicate as well as we might like (Barrett, 2015). Laboratory experiments isolate one or two variables, manipulate them, and expect to observe moderate to large effects. This expectation relies on a mechanistic view of the human mind that is deeply entwined with typological thinking: that is, the view that a psychological phenomenon has a few simple, strong causes that produce equally strong effects. These effects, the argument goes, should be easily replicated from experiment to experiment, as long as the experimental methods are properly controlled, the sample is sufficiently large, and statistical analyses are properly run.
In reality, however, the brain and the body are less like simple, mechanistic systems and more like complex, dynamic systems that are influenced by many nonlinear, interacting causes. Any single variable will have a weak effect on the system, and, more important, we can’t separately manipulate one variable and assume that the others remain unaffected. If the brain and body are complex dynamic systems, but we treat them like simple mechanistic systems in a laboratory experiment— targeting one or two variables and leaving the more complete web of influences unmeasured and unmodeled—then the impact of that fuller web appears to us as unbridled variation, masquerading as a failure to replicate. But the other possibility—the possibility discovered by Darwin and discussed by James—is that variation is meaningful. The absence of replication may, in fact, be the presence of meaningful variation with structure that we can discover and model only if we design our studies to measure and observe it. This leads to the startling possibility that our standard experimental method—the laboratory experiment—is in need of a major overhaul. This epistemic earthquake about measuring the mind brings with it a shift in our ontological assumptions about what a mind is.
In reality, few scientists might actually think about the mind as resulting from a few simple, mechanistic causes, and only a handful might defend the assumption that a mind is structured as a set of idealized categories of mental types. Nonetheless, conventional laboratory experiments, combined with conventional analytic approaches that rely on aggregating data over time, contexts, and/or individuals, keep us trapped in a typological mindset, whether we endorse that mindset or not. Such experiments inadvertently obscure an inescapable truth: When it comes to the mind and behavior, variation is the norm. Our traditional toolbox of experimental methods may not be up to the scientific task that is required for a robust science of psychology, no matter how carefully and diligently we use those methods.
If this is the case, then discussions of how to improve the credibility of psychological science, following their current course, will not yield the scientific revolution that some are seeking. Even as we take more care with our methods and statistics and curtail whatever bad habits we find lurking about, lack of replication may still emerge. And that’s because the variation that scientists have been dismissing as error may, in fact, be the phenomenon of interest.
So, here is my challenge to those who want to shape the future of our field. Consider rejecting typology and cultivating a mindset of variation, as James recommended. Consider embracing a populations mindset, following Darwin’s lead. Design studies and model the results to capture variation and discover the underlying features that produce it instead of treating it as error. Capture the complexity of causation: Every action and every mental event emerges from a rich milieu consisting of a large number of weak, interacting influences. If enough of us accept this challenge, then perhaps there will be no need to burn the field to the ground. We might start a little bonfire here and there, and then toast a few marshmallows to celebrate as we remake our science into the robust, generalizable enterprise we all desire.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 5. Source pages: 4.
On April 24, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that he is making $500,000 from the Governor’s COVID-19 Response Fund available to the Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Taskforce to examine the causes and possible solutions to the high rate of deaths from the coronavirus within Louisiana’s African- American community and other impacted populations.
“The disparity in deaths is especially worrisome, and we need to do everything we can to determine why this is happening,” said Gov. Edwards. “African-Americans make up approximately 33 percent of our population yet account for nearly 60 percent of the deaths from this virus. We have an obligation to look for answers and this task force will provide recommendations for addressing the health inequities affecting all communities that are most impacted by this virus. Funding is essential for that work to begin as soon as possible. One death is one too many in any community, and I am committed to helping everyone in our state live healthier lives.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
From the Minutes Selected Items from Jan & Feb Minutes of the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP)
January 10, 2020
1. Executive Director Report: Ms. Monic reported that a notification from ASPPB had been received advising jurisdictions that the initial launch of the EPPP2 had been moved to November 2020 to allow early adopting jurisdictions additional time to complete the rule changes needed to begin using both parts of the EPPP.
5. Legislative Oversight Committee – Dr. Gormanous confirmed that Sen. Mills would continue to chair the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and anticipates senate and house committees to be announced in the coming week. Dr. Gormanous suggested the board consider exploring legislative initiatives that would enable the board to initiate or confirm a summary suspension more efficiently. The Board discussed the recommendation and agreed that it would support this endeavor.
6. Liaison to Professional Organizations and Boards – Dr. Gormanous reported he was considering attending the ASPPB Midyear meeting in Montréal. He requested board input on meeting with ASPPB's Executive Director to continue an open dialogue on the EPPP2. The board was supportive of this meeting.
7. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee – Dr. Boggs reported that the Committee continues to work on compiling data from the survey regarding CPD and Unlicensed Assistants. Dr. Henke reported she is working on a newsletter article to continue outreach on this topic.
8. Supervision/Credentials Committee – Dr. Moore reported that the committee met this morning and reviewed files. Dr. Boggs reported that the workgroup revised professional reference forms for review and discussion. Dr. Boggs reiterated that the Committee's goal in revising the forms was to be able to utilize the reference form to corroborate the applicants training and experience such that, if the applicant does not provide documentation that is consistent with an applicant's declaration in the unverified competency will then become part of their oral examination. […]
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS
1. STATUTORY – Considerations for 2020 Regular Legislative Session: Definition of "Practice of Psychology"; Summary Suspension provision; Emeritus License (full retirement/ no CE/ minimum fee); R.S. 37:2356.B. and C. require updating related to examinations; Unlicensed Assistants; registration; revocation and fee schedule; and Disclosure of information received in an administrative investigation falling under other state our federal jurisdiction oversight – The Board continued its discussion on this topic and agreed to continue to review and work on outreach and solutions to address the current needs for proper administration of the boards delegation, including reviewing its statutory authority to institute a summary suspension of a license.
January 21, 2020 Emergency Meeting
Ms. Newton reported that the Complaints Committee has reviewed and considered all available evidence in this matter, including meeting face to face with the Respondent. Ms. Newton reported that due to both the summary suspension ordered by the Board on November 11, 2019 and the type of allegations made against the Respondent, the Committee believed that any future action or decision in the matter be decided by the Board in its entirety. Ms. Newton advised that that following receipt of information and evidence in executive session, Board members present would be prohibited from sitting on a future hearing panel should the matter continue to move forward. […]
Dr. Gormanous reported that the Board thoroughly discussed Complaint P19-20-03C in Executive Session. In consideration of the information received, Dr. Henke moved that the matter be dismissed with a letter of education to the respondent. […]
Further, Dr. Moore moved that the Order of Summary Suspension in the matter P19-20- 03C be rescinded, and that staff take action to void the previous required reporting of the Summary Suspension on the website of the LSBEP, to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and also the National Practitioner Databank.
February 7, 2020 [Posted April 16]
1. Executive Director Report: Ms. Monic reported […] that Supervision via Telepsychology guidelines and application had been posted; […] reminded board members to turn in documentation on training in Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace or let her know if they needed assistance locating a training; reported that LPA had sent an invitation to present at their 2020 Annual Conference; and that there has been no eligible nominee for appointment to the LSSP Committee.
4. Legislative Oversight Committee – Dr. Gormanous reported that it was critical that the board provide a draft of previously discussed legislation for consideration for this legislative session.
6. Liaison to Professional Organizations and Boards – Dr. Gormanous reported he had contacted Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, PsyD, and that she was open to meeting with representatives of the LSBEP to discuss the EPPP2. Dr. Gormanous requested the board affirm permission to meet with Dr. Burnetti-Atwell to discuss concerns related to ASPPB’s rollout of the EPPP2, and also to discuss the mission of ASPPB’s and the role of individual boards in this organization. Dr. Henke moved in favor of approving meeting reimbursement, excluding airfare, and including registration, hotel and per diem for Dr. Gormanous to attend the Mid- winter meeting in Montreal, Canada along with Dr. Gibson and Ms. Monic who were previously approved to attend this meeting. The motion passed by roll call vote as follows: The motion passed by roll call vote as follows: In favor: (4) Boggs, Henke, Gibson, Moore, Against: 0; Abstained: (1) Gormanous; Absent: (1) McNeely
8. Supervision/Credentials Committee – Dr. Moore reported that the committee reviewed application files during executive session this date. Dr. Boggs reported that the workgroup revised the professional reference form, declaration of competencies form, and post-doctoral supervision form, and continues to work on revising all forms currently required as part of the application for licensure. […] Dr. Boggs reported that due to the focus on this process, the development of credentialing standards (i.e. Health Service Provider vs. General Applied Psychologist) is on hold.
9. Complaints Committee – Dr. Boggs reported that complaints were reviewed in executive session this date. Justin Owens, LSBEP Compliance Officer reported that the Board currently had 24 open cases: 2 new, 16 formal investigations, 2 in various stages of closure and 4 open cases against non- psychologists.
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS
1. Next Board Meeting Dates: The Board set the following dates for meeting: March 6, 2020, April 3, 2020, May 20, 2020 (Wed.), June 5, 2020, July 17, 2020, August 21, 2020, September 11, 2020
2. Investigator/Employee Identification: Ms. Monic proposed the board get monogrammed shirts for investigators/employees for clear identification when investigators and/or employees are interviewing individuals or otherwise representing the board in any official business. The board discussed this requested and agreed this would be prudent. Dr. Gormanous moved to authorize Ms. Monic to use her discretion in obtaining quotes and selecting a vendor to generate this product, within reasonable limits but not more than $500 for initial set up.
3. STATUTORY – The board again reviewed and considered revisions for potential housekeeping legislation for the 2020 Regular Legislative Session including: Definition of “Practice of psychology”; Summary Suspension provision; Emeritus License (full retirement/no CE/minimum fee); R.S. 37:2356.B. and C. require updating related to examinations; Unlicensed Assistants; registration; revocation and fee schedule; and Disclosure of information received in an administrative investigation falling under other state or federal jurisdictional oversight Dr. Gormanous reiterated the need to begin educating legislators if these matters were to be addressed this session. Dr. Moore moved in favor of the board requesting assistance to address the statutory needs of the board. The motion passed by roll call vote as follows: In favor: (5) Boggs, Henke, Gibson, Moore, Gormanous; Against: 0; Abstained: (0); Absent: (1) McNeely
4. Policy & Procedures – The board reviewed and by motion of Dr. Gormanous approved a revision to the policy and procedures of the LSBEP to include a job description and delegated authority of the compliance officer, a position currently held by Mr. Justin Owens. The board discussed the motion. The motion passed by roll call vote as follows: In favor: (5) Boggs, Henke, Gibson, Moore, Gormanous; Against: 0; Abstained: (0); Absent: (1) McNeely.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
LSU Drs. Harman & Zhang Review Advancements in Police Decision-Making for Special Issue of Frontiers in Psychology
Dr. Jason Harman and Dr. Don Zhang, assistant professors at Louisiana State University in industrial organizational psychology, recently co-authored a paper with colleague Steven Greening for a special issue of Frontiers in Psychology. The comprehensive issue covered "De-escalating Threat: The Psychophysiology of Police Decision Making."
Harman, Zhang and Greening contributed with a review of research in dynamic decision-making and how it could be applied to improve policy & training for police officers, and titled "Basic Processes in Dynamic Decision Making: How Experimental Findings About Risk, Uncertainty, and Emotion Can Contribute to Police Decision Making."
The authors looked at basic findings from experimental studies in judgment and decision-making and how these can help trainers and policy makers to improve police work. "Traditional judgment and decision-making research has focused on simple choices between hypothetical gambles, which has been criticized for its lack of generalizability to real world contexts," the authors note.
However, the more recent focus, the last 15 years, has allowed more generalizing from research to applications. The authors cover three dynamic decision-making topics in their review: 1) dynamic accumulation of evidence in the decision to shoot or not shoot; 2) how previous decisions influence current choices; and 3) how the cognitive and neurological processing of fear influences decisions and decision errors.
The Times asked Dr. Harman how he and his co-authors decided on this topic. "Bit of a story actually," he said. "Back in 2017 the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services tasked a group of researchers at the University of Toronto to replace the current police Use of Force Model with an expanded Critical Decision-Making (CDM) Model. As part of that effort, they traveled the U.S. and Canada to interview some of the leading experts on the cognitive mechanisms driving critical decision making. That led them to Louisiana to interview me for an afternoon. After our talk, the lead investigator (Judith Anderson) invited me to write up a contribution to the special issue she was organizing on police decision making covering many parts of what we had discussed," he said.
"Here at LSU, I had the perfect collaborators––Dr. Zhang (who as an undergrad at Michigan State University ran some of the key studies we reviewed in our paper) & Dr. Greening (an expert in the neurocognitive mechanisms involved in adapting to and controlling the influence of emotional events on the brain and behavior) to provide a comprehensive review of the basic research in dynamic decision making relevant to police decision making."
What were the main issues he and his co-authors found that could help police officers make better decisions?
"Our paper was really targeted towards applied researchers," he said. "Thirty years ago or so, research relevant to police decision making split into basic research (in a lab trying to determine the precise cognitive mechanisms of decision making) and applied research (studying experts in the field making real-world/real-time decisions). The two methods rarely informed each other, as lab studies lacked the environmental complexity necessary to understand and effect high stakes immediate decisions. Our paper highlights some of the advances that laboratory decision science has made in the past 15 years that make results from basic decision science more applicable to applied research," he explained.
"We highlight, for example, that there is a growing body of evidence from the lab that experienced outcomes (either real or imagined) and especially the frequency of experienced outcomes will have a much larger influence on decisions than descriptive information, such as guidelines or warnings," he said.
"One of the possible implications of this research is that the extensive training on the rare dangerous interaction could lead to biased responses in normal circumstances (expecting a dangerous situation when one shouldn't). One possible remedy would be increased experiential training on routine interactions," he said. "Again, and this is important, this suggestion would need to be tested in a realistic environment as the complexity of policy decision making is such that multiple factors interact beyond just these basic cognitive processes." Does the group plan on a follow-up review or research?
"I have a colleague in Virginia currently using Virtual Reality training as a possible inoculation to PTSD for military medics and we are currently discussing using VR to test some of the training suggestions above."
The work is available at Front. Psychol., 20 September 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02140
Dr. Jason Harman earned his doctorate from Ohio University and then followed with his work as a postdoctoral research fellow at Carnegie Mellon in the Social and Decision Sciences Department, working with Dr. Cleotilde Gonzalez in the Dynamic Decision Making Lab. Dr. Harman has published in decision science including research with Dr. Gonzales on choice consistency, rare events, evaluation and health decisions. His research areas include dynamic decision making, cognitive models, goal pursuit, and Applied Decision Science. He is the principal investigator for a study of decision making in those saving and retiring. He has presented his work in the UK, Hungary, Poland, Germany and Canada, as well as around the US.
Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on data visualization, specifically communicating validity information to relevant stakeholders. His research involves the application of psychological principles to the workplace. He is also interested in the individual differences in risk taking propensity and the relations to life and work outcomes such as job performance, counter productivity, and safety compliance. His work has been published in various international journals and books.
He received his PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Bowling Green State University. He works closely with organizations to create evidence-based plans and deliver solutions that are tailored to their unique needs.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 11, No. 4. Source pages: 2.
Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep on going." Watching the epidemiologists trying to shut the barn door after the horse has left is topped only by the sad trial-and- error problem solving applied to holding back mother nature. "It’s not in the air. Oh wait, it is." "The masks protect the doctors but won't protect you. Oh wait, maybe they will." "Stay at home…oh, but it’s okay to go to the grocery store where everybody else is going." And their models don’t work, except to alarm everyone.
"Social distancing is working!" Well of course it is, why wouldn't it? It does shut down life as we know it on this planet––a small side effect. Nevertheless, I am extremely grateful that we have behavioral interventions so that the hospitals can do what they can for those seriously ill, and so we give ourselves time to find answers to save lives.
We’ve learned that hygiene behaviors help a lot. Hygiene is actually responsible for some of the biggest leaps in health in our history. Disinfectants, indoor toilets, and basic cleanliness.
We’ve also learned the downside of globalization. Cheap labor is not always as cheap as it might seem. We all knew a pandemic was coming sooner or later but none of the previous viruses really got our attention. As horrible as it is, I’m thankful the coronavirus isn’t the 30% killer it could’ve been, catching the whole world flat–footed. We also learned that China lies and the WHO is sadly short of competence.
One plus is the surge in our group problem-solving. Citizens have information tools they’ve never had before and they are more capable than ever of doing their own critical–thinking. (What else do they have to do stuck at home?) Anyone who was willing to search hydroxychloroquine knew it had potential, like Trump did, because it's a zinc ionophore. The French data was posted, and no secret. I'm waiting to see if Trump starts talking about Ivermectin.
Psychologists know that when people are empowered to do their own problem-solving they are more engaged in behavior change. Dependency on "experts" in this crisis gives way to independence and collaborative decision-making for health issues, characteristics that are sorely needed. Dr. Linda Brannon has said it in a beautifully succinct manner –– the healthcare system we now have was designed over half a century ago to solve problems and diseases that are now solved for the most part. The system we need is a completely new one for today’s health problems.
In the middle of all this chaos, one of the most enjoyable, gratifying experiences for me was to realize that the classically trained psychologists who somehow let me in to LSU in the 1970s taught me a thing or two. I feel pleasantly superior to know a bit about the value of quasi–experimental research designs, the difference between idiographic and nomothetic approaches, or the weaknesses due to the "tyranny of the mean."
I may be a mediocre researcher, or even a poor one, but I am sitting here, socially distancing, and feeling quite smug because at least I know the difference between "anecdotal" information and sources of potentially useful evidence for arriving at the truth.
But frankly, if I hear the word "granular" one more time, while I'm sheltering in place, I will scream.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.